Open Bible Data Home About News OET Key
OET OET-RV ULT UST BSB OEB WEB NET TCNT T4T LEB RV KJB Related Parallel Interlinear Dictionary Search
ULT By Document By Section By Chapter Details
ULT FRT GEN EXO LEV NUM DEU JOS JDG RUTH 1SA 2SA 1KI 2KI 1CH 2CH EZRA NEH EST JOB PSA PRO ECC SNG ISA JER LAM EZE DAN HOS JOEL AMOS OBA YNA MIC NAH HAB ZEP HAG ZEC MAL MAT MARK LUKE YHN ACTs ROM 1COR 2COR GAL EPH PHP COL 1TH 2TH 1TIM 2TIM TIT PHM HEB YAC 1PET 2PET 1YHN 2YHN 3YHN YUD REV
EZRA C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 C6 C7 C8 C9 C10
4 Now the enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the sons of the exile were building a temple for Yahweh, the God of Israel. 2 So they came to Zerubbabel and to the heads of the fathers and they said to them, “Let us build with you, for, like you, we seek your God and to him we have been sacrificing since the days of Esarhaddon, the king of Assyria, the one who caused us to come up here.”
3 But Zerubbabel, and Jeshua, 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 for our God, but we ourselves together will build for Yahweh, the God of Israel, just as the king Cyrus, the king of Persia, has commanded us.”
4 And it happened that the people of the land were making the hands of the people of Judah weak, and making them afraid to build, 5 and hiring counselors against them to frustrate their plans all the days of Cyrus, the king of Persia, and until the reign of Darius, the king of Persia.
6 Now in the reign of Ahasuerus,[fn] in the beginning of his reign, they wrote an accusation against those who dwelled in Judah and Jerusalem.
7 And in the days of Artaxerxes, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel and the rest of his companions wrote to Artaxerxes, the king of Persia, and the script of the letter was written in Aramaic and was interpreted in Aramaic.
8 Rehum, a lord of decree, and Shimshai the scribe wrote one letter against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king as follows:
9 Then Rehum, a lord of decree, and Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their companions, the judges and the rulers, the officials, the Persians, the Erechites, the Babylonians, the Susaites (that is, the Elamites), 10 and the rest of the nations whom Ashurbanipal the great and the noble caused to be exiled and caused them to dwell in the cities of Samaria, and the rest of Beyond-the-River. And now: 11 (This is a copy of the letter that they sent to him.)
“To Artaxerxes the king; your servants, men of Beyond-the-River; and now:
12 let it be known to the king that the Jews who went up from near you have come to us at Jerusalem. Rebuilding the rebellious and evil city, they are completing the walls and repairing the foundations. 13 Now let it be known to the king that if that city is built and the walls are completed, they will not give tax, tribute, or custom, and the revenue of the kings will suffer harm.
14 Now, because we have eaten the salt of the palace, and it is not appropriate for us to see the nakedness of the king, on account of this we have sent and made known to the king, 15 so that he may search in the book of the records of your fathers. And you will discover in the book of the records and learn that that city is a rebellious city and one that has caused harm to kings and provinces, and they have made revolt in its midst since the ancient days. On account of this, that city was destroyed. 16 We are making known to the king that if that city is built and the walls are completed, because of this there will be no share for you in Beyond-the-River.”
17 The king sent the answer:
“To Rehum, a lord of decree, and Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their companions who dwell in Samaria, and the rest of Beyond the River: Peace. And now:
18 The letter that you sent to us has been carefully read aloud before me. 19 So from me was set a decree, and they searched and discovered that that city since the ancient days has risen up against kings and rebellion and revolt have been made in it. 20 And mighty kings were over Jerusalem, even rulers over all of Beyond the River; and tax, tribute, and custom were paid to them.
21 Now, set a decree to stop these men, so that city may not be rebuilt until the decree is set from me. 22 And be careful of negligence of action concerning this. Why should the damage increase to the harm of the kings?”
23 Then from when the copy of the letter of Artaxerxes the king was read aloud before Rehum, and Shimshai the scribe, and their companions, they went in a hurry to Jerusalem against the Jews, and they stopped them by an arm and strength. 24 At that time the work of the house of God which is in Jerusalem stopped, and it was stopped until the second year of the reign of Darius, the king of Persia.
Also known as Xerxes.