Later Opposition Under Xerxes and Artaxerxes

⁶ At the beginning of the reign of Xerxes,^[a](A) they lodged an accusation against the people of Judah and Jerusalem.^(B)

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]

²⁴ Thus the work on the house of God in Jerusalem came to a standstill until the second year of the reign of Darius^(A) king of Persia.