Yǐsīlājì 4

1 Yóudà hé Biànyǎmǐn de dírén , tīngshuō beìlǔ guī huí de rén , wèi Yēhéhuá Yǐsèliè de shén jiànzào diàn yǔ ,

2 Jiù qù jiàn Suǒluóbābó hé Yǐsèliè de zúzhǎng , duì tāmen shuō , qǐng róng wǒmen yǔ nǐmen yītóng jiànzào . yīnwei wǒmen xúnqiú nǐmen de shén , yǔ nǐmen yíyàng . zì cóng Yàshù wáng Yǐsāhādùndaì wǒmen shang zhè dì yǐlái , wǒmen cháng jìsì shén .

3 Dàn Suǒluóbābó , Yéshūyà , hé qíyú Yǐsèliè de zúzhǎng duì tāmen shuō , wǒmen jiànzào shén de diàn yǔ nǐmen wúgān , wǒmen zìjǐ wèi Yēhéhuá Yǐsèliè de shén xié lì jiànzào , shì zhào Bōsī wáng Gǔliè suǒ fēnfu de .

4 Nà dì de mín , jiù zaì Yóudà rén jiànzào de shíhou , shǐ tāmende shǒu fā ruǎn , rǎoluàn tāmen .

5 Cóng Bōsī wáng Gǔliè nián jiān , zhídào Bōsī wáng Dàlìwū dēng jī de shíhou , huì mǎi móu shì , yào baìhuaì tāmende móu suàn .

6 Zaì Yàhāsuílǔ cái dēng jī de shíhou , shang bĕn kònggào Yóudà hé Yēlùsǎlĕng de jūmín .

7 Yàdáxuēxī nián jiān , bǐ shī lán , mǐ tè lì dá , tā bié , hé tāmende tóng dǎng , shang bĕn zòu gào Bōsī wáng Yàdáxuēxī . bĕn zhāng shì yòng Yàlán wén zì , Yàlán fāngyán .

8 Shĕng zhǎng Lìhóng , shū jì Shēnshuaì yào kònggào Yēlùsǎlĕng rén , yĕ shang bĕn zòu gào Yàdáxuēxī wáng .

9 Shĕng zhǎng Lìhóng , shū jì Shēnshuaì , hé tóng dǎng de Dǐná rén , Yàfǎsàtíjiā rén , Tāpílà rén , Yàfǎsā rén , Yàjīwèi rén , Bābǐlún rén , Shūshān jiā rén , Dǐhaì rén , Yǐlán rén ,

10 Hé zūn dà de Yàsīnàbā suǒ qiāyí , ānzhì zaì Sāmǎlìyà chéng , bìng dà hé xī yī daì dìfang de rén dĕng ,

11 Shang zòu Yàdáxuēxī wáng shuō , hé xī de chén mín yúnyún .

12 Wáng gāi zhīdào , cóng wáng nàli shang dào wǒmen zhèlǐ de Yóudà rén , yǐjing dào Yēlùsǎlĕng zhòng jiàn , zhè fǎn pàn è liè de chéng , zhú lì gēnjī , jiànzào chéngqiáng .

13 Rújīn wáng gāi zhīdào , tāmen ruò jiànzào zhè chéng , chéngqiáng wánbì jiù bú zaì yǔ wáng jìn gòng , jiāo kè , nà shuì , zhōngjiǔ wáng bì shòu kuī sún .

14 Wǒmen jì shí yù yán , bú rĕn jiàn wáng chī kuī , yīncǐ zòu gào yú wáng .

15 Qǐng wáng kǎochá xiān wáng de shí lù , bì zaì qí shang chá zhī zhè chéng shì fǎn pàn de chéng , yǔ liè wáng hé gè shĕng yǒu haì . zì gǔ yǐlái , qízhōng cháng yǒu beìnì de shì , yīncǐ zhè chéng céng beì chāihuǐ .

16 Wǒmen jǐn zòu wáng zhī , zhè chéng ruò zaì jiànzào , chéngqiáng wánbì , hé xī zhī dì wáng jiù wú fēn le .

17 Nàshí wáng yù fù shĕng zhǎng Lìhóng , shū jì Shēnshuaì , hé tāmende tóng dǎng , jiù shì zhù Sāmǎlìyà bìng hé xī yī daì dìfang de rén , shuō , yuàn nǐmen píngān yúnyún .

18 Nǐmen suǒ shang de bĕn , yǐjing míng dú zaì wǒ miànqián .

19 Wǒ yǐ méng rén kǎo chá , dé zhī cǐ chéng gǔ lái guǒrán beìpàn liè wáng , qízhōng cháng yǒu fǎn pàn beìnì de shì .

20 Cóng qián Yēlùsǎlĕng yĕ yǒu dà jūnwáng Tǒng guǎn hé xī quán dì , rén jiù gĕi tāmen jìn gòng , jiāo kè , nà shuì .

21 Xiànzaì nǐmen yào chū gào shì méng zhèxie rén tíng gōng , shǐ zhè chéng bùdé jiànzào , dĕng wǒ jiàng zhǐ .

22 Nǐmen dāng jǐnshèn , bùkĕ chíyán , wèihé róng haì jiā zhòng , shǐ wáng shòu kuī sún ne .

23 Yàdáxuēxī wáng de shang yù dú zaì Lìhóng hé shū jì Shēnshuaì , bìng tāmende tóng dǎng miànqián , tāmen jiù jímáng wǎng Yēlùsǎlĕng qù jiàn Yóudà rén , yòng shìlì jiàng pǎi tāmen tíng gōng .

24 Yúshì , zaì Yēlùsǎlĕng shén diàn de gōng chéng jiù tíng zhǐ le , zhí tíng dào Bōsī wáng Dàlìwū dì èr nián .

Yǐsīlājì 4 Commentary

Chapter 4

The adversaries of the temple. (1-5) The building of the temple is hindered. (6-24)

Verses 1-5 Every attempt to revive true religion will stir up the opposition of Satan, and of those in whom he works. The adversaries were the Samaritans, who had been planted in the ( 2 Kings 17 ) unite in the worship of the Lord, according to his word. Let those who discourage a good work, and weaken them that are employed in it, see whose pattern they follow.

Verses 6-24 It is an old slander, that the prosperity of the church would be hurtful to kings and princes. Nothing can be more false, for true godliness teaches us to honour and obey our sovereign. But where the command of God requires one thing and the law of the land another, we must obey God rather than man, and patiently submit to the consequences. All who love the gospel should avoid all appearance of evil, lest they should encourage the adversaries of the church. The world is ever ready to believe any accusation against the people of God, and refuses to listen to them. The king suffered himself to be imposed upon by these frauds and falsehoods. Princes see and hear with other men's eyes and ears, and judge things as represented to them, which are often done falsely. But God's judgment is just; he sees things as they are.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO EZRA 4

The contents of this chapter are the offer the Samaritans made to the Jews, to assist them in building the temple, which having refused, they gave them all the trouble they could, Ezr 4:1-6 and a letter of theirs to Artaxerxes, king of Persia, full of accusations of them, Ezr 4:7-16 and the answer of Artaxerxes to it, giving orders to command the Jews to cease building the temple, Ezr 4:17-22 which orders were accordingly executed, and the work ceased till the second year of Darius, Ezr 4:23,24.