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Chapter 4 |
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1 | Now when the adversaries of Judah and
Benjamin heard that the children of the captivity builded the temple unto the
LORD God 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 Esarhaddon
king of Assur, which brought us up hither. |
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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 LORD God of Israel, as king Cyrus the king of
Persia hath commanded us. |
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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 purpose, 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, wrote they unto
him an accusation 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
Asnapper brought over, and set in the cities of Samaria, and the rest that are
on this side the river, and at such a time. |
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11 | This is the copy of the
letter that they sent unto him, even unto Artaxerxes the king; Thy servants the
men on this side the river, and at such a time. |
| 12 | Be it known
unto the king, that the Jews which came up from thee to us are come unto
Jerusalem, building the rebellious and the bad city, and have set up the walls
thereof, and joined the foundations. |
| 13 | Be it known now unto the
king, that, if this city be builded, and the walls set up again, then will they
not pay toll, tribute, and custom, and so thou shalt endamage the revenue of
the kings. |
| 14
| Now because we have maintenance from the king's palace,
and it was not meet for us to see the king's dishonour, therefore have we sent
and certified the king; |
| 15 | That search may be made in the book of the
records of thy fathers: so shalt thou find in the book of the records, and know
that this city is a rebellious city, and hurtful unto kings and provinces, and
that they have moved sedition within the same of old time: for which cause was
this city destroyed. |
| 16 | We certify the king that, if this city be
builded again, and the walls thereof set up, by this means thou shalt have no
portion on this side the river. |
| 17 | Then sent the king an answer
unto Rehum the chancellor, and to Shimshai the scribe, and to the rest of their
companions that dwell in Samaria, and unto the rest beyond the river, Peace,
and at such a time. |
| 18 | The letter which ye sent unto us hath been
plainly read before me. |
| 19 | And I commanded, and search hath been made,
and it is found that this city of old time hath made insurrection against
kings, and that rebellion and sedition have been made therein. |
| 20 |
There have been mighty kings also over Jerusalem, which have ruled over all
countries beyond the river; and toll, tribute, and custom, was paid unto
them. |
| 21 |
Give ye now commandment to cause these men to cease, and that
this city be not builded, until another commandment shall be given from
me. |
| 22 |
Take heed now that ye fail not to do this: why should damage
grow to the hurt of the kings? |
| 23 | Now when the copy of king
Artaxerxes' letter was read before Rehum, and Shimshai the scribe, and their
companions, they went up in haste to Jerusalem unto the Jews, and made them to
cease by force and power. |
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24 | Then ceased the work of the house of
God which is at Jerusalem. So it ceased unto the second year of the reign of
Darius king of Persia. |
