Ezra 4

1 Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the people from the exile were building a temple to the LORD, the God of Israel;

And adversaries of Judah and Benjamin hear that the sons of the captivity are building a temple to YHWH, God of Israel,

2 then they drew near to Zerubbabel, and to the heads of ancestral houses, and said to them, "Let us build with you; for we seek your God, as you do; and we sacrifice to him since the days of Esarhaddon king of Assyria, who brought us up here."

and they draw near to Zerubbabel, and to heads of the fathers, and say to them, “Let us build with you; for, like you, we seek to your God, and we are not sacrificing since the days of Esar-Haddon king of Asshur, who brought us up here.”

3 But Zerubbabel, and Jeshua, and the rest of the heads of ancestral houses of Israel, said to them, "You have nothing to do with us in building a house to our God; but we ourselves together will build to the LORD, the God of Israel, as king Koresh the king of Persia has commanded us."

And Zerubbabel says to them, also Jeshua, and the rest of the heads of the fathers of Israel, “Not for you, and for us, to build a house to our God; but we ourselves together build to YHWH God of Israel, as King Cyrus, king of Persia, commanded us.”

4 Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah, and troubled them in building,

And it comes to pass, the people of the land are making the hands of the people of Judah feeble, and troubling them in building,

5 and hired counselors against them, to frustrate their purpose, all the days of Koresh king of Persia, even until the reign of Daryavesh king of Persia.

and are hiring against them counselors to make void their counsel all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.

6 In the reign of Achashyerosh, in the beginning of his reign, they wrote an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.

And in the reign of Ahasuerus, in the commencement of his reign, they have written an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem;

7 In the days of Artachshasta wrote Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of his companions, to Artachshasta king of Persia; and the writing of the letter was written in Aramaic, and set forth in the Aramaic language.

and in the days of Artaxerxes have Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of his companions written to Artaxerxes king of Persia, and the writing of the letter is written in Aramaic, and interpreted in Aramaic.

8 Rehum the chancellor and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter against Jerusalem to Artachshasta the king as follows:

Rehum counselor, and Shimshai scribe have written a letter concerning Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king, thus:

9 [From] Rehum the commander, and Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their companions, the Dinaites, and the Apharsathchites, the Tarpelites, the Apharsites, the Archevites, the Babylonians, the Shushanchites, the Dehaites, the Elamites,

Then Rehum counselor, and Shimshai scribe, and the rest of their companions, Dinaites, and Apharsathchites, Tarpelites, Apharsites, Archevites, Babylonians, Susanchites (who are Elamites),

10 and the rest of the nations whom the great and noble Asnappar brought over, and set in the cities of Samaria, and in the rest of the country beyond the River.

and the rest of the nations that the great and honorable Asnapper removed and set in the city of Samaria, and the rest beyond the river, and at such a time:

11 This is the copy of the letter that they sent to Artachshasta the king: Your servants the men beyond the River. And now,

This [is] a copy of a letter that they have sent to him, to Artaxerxes the king: “Your servants, men beyond the river, and at such a time;

12 be it known to the king, that the Jews who came up from you have come to us to Jerusalem; they are building the rebellious and wicked city, and have finished the walls, and repaired the foundations.

be it known to the king, that the Jews who have come up from you to us, have come to Jerusalem, the rebellious and base city they are building, and the walls they have finished, and the foundations they join.

13 Be it known now to the king that if this city is built, and the walls finished, they will not pay tribute, custom, or toll, and in the end it will be hurtful to the kings.

Now let it be known to the king, that if this city is built and the walls finished, that they do not give toll, tribute, and custom; and at length it causes loss [to] the kings.

14 Now because we eat the salt of the palace, and it is not appropriate for us to see the king's dishonor, therefore have we sent and informed the king;

Now because that the salt of the palace [is] our salt, and we have no patience to see the nakedness of the king, therefore we have sent and made known to the king;

15 that search may be made in the book of the records of your fathers: so you shall find in the book of the records, and know that this city is a rebellious city, and hurtful to kings and provinces, and that they have moved sedition within the same of old time; for which cause was this city laid waste.

so that he seeks in the scroll of the records of your fathers, and you find in the scroll of the records, and know, that this city [is] a rebellious city, and causing loss [to] kings and provinces, and makers of sedition [are] in its midst from the days of old, therefore this city has been ruined.

16 We inform the king that, if this city be built, and the walls finished, by this means you shall have no portion beyond the River.

We are making known to the king that, if this city be built and the walls finished, by this means you have no portion beyond the river.”

17 Then the king sent an answer to Rehum the chancellor, and to Shimshai the scribe, and to the rest of their companions who dwell in Samaria, and in the rest of the country beyond the River: Peace, and so forth.

The king has sent an answer to Rehum counselor, and Shimshai scribe, and the rest of their companions who are dwelling in Samaria, and the rest beyond the river, “Peace, and at such a time:

18 The letter which you sent to us has been plainly read before me.

The letter that you sent to us, explained, has been read before me,

19 I decreed, and search has been made, and it is found that this city of old time has made insurrection against kings, and that rebellion and sedition have been made in it.

and by me a decree has been made, and they sought, and have found that this city is lifting up itself against kings from the days of old, and rebellion and sedition is made 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.

and mighty kings have been over Jerusalem, even rulers over all beyond the river, and toll, tribute, and custom is given to them.

21 Make a decree now to cause these men to cease, and that this city not be built, until a decree shall be made by me.

Now make a decree to cause these men to cease, and this city is not built, until a decree is made by me.

22 Take heed that you not be slack herein: why should damage grow to the hurt of the kings?

And beware of negligence in doing this; why does the hurt become great to the loss of the kings?”

23 Then when the copy of king Artachshasta's letter was read before Rehum, and Shimshai the scribe, and their companions, they went in haste to Jerusalem to the Jews, and made them to cease by force and power.

Then from the time that a copy of the letter of King Artaxerxes is read before Rehum, and Shimshai the scribe, and their companions, they have gone in haste to Jerusalem, to the Jews, and caused them to cease by force and strength;

24 Then ceased the work of God's house which is at Jerusalem; and it ceased until the second year of the reign of Daryavesh king of Persia.

then ceased the service of the house of God that [is] in Jerusalem, and it ceased until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.