Ezra 4

1 And they heard [the] opponents of Judah and Benjamin that [the] children of the exile [were] building a temple for Yahweh [the] God of Israel.

And the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the children of the captivity were building the temple to Jehovah the God of Israel;

2 And they approached Zerubbabel and [the] heads of the fathers and they said to them let us build with you for like you we seek God your (and to him *Q(K)*) we [have been] sacrificing since [the] days of Esar-haddon [the] king of Assyria who brought up us here.

and they came to Zerubbabel and to the chief fathers, and said to them, We would build with you; for we seek your God, as ye; and we have sacrificed to him since the days of Esar-haddon king of Assyria, who brought us up hither.

3 And he said to them Zerubbabel and Jeshua and [the] rest of [the] heads of the fathers of Israel not for you and for us to build a house for God our for we together we will build [it] for Yahweh [the] God of Israel just as he commanded us the king Cyrus [the] king of Persia.

But Zerubbabel and Jeshua and the rest of the chief fathers of Israel said to them, Ye have nothing to do with us to build a house to our God, but we alone will build to Jehovah the God of Israel, as king Cyrus, the king of Persia, has commanded us.

4 And it was [the] people of the land [were] making slack [the] hands of [the] people of Judah (and [were] terrifying *Q(K)*) them to build.

And the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah, and troubled them in building;

5 And [were] hiring on them counselors to frustrate purpose their all [the] days of Cyrus [the] king of Persia and until [the] reign of Darius [the] king of Persia.

and they 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 at [the] beginning of reign his they wrote an accusation on [the] inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.

And in the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, they wrote an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.

7 And in [the] days of Artaxerxes he wrote Bishlam Mithredath Tabeel and [the] rest of (colleagues his *Q(K)*) to (Artaxerxes *Q(k)*) [the] king of Persia and [the] writing of the letter [was] written Aramaic and [was] translated Aramaic.

And in the days of Artaxerxes, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of his companions, wrote to Artaxerxes king of Persia; and the writing of the letter was written in Aramaic, and interpreted in Aramaic.

8 Rehum lord of command and Shimshai scribe the they wrote a letter one concerning Jerusalem to Artaxerxes king the as follows.

Rehum the chancellor and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king after this sort:

9 Then Rehum lord of command and Shimshai scribe the and [the] rest of associates their Dinay the and officials the Tarpelites the Sipparites the (Erechites the *Q(K)*) Babylonians the Susanchites the (Dehavites the *Q(K)*) Elamites the.

Rehum the chancellor, 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,

10 And [the] rest of nations the which he took into exile Osnappar great and honorable and he caused to dwell them in [the] city of Samaria and [the] rest of [the] region beyond river the and now.

and the rest of the peoples whom the great and noble Osnappar brought over and settled in the cities of Samaria, and the rest [of the country] on this side the river, and so forth.

11 This [is] [the] copy of letter the which they sent to him to Artaxerxes king the (servant your *Q(K)*) [the] man of [the] region beyond river the and now.

This is the copy of the letter that they sent to him: To Artaxerxes the king: Thy servants the men on this side the river, and so forth.

12 Known let it be to king the that Jews the who they came up from beside you to us they have come to Jerusalem city the rebellious (and evil *Q(k)*) [they are] building (and walls the they have finished *Q(K)*) and foundations the they are repairing.

Be it known to the king that the Jews who came up from thee unto us have come to Jerusalem; they are building the rebellious and the bad city, and they complete the walls and join up the foundations.

13 Now known let it be to king the that if city the this it will be built and walls the they will be finished tribute tax and toll not they will give and certainly kings it will injure.

Be it known therefore unto the king, that, if this city be built and the walls be completed, they will not pay tribute, tax, and toll, and in the end it will bring damage to the kings.

14 Now as to because that [the] salt of palace the we eat salt and [the] dishonor of king the not ([is] proper *LB(ah)*) for us to see concerning this we have sent and we have made known to king the.

Now, since we eat the salt of the palace, and it is not right for us to see the king's injury, therefore have we sent and informed the king;

15 That he will search in [the] book of records the of fathers your so you may find in [the] book of records the so you may know that city the this [is] a city rebellious and injuring kings and provinces and a revolt [it was] making in midst its from [the] days of antiquity on this city the this it was laid waste.

that search may be made in the book of the annals of thy fathers: so shalt thou find in the book of the annals and know that this city is a rebellious city, which has done damage to kings and provinces, and that they have raised sedition within the same of old time, for which cause this city was destroyed.

16 [are] making known We to king the that if city the this it will be built and walls the they will be finished before this possession in [the] region beyond river the not there [will be] to you.

We inform the king that if this city be built and its walls be completed, by this means thou shalt have no portion on this side the river.

17 Word the he sent king the to Rehum lord of command and Shimshai scribe the and [the] rest of associates their who [were] dwelling in Samaria and [the] rest of [the] region beyond river the peace and now.

The king sent an answer to Rehum the chancellor, and Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their companions that dwell in Samaria, and the other places beyond the river: Peace, and so forth.

18 Letter the which you sent to us made distinct it was read aloud before me.

The letter that ye sent to us has been read before me distinctly.

19 And from me it was made a decree and they searched and they found that city the this from [the] days of antiquity against kings [was] rising up and rebellion and revolt [have] been done by it.

And I gave orders, and search has been made, and it has been found that this city of old time has made insurrection against the kings, and that rebellion and sedition have been raised therein.

20 And kings strong they were over Jerusalem and having mastery over all [the] region beyond river the and tribute tax and toll [was] being paid to them.

And there have been mighty kings over Jerusalem, who have ruled over all beyond the river; and tribute, tax, and toll were paid to them.

21 Now make a decree to make to cease men the these and city the this not it will be built until from me decree the it will be made.

Now give order to make these men to cease, and that this city be not built, until the order shall be given from me;

22 And cautious be negligence to do concerning this why? will it grow great damage the to injury kings.

and take heed that ye fail not to do this: why should harm grow to the damage of the kings?

23 Then from that [the] copy of letter the of (Artaxerxes *Q(k)*) king the it was read aloud before Rehum and Shimshai scribe the and associates their they went in haste to Jerusalem to Jews the and they made to cease them with force and power.

As soon as the copy of king Artaxerxes' letter was read before Rehum, and Shimshai the scribe, and their companions, they went up in haste to Jerusalem to the Jews, and made them cease by force and power.

24 Then it ceased [the] work of [the] house of God which [is] in Jerusalem and it was ceasing until year two of [the] reign of Darius [the] king of Persia.

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