⁷ And in the days of Artaxerxes^(A) king of Persia, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel and the rest of his associates wrote a letter to Artaxerxes. The letter was written in Aramaic script and in the Aramaic^(B) language.^[a][b]

²⁶ Then Eliakim son of Hilkiah, and Shebna and Joah said to the field commander, “Please speak to your servants in Aramaic,^(A) since we understand it. Don’t speak to us in Hebrew in the hearing of the people on the wall.”

⁴ Then the astrologers answered the king,^[a](A) “May the king live forever!^(B) Tell your servants the dream, and we will interpret it.”

¹¹ Then Eliakim, Shebna and Joah^(A) said to the field commander, “Please speak to your servants in Aramaic,^(B) since we understand it. Don’t speak to us in Hebrew in the hearing of the people on the wall.”

⁶ This is a copy of the letter that Tattenai, governor of Trans-Euphrates, and Shethar-Bozenai and their associates, the officials of Trans-Euphrates, sent to King Darius.

¹⁷ The king sent this reply: