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

¹Ali kada su čuli Judini i Benjaminovi neprijatelji da povratnici iz sužanjstva grade svetište Jahvi, Bogu Izraelovu,

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.

²potražiše Zerubabela, Ješuu i glavare obiteljske i rekoše im: "Mi želimo s vama graditi, jer, kao i vi, tražimo Boga vašega i njemu prinosimo žrtve od vremena Esar Hadona, asirskoga kralja, koji nas je ovamo doveo."

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.

³Zerubabel, Ješua i glavari izraelskih obitelji odgovoriše im: "Nije na vama da s nama gradite Dom našemu Bogu: gradit ćemo mi sami Jahvi, Bogu Izraelovu, kako nam je naredio Kir, kralj perzijski."

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

⁴Tada je narod one zemlje plašio ljude Judeje i smetao im u gradnji.

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.

⁵Podmitili su savjetnike da im ometaju naum: tako je bilo za vrijeme perzijskoga kralja Kira sve do perzijskoga kralja Darija. Samarijanske smetnje za Kserksove i Artakserksove vladavine

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.

⁶Za Kserksova kraljevanja, na početku njegove vladavine, sastaviše tužbu protiv stanovnika Judeje i Jeruzalema.

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.

⁷I za vremena Artakserksova pisali su Bišlam, Mitredat, Tabel i ostali njihovi drugovi protiv Jeruzalema perzijskom kralju Artakserksu. Podnesak je bio pisan aramejskim pismom i jezikom.

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

⁸Zatim su upravitelj Rehum i tajnik Šimšaj napisali kralju Artakserksu slijedeće pismo protiv Jeruzalema -

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,

⁹upravitelj Rehum, tajnik Šimšaj i ostali drugovi njihovi: perzijski suci, poslanici, činovnici; Arkevajci, Babilonci, Suzanci - to jest Elamci -

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.

¹⁰i ostali narodi koje je veliki i slavni Asurbanipal bio odveo u sužanjstvo i naselio ih u gradove Samarije i druge krajeve s onu stranu Rijeke.

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.

¹¹Evo prijepisa pisma koje su mu poslali: "Kralju Artakserksu, tvoje sluge, ljudi s onu stranu Rijeke. Sada, dakle,

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.

¹²neka zna kralj da su Judejci stigli k nama od tebe; došavši u Jeruzalem, žele ponovo sagraditi odmetnički i opaki grad; podižu zidine, a temelje su već postavili.

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.

¹³Neka zna kralj: ako ovaj grad bude sagrađen i zidovi podignuti, neće se više plaćati porez, ni danak, ni carina, i ovaj će grad biti na štetu kraljevske riznice.

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;

¹⁴Budući da jedemo dvorsku sol, ne čini nam se doličnim gledati ovu sramotu nanesenu kralju. Zato, dakle, obavještavamo kralja:

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.

¹⁵neka se poduzmu istraživanja u ljetopisima tvojih očeva: u tim ćeš ljetopisima naći i utvrditi da je ovaj grad odmetnički grad, nesretan za kraljeve i pokrajine i da su se u njemu od davnine dizale bune. Zato je ovaj grad bio razoren.

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.

¹⁶Obavješćujemo kralja da neće biti više tvoje područje preko Rijeke ako ovaj grad bude ponovo sagrađen i zidovi podignuti!"

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.

¹⁷Kralj je poslao ovaj odgovor: "Rehumu, upravitelju, Šimšaju, tajniku, i ostalim drugovima njihovim koji borave u Samariji i drugdje, s onu stranu Rijeke - mir! Evo,

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

¹⁸podnesak koji ste mi poslali bio je preda mnom pričitan u njegovu prijevodu.

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.

¹⁹Po mojoj su naredbi poduzeli istraživanja i utvrdili da se taj grad dizao od davnine protiv kraljeva i da su u njemu bivali ustanci i bune.

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.

²⁰I moćni su kraljevi kraljevali u Jeruzalemu, koji su gospodarili svime s onu stranu Rijeke: njima se plaćao danak, porez i carina.

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.

²¹Zapovjedite, dakle, da se prekine pothvat onih ljudi: taj se grad neće zidati dok ja o tome ne odlučim.

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

²²Čuvajte se svakog propusta u postupku, da ne bi zlo poraslo na štetu kraljeva."

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.

²³Pošto je prijepis otpisa kralja Artakserksa pročitan pred Rehumom, upraviteljem, Šimšajem, tajnikom, i pred njihovim drugovima, oni brzo odoše u Jeruzalem k Judejcima te im oružanom snagom zabraniše radove.

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.

²⁴Tako su obustavljeni poslovi oko gradnje Doma Božjega u Jeruzalemu. Bili su prekinuti sve do druge godine kraljevanja Darija, perzijskoga kralja.