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

Now when the enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the people of the exile were building a temple to the Lord 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 approached Zerubbabel and the heads of fathers’ households, and said to them, “Let us build with you, for we, like you, seek your God; and we have been sacrificing to Him since the days of Esarhaddon king of Assyria, who brought us up 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’ households of Israel said to them, “ You have nothing in common with us in building a house to our God; but we ourselves will together build to the Lord 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 discouraged the people of Judah, and frightened them from 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 counsel 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.

Now in the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, they wrote 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.

And in the days of Artaxerxes, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel and the rest of his colleagues wrote to Artaxerxes king of Persia; and the text of the letter was written in Aramaic and translated from Aramaic. The Letter to King Artaxerxes

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 King Artaxerxes, as follows—

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

then wrote Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe and the rest of their colleagues, the judges and the lesser governors, the officials, the secretaries, the men of Erech, the Babylonians, the men of Susa, that is, 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 which the great and honorable Osnappar deported and settled in the city of Samaria, and in the rest of the region beyond the River. Now

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

this is the copy of the letter which they sent to him: “To King Artaxerxes: Your servants, the men in the region beyond the River, and now

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.

let it be known to the king that the Jews who came up from you have come to us at Jerusalem; they are rebuilding the rebellious and evil city and are finishing the walls and repairing 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.

Now let it be known to the king, that if that city is rebuilt and the walls are finished, they will not pay tribute, custom or toll, and it will damage the revenue of the kings.

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 are in the service of the palace, and it is not fitting for us to see the king’s dishonor, therefore we have sent and informed 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.

so that a search may be made in the record books of your fathers. And you will discover in the record books and learn that that city is a rebellious city and damaging to kings and provinces, and that they have incited revolt within it in past days; therefore that city 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 inform the king that if that city is rebuilt and the walls finished, as a result you will have no possession in the province beyond the River.” The King Replies and Work Stops

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 commander, to Shimshai the scribe, and to the rest of their colleagues who live in Samaria and in the rest of the provinces beyond the River: “Peace. And now

18 ل َقَد قُرِئَت وَتُرجِمَت رِسالَتُكُمْ أمامِي.

the document which you sent to us has been translated and read before me.

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

A decree has been issued by me, and a search has been made and it has been discovered that that city has risen up against the kings in past days, that rebellion and revolt have been perpetrated in it,

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

that mighty kings have ruled over Jerusalem, governing all the provinces beyond the River, and that 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.

So, now issue a decree to make these men stop work, that this city may not be rebuilt until a decree is issued by me.

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

Beware of being negligent in carrying out this matter; why should damage increase to the detriment 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.

Then as soon as the copy of King Artaxerxes’ document was read before Rehum and Shimshai the scribe and their colleagues, they went in haste to Jerusalem to the Jews and stopped them by force of arms.

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

Then work on the house of God in Jerusalem ceased, and it was stopped until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.