The Samaritans by their letter to the king hinder the building.

 1 Now the enemies of Juda and Benjamin heard that the children of the captivity were building a temple to the Lord the God of Israel.
Audierunt autem hostes Judae et Benjamin, quia filii captivitatis aedificarent templum Domino Deo Israel :

 2 And they came to Zorobabel, and the chief of the fathers, and said to them: Let us build with you, for we seek your God as ye do: behold we have sacrificed to him, since the days of Asor Haddan king of Assyria, who brought us hither.
et accedentes ad Zorobabel, et ad principes patrum, dixerunt eis : Aedificemus vobiscum, quia ita ut vos, quaerimus Deum vestrum : ecce nos immolavimus victimas a diebus Asor Haddan regis Assur, qui adduxit nos huc.

 3 But Zorobabel, and Josue, and the rest of the chief of the fathers of Israel said to them: You have nothing to do with us to build a house to our God, but we ourselves alone will build to the Lord our God, as Cyrus king of the Persians hath commanded us.
Et dixit eis Zorobabel, et Josue, et reliqui principes patrum Israel : Non est vobis et nobis ut aedificemus domum Deo nostro, sed nos ipsi soli aedificabimus Domino Deo nostro, sicut praecepit nobis Cyrus rex Persarum.

 4 Then the people of the land hindered the hands of the people of Juda, and troubled them in building.
Factum est igitur ut populus terrae impediret manus populi Judae, et turbaret eos in aedificando.

 5 And they hired counsellors against them, to frustrate their design all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of the Persians.
Conduxerunt autem adversus eos consiliatores, ut destruerent consilium eorum omnibus diebus Cyri regis Persarum, et usque ad regnum Darii regis Persarum.

 6 And in the reign of Assuerus, in the beginning of his reign, they wrote an accusation against the inhabitants of Juda and Jerusalem.
In regno autem Assueri, in principio regni ejus, scripserunt accusationem adversus habitatores Judae et Jerusalem.

 7 And in the days of Artaxerxes, Beselam, Mithridates, and Thabeel, and the rest that were in the council wrote to Artaxerxes king of the Persians: and the letter of accusation was written in Syriac, and was read in the Syrian tongue.
Et in diebus Artaxerxis scripsit Beselam, Mithridates, et Thabeel, et reliqui, qui erant in consilio eorum, ad Artaxerxem regem Persarum : epistola autem accusationis scripta erat syriace, et legebatur sermone syro.

 8 Reum Beelteem, and Samsai the scribe wrote a letter from Jerusalem to king Artaxerxes, in this manner:
Reum Beelteem, et Samsai scriba, scripserunt epistolam unam de Jerusalem Artaxerxi regi, hujuscemodi :

 9 Reum Beelteem, and Samsai the scribe and the rest of their counsellors, the Dinites, and the Apharsathacites, the Therphalites, the Apharsites, the Erchuites, the Babylonians, the Susanechites, the Dievites, and the Elamites,
Reum Beelteem, et Samsai scriba, et reliqui consiliatores eorum, Dinaei, et Apharsathachaei, Terphalaei, Apharsaei, Erchuaei, Babylonii, Susanechaei, Dievi, et Aelamitae,

 10 And the rest of the nations, whom the great and glorious Asenaphar brought over: and made to dwell in the cities of Samaria and in the rest of the countries of this side of the river in peace.
et ceteri de gentibus, quas transtulit Asenaphar magnus et gloriosus : et habitare eas fecit in civitatibus Samariae, et in reliquis regionibus trans flumen in pace.

 11 (This is the copy of the letter, which they sent to him:) To Artaxerxes the king, thy servants, the men that are on this side of the river, send greeting.
( Hoc est exemplar epistolae, quam miserunt ad eum.) Artaxerxi regi, servi tui, viri qui sunt trans fluvium, salutem dicunt.

