OEB EZRA Chapter 4

◄ EZRA 4 ► ║ ═ ©

4 Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the children of the captivity were building a temple to Jehovah, the God of Israel, 2 they drew near to Zerubbabel and to Jeshua and to the heads of fathers’ houses, and said to them, Let us build with you; for we worship your God, as you do, and we have been sacrificing to him since the days of Esarhaddon king of Assyria, who brought us here. 3 But Zerubbabel and Jeshua and the rest of the fathers’ houses said to them, You have nothing to do with us in building a temple to Jehovah our God; but we ourselves will build to Jehovah the God of Israel, as Cyrus the king of Persia has commanded us. 4 Then the peoples of the land continually weakened the energies of the people of Judah, and frightened them out of building, 5 and kept hiring counsellors against them to frustrate their plan, all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.

7 Now in the days of Artaxerxes, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of their associates wrote to Artaxerxes king of Persia. 8a And Rehum the commander and Shimshai the recorder 9 and the rest of their associates, the judges, the rulers, the scribes, the Archevaites, the Babylonians, the men from Susa, that is the Elamites, 10 and the rest of the peoples whom the great and noble Ashurbanipal transported and settled in the city of Samaria and in the rest of the province beyond the River, 8b wrote the letter against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes, as follows:

11 This is the copy of the letter that they sent to Artaxerxes the king: Thy servants the men of the province beyond the River. And now 12 be it known at Jerusalem. This rebellious and bad city they are rebuilding and have finished its walls and repaired the foundations. 13 And now be it known to the king, that, if this city is rebuilt and its walls finished, they will not pay custom or toll, and it will impair the royal income. 14 Now because we eat the salt of the palace and it is not proper for us to see the king suffer loss, therefore have we sent and informed the king, 15 that search may be made in the books of the records of your fathers; then will you find in the books of the records and know that this city is a rebellious city and one that brings harm to kings and provinces and that the Jews have been rebellious in it from ancient times, for which cause this city was laid waste. 16 Therefore now we declare to the king that, if this city is rebuilt, and its walls finished, you will have as a result no portion in the lands beyond the River.

17 Then the king sent a message to Rehum the commander and to Shimshai the scribe and to the rest of their associates who dwelt in Samaria and in the rest of the province beyond the River: Greeting, and as follows: 18 The letter which you sent to us has been plainly read before me. 19 And I gave command and search has been made and it has been found that this city from ancient times has been rebellious against kings and that rebellion and sedition have been stirred up in it. 20 There have been mighty kings also over Jerusalem, who have ruled over all the country beyond the River; and tribute, custom, and toll was paid to them. 21 Now give command that these men cease and that this city be not rebuilt, until a decree shall be made by me. 22 And be careful to make no mistake in the matter, that great harm may not be done, to the injury of the kings.

23 Then when the copy of King Artaxerxes’s letter had been read to Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe and their associates, they went in haste to Jerusalem to the Jews, and by force and might made them cease. 24 So the work on the house of God at Jerusalem ceased; and it ceased until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.

EZRA C3 C4 C5 C6 C7 C8 C9 C10