¶ Now when the adversaries¹ of Judah and Benjamin heard that the children of the captivity² builded the temple unto the LORD God of Israel;

Then they came to Zerubbabel³, and to the chief of the fathers, and said unto them, Let us⁴ build with you: for we seek your God, as ye do; and we do⁵ sacrifice unto him since the days of Esarhaddon⁶ king of Assur⁸, which brought us up hither.

But Zerubbabel, and Jeshua, and the rest of the chief of the fathers of Israel, said unto them, Ye have nothing¹¹ 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 Cyrus¹² the king of Persia hath commanded us.

Then the people of the land weakened¹³ the hands of the people of Judah, and troubled¹⁴ them in building,

And hired¹⁵ counsellors against them, to frustrate their purpose, all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius¹⁶ king of Persia.

¶ And in the reign of Ahasuerus¹⁷, in the beginning of his reign, wrote¹⁸ they unto him an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.

And in the days of Artaxerxes¹⁹ wrote Bishlam²⁰, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of their companions, unto Artaxerxes king of Persia; and the writing of the letter was written in the Syrian tongue²¹, and interpreted in the Syrian tongue.

Rehum the chancellor and Shimshai the scribe²² wrote a letter against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king in this sort:

Then wrote Rehum the chancellor, and Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their companions²³; the Dinaites, the Apharsathchites²⁴, the Tarpelites, the Apharsites, the Archevites, the Babylonians, the Susanchites, the Dehavites, and the Elamites²⁶,

¶ And the rest²⁷ of the nations whom the great and noble Asnappar²⁸ brought over, and set in the cities of Samaria, and the rest that are on this side the river, and at such a time²⁹.

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 time³⁰.

Be it known unto the king, that the Jews which came up from thee to us are come unto Jerusalem, building the rebellious³² and the bad city³³, and have set up³⁴ the walls thereof, and joined³⁵ the foundations.

Be it known now unto the king, that, if this city³⁶ be builded, and the walls set up again, then will they not pay³⁷ toll, tribute, and custom, and so thou shalt endamage the revenue³⁸ of the kings.

Now because we have maintenance³⁹ from the king's palace, and it was⁴⁰ not meet for us to see the king's dishonour, therefore have we sent and certified the king;

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 city⁴¹ is a rebellious city, and hurtful unto kings and provinces, and that they have moved⁴² sedition within the same of old time: for which cause was this city destroyed.

We certify the king that, if this city be builded again, and the walls thereof set up, by this means thou shalt have⁴³ no portion on this side the river.

¶ Then sent the king an answer unto Rehum the chancellor, and to Shimshai the scribe, and to the rest of their companions⁴⁴ that dwell in Samaria, and unto the rest beyond the river, Peace⁴⁵, and at such a time⁴⁶.

The letter which ye sent unto us hath been plainly read⁴⁷ before me.

And I commanded⁴⁸, and search hath been made, and it is found⁴⁹ that this city of old time hath made insurrection⁵⁰ against kings, and that rebellion and sedition have been made therein.

¶ There have been mighty kings also over Jerusalem, which have ruled over all countries beyond⁵² the river; and toll⁵³, tribute, and custom, was paid unto them.

Give ye⁵⁴ now commandment to cause these men to cease, and that this city be not builded, until another commandment shall be given from me.

Take heed now that ye fail not to do this: why should⁵⁵ damage grow to the hurt of the kings?

Now when the copy of king Artaxerxes' letter was read before Rehum⁵⁶, and Shimshai the scribe, and their companions, they went up⁵⁷ in haste to Jerusalem unto the Jews, and made them to cease by force⁵⁸ and power.

Then ceased the work of the house of God which is at Jerusalem. So⁵⁹ it ceased unto the second year of the reign of Darius⁶⁰ king of Persia.