Now when the adversaries of Yehuda and Binyamin heard that the children of the exiles were building the temple to the Lord God of Yisra᾽el;

And the oppressors of Judah and Benjamin [(stationed by Sancherev in Eretz Yisrael [viz. II Kings 17:24] heard that the men of the exile were building a sanctuary for the L-rd, the G-d of Israel.

then they came to Zerubbavel, and to the chiefs of the fathers’ houses and said to them, Let us build with you: for we seek your God, as you do; and we have sacrificed to him since the days of Esar-ĥaddon king of Ashshur, who brought us up here.

And they drew near to Zerubavel and to the heads of the fathers' [houses], and they said to them: Let us build together with you, for just as you, shall we solicit your G-d. And it is to Him that we sacrifice from the days of Essar-chaddon, king of Ashur, who brought us up here [(their intent being to sabotage the building of the Temple)].

But Zerubbavel and Yeshua, and the rest of the chiefs of the fathers’ houses of Yisra᾽el, said to them, You have nothing to do with us in building a house to our God; but we ourselves alone will build to the Lord God of Yisra᾽el, as king Koresh the king of Paras has commanded us.

And Zerubavel and Yeshua and the rest of the heads of the fathers' [houses] of Israel said to them: It is not for you and us [together] to build the house of our G-d, but we [alone] shall build together to the L-rd, the G-d of Israel, as the king commanded us, Koresh, king of Paras.

Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Yehuda, and frightened them off from building,

And the people of the land [(the oppressors of Judah and Benjamin)] weakened the hand [of the laborers] of Judah, and deterred them from building.

and they hired counsellors against them, to frustrate their purpose, all the days of Koresh king of Paras, until the reign of Daryavesh king of Paras.

And they hired counselors against them to defeat their counsels all the days of Koresh king of Paras [(and of Achashverosh, who followed him)] until the [(twelfth year of)] the reign of Darius, king of Paras.

And in the reign of Aĥashverosh, in the beginning of his reign, they wrote to him an accusation against the inhabitants of Yehuda and Yerushalayim.

And during the reign of Achashverosh, [(who followed Darius the Mede, and who took Esther to wife)], in the beginning of his reign, they wrote a libel against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem [(to stop them from building the Temple)].

And in the days of Artaĥshasta, Bishlam, Mitredat, Tave᾽el, and the rest of their companions, wrote to Artaĥshasta, king of Paras; and the writing of the letter was written in the Aramic script, and translated into the Aramic tongue.

And in the days of Artachshasta [(Koresh, king of Paras)] an epistle of peace was written by Mitredath-tav'el [(one of the oppressors of Judah and Benjamin and the rest of his confederates to Artachshast, king of Paras in Aramaic script, and it was interpreted in Aramaic.

Reĥum the chancellor and Shimshay the scribe wrote a letter against Yerushalayim to Artaĥshasta the king in this sort:

Rechum, the secretary, and Shimshai [(one of the sons of Haman)], the scribe, wrote a letter [(by word of Mitredath-tav'el)] concerning Jerusalem to Artachshasta the king, as will follow.

then wrote Reĥum the chancellor, and Shimshay the scribe, and the rest of their companions; the Dinites, the Afarsatkhites, the Tarpelites, the Afarsites, the Arkevites, the Bavlites, the Shushankhites, the Dehites, the ῾Elamites,

Then [i.e., in that intrigue] were Rechum, the secretary, Shimshai, the scribe, and the rest of their confederates [(whom Sancherev had planted in the cities of Shomron)]: the Dinites, the Afarsatchites, the Tarpelites, the Afarsites, the Arkavites, the Bavlites, the Shushanchites, the Dehaites, and the Elmaites,

and the rest of the nations whom the great and noble Asnappar brought over, and placed in the cities of Shomeron, and the rest who are on this side of the river. And now,

and the rest of the peoples that the great and esteemed Asnapar [(Sancherev)] had exiled and settled in the cities surrounding Shomron, and the rest of the nations across the [Euphrates] river [from Bavel], and [the people of] Ke'eneth.

this is the copy of the letter that they sent to him, to Artaĥshasta the king; Thy servants the men on this side of the river. And now,

This is the text of the letter that they sent to him, to Artachshast the king: "Your servants are the men across the river and [the men of] Ke'eneth.

