以斯拉記 4
Chinese Contemporary Bible (Traditional)
建殿工作受阻
4 猶大和便雅憫的敵人聽說流亡者回來要為以色列的上帝耶和華建殿， 2 就去見所羅巴伯和以色列的族長，對他們說：「請讓我們與你們一同建造，因為我們像你們一樣也尋求你們的上帝。自從亞述王以撒哈頓帶我們到這裡以後，我們就一直獻祭給上帝。」 3 所羅巴伯、耶書亞和以色列其餘的族長回答說：「你們不能參與建殿。遵照波斯王塞魯士的吩咐，我們要自己為以色列的上帝耶和華建殿。」
4 於是，當地人阻撓猶大人，使他們不敢建殿， 5 從波斯王塞魯士統治年間，一直到波斯王大流士統治期間，當地人收買謀士，破壞他們的計劃。
阻擾重建耶路撒冷
6 亞哈隨魯統治初期，他們寫信控告猶大和耶路撒冷的居民。
7 波斯王亞達薛西統治年間，比施蘭、米特利達、他別及其同黨上奏亞達薛西。奏章是用亞蘭文寫的，經過翻譯後呈上。 8 利宏省長和伸帥書記也寫了奏本給亞達薛西王，控告耶路撒冷人，內容如下： 9 「利宏省長、伸帥書記和我們的同僚底拿人、亞法薩提迦人、他毗拉人、亞法撒人、亞基衛人、巴比倫人、書珊迦人、底亥人、以攔人， 10 以及偉大尊貴的亞斯那巴遷來並安置在撒瑪利亞各城與幼發拉底河西一帶的人民， 11 上奏亞達薛西王，
「『幼發拉底河西的臣民奏告亞達薛西王， 12 王該知道，從王那裡到我們這裡來的猶太人已經去了耶路撒冷，如今正在重建這座叛逆、罪惡之城，正在重建地基，修築城牆。 13 王該知道，如果這城建好，城牆完工，他們將不再進貢、交賦、納稅，王的稅收必受虧損。 14 我們既食王祿，就不能坐視王遭受損失，因此上奏於王。 15 請王查看先王的記錄，必從中獲悉這城是叛逆之城，危害列王和各省。自古以來，城中叛亂不斷，因此才被毀滅。 16 我們願王知道，這城一旦建好，城牆完工，幼發拉底河西之地就不再為王所有了。』」
17 王回覆利宏省長、伸帥書記及其住在撒瑪利亞與幼發拉底河西一帶的同僚，說：「願你們平安！ 18 你們呈上的奏章，經過翻譯已奏報給我。 19 我已命人查考，發現這城自古以來屢屢背叛列王，是悖逆和叛亂之地。 20 強大的君王曾經統管耶路撒冷和幼發拉底河西全境，並向人們徵收貢物和賦稅。 21 現在你們要下令讓這些人停止建造這城，等候我的諭旨。 22 要認真辦理這事，不可遲延，何必容事情惡化，使王受虧損呢？」
23 利宏、伸帥書記及其同僚接到諭旨後，急忙趕往耶路撒冷，用武力強迫猶太人停工。
恢復建殿工作
24 於是，耶路撒冷上帝殿的重建工程停止了，一直停到波斯王大流士第二年。
एज्रा 4
Awadhi Bible: Easy-to-Read Version
मन्दिर क पुन: निर्माण क बिरुद्ध दुस्मन
4 1-2 उ पहँटा मँ रहइवाले बहोत स लोग यहूदा अउ बिन्यामीन क लोगन क बिरुद्ध रहेन। ओन दुस्मनन सुनेन कि सबइ लोग जउन बन्धुवाई स आएन ह उ सबइ, इस्राएल क परमेस्सर यहोवा क बरे एक ठु मन्दिर बनावत अहइँ। एह बरे उ सबइ दुस्मन जरुब्बाबेल अउ परिवार प्रमुखन क लगे आएन अउ उ पचे कहेन, “मन्दिर बनावइ मँ हम क तू पचन क मदद करइ द्या। हम लग उहइ अही जउन तू अहा, हम तोहरे पचन्क परमेस्सर स मदद माँगित ह। हम लोग तोहरे पचन्क परमेस्सर क तब स बलि चढ़ावा ह जब स अस्सूर क राजा एसर्हद्दोन हम लोगन क हिआँ लिआव।”
3 मुला जरूब्बाबेल, येसू अउर इस्राएल क दूसर परिवार प्रमुखन जवाब दिहन, “नाहीं, तू जइसे लोग हमरे परमेस्सर क बरे मन्दिर बनावइ मँ हम क मदद नाहीं कइ सकतेन। सिरिफ हम लोग ही यहोवा क बरे मन्दिर बनाइ सकित ह। उ इस्राएल क परमेस्सर अहइ। फारस क राजा कुस्रू जउन करइ क आदेस दिहस ह, उ इहइ अहइ।”
4 एह बरे उ देस क लोग मन्दिर क बनावइ क कार्य रोकइ क बरे जतन करत भए यहूदी लोगन क हिम्मत तोड़इ क बरे ओनका डराउब सुरु किहन। 5 ओन दुस्मनन सलाहकारन क यहूदा क लोगन क खिलाफ काम करइ क बरे बेसहि लिहन। उ सलाहकारन ओनके जोजनन मँ बाधा डावइ क जतन किहेन। इ कारज तब तलक लगातार चलत रहा जब तलक कुस्रू फारस क राजा रहा अउर बाद मँ जब तलक दारा फारस क राजा नाहीं होइ गवा।
6 ओन दुस्मनन यहूदियन क रोकइ क बरे जतन करत भए फारस क राजा क पत्र भी लिखेन। अउर उ पचे इ पत्र फारस क राजा छयर्स क सासन काल क सुरू मँ लिखेन।
