Ezra 4
4:1And the ones afflicting Judah and Benjamin heard that the sons of the resettlement were building a house to the lord God of Israel.
4:2And they approached to Zerubbabel, and to the rulers of the families, and said to them, We should build with you, for as you, we also inquire to your God; and to him we sacrifice from the days of Esar-haddon king of Assyria, the one bringing us here.
4:3And Zerubbabel said to them, and Jeshua, and the rest of the rulers of the families of Israel, It is not for us and you to build a house to our God, for we ourselves together shall build to the lord God of Israel, as Cyrus the king of the Persians gave charge to us.
4:4And the people of the land were enfeebling the hands of the people of Judah, and they impeded them to build.
4:5And they were hiring against them counselors to efface their counsel all the days of Cyrus king of the Persians, and unto the kingdom of Darius, the king of the Persians.
4:6And in the kingdom of Ahasuerus, and in the beginning of his kingdom, they wrote a letter against the ones living in Judah and Jerusalem.
4:7And in the days of Artaxerxes Mithridath wrote in peace, and Tabeel, with the rest of his fellow-servants to Artaxerxes king of the Persians. The tribute-gatherer wrote the writing in Syrian and being translated.
4:8Rehum the master and Shimshai the scribe wrote one letter against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king, saying,
4:9Thus Rehum the master judges, and Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of our fellow-servants, the Dinaites, Apharsathchites, Tarpelites, Apharsites, Archevites, Babylonians, Susanchites, Dehavites, Elamites,
4:10and the rest of the of the nations whom the great and the esteemed Asnapper resettled, and settled them in the cities of Samaria, and the rest on the other side of the river.
4:11This is the disposition of the letter which they sent to him -- To Artaxerxes the king. By your servants, the men on the other side of the river.
4:12And now let it be made known to the king, that the Jews ascending from you to us came into Jerusalem the defecting and wicked city, which they are building; and the walls of it are being readied, and the foundations of it they elevated.
4:13Now then let it be made known to the king, that if that city should be rebuilt, and the walls of it should be readied, that tributes, tolls, and customs they shall not give, and this does evil to kings!
4:14And now we salted not as salt of the temple, and it is not allowed for us to behold an indecency concerning the king. On account of this we sent forth and made known to the king;
4:15that it should be examined in the book of memoirs of your fathers; and you shall find in the book of the memorial, and shall know that that city is a defecting city, and one doing evil to kings; and in the midst of it from the time of the eon it is for places and flights for your runaway servants. On account of this, this city was made desolate.
4:16We make known then ourselves to the king, that if that city should be built, and its walls should be readied for these things, there shall not be to you a part on the other side of the river.
4:17And this then is the word which the king sent to Rehum the master, and Shimshai the scribe, and to the rest of their fellow-servants of the ones living in Samaria, and the rest on the other side of the river, saying, Peace. And says the king,
4:18The tribute-gatherer whom you sent to us was called before me.
4:19And by me was rendered a decree, and they examined and it was found that that city from days of the eon lifts itself up against kings, and defections and exiles take place in it.
4:20And strong kings were over Jerusalem prevailing over all of the other side of the river. And both tribute and tolls and customs were given to them.
4:21And now establish a decree for those men to cease work, so that that city shall not be built up any more!
4:22So that of the decree you were guarding you not be remiss to do concerning this, lest at any time an extinction of power should be multiplied for an evil deed to happen to kings.
4:23Then the tribute-gatherer of king Artaxerxes read in the presence of Rehum the master, and Shimshai the scribe, and his fellow-servants. And they went with diligence unto Jerusalem and to Judah, and they caused them to cease work with horses and a force.
4:24Then the work of the house of God was idle, the one in Jerusalem. And it was idle until the second year of the kingdom of Darius king of Persia.