¹Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the children of the captivity builded the temple unto the LORD God of Israel;

¹重建聖殿的工作受攔阻猶大和便雅憫的敵人聽見被擄回來的人為耶和華以色列的　神重建聖殿，

²Then 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 Esarhaddon king of Assur, which brought us up hither.

²就前來見所羅巴伯和眾族長，對他們說：“請讓我們與你們一起建造吧！因為我們也像你們那樣尋求你們的　神。自從亞述王以撒哈頓把我們帶上這裡的日子以來，我們一直向他獻祭。”

³But 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.

³但所羅巴伯、耶書亞和以色列其餘的族長對他們說：“你們不能與我們一同建築　神的殿，因為波斯王古列王吩咐我們自己為耶和華以色列的　神建殿。”

⁴Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah, and troubled them in building,

⁴於是那地方的居民使猶大人的手發軟，驚擾他們的建築工程。

⁵And 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.

⁵又在波斯王古列的日子，直到波斯王大利烏在位的時候，常常賄買參謀，來敵對猶大人，要破壞他們的建殿計劃。

⁶And in the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, wrote they unto him an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.

⁶敵人上奏控告猶大人亞哈隨魯在位的初期，他們寫了訴狀，控告猶大和耶路撒冷的居民。

⁷And 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.

⁷在亞達薛西年間，比施蘭、米特利達、他別和其餘的同僚，也上書給波斯王亞達薛西，反對耶路撒冷人，奏文是用亞蘭文寫成，也用亞蘭語譯出。

⁸Rehum the chancellor and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king in this sort:

⁸省長利宏和祕書伸帥寫奏本給亞達薛西王，控告耶路撒冷。奏文如下：

⁹Then 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,

⁹省長利宏、祕書伸帥和他們其餘的同僚：法官、欽差、議員、官長（“法官、欽差、議員、官長”或譯：“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、書珊人，就是以攔人，

¹⁰And the rest of the nations whom the great and noble Asnapper brought over, and set in the cities of Samaria, and the rest that are on this side the river, and at such a time.

¹⁰還有偉大尊貴的亞斯那巴擄來，安置在撒瑪利亞城和河西那邊其餘地方的居民，呈上奏文。

¹¹This 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.

¹¹這就是他們呈給亞達薛西王的奏文副本：“你的臣僕，就是河西那邊的人，上奏亞達薛西王：

¹²Be 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.

¹²奏知大王：從你那裡上到我們這裡來的猶大人，已經到了耶路撒冷這座叛逆和邪惡的城；他們進行建造，並且已經修好根基，開始建造城牆。

¹³Be 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.

¹³現在奏知大王：如果這城建成，牆垣築好，他們就不再繳稅、進貢和納糧，王的國庫收入必定受損。

¹⁴Now 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;

¹⁴現在我們既食王家的鹽，不該見王受剝奪，因此上奏稟告王，

¹⁵That 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.

¹⁵請王查考先王的記錄，從記錄中查知這城是叛逆的城，對列王和各省都有損害，自古以來，城中常有造反的事，因此這城被拆毀。

¹⁶We 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.

¹⁶我們告知王，如果這城建成，牆垣築好，河西那邊的地方就不再是王的了。”

¹⁷Then 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.

¹⁷王降旨下令停工王把諭旨送交省長利宏、祕書伸帥，以及其餘住在撒瑪利亞和河西的同僚，說：“願你們平安。

¹⁸The letter which ye sent unto us hath been plainly read before me.

¹⁸你們呈給我們的奏本已經在我面前清楚誦讀了。

¹⁹And 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.

¹⁹我下令考查，發現這城自古以來反叛列王，城中常有造反叛亂的事。

²⁰There 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.

²⁰從前大能的君王統治耶路撒冷，治理河西那邊的全地，接受他們繳稅、進貢和納糧。

²¹Give ye now commandment to cause these men to cease, and that this city be not builded, until another commandment shall be given from me.

²¹現在你們要下令叫這些人停工，不得重建這城，等候我的諭令。

²²Take heed now that ye fail not to do this: why should damage grow to the hurt of the kings?

²²你們要留心，不可疏忽這事，使王的虧損增加。”

²³Now 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.

²³當亞達薛西王諭旨的副本在利宏和祕書伸帥，以及他們的同僚面前宣讀出來以後，他們就急忙去耶路撒冷到猶大人那裡，用武力強迫他們停工。

²⁴Then 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.

²⁴所以，在耶路撒冷的　神殿的工程就停止了，直到波斯王大利烏在位的第二年。