Omatungururiro wondjuwo ya Muhona maye tjaerwa
1 Ovanavita novandu va Juda nOvabenjamin va zuva kutja imba mba kotokere okuza kouhuura mave tungurura ondjuwo ya Muhona, Ndjambi wa Israel. 2 Nowo otji va ya ku Serubabel na koviuru vyozonganda nave katja nai ku wo: “Ngatu rikute kumwe tu tunge ondjuwo ya Muhona. Eṱe tu rikotamena ku Ndjambi tjingeye ingwi eṋe ku mu rikotamena, nu tu mu punguhira ozombunguhiro okuza koruveze ndwi Asarhadon, ombara ya Asirie, ndwe tu hinda kutja tu yekutura muno.”
3 Serubabel na Jesua noviuru vyozonganda arire tji va ziri nai ku wo: “Eṱe katu nokuvanga ombatero yeṋu mokutunga ondjuwo ya Muhona, Ndjambi wetu. Matu i tungu oveni otja Kirus, ombara ya Persie, pe tu rakiza.”
4 Tjazumba ovandu, mba tura mehi otji va kondja okutjaera Ovajuda nokuvemumaparisa kutja ave ha tungu. 5 Owo wina va popa ovahongore vouhona wa Persie notjimariva kutja ve ve tjaere. Va kara pokutjita nai ombara Kirus ngunda e ri mouhona nga mouhona wa Darius, ombara ya Persie.
Omatungururiro wa Jerusalem maye tjaerwa
6 Mombutiro youhona wombara Kerkes imba ovanavita novature va Juda nova Jerusalem otji ve ve tjangera embo rokuverondora.
7 Mouhona wa Artakerkes, ombara ya Persie, wina Bislam na Mitredat na Tabeel noverikutevakumwe na wo va tjanga orutuu kombara. Orutuu ndwi rwa tjangwa mOtjiaramei, norwo tjaa ru resewa aa ru torokwa.
8 Rehum, ongooneya, na Simsai, omutjangerepo wouhona, wina va tjanga orutuu ndwi ku Artakerkes ndwa tjama na Jerusalem:
9 “Orutuu ndwi maru zu ku Rehum, ongooneya, na Simsai, omutjangerepo wouhona, noverikutevakumwe na wo, novapangure novahongore avehe varwe, mba zire kOerek na Babilon na Susa, mehi ra Elam, 10 pamwe novandu varwe, mba isiwa mo mozoyawo i Asenapar, ingwi omutjiukwa nomunauvara, neye mba katurisa movihuro vya Samaria, na akuhe kwarwe morukondwa rwehi rokongurova kwonḓonḓu Eufrat.”
11 Omambo worutuu owo nga:
“Kombara Artakerkes. Orutuu ndwi maru zu kovakarere voye, imba ovarumendu mba tura mehi rokongurova kwa Eufrat.
12 “Muhona, eṱe matu vanga u tjiwe kutja Ovajuda mbe ya muno okuza komahi woye warwe va tura mOjerusalem, nu mave tungurura otjihuro ho otjirunde notjihinonḓuviro. Owo va uta okutungurura orumbo rwatjo, nu ve ri pokumana. 13 Muhona, otjihuro hi tji tja tungururwa, norumbo rwatjo tji rwa manuka, ovandu mave isa okusuta otjisuta tjouhona, novimariva vyoye vyouhona mavi heruka. 14 Nambano tjinga atu ri kehi yondyero yoye, muhona, katu nokuvanga kutja otjiṋa hi tji tjitwe; opu twe ripurire 15 kutja u rakiza pe tjitwe omakonḓononeno mEkuruhungi rooiho mukururume. Tji wa tjiti nai, mo munu mEkuruhungi ndi kutja otjihuro hi tji zungana, nokutja okuza koruveze orukuru otjo tji eta oumba kozombara na kovanane votukondwa. Ovandu vatjo aruhe va ri ovirangaranga, kaave vanga okuhongorerwa. Otjihuro hi opu tja za okuhaṋewa. 16 Eṱe matu ku tjivisa kutja otjihuro hi tji tja tungururwa, norumbo rwatjo tji rwa manuka, ove, muhona, komoo yenene okuhonaparera orukondwa rwehi rokongurova kwa Eufrat.”
17 Indji ombara ya yarura eziriro ndi: “Ku Rehum, ongooneya, na Simsai, omutjangerepo wouhona, na koverikutevakumwe na wo mba tura mOsamaria na mehi rokongurova kwa Eufrat, ozombinika!
