Dual Panel1When the enemies <06862> of Judah <03063> and Benjamin <01144> learned <08085> that <03588> the former exiles <01473> <01121> were building <01129> a temple <01964> for the Lord <03068> God <0430> of Israel <03478>,
2they <01992> came <05066> to <0413> Zerubbabel <02216> and the leaders <07218> and said <0559> to <0413> them <01992>, “Let us help you build <01129>, for <05973> like you we seek <01875> your God <0430> and we <0587> have been sacrificing <02076> to him from the time <03117> of King <04428> Esarhaddon <0634> of Assyria <0804>, who brought <05927> us here <06311>.”
3But Zerubbabel <02216>, Jeshua <03442>, and the rest <07605> of the leaders <01> <07218> of Israel <03478> said <0559> to them, “You have no <03808> right to help us build <01129> the temple <01004> of our God <0430>. We <0587> will build <01129> it by ourselves <03162> for the Lord <03068> God <0430> of Israel <03478>, just as <0834> King <04428> Cyrus <03566>, the king <04428> of Persia <06539>, has commanded <06680> us.”
4Then the local <0776> people <05971> began <01961> to discourage <03027> <07503> the people <05971> of Judah <03063> and to dishearten <01086> them from building <01129>.
5They were hiring <07936> advisers <03289> to oppose <05921> them, so as to frustrate <06565> their plans <06098>, throughout <03605> the time <03117> of King <04428> Cyrus <03566> of Persia <06539> until <05704> the reign <04438> of King <04428> Darius <01867> of Persia <06539>.
6At the beginning <08462> of the reign <04438> of Ahasuerus <0325> they filed <03789> an accusation <07855> against <05921> the inhabitants <03427> of Judah <03063> and Jerusalem <03389>.
7And during the reign <03117> of Artaxerxes <0783>, Bishlam <01312>, Mithredath <04990>, Tabeel <02870>, and the rest <07605> of their colleagues <03674> wrote <03789> to <05921> King <04428> Artaxerxes <0783> of Persia <06539>. This letter <05406> was first written <03789> in Aramaic <0762> but then translated <08638>. [Aramaic <0762>:]
8Rehum <07348> the commander <02942> <01169> and Shimshai <08124> the scribe <05613> wrote <03790> a <02298> letter <0104> concerning <05922> Jerusalem <03390> to King <04430> Artaxerxes <0783> as follows <03660>:
9From <0116> Rehum <07348> the commander <02942> <01169>, Shimshai <08124> the scribe <05613>, and the rest <07606> of their colleagues <03675>– the judges <01784>, the rulers <0671>, the officials <02967>, the secretaries <0670>, the Erechites <0756>, the Babylonians <0896>, the people <07801> of Susa <07801> (that <01768> is, the Elamites <05962>),
10and the rest <07606> of nations <0524> whom <01768> the great <07229> and noble <03358> Ashurbanipal <0620> deported <01541> and settled <01994> <03488> in the cities <07149> of Samaria <08115> and other places <07606> in Trans-Euphrates <05103> <05675>.
11(This <01836> is a copy <06573> of the letter <0104> they sent <07972> to <05922> him:) “To <05922> King <04430> Artaxerxes <0783>, from your servants <05649> in Trans-Euphrates <05103> <05675>:
12Now let the king <04430> be <01934> aware <03046> that <01768> the Jews <03062> who <01768> came up <05559> to us from <04481> you <03890> have gone <0858> to <05922> Jerusalem <03390>. They are rebuilding that rebellious <04779> and odious <0873> city <07149>. They are completing <01124> its walls <07792> and repairing <02338> its foundations <0787>.
13Let <03705> the king <04430> also be <01934> aware <03046> that <01768> if <02006> this <01791> city <07149> is built <01124> and its walls <07792> are completed <03635>, no more <03809> tax <04061>, custom <01093>, or toll <01983> will be paid <05415>, and the royal <04430> treasury <0674> will suffer loss <05142>.
14In light of <03705> the fact <06903> <03606> that <01768> we are loyal <04416> to the king <01965>, and since it does <02370> not <03809> seem <02370> appropriate <0749> to <05922> us that the king <04430> should sustain <04415> damage <06173>, we are sending <07972> the king <04430> this <01836> information <03046>
15so that <01768> he may initiate a search <01240> of the records <01799> <05609> of his predecessors <02> and discover <07912> in those records <01799> <05609> that <01768> this <01791> city <07149> is rebellious <04779> and injurious <05142> to both kings <04430> and provinces <04083>, producing <05648> internal <01459> revolts <0849> from <04481> long <05957> ago <03118>. It is for <05922> this <01836> very reason that this <01791> city <07149> was destroyed <02718>.
16We <0586> therefore are informing <03046> the king <04430> that <01768> if <02006> this <01791> city <07149> is rebuilt <01124> and its walls <07792> are completed <03635>, you will <0383> not <03809> retain control of this <01836> portion <02508> of Trans-Euphrates <05103> <05675>.”
17The king <04430> sent <07972> the following response <06600>: “To <05922> Rehum <07348> the commander <02942> <01169>, Shimshai <08124> the scribe <05613>, and the rest of <07606> their colleagues <03675> who <01768> live in <03488> Samaria <08115> and other parts <07606> of Trans-Euphrates <05103> <05675>: Greetings <08001>!
18The letter <05407> you sent <07972> to <05922> us has been translated <06568> and read <07123> in my presence <06925>.
19So <04481> I gave <07761> orders <02942>, and it was determined <07912> that <01768> this <01791> city <07149> from <04481> long <05957> ago <03118> has been engaging in insurrection <05376> against <05922> kings <04430>. It has continually engaged in <05648> rebellion <04776> and revolt <0849>.
20Powerful <08624> kings <04430> have been <01934> over <05922> Jerusalem <03390> who ruled <07990> throughout the entire <03606> Trans-Euphrates <05103> <05675> and who were the beneficiaries <03052> of tribute <04061>, custom <01093>, and toll <01983>.
21Now <03705> give <07761> orders <02942> that these <0479> men <01400> cease <0989> their work and that this <01791> city <07149> not <03809> be rebuilt <01124> until <05705> such time as I so instruct <07761>.
22Exercise appropriate caution <02095> so that there is <01934> no negligence <07960> in <05922> this <01836> matter. Why <04101> should danger <02257> increase <07680> to the point that kings <04430> sustain damage <05142>?”
23Then <0116>, as soon as <01768> <04481> the copy <06573> of the letter <05407> from <01768> King <04430> Artaxerxes <0783> was read <07123> in the presence <06925> of Rehum <07348>, Shimshai <08124> the scribe <05613>, and their colleagues <03675>, they proceeded <0236> promptly <0924> to <05922> the Jews <03062> in Jerusalem <03390> and stopped <0989> them <01994> with threat <0153> of armed force <02429>.
24So <0116> the work <05673> on the temple <01005> of God <0426> in Jerusalem <03390> came to <0989> a halt <0989>. It remained <01934> halted <0989> until <05705> the second <08648> year <08140> of the reign <04437> of King <04430> Darius <01868> of Persia <06540>.