यरूसलेम क पुन: निर्माण क बिरुद्ध दुस्मन
7 पाछे, जब अर्तछत्र फारस क नवा राजा भवा, एन लोगन मँ स कछू यहूदियन क खिलाफ सिकाइत करत भए एक ठू अउर पत्र लिखेन। जउन लोग उ पत्र लिखेन, उ सबइ इ सब रहेन: बिसलाम, मिथदात, ताबेल अउर ओकरे दल क दूसर लोग। उ पचे पत्र राजा अर्तछत्र क अरामी मँ अरामी लिपि क उपयोग करत भए लिखेन।
8 तब सासन अधिकारी रहूम अउर लिपिक सिमसै यरूसलेम क लोगन क खिलाफ पत्र लिखेन। उ पचे राजा अर्तछत्र क पत्र लिखेन। उ पचे जउन लिखेन उ इ रहा:
9 सासन अधिकारी रहूम, लिपिक सिमसै, निआधीसन अउर तर्पली, फारसी, एरेकी, बाबेली लोगन पइ क महत्त्वपूर्ण उच्चय अधिकारियन अउर सूसनी क एलामी लोगन क कइँती स, 10 अउ उ सबइ दूसर लोग क ओर स जेनका महान अउर सक्तीसाली ओस्नप्पर सोमरोन क नगरन अउर परात नदी क पच्छिमी पहँटा क दूसर जगहन पइ बसाए रहेन।
11 इ उ पत्र क प्रतिलिपि अहइ जेका ओन लोग अर्तछत्र क पठए रहेन।
राजा अर्तछत्र क, परात नदी क पच्छिमी पहँटा मँ आप क सेवकन कइँती स अहइ।
12 राजा अर्तछत्र हम आप क सूचित करइ चाहित ह कि जउन यहूदियन क आप-अपने लगे स पठया ह, उ पचे हिआँ आइ गएन ह। उ सबइ यहूदी उ नगर क फुन स बनावइ चाहत हीं। यरूसलेम एक बुरा अउर बिद्रोही नगर अहइ। अब उ पचे यहूदी परकोटन क जेवन क पक्का करत बाटेन अउर देवारन खड़ी करत अहइँ।
13 राजा अर्तछत्र आप क इ जान लेइ चाही कि जदि यरूसलेम अउर एकर परकोटन फुन बन गएन तउ यरूसलेम क लोगन कर देब बन्द कइ देइहीं। उ पचे आप क सम्मान करइ बरे धन पठउब बन्द कइ देइहीं। उ पचे सेवा कर भी रोक देइहीं अउर राजा क उ सारे धन स हाथ धोवइ पड़ी।
14 राजा क एकर जानकारी होइ चाही कि हम लोग राजा क वफ़ादार होइ क वादा किहे रहेन। ऍह बरे जिम्मेदारी हम लोगन पइ अहइ। हम लोगन क इ सबइ घटित होब नाहीं लखइ चाहतेउँ कि राजा क अपमान होइ। इहइ कारण अहइ कि हम लोग इ पत्र क जरिये राजा क इ बात क सम्बंध मँ सूचना दिहे अहउँ।
15 राजा अर्तछत्र हम इ चाहित ह कि आप ओन राजा लोगन क लेखन क पता लगावइँ कि जउन आपक पहिले हुकूमत किहन। आप ओन लेखन मँ लखिहीं कि यरूसलेम मँ सदा ही दूसर राजा लोगन क बरे बिद्रोह किहन। इ दूसर राजा लोगन अउ रास्ट्रन क बरे बहोत कठिनाइयन पइदा किहन ह। पुराने समइ स ही इ नगर बिद्रोह क उभारत अहइ ह। इहइ कारण अहइ कि यरूसलेम नस्ट भवा।
16 राजा अर्तछत्र हम आप क सूचित करइ चाहित ह कि जदि इ नगर अउ एकर परकोटन फुन स बन गवा तउ फरात नदी क इ कइँती क छेत्र आप क हाथे स निकरि जइहीं।
17 तब अर्तछत्र इ जवाब पठएस:
सासन अधिकारी रहूम अउ लिपिक सिमसै अउ ओनकर सबहिं साथियन क जउन सोमोरन अउ परात नदी क दूसर पच्छिमी प्रदेस मँ रहत हीं।
सुभ-कामनाऐं,
