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          DASV: Ezra 4    

1 When the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the former
exiles were building a temple for the LORD, the God of Israel;
2 they approached Zerubbabel, and the heads of families and said
to them, "Let us help you build it, for we seek your God,
just like you do. We have been sacrificing to him since the
days of Esarhaddon king of Assyria, who brought us here."
3 But Zerubbabel, Jeshua and the rest of the heads of families
of Israel, replied to them, "You will have nothing to do with
helping us rebuild a temple to our God; but we will build it by
ourselves alone for the LORD, the God of Israel, as king Cyrus
the king of Persia commanded us."

4 Then the people of the land discouraged the people of Judah,
and made them afraid to continue building.
5 They bribed consultants against them, to frustrate their purpose,
all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of
Darius king of Persia.
6 Later in the reign of Ahasuerus [also called Xerxes], in the
beginning of his reign, they wrote an accusation against the
inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.

7 Then in the days of Artaxerxes, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel,
and the rest of his associates, wrote to Artaxerxes king of
Persia. The letter was written in Aramaic, and then translated
for the king.
8 Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter
against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king as follows:
9 Then wrote Rehum the commander, and Shimshai the scribe, and
the rest of their associates, the judges, the officials, the
secretaries, the Persians, the Erechites, the Babylonians, the
people of Shusha, that is, the Elamites,
10 and the rest of the nations whom the great and noble Ashurbanipal
deported, and settled in the city of Samaria, and in the rest
of the region west of the Euphrates River.
11 This is the copy of the letter that they sent: "To King
Artaxerxes, from your servants the people of the province west
of the Euphrates:
12 The king should be aware, that the Jews who came up from you
to us have gone to Jerusalem. They are rebuilding this
rebellious and wicked city. They are finishing the walls,
and have repaired its foundations.
13 The king should be aware that if this city is rebuilt,
and the walls completed, they will refuse to pay any more
taxes, customs, or tolls, and in the end it will be detrimental
to the royal revenue.
14 Now because we loyally eat the salt of the palace, and it is
not appropriate for us to witness the king being dishonored,
therefore we have sent and informed the king,
15 so that a search may be made in the records of your fathers.
You will discover in the records, and realize that this city is
a rebellious city, and harmful to kings and provinces, and
that they have instigated sedition from long ago which is
why this city was destroyed.

16 We are informing the king that if this city is rebuilt,
and the walls finished, you will have no portion in the
province west of the Euphrates River."
17 Then the king sent a reply: "To Rehum the commander and
to Shimshai the scribe, and to the rest of their associates
who dwell in Samaria, and in the rest of region west of the
Euphrates River. Greetings.
18 The letter you sent to us has been translated and read
before me.
19 I have given orders and a search has been made. It was
found that this city from long ago has made insurrection
against kings, and that rebellion and sedition have been
made in it.
20 There have been mighty kings over Jerusalem, who have
ruled over the entire province to the west of the Euphrates
River. Taxes, customs and tolls have been paid to them.
21 Therefore give the order to force these men to stop,
that this city must not be rebuilt, until further orders
come from me.
22 Take care not to be slack in this matter. Why should
damage accrue to the harm of the king?"
23 Then when the copy of king Artaxerxes' letter was read
before Rehum, Shimshai the scribe, and their associates,
they quickly went to Jerusalem to the Jews, and forced
them to stop.
24 Then the work of the temple of God in Jerusalem ceased.
It was put on hold until the second year of the reign of
Darius king of Persia.

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