Adversaries Hinder the Work

1And the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin will hear that the sons of the captivity were building the temple to Jehovah God of Israel; 2And they will come near to Zerubbabel, and to the heads of the fathers, and they will say to them, We will build with you: for like you we will seek for your God: for we sacrifice not from the days of Esa-Haddon king of Assur bringing us up hither. 3And to them Zerubbabel will say, and Joshua, and the rest of the heads of the fathers to Israel, Not to you and to us to build a house to our God; for we together will build to Jehovah God of Israel, as the king Cyrus king of Persia commanded us.

4And the people of the land will be slackening the hands of the people of Judah, and terrifying them in building, 5And counselors being hired against them to annul their counsel all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, and even to the kingdom of Darius king of Persia.

Opposition under Xerxes and Artaxerxes

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

7And in the days of Arthasatha, wrote Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of his colleagues, to Arthasatha, king of Persia; and the writing of the letter being written in Syriac, and being interpreted in Syriac.

8Rehum, lord of judgment, and Shimshai, the scribe, wrote one epistle against Jerusalem to Arthasatha the king, thus: 9Then Rehum lord of The hard copy spelling records the following as: judmentjudgment, and Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their colleagues, the Danites and the Apharsathchites, the Tarpelites, the Apharsites, the Archevites, the Babelites, the Susanchites, the Dehavites, the Elamites, 10And the rest of the nations that the great and honored Asnapper carried into exile, and he caused them to dwell in the cities of Shomeron, and the rest beyond the river, and thus. 11This the copy of the epistle that they sent to him to Arthasatha the king; thy servants the men beyond the river, and thus. 12To be known to the king that the Jews who went up from with thee to us, came to Jerusalem, building the perverse and bad city, and they completed its wall, and they will repair its foundations. 13Now to be known to the king that if this city shall be built and the walls be completed, tribute, excise, and toll, they will not give, and in the end it will endamage the kings. 14Now for the cause that we were salted with the salt of the temple, and not being fit to us to see the king's nakedness, for this we sent and made known to the king; 15That it shall be sought in the book of the records of thy fathers: and thou wilt find in the book of the records, and thou wilt know that this city a city perverse and endamaging kings and provinces, and working rebellion in the midst of it from days forever: for this, this city was laid waste. 16We making known to the king that if this city shall be built, and its walls be completed, for this cause a portion beyond the river shall not be to thee.

The Decree of Artaxerxes

17And the king sent word to Rehum, lord of judgment, and to Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their colleagues who dwelt in Shomeron, and the rest beyond the river, Peace and as now. 18The epistle that ye sent to us being read distinctly before me. 19And a decree being set from me, and they sought and found that this city from days forever lifting itself up against kings, and perverseness and rebellion being made in it. 20And strong kings were over Jerusalem, and ruling over all beyond the river: and tribute, excise, and, toll, being given to them. 21Now set up a decree to cause these men to cease, and this city shall not be built till a decree shall be set up from me. 22And be ye warned from doing wrong upon this: wherefore shall harm overtake to endamage the kings?

23Then after the copy of the epistle of Arthasatha the king being read before Rehum, and Shimshai the scribe, and their colleagues, they went away to Jerusalem to the Jews, and caused them to cease by arm and strength.

24At that time ceased the work of the house of God which is in Jerusalem. And it was ceasing even till two years to the kingdom of Darius king of Persia.