Ezra 4:7 - Prayer Tents

Ezra 4

Adversaries Hinder the Work

4NOW WHEN [the Samaritans] the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the exiles from the captivity were building a temple to the Lord, the God of Israel,H6862H3063H1144H8085H1121H1473H1129H1964H3068H430H34782They came to Zerubbabel [now governor] and to the heads of the fathers' houses and said, Let us build with you, for we seek {and} worship your God as you do, and we have sacrificed to Him since the days of Esarhaddon king of Assyria, who brought us here.H5066H2216H7218H1H559H1129H1875H430H2076H3117H634H4428H804H59273But Zerubbabel and Jeshua and the rest of the heads of fathers' houses of Israel said to them, You have nothing to do with us in building a house to our God; but we ourselves will together build to the Lord, the God of Israel, as King Cyrus, the king of Persia, has commanded us.H2216H3442H7605H7218H1H3478H559H1129H1004H430H3162H1129H3068H430H3478H4428H3566H4428H6539H66804Then [the Samaritans] the people of the land [continually] weakened the hands of the people of Judah and troubled {and} terrified them in buildingH5971H776H7503H3027H5971H3063H926H1089H11295And hired counselors against them to frustrate their purpose {and} plans all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius [II] king of Persia.H7936H3289H6565H6098H3117H3566H4428H6539H4438H1867H4428H65396And in the reign of Ahasuerus [or Xerxes], in the beginning of his reign, [the Samaritans] wrote to him an accusation against the [returned] inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.H4438H325H8462H4438H3789H7855H3427H3063H33897Later, in the days of King Artaxerxes, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of their associates wrote to Artaxerxes king of Persia; and the letter was written in the Syrian {or} Aramaic script and interpreted in that language.H3117H783H3789H1312H4990H2870H7605H3674H783H4428H6539H3791H5406H3789H762H8638H762

The Letter to King Artaxerxes

8Rehum the [Persian] commander [of the Samaritans] and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king of this sort--H7348H1169H2942H8124H5613H3790H2298H104H5922H3390H783H4430H36609Then wrote Rehum the [Persian] commander, Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their associates--the Dinaites, the Apharsathchites, the Tarpelites, the Apharsites, the Archevites, the Babylonians, the Susanchites, the Dehaites, the Elamites,H116H7348H1169H2942H8124H5613H7606H3675H1784H671H2967H670H756H896H7801H1723H596210And the rest of the nations whom the great and noble Osnappar deported and settled in the city of Samaria and the rest of the country beyond [west of] the Euphrates River, and so forth.H7606H524H1768H7229H3358H620H1541H3488H1994H7149H8115H7606H5675H5103H370611This is a copy of the letter which they sent to King Artaxerxes: Your servants, the men beyond [that is, west of] the River [Euphrates], and so forth.H1836H6573H104H1768H7972H5922H783H4430H5649H606H5675H5103H370612Be it known to the king that the Jews who came up from you to us have come to Jerusalem. This rebellious and bad city they are rebuilding, and have restored its walls and repaired the foundations.H1934H3046H4430H3062H1768H5559H4481H3890H5922H858H3390H1124H4779H873H7149H3635H3635H7792H2338H78713Be it known now to the king that if this city is rebuilt and the walls finished, then they will not pay tribute, custom, or toll, and the royal revenue will be diminished.H3046H1934H3705H4430H2006H1791H7149H1124H7792H3635H3809H5415H4061H1093H1983H5142H674H443014Now because we eat the salt of the king's palace and it is not proper for us to witness the king's discredit, therefore we send to inform the king,H3705H6903H3606H1768H4415H4416H1965H3809H749H2370H4430H6173H5922H1836H7972H3046H443015In order that a search may be made in the book of the records of your fathers, in which you will learn that this is a rebellious city, hurtful to kings and provinces, and that sedition was stirred up in it of old. That is why [it] was laid waste.H1240H5609H1799H2H7912H5609H1799H3046H1791H7149H4779H7149H5142H4430H4083H5648H849H1459H4481H5957H3118H5922H1836H1791H7149H271816We declare to the king that if this city is rebuilt and its walls finished, it will mean that you will have no portion on this side of the [Euphrates] River.H586H3046H4430H2006H1791H7149H1124H7792H3635H1836H6903H383H3809H2508H5675H5103

The King Replies and Work Stops

17Then the king sent an answer: To Rehum the [Persian] official, to Shimshai the scribe, to the rest of their companions who dwell in Samaria and in the rest of the country beyond the River: Greetings.H7972H4430H6600H5922H7348H1169H2942H8124H5613H7606H3675H3488H8115H7606H5675H5103H8001H370618The letter which you sent to us has been plainly read before me.H5407H7972H5922H6568H7123H692519I commanded and search has been made, and it is found that this city [Jerusalem] of old time has made insurrection against kings and that rebellion and sedition have been made in it.H4481H7761H2942H1240H7912H1791H7149H4481H5957H3118H5376H5922H4430H4776H849H564820There have been mighty kings also over Jerusalem who have ruled over all countries beyond [west of] the [Euphrates] River, and tribute, custom, and toll were paid to them.H1934H8624H4430H5922H3390H7990H3606H5675H5103H4061H1093H1983H305221Therefore give a decree to make these men stop, that this city not be rebuilt, until a command is given by me.H7761H3705H2942H989H479H1400H989H1791H7149H3809H1124H5705H2941H7761H448122Be sure that you do this. Why should damage grow, to the hurt of the kings?H1934H2095H7960H5922H5648H1836H4101H2257H7680H5142H443023When the copy of King Artaxerxes' letter was read before Rehum, Shimshai the scribe, and their companions, they went up in haste to Jerusalem to the Jews and by force and power made them cease.H116H4481H1768H6573H4430H783H5407H7123H6925H7348H8124H5613H3675H236H924H3390H5922H3062H1994H989H153H242924Then the work on the house of God in Jerusalem stopped. It stopped until the second year of Darius [I] king of Persia.H116H989H5673H1005H426H3390H1934H989H5705H8648H8140H4437H1868H4430H6540