¹Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the children of the captivity were building a temple to Yahweh, the God of Israel;

¹Huchia Juda leh Benjamin melmaten saltangte taten TOUPA, Israel Pathian adingin biakin a lam uh chih a jak un;

²then they drew near to Zerubbabel, and to the heads of fathers’ households, and said to them, “Let us build with you; for we seek your God, as you do; and we sacrifice to him since the days of Esar Haddon king of Assyria, who brought us up here.”

²Huai laiin Zerubbabel leh, pipute inkote lupente kiangah a hongpia nai ua, a kiang uah, Honlam pih le ung ake: noute bangin, na Pathian ulah ka zong ngal ua; Assuria kumpipa Esarhaddon hiailaia honpipa damlai nite akipan amah kiangah ka kithoih uhi, a chi ua.

³But Zerubbabel, and Jeshua, and the rest of the heads of fathers’ households of Israel, said to them, “You have nothing to do with us in building a house to our God; but we ourselves together will build to Yahweh, the God of Israel, as king Cyrus the king of Persia has commanded us.”

³Himahleh Zerubbabel leh, Jesua leh Israel pipute inkote lupenten a kiang uah, Ka Pathian uh adia in non lampihna ding uh bangmah na neikei uh; himahleh Persia kumpipa Kurain kou thu a honpiak bangin, Israel Pathian, TOUPA adingin kouten ka lam khawm ding uhi, a chi ua.

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

⁴Huchiin gama miten Judaa mite khut a hatsak ta kei ua, inlamnaah amau a subuaita ua.

⁵and hired counselors against them, to frustrate their purpose, all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.

⁵Persia kumpia Kura damlai tengteng, Persia kumpipa Daria lal lai tanpha hialin, a thiltup uh kalhse ding, amaute siatna dingin thuhilhmite a guai uhi.

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

⁶Huan Ahasura vaihawm laiin, a vaihawm pattung laiin, Juda leh Jerusalema tengte hekna a gelh uh.

⁷In the days of Artaxerxes wrote Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of his companions, to Artaxerxes king of Persia; and the writing of the letter was written in Syrian, and set forth in the Syrian language.

⁷Huan Artaksarsi damlaiin Bislam te, Mithredath te, Tabeel te leh, a kithuahpih ten, Persia kumpipa Artaksarsis kiangah lai a gelh ua; huan laikhak gelhdan Suria laimala gelha, Suria paua bawlkhiak ahi.

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

⁸Dansiam Rehum leh laigelhmi Simsaiin Jerusalem siatna dingin kumpipa Artaksarsi kiangah hichibangin laikhak a gelhta uh:

⁹then Rehum the chancellor, and Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their companions, the Dinaites, and the Apharsathchites, the Tarpelites, the Apharsites, the Archevites, the Babylonians, the Shushanchites, the Dehaites, the Elamites,

⁹Dansiam Rehum leh, laigelhmi Simsai leh, a kithuahpihte un huchiin a gelhta ua; Dinai mite leh, Aphratchi mite, Tarpe mite, Aphar mite, Arki mite, Babulon mite, Susanchi mite, Deha mite, Elam mite leh

¹⁰and the rest of the nations whom the great and noble Osnappar brought over, and set in the city of Samaria, and in the rest of the country beyond the River, and so forth, wrote.

¹⁰Sanppar lian leh thupiin a honpi khiaka, Samaria khopi leh luipi khena gam dang leh a dangdanga a koih namte.

¹¹This is the copy of the letter that they sent to Artaxerxes the king: Your servants the men beyond the River, and so forth.

¹¹Kumpipa Artaksarsis kianga a laikhak uh kopi tuh hiai ahi; Luipi khenlam leh, a dangdanga na sikhate.

¹²Be it known to the king, that the Jews who came up from you have come to us to Jerusalem; they are building the rebellious and the bad city, and have finished the walls, and repaired the foundations.

¹²Na kiang akipana hong tou Judate Jerusalem ah kou kiangah ahong uh chih kumpipa kiangah theihin om hen: khopi helhat leh hoihlou a lam lellel ua, a kulhbangte a zouta ua, a suangphumte a puahkhinta uh.

¹³Be it known now to the king that if this city is built, and the walls finished, they will not pay tribute, custom, or toll, and in the end it will be hurtful to the kings.

