17
"To King Artaxerxes our lord, Your servants Rehum the recorder and Shimshai the scribe and the other judges of their council in Coelesyria and Phoenicia:
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Now be it known to our lord the king that the Jews who came up from you to us have gone to Jerusalem and are building that rebellious and wicked city, repairing its market places and walls and laying the foundations for a temple.
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Now if this city is built and the walls finished, they will not only refuse to pay tribute but will even resist kings.
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And since the building of the temple is now going on, we think it best not to neglect such a matter,
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but to speak to our lord the king, in order that, if it seems good to you, search may be made in the records of your fathers.
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You will find in the chronicles what has been written about them, and will learn that this city was rebellious, troubling both kings and other cities,
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and that the Jews were rebels and kept setting up blockades in it from of old. That is why this city was laid waste.
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Therefore we now make known to you, O lord and king, that if this city is built and its walls finished, you will no longer have access to Coelesyria and Phoenicia."
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Then the king, in reply to Rehum the recorder and Beltethmus and Shimshai the scribe and the others associated with them and living in Samaria and Syria and Phoenicia, wrote as follows:
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"I have read the letter which you sent me. So I ordered search to be made, and it has been found that this city from of old has fought against kings,
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and that the men in it were given to rebellion and war, and that mighty and cruel kings ruled in Jerusalem and exacted tribute from Coelesyria and Phoenicia.