Font Size
Ezra 4:6-16
New International Version
Ezra 4:6-16
New International Version
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(C) 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(D) language.[b][c]
8 Rehum the commanding officer and Shimshai the secretary wrote a letter against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king as follows:
9 Rehum the commanding officer and Shimshai the secretary, together with the rest of their associates(E)—the judges, officials and administrators over the people from Persia, Uruk(F) and Babylon, the Elamites of Susa,(G) 10 and the other people whom the great and honorable Ashurbanipal(H) deported and settled in the city of Samaria and elsewhere in Trans-Euphrates.(I)
11 (This is a copy of the letter they sent him.)
To King Artaxerxes,
From your servants in Trans-Euphrates:
12 The king should know that the people who came up to us from you have gone to Jerusalem and are rebuilding that rebellious and wicked city. They are restoring the walls and repairing the foundations.(J)
13 Furthermore, the king should know that if this city is built and its walls are restored, no more taxes, tribute or duty(K) will be paid, and eventually the royal revenues will suffer.[d] 14 Now since we are under obligation to the palace and it is not proper for us to see the king dishonored, we are sending this message to inform the king, 15 so that a search may be made in the archives(L) of your predecessors. In these records you will find that this city is a rebellious city, troublesome to kings and provinces, a place with a long history of sedition. That is why this city was destroyed.(M) 16 We inform the king that if this city is built and its walls are restored, you will be left with nothing in Trans-Euphrates.
Ezra 4:6-16
International Standard Version
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
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
International Standard Version (ISV) 
Copyright © 1995-2014 by ISV Foundation. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. Used by permission of Davidson Press, LLC.