Ezra 4:6-16

New King James Version

Rebuilding of Jerusalem Opposed

⁶In the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, they wrote an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.

⁷In the days of ^(A)Artaxerxes also, ^[a]Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabel, and the rest of their companions wrote to Artaxerxes king of Persia; and the letter was written in ^(B)Aramaic script, and translated into the Aramaic language. ⁸^[b]Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter against Jerusalem to King Artaxerxes in this fashion:

⁹^[c]From Rehum the commander, Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their companions—representatives of ^(C)the Dinaites, the Apharsathchites, the Tarpelites, the people of Persia and Erech and Babylon and ^[d]Shushan, the Dehavites, the Elamites, ¹⁰^(D)and the rest of the nations whom the great and noble Osnapper took captive and settled in the cities of Samaria and the remainder beyond ^[e]the River—^(E)and^[f] so forth.

¹¹(This is a copy of the letter that they sent him.)

To King Artaxerxes from your servants, the men of the region beyond the River, ^[g]and so forth:

¹²Let it be known to the king that the Jews who came up from you have come to us at Jerusalem, and are building the ^(F)rebellious and evil city, and are finishing its ^(G)walls and repairing the foundations. ¹³Let it now be known to the king that, if this city is built and the walls completed, they will not pay ^(H)tax, tribute, or custom, and the king’s treasury will be diminished. ¹⁴Now because we receive support from the palace, it was not proper for us to see the king’s dishonor; therefore we have sent and informed the king, ¹⁵that search may be made in the book of the records of your fathers. And you will find in the book of the records and know that this city is a rebellious city, harmful to kings and provinces, and that they have incited sedition within the city in former times, for which cause this city was destroyed.