Chapter 4
1 Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the children of the captivity were building a temple to the LORD , the God of Israel ,
2 they came near to Zerubbabel , and to the heads of fathers’ households, and said to them , " Let us build with you , for we seek your God as you do; and we have been sacrificing to him since the days of Esar Haddon king of Assyria, who brought us up here ."
3 But Zerubbabel , Jeshua , and the rest of the heads of fathers’ households of Israel said to them , " You have nothing to do with us in building a house to our God ; but we ourselves together will build to the LORD , the God of Israel , as King Cyrus the king of Persia has commanded us ."
4 Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah , and troubled them in building .
5 They hired counsellors against them to frustrate their purpose all the days of Cyrus king of Persia , even until the reign of Darius king of Persia .
6 In the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign , they wrote an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem .
7 In the days of Artaxerxes, Bishlam , Mithredath , Tabeel , and the rest of his companions wrote to Artaxerxes king of Persia ; and the writing of the letter was written in Syrian and delivered in the Syrian language.
8 Rehum the chancellor and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king as follows .
9 Then Rehum the chancellor , Shimshai the scribe , and the rest of their companions , the Dinaites , and the Apharsathchites, the Tarpelites , the Apharsites, the Archevites, the Babylonians, the Shushanchites, the Dehaites, the Elamites ,
10 and the rest of the nations whom the great and noble Osnappar brought over and settled in the city of Samaria , and in the rest of the country beyond the River , and so forth, wrote.
11 This is the copy of the letter that they sent : To King Artaxerxes, from your servants , the people beyond the River .
12 Be it known to the king that the Jews who came up from you have come to us to Jerusalem . They are building the rebellious and bad city , and have finished the walls and repaired the foundations.
13 Be it known now to the king that if this city is built and the walls finished , they will not pay tribute , custom , or toll , and in the end it will be hurtful to the kings .
14 Now because we eat the salt of the palace and it is not appropriate for us to see the king ’s dishonour , therefore we have sent and informed the king ,
15 that search may be made in the book of the records of your fathers. You will see in the book of the records , and know that this city is a rebellious city , and hurtful to kings and provinces , and that they have started rebellions within it in the past . That is why this city was destroyed .
16 We inform the king that if this city is built and the walls finished , then you will have no possession beyond the River .
17 Then the king sent an answer to Rehum the chancellor , and to Shimshai the scribe , and to the rest of their companions who live in Samaria , and in the rest of the country beyond the River : Peace .
18 The letter which you sent to us has been plainly read before me .
19 I decreed, and search has been made , and it was found that this city has made insurrection against kings in the past , and that rebellion and revolts have been made in it .
20 There have also been mighty kings over Jerusalem who have ruled over all the country beyond the River ; and tribute , custom , and toll was paid to them .
21 Make a decree now to cause these men to cease, and that this city not be built until a decree is made by me .
22 Be careful that you not be slack doing so. Why should damage grow to the hurt of the kings ?
23 Then when the copy of King Artaxerxes’ letter was read before Rehum , Shimshai the scribe , and their companions , they went in haste to Jerusalem to the Jews , and made them to cease by force of arms .
24 Then work stopped on God’s house which is at Jerusalem . It stopped until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia .