4. Then the peoples around them set out to discourage the people of Judah and make them afraid to go on building.
5. They bribed officials to work against them and frustrate their plans during the entire reign of Cyrus king of Persia and down to the reign of Darius king of Persia.
6. At the beginning of the reign of Xerxes, they lodged an accusation against the people of Judah and Jerusalem.
7. And in the days of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel and the rest of his associates wrote a letter to Artaxerxes. The letter was written in Aramaic script and in the Aramaic language.,
8. Rehum the commanding officer and Shimshai the secretary wrote a letter against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king as follows:
9. Rehum the commanding officer and Shimshai the secretary, together with the rest of their associates – the judges, officials and administrators over the people from Persia, Uruk and Babylon, the Elamites of Susa,
10. and the other people whom the great and honourable Ashurbanipal deported and settled in the city of Samaria and elsewhere in Trans-Euphrates.
11. (This is a copy of the letter they sent him.)To King Artaxerxes,From your servants, the men of Trans-Euphrates:
12. The king should know that the people who came up to us from you have gone to Jerusalem and are rebuilding that rebellious and wicked city. They are restoring the walls and repairing the foundations.
13. Furthermore, the king should know that if this city is built and its walls are restored, no more taxes, tribute or duty will be paid, and eventually the royal revenues will suffer.
14. Now since we are under obligation to the palace and it is not proper for us to see the king dishonoured, we are sending this message to inform the king,