American Standard Version (ASV) With Strong Codes

1. Now when the adversaries[H6862] of Judah[H3063] and Benjamin[H1144] heard[H8085] that the children[H1121] of the captivity[H1473] were building[H1129] a temple[H1964] unto Jehovah[H3068], the God[H430] of Israel[H3478];

2. then they drew[H5066] near to Zerubbabel[H2216], and to the heads[H7218] of fathers[H1]' houses[H559], and said unto them[H1129], Let us build with you[H1875]; for we seek your God[H430], as ye do[H2076]; and we sacrifice unto him since the days[H3117] of Esar-haddon[H634] king[H4428] of Assyria[H804], who brought us up hither[H5927].

3. But Zerubbabel[H2216], and Jeshua[H3442], and the rest[H7605] of the heads[H7218] of fathers[H1]' houses of Israel[H3478], said[H559] unto them[H1129], Ye have nothing to do with us in building a house[H1004] unto our God[H430]; but we ourselves together[H3162] will build[H1129] unto Jehovah[H3068], the God[H430] of Israel[H3478], as king[H4428] Cyrus[H3566] the king[H4428] of Persia[H6539] hath commanded us[H6680].

4. Then the people[H5971] of the land[H776] weakened[H7503] the hands[H3027] of the people[H5971] of Judah[H3063], and troubled[H926] them in building[H1129],

5. and hired[H7936] counsellors[H3289] against them[H6565], to frustrate their purpose[H6098], all the days[H3117] of Cyrus[H3566] king[H4428] of Persia[H6539], even until the reign[H4438] of Darius[H1867] king[H4428] of Persia[H6539].

6. And in the reign[H4438] of Ahasuerus[H325], in the beginning[H8462] of his reign[H4438], wrote[H3789] they an accusation[H7855] against the inhabitants[H3427] of Judah[H3063] and Jerusalem[H3389].

7. And in the days[H3117] of Artaxerxes[H783] wrote[H3789] Bishlam[H1312], Mithredath[H4990], Tabeel[H2870], and the rest[H7605] of his companions[H3674], unto Artaxerxes[H783] king[H4428] of Persia[H6539]; and the writing[H3791] of the letter[H5406] was written[H3789] in the Syrian character[H762], and set forth[H8638] in the Syrian tongue[H762].

8. Rehum[H7348] the chancellor[H1169] and Shimshai[H8124] the scribe[H5613] wrote[H3790] a[H2298] letter[H104] against[H5922] Jerusalem[H3390] to Artaxerxes[H783] the king[H4430] in this sort[H3660]:

9. then[H116] wrote Rehum[H7348] the chancellor[H1169], and Shimshai[H8124] the scribe[H5613], and the rest[H7606] of their companions[H3675], the Dinaites[H1784], and the Apharsathchites[H671], the Tarpelites[H2967], the Apharsites[H670], the Archevites[H756], the Babylonians[H896], the Shushanchites[H7801], the Dehaites[H1723], the Elamites[H5962],

10. and the rest[H7606] of the nations[H524] whom[H1768] the great[H7229] and noble[H3358] Osnappar[H620] brought over[H1541], and set[H3488] in the city[H7149] of Samaria[H8115], and in the rest[H7606] of the country beyond[H5675] the River[H5103], and so forth[H3706].

11. This[H1836] is the copy[H6573] of the letter[H104] that[H1768] they sent[H7972] unto[H5922] Artaxerxes[H783] the king[H4430]: Thy servants[H5649] the men[H606] beyond[H5675] the River[H5103], and so forth[H3706].

12. Be it[H1934] known[H3046] unto the king[H4430], that the Jews[H3062] that[H1768] came up[H5559] from[H4481] thee[H3890] are come[H858] to us[H5922] unto Jerusalem[H3390]; they are building[H1124] the rebellious[H4779] and the bad[H873] city[H7149], and have finished[H3635] the walls[H7792], and repaired[H2338] the foundations[H787].

13. Be it known[H3046] now[H3705] unto the king[H4430], that[H2006], if this[H1791] city[H7149] be builded[H1124], and the walls[H7792] finished[H3635], they will not[H3809] pay[H5415] tribute[H1093], custom[H1983], or toll[H4061], and in the end it will be hurtful[H5142] unto[H674] the kings[H4430].

14. Now[H3705] because[H6903] we eat[H1768] the salt[H4415] of the palace[H1965], and it is not[H3809] meet[H749] for us to see[H2370] the king[H4430]'s dishonor[H6173], therefore[H5922] have we sent[H7972] and certified[H3046] the king[H4430];

15. that search[H1240] may be made in the book[H5609] of the records[H1799] of thy fathers[H2]: so shalt thou find[H7912] in the book[H5609] of the records[H1799], and know[H3046] that this[H1791] city[H7149] is a rebellious[H4779] city[H7149], and hurtful[H5142] unto kings[H4430] and provinces[H4083], and that they have moved[H5648] sedition[H849] within the same[H1459] of[H4481] old[H5957] time[H3118]; for[H5922] which[H1836] cause was this[H1791] city[H7149] laid waste[H2718].

16. We[H586] certify[H3046] the king[H4430] that[H2006], if this[H1791] city[H7149] be builded[H1124], and the walls[H7792] finished[H3635], by this[H1836] means[H6903] thou shalt have[H383] no[H3809] portion[H2508] beyond[H5675] the River[H5103].

17. Then sent[H7972] the king[H4430] an answer[H6600] unto[H5922] Rehum[H7348] the chancellor[H1169], and to[H5922] Shimshai[H8124] the scribe[H5613], and to the rest[H7606] of their companions[H3675] that dwell[H3488] in Samaria[H8115], and in the rest[H7606] of the country beyond[H5675] the River[H5103]: Peace[H8001], and so forth.

18. The letter[H5407] which ye sent[H7972] unto us[H5922] hath been plainly[H6568] read[H7123] before me[H6925].

19. And I[H4481] decreed[H7761], and search[H1240] hath been made[H7912], and it is found that this[H1791] city[H7149] of[H4481] old[H5957] time[H3118] hath made insurrection[H5376] against[H5922] kings[H4430], and that rebellion[H4776] and sedition[H849] have been made therein[H5648].

20. There have been[H1934] mighty[H8624] kings[H4430] also over[H5922] Jerusalem[H3390], who have ruled[H7990] over all[H3606] the country beyond[H5675] the River[H5103]; and tribute[H1093], custom[H1983], and toll[H4061], was paid unto them[H3052].

21. Make[H7761] ye now[H3705] a decree[H2942] to cause[H989] these[H479] men[H1400] to cease[H989], and that this[H1791] city[H7149] be not[H3809] builded[H1124], until[H5705] a decree[H2941] shall be made[H7761] by me[H4481].

22. And take heed[H1934] that ye be[H5922] not slack[H7960] herein[H1836]: why[H4101] should damage[H2257] grow[H7680] to the hurt[H5142] of the kings[H4430]?

23. Then when[H4481] the copy[H6573] of king[H4430] Artaxerxes[H783]' letter[H5407] was read[H7123] before[H6925] Rehum[H7348], and Shimshai[H8124] the scribe[H5613], and their companions[H3675], they went in haste[H924] to[H5922] Jerusalem[H3390] unto[H5922] the Jews[H3062], and made them[H1994] to[H5922] cease[H989] by force[H153] and power[H2429].

24. Then[H116] ceased[H989] the work[H5673] of the house[H1005] of God[H426] which is at Jerusalem[H3390]; and it ceased[H1934] until[H5705] the second[H8648] year[H8140] of the reign[H4437] of Darius[H1868] king[H4430] of Persia[H6540].