rsv Ezra:4:8-6 SEEK
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Rehum the commander and Shim '
shai the scribe wrote a letter against Jerusalem to Ar-ta-xerx '
es the king as follows --
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then wrote Rehum the commander ,
Shim '
shai the scribe ,
and the rest of their associates ,
the judges ,
the governors ,
the officials ,
the Persians ,
the men of Erech ,
the Babylonians ,
the men of Susa ,
that is ,
the Elamites ,
*
and the rest of the nations whom the great and noble Osnap '
par deported and settled in the cities of Sama '
ria and in the rest of the province Beyond the River ,
and now
*
this is a copy of the letter that they sent -- "
To Ar-ta-xerx '
es the king :
Your servants ,
the men of the province Beyond the River ,
send greeting .
And now
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be it known to the king that the Jews who came up from you to us have gone to Jerusalem .
They are rebuilding that rebellious and wicked city ;
they are finishing the walls and repairing the foundations .
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Now be it known to the king that ,
if this city is rebuilt and the walls finished ,
they will not pay tribute ,
custom ,
or toll ,
and the royal revenue will be impaired .
*
Now because we eat the salt of the palace and it is not fitting for us to witness the king '
s dishonor ,
therefore we send and inform the king ,
*
in order that search may be made in the book of the records of your fathers .
You will find in the book of the records and learn that this city is a rebellious city ,
hurtful to kings and provinces ,
and that sedition was stirred up in it from of old .
That was why this city was laid waste .
*
We make known to the king that ,
if this city is rebuilt and its walls finished ,
you will then have no possession in the province Beyond the River ."
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The king sent an answer : "
To Rehum the commander and Shim '
shai the scribe and the rest of their associates who live in Sama '
ria and in the rest of the province Beyond the River ,
greeting .
And now
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the letter which you sent to us has been plainly read before me .
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And I made a decree ,
and search has been made ,
and it has been found that this city from of old has risen against kings ,
and that rebellion and sedition have been made in it .
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And mighty kings have been over Jerusalem ,
who ruled over the whole province Beyond the River ,
to whom tribute ,
custom ,
and toll were paid .
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Therefore make a decree that these men be made to cease ,
and that this city be not rebuilt ,
until a decree is made by me .
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And take care not to be slack in this matter ;
why should damage grow to the hurt of the king ?"
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Then ,
when the copy of King Ar-ta-xerx '
es '
letter was read before Rehum and Shim '
shai the scribe and their associates ,
they went in haste to the Jews at Jerusalem and by force and power made them cease .
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Then the work on the house of God which is in Jerusalem stopped ;
and it ceased until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia .