1Now when the enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the people of the exile were building a temple to the LORD God of Israel,
1猶大和便雅憫的敵人聽說被擄歸回的人為耶和華─以色列的神建造殿宇，
2they 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.'
2就去見所羅巴伯和以色列的族長，對他們說：「請容我們與你們一同建造；因為我們尋求你們的神，與你們一樣。自從亞述王以撒哈頓帶我們上這地以來，我們常祭祀神。」
3But 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.'
3但所羅巴伯、耶書亞，和其餘以色列的族長對他們說：「我們建造神的殿與你們無干，我們自己為耶和華─以色列的 神協力建造，是照波斯王古列所吩咐的。」
4Then the people of the land discouraged the people of Judah, and frightened them from building,
4那地的民，就在猶大人建造的時候，使他們的手發軟，擾亂他們；
5and 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.
5從波斯王古列年間，直到波斯王大利烏登基的時候，賄買謀士，要敗壞他們的謀算。
6Now in the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, they wrote an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.
6在亞哈隨魯才登基的時候，上本控告猶大和耶路撒冷的居民。
7And 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.
7亞達薛西年間，比施蘭、米特利達、他別，和他們的同黨上本奏告波斯王亞達薛西。本章是用亞蘭文字，亞蘭方言。
8Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter against Jerusalem to King Artaxerxes, as follows--
8省長利宏、書記伸帥要控告耶路撒冷人，也上本奏告亞達薛西王。
9then [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,
9省長利宏、書記伸帥，和同黨的底拿人、亞法薩提迦人、他毗拉人、亞法撒人、亞基衛人、巴比倫人、書珊迦人、底亥人、以攔人，
10and 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
10和尊大的亞斯那巴所遷移、安置在撒瑪利亞城，並大河西一帶地方的人等，
11this 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
11上奏亞達薛西王說：「河西的臣民云云：
12let 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.
12王該知道，從王那裡上到我們這裡的猶大人，已經到耶路撒冷重建這反叛惡劣的城，築立根基，建造城牆。
13'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.
13如今王該知道，他們若建造這城，城牆完畢就不再與王進貢，交課，納稅，終久王必受虧損。
14'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,
14我們既食御鹽，不忍見王吃虧，因此奏告於王。
15so 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.
15請王考察先王的實錄，必在其上查知這城是反叛的城，與列王和各省有害；自古以來，其中常有悖逆的事，因此這城曾被拆毀。
16'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.'
16我們謹奏王知，這城若再建造，城牆完畢，河西之地王就無分了。」
17[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
17那時王諭覆省長利宏、書記伸帥，和他們的同黨，就是住撒瑪利亞並河西一帶地方的人，說：願你們平安云云。
18the document which you sent to us has been translated and read before me.
18你們所上的本，已經明讀在我面前。
19'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,
19我已命人考查，得知此城古來果然背叛列王，其中常有反叛悖逆的事。
20that mighty kings have ruled over Jerusalem, governing all [the provinces] beyond the River, and that tribute, custom and toll were paid to them.
20從前耶路撒冷也有大君王統管河西全地，人就給他們進貢，交課，納稅。
21'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.
21現在你們要出告示命這些人停工，使這城不得建造，等我降旨。
22'Beware of being negligent in carrying out this [matter]; why should damage increase to the detriment of the kings?'
22你們當謹慎，不可遲延，為何容害加重，使王受虧損呢？」
23Then 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.
23亞達薛西王的上諭讀在利宏和書記伸帥，並他們的同黨面前，他們就急忙往耶路撒冷去見猶大人，用勢力強迫他們停工。
24Then 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.
24於是，在耶路撒冷神殿的工程就停止了，直停到波斯王大利烏第二年。