Ezra 4

Let Us Build with You — and the Work Stopped

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The Offer of Partnership and the Obstruction

4:1Those who oppressed Judah and Benjamin heard that the sons of the deportation were building a house for the Lord, God of Israel.

4:2They approached Zorobabel and the family leaders and said to them, “We will build with you, for like you we seek your God, and to Him we have been sacrificing since the days of Asaraddon king of Assour, who brought us here.”

4:3Zorobabel, Iesous and the remaining leaders of Israel’s families said to them, “It is not for us and you to build a house for our God. We ourselves together will build for the Lord our God, as Cyrus king of the Persians commanded us.”

4:4The people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah and hindered them from building,

4:5hiring against them those who took counsel to scatter their plan, all the days of Cyrus king of the Persians and until the reign of Darius king of the Persians.

Letters to the Persian Court

4:6In the reign of Asoueros, at the beginning of his reign, they wrote a letter against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.

4:7In the days of Arthasastha, Tabeel, together with the rest of his fellow slaves, wrote in peace for Mithradates to Arthasastha king of the Persians. The tax collector wrote a document in Syrian, and it was interpreted.

4:8Raoum the baaltam and Samsai the scribe wrote one letter against Jerusalem to Arthasastha the king.

4:9These things were decided by Raoum the baaltam, Samsai the scribe and the rest of our fellow slaves—the Dinaians, Apharsathachaians, Tarphallaians, Apharsaians, Archyaians, Babylonians and Sousanachaians, who are Elamites,

4:10and the remaining nations whom the great and honored Asennaphar had deported and settled in the cities of Somoron, and the remainder beyond the river.

4:11This is the wording of the letter they sent him: “To Arthasastha the king: your servants, men beyond the river.

The Accusation Against Jerusalem

4:12Let it be known to the king that the Jews who came up from you to us have arrived in Jerusalem. They are building the rebellious and wicked city; they have put its walls in order and raised its foundations.

4:13Now therefore let it be known to the king that if that city is rebuilt and its walls put in order, there will be no taxes for you, nor will they pay them; this harms kings.

4:14It is not permitted for us to look upon the king’s disgrace. Therefore we have sent and informed the king,

4:15so that a search may be made in the record book of your fathers. You will find and know that this city is rebellious and harms kings and countries, and that there have been flights of slaves within it from ages past. For these reasons this city was laid waste.

4:16We therefore inform the king that if that city is built and its walls put in order, you will have no peace.”

The Royal Order and the Halt in the Work

4:17The king sent peace to Raoum the baaltam, Samsai the scribe, their remaining fellow slaves living in Samaria and the others beyond the river, and he says:

4:18“The tax collector whom you sent to us was called before me.

4:19I issued a decision, and we searched and found that this city has risen against kings from ancient days, and rebellions and flights occur within it,

4:20and mighty kings arise over Jerusalem and hold power over the whole region west of the river, and full taxes and a share are given to them.

4:21Now issue a decision to stop those men, and that city shall no longer be built, so that, in accordance with the decision,

4:22you are on your guard against allowing slackness in this matter, lest destruction increase to the harm of kings.”

4:23Then King Arthasastha’s tax collector read before Raoum, Samsai the scribe and their fellow slaves. They hurried to Jerusalem and into Judah and stopped them with horses and force.

4:24Then the work of the house of God in Jerusalem ceased, and it remained idle until the second year of the reign of Darius king of the Persians.

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Saints Translation · Liturgical reading edition · V1 · working draft awaiting specialist review.