OET interlinear EZRA 4:12

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / 123person

יְדִ֨יעַ֙ לֶהֱוֵ֣א לְ⁠מַלְכָּ֔⁠א

known it_will_happen to=the=king

These officials address the king in the third person as a sign of respect. If it would be helpful in your language, you could indicate this respect by using an expression such as “O king.” Alternate translation: “we would like you to know, O king”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

יְדִ֨יעַ֙ לֶהֱוֵ֣א לְ⁠מַלְכָּ֔⁠א

known it_will_happen to=the=king

If it would be helpful in your language, you could say this with an active form, and you could say who is doing the action. Alternate translation: “we would like you to know, O king”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

יְהוּדָיֵ֗⁠א דִּ֤י סְלִ֨קוּ֙ מִן־לְוָתָ֔⁠ךְ

jews,the that/who they_came_up from/more_than with,you

Here, as in several instances earlier in the book, went up means “traveled from Babylon to Judah,” since that involves going from a river valley up into the mountains. The officials describe Babylon to the king as near you because it was relatively much closer to the Persian royal court and more distant from Samaria. Alternate translation: “the Jews who returned to Judah from Babylon”

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / go

סְלִ֨קוּ֙

they_came_up

If it is more natural in your language, you could say “came” rather than went.

עֲלֶ֥י⁠נָא אֲת֖וֹ לִ⁠ירוּשְׁלֶ֑ם

to,us gone to,Jerusalem

Alternate translation: “have settled near us in Jerusalem”

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

קִרְיְתָ֨⁠א מָֽרָדְתָּ֤⁠א ו⁠באישת⁠א

city,that rebellious,the and,wicked,the

Here the officials are describing the inhabitants of Jerusalem by reference to something associated with them, the city where they live. The officials are not saying that the walls and buildings would be rebellious if they were rebuilt. Rather, they are saying that the people who have lived in this city have continually revolted against their foreign rulers. Alternate translation: “that city whose people are constantly rebelling”

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / doublet

מָֽרָדְתָּ֤⁠א ו⁠באישת⁠א

rebellious,the and,wicked,the

Rebellious and evil mean similar things. The officials use them together to emphasize their certainty that, because the people of Jerusalem are so evil or wicked (in this context meaning rebellious against authority), they would revolt against Artaxerxes if they were able to rebuild and fortify their city. If it would be helpful in your language, you could combine these words into a single expression. Alternate translation: “constantly rebelling”

Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / parallelism

וְשׁוּרַיָּ֣א שַׁכְלִ֔ילוּ וְ⁠אֻשַּׁיָּ֖⁠א יַחִֽיטוּ

(Some words not found in UHB: known it_will_happen to=the=king that/who jews,the that/who they_came_up from/more_than with,you to,us gone to,Jerusalem city,that rebellious,the and,wicked,the rebuilding and,walls finishing and,foundations,the repairing )

Here, completing is a way of saying “building.” Several times in this section of Ezra, the text uses the two words repairing and completing together to mean “building,” or it uses them as poetic parallels. (For example, “which a great king of Israel built and completed,” 5:11, and “to build this house and to complete this structure,” 5:3.) The term completing by itself here seems similarly to have the meaning of “building.” Repairing here could also mean “digging out.” Either way, this is a reference to preparing foundations so that buildings can be set up on them. So the officials are describing the project of restoring the city by referring to the work on two parallel parts of it, its walls and its buildings. If it would be helpful in your language, you could say this without using a similar figure of speech. Alternate translations: “they are working throughout the city to restore it” or “they are rebuilding the walls and preparing foundations for buildings”