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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 WEB</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" /><script type="application/javascript" src="https://scripts.webcontentassessor.com/scripts/8a2459b64f9cac8122fc7f2eac4409c8555fac9383016db59c4c26e3d5b8b157"></script><script src='https://qd.admetricspro.com/js/biblehub/biblehub-layout-loader-revcatch.js'></script><script id='HyDgbd_1s' src='https://prebidads.revcatch.com/ads.js' type='text/javascript' async></script><script>(function(w,d,b,s,i){var cts=d.createElement(s);cts.async=true;cts.id='catchscript'; 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<span class="reftext"><a href="/ezra/4-2.htm"><b>2</b></a></span>then they drew near to Zerubbabel, and to the heads of fathers' [houses], and said to them, "Let us build with you; for we seek your God, as you do; and we sacrifice to him since the days of Esar Haddon king of Assyria, who brought us up here." <span class="reftext"><a href="/ezra/4-3.htm"><b>3</b></a></span>But Zerubbabel, and Jeshua, and the rest of the heads of fathers' [houses] of Israel, said to them, "You have nothing to do with us in building a house to our God; but we ourselves together will build to Yahweh, the God of Israel, as king Cyrus the king of Persia has commanded us."</p> <p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/ezra/4-4.htm"><b>4</b></a></span>Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah, and troubled them in building, <span class="reftext"><a href="/ezra/4-5.htm"><b>5</b></a></span>and hired counselors against them, to frustrate their purpose, all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.</p> <a name="6" id="6"></a><p class="hdg">Opposition under Xerxes and Artaxerxes<br /><p class="cross">(<a href="../esther/1.htm">Esther 1:1-9</a>; <a href="../proverbs/1.htm">Proverbs 1:1-7</a>; <a href="../proverbs/9.htm">Proverbs 9:1-12</a>)</p></p><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/ezra/4-6.htm"><b>6</b></a></span>In the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, wrote they an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.</p> <p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/ezra/4-7.htm"><b>7</b></a></span>In the days of Artaxerxes wrote Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of his companions, to Artaxerxes king of Persia; and the writing of the letter was written in the Syrian [character], and set forth in the Syrian [language].</p> <p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/ezra/4-8.htm"><b>8</b></a></span>Rehum the chancellor and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king in this sort: <span class="reftext"><a href="/ezra/4-9.htm"><b>9</b></a></span>then [wrote] Rehum the chancellor, and Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their companions, the Dinaites, and the Apharsathchites, the Tarpelites, the Apharsites, the Archevites, the Babylonians, the Shushanchites, the Dehaites, the Elamites, <span class="reftext"><a href="/ezra/4-10.htm"><b>10</b></a></span>and the rest of the nations whom the great and noble Osnappar brought over, and set in the city of Samaria, and in the rest [of the country] beyond the River, and so forth. <span class="reftext"><a href="/ezra/4-11.htm"><b>11</b></a></span>This is the copy of the letter that they sent to Artaxerxes the king: Your servants the men beyond the River, and so forth. <span class="reftext"><a href="/ezra/4-12.htm"><b>12</b></a></span>Be it known to the king, that the Jews who came up from you are come to us to Jerusalem; they are building the rebellious and the bad city, and have finished the walls, and repaired the foundations. <span class="reftext"><a href="/ezra/4-13.htm"><b>13</b></a></span>Be it known now to the king that if this city is built, and the walls finished, they will not pay tribute, custom, or toll, and in the end it will be hurtful to the kings. <span class="reftext"><a href="/ezra/4-14.htm"><b>14</b></a></span>Now because we eat the salt of the palace, and it is not appropriate for us to see the king's dishonor, therefore have we sent and informed the king; <span class="reftext"><a href="/ezra/4-15.htm"><b>15</b></a></span>that search may be made in the book of the records of your fathers: so you shall find in the book of the records, and know that this city is a rebellious city, and hurtful to kings and provinces, and that they have moved sedition within the same of old time; for which cause was this city laid waste. <span class="reftext"><a href="/ezra/4-16.htm"><b>16</b></a></span>We inform the king that, if this city be built, and the walls finished, by this means you shall have no portion beyond the River.</p> <p class="hdg">The Decree of Artaxerxes</p><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/ezra/4-17.htm"><b>17</b></a></span>[Then] sent the king an answer to Rehum the chancellor, and to Shimshai the scribe, and to the rest of their companions who dwell in Samaria, and in the rest [of the country] beyond the River: Peace, and so forth. <span class="reftext"><a href="/ezra/4-18.htm"><b>18</b></a></span>The letter which you sent to us has been plainly read before me. <span class="reftext"><a href="/ezra/4-19.htm"><b>19</b></a></span>I decreed, and search has been made, and it is found that this city of old time has made insurrection against kings, and that rebellion and sedition have been made therein. <span class="reftext"><a href="/ezra/4-20.htm"><b>20</b></a></span>There have been mighty kings also over Jerusalem, who have ruled over all [the country] beyond the River; and tribute, custom, and toll, was paid to them. <span class="reftext"><a href="/ezra/4-21.htm"><b>21</b></a></span>Make a decree now to cause these men to cease, and that this city not be built, until a decree shall be made by me. <span class="reftext"><a href="/ezra/4-22.htm"><b>22</b></a></span>Take heed that you not be slack herein: why should damage grow to the hurt of the kings?</p> <p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/ezra/4-23.htm"><b>23</b></a></span>Then when the copy of king Artaxerxes' letter was read before Rehum, and Shimshai the scribe, and their companions, they went in haste to Jerusalem to the Jews, and made them to cease by force and power.</p> <p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/ezra/4-24.htm"><b>24</b></a></span>Then ceased the work of the house of God which is at Jerusalem; and it ceased until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.</p></div></div><div id="botbox"><div class="padbot"><div align="center">The World English Bible is a 1997 revision of the American Standard Version of the Holy Bible, first published in 1901. It is in the Public Domain. Please feel free to copy and distribute it freely. Thank you to Michael Paul Johnson for making this work available. For the latest information, to report corrections, or for other correspondence, visit <a href="//www.ebible.org">www.ebible.org</a>.<br /><br /><a href="//bereanbible.com">Section Headings Courtesy BereanBible.com<br />© 2013, 2014 Used by Permission</a><span class="p"><br /><br /><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/">Bible Hub</a></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="rightbox"><div class="padright"><div id="pic"><iframe width="100%" height="860" scrolling="no" src="//biblescan.com/mpad/ezra/4-1.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></div></div></div><div id="rightbox4"><div class="padright2"><div id="spons1"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><tr><td class="sp1"><iframe src="//biblemenus.com/adframe120.htm" width="122" height="602" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe><br /><br /></td></tr></table></div></div></div> <div align="center"><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><script id="3d27ed63fc4348d5b062c4527ae09445"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=51ce25d5-1a8c-424a-8695-4bd48c750f35&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script> <script id="b817b7107f1d4a7997da1b3c33457e03"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=cb0edd8b-b416-47eb-8c6d-3cc96561f7e8&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-2'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-0' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-3'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-1' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div align="center" id='div-gpt-ad-1531425649696-0'> </div><br /><br /> <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:inline-block;width:200px;height:200px" data-ad-client="ca-pub-3753401421161123" data-ad-slot="3592799687"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); </script></div><div id="bot"><iframe width="100%" height="1500" scrolling="no" src="/botmenubhnm2.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe><div align="center"><span class="p"><br /><br /><br /></span></div></div></td></tr></table></div></body></html>