¹³Kumpipan thei hen, hiai khopi lama a oma, a kulh bangte zoha a om lejaw, vanleiman te, sumsinnaleiman te hiam lamlianleiman te khawng a pe kei ding ua, a tawptawpin kumpipa siatna ahi ding.

¹⁴Now because we eat the salt of the palace, and it is not appropriate for us to see the king’s dishonor, therefore have we sent and informed the king;

¹⁴Tuin inpia chi ne ka hih jiak un, kumpipa zahlakna muh kou adingin a kilawm keia, huaijiakin kumpipa tuh ka khak un, ahi ngeingei ka chita uhi;

¹⁵that search may be made in the book of the records of your fathers: so you shall find in the book of the records, and know that this city is a rebellious city, and hurtful to kings and provinces, and that they have moved sedition within the same of old time; for which cause was this city laid waste.

¹⁵Na pipute chiamtehna laibu sungah kizong hen: huchiin chiamtehna laibu sungah na mukhe dinga, hiai khopi khopi helhat, kumpipate leh bialte adia poikhoihhat chih leh, nidang lai mahin leng huai sung mahah helna a nabawlta uh na thei ding hi: huaijiaka hiai khopi kihihse gawp lah ahi ngala.

¹⁶We inform the king that, if this city be built, and the walls finished, by this means you shall have no portion beyond the River.

¹⁶Hiai khopi a kilama, a kulhbangte hichibanga a kihihkhit lejaw, luipi khenlamah tan na neikei ding chih kumpipa ka hontheitel sak chinten uhi, chiin.

¹⁷Then the king sent an answer to Rehum the chancellor, and to Shimshai the scribe, and to the rest of their companions who dwell in Samaria, and in the rest of the country beyond the River: Peace, and so forth.

¹⁷Huchiin dansiam Rehum leh, laigelhmi Simsai leh, Samaria leh, luipi khena gama teng a kithuahpihte dante tengteng kiangah kumpipan dawnna a khaka, Chibai, huchibang jelin.

¹⁸The letter which you sent to us has been plainly read before me.

¹⁸Laikhak ka kiang ua na honkhak uh ka maah tel taka sim a hita.

¹⁹I decreed, and search has been made, and it is found that this city of old time has made insurrection against kings, and that rebellion and sedition have been made therein.

¹⁹Huan thu ka piaa, a kizong khina, nidang laiin hiai khopiin kumpipate tunga helna a bawla, huailaiah helpina leh helna a nakibawlta chih muhkhiakin a om hi.

²⁰There have been mighty kings also over Jerusalem, who have ruled over all the country beyond the River; and tribute, custom, and toll, was paid to them.

²⁰Huailouin kumpipa thilhihthei taktak, luipi khen gam tengteng tunga vaihawm, Jerusalem tunga vaihawmte a naom ua; vanleimate, sumsinnaleiman te leh, lamlianleiman amau kianga piak ahi hi.

²¹Make a decree now to cause these men to cease, and that this city not be built, until a decree shall be made by me.

²¹Huchiin keimahin thupiak ka bawl masiah, huai mite khawl ding leh, hiai khopi lam lou dingin, thupiak bawl un.

²²Take heed that you not be slack herein: why should damage grow to the hurt of the kings?

²²Huan hiaia zeol lou dingin pilvang un: bangdingin kumpipate siatna dingin hoihlouhna a khang dia? chiin.

²³Then when the copy of king Artaxerxes’ letter was read before Rehum, and Shimshai the scribe, and their companions, they went in haste to Jerusalem to the Jews, and made them to cease by force and power.

²³Huchia kumpipa Artaksarsi laikhak kopi Rehum leh, laigelhmi Simsai leh a kithuahpihte uh maa a sim khit un, kintakin Jerusalem Judate kiangah ahoh ua, kihatsakna leh thilhihtheihna zangin amau thu a khawlsakta uhi.Huchiin Jerusalema Pathian in nasep a khawlta: Persia kumpipa Daria vaihawm kum nihna tanin a khawl hi.

²⁴Then ceased the work of God’s house which is at Jerusalem; and it ceased until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.

²⁴Huchiin Jerusalema Pathian in nasep a khawlta: Persia kumpipa Daria vaihawm kum nihna tanin a khawl hi.