ʻEsela 4
1Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the returned exiles were building a temple to the LORD, the God of Israel,
1PEA ʻi he fanongo ʻe he ngaahi fili ʻo Siuta mo Penisimani ʻoku langa ʻae faletapu kia Sihova ko e ʻOtua ʻo ʻIsileli ʻe he fānau naʻe fakapōpula:
2they approached Zerubbabel and the heads of fathers’ houses and said to them, “Let us build with you, for we worship your God as you do, and we have been sacrificing to him ever since the days of Esarhaddon king of Assyria who brought us here.”
2Naʻa nau haʻu ai kia Selupepeli, pea ki he kau tuʻukimuʻa ʻi he kau mātuʻa, ʻonau pehē kiate kinautolu, “Tuku ke mau langa mo kimoutolu: he ʻoku mau kumi ki homou ʻOtua, ʻo hangē ko kimoutolu; pea kuo mau feilaulau kiate ia talu ʻae ngaahi ʻaho ʻo Esahatoni ko e tuʻi ʻo ʻAsilia, ʻaia naʻe ʻomi ʻakimautolu ki heni.”
3But Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the rest of the heads of fathers’ houses in Israel said to them, “You have nothing to do with us in building a house to our God; but we alone will build to the LORD, the God of Israel, as King Cyrus the king of Persia has commanded us.”
3Ka naʻe lea ʻa Selupepeli, mo Sesua, mo hono toe ʻoe kau mātuʻa tuʻukimuʻa ʻo ʻIsileli, ʻo pehē kiate kinautolu, “ʻOku ʻikai te mou kau siʻi mo kimautolu ʻi he langa ʻae fale ki homau ʻOtua; ka temau fai fakataha ʻekimautolu pe ʻae langa fale kia Sihova ko e ʻOtua ʻo ʻIsileli, ʻo hangē ko e fekau ʻae tuʻi ko Kolesi ko e tuʻi ʻo Peasia kiate kimautolu.”
4Then the people of the land discouraged the people of Judah and made them afraid to build
4Pea naʻe toki fakavaivai ʻe he kakai ʻoe fonua ʻae nima ʻoe kakai ʻo Siuta, ʻo fakamamahi ʻakinautolu ʻi he langa fale,
5and bribed counselors against them to frustrate their purpose, all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.
5Pea naʻa nau totongi ki he kau fakakaukau ke taʻofi kiate kinautolu, mo fakataʻeʻaonga ʻenau tuʻutuʻuni, ʻi he ngaahi ʻaho kotoa pē ʻo Kolesi ko e tuʻi ʻo Peasia, ʻo hoko mo e pule ʻa Talaiasi ko e tuʻi ʻo Peasia.
6And in the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, they wrote an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.
6Pea ʻi he pule ʻa ʻAhasivelo, ʻi hono kamataʻanga ʻo ʻene pule, naʻa nau tohi kiate ia ʻae tohi talakoviʻi ʻae kakai ʻo Siuta mo Selūsalema.
7In the days of Artaxerxes, Bishlam and Mithredath and Tabeel and the rest of their associates wrote to Artaxerxes king of Persia. The letter was written in Aramaic and translated.
7Pea naʻe tohi ʻi he ngaahi ʻaho ʻo ʻAtakisekisi ʻe Pisilami, mo Mitilitati mo Tapeli, mo hono toe ʻo ʻenau kaumeʻa, kia ʻAtakisekisi ko e tuʻi ʻo Peasia; pea naʻe fai ʻae tohi ʻi he lea fakaSilia, pea naʻe fakamatala ia ʻi he lea fakaSilia.
8Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king as follows:
8Naʻe tohi ʻe he ʻeiki fakamaau ko Lihumi mo Simisai ko e tangata tohi ʻae tohi fakakoviʻi ʻo Selūsalema kia ʻAtakisekisi ko e tuʻi ʻo pehē:
9Rehum the commander, Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their associates, the judges, the governors, the officials, the Persians, the men of Erech, the Babylonians, the men of Susa, that is, the Elamites,
9“Pea naʻe tohi ai ʻe Lihumi ko e ʻeiki fakamaau mo Simisai ko e tangata tohi, mo hono toe ʻo ʻenau kaumeʻa: ko e kau Tinaie mo e kau ʻAfasatikai, ko e kau Tapilai mo e kau ʻAfalisai, ko e kau ʻAkivi, mo e kau Papilone, mo e kau Susa, mo e kau Tehavi, mo e kau ʻElami,
10and the rest of the nations whom the great and noble Osnappar deported and settled in the cities of Samaria and in the rest of the province Beyond the River.
10Mo hono toe ʻoe ngaahi puleʻanga ʻaia naʻe ʻomi ʻe he ʻeiki lahi mo ongolelei ko ʻAsinapa, pea tuku ki he ngaahi kolo ʻo Samēlia, mo hono toe ʻoku ʻi he potu kauvai ni ʻoe vaitafe, pea ʻi he kuonga ko ia.”
11(This is a copy of the letter that they sent.) “To Artaxerxes the king: Your servants, the men of the province Beyond the River, send greeting. And now
11Ko hono hiki eni ʻoe tohi ʻaia naʻa nau ʻave kiate ia, “ʻio, kia ʻAtakisekisi ko e tuʻi: “Ko hoʻo kau tamaioʻeiki ko e kau tangata ʻi he potu kauvai ni ʻoe vaitafe, pea ʻi he kuonga ko eni.
12be it known to the king that the Jews who came up from you to us have gone to Jerusalem. They are rebuilding that rebellious and wicked city. They are finishing the walls and repairing the foundations.
