Liber Esdrae

Esdrae, chapter 4, Vulgate and King James Version

Chapter 4 Vulgate

   1 Audierunt autem hostes Iudae et Beniamin, quia filii captivita tis aedificarent templum Domino, Deo Israel,
   2 et accedentes ad Zorobabel et ad principes familiarum dixerunt eis: "Aedificemus vobiscum, quia ita ut vos quaerimus Deum vestrum et immolavimus victimas a diebus Asarhaddon regis Assyriae, qui adduxit nos huc".
   3 Et dixit eis Zorobabel et Iesua et reliqui principes familiarum Israel: "Non est vobis et nobis, ut aedificemus domum Deo nostro, sed nos ipsi soli aedificabimus Domino, Deo Israel, sicut praecepit nobis Cyrus rex Persarum".
   4 Factum est igitur, ut populus terrae impediret manus populi Iudae et turbaret eos in aedificando.
   5 Conduxerunt autem adversus eos consiliatores, ut destruerent consilium eorum omnibus diebus Cyri regis Persarum et usque ad regnum Darii regis Persarum.
   6 In regno autem Asueri, in principio regni eius, scripserunt accusationem adversus habitatores Iudae et Ierusalem.
   7 Et in diebus Artaxerxis scripsit Beselam, Mithridates et Tabel et reliqui, qui erant in consilio eorum, ad Artaxerxem regem Persarum; scriptura autem accusationis erat scripta litteris Syriacis et composita sermone Syro.
   8 Rehum praefectus et Samsai scriba scripserunt epistulam unam de Ierusalem Artaxerxi regi huiuscemodi:
   9" Rehum praefectus et Samsai scriba et reliqui socii eorum, iudices et duces, magistratus Persae, Erchuaei, Babylonii, Susanechaei, hoc est Elamitae,
   10 et ceteri de gentibus, quas transtulit Asenaphar magnus et gloriosus et habitare fecit in civitatibus Samariae et in reliquis regionibus trans flumen in pace".
   11 Hoc est exemplar epistulae, quam miserunt ad eum: "Artaxerxi regi, servi tui, viri, qui sunt trans fluvium. Igitur
   12 notum sit regi quia Iudaei, qui ascenderunt a te ad nos, venerunt in Ierusalem civitatem rebellem et pessimam, quam aedificant, exstruentes muros eius, fundamenta iam componentes.
   13 Nunc notum sit regi quia, si civitas illa aedificata fuerit, et muri eius instaurati, tributum et annonam et vectigal non dabunt, et ad ultimum regibus noxa erit.
   14 Nos autem, memores salis, quod in palatio comedimus, et quia laesiones regis videre nefas ducimus, idcirco misimus et nuntiavimus regi,
   15 ut recenseas in libris historiarum patrum tuorum, et invenies in his historiis et scies quoniam urbs illa urbs rebellis est et nocens regibus et provinciis, et seditiones concitantur in ea ex diebus antiquis; quam ob rem et civitas ipsa destructa est.
   16 Nuntiamus nos regi quoniam, si civitas illa aedificata fuerit, et muri ipsius instaurati, possessionem trans fluvium non habebis".
   17 Verbum misit rex ad Rehum praefectum et Samsai scribam et ad reliquos, qui erant in consilio eorum, qui habitabant in Samaria et in regione trans fluvium: "Pax. Nunc igitur scriptura,
   18 quam misistis ad nos, manifeste lecta est coram me.
   19 Et a me praeceptum est, et recensuerunt inveneruntque quoniam civitas illa a diebus antiquis adversum reges rebellabat, et rebelliones et seditiones concitabantur in ea;
   20 nam et reges fortissimi fuerunt in Ierusalem, qui et dominati sunt omni regioni, quae trans fluvium est, tributum quoque et annonam et vectigal accipiebant.
   21 Nunc ergo praecipite, ut desistant isti homines, et urbs illa non aedificetur, donec forte a me iussum fuerit.
   22 Videte, ne negligenter hoc impleatis, et paulatim crescat malum contra reges".
   23 Itaque exemplum edicti Artaxerxis regis lectum est coram Rehum praefectum et Samsai scriba et consiliariis eorum; et abierunt festini in Ierusalem ad Iudaeos et prohibuerunt eos in brachio et robore.
   24 Tunc intermissum est opus domus Domini in Ierusalem et non fiebat usque ad annum secundum regni Darii regis Persarum.

