Ezra 4
1 The adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the exiles were building a temple to the LORD, the God of Israel.
2 They approached Zerubbabel and the heads of the families and said to them, “Let us build with you, because like you, we seek your God; and we have been sacrificing to him since the days of Esarhaddon, king of Assyria, who brought us here.”
3 Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the other heads of the families of Israel said to them, “You and we have no part in building a house for our God. We alone will build for the LORD, the God of Israel, as King Cyrus, king of Persia, commanded us.”
4 Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah and intimidated them so they would not build.
5 They bribed advisers to oppose them and frustrate their plans throughout the days of Cyrus, king of Persia, and until the reign of Darius, king of Persia.
6 At the beginning of the reign of Ahasuerus, they wrote an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.
7 In the days of Artaxerxes, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of their companions wrote to Artaxerxes, king of Persia. The letter was written in Aramaic and translated into Aramaic.
8 Rehum the chancellor and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter against Jerusalem to King Artaxerxes, as follows:
9 Then Rehum the chancellor, Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their companions—the Denaeans, the Apharsathchites, the Tarpelites, the Persians, the Erechites, the Babylonians, the Susa people, the Dehaeans, and the Elamites,
10 and the rest of the peoples whom the great and noble Asnappar deported and settled in the city of Samaria and in the rest of Beyond the River. And now:
11 This is a copy of the letter they sent to him: “To King Artaxerxes: Your servants, the men of Beyond the River. And now:
12 Let the king know that the Jews who came up from your presence have come to us in Jerusalem. They are building that rebellious and wicked city, finishing its walls and repairing its foundations.”
13 “Now let the king know: if this city is rebuilt and its walls are finished, they will pay no tax, tribute, or toll, and in the end this will harm the kings.
14 Now, because we eat the salt of the palace, and it is not fitting for us to see the king dishonored, we are therefore sending word to the king.
15 Have the book of records of your fathers searched. You will find in the book of records and learn that this city is a rebellious city, harmful to kings and provinces, and that uprisings have been taking place within it since ancient times. That is why this city was destroyed.
16 We inform the king: if this city is rebuilt and its walls are finished, because of this you will have no share at all in Beyond the River.”
17 The king sent a reply to Rehum the chancellor, Shimshai the scribe, the rest of their companions who live in Samaria, and the rest of Beyond the River: “Peace. And now:
18 The letter you sent us has been clearly read before me.
19 I issued an order, and they searched and found that this city has risen against kings since ancient times, and that rebellion and revolt have been carried out within it.
20 There have been powerful kings over Jerusalem who ruled all of Beyond the River, and tax, tribute, and toll were paid to them.
21 Now issue an order to make these men stop, so that this city may not be rebuilt until I issue an order.
22 Be careful not to be negligent in this matter. Why should the damage grow and harm the kings?”
23 Then, as soon as the copy of King Artaxerxes’ letter was read before Rehum, Shimshai the scribe, and their companions, they hurried to Jerusalem, to the Jews, and forcibly stopped them by means of force and power.
24 Then the work on the house of God in Jerusalem stopped, and it remained stopped until the second year of the reign of Darius, king of Persia.
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