1And the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the sons of the exile were building a temple to YHWH the God of Israel.
2And they drew near to Zerubbabel and to the heads of the fathers, and said to them, "Let us build with you, for like you we seek your God, and to him we are sacrificing since the days of Esarhaddon king of Assyria, who brought us up here."
3And Zerubbabel and Yeshua and the rest of the heads of the fathers of Israel said to them, "It is not for you and for us to build a house to our God, for we ourselves together will build to YHWH the God of Israel, as king Cyrus king of Persia commanded (tzivvah) us."
4And the people of the land were weakening the hands of the people of Judah and frightening them at building.
5And they were hiring counselors against them, to frustrate their counsel all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, and until the reign of Darius king of Persia.
6And in the reign of Ahasuerus, in the commencement 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 companions wrote to Artaxerxes king of Persia; and the writing of the letter was written in Aramaic and translated in Aramaic.
8Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter concerning Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king, as follows:
9Then Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe and the rest of their companions: the Dinaites, and the Apharsathchites, the Tarpelites, the Apharsites, the Archevites, the Babylonians, the Susanchites, the Dehaites, the Elamites,
10and the rest of the nations whom the great and noble Osnappar exiled and settled in the city of Samaria, and the rest beyond the River. And now —
11this is the copy of the letter that they sent to him, to Artaxerxes the king: "Your servants, the men 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 building the rebellious and evil city, and they are completing the walls and repairing the foundations.
13Now let it be known to the king that if this city is built and the walls completed, they will not give tribute, tax, and toll, and it will damage the revenue of kings.
14Now because we eat the salt of the palace, and it is not fitting for us to see the dishonor of the king, therefore we have sent and made known to the king,
15that he may search in the book of the records of your fathers, and you will find in the book of the records and know that this city is a rebellious city and damaging to kings and provinces, and they have made sedition within it from the days of old; therefore this city was laid waste.
16We make known to the king that if this city is built and the walls completed, by this means you will have no portion beyond the River."
17The king sent a word to Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe and the rest of their companions who dwell in Samaria, and the rest beyond the River: "Peace. And now —
18the letter which you sent to us has been read plainly before me.
19And from me a decree was set, and they searched and found that this city from the days of old has lifted itself up against kings, and rebellion and sedition have been made in it.
20And mighty kings have been over Jerusalem, and ruling over all beyond the River, and tribute, tax, and toll were given to them.
21Now set a decree to cause these men to cease, and this city will not be built until a decree is set by me.
22And be heedful of negligence in doing this; why should the damage grow to the hurt of kings?"
23Then, from when the copy of the letter of Artaxerxes the king was read before Rehum and Shimshai the scribe and their companions, they went in haste to Jerusalem to the Jews and made them cease by arm and power.
24Then ceased the work of the house of God which is in Jerusalem; and it was ceasing until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.