Ezra 4 – Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)

Adversaries Discourage the Work

1 Then the adversaries ^H6862 of Judah ^H3063 and Benjamin ^H1144 heard ^H8085 that the people ^H1121 of the exile ^H1473 were building ^H1129 a temple ^H1964 to Yahweh ^H3068, the God ^H430 of Israel ^H3478,

2 so they approached ^H5066 Zerubbabel ^H2216 and the heads ^H7218 of fathers’ ^H1 households and said ^H559 to them, “Let us build ^H1129 with you, for we, like you, seek ^H1875 your God ^H430; and we have been sacrificing ^H2076 to Him since ^H4480 the days ^H3117 of Esarhaddon ^H634 king ^H4428 of Assyria ^H804, who brought ^H5927 us up ^H5927 here ^H6311.” 3 But Zerubbabel ^H2216 and Jeshua ^H3091 and the rest ^H7605 of the heads ^H7218 of fathers’ ^H1 households of Israel ^H3478 said ^H559 to them, “You have nothing ^H3808 in common with us in building ^H1129 a house ^H1004 to our God ^H430; but we ourselves ^H587 will together ^H3162 build ^H1129 to Yahweh ^H3068, the God ^H430 of Israel ^H3478, as King ^H4428 Cyrus ^H3566, the king ^H4428 of Persia ^H6539 has commanded ^H6680 us.”

4 So the people ^H5971 of the land ^H776 [fn]discouraged ^H7503 H3027 the people ^H5971 of Judah ^H3063 and dismayed ^H1089 them from building ^H1129, 5 and hired ^H7936 counselors ^H3289 against ^H5921 them to frustrate ^H6565 their counsel ^H6098 all ^H3605 the days ^H3117 of Cyrus ^H3566 king ^H4428 of Persia ^H6539, even until ^H5704 the reign ^H4438 of Darius ^H1867 king ^H4428 of Persia ^H6539.

6 Now in the reign ^H4438 of [fn]Ahasuerus ^H325, in the beginning ^H8462 of his reign ^H4438, they wrote ^H3789 an accusation ^H7855 against ^H5921 the inhabitants ^H3427 of Judah ^H3063 and Jerusalem ^H3389.

7 And in the days ^H3117 of [fn]Artaxerxes ^H783, Bishlam ^H1312, Mithredath ^H4990, Tabeel ^H2870, and the rest ^H7605 of his colleagues ^H3674 wrote ^H3789 to Artaxerxes ^H783 king ^H4428 of Persia ^H6539; and the [fn]text ^H3791 of the letter ^H5406 was written ^H3789 in Aramaic ^H762 and translated ^H8638 from Aramaic ^H762.

The Letter to King Artaxerxes

8 [fn]Rehum ^H7348 the commander ^H1169 H2942 and Shimshai ^H8124 the scribe ^H5613 wrote ^H3790 a letter ^H104 against ^H5922 Jerusalem ^H3390 to King ^H4430 Artaxerxes ^H783, as follows ^H3660—

9 then ^H116 wrote Rehum ^H7348 the commander ^H1169 H2942 and Shimshai ^H8124 the scribe ^H5613 and the rest ^H7606 of their colleagues ^H3675, the judges ^H1782 and the lesser ^H671 governors ^H671, the officials ^H2967, the secretaries ^H670, the men ^H756 of ^H756 Erech ^H756, the Babylonians ^H896, the men ^H7801 of ^H7801 Susa ^H7801, that is, the Elamites ^H5962,

10 and the rest ^H7606 of the nations ^H524, which ^H1768 the great ^H7229 and honorable ^H3358 [fn]Osnappar ^H620 took ^H1541 away ^H1541 into exile ^H1541 and settled ^H3488 in the city ^H7149 of Samaria ^H8115 and in the rest ^H7606 of the region ^H5675 beyond ^H5675 the [fn]River ^H5103. And now ^H3706—

11 this ^H1836 is the copy ^H6573 of the letter ^H104 which ^H1768 they sent ^H7972 to him:

“To King ^H4430 Artaxerxes ^H783: Your servants ^H5649, the men ^H606 in the region ^H5675 beyond ^H5675 the River ^H5103, and now ^H3706—

12 let it be ^H3046 known ^H3046 to the king ^H4430 that the Jews ^H3062 who ^H1768 came ^H5559 up ^H5559 from you have come ^H858 to us at Jerusalem ^H3390; they are rebuilding ^H1124 the rebellious ^H4779 and evil ^H873 city ^H7149 and are completing ^H3635 the walls ^H7792 and repairing ^H2338 the foundations ^H787.

