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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "//www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="//www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1"><title>Ezra 4 CEV</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="/chapnew2.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="../spec.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /></head><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="../cmenus/ezra/4.htm" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div><div id="blnk"></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable"><tr><td><div id="fx5"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx6"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="245" scrolling="no" src="../topmenuchap/ezra/4-1.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable3"><tr><td><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" id="announce"><tr><td><div id="l1"><div id="breadcrumbs"><a href="//biblehub.com">Bible</a> > <a href="../">CEV</a> > Ezra 4</div><div id="anc"><iframe src="/anc.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><div id="anc2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="../ezra/3.htm" title="Ezra 3">◄</a> Ezra 4 <a href="../ezra/5.htm" title="Ezra 5">►</a></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="vheading">Contemporary English Version</div><div class="chap"><h3 class="s1">Foreigners<a href="#fn" id="link_Ezra.4.1!f.1" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> Want To Help Rebuild the Temple</h3><p class="par"><span class="v15_4_1"><span class="reftext" id="Ezra.4.1" class="v15_4_1">1</span>The enemies of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin heard that the people had come back to rebuild the temple of the <span class="nd">Lord</span> God of Israel. </span><span class="v15_4_2"><span class="reftext" id="Ezra.4.2" class="v15_4_2">2</span><a href="#fn" id="link_Ezra.4.2!x.1" class="notelink x-link"><span></span></a> So they went to Zerubbabel and to the family leaders and said, “Let us help! Ever since King Esarhaddon of Assyria<a href="#fn" id="link_Ezra.4.2!f.2" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> brought us here, we have worshiped your God and offered sacrifices to him.”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v15_4_3"><span class="reftext" id="Ezra.4.3" class="v15_4_3">3</span>But Zerubbabel, Joshua, and the family leaders answered, “You cannot take part in building a temple for the <span class="nd">Lord</span> our God! We will build it ourselves, just as King Cyrus of Persia commanded us.”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v15_4_4"><span class="reftext" id="Ezra.4.4" class="v15_4_4">4</span>Then the neighboring people began to do everything possible to frighten the Jews<a href="#fn" id="link_Ezra.4.4!f.1" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> and to make them stop building. </span><span class="v15_4_5"><span class="reftext" id="Ezra.4.5" class="v15_4_5">5</span>During the time that Cyrus was king and even until Darius<a href="#fn" id="link_Ezra.4.5!f.1" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> became king, they kept bribing government officials to slow down the work.</span></p><h3 class="s1">Trouble Rebuilding Jerusalem<a href="#fn" id="link_Ezra.4.6!f.1" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> </h3><p class="par"><span class="v15_4_6"><span class="reftext" id="Ezra.4.6" class="v15_4_6">6</span><a href="#fn" id="link_Ezra.4.6!x.2" class="notelink x-link"><span></span></a> In the first year that Xerxes was king,<a href="#fn" id="link_Ezra.4.6!f.3" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> the neighboring people brought written charges against the people of Judah and Jerusalem.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v15_4_7"><span class="reftext" id="Ezra.4.7" class="v15_4_7">7</span>Later, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and their advisors got together and wrote a letter to Artaxerxes when he was king of Persia.<a href="#fn" id="link_Ezra.4.7!f.1" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> It was written in Aramaic and had to be translated.<a href="#fn" id="link_Ezra.4.7!f.2" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> </span></p><p class="par"><span class="v15_4_8"><span class="reftext" id="Ezra.4.8-Ezra.4.10" class="v15_4_8">8-10</span><a href="#fn" id="link_Ezra.4.8-Ezra.4.10!f.1" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> A letter was also written to Artaxerxes about Jerusalem by Governor Rehum, Secretary Shimshai, and their advisors, including the judges, the governors, the officials, and the local leaders. They were joined in writing this letter by people from Erech and Babylonia, the Elamites from Susa,<a href="#fn" id="link_Ezra.4.8-Ezra.4.10!f.2" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> and people from other foreign nations that the great and famous Ashurbanipal<a href="#fn" id="link_Ezra.4.8-Ezra.4.10!f.3" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> had forced to settle in Samaria and other parts of Western Province.<a href="#fn" id="link_Ezra.4.8-Ezra.4.10!f.4" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> </span></p><p class="par"><span class="v15_4_11"><span class="reftext" id="Ezra.4.11" class="v15_4_11">11</span>This letter said:</span></p><p class="pi"><span class="v15_4_11">Your Majesty King Artaxerxes, we are your servants from everywhere in Western Province, and we send you our greetings.</span></p><p class="pi"><span class="v15_4_12"><span class="reftext" id="Ezra.4.12" class="v15_4_12">12</span>You should know that the Jews who left your country have moved back to Jerusalem and are now rebuilding that rebellious city. In fact, they have almost finished rebuilding the walls and repairing the foundations. </span><span class="v15_4_13"><span class="reftext" id="Ezra.4.13" class="v15_4_13">13</span>You should also know that if the walls are completed and the city is rebuilt, the Jews won't pay any kind of taxes, and there will be less money in your treasury.</span></p><p class="pi"><span class="v15_4_14"><span class="reftext" id="Ezra.4.14" class="v15_4_14">14</span>We are telling you this, because you have done so much for us, and we want everyone to respect you. </span><span class="v15_4_15"><span class="reftext" id="Ezra.4.15" class="v15_4_15">15</span>If you look up the official records of your ancestors, you will find that Jerusalem has constantly rebelled and has led others to rebel against kings and provinces. That's why the city was destroyed in the first place. </span><span class="v15_4_16"><span class="reftext" id="Ezra.4.16" class="v15_4_16">16</span>If Jerusalem is rebuilt and its walls completed, you will no longer have control over Western Province.