2 Esdras (Ezra) 4

And they that afflicted Juda and Benjamin heard, that the children of the captivity were building a house to the Lord God of Israel.

ΚΑΙ ἤκουσαν οἱ θλίβοντες ᾿Ιούδα καὶ Βενιαμίν, ὅτι υἱοὶ τῆς ἀποικίας οἰκοδομοῦσιν οἶκον τῷ Κυρίῳ Θεῷ ᾿Ισραήλ,

And they drew near to Zorobabel, and to the heads of families, and said to them, We will build with you; for as ye [do], we seek [to serve] our God, and we do sacrifice to him from the days of Asaraddon king of Assur, who brought us hither.

καὶ ἤγγισαν πρὸς Ζοροβάβελ καὶ πρὸς τοὺς ἄρχοντας τῶν πατριῶν καὶ εἶπον αὐτοῖς· οἰκοδομήσομεν μεθ᾿ ὑμῶν, ὅτι ὡς ὑμεῖς ἐκζητοῦμεν τῷ Θεῷ ἡμῶν. καὶ αὐτῷ ἡμεῖς θυσιάζομεν ἀπὸ ἡμερῶν ᾿Ασαραδδὼν βασιλέως ᾿Ασσοὺρ τοῦ ἐνέγκαντος ἡμᾶς ὧδε.

then Zorobabel, and Jesus and the rest of the heads of the families of Israel said to them, [It is] not for us and you to build a house to our God, for we ourselves will build together to the Lord our God, as Cyrus the king of the Persians commanded us.

καὶ εἶπε πρὸς αὐτοὺς Ζοροβάβελ καὶ ᾿Ιησοῦς καὶ οἱ κατάλοιποι τῶν ἀρχόντων τῶν πατριῶν τοῦ ᾿Ισραήλ· οὐχ ἡμῖν καὶ ὑμῖν τοῦ οἰκοδομῆσαι οἶκον τῷ Θεῷ ἡμῶν, ὅτι ἡμεῖς αὐτοὶ ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ οἰκοδομήσομεν τῷ Κυρίῳ Θεῷ ἡμῶν, ὡς ἐνετείλατο ἡμῖν Κῦρος ὁ βασιλεὺς Περσῶν.

And the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Juda, and hindered them in building,

καὶ ἦν ὁ λαὸς τῆς γῆς ἐκλύων τὰς χεῖρας τοῦ λαοῦ ᾿Ιούδα καὶ ἐνεπόδιζον αὐτοὺς οἰκοδομεῖν

and [continued] hiring [persons] against them, plotting to frustrate their counsel, all the days of Cyrus king of the Persians, and until the reign of Darius king of the Persians.

καὶ μισθούμενοι ἐπ᾿ αὐτοὺς βουλευόμενοι τοῦ διασκεδάσαι βουλὴν αὐτῶν πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας Κύρου βασιλέως Περσῶν καὶ ἕως βασιλείας Δαρείου βασιλέως Περσῶν.

And in the reign of Assuerus, even in the beginning of his reign, they wrote a letter against the inhabitants of Juda and Jerusalem.

Καὶ ἐν βασιλείᾳ ᾿Ασσουήρου, ἐν ἀρχῆ βασιλείας αὐτοῦ, ἔγραψαν ἐπιστολὴν ἐπὶ οἰκοῦντας ᾿Ιούδα καὶ ῾Ιερουσαλήμ.

And in the days of Arthasastha, Tabeel wrote peaceably to Mithradates and to the rest of his fellow-servants: the tribute-gatherer wrote to Arthasastha king of the Persians a writing in the Syrian tongue, and [the same] interpreted.

καὶ ἐν ἡμέραις ᾿Αρθασασθὰ ἔγραψεν ἐν εἰρήνῃ Μιθραδάτῃ Ταβεὴλ καὶ τοῖς λοιποῖς συνδούλοις. πρὸς ᾿Αρθασασθὰ βασιλέα Περσῶν ἔγραψεν ὁ φορολόγος γραφὴν Συριστὶ καὶ ἡρμηνευμένην.