12Ke ʻilo ʻe he tuʻi, koeʻuhi ko e kau Siu naʻe ʻalu hake meiate koe kiate kimautolu kuo nau hoko ki Selūsalema, pea ʻoku nau langa ʻae kolo angakovi moʻo faʻa angatuʻu, pea kuo nau fokotuʻu hake hono ngaahi ʻā maka, pea kuo nau fakahoko hono ngaahi tuʻunga.
13Now be it known to the king that if this city is rebuilt and the walls finished, they will not pay tribute, custom, or toll, and the royal revenue will be impaired.
13Ko eni ke ʻilo ʻe he tuʻi, kapau ʻe langa ʻae kolo ni, pea toe fokotuʻu ʻa hono ngaahi ʻā maka, ʻe ʻikai te nau kei totongi, pea tukuhau, pe totongi fakatau, pea te ke maumau ai ʻae tukuhau ki he ngaahi tuʻi.
14Now because we eat the salt of the palace and it is not fitting for us to witness the king’s dishonor, therefore we send and inform the king,
14Pea ko eni, ko e meʻa ʻi heʻemau maʻu homau tokoni mei he fale ʻoe tuʻi, pea naʻe ʻikai taau mo kimautolu ke mamata ki he fakaongokovi ʻoe tuʻi, ko ia kuo mau fekau ai ʻo fakahā ia ki he tuʻi;
15in order that search may be made in the book of the records of your fathers. You will find in the book of the records and learn that this city is a rebellious city, hurtful to kings and provinces, and that sedition was stirred up in it from of old. That was why this city was laid waste.
15Koeʻuhi ke fai ʻae kumi ʻi he tohi fakamanatu ʻa hoʻo ngaahi tamai: ko ia te ke ʻilo ai ʻi he tohi ʻoe tohi fakamanatu, mo ke ʻilo ko e kolo ni ko e kolo angatuʻu, pea kovi ki he ngaahi tuʻi mo e ngaahi fonua, pea naʻa nau langaʻi ʻae angatuʻu ʻi ai ʻi muʻa: ko e meʻa ko ia naʻe fakaʻauha ai ʻae kolo ni.
16We make known to the king that if this city is rebuilt and its walls finished, you will then have no possession in the province Beyond the River.”
16ʻOku mau fakapapau ki he tuʻi, kapau ʻe toe langa ʻae kolo ni, pea fokotuʻu hono ʻā maka, ko e meʻa ko ia ʻe ʻikai te ke maʻu ai ha tofiʻa ʻi he potu kauvai ni ʻoe vaitafe.”
17The king sent an answer: “To Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe and the rest of their associates who live in Samaria and in the rest of the province Beyond the River, greeting. And now
17Pea naʻe ʻave ʻe he tuʻi ʻa hono tali kia Lihumi ko e ʻeiki fakamaau, mo Simisai ko e tangata tohi, pea ki hono toe ʻo ʻenau kaumeʻa naʻe nofo ʻi Samēlia, pea ko hono toe naʻe nofo ki he kauvai ʻe taha ʻoe vaitafe, ʻo pehē, “Mou fiemālie pe ʻi he kuonga ni.
18the letter that you sent to us has been plainly read before me.
18“Ko e tohi naʻa mou fai ʻo ʻomi kiate au naʻe lau totonu ia ʻi hoku ʻao.
19And I made a decree, and search has been made, and it has been found that this city from of old has risen against kings, and that rebellion and sedition have been made in it.
19Pea ne u fekau, pea naʻe fai ʻae kumi, pea kuo ʻilo ko e kolo ni naʻe fai ʻae angatuʻu ʻi muʻa ki he ngaahi tuʻi, pea naʻe fai ʻi ai ʻae angatuʻu mo e angakovi.
20And mighty kings have been over Jerusalem, who ruled over the whole province Beyond the River, to whom tribute, custom, and toll were paid.
20Pea naʻe ʻi ai ʻi muʻa ʻae ngaahi tuʻi mālohi lahi foki naʻe pule ʻi Selūsalema, ʻaia naʻe pule ki he ngaahi fonua kotoa pē ʻi he kauvai ʻe taha ʻoe vaitafe; pea naʻe ʻatu kiate kinautolu ʻae totongi, mo e tukuhau, mo e totongi fakatau.
21Therefore make a decree that these men be made to cease, and that this city be not rebuilt, until a decree is made by me.
21Pea ko eni mou fekau ki he kau tangata ke tuku, pea ke ʻoua naʻa langa ʻae kolo ni, kaeʻoua ke hoko atu ha fekau ʻe taha meiate au,
22And take care not to be slack in this matter. Why should damage grow to the hurt of the king?”
22Pea ko eni, vakai, ʻoua naʻa mou liʻaki ʻae meʻa ni: ko e hā ka tupu ai ʻae kovi ke kovi ai ʻae ngaahi tuʻi?”
23Then, when the copy of King Artaxerxes’ letter was read before Rehum and Shimshai the scribe and their associates, they went in haste to the Jews at Jerusalem and by force and power made them cease.
23Pea ko eni ʻi he lau hono hiki ʻoe tohi ʻae tuʻi ko ʻAtakisekisi ʻi he ʻao ʻo Lihumi mo Simisai ko e tangata tohi, mo honau kaumeʻa, naʻa nau ʻalu fakatoʻotoʻo hake ki Selūsalema ki he kakai Siu, pea taʻofi fakamālohi pe ʻakinautolu ke tuku.
24Then the work on the house of God that is in Jerusalem stopped, and it ceased until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.
24Pea naʻe toki tuku ai ʻae ngāue ki he fale ʻoe ʻOtua ʻaia ʻoku ʻi Selūsalema. Ko ia naʻe tuku ia ʻo aʻu ki hono ua taʻu ʻoe pule ʻa Talaiasi ko e tuʻi ʻo Peasia.