Ezra
4
- When the enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard
that the exiles were building a temple for the LORD, the God of Israel,
- they came to Zerubbabel and to the heads
of the families and said, "Let us help you build because, like you, we
seek your God and have been sacrificing to him since the time of Esarhaddon
king of Assyria, who brought us here."
- But Zerubbabel, Jeshua and the rest of the
heads of the families of Israel answered, "You have no part with us in
building a temple to our God. We alone will build it for the LORD, the God
of Israel, as King Cyrus, the king of Persia, commanded us."
- Then the peoples around them set out to discourage
the people of Judah and make them afraid to go on building.
- They hired counselors to work against them
and frustrate their plans during the entire reign of Cyrus king of Persia
and down to the reign of Darius king of Persia.
- At the beginning of the reign of Xerxes,
they lodged an accusation against the people of Judah and Jerusalem.
- And in the days of Artaxerxes king of Persia,
Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel and the rest of his associates wrote a letter
to Artaxerxes. The letter was written in Aramaic script and in the Aramaic
language.
- Rehum the commanding officer and Shimshai
the secretary wrote a letter against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king as follows:
- Rehum the commanding officer and Shimshai
the secretary, together with the rest of their associates -- the judges and
officials over the men from Tripolis, Persia, Erech and Babylon, the Elamites
of Susa,
- and the other people whom the great and honorable
Ashurbanipal deported and settled in the city of Samaria and elsewhere in
Trans-Euphrates.
- (This is a copy of the letter they sent him.)
To King Artaxerxes, From your servants, the men of Trans-Euphrates:
- The king should know that the Jews who came
up to us from you have gone to Jerusalem and are rebuilding that rebellious
and wicked city. They are restoring the walls and repairing the foundations.
- Furthermore, the king should know that if
this city is built and its walls are restored, no more taxes, tribute or duty
will be paid, and the royal revenues will suffer.
- Now since we are under obligation to the
palace and it is not proper for us to see the king dishonored, we are sending
this message to inform the king,
- so that a search may be made in the archives
of your predecessors. In these records you will find that this city is a rebellious
city, troublesome to kings and provinces, a place of rebellion from ancient
times. That is why this city was destroyed.
- We inform the king that if this city is built
and its walls are restored, you will be left with nothing in Trans-Euphrates.
- The king sent this reply: To Rehum the commanding
officer, Shimshai the secretary and the rest of their associates living in
Samaria and elsewhere in Trans-Euphrates: Greetings.
- The letter you sent us has been read and
translated in my presence.
- I issued an order and a search was made,
and it was found that this city has a long history of revolt against kings
and has been a place of rebellion and sedition.
- Jerusalem has had powerful kings ruling over
the whole of Trans-Euphrates, and taxes, tribute and duty were paid to them.
- Now issue an order to these men to stop work,
so that this city will not be rebuilt until I so order.
- Be careful not to neglect this matter. Why
let this threat grow, to the detriment of the royal interests ?
- As soon as the copy of the letter of King
Artaxerxes was read to Rehum and Shimshai the secretary and their associates,
they went immediately to the Jews in Jerusalem and compelled them by force
to stop.
- Thus the work on the house of God in Jerusalem
came to a standstill until the second year of the reign of Darius king of
Persia.
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