Ezra 4
1 Now when the
adversaries of
Judah and
Benjamin heard that the
children of the
captivity builded the
temple unto the
LORD God of
Israel; 2 Then they
came to
Zerubbabel, and to the
chief of the
fathers, and
said unto them, Let us
build with you: for we
seek your
God, as ye do; and we do
sacrifice unto him since the
days of
Esarhaddon king of
Assur, which brought us up
hither.
3 But
Zerubbabel, and
Jeshua, and the
rest of the
chief of the
fathers of
Israel, said unto them, Ye have nothing to do with us to
build an
house unto our
God; but we ourselves
together will
build unto the
LORD God of
Israel, as
king Cyrus the
king of
Persia hath
commanded us.
4 Then the
people of the
land weakened the
hands of the
people of
Judah, and
troubled them in
building,
5 And
hired counsellors against them, to
frustrate their
purpose, all the
days of
Cyrus king of
Persia, even until the
reign of
Darius king of
Persia. 6 And in the
reign of
Ahasuerus, in the
beginning of his
reign, wrote they unto him an
accusation against the
inhabitants of
Judah and
Jerusalem. 7 And in the
days of
Artaxerxes wrote Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the
rest of their
companions, unto
Artaxerxes king of
Persia; and the
writing of the
letter was
written in the Syrian
tongue, and
interpreted in the Syrian
tongue. 8 Rehum the
chancellor and Shimshai the
scribe wrote a letter against Jerusalem to
Artaxerxes the
king in this
sort: 9 Then wrote
Rehum the
chancellor, and
Shimshai the
scribe, and the
rest of their
companions; the
Dinaites, the
Apharsathchites, the
Tarpelites, the
Apharsites, the
Archevites, the
Babylonians, the
Susanchites, the
Dehavites, and the
Elamites, 10 And the
rest of the
nations whom the
great and
noble Asnappar brought
over, and
set in the
cities of
Samaria, and the
rest that are on this
side the
river, and at such a
time. 11 This is the
copy of the
letter that they
sent unto
him, even unto
Artaxerxes the
king; Thy
servants the
men on this
side the
river, and at such a
time. 12 Be
it known unto the
king, that the
Jews which came
up from thee to
us are
come unto
Jerusalem, building the
rebellious and the
bad city, and have set
up the
walls thereof, and
joined the
foundations. 13 Be it
known now unto the
king, that,
if this city be
builded, and the
walls set
up again, then will they
not pay toll, tribute, and
custom, and so thou shalt
endamage the
revenue of the
kings. 14 Now because we have maintenance from the king's
palace, and it was
not meet for us to
see the
king's dishonour, therefore have we
sent and
certified the
king; 15 That
search may be made in the
book of the
records of thy
fathers: so shalt thou
find in the
book of the
records, and
know that
this city is a
rebellious city, and
hurtful unto
kings and
provinces, and that they have
moved sedition within the
same of old time: for which cause was
this city destroyed.
16 We certify the
king that,
if this city be
builded again, and the
walls thereof set
up, by
this means thou shalt
have no portion on this
side the
river. 17 Then
sent the
king an
answer unto Rehum the
chancellor, and to
Shimshai the
scribe, and to the
rest of their
companions that
dwell in
Samaria, and unto the
rest beyond the
river, Peace, and at such a
time. 18 The
letter which ye
sent unto
us hath been
plainly read before me.
19 And
I commanded, and
search hath been made, and it is
found that
this city of old time hath made
insurrection against kings, and that
rebellion and
sedition have been
made therein.
20 There have
been mighty kings also
over Jerusalem, which have
ruled over
all countries
beyond the
river; and
toll, tribute, and
custom, was
paid unto them.
21 Give ye
now commandment to
cause these men to
cease, and that
this city be
not builded,
until another
commandment shall be
given from
me. 22 Take
heed now that ye
fail not to
do this: why should
damage grow to the
hurt of the
kings? 23 Now when the copy of
king Artaxerxes' letter was
read before Rehum, and
Shimshai the
scribe, and their
companions, they went
up in
haste to
Jerusalem unto the
Jews, and made
them to
cease by
force and
power. 24 Then ceased the
work of the
house of
God which is at
Jerusalem. So it
ceased unto the
second year of the
reign of
Darius king of
Persia.