2. Ezra 4

¹Yahuda ve Benyamin'e sıkıntı verenler, sürgünden dönen topluluğun İsrail'in Tanrısı Rabbe bir tapınak inşa etmekte olduğunu duyunca,

²Zorobabel'e ve klanların önderlerine yaklaşıp onlara şöyle dediler: «Sizinle birlikte inşa edelim; çünkü biz de sizin gibi Tanrınızı arıyoruz ve bizi buraya getiren Asur Kralı Asaraddon'un günlerinden beri O'na kurbanlar sunuyoruz.»

³Ancak Zorobabel, Yeşu ve İsrail'in diğer klan önderleri onlara, «Tanrımıza bir tapınak inşa etmekte sizinle ortak bir işimiz olamaz» dediler, «Pers Kralı Kiros'un bize buyurduğu gibi, İsrail'in Tanrısı Rabbe tapınağı biz kendimiz bir arada inşa edeceğiz.»

⁴Bunun üzerine diyarın halkı, Yahuda halkının ellerini gevşetip onları inşaat yapmaktan alıkoymaya ve engellemeye çalıştı.

⁵Pers Kralı Kiros'un bütün günlerinde ve Pers Kralı Darius'un krallığına dek, onların tasarılarını boşa çıkarmak için kendilerine karşı danışmanlar kiralayıp planlar yaptılar.

⁶Asoueros'un krallığının başlangıcında, saltanatının ilk günlerinde, Yahuda ve Yeruşalim'de yaşayanların aleyhine bir mektup yazdılar.

⁷Artahşasta'nın günlerinde ise Mitredat, Tabeel ve diğer meslektaşları barış içinde Pers Kralı Artahşasta'ya yazdılar. Vergi memuru mektubu Aramice yazmıştı ve mektup tercümesiyle birlikte sunuldu.

⁸Vali Raoum ve Yazıcı Sapsa, Yeruşalim'e karşı Kral Artahşasta'ya tek bir mektup yazdılar.

⁹Vali Raoum, Yazıcı Sampsa ve diğer meslektaşlarımız olan Dinliler, Afarsatkalılar, Tarfeliler, Afarsalılar, Arkevliler, Babilliler, Susanlılar, Davalılar,

¹⁰ve ulu, saygın Assenafar'ın sürgün edip Samiriye kentlerine ve nehrin ötesindeki diğer bölgelere yerleştirdiği öteki uluslar karar verdiler.

¹¹Kral Artahşasta'ya gönderdikleri mektubun içeriği şöyledir: «Nehrin ötesindeki kulların olan adamlardan Kral Artahşasta'ya selam:

¹²Krala malum olsun ki, senin yanından çıkıp yanımıza gelen Yahudiler, o isyankar ve kötü kent olan Yeruşalim'e vardılar; kenti yeniden kuruyorlar, surları tamamlanmış durumdadır ve temellerini yükseltiyorlar.

¹³Şimdi krala malum olsun ki, eğer bu kent yeniden kurulur ve surları tamamlanırsa, sana ne vergiler ne de harçlar öderler; bu durum kralları zarara uğratır.

¹⁴Kralın zarar görmesini ve aşağılanmasını görmemiz bize uygun düşmediği için, durumdan kralı haberdar etmeyi uygun gördük.

¹⁵Öyle ki, atalarının tarih kayıtları araştırılsın; o kayıtlarda bu kentin isyankar bir kent olduğunu, krallara ve eyaletlere zarar verdiğini, eski günlerden beri içinde kölelerin kaçıp sığındığını bulup öğreneceksin. Bu kent zaten bu yüzden harap edilmişti.

¹⁶Krala bildiririz ki, eğer bu kent yeniden kurulur ve surları tamamlanırsa, nehrin ötesinde senin için hiçbir barış kalmayacaktır.»

