4
Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah and troubled them in building
5
and hired counsellors against them, to frustrate their counsel, all the days of Cyrus, king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius, king of Persia.
6
And in the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, they wrote accusations against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.
7
And in the days of Artaxerxes wrote Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of their companions, unto Artaxerxes, king of Persia; and the writing of the letter
was written in the Syrian tongue and interpreted in the Syrian tongue.
8
Rehum, the chancellor, and Shimshai, the scribe, wrote a letter against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes, the king, in this sort:
9
Then
wrote Rehum, the chancellor, and Shimshai, the scribe, and the rest of their companions, the Dinaites, the Apharsathchites, the Tarpelites, the Apharsites, the Archevites, the Babylonians, the Susanchites, the Dehavites,
and the Elamites,
10
and the rest of the nations whom the great and noble Asnappar
(Sennacherib) brought over and set in the cities of Samaria and the rest
that are on the other side of the river, and of Cheenet.
11
This
is the copy of the letter that they sent: Unto Artaxerxes, the king: Thy servants, the men of the other side of the river, and of Cheenet.
12
Be it known unto the king that the Jews who came up from thee to us are come unto Jerusalem, building the rebellious and the bad city, and have founded the walls
thereof and joined the foundations.
13
Be it known now unto the king, that, if this city is rebuilt, and the walls founded, they will not pay toll, tribute, and custom, and so the revenue of the kings shall be reduced.
14
Now because we are salted with the salt of the palace, and it is not just unto us to see the king’s dishonour; therefore, we have sent to make this known unto the king,