Raum the chancellor, and Sampsa the scribe wrote an epistle against Jerusalem to King Arthasastha, [saying,]

Ῥαοὺμ βααλτὰμ καὶ Σαψὰ ὁ γραμματεὺς ἔγραψαν ἐπιστολὴν μίαν κατὰ ῾Ιερουσαλὴμ τῷ ᾿Αρθασασθὰ βασιλεῖ.

Thus has judged Reum the chancellor, and Sampsa the scribe, and the rest of our fellow-servants, the Dinaeans, the Apharsathachaeans, the Tarphalaeans, the Apharsaeans, the Archyaeans, the Babylonians, the Susanachaeans, Davaeans,

τάδε ἔκρινε Ῥαοὺμ βααλτὰμ καὶ Σαμψὰ ὁ γραμματεὺς καὶ οἱ κατάλοιποι σύνδουλοι ἡμῶν, Δειναῖοι, ᾿Αφαρσαθαχαῖοι, Ταρφαλαῖοι, ᾿Αφαρσαῖοι, ᾿Αρχυαῖοι, Βαβυλώνιοι, Σουσαναχαῖοι, Δαυαῖοι

and the rest of the nations whom the great and noble Assenaphar removed, and settled them in the cities of Somoron, and the rest [of them] beyond the river.

καὶ οἱ κατάλοιποι ἐθνῶν, ὧν ἀπώκισεν ᾿Ασσεναφὰρ ὁ μέγας καὶ ὁ τίμιος καὶ μετῴκισεν αὐτοὺς ἐν πόλεσι τῆς Σομόρων καὶ τὸ κατάλοιπον πέραν τοῦ ποταμοῦ·

This [is] the purport of the letter, which they sent to him: Thy servants the men beyond the river to king Arthasastha.

αὕτη ἡ διαταγὴ τῆς ἐπιστολῆς ἧς ἀπέστειλαν πρὸς αὐτόν· «Πρὸς ᾿Αρθασασθὰ βασιλέα παῖδές σου ἄνδρες πέραν τοῦ ποταμοῦ.

Be it known to the king, that the Jews who came up from thee to us have come to Jerusalem the rebellious and wicked city, which they are building, and its walls are set in order, and they have established the foundations of it.

γνωστὸν ἔστω τῷ βασιλεῖ ὅτι οἱ ᾿Ιουδαῖοι οἱ ἀναβάντες ἀπὸ σοῦ πρὸς ἡμᾶς ἤλθοσαν εἰς ῾Ιερουσαλὴμ τὴν πόλιν τὴν ἀποστάτιν καὶ πονηράν, ἣν οἰκοδομοῦσι, καὶ τὰ τείχη αὐτῆς κατηρτισμένα εἰσί, καὶ θεμελίους αὐτῆς ἀνύψωσαν.

Now then be it known to the king, that if that city be built up, and its walls completed, thou shalt have no tribute, neither will they pay [anything], and this injures kings.

νῦν οὖν γνωστὸν ἔστω τῷ βασιλεῖ, ὅτι ἐὰν ἡ πόλις ἐκείνη ἀνοικοδομηθῇ καὶ τὰ τείχη αὐτῆς καταρτισθῶσι, φόροι οὐκ ἔσονταί σοι οὐδὲ δώσουσι· καὶ τοῦτο βασιλεῖς κακοποιεῖ·

And it is not lawful for us to see the dishonour of the king: therefore have we sent and made known [the matter] to the king;

καὶ ἀσχημοσύνην βασιλέως οὐκ ἔξεστιν ἡμῖν ἰδεῖν· διὰ τοῦτο ἐπέμψαμεν καὶ ἐγνωρίσαμεν τῷ βασιλεῖ,

That examination may be made in thy fathers’ book of record; and thou shalt find, and thou shalt know that city [is] rebellious, and does harm to kings and countries, and there are in the midst of it from very old time refuges for [runaway] slaves: therefore this city has been made desolate.

ἵνα ἐπισκέψηται ἐν βίβλῳ ὑπομνηματισμοῦ τῶν πατέρων σου, καὶ εὑρήσεις καὶ γνώσῃ ὅτι ἡ πόλις ἐκείνη πόλις ἀποστάτις, κακοποιοῦσα βασιλεῖς καὶ χώρας, καὶ φυγαδεῖαι δούλων γίνονται ἐν μέσῳ αὐτῆς ἀπὸ ἡμερῶν αἰῶνος· διὰ ταῦτα ἡ πόλις αὕτη ἠρημώθη.

