<vn='1'>Now when the <sn="6862">adversaries</s> of <sn="3063">Judah</s> and <sn="1144">Benjamin</s><sn="8085">heard</s><sn="3588">that</s> the <sn="1121">children</s> of the <sn="1473">captivity</s><sn="1129">built</s> the <sn="1964">temple</s> unto the <sn="3068">LORD</s><sn="430">God</s> of <sn="3478">Israel</s>; </v>
<vn='2'>Then they <sn="5066">came</s><sn="413">to</s><sn="2216">Zerubbabel</s>, and <sn="413">to</s> the <sn="7218">chief</s> of the <sn="1">fathers</s>, and <sn="559">said</s> unto them, Let us <sn="1129">build</s><sn="5973">with</s> you: <sn="3588">for</s> we <sn="1875">seek</s> your <sn="430">God</s>, as ye do; and <sn="587">we</s> do <sn="2076">sacrifice</s> unto him since the <sn="4480 3117">days</s> of <sn="634">Esar</s> -haddon <sn="4428">king</s> of <sn="804">Assur</s>, which brought us <sn="5927 *853">up</s><sn="6311">hither</s>. </v>
<vn='3'>But <sn="2216">Zerubbabel</s>, and <sn="3442">Jeshua</s>, and the <sn="7605">rest</s> of the <sn="7218">chief</s> of the <sn="1">fathers</s> of <sn="3478">Israel</s>, <sn="559">said</s> unto them, Ye have <sn="3808">nothing</s> to do with us to <sn="1129">build</s> a <sn="1004">house</s> unto our <sn="430">God</s>; <sn="3588">but</s> we <sn="587">ourselves</s><sn="3162">together</s> will <sn="1129">build</s> unto the <sn="3068">LORD</s><sn="430">God</s> of <sn="3478">Israel</s>, <sn="834">as</s><sn="4428">king</s><sn="3566">Cyrus</s> the <sn="4428">king</s> of <sn="6539">Persia</s> hath <sn="6680">commanded</s> us. </v>
<vn='4'>Then the <sn="5971">people</s> of the <sn="776">land</s><sn="7503">weakened</s> the <sn="3027">hands</s> of the <sn="5971">people</s> of <sn="3063">Judah</s>, and <sn="1089">troubled</s> them in <sn="1129">building</s>, </v>
<vn='5'>And <sn="7936">hired</s><sn="3289">counselors</s><sn="5921">against</s> them, to <sn="6565">frustrate</s> their <sn="6098">purpose</s>, <sn="3605">all</s> the <sn="3117">days</s> of <sn="3566">Cyrus</s><sn="4428">king</s> of <sn="6539">Persia</s>, even <sn="5704">until</s> the <sn="4438">reign</s> of <sn="1867">Darius</s><sn="4428">king</s> of <sn="6539">Persia</s>. </v>
<vn='6'>And in the <sn="4438">reign</s> of <sn="325">Ahasuerus</s>, in the <sn="8462">beginning</s> of his <sn="4438">reign</s>, <sn="3789">wrote</s> they unto him an <sn="7855">accusation</s><sn="5921">against</s> the <sn="3427">inhabitants</s> of <sn="3063">Judah</s> and <sn="3389">Jerusalem</s>. </v>
<vn='7'>And in the <sn="3117">days</s> of <sn="783">Artaxerxes</s><sn="3789">wrote</s><sn="1312">Bishlam</s>, <sn="4990">Mithredath</s>, <sn="2870">Tabeel</s>, and the <sn="7605">rest</s> of their <sn="3674">companions</s>, <sn="5921">unto</s><sn="783">Artaxerxes</s><sn="4428">king</s> of <sn="6539">Persia</s>; and the <sn="3791">writing</s> of the <sn="5406">letter</s> was <sn="3789">written</s> in the Syrian <sn="762">tongue</s>, and <sn="8638">interpreted</s> in the Syrian <sn="762">tongue</s>. </v>
<vn='8'><sn="7348">Rehum</s> the <sn="2942 1169">chancellor</s> and <sn="8124">Shimshai</s> the <sn="5613">scribe</s><sn="3790">wrote</s><sn="2298">a</s><sn="104">letter</s><sn="5922">against</s><sn="3390">Jerusalem</s> to <sn="783">Artaxerxes</s> the <sn="4430">king</s> in this <sn="3660">sort</s>: </v>
