The Building Stopped: Cease Rebuilding in That City
4Old enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the exiles were building The Temple of the GOD of Israel.H6862H3063H1144H8085H1121H1473H1129H1964H3068H430H34782They came to Zerubbabel and the family heads and said, "We'll help you build. We worship your God the same as you. We've been offering sacrifices to him since Esarhaddon king of Assyria brought us here."H5066H2216H7218H1H559H1129H1875H430H2076H3117H634H4428H804H59273Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the rest of the family heads of Israel said to them, "Nothing doing. Building The Temple of our God is not the same thing to you as to us. We alone will build for the GOD of Israel. We're the ones King Cyrus of Persia commanded to do it."H2216H3442H7605H7218H1H3478H559H1129H1004H430H3162H1129H3068H430H3478H4428H3566H4428H6539H66804So these people started beating down the morale of the people of Judah, harassing them as they built.H5971H776H7503H3027H5971H3063H926H1089H11295They even hired propagandists to sap their resolve. They kept this up for about fifteen years, throughout the lifetime of Cyrus king of Persia and on into the reign of Darius king of Persia.H7936H3289H6565H6098H3117H3566H4428H6539H4438H1867H4428H65396In fact, in the reign of Xerxes, at the beginning of his reign, they wrote an accusation against those living in Judah and Jerusalem.H4438H325H8462H4438H3789H7855H3427H3063H33897Again later, in the time of Artaxerxes, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and their associates wrote regarding the Jerusalem business to Artaxerxes king of Persia. The letter was written in Aramaic and translated. (What follows is written in Aramaic.)H3117H783H3789H1312H4990H2870H7605H3674H783H4428H6539H3791H5406H3789H762H8638H7628Rehum the commanding officer and Shimshai the secretary wrote a letter against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king as follows:H7348H1169H2942H8124H5613H3790H2298H104H5922H3390H783H4430H36609From: Rehum the commanding officer and Shimshai the secretary, backed by the rest of their associates, the judges and officials over the people from Tripolis, Persia, Erech, and Babylon, Elamites of Susa,H116H7348H1169H2942H8124H5613H7606H3675H1784H671H2967H670H756H896H7801H1723H596210and all the others whom the great and honorable Ashurbanipal deported and settled in the city of Samaria and other places in the land across the Euphrates.H7606H524H1768H7229H3358H620H1541H3488H1994H7149H8115H7606H5675H5103H370611(This is the copy of the letter they sent to him.) To: King Artaxerxes from your servants from the land across the Euphrates.H1836H6573H104H1768H7972H5922H783H4430H5649H606H5675H5103H370612We are here to inform the king that the Jews who came from you to us have arrived in Jerusalem and have set about rebuilding that rebellious and evil city. They are busy at work finishing the walls and rebuilding the foundations.H1934H3046H4430H3062H1768H5559H4481H3890H5922H858H3390H1124H4779H873H7149H3635H3635H7792H2338H78713The king needs to know that once that city is rebuilt and the wall completed they will no longer pay a penny of tribute, tax, or duty. The royal treasury will feel the loss.H3046H1934H3705H4430H2006H1791H7149H1124H7792H3635H3809H5415H4061H1093H1983H5142H674H443014We're loyal to the king and cannot sit idly by while our king is being insulted—that's why we are passing this information on.H3705H6903H3606H1768H4415H4416H1965H3809H749H2370H4430H6173H5922H1836H7972H3046H443015We suggest that you look into the court records of your ancestors; you'll learn from those books that that city is a rebellious city, a thorn in the side to kings and provinces, an historic center of unrest and revolt. That's why the city was wiped out.H1240H5609H1799H2H7912H5609H1799H3046H1791H7149H4779H7149H5142H4430H4083H5648H849H1459H4481H5957H3118H5922H1836H1791H7149H271816We are letting the king know that if that city gets rebuilt and its walls restored, you'll end up with nothing in your province beyond the Euphrates.H586H3046H4430H2006H1791H7149H1124H7792H3635H1836H6903H383H3809H2508H5675H510317The king sent his reply to Rehum the commanding officer, Shimshai the secretary, and the rest of their associates who lived in Samaria and other places beyond the Euphrates. Peace be with you.H7972H4430H6600H5922H7348H1169H2942H8124H5613H7606H3675H3488H8115H7606H5675H5103H8001H370618The letter that you sent has been translated and read to me.H5407H7972H5922H6568H7123H692519I gave orders to search the records, and sure enough it turns out that this city has revolted against kings time and again—rebellion is an old story there.H4481H7761H2942H1240H7912H1791H7149H4481H5957H3118H5376H5922H4430H4776H849H564820I find that they've had their share of strong kings who have taken over beyond the Euphrates and exacted taxes, tribute, and duty.H1934H8624H4430H5922H3390H7990H3606H5675H5103H4061H1093H1983H305221So do this: Order these men to stop work immediately—not a lick of rebuilding in that city unless I order it.H7761H3705H2942H989H479H1400H989H1791H7149H3809H1124H5705H2941H7761H448122Act quickly and firmly; they've done enough damage to kings!H1934H2095H7960H5922H5648H1836H4101H2257H7680H5142H443023The letter of King Artaxerxes was read to Rehum and Shimshai the secretary and their associates. They lost no time. They went to the Jews in Jerusalem and made them quit work.H116H4481H1768H6573H4430H783H5407H7123H6925H7348H8124H5613H3675H236H924H3390H5922H3062H1994H989H153H242924That put a stop to the work on The Temple of God in Jerusalem. Nothing more was done until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.H116H989H5673H1005H426H3390H1934H989H5705H8648H8140H4437H1868H4430H6540