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v15_4_17"><span class="reftext" id="Ezra.4.17" class="v15_4_17">17</span>King Artaxerxes answered:</span></p><p class="pi"><span class="v15_4_17">Greetings to Governor Rehum, Secretary Shimshai, and to your advisors in Samaria and other parts of Western Province.</span></p><p class="pi"><span class="v15_4_18"><span class="reftext" id="Ezra.4.18" class="v15_4_18">18</span>After your letter was translated and read to me, </span><span class="v15_4_19"><span class="reftext" id="Ezra.4.19" class="v15_4_19">19</span>I had the old records checked. It is true that for years Jerusalem has rebelled and caused trouble for other kings and nations. </span><span class="v15_4_20"><span class="reftext" id="Ezra.4.20" class="v15_4_20">20</span>And powerful kings have ruled Western Province from Jerusalem and have collected all kinds of taxes.</span></p><p class="pi"><span class="v15_4_21"><span class="reftext" id="Ezra.4.21" class="v15_4_21">21</span>I want you to command the people to stop rebuilding the city until I give further notice. </span><span class="v15_4_22"><span class="reftext" id="Ezra.4.22" class="v15_4_22">22</span>Do this at once, so that no harm will come to the kingdom.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v15_4_23"><span class="reftext" id="Ezra.4.23" class="v15_4_23">23</span>As soon as this letter was read, Governor Rehum, Secretary Shimshai, and their advisors went to Jerusalem and forced everyone to stop rebuilding the city.</span></p><h3 class="s1">Work on the Temple Starts Again</h3><p class="par"><span class="v15_4_24"><span class="reftext" id="Ezra.4.24" class="v15_4_24">24</span><a href="#fn" id="link_Ezra.4.24!x.1" class="notelink x-link"><span></span></a> The Jews were forced to stop work on the temple and were not able to do any more building until the year after Darius became king of Persia.<a href="#fn" id="link_Ezra.4.24!f.2" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> </span></p> <a name="fn"></a><br /><br /><br /><b>Footnotes:<br /><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">4.1 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">Foreigners: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">People from foreign countries who had been captured by Assyrian and Babylonian kings and forced to settle in Palestine.</char></note><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">4.2 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">King Esarhaddon of Assyria: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">Ruled from 681 to 669 <char style="sc">b.c.</char> These people may have been brought to Palestine in 677 or 676 <char style="sc">b.c.</char>, when Esarhaddon invaded Syria.</char></note><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">4.4 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">Jews: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">This was the name given to those Israelites who settled in Judah after returning from Babylonia.</char></note><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">4.5 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">Cyrus … Darius: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">Cyrus ruled 539–530 <char style="sc">b.c.</char> (see the note at 1.1); Darius I, known as Darius the Great, ruled 522–486 <char style="sc">b.c.</char></char></note><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">4.6 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">Jerusalem: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">Verses 6-23, which tell about the events of a later period, are placed here because they are also concerned with the problem of stopping or slowing down work on the temple.</char></note><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">4.6 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">first year that Xerxes was king: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">Either the end of 486 or the beginning of 485 <char style="sc">b.c.</char> The Hebrew has the king's Persian name “Ahasuerus,” but he is better known as “Xerxes,” the Greek form of the name.</char></note><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">4.7 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">Artaxerxes … Persia: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">Artaxerxes I (465–425 <char style="sc">b.c.</char>).</char></note><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">4.7 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">It was … translated: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.</char></note><br /><note caller="+" style="f"> <char style="fr" closed="false">4.8-10 </char> <char style="ft" closed="false">Ezra 4.8—6.18 was written in Aramaic, instead of Hebrew like most of the Old Testament.</char> </note><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">4.8-10 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">the judges … Susa: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">One possible translation for the names and titles.</char></note><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">4.8-10 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">Ashurbanipal: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">King of Assyria 669–633 (or possibly 627) <char style="sc">b.c.</char> In Aramaic the king's name is “Osnapper,” but he is better known as Ashurbanipal.</char></note><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">4.8-10 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">Western Province: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">The land from the Euphrates River west to the Mediterranean Sea.</char></note><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">4.24 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">year after … king of Persia: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">520 <char style="sc">b.c.</char></char></note></div></div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><div align="center"><p><span style="font-size:11pt;">Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt;">© 2006 American Bible Society. 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