18 तू लोग जउन हमरे लगे पत्र पठाया ओकर अनुवाद भवा अउर मोका सुनावा गवा। 19 मइँ आदेस दिहेउँ कि मोरे पहिले क राजा लोगन क लेखन क खोज कीन्ह जाइ। लेख बाँचे गएन अउर हम लोगन क ग्यात भवा कि यरूसलेम क जरिये राजा लोगन क खिलाफ बिद्रोह करइ क एक लम्बा इतिहास अहइ। यरूसलेम अइसी जगह रहा नगर जहाँ अक्सर बिद्रोह अउ गद्दारी होत रहत हीं। 20 यरूसलेम अउ फरात नदी क पच्छिम क पूरे पहँटा पइ सक्तीसाली राजा राज्ज करत रहेन ह। राज्ज कर अउ राजा क सम्मान बरे धन अउ बिविध प्रकार क कर ओन राज लोगन क दीन्ह गएन ह।
21 अब तू पचन्क ओन लोगन क काम बन्द करइ क बरे एक ठु आदेस देइ चाही। इ आदेस यरूसलेम क पुनःनिर्माण क रोकइ क बरे तब तलक अहइ, जब तलक कि मइँ वइसा करइ क आग्या न देउँ। 22 सावधान रहया अउर इ आग्या क पालन करइ स इनकार जिन करा यरूसलम क पूनःनिमार्ण चलत नाहीं रहइ चाही, वरना मइँ यरूसलेम स मिलइवाला आमदनी क खोइ देबउँ।
23 तउ उ पत्र क प्रतिलिपि, जेका राजा अर्तछेत्र पठएस रहूम, लिपिक सिमसै अउ ओकरे संग क लोगन क बाँचिके सुनाई गइ। तब उ सबइ लोग बड़ी तेजी स यरूसलेम मँ यहूदियन क लगे गएन। उ पचे यहूदियन क निर्माण कार्य बन्द करइ क मजबूर किहन।
मन्दिर क कार्य रुका
24 इ तरह यरूसलेम मँ परमेस्सर क मन्दिर क काम रुक गवा। फारस क राजा दारा क सासनकाल क दूसरे बरिस तलक इ कार्य नाहीं चला।
Ezra 4
New English Translation
Opposition to the Building Efforts
4 When the enemies of Judah and Benjamin learned that the former exiles[a] were building a temple for the Lord God of Israel, 2 they came to Zerubbabel and the leaders[b] and said to them, “Let us help you build,[c] for like you we seek your God and we have been sacrificing to him[d] from the time[e] of King Esarhaddon[f] of Assyria, who brought us here.”[g] 3 But Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the rest of the leaders of Israel said to them, “You have no right[h] to help us build the temple of our God. We will build it by ourselves for the Lord God of Israel, just as King Cyrus, the king of Persia, has commanded us.” 4 Then the local people[i] began to discourage[j] the people of Judah and to dishearten them from building. 5 They were hiring advisers to oppose them, so as to frustrate their plans, throughout the time[k] of King Cyrus of Persia until the reign of King Darius[l] of Persia.[m]
Official Complaints Are Lodged Against the Jews
6 [n] At the beginning of the reign of Ahasuerus[o] they filed an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem. 7 And during the reign[p] of Artaxerxes, Bishlam,[q] Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of their colleagues[r] wrote to King Artaxerxes[s] of Persia. This letter[t] was first written in Aramaic but then translated.
