Foreigners Want To Help Rebuild the Temple
1 The enemies of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin heard that the people had come back to rebuild the temple of the Lord God of Israel. 2 So they went to Zerubbabel and to the family leaders and said, “Let us help! Ever since King Esarhaddon of Assyria brought us here, we have worshiped your God and offered sacrifices to him.”
3 But Zerubbabel, Joshua, and the family leaders answered, “You cannot take part in building a temple for the Lord our God! We will build it ourselves, just as King Cyrus of Persia commanded us.”
4 Then the neighboring people began to do everything possible to frighten the Jews and to make them stop building. 5 During the time that Cyrus was king and even until Darius became king, they kept bribing government officials to slow down the work.
Trouble Rebuilding Jerusalem
6 In the first year that Xerxes was king, the neighboring people brought written charges against the people of Judah and Jerusalem.
7 Later, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and their advisors got together and wrote a letter to Artaxerxes when he was king of Persia. It was written in Aramaic and had to be translated.
8-10 A letter was also written to Artaxerxes about Jerusalem by Governor Rehum, Secretary Shimshai, and their advisors, including the judges, the governors, the officials, and the local leaders. They were joined in writing this letter by people from Erech and Babylonia, the Elamites from Susa, and people from other foreign nations that the great and famous Ashurbanipal had forced to settle in Samaria and other parts of Western Province.
11 This letter said:
Your Majesty King Artaxerxes, we are your servants from everywhere in Western Province, and we send you our greetings.
12 You should know that the Jews who left your country have moved back to Jerusalem and are now rebuilding that rebellious city. In fact, they have almost finished rebuilding the walls and repairing the foundations. 13 You should also know that if the walls are completed and the city is rebuilt, the Jews won't pay any kind of taxes, and there will be less money in your treasury.
14 We are telling you this, because you have done so much for us, and we want everyone to respect you. 15 If you look up the official records of your ancestors, you will find that Jerusalem has constantly rebelled and has led others to rebel against kings and provinces. That's why the city was destroyed in the first place. 16 If Jerusalem is rebuilt and its walls completed, you will no longer have control over Western Province.
17 King Artaxerxes answered:
Greetings to Governor Rehum, Secretary Shimshai, and to your advisors in Samaria and other parts of Western Province.
18 After your letter was translated and read to me, 19 I had the old records checked. It is true that for years Jerusalem has rebelled and caused trouble for other kings and nations. 20 And powerful kings have ruled Western Province from Jerusalem and have collected all kinds of taxes.
21 I want you to command the people to stop rebuilding the city until I give further notice. 22 Do this at once, so that no harm will come to the kingdom.
23 As soon as this letter was read, Governor Rehum, Secretary Shimshai, and their advisors went to Jerusalem and forced everyone to stop rebuilding the city.
Work on the Temple Starts Again
24 The Jews were forced to stop work on the temple and were not able to do any more building until the year after Darius became king of Persia.
Makakatshang'wa mu kumusiwa kwe Ng'umba ye Ndzimu
1 Kwakati zwita zwa Juda na Bhenjamini zwihwa kuti ibabo bakabuya kutapiwa banomusa Ng'umba ya Yahwe, Ndzimu we Iziraela, 2 ngono bakayenda kuna Zerubhabeli ne misholo ye misha bakabadwa beti, “Ngatishanganyileni namwi kumusa Ng'umba ye Ndzimu, ngobe totembezela Ndzimu nng'ompela, kakale takabe tiudusila zwibhayilo kudwa tjose mu tjibaka tja Mambo Esarihadoni we Asiriya iye wakatizhisa pano.”
3 Ngono Zerubhabeli, Jeshuwa ne misholo ye misha ye Iziraela bakadabila beti, “Amuna gobe naswi mu kumusa Ng'umba ye Ndzimu wedu. Iswi toga tobakila Yahwe, Ndzimu we Iziraela, sekwa takadwiwa ndi Mambo Sirasi, mambo we Pheshiya.”
4 Babakidzani nabo bakagwisa kunyadzamoyo bathu be Juda ne kubathama kuti batje kudwilila bemusa Ng'umba ye Ndzimu. 5 Bakatenga bakumbuludzi kuti batjinye ndongoloso ye Bajuta mu mbuso wose wa Sirasi mambo we Pheshiya, kuswikilila tjibaka tje mbuso wa Dariyasi mambo we Pheshiya.
Makakatshang'wa mu kumusiwa kwe Jerusalema
6 Mukutangisa kwe mbuso wa Ahasurusi zwita zwe bathu bakabe begala mu Juda ne Jerusalema zwikabe zwikwala lukwalo gunobalingisa nlandu.
