H9010–א/–a

Rehum, the chief ruler, and Shimshai the scribe, sent a letter against Jerusalem, to Artaxerxes the king;

סָֽפְרָ֔א (א) ' “the”מַלְכָּ֖א (א) ' “the”

The letter was sent by Rehum, the chief ruler, and Shimshai the scribe and their friends; the Dinaites and the Apharsathchites, the Tarpelites, the Apharsites, the Archevites, the Babylonians, the Shushanchites, the Dehaites, the Elamites,

סָֽפְרָ֔א (א) ' “the”דִּ֠ינָיֵא (א) ' “the”וַאֲפַרְסַתְכָיֵ֞א (א) ' “the”טַרְפְּלָיֵ֣א (א) ' “the”אֲפָֽרְסָיֵ֗א (א) ' “the”אַרְכְּוָיֵ֤א (א) ' “the”בָבְלָיֵא֙ (א֙) ' “the”שֽׁוּשַׁנְכָיֵ֔א (א) ' “the”דֶּהָיֵ֖א (א) ' “the”עֵלְמָיֵֽא׃ (א) ' “the”

And the rest of the nations which the great and noble Osnappar took over and put in Samaria and the rest of the country over the river:

אֻמַּיָּ֗א (א) ' “the”רַבָּ֣א (א) ' “great”וְיַקִּירָ֔א (א) ' “honorable”נַהֲרָ֖ה (ה) ' “the”

This is a copy of the letter which they sent to Artaxerxes the king: Your servants living across the river send these words:

אִגַּרְתָּ֔א (א) ' “the”מַלְכָּ֑א (א) ' “the”נַהֲרָ֖ה (ה) ' “the”

We give news to the king that the Jews who came from you have come to us at Jerusalem; they are building up again that uncontrolled and evil town; the walls are complete and they are joining up the bases.

לְמַלְכָּ֔א (א) ' “the”יְהוּדָיֵ֗א (א) ' “the”קִרְיְתָ֨א (א) ' “the”מָֽרָדְתָּ֤א (א) ' “rebellious”וּבִֽישְׁתָּא֙ (א֙) ' “<the>”וְשׁוּרַיָּ֣א (א) ' “the”וְאֻשַּׁיָּ֖א (א) ' “the”

The king may be certain that when the building of this town and its walls is complete, they will give no tax or payment in goods or forced payments, and in the end it will be a cause of loss to the kings.

לְמַלְכָּ֔א (א) ' “the”קִרְיְתָ֥א (א) ' “the”וְשׁוּרַיָּ֖ה (ה) ' “the”

Now because we are responsible to the king, and it is not right for us to see the king's honour damaged, we have sent to give the king word of these things,

הֵֽיכְלָא֙ (א֙) ' “the”מַלְכָּ֔א (א) ' “the”לְמַלְכָּֽא׃ (א) ' “the”

So that search may be made in the book of the records of your fathers: and you will see in the book of the records that this town has been uncontrolled, and a cause of trouble to kings and countries, and that there were outbursts against authority there

דָּכְרָ֨נַיָּ֜א (א) ' “the”דָּכְרָנַיָּא֮ (א֮) ' “the”קִרְיְתָ֨א (א) ' “the”עָלְמָ֑א (א) ' “antiquity”קִרְיְתָ֥א (א) ' “the”

We give you word, that if the building of this town and its walls is made complete, there will be an end of your power in the country across the river.

לְמַלְכָּ֔א (א) ' “the”קִרְיְתָ֥א (א) ' “the”וְשׁוּרַיָּ֖ה (ה) ' “the”נַהֲרָ֔א (א) ' “the”

Then the king sent an answer to Rehum, the chief ruler, and Shimshai the scribe, and their friends living in Samaria, and to the rest of those across the river, saying, Peace to you:

פִּתְגָמָ֞א (א) ' “the”מַלְכָּ֗א (א) ' “the”סָֽפְרָ֔א (א) ' “the”נַהֲרָ֛ה (ה) ' “the”

And now the sense of the letter which you sent to us has been made clear to me,

נִשְׁתְּוָנָ֕א (א) ' “the”

And I gave orders for a search to be made, and it is certain that in the past this town has made trouble for kings, and that outbursts against authority have taken place there.

