Adversaries Hinder the Work

1But whan the aduersaries of Iuda and Ben Iamin herde, that the children of the captiuyte buylded the teple vnto the LORDE God of Israel, 2they came to Zorobabel & to the pryncipall fathers, and sayde vnto them: We wyl buylde with you: for we seke the LORDE youre God like as ye do. And we haue done sacrifice vnto him, sence the tyme that Assar Hadon the kynge of Assur broughte vs vp hither. 3But Zorobabel and Iesua and the other awnciet fathers of Israel, answered them: It is not mete for vs and you to buylde the house of oure God, but we wyl buylde alone vnto the LORDE God of Israel, as Cyrus the kynge of Persia hath commaunded vs.

4Then the folke of the londe hyndered the people of Iuda, and made them afrayed to buylde, 5and hyred councelers aganst them and hyndered their deuyce, as longe as Cyrus the kynge of Persia lyued, vntyll the reigne off Darius kynge off Persia.

Opposition under Xerxes and Artaxerxes

6But whan Ahasuerus was kynge, in the begynnynge off his reigne wrote they vnto him a complaynte agaynst them of Iuda and Ierusalem.

7And in the tyme of Artaxerses, wrote Bisellam, Mithudath, Tabeel and the other of their councell vnto Artaxerses the kynge of Persia. But the scripture of ye letter was wrytten in the Syrians speach, and was interpretated in the langage of the Syrians.

8Rehum ye chaunceler, and Simsai the scrybe, wrote this letter agaynst Ierusalem to Artaxerses the kynge. 9We Rehum the chaunceler, and Simsai the scribe, and other of the councell of Dina, off Arphasath, off Tarplat, off Persia, off Arach, of Babilon, of Susan, of Deha, and of Elam, 10and other of the people whom the greate and noble Asnaphar broughte ouer, and set in the cities of Samaria, and other on this syde the water, and in Canaan. 11And this is ye summe of the letter that they sent vnto kynge Artaxerses: Thy seruauntes the men on this syde the water and in Canaan. 12Be it knowne vnto ye kynge, that the Iewes which are come vp from the to vs vnto Ierusale in to that sedicious & wicked cite, buylde the same, and make vp ye walles of it, & brynge it out of ye foundacion. 13Be it knowne now therfore vnto ye kynge, yt yf this cite be buylded & the walles made vp agayne, the shal not they geue tribute, toll, and yearly custome, and their deuyce shal do ye kynge harme. 14But now that we all are therby which destroyed the temple, we wolde no longer se the kynges dishonoure. Therfore sent we out, and caused the kynge to be certified therof: 15That it maye be soughte in ye Cronicles of thy progenitours, and so shalt thou fynde in the same Cronicles, and perceaue, that this cite is sedicious and noysome vnto kynges and londes, and that they cause other also to rebell of olde, and for the same cause was this cite destroyed. 16Therfore do we certifie the kynge, that yf this cite be buylded, and the walles therof made vp, thou shalt kepe nothinge on this syde the water by the reason of it.

The Decree of Artaxerxes

17Then sent ye kynge an answere vnto Rehum the chaunceler, and Simsai the Scrybe, and to the other of their councell that dwelt in Samaria, and vnto the other beyonde ye water. Peace and salutacion. 18The letter which ye sent vnto vs, hath bene opely red before me, 19and I haue commaunded to make search: and it is founde, that this cite of olde hath made insurreccion agaynst, kynges, & how yt vpror and rebellion hath bene commytted therin. 20There haue bene mightie kynges also at Ierusale, which haue reigned ouer all that is beyonde the water, and toll, tribute and yearly custome was geuen vnto them. 21Do ye now after this commaundemet, forbyd the same men, that the cite be not builded, tyll I haue geue comaundemet. 22Take hede now that ye be not necligent here in, lest the kynge haue harme there thorow.

23Now wha kynge Artaxerses letter was red before Rehum the chaunceler and Simsai the Scrybe and their councell, they wente vp in all the haist to Ierusalem vnto the Iewes, and forbad them with the arme and auctorite.

24Then ceassed the worke of the house of God at Ierusalem, and continued so vnto the seconde yeare of Darius kynge of Persia.