7 Kakale mu mazhuba a Atazezasi mambo we Pheshiya, Bhishilamu na Mitiredati, na Tabheele ne bamwe bose bakabe beshingidzana nabo bakakwala lukwalo, bekwalila Atazezasi. Lukwalo gwakabe gwakakwagwa nge Tjiaramu, gukoshanduligwa. 8 Rehumi we ntungamili na Shimishayi we nkwalili, bakakwalila Mambo Atazezasi lukwalo hwogu, guli gunolingisa Jerusalema nlandu:
9 “Kudwa kuna Rehumi ntungamili, Shimishayi we nkwalili ne banoshingidzana nabo ne basumikilisi ne kudwa ku mamwe makombgwa banodwa ku Tapeli ne Pheshiya ne Ereke ne Bhabhiloni ne Baelamu be Susa, 10 ne zwitjaba zose zwakatogwa ndi Osinapari nkulu enozwigadza ku nzi nkulu we Samariya ne mu ntuthu uku golombedzo le gwizi gwe Yufuratesi.”
11 Oku ntutshi we lukwalo gwabakatumilila:
“Kuna Mambo Atazezasi: Bakwali, balanda benyu, banogala ku golombedzo le Yufuratesi.
12 “Mambo bakafanila ziba kuti Bajuta bakazha ku tili, bedwa kumuli bakayenda ku Jerusalema, banomusa nzi nkulu iwoyu wakapanduka, wakabipa. Banopedzisa makuma kakale banomusa thiwa dzayo. 13 Ngono ngwenu mambo bakafanila ziba kuti, ha bemusa nzi nkulu, bebebebaka makuma bepedza, abangatjalipe lukhetho ne ndilo ya Nzinda ne mimwiso ne matula e bushe e mari anowotapudzika. 14 Ngwenu ngekuti tipasi kwe tjisungo tje ng'umba ye bushe, atitoshaka kubona mambo belengudziwa, ndizo totumila ndayidzo iyeyi tizibisa mambo 15 kuti kuthamwe shakisiso mu hwalo dze zwiyitikalo zwa ntolo dzakabigwa ndi bobatategulu benyu. Mu hwalo idzedzo dze zwiyitikalo zwa ntolo mowowana ili kuti nzi nkulu iwoyu, nzi wakapanduka wakabe ubhatisa bomambo ne mituthu kunolema, bugalo gwe bupanduki kudwa tjose ntolo. Ndizo wakabe wakolomogwa. 16 Tozibisa mambo kuti ha nzi iwoyu ungamusiwa makuma kapedziwa, Tetshi bedu abatjowobe ne simba le kulaula ntuthu uku golombedzo le Yufuratesi.”
17 Mambo batumila shandulo:
“Kuna Rehumi we ntungamili, Shimishayi we nkwalili na bose banoshingidzana nabo banogala mu Samariya na ngayi na ngayi mu golombedzo le Yufuratesi: Dumiliso!
18 “Lukwalo gwamakatumilila kwakabagwa shandulilo yago nge njele mbeli kwangu. 19 Ndakadusa ndaulo kuti kushakisisiwe, ngono kwakawanika ili kuti iwoyu nzi nkulu wakadwa kule nge kupandukila bomambo ne kuti wagala uli nzi we kupanduka ne kupambusa. 20 Jerusalema wakabe na bomambo bakasima bebusa golombedzo le Yufuratesi lose, lukhetho, mimwiso, ndilo ya Nzinda zwakabe zwilipiwa ku bali. 21 Ngwenu, dusila bathu ibabo ndaulo kuti bamise kushinga, kuti ndizo nzi nkulu iwoyu usitongomusiwa kuswikila imi ndidusa ndaulo. 22 Ndizo mubhate musimise kuti kusibe ne jinyo lingabepo mu zwithu zwe bushe.”
23 Kwakati shandulo ye lukwalo gwa Mambo Atazezasi yabagwa mbeli kwa Rehumi na Shimishayi we nkwalili ne bamwe bakabe beshinga nabo, bakamilika tjinyolotjo bakayenda ku Bajuta ku Jerusalema bakabe bebakombeledza kuti bamise kubaka.
Nshingo mu Ng'umba ye Ndzimu unotangisa
24 Nshingo we kumusa Ng'umba ye Ndzimu mu Jerusalema ukapelela uli mile usingadwilile kuswikila gole le bubili le mbuso wa Dariyasi mambo we Pheshiya.