¹⁷Kral, Vali Raoum'a, Yazıcı Sampsa'ya, Samiriye'de ve nehrin ötesindeki diğer bölgelerde yaşayan öteki meslektaşlarına şu yanıtı gönderdi: «Esenlikler dilerim. Şöyle ki:

¹⁸Bize gönderdiğiniz vergi memurunun mektubu huzurumda açıkça okundu.

¹⁹Buyruğum üzerine araştırma yapıldı ve anlaşıldı ki, bu kent eski günlerden beri krallara başkaldırmış, içinde isyanlar ve köle kaçışları olmuştur.

²⁰Yeruşalim'de güçlü krallar egemenlik sürmüş, nehrin ötesindeki bütün bölgeye hükmetmişler; kendilerine tam vergiler ve paylar ödenmiştir.

²¹Bu yüzden, bu adamların işini durdurmak için bir buyruk çıkarın; ben yeni bir buyruk verene dek bu kent yeniden kurulmasın.

²²Bu konuda gevşek davranmamaya dikkat edin ki, kralların zararına olacak bu yıkım ve kötülük büyümesin.»

²³Kral Artahşasta'nın mektubu Vali Raoum, Yazıcı Sampsa ve meslektaşlarının önünde okunur okunmaz, aceleyle Yeruşalim'deki Yahudilerin yanına gittiler; atlılarla ve askeri güçle onları zorla durdurdular.

²⁴Böylece Yeruşalim'deki Tanrı Evi'nin yapımı durduruldu ve Pers Kralı Darius'un krallığının ikinci yılına dek atıl kaldı.

¹ΚΑΙ ἤκουσαν οἱ θλίβοντες ᾿Ιούδα καὶ Βενιαμίν, ὅτι υἱοὶ τῆς ἀποικίας οἰκοδομοῦσιν οἶκον τῷ Κυρίῳ Θεῷ ᾿Ισραήλ,

²καὶ 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.

³καὶ 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.

⁴καὶ ἦν ὁ λαὸς τῆς γῆς ἐκλύων τὰς χεῖρας τοῦ λαοῦ ᾿Ιούδα καὶ ἐνεπόδιζον αὐτοὺς οἰκοδομεῖν

⁵καὶ μισθούμενοι ἐπ᾿ αὐτοὺς βουλευόμενοι τοῦ διασκεδάσαι βουλὴν αὐτῶν πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας Κύρου βασιλέως Περσῶν καὶ ἕως βασιλείας Δαρείου βασιλέως Περσῶν.

⁶Καὶ ἐν βασιλείᾳ ᾿Ασσουήρου, ἐν ἀρχῆ βασιλείας αὐτοῦ, ἔγραψαν ἐπιστολὴν ἐπὶ οἰκοῦντας ᾿Ιούδα καὶ ῾Ιερουσαλήμ.

⁷καὶ ἐν ἡμέραις ᾿Αρθασασθὰ ἔγραψεν ἐν εἰρήνῃ Μιθραδάτῃ Ταβεὴλ καὶ τοῖς λοιποῖς συνδούλοις. πρὸς ᾿Αρθασασθὰ βασιλέα Περσῶν ἔγραψεν ὁ φορολόγος γραφὴν Συριστὶ καὶ ἡρμηνευμένην.

⁸Ῥαοὺμ βααλτὰμ καὶ Σαψὰ ὁ γραμματεὺς ἔγραψαν ἐπιστολὴν μίαν κατὰ ῾Ιερουσαλὴμ τῷ ᾿Αρθασασθὰ βασιλεῖ.

