Ezra 4

1The adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the sons of the exile were building a temple for Yahweh, the God of Israel.

2Then they approached Zerubbabel and the heads of the fathers’ houses and said to them, “Let us build with you, for like you we seek your God, and we have been sacrificing to him since the days of Esar-haddon king of Assyria, who brought us up here.”

3But Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the rest of the heads of the fathers’ houses of Israel said to them, “You have no part with us in building a house for our God, for we alone will build it for Yahweh, the God of Israel, just as King Cyrus, the king of Persia, commanded us.”

4Then the people of the land kept weakening the hands of the people of Judah and frightening them from building.

5And they hired counselors against them to frustrate their plan all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.

6And in the reign of Ahasuerus, at the beginning of his reign, they wrote an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.

7And in the days of Artaxerxes, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of his associates wrote to Artaxerxes king of Persia. The text of the letter was written in Aramaic and translated from Aramaic.

8Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter against Jerusalem to King Artaxerxes as follows:

9Then Rehum the commander, Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their associates—the judges, the officials, the Tarpelites, the Persians, the Erechites, the Babylonians, the men of Susa (that is, the Elamites)—

10and the rest of the peoples whom the great and noble Osnappar deported and settled in the city of Samaria, and in the rest of Beyond the River—and now:

11This is a copy of the letter that they sent to King Artaxerxes: “Your servants, the men of Beyond the River, and now—”

12Let it be known to the king that the Jews who came up from you to us have come to Jerusalem. They are rebuilding the rebellious and wicked city, finishing the walls and repairing the foundations.

13Now let it be known to the king that if this city is rebuilt and its walls are completed, they will not pay tribute, tax, or toll, and in the end it will damage the revenue of the kings.

14Because we eat the salt of the palace, and it is not fitting for us to see the king’s dishonor, therefore we have sent and informed the king,

15so that a search may be made in the book of records of your fathers, and you may find in the book of records and know that this city is a rebellious city, harmful to kings and provinces, and that sedition has been made within it from ancient days; for this reason this city was laid waste.

16We make known to the king that if this city is rebuilt and its walls are completed, then because of this you will have no possession in the province Beyond the River.

17The king sent a reply to Rehum the commander, Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their associates who live in Samaria, and the rest beyond the River: Peace. And now—

18The document that you sent to us has been read plainly before me.

19And a decree was issued by me, and they searched and found that this city has from ancient days risen up against kings, and rebellion and sedition have been carried out in it.

20And mighty kings were over Jerusalem, ruling over all the region Beyond the River, and tribute, tax, and toll were paid to them.

21Now issue a decree to make these men stop, and this city shall not be rebuilt until a decree is issued by me.

22And be careful not to neglect doing this. Why should the damage increase to the detriment of kings?

23Then, as soon as the copy of the letter of King Artaxerxes was read before Rehum and Shimshai the scribe and their associates, they went in haste to Jerusalem, to the Jews, and made them stop by force and power.

24Then the work on the house of God that is in Jerusalem stopped, and it remained stopped until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.