1 و َلَمّا سَمِعَ أعداءُ يَهُوذا وَبَنْيامِيْنَ أنَّ اليَهُودَ العائِدِينَ مِنَ السَّبيِ يُعِيدُونَ بِناءَ هَيكَلِ اللهِ ، إلَهِ إسْرائِيلَ،

Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the exiles from the captivity were building a temple to the Lord, the God of Israel,

2 ج اءُوا إلَى زَرُبّابِلَ وَرُؤَساءِ العَشائِرِ وَقالُوا لَهُمْ: «دَعُونا نُساعِدكُمْ فِي البِناءِ، فَنَحنُ نَتَقَرَّبُ إلَى إلَهِكُمْ مِثلُكُمْ، وَنَحنُ نُقَدِّمُ لَهُ الذَّبائِحَ مُنذُ عَهدِ أسَرْحَدُّونَ مَلِكِ أشُّورَ الَّذِي جاءَ بِنا إلَى هُنا.»

They came to Zerubbabel and to the heads of the fathers’ houses and said, Let us build with you, for we seek and worship your God as you do, and we have sacrificed to Him since the days of Esarhaddon king of Assyria, who brought us here.

3 ل َكِنَّ زَرُبّابِلَ وَيَشُوعَ وَرُؤَساءَ العَشائِرِ الأُخرَى رَدُّوا عَلَيهِمْ وَقالُوا: «لا نَستَطِيعُ أن نَسمَحَ لَكُمْ بِأنْ تَبنُوا مَعَنا بَيتاً لإلَهِنا. فَعَلَينا وَحدَنا أن نَبنِيَ للهِ ، إلَهِ إسْرائِيلَ، كَما أمَرَنا كُورَشُ مَلِكُ فارِسَ.»

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 will together build to the Lord, the God of Israel, as King Cyrus, the king of Persia, has commanded us.

4 و َكانَ شَعبُ تِلكَ الأرْضِ يُحاوِلُ بِذَلِكَ أن يُثَبِّطَ هِمَّةَ بَنِي يَهُوذا وَيُخِيفُهُمْ حَتَّى لا يَبنُوا.

Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah and troubled and terrified them in building

5 و َقَدَّمُوا الرِّشوَةَ لِلمَسؤُولِينَ الفُرْسِ حَتَّى يُقاوِمُوا اليَهُودَ وَيُعِيقُوا خُطَّتَهُمْ. وَاستَمَرَّ ذَلِكَ طَوالَ فَترَةِ حُكمِ المَلِكِ كُورَشَ وَإلَى أن أصبَحَ دارِيُوسُ مَلِكاً عَلَى بِلادِ فارِسَ. مُقاوَمَةُ اليَهُودِ فِي عَهدِ أحَشْوِيرُوشَ وَأرْتَحْشَسْتا

And hired counselors against them to frustrate their purpose and plans all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.

6 و َفِي بِدايَةِ حُكمِ المَلِكِ أحَشْوِيرُوشَ، قَدَّمَ أعداءُ اليَهُودِ شَكوَى خَطِيَّةً ضِدَّ سُكّانِ يَهُوذا وَمَدينَةِ القُدْسِ.

And in the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, wrote to him an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.

7 و َفِي عَهدِ أرْتَحْشَسْتا مَلِكِ فارِسَ، كَتَبَ بِشلامُ وَمِثْرَداثُ وَطَبْئِيلُ وَبَقِيَّةُ جَماعَتِهِمْ رِسالَةً إلَى أرْتَحْشَسْتا. وَكانَتِ الوَثِيقَةُ مَكتُوبَةً بِاللُّغَةِ الأرامِيَّةِ وَمُتَرجَمَةً.

Later, in the days of King Artaxerxes, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of their associates wrote to Artaxerxes king of Persia; and the letter was written in the Syrian or Aramaic script and interpreted in that language.