[What follows is in Aramaic][u]
8 Rehum the commander[v] and Shimshai the scribe[w] wrote a letter concerning[x] Jerusalem to King Artaxerxes as follows: 9 From[y] Rehum the commander, Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their colleagues—the judges, the rulers, the officials, the secretaries, the Erechites, the Babylonians, the people of Susa (that is,[z] the Elamites), 10 and the rest of the nations whom the great and noble Ashurbanipal[aa] deported and settled in the cities[ab] of Samaria and other places in Trans-Euphrates.[ac] 11 (This is a copy of the letter they sent to him.)
“To King Artaxerxes,[ad] from your servants in[ae] Trans-Euphrates: 12 Now[af] let the king be aware that the Jews who came up to us from you have gone to Jerusalem. They are rebuilding that rebellious and odious city.[ag] They are completing its walls and repairing its foundations. 13 Let the king also be aware that if this city is built and its walls are completed, no more tax, custom, or toll will be paid, and the royal treasury[ah] will suffer loss. 14 In light of the fact that we are loyal to the king,[ai] and since it does not seem appropriate to us that the king should sustain damage,[aj] we are sending the king this information[ak] 15 so that he may initiate a search of the records[al] of his predecessors[am] and discover in those records[an] that this city is rebellious[ao] and injurious to both kings and provinces, producing internal revolts[ap] from long ago.[aq] It is for this very reason that this city was destroyed. 16 We therefore are informing the king that if this city is rebuilt and its walls are completed, you will not retain control[ar] of this portion of Trans-Euphrates.”
17 The king sent the following response:
“To Rehum the commander, Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their colleagues who live in Samaria and other parts of Trans-Euphrates: Greetings![as] 18 The letter you sent to us has been translated and read in my presence. 19 So I gave orders,[at] and it was determined[au] that this city from long ago has been engaging in insurrection against kings. It has continually engaged in[av] rebellion and revolt. 20 Powerful kings have been over Jerusalem who ruled throughout the entire Trans-Euphrates[aw] and who were the beneficiaries of[ax] tribute, custom, and toll. 21 Now give orders that these men cease their work and that this city not be rebuilt until such time as I so instruct.[ay] 22 Exercise appropriate caution so that there is no negligence in this matter. Why should danger increase to the point that the king sustains damage?”
23 Then, as soon as the copy of the letter from King Artaxerxes was read in the presence of Rehum, Shimshai the scribe, and their colleagues, they proceeded promptly to the Jews in Jerusalem[az] and stopped them with threat of armed force.[ba]
24 So the work on the temple of God in Jerusalem came to a halt. It remained halted until the second year of the reign of King Darius of Persia.[bb]
Footnotes
- Ezra 4:1 tn Heb “the sons of the exile.”
- Ezra 4:2 tn Heb “the heads of the fathers.” So also in v. 3.
- Ezra 4:2 tn Heb “Let us build with you.”
- Ezra 4:2 tc The translation reads with the Qere, a Qumran ms, the LXX, the Syriac Peshitta, and the Arabic version וְלוֹ (velo, “and him”) rather than the Kethib of the MT, וְלֹא (veloʾ, “and not”).
- Ezra 4:2 tn Heb “days.”
- Ezra 4:2 sn Esarhaddon was king of Assyria ca. 681-669 b.c.
- Ezra 4:2 sn The Assyrian policy had been to resettle Samaria with peoples from other areas (cf. 2 Kgs 17:24-34). These immigrants acknowledged Yahweh as well as other deities in some cases. The Jews who returned from the Exile regarded them with suspicion and were not hospitable to their offer of help in rebuilding the temple.
