Ezra

4 When the enemies of Judah and Benjamin hear say the people wey come back from where them be slaves before, de build temple to Jehovah the God of Israel, 2 quick-quick, them go meet Ze·rub′ba·bel and the leaders of the family groups for their papa side, and tell them say: “Make we join una build; because just like una, we de worship* una God and we don de do sacrifice to-am since the time of E′sar-had′don wey be the king of As·syr′i·a, wey carry us come here.” 3 But Ze·rub′ba·bel and Jesh′u·a and the other leaders of the family groups of Israel for their papa side tell them say: “Una no get any business with us to build house for our God, because na only we go build-am for Jehovah the God of Israel, just as King Cyrus wey be king of Persia don command us.”

4 Then the people of the land continue to make the mind of Judah people comot from the work,* and to make them fear so that them go stop to build. 5 Them hire people wey go de give them bad advice to spoil their plans for all the time of Cyrus wey be king of Persia go reach the time wey Da·ri′us wey be king of Persia de rule. 6 For the time wey A·has·u·e′rus start to rule, them write one bad report against the people wey de stay for Judah and Jerusalem. 7 And for the time of Ar·ta·xerx′es wey be king of Persia, Bish′lam, Mith′re·dath, Tab′e·el, and the other people wey de work with-am, write letter to King Ar·ta·xerx′es; them translate the letter for Ar·a·ma′ic language, and na Ar·a·ma′ic alphabets them use write-am.*

8 * Re′hum wey be the oga of people wey get high position for government and Shim′shai wey be scribe, write one letter against Jerusalem wey them send to King Ar·ta·xerx′es. The letter talk say: 9 (The letter come from Re′hum wey be the oga of people wey get high position for government, Shim′shai wey be scribe, the other people wey de work with them, the judge them, the small-small governors, the secretaries, E′rech people, Babylon people, the people wey de stay for Su′sa, wey be, E′lam people, 10 and the remaining nations wey As′e·nap·par wey dey great and wey get honor carry go as slaves and put them for the cities of Sa·mar′i·a, and the rest people wey dey for the area wey dey the Other Side of the River,* and now 11 this na the copy of the letter wey them send to-am.)

“This letter na to King Ar·ta·xerx′es from your servants, the men of the area wey dey the Other Side of the River: And now 12 make you know say the Jew people wey you say make them come here don reach Jerusalem. Them de build the stubborn and wicked city again and them don de finish the walls and them de repair the foundations. 13 Now make the king know say if them build this city again and them complete the walls, the people no go pay tax, money wey them suppose pay king, or money for road, and this one go reduce the money wey de enter the place wey them de keep money for the kings. 14 As e be say na the salt of the palace we de chop* and we no go fit open eye see people wey want spoil things for the king and no do anything, na im make we send this letter to tell the king wetin de happen, 15 so that you go fit check the record book of your papa-papa them. You go see for the book say this city na stubborn city, them de do bad things to kings and the people for the areas wey surround them, and people wey de fight against government don dey for that city from olden days. Na im make them destroy this city. 16 We want make the king know say if them build this city again and complete the walls, you no go fit control* the area wey dey the Other Side of the River.”

17 The king send message to Re′hum wey be the oga of people wey get high position for government and Shim′shai wey be scribe and the other people wey de work with them, wey de stay for Sa·mar′i·a and the other people wey dey for the area wey dey the Other Side of the River. E talk say:

“I greet una! 18 Them don sofri read* the letter for my front, the letter wey una send to us. 19 I talk say make them go check, and we see say for long-long time wey don pass, the city be don fight against kings, and them be stubborn people, and people wey de fight against government be dey there. 20 Jerusalem be don get strong-strong kings wey rule the whole area wey dey the Other Side of the River, and people be de pay them tax, money wey them suppose pay king, and road money. 21 Now command the men say make them stop the work, so that them no go build the city again, until I tell them wetin them go do. 22 Make una make sure say una no take this matter play, so that them no go continue to spoil things for the king.”

23 Now, after them don read the letter wey King Ar·ta·xerx′es send for front of Re′hum and Shim′shai wey be scribe, and the people wey de work with them, quick-quick, them go Jerusalem go meet the Jew people and force them to stop the work. 24 Na that time the work wey them de do to build the house of God wey dey Jerusalem stop; and them no do anything again about-am until the second year wey Da·ri′us wey be king of Persia don de rule.