Hebrew Names Version HNV
New International Version NIV
4 Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Yehudah, and troubled them in building,
4
Then the peoples around them set out to discourage the people of Judah and make them afraid to go on building.
5 and hired counselors against them, to frustrate their purpose, all the days of Koresh king of Paras, even until the reign of Daryavesh king of Paras.
5
They bribed officials to work against them and frustrate their plans during the entire reign of Cyrus king of Persia and down to the reign of Darius king of Persia.
6 In the reign of Achashverosh, in the beginning of his reign, wrote they an accusation against the inhabitants of Yehudah and Yerushalayim.
6
At the beginning of the reign of Xerxes, they lodged an accusation against the people of Judah and Jerusalem.
7 In the days of Artachshasta wrote Bishlam, Mitredat, Tav'el, and the rest of his companions, to Artachshasta king of Paras; and the writing of the letter was written in the Arammian [character], and set forth in the Arammian [language].
7
And in the days of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel and the rest of his associates wrote a letter to Artaxerxes. The letter was written in Aramaic script and in the Aramaic language.
8 Rechum the chancellor and Shimshai the Sofer wrote a letter against Yerushalayim to Artachshasta the king in this sort:
8
Rehum the commanding officer and Shimshai the secretary wrote a letter against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king as follows:
9 then [wrote] Rechum the chancellor, and Shimshai the Sofer, and the rest of their companions, the Dinites, and the Afarsatkhi, the Tarpelites, the Afarsi, the Arkevi, the Bavlites, the Shushankhites, the Dehites, the Elamites,
9
Rehum the commanding officer and Shimshai the secretary, together with the rest of their associates—the judges, officials and administrators over the people from Persia, Uruk and Babylon, the Elamites of Susa,
10 and the rest of the nations whom the great and noble Asnappar brought over, and set in the city of Shomron, and in the rest [of the country] beyond the River, and so forth.
10
and the other people whom the great and honorable Ashurbanipal deported and settled in the city of Samaria and elsewhere in Trans-Euphrates.
11 This is the copy of the letter that they sent to Artachshasta the king: Your servants the men beyond the River, and so forth.
11
(This is a copy of the letter they sent him.) To King Artaxerxes, From your servants in Trans-Euphrates:
12 Be it known to the king, that the Yehudim who came up from you are come to us to Yerushalayim; they are building the rebellious and the bad city, and have finished the walls, and repaired the foundations.
12
The king should know that the people who came up to us from you have gone to Jerusalem and are rebuilding that rebellious and wicked city. They are restoring the walls and repairing the foundations.
13 Be it known now to the king that if this city is built, and the walls finished, they will not pay tribute, custom, or toll, and in the end it will be hurtful to the kings.
13
Furthermore, the king should know that if this city is built and its walls are restored, no more taxes, tribute or duty will be paid, and eventually the royal revenues will suffer.
14 Now because we eat the salt of the palace, and it is not appropriate for us to see the king's dishonor, therefore have we sent and informed the king;
14
Now since we are under obligation to the palace and it is not proper for us to see the king dishonored, we are sending this message to inform the king,
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