- Ezra 4:3 tn Heb “not to you and to us.”
- Ezra 4:4 tn Heb “the people of the land.” Elsewhere this expression sometimes has a negative connotation, referring to a lay population that was less zealous for Judaism than it should have been. Here, however, it seems to refer to the resident population of the area without any negative connotation.
- Ezra 4:4 tn Heb “were making slack the hands of.”
- Ezra 4:5 tn Heb “all the days of.”
- Ezra 4:5 sn Darius ruled Persia ca. 522-486 b.c.
- Ezra 4:5 sn The purpose of the opening verses of this chapter is to summarize why the Jews returning from the exile were unable to complete the rebuilding of the temple more quickly than they did. The delay was due not to disinterest on their part but to the repeated obstacles that had been placed in their path by determined foes.
- Ezra 4:6 sn The chronological problems of Ezra 4:6-24 are well known and have been the subject of extensive discussion since ancient times. Both v. 5 and v. 24 describe the reign of Darius I Hystaspes, who ruled Persia ca. 522-486 b.c. and in whose time the rebuilt temple was finished. The material in between is from later times (v. 16 describes the rebuilding of the walls, not the temple), and so appear to be a digression. Even recognizing this, there are still questions, such as why Cambyses (530-522 b.c.) is not mentioned at all, and why events from the time of Xerxes (486-465 b.c.) and Artaxerxes (464-423 b.c.) are included here if the author was discussing opposition to the building of the temple, which was finished in 516 b.c. Theories to explain these difficulties are too numerous to mention here, but have existed since ancient times: Josephus, the first century Jewish historian, rearranged the account to put Cambyses before Xerxes and replacing Artaxerxes with Xerxes (for further discussion of Josephus’ rearrangement see L. L. Grabbe, “Josephus and the Reconstruction of the Judean Restoration” JBL 106 [1987]: 231-46). In brief, it seems best to view the author’s primary concern here as thematic (the theme of opposition to the Jewish resettlement in Jerusalem, including the rebuilding of the temple and restoration of Jerusalem’s walls) rather than purely chronological. In the previous verses the author had shown how the Jews had rejected an offer of assistance from surrounding peoples and how these people in turn harassed them. The inserted account shows how, in light of the unremitting opposition the Jews experienced (even extending down to more recent times), this refusal of help had been fully justified. Some of the documents the author employed show how this opposition continued even after the temple was rebuilt. (The failure to mention Cambyses may simply mean the author had no documents available from that period.) For detailed discussion of the difficulties presented by the passage and the various theories advanced to explain them, see H. G. M. Williamson, Ezra, Nehemiah (WBC), 56-60.
- Ezra 4:6 sn Ahasuerus, otherwise known as Xerxes I, ruled ca. 486-464 b.c.
- Ezra 4:7 tn Heb “And in the days.”
- Ezra 4:7 tn The LXX understands this word as a prepositional phrase (“in peace”) rather than as a proper name (“Bishlam”). Taken this way it would suggest that Mithredath was “in agreement with” the contents of Tabeel’s letter. Some scholars regard the word in the MT to be a textual variation of an original “in Jerusalem” (i.e., “in the matter of Jerusalem”) or “in the name of Jerusalem.” The translation adopted above follows the traditional understanding of the word as a name.
- Ezra 4:7 tc The translation reads the plural with the Qere rather than the singular found in the MT Kethib.
- Ezra 4:7 sn Artaxerxes I ruled in Persia from ca. 465-425 b.c.
- Ezra 4:7 tc It is preferable to delete the MT’s וּכְתָב (ukhetav) here.
- Ezra 4:7 sn The double reference in v. 7 to the Aramaic language is difficult. It would not make sense to say that the letter was written in Aramaic and then translated into Aramaic. Some interpreters understand the verse to mean that the letter was written in the Aramaic script and in the Aramaic language, but this does not seem to give sufficient attention to the participle “translated” at the end of the verse. The second reference to Aramaic in the verse is more probably a gloss that calls attention to the fact that the following verses retain the Aramaic language of the letter in its original linguistic form. A similar reference to Aramaic occurs in Dan 2:4b, where the language of that book shifts from Hebrew to Aramaic. Ezra 4:8-6:18 and 7:12-26 are written in Aramaic, whereas the rest of the book is written in Hebrew.
