Esdra 4

NOVA VULGATA	NEW JERUSALEM
1 Audierunt autem hostes Iudae et Beniamin, quia filii captivita tisaedificarent templum Domino, Deo Israel,	1 When the enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the exiles were building the Temple of Yahweh,God of Israel,
2 et accedentes ad Zorobabel et adprincipes familiarum dixerunt eis: “ Aedificemus vobiscum, quia ita ut vosquaerimus Deum vestrum et immolavimus victimas a diebus Asarhaddon regisAssyriae, qui adduxit nos huc ”.	2 they came to Zerubbabel and Jeshua and the heads of families and said, 'Let us help you build, for weresort to your God as you do and we have been sacrificing to him since the time of Esarhaddon king of Assyria,who brought us here.'
3 Et dixit eis Zorobabel et Iesua et reliquiprincipes familiarum Israel: “ Non est vobis et nobis, ut aedificemus domumDeo nostro, sed nos ipsi soli aedificabimus Domino, Deo Israel, sicut praecepitnobis Cyrus rex Persarum ”.	3 Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the other heads of Israelite families replied, 'It is out of the question that youshould join us in building a Temple for our God. We shal build for Yahweh, God of Israel, on our own, as KingCyrus king of Persia has commanded us.'
4 Factum est igitur, ut populus terrae impediretmanus populi Iudae et turbaret eos in aedificando.	4 The people of the country then set about demoralising the people of Judah and deterring them frombuilding;
5 Conduxerunt autem adversuseos consiliatores, ut destruerent consilium eorum omnibus diebus Cyri regisPersarum et usque ad regnum Darii regis Persarum.	5 they also bribed counsellors against them to frustrate their purpose throughout the lifetime of Cyrus kingof Persia right on into the reign of Darius king of Persia.
6 In regno autem Asueri, in principio regni eius, scripserunt accusationemadversus habitatores Iudae et Ierusalem.	6 In the reign of Xerxes, at the beginning of his reign, they drew up an accusation against the inhabitantsof Judah and Jerusalem.
7 Et in diebus Artaxerxis scripsitBeselam, Mithridates et Tabel et reliqui, qui erant in consilio eorum, adArtaxerxem regem Persarum; scriptura autem accusationis erat scripta litterisSyriacis et composita sermone Syro.	7 In the days of Artaxerxes, Mithredath, Tabeel and their other associates wrote to Artaxerxes king ofPersia against Jerusalem; the text of the letter was written in Aramaic writing and dialect.
8 Rehum praefectus et Samsai scribascripserunt epistulam unam de Ierusalem Artaxerxi regi huiuscemodi:	8 Then Rehum the governor and Shimshai the secretary wrote a letter to King Artaxerxes, denouncingJerusalem as fol ows:
9 “ Rehumpraefectus et Samsai scriba et reliqui socii eorum, iudices et duces,magistratus Persae, Erchuaei, Babylonii, Susanechaei, hoc est Elamitae,	9 'From Rehum the governor and Shimshai the secretary and their other associates, the judges, thelegates, the Persian officials, the people of Uruk, Babylon and Susa -- that is, the Elamites-
10 etceteri de gentibus, quas transtulit Asenaphar magnus et gloriosus et habitarefecit in civitatibus Samariae et in reliquis regionibus trans flumen in pace ”.	10 and the other peoples whom the great and il ustrious Ashurbanipal deported and settled in the towns ofSamaria and in the rest of Transeuphrates.'
