Revised Literal Translation

Ezra 4:2-10

2Then they cameוַיִּגְּשׁ֨וּvai.yi.ge.ShuH5066to Zerubbabelזְרֻבָּבֶ֜לze.ru.ba.VelH2216,and to the chiefרָאשֵׁ֣יra.SheiH7218of the fathersהָֽאָב֗וֹתha.'a.VotH1,and saidוַיֹּאמְר֤וּvai.yo.me.RuH559unto them, Let us buildנִבְנֶ֣הniv.NehH1129with you: for we seekנִדְר֖וֹשׁnid.Ro.oshH1875your Godלֵֽאלֹהֵיכֶ֑םle.lo.hei.KhemH430, as ye do;and we do sacrificeזֹבְחִ֗יםzoe.ChimH2076unto him since the daysמִימֵי֙mi.MeiH3117of Esar–haddonH634kingמֶ֣לֶךְMe.lekhH4428of Assurאַשּׁ֔וּר'a.ShurH804,which brought us up hitherהַמַּעֲלֶ֥הha.ma.'a.LehH5927.

3But Zerubbabelזְרֻבָּבֶ֜לze.ru.ba.VelH2216,and Jeshuaוְיֵשׁ֗וּעַve.ye.Shu.a'H3442,and the restוּשְׁאָ֨רu.she.'ArH7605of the chiefרָאשֵׁ֤יra.SheiH7218of the fathersהָֽאָבוֹת֙ha.'a.VotH1of Israelלְיִשְׂרָאֵ֔לle.Yis.ra.'ElH3478,saidוַיֹּאמֶר֩vai.yo.MerH559unto them, Ye have nothing to do with us to buildלִבְנ֥וֹתliv.NotH1129an houseבַּ֖יִתBa.yitH1004unto our Godלֵאלֹהֵ֑ינוּle.lo.Hei.nuH430;but we ourselves togetherיַ֜חַדYa.chadH3162will buildנִבְנֶ֗הniv.NehH1129unto Yhwhלַֽיהוָה֙la.Yah.wehH3068Godאֱלֹהֵ֣י'e.lo.HeiH430of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵ֔לYis.ra.'ElH3478,as kingהַמֶּ֖לֶךְha.Me.lekhH4428Cyrusכּ֥וֹרֶשׁKo.reshH3566the kingמֶֽלֶךְ־Me.lekh-H4428of Persiaפָּרָֽס׃pa.RasH6539hath commandedצִוָּ֔נוּtzi.Va.nuH6680us.

4Then the peopleעַם־'am-H5971of the landהָאָ֔רֶץha.'A.retzH776weakenedמְרַפִּ֖יםme.ra.PimH7503the handsיְדֵ֣יye.DeiH3027of the peopleעַם־'am-H5971of Judahיְהוּדָ֑הye.hu.DahH3063,and troubledוּֽמְבַהֲלִ֥יםu.me.va.la.himH1089 H926them in buildingלִבְנֽוֹת׃liv.NotH1129,

5And hiredוְסֹכְרִ֧יםve.so.khe.RimH7936counsellorsיוֹעֲצִ֖יםyo.'a.TzimH3289against them, to frustrateלְהָפֵ֣רle.ha.FerH6565their purposeעֲצָתָ֑ם'a.tza.TamH6098,all the daysיְמֵ֗יye.MeiH3117of Cyrusכּ֚וֹרֶשׁKo.reshH3566kingמֶ֣לֶךְMe.lekhH4428of Persiaפָּרַ֔סpa.RasH6539,even until the reignמַלְכ֖וּתmal.KhutH4438of Dariusדָּרְיָ֥וֶשׁda.re.Ya.veshH1867kingמֶֽלֶךְ־Me.lekh-H4428of Persiaפָּרָֽס׃pa.RasH6539.

6And in the reignוּבְמַלְכוּת֙u.ve.mal.KhutH4438of Ahasuerusאֲחַשְׁוֵר֔וֹשׁ'a.chash.ve.Ro.oshH325,in the beginningבִּתְחִלַּ֖תbit.chi.LatH8462of his reignמַלְכוּת֑וֹmal.khu.ToH4438,wroteכָּתְב֣וּka.te.VuH3789they unto himan accusationשִׂטְנָ֔הsit.NahH7855against the inhabitantsיֹשְׁבֵ֥יyo.she.VeiH3427of Judahיְהוּדָ֖הye.hu.DahH3063and Jerusalemוִירוּשָׁלִָֽם׃ סvi.ru.sha.LimH3389.