8 و َكَتَبَ رَحُومُ نائِبُ المَلِكِ، وَشِمْسايُ الكاتِبُ، رِسالَةً إلَى المَلِكِ أرْتَحْشَسْتا يُحَرِّضانِهِ عَلَى يَهُودِ مَدينَةِ القُدْسِ، جاءَ فِيها:

Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king of this sort—

9 م ِنْ رَحُومَ وَكِيلِ المَلِكِ وَشِمْشايَ الكاتِبِ وَبَقِيَّةِ زُمَلائِهِما القُضاةِ وَالمَندُوبِينَ وَالمَسؤُولِينَ وَالفُرْسِ وَالأرَكْوِيِّينَ وَالبابِلِيِّينَ وَالشُّوشَنِيِّينَ – أي العِيلامِيِّينَ،

Then wrote Rehum the commander, Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their associates—the Dinaites, the Apharsathchites, the Tarpelites, the Apharsites, the Archevites, the Babylonians, the Susanchites, the Dehaites, the Elamites,

10 و َمِنْ بَقِيَّةِ الأُمَمِ الَّتِي طَرَدَها أُسْنَفَّرُ العَظِيمُ الشَّهِيرُ مِنْ بِلادِهِا، وَأسكَنَها فِي مُدُنِ السّامِرَةِ وَبَقِيَّةِ المِنْطَقَةِ غَربَ نَهرِ الفُراتِ.

And the rest of the nations whom the great and noble Osnappar deported and settled in the city of Samaria and the rest of the country beyond the Euphrates River, and so forth.

11 ه َذِهِ نُسخَةٌ مِنَ الرِسالةِ إلَى المَلِكِ أرْتَحْشَسْتا: إلَى المَلِكِ مِنْ عَبِيدِكَ السّاكِنِينَ فِي مِنْطَقَةِ غَرْبَ نَهرِ الفُراتِ.

This is a copy of the letter which they sent to King Artaxerxes: Your servants, the men beyond the River, and so forth.

12 ل ِيَكُن مَعلُوماً عِندَ المَلِكِ أنَّ اليَهُودَ الَّذِينَ قَدِمُوا مِنْ عِندِكَ قَد تَوَجَّهُوا إلَى مَدينَةِ القُدْسِ، وَأنَّهُمْ يَقُومُونَ الآنَ بِإعادَةِ بِناءِ المَدِينَةِ المُتَمَرِّدَةِ الشِّرِيرَةِ، وَيُكمِلُونَ بِناءَ أسوارِها وَيُصلِحُونَ أساساتِها.

Be it known to the king that the Jews who came up from you to us have come to Jerusalem. This rebellious and bad city they are rebuilding, and have restored its walls and repaired the foundations.

13 ف َلِيَكُن مَعلُوماً لَدَى المَلِكِ أنَّهُ إذا أُعِيدَ بِناءُ المَدِينَةِ وَأُكمِلَتْ أسوارُها، فَإنَّهُمْ سَيَمتَنِعُونَ عَن دَفعِ أيِّ نَوعٍ مِنَ الضَّرائِبِ، مِمّا سَيُلحِقُ الضَرَرَ فِي نِهايَةِ الأمرِ بِالمَصالِحِ المَلَكِيَّةِ.

Be it known now to the king that if this city is rebuilt and the walls finished, then they will not pay tribute, custom, or toll, and the royal revenue will be diminished.

14 و َحَيْثُ إنَّنا أكَلنا مِلحَ المَلِكِ وَعاهَدناهُ عَلَى الوَلاءِ، فَإنَّهُ لا يَلِيقُ بِنا أن نَرَى ضَرَراً يُصِيبُهُ وَنَسكُتَ. لِذَلِكَ أرسَلنا هَذِهِ الرِّسالَةَ لإبلاغِ المَلِكِ بِالأمرِ،

Now because we eat the salt of the king’s palace and it is not proper for us to witness the king’s discredit, therefore we send to inform the king,

15 ل ِكَي يَتِمَّ إجراءُ بَحثٍ فِي سِجِلّاتِ آبائِكَ، فَتَكشِفَ أنَّ هَذِهِ المَدِينَةَ مَدِينَةٌ مُتَمَرِّدَةٌ تُزْعِجُ المُلُوكَ وَالأقالِيمَ، وَأنَّها حَرَّضَت عَلِى التَّمَرُّدِ مُنذُ القَدِيمِ، وَلِهَذا دُمِّرَتْ.

