Ezra 4 – New American Standard Bible 2020 (NASB20)

Enemies Hinder the Work

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

2 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 like you, we 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 for the LORD ^H3068 God ^H430 of Israel ^H3478, just ^H834 as ^H834 King ^H4428 Cyrus ^H3566, the king ^H4428 of Persia ^H6539, has commanded ^H6680 us.”

4 Then the people ^H5971 of the land ^H776 [fn]discouraged ^H7503 H3027 the people ^H5971 of Judah ^H3063, and frightened ^H1089 them from building ^H1129, 5 and bribed ^H7936 advisers ^H3289 against ^H5921 them to frustrate ^H6565 their advice ^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 [fn]Rehum ^H7348 the commander ^H1169 H2942, 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 deported ^H1541 and settled ^H3488 in the city ^H7149 of Samaria ^H8115, and in the rest ^H7606 of the region ^H5675 beyond ^H5675 the Euphrates River ^H5103. And now ^H3706 11 this ^H1836 is a copy ^H6573 of the letter ^H104 which ^H1768 they sent ^H7972 to him:

“To King ^H4430 Artaxerxes ^H783: Your servants ^H5649, the men ^H606 of the region ^H5675 beyond ^H5675 the Euphrates 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 finishing ^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 finished ^H3635, they will not pay ^H5415 tribute ^H4061, custom ^H1093 tax ^H1093, or toll ^H1983, and it will [fn]be detrimental ^H5142 to 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 shame ^H6173, for this ^H1836 reason ^H5922 we have sent ^H7972 word and informed ^H3046 the king ^H4430, 15 so ^H1768 that ^H1768 a search ^H1240 may be conducted ^H1240 in the record ^H1799 books ^H5609 of your fathers ^H2. And you will discover ^H7912 in the record ^H1799 books ^H5609 and learn ^H3046 that that city ^H7149 is a rebellious ^H4779 city ^H7149 and detrimental ^H5142 to kings ^H4430 and provinces ^H4083, and that they have revolted ^H5648 H849 within ^H1459 it in past ^H5957 days ^H3118; for this ^H1836 reason ^H5922 that city ^H7149 was laid ^H2718 waste ^H2718. 16 We are informing ^H3046 the king ^H4430 that if ^H2006 that city ^H7149 is rebuilt ^H1124 and the walls ^H7792 finished ^H3635, then as a result ^H6903 of this ^H1836 you will have ^H383 no ^H3809 possession ^H2508 in the province beyond ^H5675 the Euphrates River ^H5103.”

The King Replies and Work Stops

17 Then the king ^H4430 sent ^H7972 a response ^H6600 to Rehum ^H7348 the commander ^H1169 H2942, 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 Euphrates River ^H5103: “Peace ^H8001. And now ^H3706,

18 the document ^H5407 which ^H1768 you sent ^H7972 to us has been [fn]translated ^H6568 and read ^H7123 before ^H6925 me. 19 And a decree ^H2942 has been [fn]issued ^H7761 by me, and a search ^H1240 has been conducted ^H1240 and it has been discovered ^H7912 that that city ^H7149 has risen ^H5376 up against ^H5922 the kings ^H4430 in past ^H5957 days ^H3118, and that rebellion ^H4776 and revolt ^H849 have been perpetrated ^H5648 in it, 20 that mighty ^H8624 kings ^H4430 have [fn]ruled ^H1934 over ^H5922 Jerusalem ^H3390, governing ^H7990 all ^H3606 the provinces beyond ^H5675 the Euphrates River ^H5103, and that tribute ^H4061, custom ^H1093 tax ^H1093, and toll ^H1983 were paid ^H3052 to them. 21 Now ^H3705 issue ^H7761 a decree ^H2942 to make those ^H479 men ^H1400 stop ^H989 work, so that this ^H1791 city ^H7149 will not be rebuilt ^H1124 until ^H5704 a decree ^H2942 is issued ^H7761 by me. 22 And beware ^H1934 of being negligent ^H7960 in carrying ^H5648 out ^H5648 this ^H1836 matter; why ^H4101 should there be great ^H7680 damage ^H2257, to the detriment ^H5142 of the kings ^H4430?”

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

24 Then ^H116 work ^H5673 on the house ^H1005 of God ^H426 in Jerusalem ^H3390 was discontinued ^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.