They also bribed officials to act against them to frustrate their plans(A) throughout the reign of King Cyrus of Persia and until the reign of King Darius of Persia.(B)

Opposition to Rebuilding the City

At the beginning of the reign of Ahasuerus,(C) the people who were already in the land(D) wrote an accusation against the residents of Judah and Jerusalem. During the time of King Artaxerxes of Persia,(E) Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel and the rest of his colleagues wrote to King Artaxerxes. The letter was written in Aramaic(F) and translated.[a]

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Footnotes

  1. 4:7 Ezr 4:8–6:18 is written in Aramaic.

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.

Now in the reign of [a](A)Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, they wrote an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.

And in the days of [b]Artaxerxes, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of his colleagues wrote to Artaxerxes king of Persia; and the [c]text of the letter was written in Aramaic and translated (B)from Aramaic.

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Footnotes

  1. Ezra 4:6 Or Xerxes; Heb Ahash-verosh
  2. Ezra 4:7 Heb Artah-shashta
  3. Ezra 4:7 Lit writing

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.

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.

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.

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