gezezra 4

Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the children of the captivity were building the house of Jehovah the God of Israel,

they came to Zerubbabel and to the heads of the fathers' houses and said to them, Let us build with you, for like you we seek your God and sacrifice to Him, ever since the days of Esar-haddon king of Persia, who brought us up here.

But Zerubbabel and Jeshua and the rest of the heads of the fathers' houses of Israel said to them, It is not for you and us together to build a house for our God; but we ourselves will build for Jehovah the God of Israel, as Cyrus king of Persia commanded us.

Then the peoples of the land set about to weaken the hands of the people of Judah, and troubled them in building,

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

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

Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter of accusation against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king as follows—

saying: Now this is what we say—Rehum the commander, Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their companions, the servants of our lords: the Dinaites, the Apharsathchites, the Tarpelites, the Apharsites, the Archevites, the Babylonians, the Susanchites, the Elamites,

and the rest of the nations whom the great and noble Osnappar deported and settled in the cities of Samaria and in the rest of the country beyond the River.

This is the copy of the letter that they sent to Artaxerxes the king: Your servants, the men beyond the River.

Be it known to our lord the king that the Jews who came up from you to us have come to Jerusalem, that rebellious and wicked city, and are building it, repairing its walls, and raising up its foundations.

Now be it known to our lord the king that if this city is built and its walls completed, they will pay no tribute and render nothing to you; for it is a city rebellious against the kingdom.

And because it is not fitting for us to look on while the king is dishonored, therefore for this cause we have sent to inform our lord the king,

that search may be made in the book of the records of your fathers; and you will find and know that this city is a rebellious city, hurtful to kings and provinces, and that sedition has been stirred up in it from of old; for this reason that city was laid waste.

The messenger whom you sent has reached me.

And I commanded that search be made in the book of the records, and we found that this city from of old has risen up against kings, and that rebellion and sedition have been made in it.

There were also mighty kings in Jerusalem who ruled over all the country beyond the River, and tribute, custom, and toll were given to them.

Now therefore restrain these men, that this city be not built; from now on keep watch over them.

And take heed not to let them escape notice in this matter, lest the damage grow great to the hurt of the kings.

And when the letter of Artaxerxes the king was read before Rehum the commander, Shimshai the scribe, and the servants of their lords who were with them, they went in haste to Jerusalem and to Judah with horsemen, and by force made them cease.

Then the building of the house of God which is in Jerusalem ceased, and it stood at a standstill until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.