 12 Be it known to the king, that the Jews, who came up from thee to us, are come to Jerusalem a rebellious and wicked city, which they are building, setting up the ramparts thereof and repairing the walls.
Notum sit regi quia Judaei, qui ascenderunt a te ad nos, venerunt in Jerusalem civitatem rebellem et pessimam, quam aedificant exstruentes muros ejus, et parietes componentes.

 13 And now be it known to the king, that if this city be built up, and the walls thereof repaired, they will not pay tribute nor toll, nor yearly revenues, and this loss will fall upon the kings.
Nunc igitur notum sit regi, quia si civitas illa aedificata fuerit, et muri ejus instaurati, tributum, et vectigal, et annuos reditus non dabunt, et usque ad reges haec noxa perveniet.

 14 But we remembering the salt that we have eaten in the palace, and because we count it a crime to see the king wronged, have therefore sent and certified the king,
Nos autem memores salis, quod in palatio comedimus, et quia laesiones regis videre nefas ducimus, idcirco misimus et nuntiavimus regi,

 15 That search may be made in the books of the histories of thy fathers, and thou shalt find written in the records: and shalt know that this city is a rebellious city, and hurtful to the kings and provinces, and that wars were raised therein of old time: for which cause also the city was destroyed.
ut recenseas in libris historiarum patrum tuorum, et invenies scriptum in commentariis : et scies quoniam urbs illa, urbs rebellis est, et nocens regibus et provinciis, et bella concitantur in ea ex diebus antiquis : quam ob rem et civitas ipsa destructa est.

 16 We certify the king, that if this city be built, and the walls thereof repaired, thou shalt have no possession on this side of the river.
Nuntiamus nos regi, quoniam si civitas illa aedificata fuerit, et muri ipsius instaurati, possessionem trans fluvium non habebis.

 17 The king sent word to Reum Beelteem and Samsai the scribe, and to the rest that were in their council, inhabitants of Samaria, and to the rest beyond the river, sending greeting and peace.
Verbum misit rex ad Reum Beelteem, et Samsai scribam, et ad reliquos, qui erant in consilio eorum habitatores Samariae, et ceteris trans fluvium, salutem dicens et pacem.

 18 The accusation, which you have sent to us, hath been plainly read before me,
Accusatio, quam misistis ad nos, manifeste lecta est coram me,

 19 And I commanded: and search hath been made, and it is found, that this city of old time hath rebelled against kings, and seditions and wars have been raised therein.
et a me praeceptum est : et recensuerunt, inveneruntque quoniam civitas illa a diebus antiquis adversum reges rebellat, et seditiones, et praelia concitantur in ea :

 20 For there have been powerful kings in Jerusalem, who have had dominion over all the country that is beyond the river: and have received tribute, and toll and revenues.
nam et reges fortissimi fuerunt in Jerusalem, qui et dominati sunt omni regioni, quae trans fluvium est : tributum quoque et vectigal, et reditus accipiebant.

 21 Now therefore hear the sentence: Hinder those men, that this city be not built, till further orders be given by me.
Nunc ergo audite sententiam : prohibeatis viros illos ut urbs illa non aedificetur, donec si forte a me jussum fuerit

 22 See that you be not negligent in executing this, lest by little and little the evil grow to the hurt of the kings.
Videte ne negligenter hoc impleatis, et paulatim crescat malum contra reges.

 23 Now the copy of the edict of king Artaxerxes was read before Reum Beelteem, and Samsai the scribe, and their counsellors: and they went up in haste to Jerusalem to the Jews, and hindered them with arm and power.
Itaque exemplum edicti Artaxerxis regis lectum est coram Reum Beelteem, et Samsai scriba, et consiliariis eorum : et abierunt festini in Jerusalem ad Judaeos, et prohibuerunt eos in brachio et robore.

 24 Then the work of the house of the Lord in Jerusalem was interrupted, and ceased till the second year of the reign of Darius king of the Persians.
Tunc intermissum est opus domus Domini in Jerusalem, et non fiebat usque ad annum secundum regni Darii regis Persarum.