Now when athe enemies of Judah
and Benjamin
heard
that bthe people
of the exile
were building
a temple
to the LORD
God
of Israel
,
they approached Zerubbabel
and the heads
of fathers'
households, and said
to them, "Let us build
with you, for we, like you, seek
your God
; aand we have been sacrificing
to Him since
the days
of bEsarhaddon
king
of Assyria
, who brought
us up here
."
But Zerubbabel and Jeshua
and the rest
of the heads
of fathers'
households of Israel
said
to them, " aYou have nothing
in common with us in building
a house
to our God
; but we ourselves
will together
build
to the LORD
God
of Israel
, bas King
Cyrus
, the king
of Persia
has commanded
us."
Then athe people of the land
1discouraged
the people
of Judah
, and frightened
them from building
,
and hired counselors
against
them to frustrate
their counsel
all
the days
of Cyrus
king
of Persia
, even until
the reign
of Darius
king
of Persia
.
Now in the reign of 1 aAhasuerus
, in the beginning
of his reign
, they wrote
an accusation
against
the inhabitants
of Judah
and Jerusalem
.
And in the days of 1Artaxerxes
, Bishlam
, Mithredath
, Tabeel
and the rest
of his colleagues
wrote
to Artaxerxes
king
of Persia
; and the 2text
of the letter
was written
in Aramaic
and translated
afrom Aramaic
.
1Rehum the commander
and Shimshai
the scribe
wrote
a letter
against
Jerusalem
to King
Artaxerxes
, as follows
--
then wrote Rehum
the commander
and Shimshai
the scribe
and athe rest
of their colleagues
, the judges
and bthe lesser
governors
, the officials
, the secretaries
, the men
of Erech
, the Babylonians
, the men
of Susa
, that is, the Elamites
,
and the rest of the nations
which
the great
and honorable
1Osnappar
deported
and settled
in the city
of Samaria
, and in the rest
of the region
beyond
the 2River
. aNow
this is the copy
of the letter
which
they sent
to him:
"To King Artaxerxes
: Your servants
, the men
in the region
beyond
the River
, and now
let it be known to the king
that the Jews
who
came
up from you have come
to us at Jerusalem
; they are rebuilding
athe rebellious
and evil
city
and bare finishing
the walls
and repairing
the foundations
.
"Now let it be known
to the king
, that if
that city
is rebuilt
and the walls
are finished
, athey will not pay
tribute
, custom
or toll
, and it will damage
the revenue
of the kings
.
"Now because
we 1are in the service
of the palace
, and it is not fitting
for us to see
the king's
dishonor
, therefore
we have sent
and informed
the king
,
so that a search
may be made
in the record
books
of your fathers
. And you will discover
in the record
books
and learn
that that city
is a rebellious
city
and damaging
to kings
and provinces
, and that they have incited
revolt
within
it in past
days
; therefore
that city
was laid
waste
.
"We inform the king
that if
that city
is rebuilt
and the walls
finished
, as a result
you will have
no
possession
in the province beyond
the River
."
Then the king sent
an answer
to Rehum
the commander
, to Shimshai
the scribe
, and to the rest
of their colleagues
who
live
in Samaria
and in the rest
of the provinces beyond
the River
: "Peace
. And now
the document which
you sent
to us has been 1 atranslated
and read
before
me.
"A decree has been 1issued
by me, and a search
has been made
and it has been discovered
that that city
has risen
up against
the kings
in past
days
, that rebellion
and revolt
have been perpetrated
in it,
athat mighty kings
have 1ruled
over
Jerusalem
, governing
all
the provinces bbeyond
the River
, and that ctribute
, custom
and toll
were paid
to them.
"So, now issue
a decree
to make these
men
stop
work, that this
city
may not be rebuilt
until
a decree
is issued
by me.
"Beware of being negligent
in carrying
out this
matter; why
should damage
increase
to the detriment
of the kings
?"
Then as soon
as the copy
of King
Artaxerxes'
document
was read
before
Rehum
and Shimshai
the scribe
and their colleagues
, they went
in haste
to Jerusalem
to the Jews
and stopped
them by force
of arms
.
Then work
on the house
of God
in Jerusalem
ceased
, and it was stopped
until
the second
year
of the reign
of Darius
king
of Persia
.