15_EZR_04_01 now when the adversaries of Judah And Benjamin heard that the children of the captivity builded the temple unto the LORD God of Israel;
15_EZR_04_02 Then they came to Zerubbabel, And to the chief of the fathers, And said unto them, let us build with you: for we seek your God, as ye [ do]; And we do sacrifice unto him since the days of Esarhaddon king of Assur, which brought us up hither.
15_EZR_04_03 but Zerubbabel, And Jeshua, And the rest of the chief of the fathers of Israel, said unto them, ye have nothing to do with us to build an house unto our God; but we ourselves together will build unto the LORD God of Israel, as king Cyrus the king of Persia hath commanded us.
15_EZR_04_04 Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah, And troubled them in building,
15_EZR_04_05 And 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.
15_EZR_04_06 And in the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, wrote they [ unto him] an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah And Jerusalem.
15_EZR_04_07 And in the days of Artaxerxes wrote Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, And the rest of their companions, unto Artaxerxes king of Persia; And the writing of the letter [ was] written in the Syrian tongue, And interpreted in the Syrian tongue.
15_EZR_04_08 Rehum the chancellor And Shimshai the scribe wrote A letter against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king in this sort:
15_EZR_04_09 Then [ wrote] Rehum the chancellor, And Shimshai the scribe, And the rest of their companions; the Dinaites, the Apharsathchites, the Tarpelites, the Apharsites, the Archevites, the Babylonians, the Susanchites, the Dehavites, [ And] the Elamites,
15_EZR_04_10 And the rest of the nations whom the great And noble Asnapper brought over, And set in the cities of Samaria, And the rest [ that are] on this side the river, And at such A time.
15_EZR_04_11 this [ Is] the copy of the letter that they sent unto him, [ even] unto Artaxerxes the king; thy servants the men on this side the river, And at such A time.
15_EZR_04_12 be it known unto the king, that the Jews which came up from thee to us are come unto Jerusalem, building the rebellious And the bad city, And have set up the walls [ thereof], And joined the foundations.
15_EZR_04_13 be it known now unto the king, that, if this city be builded, And the walls set up [ again, Then] will they not pay toll, tribute, And custom, And [ So] thou shalt endamage the revenue of the kings.
15_EZR_04_14 now because we have maintenance from [ the king's] palace, And it was not meet for us to see the king's dishonour, therefore have we sent And certified the king;
15_EZR_04_15 that search may be made in the book of the records of thy fathers: So shalt thou find in the book of the records, And know that this city [ Is] A rebellious city, And hurtful unto kings And provinces, And that they have moved sedition within the same of old time: for which cause was this city destroyed.
15_EZR_04_16 we certify the king that, if this city be builded [ again], And the walls thereof set up, by this means thou shalt have no portion on this side the river.
15_EZR_04_17 [ Then] sent the king an answer unto Rehum the chancellor, And [ to] Shimshai the scribe, And [ to] the rest of their companions that dwell in Samaria, And [ unto] the rest beyond the river, peace, And at such A time.
15_EZR_04_18 the letter which ye sent unto us hath been plainly read before me.
15_EZR_04_19 And I commanded, And search hath been made, And it Is found that this city of old time hath made insurrection against kings, And [ that] rebellion And sedition have been made therein.
15_EZR_04_20 there have been mighty kings also over Jerusalem, which have ruled over all [ countries] beyond the river; And toll, tribute, And custom, was paid unto them.
15_EZR_04_21 give ye now commandment to cause These men to cease, And that this city be not builded, until [ another] commandment shall be given from me.
15_EZR_04_22 take heed now that ye fail not to do this: why should damage grow to the hurt of the kings?
15_EZR_04_23 now when the copy of king Artaxerxes' letter [ was] read before Rehum, And Shimshai the scribe, And their companions, they went up in haste to Jerusalem unto the Jews, And made them to cease by force And power.
15_EZR_04_24 Then ceased the work of the house of God which [ Is] at Jerusalem. So it ceased unto the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.