2
they approachedZerubbabel 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 Esarhaddonking of Assyria, who brought us up here."
3
But Zerubbabel and Jeshua and the rest of the heads of fathers' households of Israelsaid to them, "You have nothing in common with us in building a house to our God; but we ourselves will togetherbuild to the LORDGod of Israel, as KingCyrus, the king of Persia has commanded us."
7
And in the days of Artaxerxes, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel and the rest of his colleagueswrote to Artaxerxesking of Persia; and the text of the letter was written in Aramaic and translated from Aramaic.
9
then wrote Rehum the commander* and Shimshai the scribe and the rest of their colleagues, the judges and the lessergovernors, the officials, the secretaries, the men of Erech, the Babylonians, the men of Susa, that is, the Elamites,
10
and the rest of the nationswhich the great and honorableOsnappardeported and settled in the city of Samaria, and in the rest of the regionbeyond the River. Now
12
let it be known to the king that the Jewswhocame up from you have come to us at Jerusalem; they are rebuilding the rebellious and evilcity and are finishing the walls and repairing the foundations.
13
"Now let it be known to the king, that if that city is rebuilt and the walls are finished, they will not paytribute, custom or toll, and it will damage the revenue of the kings.
14
"Nowbecause** we are in the service of the palace, and it is not fitting for us to see the king'sdishonor, therefore* we have sent and informed the king,
15
so that a search may be made in the recordbooks of your fathers. And you will discover in the recordbooks and learn that that city is a rebelliouscity and damaging to kings and provinces, and that they have incitedrevoltwithin it in pastdays; therefore* that city was laidwaste.
17
Then the kingsent an answer to Rehum the commander*, to Shimshai the scribe, and to the rest of their colleagueswholive in Samaria and in the rest of the provinces beyond the River: "Peace. And now
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 pastdays, that rebellion and revolt have been perpetrated in it,
23
Then as soon* as the copy of KingArtaxerxes'document was readbeforeRehum and Shimshai the scribe and their colleagues, they went in haste to Jerusalem to the Jews and stopped them by force of arms.