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

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

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

Read in Logos

Cross references

n ver 10
o 2Ki 18:7
p Ge 15:18–21; Ex 23:31; Jos 1:4; 1Ki 4:21; 1Ch 18:3; Ps 72:8–11
q Da 6:2
r ver 9
s Ne 2:1–8; Da 9:25; Hag 1:1,15; Zec 1:1