Ezr 4 | ABEn | STEP | And [ 6 heard 1 the 2 ones afflicting 3 Judah 4 and 5 Benjamin] that the sons of the resettlement were building a house to the lord God of Israel.

Ezra 4

CHAPTER 4 Opposition in Building the House of The LORD

1 And [⁶heard ¹the ²ones afflicting ³Judah ⁴and ⁵Benjamin] that the sons of the resettlement were building a house to the lord God of Israel. 2 And they approached to Zerubbabel, and to the rulers of the families, and said to them, We should build with you, for as you, we also inquire to your God; and to him we sacrifice from the days of Esar-haddon king of Assyria, the one bringing us here. 3 And [²said ³to ⁴them ¹Zerubbabel], and Jeshua, and the rest of the rulers of the families of Israel, It is not for us and you to build a house to our God, for we ourselves together shall build to the lord God of Israel, as [⁵gave charge ⁶to us ¹Cyrus ²the ³king ⁴of the Persians]. 4 And [⁵were ¹the ²people ³of the ⁴land] enfeebling the hands of the people of Judah, and they impeded them to build. 5 And they were hiring against them counselors to efface their counsel all the days of Cyrus king of the Persians, and unto the kingdom of Darius, the king of the Persians. 6 And in the kingdom of Ahasuerus, and in the beginning of his kingdom, they wrote a letter against the ones living in Judah and Jerusalem. 7 And in the days of Artaxerxes [²wrote ³in ⁴peace ¹Mithridath], and Tabeel, with the rest of his fellow-servants to Artaxerxes king of the Persians. [³wrote ¹The ²tribute-gatherer] the writing in Syrian and being translated. 8 Rehum the master and Shimshai the scribe wrote [²letter ¹one] against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king, saying, 9 Thus [³judges ¹Rehum ²the master], and Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of our fellow-servants, the Dinaites, Apharsathchites, Tarpelites, Apharsites, Archevites, Babylonians, Susanchites, Dehavites, Elamites, 10 and the rest of the of the nations whom [⁷resettled ⁶Asnapper ¹the ²great ³and ⁴the ⁵esteemed], and settled them in the cities of Samaria, and the rest on the other side of the river.

The Letter to Artaxerxes

11 This is the disposition of the letter which they sent to him -- To Artaxerxes the king. By your servants, the men on the other side of the river. 12 And now [²be made known ¹let it] to the king, that the Jews ascending from you to us came into Jerusalem the [⁴city ¹defecting ²and ³wicked], which they are building; and the walls of it are being readied, and the foundations of it they elevated. 13 Now then let it be made known to the king, that if that city should be rebuilt, and the walls of it should be readied, that tributes, tolls, and customs they shall not give, and this [²to kings ¹does evil]! 14 And now [²not ³as ⁴salt ⁵of the ⁶temple ¹we salted], and [⁴an indecency ⁵concerning the king ¹it is not allowed ²for us ³to behold]. On account of this we sent forth and made known to the king; 15 that it should be examined in the book of memoirs of your fathers; and you shall find in the book of the memorial, and shall know that that city [²city ¹is a defecting], and one doing evil to kings; and [⁸for places ⁹and ¹⁰flights ¹¹for your runaway servants ⁷it is ¹in ²the midst ³of it ⁴from ⁵the time ⁶of the eon]. On account of this, this city was made desolate. 16 We make known then ourselves to the king, that if that city should be built, and its walls should be readied for these things, [³a part ⁴on ⁵the ⁶other side ⁷of the ⁸river ¹there shall not be ²to you].

Artaxerxes Responds

17 And this then is the word which [³sent ¹the ²king] to Rehum the master, and Shimshai the scribe, and to the rest of their fellow-servants of the ones living in Samaria, and the rest on the other side of the river, saying, Peace. And says the king, 18 The tribute-gatherer whom you sent to us was called before me. 19 And by me was rendered a decree, and they examined and it was found that that city from days of the eon [²against ³kings ¹lifts itself up], and defections and exiles take place in it. 20 And [²kings ¹strong] were over Jerusalem prevailing over all of the other side of the river. And [²tribute ³and tolls ¹both] and customs were given to them. 21 And now establish a decree [³to cease work ²men ¹for those], so that that city shall not be built up any more! 22 So that of the decree [²guarding ¹you were] you not be remiss to do concerning this, lest at any time [²should be multiplied ¹an extinction of power] for an evil deed to happen to kings.

The Building Ceases

23 Then the tribute-gatherer of king Artaxerxes read in the presence of Rehum the master, and Shimshai the scribe, and his fellow-servants. And they went with diligence unto Jerusalem and to Judah, and they caused them to cease work with horses and a force. 24 Then [⁵was idle ¹the ²work ³of the house ⁴of God], the one in Jerusalem. And it was idle until the second year of the kingdom of Darius king of Persia.