Ezra 4:7-16 - The Letter To King Artaxerxes

⁷ In the time of Artaxerxes, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of his friends, sent a letter to Artaxerxes, king of Persia, writing it in the Aramaic language.

⁸ Rehum, the chief ruler, and Shimshai the scribe, sent a letter against Jerusalem, to Artaxerxes the king as follows: ⁹ The letter was sent by Rehum, the chief ruler, and Shimshai the scribe and their friends; the Dinaites and the Apharsathchites, the Tarpelites, the Apharsites, the Archevites, the Babylonians, the Shushanchites (people of Susa), the Dehaites, the Elamites, ¹⁰ The rest of the nations the great and noble Osnappar took over and put in Samaria and the rest of the country over the river:

¹¹ This is a copy of the letter that they sent to Artaxerxes the king: 'Your servants living across the river send these words: ¹² We give news to the king that the Jews who came from you have come to us at Jerusalem. They are again building that uncontrolled and evil town. The walls are complete and they are repairing the bases. ¹³ The king may be certain that when the town and its wall are completely rebuilt they will pay no tax or payment in goods or forced payments, and in the end it will be a cause of loss to the kings. ¹⁴ Because we are responsible to the king, and it is not right for us to see the king's honor damaged, we have sent to give the king word of these things. ¹⁵ That way a search may be made in the book of the records of your fathers. You will see in the book of the records that this town has been uncontrolled. It has been a cause of trouble to kings and countries. There were outbursts against authority in the past. That is the reason the town was laid waste. ¹⁶ We give you word, that if this town and its walls is completely rebuilt, your power in the country across the river will end.