1In the first year of the reign of Cyrus, king of the Persians, to fulfill the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah,
2the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus, king of the Persians. And he made a proclamation throughout his whole kingdom, and also in writing, saying:
3“Thus says Cyrus, king of the Persians: The Lord of Israel, the Lord Most High, has appointed me king of the world,
4and he has charged me to build him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judea.
5Therefore, if any of you are from his nation, may his Lord be with him. Let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judea, and build the house of the Lord of Israel—he is the Lord who dwells in Jerusalem.
6So then, all who live in the surrounding areas, let them help him—each in his own locality—with gold and silver, with gifts, with horses and livestock, in addition to the other freewill offerings for the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem.”
7Then the heads of the clans of the tribe of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests and the Levites, arose—all whose spirit the Lord had stirred up to go and build the house for the Lord in Jerusalem.
8And their neighbors helped them with everything: with silver and gold, with horses and livestock, and with very many freewill offerings from the many whose hearts were stirred.
9King Cyrus also brought out the holy vessels of the Lord, which Nebuchadnezzar had carried away from Jerusalem and deposited in his pagan temple.
10And when Cyrus, king of the Persians, brought them out, he handed them over to Mithridates, his treasurer.
11And through him they were delivered to Sanassaros, the governor of Judea.
12And this was their number: one thousand gold libation bowls, one thousand silver libation bowls, twenty-nine silver censers, thirty gold cups, two thousand four hundred and ten silver cups, and one thousand other vessels.
13All the vessels, gold and silver, that were brought totaled five thousand four hundred and sixty-nine.
14And they were brought up by Samanassaros from Babylon to Jerusalem, along with the exiles.
15But in the time of Artaxerxes, king of the Persians, Belemos, Mithradates, Tabellios, Rathumos, Beeltethmos, Samellios the scribe, and the rest of their associates living in Samaria and other places, wrote the following letter against the inhabitants of Judea and Jerusalem:
16“To King Artaxerxes, our lord, from your servants Rathumos the chancellor, Samellios the scribe, the rest of their council, and the officials in Coele-Syria and Phoenicia.
17And now, let it be known to my lord the king that the Jews who came up from you to us have arrived in Jerusalem and are rebuilding that rebellious and wicked city. They are repairing its marketplaces and walls and are laying the foundation for a temple.
18Therefore, if this city is built and its walls are completed, they will not submit to paying tribute but will even resist kings. And since the work on the temple is proceeding, we think it best not to overlook this matter, but to inform my lord the king, so that, if it seems good to you, a search may be made in the records of your ancestors.
19And you will find in the records what is written about these matters, and you will learn that this city was rebellious and troublesome to kings and cities, and that the Jews have been rebels, stirring up sedition in it from ancient times. For this reason the city was laid waste.
20Now therefore we declare to you, O lord king, that if this city is built and its walls are restored, you will no longer have passage into Coele-Syria and Phoenicia.”
21Then the king wrote in reply to Rathumos the chancellor, Beeltethmos, Samellios the scribe, and their other associates living in Samaria, Syria, and Phoenicia, as follows:
22“I have read the letter that you sent to me. Therefore I ordered a search to be made, and it was found that this city has from ancient times set itself against kings,
23and that its people carry out rebellions and wars within it. And strong and harsh kings have been in Jerusalem, ruling and levying tribute on Coele-Syria and Phoenicia.
24Now therefore I have commanded that those men be prevented from building the city, and that care be taken that nothing be done contrary to this, and that this wickedness not advance further to trouble kings.”
25Then, when the letter from King Artaxerxes was read, Rathumos, Samellios the scribe, and their associates set out in haste to Jerusalem with cavalry and a large armed force, and they began to hinder the builders. And the building of the temple in Jerusalem was stopped until the second year of the reign of Darius, king of the Persians.
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