18 “Orutuu ndu mwa tjanga ku ami rwa rundururwa aru reserwa ami. 19 Ami mba rakiza kutja pe tjitwe omakonḓononeno, nu, tjiri, pa munika kutja okuza koruveze orukuru otjihuro hi Jerusalem tji pirukira ozombara, nokutja aruhe tji kara novazungane novatjite voumba. 20 Ozombara ozonauvara za honapara motjihuro hi na morukondwa rokongurova kwa Eufrat, amaze wongo otjisuta tjouhona novimariva vyouhona. 21 Opu mwa pu okurakiza ovarumendu mbo kutja ve ise okutungurura otjihuro, nga tji mba yandja omarakiza warwe. 22 Tjiteye nai tjimanga, kokutja ape ha uhara amape tjitwa otjipo kouvara wombara.”
23 Orutuu ndwi ndwa za ku Artakerkes tji rwa za nokureserwa Rehum na Simsai noverikutevakumwe na wo, owo otji va hakahana okuyenda kOjerusalem nave katjaera Ovajuda noutwe kutja ave ha uhara amave tungurura ihi otjihuro.
Oviungura vyondjuwo ya Muhona mavi utwa rukwao
24 Oviungura vyondjuwo ya Muhona vya kuramene, nu vya vandamene nao nga mombura oitjavari youhona wa Darius, ombara ya Persie.
Opposition to the Rebuilding of the Temple
1 The enemies of the people of Judah and Benjamin heard that those who had returned from exile were rebuilding the Temple of the Lord, the God of Israel. 2 So they went to see Zerubbabel and the heads of the clans and said, “Let us join you in building the Temple. We worship the same God you worship, and we have been offering sacrifices to him ever since Emperor Esarhaddon of Assyria sent us here to live.”
3 Zerubbabel, Joshua, and the heads of the clans told them, “We don't need your help to build a temple for the Lord our God. We will build it ourselves, just as Emperor Cyrus of Persia commanded us.”
4 Then the people who had been living in the land tried to discourage and frighten the Jews and keep them from building. 5 They also bribed Persian government officials to work against them. They kept on doing this throughout the reign of Emperor Cyrus and into the reign of Emperor Darius.
Opposition to the Rebuilding of Jerusalem
6 At the beginning of the reign of Emperor Xerxes, the enemies of the people living in Judah and Jerusalem brought written charges against them.
7 Again in the reign of Emperor Artaxerxes of Persia, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and their associates wrote a letter to the emperor. The letter was written in Aramaic and was to be translated when read.
8 Also Rehum, the governor, and Shimshai, the secretary of the province, wrote the following letter to Emperor Artaxerxes about Jerusalem:
9 “From Rehum, the governor, from Shimshai, secretary of the province, from their associates, the judges, and from all the other officials, who are originally from Erech, Babylon, and Susa in the land of Elam, 10 together with the other peoples whom the great and powerful Ashurbanipal moved from their homes and settled in the city of Samaria and elsewhere in West-of-Euphrates Province.”
11 This is the text of the letter:
“To Emperor Artaxerxes from his servants who live in West-of-Euphrates.
12 “We want Your Majesty to know that the Jews who came here from your other territories have settled in Jerusalem and are rebuilding that evil and rebellious city. They have begun to rebuild the walls and will soon finish them. 13 Your Majesty, if this city is rebuilt and its walls are completed, the people will stop paying taxes, and your royal revenues will decrease. 14 Now, because we are under obligation to Your Majesty, we do not want to see this happen, and so we suggest 15 that you order a search to be made in the records your ancestors kept. If you do, you will discover that this city has always been rebellious and that from ancient times it has given trouble to kings and to rulers of provinces. Its people have always been hard to govern. This is why the city was destroyed. 16 We therefore are convinced that if this city is rebuilt and its walls are completed, Your Majesty will no longer be able to control West-of-Euphrates Province.”
17 The emperor sent this answer:
“To Rehum, the governor, to Shimshai, secretary of the province, and to their associates who live in Samaria and in the rest of West-of-Euphrates, greetings.
18 “The letter which you sent has been translated and read to me. 19 I gave orders for an investigation to be made, and it has indeed been found that from ancient times Jerusalem has revolted against royal authority and that it has been full of rebels and troublemakers. 20 Powerful kings have reigned there and have ruled over the entire province of West-of-Euphrates, collecting taxes and revenue. 21 Therefore you are to issue orders that those men are to stop rebuilding the city until I give further commands. 22 Do this at once, so that no more harm may be done to my interests.”
23 As soon as this letter from Emperor Artaxerxes was read to Rehum, Shimshai, and their associates, they hurried to Jerusalem and forced the Jews to stop rebuilding the city.
Work on the Temple Begins Again
24 Work on the Temple had been stopped and had remained at a standstill until the second year of the reign of Emperor Darius of Persia.
