1 Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the children of the captivity builded the temple unto the
2 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
3 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
4 Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah, and troubled them in building,
5 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.
6 And in the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, wrote they
7 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
8 Rehum the chancellor and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king in this sort:
9 Then
10 And the rest of the nations whom the great and noble Asnappar brought over, and set in the cities of Samaria, and the rest
11 This
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
13 Be it known now unto the king, that, if this city be builded, and the walls set up
14 Now because we have maintenance from
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
16 We certify the king that, if this city be builded
17 Then
18 The letter which ye sent unto us hath been plainly read before me.
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
20 There have been mighty kings also over Jerusalem, which have ruled over all
21 Give ye now commandment to cause these men to cease, and that this city be not builded, until
22 Take heed now that ye fail not to do this: why should damage grow to the hurt of the kings?
23 Now when the copy of king Artaxerxes’ letter
24 Then ceased the work of the house of God which