¹⁸The letter you sent us has been read and translated in my presence. ¹⁹I issued an order and a search was made, and it was found that this city has a long history of revolt^r against kings and has been a place of rebellion and sedition. ²⁰Jerusalem has had powerful kings ruling over the whole of Trans-Euphrates,^s and taxes, tribute and duty were paid to them. ²¹Now issue an order to these men to stop work, so that this city will not be rebuilt until I so order. ²²Be careful not to neglect this matter. Why let this threat grow, to the detriment of the royal interests?^t

²³As soon as the copy of the letter of King Artaxerxes was read to Rehum and Shimshai the secretary and their associates,^u they went immediately to the Jews in Jerusalem and compelled them by force to stop.

²⁴Thus the work on the house of God in Jerusalem came to a standstill until the second year of the reign of Darius^v king of Persia.

Read in Logos

Cross references

qSee ver 10
rSee 2 Ki 18:7
s Ge 15:18–21; See Ex 23:31; See Jos 1:4; See 1 Ki 4:21; 1 Ch 18:3; Ps 72:8–11
t Da 6:2
uSee ver 9
v Ne 2:1–8; Da 9:25; Hag 1:1, 15; Zec 1:1