We therefore declare to the king, that, if that city be built, and its walls be set up, thou shalt not have peace.

γνωρίζομεν οὖν ἡμεῖς τῷ βασιλεῖ ὅτι ἂν ἡ πόλις ἐκείνη οἰκοδομηθῇ καὶ τὰ τείχη αὐτῆς καταρτισθῇ, οὐκ ἔστι σοι εἰρήνη».

Then the king sent to Reum the chancellor, and Sampsa the scribe, and the rest of their fellow-servants who dwelt in Samaria, and the rest beyond the river, [saying,] Peace; and he says,

Καὶ ἀπέστειλεν ὁ βασιλεὺς πρὸς Ῥαοὺμ βααλτὰμ καὶ Σαμψὰ γραμματέα καὶ τοὺς καταλοίπους συνδούλους αὐτῶν τοὺς οἰκοῦντας ἐν Σαμαρείᾳ καὶ τοὺς καταλοίπους πέραν τοῦ ποταμοῦ εἰρήνην καὶ φησίν·

The tribute-gatherer whom ye sent to us, has been called before me.

«ὁ φορολόγος, ὃν ἀπεστείλατε πρὸς ἡμᾶς, ἐκλήθη ἔμπροσθεν ἐμοῦ.

And a decree has been made by me, and we have examined, and found that city of old time exalts itself against kings, and that rebellions and desertions take place within it.

καὶ παρ᾿ ἐμοῦ ἐτέθη γνώμη καὶ ἐπεσκεψάμεθα καὶ εὕραμεν, ὅτι ἡ πόλις ἐκείνη ἀφ᾿ ἡμερῶν αἰῶνος ἐπὶ βασιλεῖς ἐπαίρεται, καὶ ἀποστάσεις καὶ φυγαδεῖαι γίνονται ἐν αὐτῇ·

And there were powerful kings in Jerusalem, and they ruled over all the [country] beyond the river, and abundant revenues and tribute were given to them.

καὶ βασιλεῖς ἰσχυροὶ ἐγένοντο ἐν ῾Ιερουσαλὴμ καὶ ἐπικρατοῦντες ὅλης τῆς πέραν τοῦ ποταμοῦ, καὶ φόροι πλήρεις καὶ μέρος δίδονται αὐτοῖς·

Now therefore make a decree to stop the work of those men, and that city shall no more be built.

καὶ νῦν θέτε γνώμην καταργῆσαι τοὺς ἄνδρας ἐκείνους, καὶ ἡ πόλις ἐκείνη οὐκ οἰκοδομηθήσεται ἔτι·

[See] that ye be careful of the decree, [not] to be remiss concerning this matter, lest at any time destruction should abound to the harm of kings.

ὅπως ἀπὸ τῆς γνώμης πεφυλαγμένοι ἦτε ἄνεσιν ποιῆσαι περὶ τούτου, μή ποτε πληθυνθῇ ἀφανισμὸς εἰς κακοποίησιν βασιλεῦσι».

Then the tribute-gatherer of king Arthasastha read [the letter] before Reum the chancellor, and Sampsa the scribe, and his fellow-servants: and they went in haste to Jerusalem and through Juda, and caused them to cease with horses and an [armed] force.

Τότε ὁ φορολόγος τοῦ ᾿Αρθασασθὰ βασιλέως ἀνέγνω ἐνώπιον Ῥαοὺμ βααλτὰμ καὶ Σαμψὰ γραμματέως καὶ συνδούλων αὐτοῦ· καὶ ἐπορεύθησαν σπουδῇ εἰς ῾Ιερουσαλὴμ καὶ ἐν ᾿Ιούδᾳ καὶ κατήργησαν αὐτοὺς ἐν ἵπποις καὶ δυνάμει.

Then ceased the work of the house of God in Jerusalem, and it was at a stand until the second year of the reign of Darius king of the Persians.

τότε ἤργησε τὸ ἔργον οἴκου τοῦ Θεοῦ τὸ ἐν ῾Ιερουσαλὴμ καὶ ἦν ἀργοῦν ἕως δευτέρου ἔτους τῆς βασιλείας Δαρείου βασιλέως Περσῶν.