4:1 Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the children of the captivity were building a temple to Jehovah the God of Israel,
犹大和便雅悯的敌人听见被掳归回的人为耶和华以色列的神建造殿宇,
4:2 They drew near to Zerubbabel and to the heads of fathers' houses and said to them, Let us build with you; for we seek your God as you do, and we have been sacrificing to Him since the days of Esar- haddon the king of Assyria, who brought us up here.
4:3 But Zerubbabel and Jeshua and the rest of the heads of fathers' houses of Israel said to them, You have nothing to do with us in building a house to our God; but we ourselves together will build to Jehovah the God of Israel, as King Cyrus the king of Persia has commanded us.
4:4 Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah and troubled them in building.
那地的民,就在犹大人建造的时候,使他们的手发软,扰乱他们;
4:5 And they hired counselors against them to frustrate their purpose all the days of Cyrus the king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius the king of Persia.
从波斯王古列在位的日子,直到波斯王大利乌作王的时候,贿买谋士,破坏他们的计划。
4:6 And in the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, they wrote an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.
在亚哈随鲁才登基作王的时候,他们写了诉状,控告犹大和耶路撒冷的居民。
4:7 And in the days of Artaxerxes, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of his companions wrote to Artaxerxes the king of Persia; and the script of the letter was written in Aramaic and translated into Aramaic.
4:8 Rehum the chancellor and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king as follows
省长利宏和书记伸帅写了奏章给亚达薛西王,控告耶路撒冷人。
4:9 (Then Rehum the chancellor, and Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their companions, the judges, and the officials, the Tarpelites, the Persians, the men of Erech, the Babylonians, the men of Susa, that is the Elamites,
4:10 And the rest of the nations, whom the great and noble Osnappar carried into exile and settled in the city of Samaria and in the rest of the province beyond the River, wrote. And now
以及其余各民族,就是尊大的亚斯那巴所迁移、安置在撒玛利亚城并大河以西其余地方的人,
4:11 This is the copy of the letter that they sent to him): To Artaxerxes the king, from your servants the men beyond the River. And now
向王所呈的奏章,誊抄如下:河西的臣民致亚达薛西王。
4:12 Let it be known to the king that the Jews who came up from you have come to us to Jerusalem; they are rebuilding the rebellious and evil city and are finishing the walls and have repaired the foundations.
4:13 Now let it be known to the king that if this city is rebuilt and the walls are finished, they will not pay tribute, taxes, or tolls; and in the end it will cause damage to the kings.
如今王该知道,若是这城重建起来,城墙筑完,他们就不再进贡、交课、纳税,终久必使诸王受亏损。
4:14 Now because we eat the salt of the palace, and it is not fitting for us to see the king's dishonor, we therefore have sent this letter to inform the king,
我们既食王家的盐,不该见王受辱,因此上奏禀告于王。
4:15 So that a search may be made in the book of the records of your fathers, and you may find in the book of the records and know that this city is a rebellious city and one that causes damage to kings and provinces and that they have stirred up sedition within it in times past; for which reason this city was laid waste.
4:16 We inform the king that if this city is rebuilt and its walls are finished, then you will have no portion beyond the River.
我们禀告于王,若是这城重建起来,城墙筑完,河西之地王就无分了。
4:17 Then the king sent an answer to Rehum the chancellor and Shimshai the scribe and the rest of their companions who dwelt in Samaria and in the rest of the province beyond the River: Greetings. And now
那时王下谕达于省长利宏、书记伸帅、和他们的同僚,就是住撒玛利亚并河西其余地方的人,说,愿你们平安。
4:18 The letter which you sent to us has been read before me in translation.
你们所呈的奏章,译文已经在我面前读过了。
4:19 And a decree has been issued by me, and a search has been made; and it was found that this city in times past has risen against kings, and that rebellion and sedition have been made in it,
我命人考察,得知此城古来果然曾背叛诸王,其中常有悖逆反叛的事。
4:20 And that there have been mighty kings over Jerusalem, who have ruled over all the lands beyond the River; and tribute, taxes and tolls were paid to them.
从前也有强大的君王治理耶路撒冷,统管河西全地,人就给他们进贡、交课、纳税。
4:21 Now make a decree to stop these men, so that this city is not rebuilt until a decree is made by me.
现在你们要出令叫这些人停工,使这城不得建造,等我降旨。
4:22 And take care not to be negligent in this. Why should damage grow to the detriment of the kings?
你们当谨慎,在这事上不可疏忽;为何容害加重,使王受亏损呢?
4:23 Then when the copy of King Artaxerxes's letter was read before Rehum and Shimshai the scribe and their companions, they went in haste to Jerusalem to the Jews and stopped them by force and power.
4:24 So the work of the house of God, which is in Jerusalem, ceased; and it was stopped until the second year of the reign of Darius the king of Persia.