1Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the sons of the exile were building a temple to Yahweh, the God of Israel,
2they approached Zerubbabel and the heads of the fathers’ houses and said to them, “Let us build with you, for like you we seek your God, and we have been sacrificing to him since the days of Esarhaddon king of Assyria, who brought us up here.”
3But Zerubbabel and Jeshua and the rest of the heads of the fathers’ houses of Israel said to them, “It is not for you and for us to build a house for our God, for we ourselves together will build to Yahweh, the God of Israel, as King Cyrus, king of Persia, commanded us.”
4Then the people of the land were weakening the hands of the people of Judah and making them afraid to build,
5and they hired counselors against them to frustrate their plan all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.
6And in the reign of Ahasuerus, at the beginning 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 associates wrote to Artaxerxes king of Persia; and the writing of the letter was written in Aramaic and translated into Aramaic.
8Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king as follows:
9Then Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe and the rest of their associates—the Dinaites, the Apharsathkites, the Tarpelites, the Apharsites, the men of Erech, the Babylonians, the Shushankites (that is, the Elamites),
10and the rest of the nations whom the great and noble Osnappar deported and settled in the city of Samaria and in the rest of the province Beyond the River—and now:
11This is a copy of the letter that they sent to him, to Artaxerxes the king: “Your servants, the men of 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 rebuilding that rebellious and wicked city; they are finishing the walls and repairing the foundations.
13Now let it be known to the king that if this city is rebuilt and the walls are finished, they will not pay tribute, custom, or toll, and it will damage the revenue of the kings.
14Now because we eat the salt of the palace and it is not fitting for us to witness the king’s dishonor, therefore we have sent and informed the king,
15so that a search may be made in the book of the records of your fathers. You will find in the book of records and learn that this city is a rebellious city, damaging to kings and provinces, and that they have been committing sedition within it from ancient days; that is why this city was laid waste.
16We inform the king that if this city is rebuilt and its walls finished, you will have no portion in Beyond the River as a result.
17The king sent this message: “To Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe and the rest of their associates who dwell in Samaria and in the rest of Beyond the River: Greetings. And now:
18The document that you sent to us has been read in translation before me.
19And by me a decree was issued, and they searched and found that this city from ancient days has risen up against kings, and that rebellion and sedition have been made in it.
20And mighty kings have been over Jerusalem, ruling over all Beyond the River, and tribute, custom, and toll were paid to them.
21Now issue a decree to make these men cease, so that this city may not be rebuilt until a decree is issued by me.
22And take care not to be negligent in acting on this. Why should damage grow to the harm of the kings?”
23Then, as soon as the copy of the document of Artaxerxes the king was read before Rehum and Shimshai the scribe and their associates, they went in haste to Jerusalem to the Jews and by force and power made them cease.
24Then the work on the house of God in Jerusalem ceased, and it remained at a standstill until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.
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