Thentheycame to Zerubbabel, and to the chief of the fathers, and saiduntothem, Let us buildwith you: for we seekyour God, as ye do; and we do sacrificeunto him since the days of Esarhaddonking of Assur, whichbrought us up hither.
But Zerubbabel, and Jeshua, and the rest of the chief of the fathers of Israel, saiduntothem, Ye havenothing to do with us to build an houseunto our God; but we ourselvestogetherwillbuildunto the LORD God of Israel, as kingCyrus the king of Persiahathcommanded us.
And in the days of ArtaxerxeswroteBishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of theircompanions, untoArtaxerxesking of Persia; and the writing of the letter was written in the Syriantongue, and interpreted in the Syriantongue.
ThenwroteRehum the chancellor, and Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of theircompanions; the Dinaites, the Apharsathchites, the Tarpelites, the Apharsites, the Archevites, the Babylonians, the Susanchites, the Dehavites, and the Elamites,
And the rest of the nationswhom the great and nobleAsnapperbroughtover, and set in the cities of Samaria, and the restthat are on thisside the river, and at such a time.
Be it knownunto the king, that the Jewswhichcame up fromthee to us are comeuntoJerusalem, building the rebellious and the bad city, and have set up the wallsthereof, and joined the foundations.
Be it known now unto the king, that, if thiscity be builded, and the walls set up again, thenwillthey not pay toll, tribute, and custom, and so thoushaltendamage the revenue of the kings.
Now because we havemaintenancefrom the king’spalace, and it was not meet for us to see the king’sdishonour, thereforehave we sent and certified the king;
Thatsearch may be made in the book of the records of thy fathers: so shaltthoufind in the book of the records, and knowthatthiscity is a rebelliouscity, and hurtfuluntokings and provinces, and thattheyhavemovedseditionwithin the same of old time: for whichcause was thiscitydestroyed.
Thensent the king an answeruntoRehum the chancellor, and to Shimshai the scribe, and to the rest of theircompanionsthatdwell in Samaria, and unto the restbeyond the river, Peace, and at such a time.
And I commanded, and searchhathbeenmade, and it is foundthatthiscity of old timehathmadeinsurrectionagainstkings, and thatrebellion and seditionhavebeenmadetherein.
Now when the copy of kingArtaxerxes’letter was readbeforeRehum, and Shimshai the scribe, and theircompanions, theywent up in haste to Jerusalemunto the Jews, and madethem to cease by force and power.