In order that a search may be made in the book of the records of your fathers, in which you will learn that this is a rebellious city, hurtful to kings and provinces, and that sedition was stirred up in it of old. That is why was laid waste.

16 ك َما نُبلِغُ المَلِكَ أنَّهُ إذا أُعِيدَ بِناءُ هَذِهِ المَدِينَةِ، وَأُكمِلَتْ أسوارُها، فَلَن يَكُونَ لَكَ نَصِيبٌ فِي إقلِيمِ ما وَراءَ نَهرِ الفُراتِ.

We declare to the king that if this city is rebuilt and its walls finished, it will mean that you will have no portion on this side of the River.

17 ف َأرسَلَ المَلِكُ رِسالَةً جَوابِيَّةً يَقُولُ فِيها: إلَى رَحُومَ نائِبِ المَلِكِ وَشَمْشايَ الكاتِبِ وَبَقِيَّةِ زُمَلائِهِما السّاكِنِينَ فِي السّامِرَةِ وَبَقِيَّةِ إقلِيمِ ما وَراءَ نَهرِ الفُراتِ: سلامٌ لَكُمْ …

Then the king sent an answer: To Rehum the official, to Shimshai the scribe, to the rest of their companions who dwell in Samaria and in the rest of the country beyond the River: Greetings.

18 ل َقَد قُرِئَت وَتُرجِمَت رِسالَتُكُمْ أمامِي.

The letter which you sent to us has been plainly read before me.

19 و َأصدَرتُ أمراً بِتَقَصِّي الحَقائِقِ، فَوَجَدتُ أنَّ هَذِهِ المَدِينَةَ ثارَت عَلَى المُلُوكِ مُنذُ القَدِيمِ، وَأنَّ فِيها تَمَرُّداً وَتَحرِيضاً إلَى الآنِ.

I commanded and search has been made, and it is found that this city of old time has made insurrection against kings and that rebellion and sedition have been made in it.

20 و َكانَ قَد حَكَمَ مَدينَةَ القُدْسِ مُلُوكٌ أقوِياءٌ وَسَيطَرُوا عَلَى كُلِّ الإقلِيمِ الواقِعِ غَرْبَ نَهرِ الفُراتِ، وَدُفِعَت لَهُمُ الجِزيَةُ وَالضَّرِيبَةُ.

There have been mighty kings also over Jerusalem who have ruled over all countries beyond the River, and tribute, custom, and toll were paid to them.

21 و َالأنَ أصْدِرُوا أمْراً بِإيقافِ أُولَئِكَ الرِّجالِ اليَهُودِ عَنِ العَمَلِ، فَلا تُبنَى هَذِهِ المَدِينَةُ ثانِيَةً إلّا بِأمْرٍ مِنِّي.

Therefore give a decree to make these men stop, that this city not be rebuilt, until a command is given by me.

22 و َلا تَتَهاوَنُوا فِي تَنفِيذِ هَذا الأمرِ لِئَلّا يَسوءَ الأمرُ وَتَتَضَرَّرَ المَصالِحُ المَلَكِيَّةُ. تَوَقُّف العَمَلِ فِي الهَيْكَل

Be sure that you do this. Why should damage grow, to the hurt of the kings?

23 و َحالَما قُرِئَت رِسالَةُ المَلِكِ أرْتَحْشَسْتا أمامَ رَحُومَ وَشَمْشايَ الكاتِبِ وَجَماعَتِهِما، ذَهَبُوا فَوراً إلَى اليَهُودِ فِي مَدينَةِ القُدْسِ، وَأوقَفُوهُمْ عَنِ العَمَلِ بِالقُوَّةِ.

When the copy of King Artaxerxes’ letter was read before Rehum, Shimshai the scribe, and their companions, they went up in haste to Jerusalem to the Jews and by force and power made them cease.

24 و َتَوَقَفَ العَمَلُ فِي بَيتِ اللهِ فِي مَدينَةِ القُدْسِ، وَلَمْ يُستَأنَفِ العُمَلُ إلّا فِي السَّنَةِ الثّانِيَةِ مِنْ حُكمِ دارِيُوسَ، مَلِكِ بِلادِ فارِسَ.

Then the work on the house of God in Jerusalem stopped. It stopped until the second year of Darius king of Persia.