Ezra 4
Berean Standard BibleTranslation
Berean Standard Bible
Tongan Bible, Revised West Version
1When the enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the exiles were building a temple for 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 the families, saying, “Let us build with you because, like you, we seek your God and have been sacrificing to Him since the time of King Esar-haddon 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 other heads of the families of Israel replied, “You have no part with us in building a house for our God, since we alone must build it for the LORD, the God of Israel, as Cyrus 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 set out to discourage the people of Judah and make 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,
5They hired counselors against them to frustrate their plans throughout the reign of Cyrus king of Persia and down to 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.
6At the beginning of the reign of Xerxes, an accusation was lodged against the people 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.
7And in the days of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of his associates wrote a letter to Artaxerxes. It was written in Aramaic and then translated.
7¶ Pea 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 the letter against Jerusalem to King Artaxerxes 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:
9From Rehum the commander, Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their associates—the judges and officials over Tripolis, Persia, Erech and Babylon, the Elamites of Susa,
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 peoples whom the great and honorable Ashurbanipal deported and settled in the cities of Samaria and elsewhere west of the Euphrates.
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 the text of the letter they sent to him.) To King Artaxerxes, From your servants, the men west of the Euphrates:
11¶ Ko 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.
12Let it be known to the king that the Jews who came from you to us have returned to Jerusalem. And they are rebuilding that rebellious and wicked city, restoring its walls, and repairing its 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.
13Let it now be known to the king that if that city is rebuilt and its walls are restored, they will not pay tribute, duty, or toll, and the royal treasury will suffer.
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 are in the service of the palace and it is not fitting for us to allow the king to be dishonored, we have sent to 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;
15that a search should be made of the record books of your fathers. In these books you will discover and verify that the city is a rebellious city, harmful to kings and provinces, inciting sedition from ancient times. That is why this city was destroyed.
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 advise the king that if this city is rebuilt and its walls are restored, you will have no dominion west of the Euphrates.
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.”
17Then the king sent this reply: To Rehum the commander, Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of your associates living in Samaria and elsewhere in the region west of the Euphrates: Greetings.
17¶ Pea 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 you sent us has been translated and read in my presence.
18“Ko e tohi naʻa mou fai ʻo ʻomi kiate au naʻe lau totonu ia ʻi hoku ʻao.
19I issued a decree, and a search was conducted. It was discovered that this city has revolted against kings from ancient times, engaging in rebellion and sedition.
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 ruled over Jerusalem and exercised authority over the whole region west of the Euphrates; and tribute, duty, and toll were paid to them.
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.
21Now, therefore, issue an order for these men to stop, so that this city will not be rebuilt until I so order.
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,
22See that you do not neglect this matter. Why allow this threat to increase and the royal interests to suffer?
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?”
23When the text of the letter from King Artaxerxes was read to Rehum, Shimshai the scribe, and their associates, they went immediately to the Jews in Jerusalem and forcibly stopped them.
23¶ Pea 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.
24Thus the construction of the house of God in Jerusalem ceased, and it remained at a standstill 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.
Tip: use the ← and → keys to turn chapters.