Ezra 4:2 - Prayer Tents

Ezra 4

Adversaries Oppose the Rebuilding

4Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the returned exiles were building a temple to the LORD, the God of Israel,H6862H3063H1144H8085H1121H1473H1129H1964H3068H430H34782they approached Zerubbabel and the heads of fathers' houses and said to them, "Let us build with you, for we worship your God as you do, and we have been sacrificing to him ever since the days of Esarhaddon king of Assyria who brought us here."H5066H2216H7218H1H559H1129H1875H430H2076H3117H634H4428H804H59273But Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the rest of the heads of fathers' houses in Israel said to them, "You have nothing to do with us in building a house to our God; but we alone will build to the LORD, the God of Israel, as King Cyrus the king of Persia has commanded us."H2216H3442H7605H7218H1H3478H559H1129H1004H430H3162H1129H3068H430H3478H4428H3566H4428H6539H66804Then the people of the land discouraged the people of Judah and made them afraid to buildH5971H776H7503H3027H5971H3063H926H1089H11295and bribed counselors against them to frustrate their purpose, all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.H7936H3289H6565H6098H3117H3566H4428H6539H4438H1867H4428H65396And in the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, they wrote an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.H4438H325H8462H4438H3789H7855H3427H3063H3389

The Letter to King Artaxerxes

7In the days of Artaxerxes, Bishlam and Mithredath and Tabeel and the rest of their associates wrote to Artaxerxes king of Persia. The letter was written in Aramaic and translated.H3117H783H3789H1312H4990H2870H7605H3674H783H4428H6539H3791H5406H3789H762H8638H7628Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king as follows:H7348H1169H2942H8124H5613H3790H2298H104H5922H3390H783H4430H36609Rehum the commander, Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their associates, the judges, the governors, the officials, the Persians, the men of Erech, the Babylonians, the men of Susa, that is, the Elamites,H116H7348H1169H2942H8124H5613H7606H3675H1784H671H2967H670H756H896H7801H1723H596210and the rest of the nations whom the great and noble Osnappar deported and settled in the cities of Samaria and in the rest of the province Beyond the River.H7606H524H1768H7229H3358H620H1541H3488H1994H7149H8115H7606H5675H5103H370611(This is a copy of the letter that they sent.) "To Artaxerxes the king: Your servants, the men of the province Beyond the River, send greeting. And nowH1836H6573H104H1768H7972H5922H783H4430H5649H606H5675H5103H370612be it known to the king that the Jews who came up from you to us have gone to Jerusalem. They are rebuilding that rebellious and wicked city. They are finishing the walls and repairing the foundations.H1934H3046H4430H3062H1768H5559H4481H3890H5922H858H3390H1124H4779H873H7149H3635H3635H7792H2338H78713Now be it known to the king that if this city is rebuilt and the walls finished, they will not pay tribute, custom, or toll, and the royal revenue will be impaired.H3046H1934H3705H4430H2006H1791H7149H1124H7792H3635H3809H5415H4061H1093H1983H5142H674H443014Now because we eat the salt of the palace and it is not fitting for us to witness the king's dishonor, therefore we send and inform the king,H3705H6903H3606H1768H4415H4416H1965H3809H749H2370H4430H6173H5922H1836H7972H3046H443015in order that search may be made in the book of the records of your fathers. You will find in the book of the records and learn that this city is a rebellious city, hurtful to kings and provinces, and that sedition was stirred up in it from of old. That was why this city was laid waste.H1240H5609H1799H2H7912H5609H1799H3046H1791H7149H4779H7149H5142H4430H4083H5648H849H1459H4481H5957H3118H5922H1836H1791H7149H271816We make known to the king that if this city is rebuilt and its walls finished, you will then have no possession in the province Beyond the River."H586H3046H4430H2006H1791H7149H1124H7792H3635H1836H6903H383H3809H2508H5675H5103

The King Orders the Work to Cease

17The king sent an answer: "To Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe and the rest of their associates who live in Samaria and in the rest of the province Beyond the River, greeting. And nowH7972H4430H6600H5922H7348H1169H2942H8124H5613H7606H3675H3488H8115H7606H5675H5103H8001H370618the letter that you sent to us has been plainly read before me.H5407H7972H5922H6568H7123H692519And I made a decree, and search has been made, and it has been found that this city from of old has risen against kings, and that rebellion and sedition have been made in it.H4481H7761H2942H1240H7912H1791H7149H4481H5957H3118H5376H5922H4430H4776H849H564820And mighty kings have been over Jerusalem, who ruled over the whole province Beyond the River, to whom tribute, custom, and toll were paid.H1934H8624H4430H5922H3390H7990H3606H5675H5103H4061H1093H1983H305221Therefore make a decree that these men be made to cease, and that this city be not rebuilt, until a decree is made by me.H7761H3705H2942H989H479H1400H989H1791H7149H3809H1124H5705H2941H7761H448122And take care not to be slack in this matter. Why should damage grow to the hurt of the king?"H1934H2095H7960H5922H5648H1836H4101H2257H7680H5142H443023Then, when the copy of King Artaxerxes' letter was read before Rehum and Shimshai the scribe and their associates, they went in haste to the Jews at Jerusalem and by force and power made them cease.H116H4481H1768H6573H4430H783H5407H7123H6925H7348H8124H5613H3675H236H924H3390H5922H3062H1994H989H153H242924Then the work on the house of God that is in Jerusalem stopped, and it ceased until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.H116H989H5673H1005H426H3390H1934H989H5705H8648H8140H4437H1868H4430H6540