Ezra 4

CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN	Biblia Sagrada
1 Now the enemies of Judah and of Benjamin heard that the sons of the captivity were building a temple to the Lord, the God of Israel.	1 Cuando los enemigos de Judá y Benjamín se enteraron de que los desterrados reconstruían el templo del Señor, Dios de Israel,
2 And so, drawing near to Zerubbabel and to the leaders of the fathers, they said to them: “Let us build with you, for we seek your God just as you do. Behold, we have immolated victims to him from the days of Esarhaddon, king of Assyria, who brought us here.”	2 se presentaron a Zorobabel, a Josué y a los cabezas de familia y les dijeron: «Dejadnos colaborar con vosotros en la construcción, ya que como vosotros, seguimos a vuestro Dios y le ofrecemos sacrificios desde que Asaradón, rey de Asiria, nos trajo aquí».
3 And Zerubbabel, and Jeshua, and the rest of the leaders of the fathers of Israel said to them: “It is not for you to build the house of our God with us. Instead, we alone shall build to the Lord our God, just as Cyrus, the king of the Persians, has commanded us.”	3 Pero Zorobabel, Josué y los otros cabezas de familia de Israel les contestaron: «No es posible que edifiquemos juntos un templo a nuestro Dios. Somos nosotros solos quienes debemos construirlo para el Señor, Dios de Israel, como nos ha ordenado Ciro, rey de Persia».
4 Therefore, it happened that the people of the land impeded the hands of the people of Judah, and they troubled them in building.	4 Entonces el pueblo de la tierra se puso a desanimar al pueblo de Judá y a amedrentarlos para que no lo edificaran.
5 Then they hired counselors against them, so that they might argue against their plan during all the days of Cyrus, king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius, king of the Persians.	5 Sobornaron a algunos funcionarios del rey contra ellos para hacer fracasar su proyecto durante todo el tiempo que reinó Ciro, rey de Persia, hasta el reinado de Darío, rey de Persia.
6 And so, during the reign of Ahasuerus, at the beginning of his reign, they wrote an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and of Jerusalem.	6 En el reinado de Asuero, al comienzo del mismo, presentaron ellos una denuncia contra los habitantes de Judá y Jerusalén,
7 And so, in the days of Artaxerxes, Bishlam, Mithredath, and Tabeel, and the others who were in their council wrote to Artaxerxes, king of the Persians. Now the letter of accusation was written in Syriac, and was being read in the Syrian language.	7 y en tiempos de Artajerjes, escribieron Bislán, Mitrídates, Tabeel y sus compañeros a Artajerjes, rey de Persia. El texto estaba escrito en caracteres arameos y también en lengua aramea.
8 Rehum, the commander, and Shimshai, the scribe, wrote one letter from Jerusalem to king Artaxerxes, in this manner:	8 El gobernador Rejún y el secretario Simsay escribieron al rey Artajerjes la siguiente carta contra Jerusalén:
9 “Rehum, the commander, and Shimshai, the scribe, and the rest of their counselors, the judges, and rulers, the officials, those from Persia, from Erech, from Babylonia, from Susa, the Dehavites, and the Elamites,	9 «El gobernador Rejún, el secretario Simsay y sus compañeros: los jueces y los oficiales, los funcionarios persas, los de Erec, de Babilonia, de Susa, de Deha, de Elán,
10 and the rest of the nations, whom the great and glorious Osnappar transferred and caused to live in the cities of Samaria and in the rest of the regions across the river in peace:	10 y el resto de los pueblos que el gran e ilustre Asurbanipal deportó y situó en las ciudades de Samaría y en las regiones de Transeufratina».
11 to king Artaxerxes. (This is a copy of the letter, which they sent to him.) Your servants, the men who are across the river, send a greeting.	11 Copia de la carta que mandaron: «Al rey Artajerjes de parte de sus súbditos, las gentes de Transeufratina:
12 Let it be known to the king, that the Jews, who ascended from you to us, have arrived in Jerusalem, a rebellious and most wicked city, which they are building, constructing its ramparts and repairing the walls.	12 Sepa el rey que los judíos que partieron de ahí y vinieron a Jerusalén están reconstruyendo esta ciudad rebelde y malvada; restauran las murallas y han reparado los cimientos.
