Facing opposition
3 But Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the rest of the heads of the families in Israel replied, “You’ll have no part with us in building a house for our God. We alone will build because the Lord, the God of Israel, and Persia’s King Cyrus commanded us.”
4 The neighboring peoples[a] discouraged the people of Judah, made them afraid to build, 5 and bribed officials to frustrate their plan. They did this throughout the rule of Persia’s King Cyrus until the rule of Persia’s King Darius.
Writing to King Artaxerxes
6 In the rule of Ahasuerus, at the beginning of his rule, they composed an indictment against those who lived in Judah and Jerusalem. 7 In the days of Artaxerxes, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of their associates wrote to Persia’s King Artaxerxes. The letter was written in Aramaic and translated.[b] 8 Rehum the royal deputy and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter concerning Jerusalem to King Artaxerxes as follows:(11 This is a copy of the letter they sent to him.)
14 Since we receive our salary from the palace,[c] and since it is not fitting for us to witness the king’s dishonor, we now send this letter[d] and inform the king 15 so that you may search the records of your ancestors. You will discover in the records that this is a rebellious city, harmful to kings and provinces, and that it has been in revolt over a long period of time. As a result, this city was laid waste. 16 We tell the king that if this city is rebuilt and its walls completed, you will then have no possession in the province Beyond the River.
Artaxerxes responds
17 The king sent this answer:21 Therefore, issue an order to stop these people: this city is not to be rebuilt until I make a decree. 22 Be sure to carry out this order! Why should danger grow and threaten the king?
23 When the copy of King Artaxerxes’ letter was read before Rehum and Shimshai the scribe and their colleagues, they hurried to Jerusalem to oppose the Jews and made them stop by force of arms.[e] 24 At that time the work on God’s house in Jerusalem stopped and was suspended until the second year of the rule of Persia’s King Darius.
Footnotes
- Ezra 4:4 Or peoples of the lands
- Ezra 4:7 Heb adds in Aramaic, reporting that 4:8–6:18 is written in Aramaic.
- Ezra 4:14 Or since we have salted the salt of the palace
- Ezra 4:14 Heb lacks this letter.
- Ezra 4:23 Or power and force