7And in the daysוּבִימֵ֣יu.vi.MeiH3117of Artaxerxesאַרְתַּחְשַׁ֗שְׂתָּא'ar.tach.Shas.ta'H783wroteכָּתַ֨בka.TavH3789Bishlamבִּשְׁלָ֜םbish.LamH1312,Mithredathמִתְרְדָ֤תmit.re.DatH4990,Tabeelטָֽבְאֵל֙ta.ve.'ElH2870,and the restוּשְׁאָ֣רu.she.'ArH7605of their companionsכְּנָוֹתָ֔יוke.na.vo.tovH3674,unto Artaxerxesאַרְתַּחְשַׁ֖שְׂתְּ'ar.tach.shas.taH783kingמֶ֣לֶךְMe.lekhH4428of Persiaפָּרָ֑סpa.RasH6539;and the writingוּכְתָב֙u.khe.TavH3791of the letterהַֽנִּשְׁתְּוָ֔ןha.nish.te.VanH5406waswrittenכָּת֥וּבka.TuvH3789in the Syrian tongueאֲרָמִ֖ית'a.ra.MitH762,and interpretedוּמְתֻרְגָּ֥םu.me.tur.GamH8638in the Syrian tongueאֲרָמִֽית׃ פ'a.ra.MitH762.

8Rehumרְח֣וּםre.ChumH7348the chancellorבְּעֵל־ טְעֵ֗םbe.'el- te.'EmH2942 H1169and Shimshaiוְשִׁמְשַׁי֙ve.shim.ShaiH8124the scribeסָֽפְרָ֔אsa.fe.Ra'H5613wroteכְּתַ֛בוּke.Ta.vuH3790aחֲדָ֖הcha.DahH2298letterאִגְּרָ֥ה'i.ge.RahH104againstעַל־'al-H5922Jerusalemיְרוּשְׁלֶ֑םye.ru.she.LemH3390to Artaxerxesלְאַרְתַּחְשַׁ֥שְׂתְּאle.'ar.tach.Shas.te'H783the kingמַלְכָּ֖אmal.Ka'H4430in this sortכְּנֵֽמָא׃ke.Ne.ma'H3660:

9Thenאֱדַ֜יִן'e.Da.yinH116wroteRehumרְח֣וּםre.ChumH7348the chancellorבְּעֵל־ טְעֵ֗םbe.'el- te.'EmH2942 H1169,and Shimshaiוְשִׁמְשַׁי֙ve.shim.ShaiH8124the scribeסָֽפְרָ֔אsa.fe.Ra'H5613,and the restוּשְׁאָ֖רu.she.'ArH7606of their companionsכְּנָוָתְה֑וֹןke.na.va.te.HonH3675;the Dinaitesדִּ֠ינָיֵאDi.na.ye'H1784,the Apharsathchitesוַאֲפַרְסַתְכָיֵ֞אva.'a.far.sat.kha.Ye'H671,the Tarpelitesטַרְפְּלָיֵ֣אtar.pe.la.Ye'H2967,the Apharsitesאֲפָֽרְסָיֵ֗א'a.fa.re.sa.Ye'H670,the Archevitesאַרְכְּוָיֵ֤א'ar.ke.vai'H756,the Babyloniansבָבְלָיֵא֙va.ve.la.Ye'H896,the Susanchitesשֽׁוּשַׁנְכָיֵ֔אshu.shan.kha.Ye'H7801,the Dehavitesדֶּהָיֵ֖אdi.hu'H1723, andthe Elamitesעֵלְמָיֵֽא׃'e.le.ma.Ye'H5962,

10And the restוּשְׁאָ֣רu.she.'ArH7606of the nationsאֻמַּיָּ֗א'u.mai.Ya'H524whomH1768the greatרַבָּ֣אra.Ba'H7229and nobleוְיַקִּירָ֔אve.ya.ki.Ra'H3358Asnapparאָסְנַפַּר֙'a.se.na.ParH620brought overהַגְלִי֙hag.LiH1541,and setוְהוֹתֵ֣ב הִמּ֔וֹve.ho.Tev hi.MoH1994 H3488in the citiesבְּקִרְיָ֖הbe.kir.YahH7149of Samariaשָׁמְרָ֑יִןsha.me.Ra.yinH8115,and the restוּשְׁאָ֥רu.she.'ArH7606that areon this sideעֲבַֽר־'a.var-H5675the riverנַהֲרָ֖הna.ha.Rah'H5103,and at such a timeוּכְעֶֽנֶת׃u.khe.'E.netH3706.

Read all of Ezra 4

Commentaries on Ezra 4