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1 | Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the
children of the captivity builded the temple unto the LORD God
of Israel; |
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2 | Then they came to Zerubbabel, and to the chief of the fathers,
and said unto them, Let us build with you: for we seek your
God, as ye do; and we do sacrifice unto him since the days of
Esarhaddon king of Assur, which brought us up hither. |
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3 | But Zerubbabel, and Jeshua, and the rest of the chief of the
fathers of Israel, said unto them, Ye have nothing to do with
us to build an house unto our God; but we ourselves together
will build unto the LORD God of Israel, as king Cyrus the king
of Persia hath commanded us. |
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4 | Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people
of Judah, and troubled them in building, |
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5 | And hired counsellors against them, to frustrate their
purpose, all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the
reign of Darius king of Persia. |
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6 | And in the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign,
wrote they unto him an accusation against the inhabitants of
Judah and Jerusalem. |
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7 | And in the days of Artaxerxes wrote Bishlam, Mithredath,
Tabeel, and the rest of their companions, unto Artaxerxes king
of Persia; and the writing of the letter was written in the
Syrian tongue, and interpreted in the Syrian tongue. |
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8 | Rehum the chancellor and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter
against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king in this sort: |
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9 | Then wrote Rehum the chancellor, and Shimshai the scribe, and
the rest of their companions; the Dinaites, the
Apharsathchites, the Tarpelites, the Apharsites, the
Archevites, the Babylonians, the Susanchites, the Dehavites,
and the Elamites, |
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10 | And the rest of the nations whom the great and noble Asnapper
brought over, and set in the cities of Samaria, and the rest
that are on this side the river, and at such a time. |
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11 | This is the copy of the letter that they sent unto him, even
unto Artaxerxes the king; Thy servants the men on this side
the river, and at such a time. |
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12 | Be it known unto the king, that the Jews which came up from
thee to us are come unto Jerusalem, building the rebellious
and the bad city, and have set up the walls thereof, and
joined the foundations. |
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13 | Be it known now unto the king, that, if this city be builded,
and the walls set up again, then will they not pay toll,
tribute, and custom, and so thou shalt endamage the revenue of
the kings. |
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14 | Now because we have maintenance from the king's palace, and it
was not meet for us to see the king's dishonour, therefore
have we sent and certified the king; |
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15 | That search may be made in the book of the records of thy
fathers: so shalt thou find in the book of the records, and
know that this city is a rebellious city, and hurtful unto
kings and provinces, and that they have moved sedition within
the same of old time: for which cause was this city destroyed. |
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16 | We certify the king that, if this city be builded again, and
the walls thereof set up, by this means thou shalt have no
portion on this side the river. |
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17 | Then sent the king an answer unto Rehum the chancellor, and to
Shimshai the scribe, and to the rest of their companions that
dwell in Samaria, and unto the rest beyond the river, Peace,
and at such a time. |
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18 | The letter which ye sent unto us hath been plainly read before
me. |
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19 | And I commanded, and search hath been made, and it is found
that this city of old time hath made insurrection against
kings, and that rebellion and sedition have been made therein. |
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20 | There have been mighty kings also over Jerusalem, which have
ruled over all countries beyond the river; and toll, tribute,
and custom, was paid unto them. |
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21 | Give ye now commandment to cause these men to cease, and that
this city be not builded, until another commandment shall be
given from me. |
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22 | Take heed now that ye fail not to do this: why should damage
grow to the hurt of the kings? |
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23 | Now when the copy of king Artaxerxes' letter was read before
Rehum, and Shimshai the scribe, and their companions, they
went up in haste to Jerusalem unto the Jews, and made them to
cease by force and power. |
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24 | Then ceased the work of the house of God which is at
Jerusalem. So it ceased unto the second year of the reign of
Darius king of Persia. |
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