1
Now when the
enemies of
Judah and
Benjamin heard that the
people of the
exile were
building a
temple to the
LORD God of
Israel,
yen.b -yiK !im'y.nib.W h'd.Wh.y yer'c .W[.m.viY;w ? lea'r.fIy yeh{l/a h'why;l l'kyeh ~yinw{B h'lw{G;h
2
they
approached Zerubbabel and the
heads of
fathers' households, and
said to them, "Let us
build with you, for we, like you,
seek your
God; and we have been
sacrificing to Him
since the
days of
Esarhaddon king of
Assyria, who
brought us up
here."
tw{b'a'h yeva'r -l,a.w l,b'BUr.z -l,a .Wv.GiY;w ? vw{r.din ~,k'k yiK ~,k'Mi[ h,n.bin ~,h'l .Wr.ma{Y;w ? r;sea yemyim ~yix.b{z .Wn.x;n]a a{l.w ~,kyeh{lael ? h{P .Wn't{a h,l][;M;h r.WV;a .$,l,m !{D;x
3
But
Zerubbabel and
Jeshua and the
rest of the
heads of
fathers' households of
Israel said to them, "You have
nothing in common with us in
building a
house to our
God; but we
ourselves will
together build to the
LORD God of
Israel, as
King Cyrus, the
king of
Persia has
commanded us."
yeva'r r'a.v.W ;[.Wvey.w l,b'BUr.z ~,h'l r,ma{Y;w ? tw{n.bil .Wn'l'w ~,k'l -a{l lea'r.fIy.l tw{b'a'h ? h'why;l h,n.bin d;x;y .Wn.x;n]a yiK .Wnyeh{lael tIy;B ? v,rw{K .$,l,M;h .Wn\Wic r,v]a;K lea'r.fIy yeh{l/a ? s'r'P -.k,l,m
4
Then the
people of the
land discouraged * the
people of
Judah, and
frightened them from
building,
h'd.Wh.y -m;[ yed.y ~yiP;r.m #,r'a'h -m;[ yih.y;w ? tw{n.bil ~'tw{a ~yih;l;b.m.W
5
and
hired counselors against them to
frustrate their
counsel all the
days of
Cyrus king of
Persia, even
until the
reign of
Darius king of
Persia.
-l'K ~'t'c][ rep'h.l ~yic][w{y ~,hyel][ ~yir.k{s.w ? s'r'P -.k,l,m v,w'y.r'D t.Wk.l;m -d;[.w s;r'P .$,l,m v,rw{K yem.y
6
Now in the
reign of
Ahasuerus, in the
beginning of his
reign, they
wrote an
accusation against the
inhabitants of
Judah and
Jerusalem.
.Wb.t'K w{t.Wk.l;m t;Lix.tiB vw{rew.v;x]a t.Wk.l;m.b.W ? ~i'l'v.Wryiw h'd.Wh.y yeb.v{y -l;[ h'n.jif
7
And in the
days of
Artaxerxes,
Bishlam,
Mithredath,
Tabeel and the
rest of his
colleagues wrote to
Artaxerxes king of
Persia; and the
text of the
letter was
written in
Aramaic and
translated from
Aramaic.
