1995 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
Ezra 4
1 The adversaries, being not accepted in the building of the Temple with the Jews, endeavour to hinder it. 7 Their letter to Artaxerxes. 17 The decree of Artaxerxes. 23 The building is hindered.
4:1
Now when the enemies 6862c of Judah 3063 and Benjamin 1144 heard 8085 that the people 1121 of the exile 1473 were building 1129 a temple 1964 to the LORD 3068 God 430 of Israel 3478,
4:2
they approached 5066 Zerubbabel 2216 and the heads 7218 of fathers’ 1 [households], and said 559 to them, “Let us build 1129 with you, for we, like you, seek 1875 your God 430; and we have been sacrificing 2076 to Him since 4480 the days 3117 of Esarhaddon 634 king 4428 of Assyria 804b, who brought 5927 us up here 6311.”
4:3
But Zerubbabel 2216 and Jeshua 3091 and the rest 7605 of the heads 7218 of fathers’ 1 [households] of Israel 3478 said 559 to them, “You have nothing 3808 in common with us in building 1129 a house 1004 to our God 430; but we ourselves 587 will together 3162 build 1129 to the LORD 3068 God 430 of Israel 3478, as King 4428 Cyrus 3566, the king 4428 of Persia 6539 has commanded 6680 us.”
4:4
¶ Then the people 5971a of the land 776 discouraged 7503 3027 the people 5971a of Judah 3063, and frightened 1089 them from building 1129,
4:5
and hired 5534b counselors 3289 against 5921 them to frustrate 6565a their counsel 6098 all 3605 the days 3117 of Cyrus 3566 king 4428 of Persia 6539, even until 5704 the reign 4438 of Darius 1867 king 4428 of Persia 6539.
4:6
¶ Now in the reign 4438 of Ahasuerus 325, in the beginning 8462 of his reign 4438, they wrote 3789 an accusation 7855 against 5921 the inhabitants 3427 of Judah 3063 and Jerusalem 3389.
4:7
¶ And in the days 3117 of Artaxerxes 783a, Bishlam 1312, Mithredath 4990, Tabeel 2870b and the rest 7605 of his colleagues 3674 wrote 3789 to Artaxerxes 783a king 4428 of Persia 6539; and the text 3791 of the letter 5406 was written 3789 in Aramaic 762 and translated 8638 [from] Aramaic 762.
4:8
Rehum 7348b the commander 1169 2942 and Shimshai 8124 the scribe 5613a wrote 3790 a letter 104 against 5922 Jerusalem 3390 to King 4430 Artaxerxes 783b, as follows 3660—
4:9
then 116 [wrote] Rehum 7348b the commander 1169 2942 and Shimshai 8124 the scribe 5613a and the rest 7606 of their colleagues 3675, the judges 1784a and the lesser 671b governors 671b, the officials 2967, the secretaries 670, the men 756 of Erech 756, the Babylonians 896, the men 7801 of Susa 7801, that is, the Elamites 5962,
4:10
and the rest 7606 of the nations 524 which 1768 the great 7229 and honorable 3358 Osnappar 620 deported 1541 and settled 3488 in the city 7149 of Samaria 8115, and in the rest 7606 of the region 5675 beyond 5675 the River 5103. Now 3706
4:11
this 1836 is the copy 6573 of the letter 104 which 1768 they sent 7972 to him: ¶ “To King 4430 Artaxerxes 783b: Your servants 5649, the men 606 in the region 5675 beyond 5675 the River 5103, and now 3706
4:12
let it be known 3046 to the king 4430 that the Jews 3062 who 1768 came 5559b up from you have come 858 to us at Jerusalem 3390; they are rebuilding 1124 the rebellious 4779a and evil 873 city 7149 and are finishing 3635 the walls 7792 and repairing 2338 the foundations 787.
4:13
“Now 3705 let it be known 3046 to the king 4430, that if 2006 that city 7149 is rebuilt 1124 and the walls 7792 are finished 3635, they will not pay 5415 tribute 4061, custom 1093 or toll 1983, and it will damage 5142 the revenue 674 of the kings 4430.
4:14
“Now 3705 because 3606 6903 1768 we are in the service 4415 of the palace 1965, and it is not fitting 749 for us to see 2370 the king’s 4430 dishonor 6173, therefore 5922 1836 we have sent 7972 and informed 3046 the king 4430,
4:15
so 1768 that a search 1240 may be made 5648 in the record 1799b books 5609 of your fathers 2. And you will discover 7912 in the record 1799b books 5609 and learn 3046 that that city 7149 is a rebellious 4779a city 7149 and damaging 5142 to kings 4430 and provinces 4083, and that they have incited 5648 revolt 849 within 1459 it in past 5957 days 3118; therefore 5922 1836 that city 7149 was laid 2718 waste 2718.
4:16
“We inform 3046 the king 4430 that if 2006 that city 7149 is rebuilt 1124 and the walls 7792 finished 3635, as a result 6903 you will have 383 no 3809 possession 2508 in [the province] beyond 5675 the River 5103.”
4:17
¶ [Then] the king 4430 sent 7972 an answer 6600 to Rehum 7348b the commander 1169 2942, to Shimshai 8124 the scribe 5613a, and to the rest 7606 of their colleagues 3675 who 1768 live 3488 in Samaria 8115 and in the rest 7606 of [the provinces] beyond 5675 the River 5103: “Peace 8001. And now 3706
4:18
the document 5407 which 1768 you sent 7972 to us has been translated 6568 and read 7123 before 6925 me.
4:19
“A decree 2942 has been issued 7761 by me, and a search 1240 has been made 1240 and it has been discovered 7912 that that city 7149 has risen 5376 up against 5922 the kings 4430 in past 5957 days 3118, that rebellion 4776 and revolt 849 have been perpetrated 5957 in it,
4:20
that mighty 8624 kings 4430 have ruled 1934 over 5922 Jerusalem 3390, governing 7990 all 3606 [the provinces] beyond 5675 the River 5103, and that tribute 4061, custom 1093 and toll 1983 were paid 3052 to them.
4:21
“So, now 3705 issue 7761 a decree 2942 to make these 479 men 1400 stop 989 [work], that this 1791 city 7149 may not be rebuilt 1124 until 5704 a decree 2942 is issued 7761 by me.
4:22
“Beware 1934 of being negligent 7960 in carrying 5648 out this 1836 [matter]; why 4101 should damage 2257 increase 7680 to the detriment 5142 of the kings 4430?”
4:23
¶ Then 116 as soon 4481 1768 as the copy 6573 of King 4430 Artaxerxes’ 783b document 5407 was read 7123 before 6925 Rehum 7348b and Shimshai 8124 the scribe 5613a and their colleagues 3675, they went 236 in haste 924 to Jerusalem 3390 to the Jews 3062 and stopped 989 them by force 153 of arms 2429.
4:24
¶ Then 116 work 5673 on the house 1005 of God 426 in Jerusalem 3390 ceased 989, and it was stopped 989 until 5704 the second 8648 year 8140 of the reign 4437 of Darius 1868 king 4430 of Persia 6540.
