Ezra 4:6-16
International Standard Version
6 At the beginning of the reign of Ahasuerus, they lodged a formal accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem. 7 While Artaxerxes was king of Persia, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of their co-conspirators wrote in the Aramaic language and script to King Artaxerxes of Persia.
Aramaic:[a]
8 Governor Rehum and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter concerning Jerusalem to King Artaxerxes as follows:
9 From Governor Rehum
Shimshai the scribe
The rest of their colleagues—
Judges, envoys, officials, Persians, the people of Erech, the Babylonians, the people of Susa (that is, the Elamites) 10 and many other nations whom the great and honorable Osnappar deported and resettled in Samaria and in the rest of the province beyond the Euphrates[b] River.
11 This is the text of the letter they sent.
To: King Artaxerxes
From: Your servants, the men of the province beyond the Euphrates[c] River.
12 May the king be advised that the Jews who came from you to us have reached Jerusalem and are rebuilding a rebellious and wicked city, having completed its walls and repaired its foundations.
13 May the king be further advised that if this city is rebuilt and its walls erected, its citizens[d] will refuse to pay tributes, taxes, and tariffs, thereby restricting royal revenues.
14 Now, because we are royal employees[e] and are committed to preserving the reputation of the king, we have written to the king and have declared its contents to be true,[f] 15 urging[g] that a search may be made in the official registers of your predecessors.[h] You will discover in the registers that[i] this city is a rebellious city, that it is damaging to both kings and provinces, that it has been moved to sedition from time immemorial, and that because of this it was destroyed.
16 We certify to the king that if this city is rebuilt and its walls completed, you will lose your land holdings in the province beyond the Euphrates[j] River.
Footnotes
- Ezra 4:7 From this point through 6:18, the text of MT is in Aramaic.
- Ezra 4:10 The Aram. lacks Euphrates
- Ezra 4:11 The Aram. lacks Euphrates
- Ezra 4:13 Lit. erected, they
- Ezra 4:14 Lit. we received salt from the palace
- Ezra 4:14 Lit. and certified to the king
- Ezra 4:15 The Aram. lacks urging
- Ezra 4:15 Lit. fathers
- Ezra 4:15 Lit. books and will know
- Ezra 4:16 The Aram. lacks Euphrates
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