lea.b'j t'd.r.tim ~'l.viB b;t'K a'T.f;v.x;T.r;a yemyib.W ? s'r'P .$,l,m a'T.f;v.x;T.r;a -l;[ w{t{w'n.K r'a.v.W ? tyim'r]a ~'G.rUt.m.W tyim'r]a b.Wt'K !'w.T.viN;h ]b't.k.W
8
Rehum the
commander * and
Shimshai the
scribe wrote a
letter against Jerusalem to
King Artaxerxes, as
follows -
h'r.Gia .Wb;t.K a'r.p's y;v.miv.w ~e[.j -le[.B ~.Wx.r ? a'men.K a'K.l;m a.T.f;v.x;T.r;a.l ~,l.v.Wr.y -l;[ h'd]x
9
then wrote
Rehum the
commander * and
Shimshai the
scribe and the
rest of their
colleagues, the
judges and the
lesser governors, the
officials, the
secretaries, the
men of
Erech, the
Babylonians, the
men of
Susa, that is, the
Elamites,
r'a.v.W a'r.p's y;v.miv.w ~e[.j -le[.B ~.Wx.r !Iy;d/a ? aey'l.P.r;j aey'k.t;s.r;p]a;w aey'nyiD !w{h.t'w'n.K ? a.WhiD aey'k.n;v.Wv aey'l.b'b y'w.K.r;a aey's.r'p]a ? aey'm.le[
10
and the
rest of the
nations which the
great and
honorable Osnappar deported and
settled in the
city of
Samaria, and in the
rest of the
region beyond the
River.
Now
a'ryiQ;y.w a'B;r r;P;n.s'a yil.g;h yiD a'Y;MUa r'a.v.W ? h'r]h;n -r;b][ r'a.v.W !Iy'r.m'v yiD h'y.riq.B w{Mih betw{h.w ? t,n,[.k.W
11
this is the
copy of the
letter which they
sent to him: "T o
King Artaxerxes: Your
servants, the
men in the
region beyond the
River, and
now
a.T.f;v.x;T.r;a -l;[ yihw{l][ .Wx;l.v yiD a'T.r;Gia !,g,v.r;P h'n.D ? t,n,[.k.W h'r]h;n -r;b][ v'n/a .$Iy'd.b;[ a'K.l;m
12
let it be
known to the
king that the
Jews who came up from you have
come to us at
Jerusalem; they are
rebuilding the
rebellious and
evil city and are
finishing the
walls and
repairing the
foundations.
.Wqil.s yiD aey'd.Wh.y yiD a'K.l;m.l aew/h,l ;[yid.y ? a't.y.riq ~,l.v.Wryil w{t]a a'ny,l][ .$'t'w.l -nim ? .Wlil.k.v,a y;r.Wv.w !Iy;n'B q]a'T.vyaib.W a'T.d'r'm ? .Wjyix;y a'Y;VUa.w
13
"Now let it be
known to the
king, that
if that
city is
rebuilt and the
walls are
finished, they will not
pay tribute,
custom or
toll, and it will
damage the
revenue of the
kings.
a't.y.riq !eh yiD a'K.l;m.l aew/h,l ;[yid.y !;[.K ? w{l.b -h'D.nim !.Wl.l.k;T.vIy h'Y;r.Wv.w aen.B.tiT .$'d ? qiz.n;h.T ~yik.l;m ~{t.P;a.w !.Wn.T.nIy a'l .$'l]h;w
14
"Now because * * we are in the
service of the
palace, and it is not
fitting for us to
see the
king's dishonor,
therefore * we have
sent and
informed the
king,
a'n.x;l.m a'l.kyeh x;l.m -yiD leb\q -l'K !;[.K ? h'n.D -l;[ aez/x,m.l ]a'n;l -.kyir]a a'l a'K.l;m t;w.r;[.w ? a'K.l;m.l a'n.[;dw{h.w a'n.x;l.v
15
so that a
search may be
made in the
record books of your
fathers. And you will
discover in the
record books and
learn that that
city is a
rebellious city and
damaging to
kings and
provinces, and that they have
incited revolt within it in
past days;
therefore * that
city was
laid waste.
x;K.v;h.t.W .$'t'h'b]a yiD a'Y;n'r.k'D -r;p.siB r;Q;b.y yiD ? a'y.riq .$'d a't.y.riq yiD [;D.nit.w a'Y;n'r.k'D r;p.siB ? r.WD;T.v,a.w !'nid.m.W !yik.l;m t;q.z.n;h.m.W a'd'r'm ? h'n.D -l;[ a'm.l'[ t'mw{y -nim H]W;g.B !yid.b'[ ? t;b.r'x'h .$'d a't.y.riq
16
"We
inform the
king that
if that
city is
rebuilt and the
walls finished, as a
result you will
have no possession in the province
beyond the
River."
