VIN(i)
4 Then the people of the land discouraged the people of Judah and made them afraid to build
5 They 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.
6 At the beginning of the reign of Ahasuerus, they lodged a formal accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.
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 chancellor and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king as follows,
9 (then Rehum the royal officer, Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their associates, the judges, the envoys, the officials, the Persians, the Erechs, the Babylonians, the Susians (that is the Elamites)
10 and the rest of the peoples, whom the great and noble Osnappar hath exiled, and set in the city of Samaria,—and the rest Beyond the River, and so forth:
11 This is the copy of the letter that they sent: To King Artaxerxes, From your servants the men beyond the River.
12 be it known to the king that the Jews who have come up from near you to us have gone to Jerusalem. They are building the rebellious and wicked city. They are finishing the wall and repairing the foundation.
13 Now be it known to the king that if this city is built and the walls are finished, they will not pay tribute and toll, and the royal revenue will be reduced.
14 Now, since we eat the salt of the palace, and it is not right for us to see the king`s injury, therefore have we sent and informed the king;
15 that search may be made in the book of the records of your fathers. You will see 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 started rebellions within it in the past. That is why this city was destroyed.
16 We inform the king that, if this city is built and the walls finished, then you will have no possession beyond the River.