11 Hoc est exemplar epistulae, quam miserunt ad eum: “ Artaxerxi regi, servi tui, viri, qui sunt trans fluvium. Igitur	11 This is the text of the letter which they sent him: 'To King Artaxerxes, from your servants the people ofTranseuphrates:
12 notum sitregi quia Iudaei, qui ascenderunt a te ad nos, venerunt in Ierusalem civitatemrebellem et pessimam, quam aedificant, exstruentes muros eius, fundamenta iamcomponentes.	12 'May the king now please be informed that the Jews, who have come up from you to us, have arrivedin Jerusalem and are rebuilding the rebel ious and evil city; they have begun rebuilding the wal s and are layingthe foundations;
13 Nunc notum sit regi quia, si civitas illa aedificata fuerit, etmuri eius instaurati, tributum et annonam et vectigal non dabunt, et ad ultimumregibus noxa erit.	13 and now the king should be informed that once this city is rebuilt and the wal s are restored, they wilrefuse to pay tribute, tax or toll, thus the king will incur a loss;
14 Nos autem, memores salis, quod in palatio comedimus, etquia laesiones regis videre nefas ducimus, idcirco misimus et nuntiavimus regi,	14 and now, because we eat the palace salt, it is not proper for us to see this affront offered to the king;we therefore send this information to the king
15 ut recenseas in libris historiarum patrum tuorum, et invenies in hishistoriis et scies quoniam urbs illa urbs rebellis est et nocens regibus etprovinciis, et seditiones concitantur in ea ex diebus antiquis; quam ob rem etcivitas ipsa destructa est.	15 so that a search may be made in the archives of your ancestors: in which archives you will find andlearn that this city is a rebellious city, the bane of kings and provinces, and that sedition has been stirred upthere from ancient times; that is why this city was destroyed.
16 Nuntiamus nos regi quoniam, si civitas illaaedificata fuerit, et muri ipsius instaurati, possessionem trans fluvium nonhabebis ”.	16 We inform the king that if this city is rebuilt and its wal s are restored, you wil soon have no territoriesleft in Transeuphrates.'
17 Verbum misit rex ad Rehum praefectum et Samsai scribam et ad reliquos, quierant in consilio eorum, qui habitabant in Samaria et in regione trans fluvium:“ Pax. Nunc igitur scriptura,	17 The king sent this reply: 'To Rehum the governor, to Shimshai the secretary, and to their otherassociates resident in Samaria and elsewhere in Transeuphrates: Greetings!
18 quam misistis ad nos, manifeste lecta estcoram me.	18 'And now, the document which you sent us has been accurately translated for me,
19 Et a me praeceptum est, et recensuerunt inveneruntque quoniamcivitas illa a diebus antiquis adversum reges rebellabat, et rebelliones etseditiones concitabantur in ea;	19 and by my orders search has been made, and it has been found that this city has rebel ed against thekings in the past and that revolt and sedition have been contrived in it;
20 nam et reges fortissimi fuerunt in Ierusalem,qui et dominati sunt omni regioni, quae trans fluvium est, tributum quoque etannonam et vectigal accipiebant.	20 and that powerful kings have reigned in Jerusalem, governing the whole of Transeuphrates andexacting tribute, tax and tol ;
21 Nunc ergo praecipite, ut desistant istihomines, et urbs illa non aedificetur, donec forte a me iussum fuerit.	21 now give orders for these men to cease work; this city is not to be rebuilt until I give the order.
22 Videte, ne negligenter hoc impleatis, et paulatim crescat malum contra reges ”.	22 Beware of acting negligently in this matter. Why should the harm grow, to endanger the king?'
23 Itaque exemplum edicti Artaxerxis regis lectum est coram Rehum praefectum etSamsai scriba et consiliariis eorum; et abierunt festini in Ierusalem ad Iudaeoset prohibuerunt eos in brachio et robore.	23 As soon as the text of King Artaxerxes' document had been read to Rehum the governor, Shimshai thesecretary and their associates, they hurried to the Jews in Jerusalem and stopped their work by force of arms.
24 Tunc intermissum est opus domusDomini in Ierusalem et non fiebat usque ad annum secundum regni Darii regisPersarum.	24 Work on the Temple of God in Jerusalem then ceased, and was discontinued until the second year ofthe reign of Darius King of Persia.