Ezra 4:7-22

New King James Version

⁷In the days of ^(A)Artaxerxes also, ^[a]Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabel, and the rest of their companions wrote to Artaxerxes king of Persia; and the letter was written in ^(B)Aramaic script, and translated into the Aramaic language. ⁸^[b]Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter against Jerusalem to King Artaxerxes in this fashion:

⁹^[c]From Rehum the commander, Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their companions—representatives of ^(C)the Dinaites, the Apharsathchites, the Tarpelites, the people of Persia and Erech and Babylon and ^[d]Shushan, the Dehavites, the Elamites, ¹⁰^(D)and the rest of the nations whom the great and noble Osnapper took captive and settled in the cities of Samaria and the remainder beyond ^[e]the River—^(E)and^[f] so forth.

¹¹(This is a copy of the letter that they sent him.)

To King Artaxerxes from your servants, the men of the region beyond the River, ^[g]and so forth:

¹²Let it be known to the king that the Jews who came up from you have come to us at Jerusalem, and are building the ^(F)rebellious and evil city, and are finishing its ^(G)walls and repairing the foundations. ¹³Let it now be known to the king that, if this city is built and the walls completed, they will not pay ^(H)tax, tribute, or custom, and the king’s treasury will be diminished. ¹⁴Now because we receive support from the palace, it was not proper for us to see the king’s dishonor; therefore we have sent and informed the king, ¹⁵that search may be made in the book of the records of your fathers. And you will find in the book of the records and know that this city is a rebellious city, harmful to kings and provinces, and that they have incited sedition within the city in former times, for which cause this city was destroyed.

¹⁶We inform the king that if this city is rebuilt and its walls are completed, the result will be that you will have no dominion beyond the River.

¹⁷The king sent an answer:

To Rehum the commander, to Shimshai the scribe, to the rest of their companions who dwell in Samaria, and to the remainder beyond the River:

Peace, ^[h]and so forth.

¹⁸The letter which you sent to us has been clearly read before me. ¹⁹And ^[i]I gave the command, and a search has been made, and it was found that this city in former times has revolted against kings, and rebellion and sedition have been fostered in it. ²⁰There have also been mighty kings over Jerusalem, who have ^(I)ruled over all the region ^(J)beyond the River; and tax, tribute, and custom were paid to them. ²¹Now ^[j]give the command to make these men cease, that this city may not be built until the command is given by me.