13 Now ^H3705 let it be ^H3046 known ^H3046 to the king ^H4430, that if ^H2006 that city ^H7149 is rebuilt ^H1124 and the walls ^H7792 are completed ^H3635, they will not give ^H5415 tribute ^H4061, custom ^H1093, or toll ^H1983, and it will damage ^H5142 the revenue ^H674 of the kings ^H4430.

14 Now ^H3705 because ^H6903 H1768 we [fn]are in the service ^H4415 of the palace ^H1965, and it is not fitting ^H749 for us to see ^H2370 the king’s ^H4430 [fn]dishonor ^H6173, therefore ^H5922 H1836 we have sent ^H7972 and made ^H3046 known ^H3046 to the king ^H4430,

15 that ^H1768 a search ^H1240 be made ^H5648 in the record ^H1799 books ^H5609 of your fathers ^H2. And you will find ^H7912 in the record ^H1799 books ^H5609 and come to know ^H3046 that that city ^H7149 is a rebellious ^H4779 city ^H7149 and damaging ^H5142 to kings ^H4430 and provinces ^H4083, and that they have incited ^H5648 revolt ^H849 within ^H1459 it in past ^H5957 days ^H3118; therefore ^H5922 H1836 that city ^H7149 was laid ^H2718 waste ^H2718.

16 We make ^H3046 known ^H3046 to the king ^H4430 that if ^H2006 that city ^H7149 is rebuilt ^H1124 and the walls ^H7792 completed ^H3635, as a result ^H6903 you will have ^H383 no ^H3809 portion ^H2508 in the province beyond ^H5675 the River ^H5103.”

A Decree Makes the Men Stop Rebuilding

17 Then the king ^H4430 sent ^H7972 an edict ^H6600 to Rehum ^H7348 the commander ^H1169 H2942, to Shimshai ^H8124 the scribe ^H5613, and to the rest ^H7606 of their colleagues ^H3675 who ^H1768 live ^H3488 in Samaria ^H8115 and in the rest ^H7606 of the provinces beyond ^H5675 the River ^H5103: “Peace ^H8001. And now ^H3706—

18 the document ^H5407 which ^H1768 you sent ^H7972 to us has been plainly ^H6568 read ^H7123 before ^H6925 me.

19 So a decree ^H2942 has been [fn]issued ^H7761 by me, and a search ^H1240 has been made ^H1240 and it has been found ^H7912 that that city ^H7149 has lifted ^H5376 itself ^H5376 up ^H5376 against ^H5922 the kings ^H4430 in past ^H5957 days ^H3118, that rebellion ^H4776 and revolt ^H849 have been perpetrated ^H5648 in it,

20 that strong ^H8624 kings ^H4430 have been ^H1934 over ^H5922 Jerusalem ^H3390, even rulers ^H7990 in all ^H3606 the provinces beyond ^H5675 the River ^H5103, and that tribute ^H4061, custom ^H1093, and toll ^H1983 were given ^H3052 to them.

21 Now ^H3705 issue ^H7761 a decree ^H2942 to make those ^H479 men ^H1400 stop ^H989, that this ^H1791 city ^H7149 may not be rebuilt ^H1124 until ^H5704 a decree ^H2942 is issued ^H7761 by me.

22 And beware ^H1934 of being negligent ^H7960 in doing ^H5648 this ^H1836 matter; why ^H4101 should harm ^H2257 increase ^H7680 to damage ^H5142 the kings ^H4430?”

23 Then ^H116 as soon ^H4481 H1768 as the copy ^H6573 of King ^H4430 Artaxerxes’ ^H783 document ^H5407 was read ^H7123 before ^H6925 Rehum ^H7348 and Shimshai ^H8124 the scribe ^H5613 and their colleagues ^H3675, they went ^H236 in haste ^H924 to Jerusalem ^H3390 to the Jews ^H3062 and stopped ^H989 them by force ^H153 and military ^H2429.

24 Then ^H116 the work ^H5673 on the house ^H1005 of God ^H426 in Jerusalem ^H3390 stopped ^H989, and it was stopped ^H989 until ^H5704 the second ^H8648 year ^H8140 of the reign ^H4437 of Darius ^H1868 king ^H4430 of Persia ^H6540.