13 And now let be it known to the king, that if this city will have been built up, and its walls repaired, they will not pay tribute, nor tax, nor yearly revenues, and this loss will affect even the kings.	13 Sepa el rey, también, que si esta ciudad se reconstruye y se restauran sus murallas, no pagarán más tributos, ni impuestos, ni peajes, y las arcas reales se resentirán.
14 But, remembering the salt that we have eaten in the palace, and because we are led to believe that it a crime to see the king harmed, we have therefore sent and reported to the king,	14 Ahora bien, nosotros, que comemos la sal del palacio, no podemos permitir que se desprecie al rey, por lo que te enviamos esta información,
15 so that you may search in the books of the histories of your fathers, and you may find written in the records, and you may know that this city is a rebellious city, and that it is harmful to the kings and the provinces, and that wars were incited within it from the days of antiquity. For which reason also, the city itself was destroyed.	15 para que se investigue en los libros de las memorias de tus padres. En estos libros de memorias comprobarás y sabrás que esta ciudad es una ciudad rebelde y malvada para los reyes y las provincias, y que ya desde antiguo se promueven insurrecciones en ella. Por tal motivo fue destruida esta ciudad.
16 We report to the king that if this city will have been built, and its walls repaired, you will have no possession across the river.”	16 Advertimos al rey que, si esta ciudad se reconstruye y se restauran sus murallas, pronto te quedarás sin territorios en Transeufratina».
17 The king sent word to Rehum, the commander, and to Shimshai, the scribe, and to the rest who were in their council, to the inhabitants of Samaria, and to the others across the river, offering a greeting and peace.	17 El rey respondió con la siguiente nota: «La paz sea con el gobernador Rejún, el secretario Simsay y sus demás compañeros que viven en Samaría y en otros lugares de Transeufratina.
18 “The accusation, which you have sent to us, has been read aloud before me.	18 El informe que me enviasteis ha sido leído puntualmente en mi presencia.
19 And it was commanded by me, and they searched and found that this city, from the days of antiquity, has rebelled against the kings, and that seditions and battles have been incited within it.	19 Ordené que se investigara y se ha descubierto que, desde antaño, esa ciudad se ha rebelado contra los reyes y se han instigado en ella revueltas e insurrecciones.
20 Then too, there have been very strong kings in Jerusalem, who also ruled over the entire region which is across the river. They have also taken tribute, and tax, and revenues.	20 En Jerusalén hubo reyes poderosos que dominaron todo el territorio de Transeufratina y que recibían tributos, impuestos y peajes.
21 Now therefore, hear the sentence: Prohibit those men, so that this city may be not built, until perhaps there may be further orders from me.	21 Así pues, ordenad que esos hombres detengan su trabajo y que la ciudad no se reconstruya hasta que yo lo ordene.
22 See to it that you are not negligent in fulfilling this, otherwise, little by little, the evil may increase against the kings.”	22 Procurad no ser negligentes en esto, para que el mal no aumente en perjuicio de los reyes».
23 And so a copy of the edict of king Artaxerxes was read before Rehum, the commander, and Shimshai, the scribe, and their counselors. And they went away hurriedly to Jerusalem, to the Jews. And they prohibited them by force and by strength.	23 Tan pronto como se leyó la carta del rey Artajerjes ante el gobernador Rejún, el secretario Simsay y sus colegas, fueron rápidamente a Jerusalén y, por la fuerza de las armas, obligaron a los judíos a interrumpir las obras.
24 Then the work of the house of the Lord in Jerusalem was interrupted, and it did not resume until the second year of the reign of Darius, the king of the Persians.	24 De esta manera tuvieron que suspender la reconstrucción del templo del Señor en Jerusalén, que permaneció parada hasta el año segundo del reinado de Darío, rey de Persia.