<vn='9'><sn="116">Then</s> wrote <sn="7348">Rehum</s> the <sn="2942 1169">chancellor</s>, and <sn="8124">Shimshai</s> the <sn="5613">scribe</s>, and the <sn="7606">rest</s> of their <sn="3675">companions</s>; the <sn="1784">Dinaites</s>, the <sn="671">Apharsathchites</s>, the <sn="2967">Tarpelites</s>, the <sn="670">Apharsites</s>, the <sn="756">Archevites</s>, the <sn="896">Babylonians</s>, the <sn="7801">Susanchites</s>, the <sn="1723">Dehavites</s>, and the <sn="5962">Elamites</s>, </v>
<vn='10'>And the <sn="7606">rest</s> of the <sn="524">nations</s><sn="1768">whom</s> the <sn="7229">great</s> and <sn="3358">noble</s><sn="620">Asnappar</s> brought <sn="1541">over</s>, and <sn="3488">set</s> in the <sn="7149">cities</s><sn="1768">of</s><sn="8115">Samaria</s>, and the <sn="7606">rest</s> that are on this <sn="5675">side</s> the <sn="5103">river</s>, and at such a <sn="3706">time</s>. </v>
<vn='11'><sn="1836">This</s> is the <sn="6573">copy</s> of the <sn="104">letter</s><sn="1768">that</s> they <sn="7972">sent</s><sn="5922">unto</s> him, even <sn="5922">unto</s><sn="783">Artaxerxes</s> the <sn="4430">king</s>; Thy <sn="5649">servants</s> the <sn="606">men</s> on this <sn="5675">side</s> the <sn="5103">river</s>, and at such a <sn="3706">time</s>. </v>
<vn='12'><sn="1934">Be</s> it <sn="3046">known</s> unto the <sn="4430">king</s>, that the <sn="3062">Jews</s><sn="1768">which</s> came <sn="5559">up</s><sn="4481 3890">from</s> thee <sn="5922">to</s> us are <sn="858">come</s> unto <sn="3390">Jerusalem</s>, <sn="1124">building</s> the <sn="4779">rebellious</s> and the <sn="873">bad</s><sn="7149">city</s>, and have set <sn="3635">up</s> the <sn="7792">walls</s> thereof, and <sn="2338">joined</s> the <sn="787">foundations</s>. </v>
<vn='13'><sn="1934">Be</s> it <sn="3046">known</s><sn="3705">now</s> unto the <sn="4430">king</s>, <sn="1768">that</s>, <sn="2006">if</s><sn="1791">this</s><sn="7149">city</s> be <sn="1124">built</s>, and the <sn="7792">walls</s> set <sn="3635">up</s> again, then will they <sn="3809">not</s><sn="5415">pay</s><sn="4061">toll</s>, <sn="1093">tribute</s>, and <sn="1983">custom</s>, and so thou shalt <sn="5142">endamage</s> the <sn="674">revenue</s> of the <sn="4430">kings</s>. </v>
<vn='14'><sn="3705">Now</s><sn="3606 6903 1768">because</s> we have <sn="4415 4416">maintenance</s> from the king's <sn="1965">palace</s>, and it was <sn="3809">not</s><sn="749">meet</s> for us to <sn="2370">see</s> the <sn="4430">king</s> 's <sn="6173">dishonor</s>, <sn="5922 1836">therefore</s> have we <sn="7972">sent</s> and <sn="3046">certified</s> the <sn="4430">king</s>; </v>
<vn='15'><sn="1768">That</s> search may be <sn="1240">made</s> in the <sn="5609">book</s> of the <sn="1799">records</s><sn="1768">of</s> thy <sn="2">fathers</s>: so shalt thou <sn="7912">find</s> in the <sn="5609">book</s> of the <sn="1799">records</s>, and <sn="3046">know</s><sn="1768">that</s><sn="1791">this</s><sn="7149">city</s> is a <sn="4779">rebellious</s><sn="7149">city</s>, and <sn="5142">hurtful</s> unto <sn="4430">kings</s> and <sn="4083">provinces</s>, and that they have <sn="5648">moved</s><sn="849">sedition</s> within the <sn="1459">same</s><sn="4481">of</s><sn="5957">old</s><sn="3118">time</s>: <sn="5922">for</s> which <sn="1836">cause</s> was <sn="1791">this</s><sn="7149">city</s><sn="2718">destroyed</s>. </v>
