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NASB Bible (with Strong's Numbers)

Ezra 4

Adversaries Hinder the Work

1

Now when  athe enemiesh6862c of Judahh3063 and Benjaminh1144 heardh8085 that  bthe peopleh1121 of the exileh1473 were buildingh1129 a templeh1964 to the LORDh3068 Godh430 of Israelh3478,

2

they approachedh5066 Zerubbabelh2216 and the headsh7218 of fathers'h1 households, and saidh559 to them, "Let us buildh1129 with you, for we, like you, seekh1875 your Godh430;  aand we have been sacrificingh2076 to Him sinceh4480 the daysh3117 of  bEsarhaddonh634 kingh4428 of Assyriah804b, who broughth5927 us up hereh6311."

3

But Zerubbabelh2216 and Jeshuah3091 and the resth7605 of the headsh7218 of fathers'h1 households of Israelh3478 saidh559 to them, " aYou have nothingh3808 in common with us in buildingh1129 a househ1004 to our Godh430; but we ourselvesh587 will togetherh3162 buildh1129 to the LORDh3068 Godh430 of Israelh3478,  bas Kingh4428 Cyrush3566, the kingh4428 of Persiah6539 has commandedh6680 us."

4

Then  athe peopleh5971a of the landh776  1discouragedh7503h3027 the peopleh5971a of Judahh3063, and frightenedh1089 them from buildingh1129,

5

and hiredh5534b counselorsh3289 againsth5921 them to frustrateh6565a their counselh6098 allh3605 the daysh3117 of Cyrush3566 kingh4428 of Persiah6539, even untilh5704 the reignh4438 of Dariush1867 kingh4428 of Persiah6539.

6

Now in the reignh4438 of  1 aAhasuerush325, in the beginningh8462 of his reignh4438, they wroteh3789 an accusationh7855 againsth5921 the inhabitantsh3427 of Judahh3063 and Jerusalemh3389.

7

And in the daysh3117 of  1Artaxerxesh783a, Bishlamh1312, Mithredathh4990, Tabeelh2870b and the resth7605 of his colleaguesh3674 wroteh3789 to Artaxerxesh783a kingh4428 of Persiah6539; and the  2texth3791 of the letterh5406 was writtenh3789 in Aramaich762 and translatedh8638  afrom Aramaich762.

The Letter to King Artaxerxes

8

 1Rehumh7348b the commanderh1169h2942 and Shimshaih8124 the scribeh5613a wroteh3790 a letterh104 againsth5922 Jerusalemh3390 to Kingh4430 Artaxerxesh783b, as followsh3660--

9

thenh116 wrote Rehumh7348b the commanderh1169h2942 and Shimshaih8124 the scribeh5613a and  athe resth7606 of their colleaguesh3675, the judgesh1784a and  bthe lesserh671b governorsh671b, the officialsh2967, the secretariesh670, the menh756 of Erechh756, the Babyloniansh896, the menh7801 of Susah7801, that is, the Elamitesh5962,

10

and the resth7606 of the nationsh524 whichh1768 the greath7229 and honorableh3358  1Osnapparh620 deportedh1541 and settledh3488 in the cityh7149 of Samariah8115, and in the resth7606 of the regionh5675 beyondh5675 the  2Riverh5103.  aNowh3706

11

thish1836 is the copyh6573 of the letterh104 whichh1768 they senth7972 to him:

"To Kingh4430 Artaxerxesh783b: Your servantsh5649, the menh606 in the regionh5675 beyondh5675 the Riverh5103, and nowh3706

12

let it be knownh3046 to the kingh4430 that the Jewsh3062 whoh1768 cameh5559b up from you have comeh858 to us at Jerusalemh3390; they are rebuildingh1124  athe rebellioush4779a and evilh873 cityh7149 and  bare finishingh3635 the wallsh7792 and repairingh2338 the foundationsh787.

13

"Nowh3705 let it be knownh3046 to the kingh4430, that ifh2006 that cityh7149 is rebuilth1124 and the wallsh7792 are finishedh3635,  athey will not payh5415 tributeh4061, customh1093 or tollh1983, and it will damageh5142 the revenueh674 of the kingsh4430.

14

"Nowh3705 becauseh3606h6903h1768 we  1are in the serviceh4415 of the palaceh1965, and it is not fittingh749 for us to seeh2370 the king'sh4430 dishonorh6173, thereforeh5922h1836 we have senth7972 and informedh3046 the kingh4430,

15

soh1768 that a searchh1240 may be madeh5648 in the recordh1799b booksh5609 of your fathersh2. And you will discoverh7912 in the recordh1799b booksh5609 and learnh3046 that that cityh7149 is a rebellioush4779a cityh7149 and damagingh5142 to kingsh4430 and provincesh4083, and that they have incitedh5648 revolth849 withinh1459 it in pasth5957 daysh3118; thereforeh5922h1836 that cityh7149 was laidh2718 wasteh2718.

16

"We informh3046 the kingh4430 that ifh2006 that cityh7149 is rebuilth1124 and the wallsh7792 finishedh3635, as a resulth6903 you will haveh383 noh3809 possessionh2508 in the province beyondh5675 the Riverh5103."

The King Replies and Work Stops

17

Then the kingh4430 senth7972 an answerh6600 to Rehumh7348b the commanderh1169h2942, to Shimshaih8124 the scribeh5613a, and to the resth7606 of their colleaguesh3675 whoh1768 liveh3488 in Samariah8115 and in the resth7606 of the provinces beyondh5675 the Riverh5103: "Peaceh8001. And nowh3706

18

the documenth5407 whichh1768 you senth7972 to us has been  1 atranslatedh6568 and readh7123 beforeh6925 me.

19

"A decreeh2942 has been  1issuedh7761 by me, and a searchh1240 has been madeh1240 and it has been discoveredh7912 that that cityh7149 has risenh5376 up againsth5922 the kingsh4430 in pasth5957 daysh3118, that rebellionh4776 and revolth849 have been perpetratedh5957 in it,

20

 athat mightyh8624 kingsh4430 have  1ruledh1934 overh5922 Jerusalemh3390, governingh7990 allh3606 the provinces  bbeyondh5675 the Riverh5103, and that  ctributeh4061, customh1093 and tollh1983 were paidh3052 to them.

21

"So, nowh3705 issueh7761 a decreeh2942 to make theseh479 menh1400 stoph989 work, that thish1791 cityh7149 may not be rebuilth1124 untilh5704 a decreeh2942 is issuedh7761 by me.

22

"Bewareh1934 of being negligenth7960 in carryingh5648 out thish1836 matter; whyh4101 should damageh2257 increaseh7680 to the detrimenth5142 of the kingsh4430?"

23

Thenh116 as soonh4481h1768 as the copyh6573 of Kingh4430 Artaxerxes'h783b documenth5407 was readh7123 beforeh6925 Rehumh7348b and Shimshaih8124 the scribeh5613a and their colleaguesh3675, they wenth236 in hasteh924 to Jerusalemh3390 to the Jewsh3062 and stoppedh989 them by forceh153 of armsh2429.

24

Thenh116 workh5673 on the househ1005 of Godh426 in Jerusalemh3390 ceasedh989, and it was stoppedh989 untilh5704 the secondh8648 yearh8140 of the reignh4437 of Dariush1868 kingh4430 of Persiah6540.



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