Tattenai's Letter to King Darius

⁶ This is a copy of the letter that ^(A)Tattenai the governor of the province Beyond the River and Shethar-bozenai and his associates, the ^(B)governors who were in the province Beyond the River, sent to Darius the king.

⁹ Rehum the commander, Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their associates, the ^(A)judges, the ^(B)governors, the officials, the Persians, the men of Erech, the Babylonians, the men of Susa, that is, the ^(C)Elamites,

⁶ “Now therefore, ^(A)Tattenai, governor of the province Beyond the River, Shethar-bozenai, ^(B)and your^[a] associates the governors who are in the province Beyond the River, keep away.

³ At the same time ^(A)Tattenai the governor of the province Beyond the River and Shethar-bozenai and their associates came to them and spoke to them thus: ^(B)“Who gave you a decree to build this house and to finish this structure?”

²³ Then, when the copy of King Artaxerxes' letter was read before Rehum and Shimshai the scribe and their associates, they went in haste to the Jews at Jerusalem and by force and power made them cease.

¹¹ (This is a copy of the letter that they sent.) “To Artaxerxes the king: Your servants, the men of the province Beyond the River, send greeting. And now