⁹τάδε ἔκρινε Ῥαοὺμ βααλτὰμ καὶ Σαμψὰ ὁ γραμματεὺς καὶ οἱ κατάλοιποι σύνδουλοι ἡμῶν, Δειναῖοι, ᾿Αφαρσαθαχαῖοι, Ταρφαλαῖοι, ᾿Αφαρσαῖοι, ᾿Αρχυαῖοι, Βαβυλώνιοι, Σουσαναχαῖοι, Δαυαῖοι

¹⁰καὶ οἱ κατάλοιποι ἐθνῶν, ὧν ἀπώκισεν ᾿Ασσεναφὰρ ὁ μέγας καὶ ὁ τίμιος καὶ μετῴκισεν αὐτοὺς ἐν πόλεσι τῆς Σομόρων καὶ τὸ κατάλοιπον πέραν τοῦ ποταμοῦ·

¹¹αὕτη ἡ διαταγὴ τῆς ἐπιστολῆς ἧς ἀπέστειλαν πρὸς αὐτόν· «Πρὸς ᾿Αρθασασθὰ βασιλέα παῖδές σου ἄνδρες πέραν τοῦ ποταμοῦ.

¹²γνωστὸν 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.

¹³νῦν 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·

¹⁴καὶ ἀσχημοσύνην βασιλέως οὐκ ἔξεστιν ἡμῖν ἰδεῖν· διὰ τοῦτο ἐπέμψαμεν καὶ ἐγνωρίσαμεν τῷ βασιλεῖ,

¹⁵ἵνα 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.

¹⁶γνωρίζομεν οὖν ἡμεῖς τῷ βασιλεῖ ὅτι ἂν ἡ πόλις ἐκείνη οἰκοδομηθῇ καὶ τὰ τείχη αὐτῆς καταρτισθῇ, οὐκ ἔστι σοι εἰρήνη».

¹⁷Καὶ 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·

¹⁸«ὁ φορολόγος, ὃν ἀπεστείλατε πρὸς ἡμᾶς, ἐκλήθη ἔμπροσθεν ἐμοῦ.

¹⁹καὶ 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·

²⁰καὶ βασιλεῖς ἰσχυροὶ ἐγένοντο ἐν ῾Ιερουσαλὴμ καὶ ἐπικρατοῦντες ὅλης τῆς πέραν τοῦ ποταμοῦ, καὶ φόροι πλήρεις καὶ μέρος δίδονται αὐτοῖς·

²¹καὶ νῦν θέτε γνώμην καταργῆσαι τοὺς ἄνδρας ἐκείνους, καὶ ἡ πόλις ἐκείνη οὐκ οἰκοδομηθήσεται ἔτι·

²²ὅπως ἀπὸ τῆς γνώμης πεφυλαγμένοι ἦτε ἄνεσιν ποιῆσαι περὶ τούτου, μή ποτε πληθυνθῇ ἀφανισμὸς εἰς κακοποίησιν βασιλεῦσι».

²³Τότε 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.

²⁴τότε ἤργησε τὸ ἔργον οἴκου τοῦ Θεοῦ τὸ ἐν ῾Ιερουσαλὴμ καὶ ἦν ἀργοῦν ἕως δευτέρου ἔτους τῆς βασιλείας Δαρείου βασιλέως Περσῶν.

¹And they that afflicted Juda and Benjamin heard, that the children of the captivity were building a house to the Lord God of Israel.

²And 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.

³then 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.

⁴And the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Juda, and hindered them in building,

⁵and [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.

⁶And in the reign of Assuerus, even in the beginning of his reign, they wrote a letter against the inhabitants of Juda and Jerusalem.

⁷And 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.

⁸Raum the chancellor, and Sampsa the scribe wrote an epistle against Jerusalem to King Arthasastha, [saying,]

⁹Thus 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,

¹⁰and 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.

¹¹This [is] the purport of the letter, which they sent to him: Thy servants the men beyond the river to king Arthasastha.

¹²Be 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.

¹³Now 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.

¹⁴And 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;

¹⁵That 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.

¹⁶We therefore declare to the king, that, if that city be built, and its walls be set up, thou shalt not have peace.

¹⁷Then 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,

¹⁸The tribute-gatherer whom ye sent to us, has been called before me.

¹⁹And 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.

²⁰And 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.

²¹Now therefore make a decree to stop the work of those men, and that city shall no more be built.

²²[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.

²³Then 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.

²⁴Then 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.