ejra 4:1-24
4 yahooda aur binyameen ke dushmanon+ ne suna ki bandhuai se chhootkar aaye log,+ israel ke parmeshvar yahova ke liye mandir khada kar rahe hain.
2 woh fauran jarubabel aur un aadmiyon ke paas gaye jo apne-apne pita ke kul ke mukhiya the aur kehne lage, “is kaam mein hum tumhara haath batana chahte hain kyonki hum bhi usi parmeshvar ki upasna karte hain* jiski tum karte ho.+ hum us zamane se tumhare parmeshvar ko balidan chadhate aaye hain, jab ashshoor ka raja esar-haddon+ hamein yahaan laaya tha.”+
3 magar jarubabel, yeshoo aur israel ke kulon ke mukhiyaon ne unse kaha, “tum hamare saath hamare parmeshvar ka bhavan nahin banaoge.+ faaras ke raja kusroo ne israel ke parmeshvar yahova ka bhavan banane ki jo aagya di hai,+ use hum akele hi poora kareinge.”
4 tab aas-paas ke deshon ke log yahooda ke logon ki himmat todne lage* taaki woh maayoos hokar mandir banane ka kaam chhod dein.+
5 unhonne raajya ke salahkaron ko unke khilaf kaam karne ke liye paise diye. ye dushman faaras ke raja kusroo ke dinon se lekar faaras ke raja daara ke dinon tak,+ yahoodiyon ki yojnayen naakam karne ki koshish karte rahe.+
6 unhonne raja ahash-verosh ke raaj ki shurooat mein yahooda aur yarooshalem ke nivasiyon ke khilaf raja ko ek khat likha.
7 aur jab raja artashatra faaras par raaj kar raha tha, tab bishlam, mithradat, taabel aur uske saathiyon ne use bhi ek chitthi likhi. unhonne uska anuvad araami bhasha mein karvaya+ aur use araami aksharon mein likhvaya.*
8 * raajya ke mukhya adhikari rahoom aur shaastri shimshai ne yarooshalem ke khilaf raja artashatra ko yah chitthi likhi:
9 (yah chitthi in logon ki taraf se thi: mukhya adhikari rahoom, shaastri shimshai aur unke baaki saathi yaani nyayi, up-raajyapal, mantri, erekh+ ke log, baibilon ke log, soosa+ ke rehnevale elami log+
10 aur baaki raashtron ke log, jinhein mahan aur gauravshali osanappar* ne bandi banakar saamriya ke shehron mein basaya tha+ aur mahanadi ke is paar* rehnevale baaki log.
11 us chitthi ki ek nakaal yah hai)
“mahanadi ke is paar rehnevale sevkon ki taraf se raja artashatra ke naam.
12 hum raja ko batana chahte hain ki jo yahoodi tere yahaan se yarooshalem aaye hain, woh dobara us bagavti aur dusht shehar ko khada kar rahe hain. uski sheharpanah banayi jaa rahi hai+ aur ninv ki marammat chal rahi hai.
13 raja jaan le ki agar yah shehar khada ho gaya aur uski sheharpanah taiyar ho gayi, to ye yahoodi na to kar chukayenge, na maal par mahsool deinge+ aur na hi sadak ka mahsool chukayenge. isse shaahi khazane ko bhaari nuksan hoga.
14 hum raja ka namak khaate hain aur koi use nuksan pahunchaye yah dekhkar hum chup nahin reh sakte. isliye hamne yah khat likha hai
15 taaki tu apne se pehale ke raajaon* ke dastavezon mein chhaanbeen kare.+ tab tujhe khud maaloom ho jaayega ki yah ek bagavti shehar hai aur raajaon aur praanton ke liye hamesha se khatra raha hai. purane zamane se hi iske log bagavat ki aag bhadkate aaye hain aur isi vajah se is shehar ka naash hua tha.+
16 raja jaan le ki agar ise dobara banaya gaya aur iski sheharpanah taiyar ho gayi, to mahanadi ke is paar ka ilaka raja ke haath se nikaal jaayega.”+
17 tab raja ne mukhya adhikari rahoom, shaastri shimshai aur saamriya mein unke baaki saathiyon ko aur mahanadi ke us paar rehnevale baaki logon ko yah paigam bheja:
“salam!
18 tum logon ne jo khat bheja tha woh mujhe shabd-b-shabd padhkar sunaya gaya.*
19 mere hukm par dastavezon mein chhaanbeen ki gayi aur yah baat saamne aayi hai ki purane zamane se yah shehar raajaon ke khilaf sir uthata aaya hai aur vidroh aur bagavat karta aaya hai.+
20 aise bahot-se shaktishali raja bhi the jinhonne yarooshalem aur mahanadi ke us paar ke poore ilake par raaj kiya. aur jinhein kar, maal par mahsool aur sadak ka mahsool ada kiya gaya.
21 lekin ab in aadmiyon ko hukm do ki woh apna kaam rok dein aur jab tak main na kahoon, is shehar ko dobara na banaya jaaye.
22 is maamle par jald-se-jald kaarravai ki jaaye taaki raja ko aur nuksan na ho.”+
23 jab raja artashatra ka khat rahoom, shaastri shimshai aur unke saathiyon ke saamne padha gaya, to woh fauran yarooshalem gaye aur unhonne jabran yahoodiyon ka kaam band karva diya.
24 tab yarooshalem mein sachche parmeshvar ke bhavan ka kaam ruk gaya aur faaras ke raja daara ke raaj ke doosre saal tak thapp pada raha.+
kai footnote
^ shaa., “ki khoj karte hain.”
^ shaa., “ke haath dheele karne lage.”
^ ya shaayad, “ise araami bhasha mein likha gaya aur fir iska anuvad kiya gaya.”
^ mool paath mein ej 4:8 se lekar 6:18 tak ka hissa araami bhasha mein likha gaya tha.
^ yaani ashshoorbaneepal.
^ yaani farat nadi ke pashchim mein.
^ shaa., “apne purkhon.”
^ ya shaayad, “woh anuvad karke padha gaya.”
