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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://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=1.0; maximum-scale=1.0; user-scalable=0;"/><title>Ezra 4 New American Bible</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="/chapnew2.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="../spec.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/print.css" type="text/css" media="Print" /></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="/bmcc/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="http://biblehub.com/catholic">Bible</a> > <a href="../">NABRE</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"><table width="100%"><tr><td width="99%" valign="top">New American Bible Revised Edition</td><td width="1%" valign="top"></td></tr></table></div><div class="chap"><section id="ch15004" class="chapter"> <h1 id="cn15004" class="cn"></h1> <p class="pf"><span class="hemb">Outside Interference.</span> <span id="v15004001" class="ver">1</span>When the enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the exiles were building a temple for the <span class="tetr">Lord</span>, the God of Israel, <span id="v15004002" class="ver">2</span><a id="ren15004002-a" class="enref" href="footnotes.htm#en15004002-a">a</a> they approached Zerubbabel and the heads of ancestral houses and said to them, “Let us build with you, for we seek your God just as you do, and we have sacrificed to him since the days of Esarhaddon, king of Assyria,<a id="rfn15004002-1" class="fnref" href="footnotes.htm#fn15004002-1">*</a> who brought us here.” <span id="v15004003" class="ver">3</span>But Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the rest of the heads of ancestral houses of Israel answered them, “It is not your responsibility to build with us a house for our God, but we alone must build it for the <span class="tetr">Lord</span>, the God of Israel, as Cyrus king of Persia has commanded us.” <span id="v15004004" class="ver">4</span>Thereupon the local inhabitants<a id="rfn15004004-1" class="fnref" href="footnotes.htm#fn15004004-1">*</a> discouraged the people of Judah and frightened them off from building. <span id="v15004005" class="ver">5</span>They also bribed counselors to work against them and to frustrate their plans during all the years of Cyrus, king of Persia, and even into the reign of Darius,<a id="rfn15004005-1" class="fnref" href="footnotes.htm#fn15004005-1">*</a> king of Persia.</p> <p class="psec"><span class="hemb">Later Hostility.</span> <span id="v15004006" class="ver">6</span>In the reign of Ahasuerus,<a id="rfn15004006-1" class="fnref" href="footnotes.htm#fn15004006-1">*</a> at the beginning of his reign, they prepared a written accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.</p> <p><span id="v15004007" class="ver">7</span><a id="rfn15004007-1" class="fnref" href="footnotes.htm#fn15004007-1">*</a> Again, in the time of Artaxerxes, Tabeel and the rest of his fellow officials, in concert with Mithredath, wrote to Artaxerxes, king of Persia. The document was written in Aramaic and was accompanied by a translation.</p> <p><span id="v15004008" class="ver">8</span><a id="rfn15004008-1" class="fnref" href="footnotes.htm#fn15004008-1">*</a> Then Rehum, the governor, and Shimshai, the scribe, wrote the following letter against Jerusalem to King Artaxerxes: <span id="v15004009" class="ver">9</span>“Rehum, the governor, Shimshai, the scribe, and their fellow officials, judges, legates, and agents from among the Persians, Urukians, Babylonians, Susians (that is, Elamites), <span id="v15004010" class="ver">10</span>and the other peoples whom the great and illustrious Osnappar<a id="rfn15004010-1" class="fnref" href="footnotes.htm#fn15004010-1">*</a> transported and settled in the city of Samaria and elsewhere in the province West-of-Euphrates, as follows….” <span id="v15004011" class="ver">11</span>This is a copy of the letter that they sent to him:</p> <p>“To King Artaxerxes, your servants, the men of West-of-Euphrates, as follows: <span id="v15004012" class="ver">12</span>Let it be known to the king that the Jews who came up from you to us have arrived at Jerusalem and are now rebuilding this rebellious and evil city. They are completing its walls, and the foundations have already been laid. <span id="v15004013" class="ver">13</span>Now let it be known to the king that if this city is rebuilt and its walls completed, they will no longer pay taxes, tributes, or tolls; eventually the throne will be harmed. <span id="v15004014" class="ver">14</span>Now, since we eat the salt of the palace<a id="rfn15004014-1" class="fnref" href="footnotes.htm#fn15004014-1">*</a> and it is not fitting for us to look on while the king is being dishonored, we have sent this message to inform the king, <span id="v15004015" class="ver">15</span>so that inquiry may be made in the historical records of your fathers. In the historical records you will discover and verify that this is a rebellious city, harmful to kings and provinces; its people have been acting seditiously there since ancient times. That is why this city was destroyed. <span id="v15004016" class="ver">16</span>We therefore inform the king, that if this city is rebuilt and its walls completed again, you will thereupon not have a portion in the province West-of-Euphrates.”</p> <p><span id="v15004017" class="ver">17</span>The king sent this answer: “To Rehum, the governor, Shimshai, the scribe, and their fellow officials living in Samaria and elsewhere in the province West-of-Euphrates, greetings: <span id="v15004018" class="ver">18</span>The communication which you sent us has been read in translation in my presence. <span id="v15004019" class="ver">19</span>When at my command inquiry was made, it was verified that from ancient times this city has risen up against kings and that rebellion and sedition have been fostered there. <span id="v15004020" class="ver">20</span>Powerful kings once ruled in Jerusalem who controlled all West-of-Euphrates, and taxes, tributes, and tolls were paid to them. <span id="v15004021" class="ver">21</span>Give orders, therefore, to stop these men. This city may not be rebuilt until a further decree has been issued by me. <span id="v15004022" class="ver">22</span>Take care that you do not neglect this matter. Why should evil increase to harm the throne?”</p> <p><span id="v15004023" class="ver">23</span><a id="ren15004023-b" class="enref" href="footnotes.htm#en15004023-b">b</a> As soon as a copy of King Artaxerxes’ letter had been read before Rehum, the governor, Shimshai, the scribe, and their fellow officials, they immediately went to the Jews in Jerusalem and stopped their work by force of arms. <span id="v15004024" class="ver">24</span>As a result, work on the house of God in Jerusalem ceased. This interruption lasted until the second year of the reign of Darius,<a id="rfn15004024-1" class="fnref" href="footnotes.htm#fn15004024-1">*</a> king of Persia.</p> </section> <br /><h1 class="cn"><a class="xref" href="intro.htm"><span class="ac">Book Introduction</span></a></h1><h1 class="cn"><a class="xref" href="footnotes.htm"><span class="ac">Footnotes</span></a></h1></div></div><div id="botbox"><div class="padbot"><div align="center">Scripture texts, prefaces, introductions, footnotes and cross references used in this work are taken from the <i>New American Bible, revised edition</i> © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/">Bible Hub</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span></div></div></div></div></td></tr></table></div><div id="left"><a href="../ezra/3.htm" onmouseover='lft.src="/leftgif.png"' onmouseout='lft.src="/left.png"' title="Ezra 3"><img src="/left.png" name="lft" border="0" alt="Ezra 3" /></a></div><div id="right"><a href="../ezra/5.htm" onmouseover='rght.src="/rightgif.png"' onmouseout='rght.src="/right.png"' title="Ezra 5"><img src="/right.png" name="rght" border="0" alt="Ezra 5" /></a></div><div id="botleft"><a href="#" onmouseover='botleft.src="/botleftgif.png"' onmouseout='botleft.src="/botleft.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botleft.png" name="botleft" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="botright"><a href="#" onmouseover='botright.src="/botrightgif.png"' onmouseout='botright.src="/botright.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botright.png" name="botright" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="bot"><iframe width="100%" height="1500" scrolling="no" src="/botmenubhchap.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></div></td></tr></table></div></body></html>