Be it known to the king, that the Jews who came up from thee to us are come to Yerushalayim; they are building the rebellious and the bad city, and have set up its walls, and joined the foundations.

Let it be known to the king that the Jews who have gone up from you to us have come to Jerusalem. They are building a rebellious and sinful city; and they are founding the walls and linking the foundations.

Be it known now to the king, that, if this city is built, and the walls set up again, then they will not pay toll, tribute, and custom, and so the revenue of the kings will suffer damage.

Let it now be known to the king that if this city is built, and the walls be founded, the mindah, the b'lo and the halach [(kinds of tributes)] will not be given, and the kings' tribute will be undermined.

Now because we feel closely bound to the king’s palace, and it was not meet for us to see the king’s dishonour, therefore we have sent and certified the king;

Therefore, because we would destroy [i.e., stop the work of] the sanctuary, it not befitting us to look on at the king's disgrace, we have, therefore, sent and apprised the king.

that search may be made in the book of the records of thy fathers: so shalt thou find 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 moved sedition within the same of old time: for which cause was this city laid waste.

So that he may search in the book of chronicles of your forefathers, so that you find in the book of chronicles and know that this city is a rebellious city, which undermines kings and provinces, where rebellion flourished [(Israel rebelling against the kings of the nations)] from the days of yore, wherefore this city was destroyed.

We make known to the king that, if this city is rebuilt and its walls set up, by this means thou shalt have no portion on this side of the river.

We [therefore] apprise the king that if this city is rebuilt and its walls founded, as a result, you will have no portion on the other side of the river, [(Israel taking all)]."

Then the king sent an answer to Reĥum the chancellor, and to Shimshay the scribe, and to the rest of their companions who dwelt in Shomeron, and to the rest beyond the river. Peace. And now,

This was sent by the king to Rechum, the secretary and to Shimshai the scribe and to their confederates who dwelt in Shomron, and to the rest of [the territories] across the river, [and to the cities of] Shelam and Ke'th [(Ke'eneth)]:

the letter which you sent to us has been plainly read before me.

"The text that you sent to us was explained and read before me.

And I commanded, and search has been made, and it is found that this city of old time made insurrection against kings, and that rebellion and sedition were made in it.

And I ordered and they examined [(the chronicles)] and they found that this city, from days of yore, had risen against kings and incited to rebellion.

And there have been mighty kings over Yerushalayim, who ruled over all countries beyond the river; and toll, tribute, and custom, was paid to them.

And there were powerful kings in Jerusalem [e.g., Solomon], who ruled over all [the territories of] the other side of the river, and midah, belo, and halach [viz. 13] were given to them.

Therefore make a decree to cause these men to cease, and that this city be not rebuilt, until a further decree is given from me.

Now proclaim [throughout the land] to have these men desist [from building] and this city shall not be built until I authorize it.

Take heed now not to be slack in this: why should damage grow to the hurt of the kings?

And be careful not to err in doing this. Why should spoil increase to the detriment of kings?"

Now when the copy of king Artaĥshasta’s letter was read before Reĥum, and Shimshay the scribe, and their companions, they went up in haste to Yerushalayim to the Jews, and made them to cease by force and power.

Then, when the text of the letter of Artachshast was read before Rechum and Shimshai the scribe and their confederates, they hurried to the Jews in Jerusalem and stopped them [from building] by force.

Then the work of the house of God which is at Yerushalayim ceased. So it ceased until the second year of the reign of Daryavesh king of Paras.

At that time, the work of the house of G-d in Jerusalem was halted; and it remained at a halt [(for eighteen years)] until the second year of the reign of Darius, king of Paras [(the son of Esther and Achashverosh)].