- Ezra 4:8 tn Aram “lord of the command.” So also in vv. 9, 17.
- Ezra 4:8 sn Like Rehum, Shimshai was apparently a fairly high-ranking official charged with overseeing Persian interests in this part of the empire. His title was “scribe” or “secretary,” but in a more elevated political sense than that word sometimes has elsewhere. American governmental titles such as “Secretary of State” perhaps provide an analogy in that the word “secretary” can have a broad range of meaning.
- Ezra 4:8 tn Or perhaps “against.”
- Ezra 4:9 tn Aram “then.” What follows in v. 9 seems to be the preface of the letter, serving to identify the senders of the letter. The word “from” is not in the Aramaic text but has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
- Ezra 4:9 tn For the Qere of the MT (דֶּהָיֵא, dehayeʾ, a proper name) it seems better to retain the Kethib דִּהוּא (dihuʾ, “that is”). See F. Rosenthal, Grammar, 25, §35; E. Vogt, Lexicon linguae aramaicae, 36.
- Ezra 4:10 tn Aram “Osnappar” (so ASV, NASB, NRSV), another name for Ashurbanipal.sn Ashurbanipal succeeded his father Esarhaddon as king of Assyria in 669 b.c. Around 645 b.c. he sacked the city of Susa, capital of Elam, and apparently some of these people were exiled to Samaria and other places.
- Ezra 4:10 tc The translation reads with the ancient versions the plural בְּקֻרְיַהּ (bequryah, “in the cities”) rather than the singular (“in the city”) of the MT.
- Ezra 4:10 tn Aram “beyond the river.” In Ezra this term is a technical designation for the region west of the Euphrates river.
- Ezra 4:11 tn The Masoretic accents indicate that the phrase “to Artaxerxes the king” goes with what precedes and that the letter begins with the words “from your servants.” But it seems better to understand the letter to begin by identifying the addressee.
- Ezra 4:11 tn Aram “men of.”
- Ezra 4:12 tn The MT takes this word with the latter part of v. 11, but in English style it fits better with v. 12.
- Ezra 4:12 sn Management of the provinces that were distantly removed from the capital was difficult, and insurrection in such places was a perennial problem. The language used in this report about Jerusalem (i.e., “rebellious,” “odious”) is intentionally inflammatory. It is calculated to draw immediate attention to the perceived problem.
- Ezra 4:13 tn Aram “the treasury of kings.” The plural “kings” is Hebrew, not Aramaic. If the plural is intended in a numerical sense the reference is not just to Artaxerxes but to his successors as well. Some scholars understand this to be the plural of majesty, referring to Artaxerxes. See F. C. Fensham, Ezra and Nehemiah (NICOT), 74.
- Ezra 4:14 tn Aram “we eat the salt of the palace.”
- Ezra 4:14 tn Aram “the dishonor of the king is not fitting for us to see.”
- Ezra 4:14 tn Aram “and we have made known.”
- Ezra 4:15 tn Aram “the book of the minutes.”
- Ezra 4:15 tn Aram “of your fathers.”
- Ezra 4:15 tn Aram “discover…and learn.” For stylistic reasons this has been translated as a single concept.
- Ezra 4:15 tn Aram “is a rebellious city.”
- Ezra 4:15 tn Aram “revolts they are making in its midst.”
- Ezra 4:15 tn Aram “from olden days.” So also in v. 19.
- Ezra 4:16 tn Aram “will not be to you.”
- Ezra 4:17 tn Aram “peace.”
- Ezra 4:19 tn Aram “from me was placed a decree.”
- Ezra 4:19 tn Aram “and they searched and found.”
- Ezra 4:19 tn Aram “are being done.”
- Ezra 4:20 sn The statement that prior Jewish kings ruled over the entire Trans-Euphrates is an overstatement. Not even in the days of David and Solomon did the kingdom of Israel extend its borders to such an extent.
- Ezra 4:20 tn Aram “were being given to them.”
- Ezra 4:21 tn Aram “until a command is issued from me.”
- Ezra 4:23 tn Aram “to Jerusalem against the Jews.”
- Ezra 4:23 tn Aram “by force and power,” a hendiadys.
- Ezra 4:24 sn Darius I Hystaspes ruled Persia ca. 522-486 b.c.
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