6 Now at the beginning of the reign of Ahashverosh (Ahasuerus or Xerxes), they forwarded an accusation against those who lived in Yerushalem and throughout Yehudah.
7 And in the days of Persian King Artahshasta (Artaxerxes), Bishlam, Mitredat, Taveel and the rest of their companions wrote to the king. (The letter was written in Aramaic (Syrian) and using that alphabet).
8 Rehum the high commissioner and Shimshai the provincial secretary wrote a letter to King Artahshasta against Yerushalem as follows:
9 From Rehum the high commissioner and Shimshai the provincial secretary, and the our 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 that the famous and powerful King Asenappar exiled from other nations and forced them to live in the cities of Samaria, and the province went of the Euphrates river.
And now 11 this is what the letter said that they sent to him:
To Artahshasta (Artaxerxes) the king from your servants on this side of the river.
And now 12 let it be known to the king that the Jews who left your region have come to us at Yerushalem to rebuild that rebellious and evil city—they’re currently finishing the walls and repairing the building foundations. 13 Now let it be known to the king that if that city is built and the walls are completed, those people won’t pay taxes, or send tributes, and your royal treasury will lose out. 14 Now, because we’ve had the favour of the palace, and because we don’t want to see the king dishonoured, that’s why we’ve sent this letter to update the king, 15 so that he can search in the official records of the kingdom. You’ll discover and learn that that city of Yerushalem is a rebellious city and one that has caused harm to kings and provinces, and has harboured rebellion there for decades past—that’s why that city was destroyed. 16 We are letting the king know that if that city is rebuilt and its walls are completed, then you’ll lose control of this province on this side of the Euphrates.”
17 The king sent this reply:
“To Rehum the high commissioner and Shimshai the provincial secretary, and the rest of their companions who live in Shomron (Samaria), and the rest of the people in the province west of the Euphrates: Peace.
And now 18 the letter that you all sent to us has been carefully read aloud to me. 19 I ordered my officials to search the records and discovered that it’s true that that city has been rebellious and seditious since ancient times. 20 Powerful kings have reigned from Yerushalem and ruled the entire region that side of the river, and had taxes and tributes paid to them. 21 So command those Jews to stop rebuilding the city until such time as I make a decree. 22 Don’t be negligent in doing that or the damage to this kingdom might get worse.”
23 When King Artahshasta’s letter reached Rehum, Shimshai the secretary, and their companions, and was read aloud to them all, they immediately went to Yerushalem and used force to stop the Jews from their rebuilding.
24 So there was a period when the rebuilding of the temple in Yerushalem stopped, and it remained paused until the second year of King Dareyavesh’s reign in Persia.[ref]