<vn='16'><sn="586">We</s><sn="3046">certify</s> the <sn="4430">king</s><sn="1768">that</s>, <sn="2006">if</s><sn="1791">this</s><sn="7149">city</s> be <sn="1124">built</s> again, and the <sn="7792">walls</s> thereof set <sn="3635">up</s>, by <sn="1836">this</s><sn="6903">means</s> thou shalt <sn="383">have</s><sn="3809">no</s><sn="2508">portion</s> on this <sn="5675">side</s> the <sn="5103">river</s>. </v>
<vn='17'> Then <sn="7972">sent</s> the <sn="4430">king</s> an <sn="6600">answer</s><sn="5922">unto</s><sn="7348">Rehum</s> the <sn="1169 2942">chancellor</s>, and to <sn="8124">Shimshai</s> the <sn="5613">scribe</s>, and to the <sn="7606">rest</s> of their <sn="3675">companions</s><sn="1768">that</s><sn="3488">dwell</s> in <sn="8115">Samaria</s>, and unto the <sn="7606">rest</s><sn="5675">beyond</s> the <sn="5103">river</s>, <sn="8001">Peace</s>, and at such a <sn="3706">time</s>. </v>
<vn='18'>The <sn="5407">letter</s><sn="1768">which</s> ye <sn="7972">sent</s><sn="5922">unto</s> us hath been <sn="6568">plainly</s><sn="7123">read</s><sn="6925">before</s> me. </v>
<vn='19'>And I <sn="7761 2942">commanded</s>, and search hath been <sn="1240">made</s>, and it is <sn="7912">found</s><sn="1768">that</s><sn="1791">this</s><sn="7149">city</s><sn="4481">of</s><sn="5957">old</s><sn="3118">time</s> hath made <sn="5376">insurrection</s><sn="5922">against</s><sn="4430">kings</s>, and that <sn="4776">rebellion</s> and <sn="849">sedition</s> have been <sn="5648">made</s> therein. </v>
<vn='20'>There have <sn="1934">been</s><sn="8624">mighty</s><sn="4430">kings</s> also <sn="5922">over</s><sn="3390">Jerusalem</s>, which have <sn="7990">ruled</s> over <sn="3606">all</s> countries <sn="5675">beyond</s> the <sn="5103">river</s>; and <sn="4061">toll</s>, <sn="1093">tribute</s>, and <sn="1983">custom</s>, was <sn="3052">paid</s> unto them. </v>
<vn='21'><sn="7761">Give</s> ye <sn="3705">now</s><sn="2942">commandment</s> to cause <sn="479">these</s><sn="1400">men</s> to <sn="989">cease</s>, and that <sn="1791">this</s><sn="7149">city</s> be <sn="3809">not</s><sn="1124">built</s>, <sn="5705">until</s> another <sn="2941">commandment</s> shall be <sn="7761">given</s><sn="4481">from</s> me. </v>
<vn='22'>Take <sn="2095 1934">heed</s> now that ye fail <sn="7960">not</s> to <sn="5648">do</s><sn="*5922 1836">this</s>: <sn="4101">why</s> should <sn="2257">damage</s><sn="7680">grow</s> to the <sn="5142">hurt</s> of the <sn="4430">kings</s>? </v>
<vn='23'><sn="116">Now</s><sn="4481 1768">when</s> the <sn="6573">copy</s> of <sn="4430">king</s><sn="783">Artaxerxes</s> ' <sn="5407">letter</s> was <sn="7123">read</s><sn="6925">before</s><sn="7348">Rehum</s>, and <sn="8124">Shimshai</s> the <sn="5613">scribe</s>, and their <sn="3675">companions</s>, they went <sn="236">up</s> in <sn="924">haste</s> to <sn="3390">Jerusalem</s><sn="5922">unto</s> the <sn="3062">Jews</s>, and made <sn="1994">them</s> to <sn="989">cease</s> by <sn="153">force</s> and <sn="2429">power</s>. </v>
<vn='24'><sn="116">Then</s><sn="989">ceased</s> the <sn="5673">work</s> of the <sn="1005">house</s> of <sn="426">God</s><sn="1768">which</s> is at <sn="3390">Jerusalem</s>. <sn="1934">So</s> it <sn="989">ceased</s><sn="5705">unto</s> the <sn="8648">second</s><sn="8140">year</s> of the <sn="4437">reign</s> of <sn="1868">Darius</s><sn="4430">king</s> of <sn="6540">Persia</s>. </v>