a't.y.riq !eh yiD a'K.l;m.l h'n.x;n]a !yi[.dw{h.m ? h'n.D leb\q'l !.Wl.l.k;T.vIy h'Y;r.Wv.w aen.B.tiT .$'d ? .$'l y;tyia a'l a'r]h;n r;b][;B q'l]x
17
Then the
king sent an
answer to
Rehum the
commander *, to
Shimshai the
scribe, and to the
rest of their
colleagues who live in
Samaria and in the
rest of the provinces
beyond the
River:
"Peace. And
now
~e[.j -le[.B ~.Wx.r -l;[ a'K.l;m x;l.v a'm'g.tiP ? !yib.t'y yiD !w{h.t'w'n.K r'a.v.W a'r.p's y;v.miv.w ? t,[.k.W ~'l.v h'r]h;n -r;b][ r'a.v.W !Iy'r.m'v.B
18
the
document which you
sent to us has been
translated and
read before me.
yir/q v;r'p.m a'ny,l][ !.WT.x;l.v yiD a'n'w.T.vin ? y'm'd'q
19
"A
decree has been
issued by me, and a
search has been
made and it has been
discovered that that
city has
risen up
against the
kings in
past days, that
rebellion and
revolt have been
perpetrated in it,
a't.y.riq yiD .Wx;K.v;h.w .Wr;Q;b.W ~e[.j ~yif yiNim.W ? h'a.F;n.tim !yik.l;m -l;[ a'm.l'[ t'mw{y -nim .$'d ? H;B -d,b][.tim r.WD;T.v,a.w d;r.m.W
20
that
mighty kings have
ruled over Jerusalem,
governing all the provinces
beyond the
River, and that
tribute,
custom and
toll were
paid to them.
!yijyiL;v.w ~,l.v.Wr.y -l;[ w{w]h !yipyiQ;T !yik.l;m.W ? beh.y.tim .$'l]h;w w{l.b h'Dim.W h'r]h;n r;b][ l{k.B ? !w{h.l
21
"So,
now issue a
decree to make
these men stop work, that
this city may not be
rebuilt until a
decree is
issued by me.
a't.y.riq.w .$eLia a'Y;r.bUG a'l'J;b.l ]me[.J .Wmyif !;[.K ? ~'f.TIy a'm.[;j yiNim -d;[ aen.B.tit a'l .$'d
22
"Beware of being
negligent in
carrying out
this matter;
why should
damage increase to the
detriment of the
kings?"
h'm.l h'n.D -l;[ d;B.[,m.l .Wl'v w{w/h !yiryih.z.W ? !yik.l;m t;q'z.n;h.l a'l'b]x aeG.fIy
23
Then as
soon * as the
copy of
King Artaxerxes' document was
read before Rehum and
Shimshai the
scribe and their
colleagues, they
went in
haste to
Jerusalem to the
Jews and
stopped them by
force of
arms.
a'T.f;v.x;T.r;a yiD a'n'w.T.vin !,g,v.r;P yiD -nim !Iy;d/a ? !w{h.t'w'n.k.W a'r.p's y;v.miv.w ~.Wx.r -m'd\q yir/q a'K.l;m ? aey'd.Wh.y -l;[ ]m,l.v.Wryil .Wlyih.bib .Wl;z]a ? lIy'x.w ['r.d,a.B w{Mih .WliJ;b.W
24
Then work on the
house of
God in
Jerusalem ceased, and it was
stopped until the
second year of the
reign of
Darius king of
Persia.
~,l.v.WryiB yiD a'h'l/a -tyeB t;dyib][ t;lej.B !Iy;daeB ? v,w'y.r'D t.Wk.l;m.l !yeT.r;T t;n.v d;[ a'l.j'B t'w]h;w ? s'r'P -.k,l,m