Source: Bibliorum Sacrorum Editio, Sacrosanti Oecumenici Concilii Vaticani II, Ratione Habita, Iussu Pauli PP. VI Recognita, Auctoritate Ioannis Pauli PP. II Promulgata, Editio Typica Altera

King James Version

   1 Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the children of the captivity builded the temple unto the LORD God of Israel;
   2 Then they came to Zerubbabel, and to the chief of the fathers, and said unto them, Let us build with you: for we seek your God, as ye do; and we do sacrifice unto him since the days of Esar-haddon king of Assur, which brought us up hither.
   3 But Zerubbabel, and Jeshua, and the rest of the chief of the fathers of Israel, said unto them, Ye have nothing to do with us to build an house unto our God; but we ourselves together will build unto the LORD God of Israel, as king Cyrus the king of Persia hath commanded us.
   4 Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah, and troubled them in building,
   5 And hired counsellors against them, to frustrate their purpose, all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.
   6 And in the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, wrote they unto him an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.
   7 ¶ And in the days of Artaxerxes wrote Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of their companions, unto Artaxerxes king of Persia; and the writing of the letter was written in the Syrian tongue, and interpreted in the Syrian tongue.
   8 Rehum the chancellor and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king in this sort:
   9 Then wrote Rehum the chancellor, and Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their companions; the Dinaites, the Apharsathchites, the Tarpelites, the Apharsites, the Archevites, the Babylonians, the Susanchites, the Dehavites, and the Elamites,
   10 And the rest of the nations whom the great and noble Asnappar brought over, and set in the cities of Samaria, and the rest that are on this side the river, and at such a time.
   11 ¶ This is the copy of the letter that they sent unto him, even unto Artaxerxes the king; Thy servants the men on this side the river, and at such a time.
   12 Be it known unto the king, that the Jews which came up from thee to us are come unto Jerusalem, building the rebellious and the bad city, and have set up the walls thereof, and joined the foundations.
   13 Be it known now unto the king, that, if this city be builded, and the walls set up again, then will they not pay toll, tribute, and custom, and so thou shalt endamage the revenue of the kings.
   14 Now because we have maintenance from the king's palace, and it was not meet for us to see the king's dishonour, therefore have we sent and certified the king;
   15 That search may be made in the book of the records of thy fathers: so shalt thou find in the book of the records, and know that this city is a rebellious city, and hurtful unto kings and provinces, and that they have moved sedition within the same of old time: for which cause was this city destroyed.
   16 We certify the king that, if this city be builded again, and the walls thereof set up, by this means thou shalt have no portion on this side the river.
   17 ¶ Then sent the king an answer unto Rehum the chancellor, and to Shimshai the scribe, and to the rest of their companions that dwell in Samaria, and unto the rest beyond the river, Peace, and at such a time.
   18 The letter which ye sent unto us hath been plainly read before me.
   19 And I commanded, and search hath been made, and it is found that this city of old time hath made insurrection against kings, and that rebellion and sedition have been made therein.
   20 There have been mighty kings also over Jerusalem, which have ruled over all countries beyond the river; and toll, tribute, and custom, was paid unto them.
   21 Give ye now commandment to cause these men to cease, and that this city be not builded, until another commandment shall be given from me.
   22 Take heed now that ye fail not to do this: why should damage grow to the hurt of the kings?
   23 ¶ Now when the copy of king Artaxerxes' letter was read before Rehum, and Shimshai the scribe, and their companions, they went up in haste to Jerusalem unto the Jews, and made them to cease by force and power.
   24 Then ceased the work of the house of God which is at Jerusalem. So it ceased unto the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.