Ezra 4

1 Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the children of the captivity were building a temple to the LORD, the God of Israel,

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.

2 they came near to Zerubbabel, and to the heads of fathers’ households, and said to them, “Let us build with you, for we seek your God as you do; and we have been sacrificing to him since the days of Esar Haddon king of Assyria, who brought us up here.”

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.

3 But Zerubbabel, Yeshua, and the rest of the heads of fathers’ households 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 Cyrus the king of Persia has commanded us.”

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.

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

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.

5 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.

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.

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

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

7 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 Syrian and delivered in the Syrian language.

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.

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

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

9 Then Rehum the chancellor, 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 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.

10 and the rest of the nations whom the great and noble Osnappar brought over and settled in the city of Samaria, and in the rest of the country beyond the River, and so forth, wrote.

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.

11 This is the copy of the letter that they sent: To King Artaxerxes, from your servants, the people beyond the River.

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.

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 bad city, and have finished the walls and repaired the foundations.

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.

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 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.

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

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.

15 that search may be made in the book of the records of your fathers. You will see 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 started rebellions within it in the past. That is why this city was destroyed.

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.

16 We inform the king that if this city is built and the walls finished, then you will have no possession beyond the River.

[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.

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

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.

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

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

19 I decreed, and search has been made, and it was found that this city has made insurrection against kings in the past, and that rebellion and revolts have been made in it.

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.

20 There have also been mighty kings over Jerusalem who have ruled over all the country beyond the River; and tribute, custom, and toll was paid to them.

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.

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

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.

22 Be careful that you not be slack doing so. Why should damage grow to the hurt of the kings?

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

23 Then when the copy of King Artaxerxes’ letter was read before Rehum, Shimshai the scribe, and their companions, they went in haste to Jerusalem to the Jews, and made them to cease by force of arms.

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.

24 Then work stopped on God’s house which is at Jerusalem. It stopped until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.

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.