קִרְיְתָ֣א (א) ' “the”עָֽלְמָ֔א (א) ' “antiquity”

Further, there have been great kings in Jerusalem, ruling over all the country across the river, to whom they gave taxes and payments in goods and forced payments.

נַהֲרָ֑ה (ה) ' “the”

Give an order now, that these men are to do nothing more, and that the building of the town is to be stopped, till I give an order.

גֻּבְרַיָּ֣א (א) ' “the”וְקִרְיְתָ֥א (א) ' “the”טַעְמָ֥א (א) ' “the”

Be certain to do this with all care: do not let trouble be increased to the king's damage.

חֲבָלָ֔א (א) ' “the”

Then, after reading the king's letter, Rehum and Shimshai the scribe and their friends went quickly to Jerusalem, to the Jews, and had them stopped by force.

נִשְׁתְּוָנָא֙ (א֙) ' “the”מַלְכָּ֔א (א) ' “the”סָפְרָ֖א (א) ' “the”יְה֣וּדָיֵ֔א (א) ' “the”

So the work of the house of God at Jerusalem came to an end; so it was stopped, till the second year of the rule of Darius, king of Persia.

אֱלָהָ֔א (א) ' “God”

Now the prophets Haggai and Zechariah, the son of Iddo, were preaching to the Jews in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel.

נְבִיָּ֗א (א) ' “the”נְבִיַּיָּ֔א (א) ' “the”יְה֣וּדָיֵ֔א (א) ' “the”

Then Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua, the son of Jozadak, got up and made a start at building the house of God at Jerusalem: and the prophets of God were with them, helping them.

אֱלָהָ֖א (א) ' “God”נְבִיַּיָּ֥א (א) ' “the”אֱלָהָ֖א (א) ' “God”

At the same time, Tattenai, ruler of the land across the river, and Shethar-bozenai, and their men, came to them and said, Who gave you orders to go on building this house and this wall?

זִמְנָא֩ (א֩) ' “the”נַהֲרָ֛ה (ה) ' “the”בַּיְתָ֤א (א) ' “the”וְאֻשַּׁרְנָ֥א (א) ' “the”

Then they said these words to them: What are the names of the men who are at work on this building?

גֻּבְרַיָּ֔א (א) ' “the”בִנְיָנָ֖א (א) ' “the”

But the eye of their God was on the chiefs of the Jews, and they did not make them give up working till the question had been put before Darius and an answer had come by letter about it.

יְהוּדָיֵ֔א (א) ' “the”טַעְמָ֖א (א) ' “the”נִשְׁתְּוָנָ֖א (א) ' “the”

This is a copy of the letter which Tattenai, the ruler of the land across the river, and Shethar-bozenai and his friends the Apharsachites, living across the river, sent to Darius the king:

אִ֠גַּרְתָּא (א) ' “the”נַהֲרָ֗ה (ה) ' “the”אֲפַ֨רְסְכָיֵ֔א (א) ' “the”נַהֲרָ֑ה (ה) ' “the”מַלְכָּֽא׃ (א) ' “the”

They sent him a letter saying, To Darius the king, all peace:

פִּתְגָמָ֖א (א) ' “the”מַלְכָּ֖א (א) ' “the”שְׁלָמָ֥א (א) ' “the”כֹֽלָּא׃ (א) ' “all”

This is to give the king word that we went into the land of Judah, to the house of the great God, which is made of great stones, and has its walls supported with wood, and the work is going on with industry, and they are doing it well.

לְמַלְכָּ֗א (א) ' “the”מְדִֽינְתָּא֙ (א֙) ' “the”אֱלָהָ֣א (א) ' “the”רַבָּ֔א (א) ' “great”בְּכֻתְלַיָּ֑א (א) ' “the”וַעֲבִ֥ידְתָּא (א) ' “the”