1
Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjaminheard that the children[a] of the captivitybuilded the temple unto the LORDGod of Israel;
2
Then they came to Zerubbabel, and to the chief of the fathers, and said unto them, Let us build with you: for we seek your God, as ye do; and we do sacrifice unto him since the days of Esarhaddonking of Assur, which brought us up hither.
3
But Zerubbabel, and Jeshua, and the rest of the chief of the fathers of Israel,said unto them, Ye have nothing to do with us to build an house unto our God; but we ourselves together will build unto the LORDGod of Israel, as kingCyrus the king of Persia hath commanded us.
4
Then the people of the landweakened the hands of the people of Judah, and troubled them in building,
5
And hiredcounsellors against them, to frustrate their purpose, all the days of Cyrusking of Persia, even until the reign of Dariusking of Persia.
6
And in the reign of Ahasuerus,[b] in the beginning of his reign,wrote they unto him an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.
7
And in the days of ArtaxerxeswroteBishlam,[c]Mithredath,Tabeel, and the rest of their companions, unto Artaxerxesking of Persia; and the writing of the letter was written in the Syrian tongue, and interpreted in the Syrian tongue.
8
Rehum the chancellorandShimshai the scribe[d]wrotealetteragainstJerusalem to Artaxerxes the king in this sort: