7. Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of their group wrote to him when Artaxerxes was king of Persia. The letter was written with the Aramaic script and translated into the Aramaic language.
8. Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe wrote another letter against ⌊the people of⌋ Jerusalem to King Artaxerxes.
9. At that time, Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe were with the others of their group—the people from Denya, Partakka, Tarpel, Persia, Erech, Babylon, Susa, (that is, those of Elam),
10. and the rest of the people whom the great and noble Assurbanipal deported. (Assurbanipal settled them in the cities of Samaria and the rest of the lands west of the Euphrates River.)
11. This is the copy of the letter they sent to him:To King Artaxerxes,From your servants, the people west of the Euphrates:
12. Your Majesty, you should know that the Jews who came to us from you are now in Jerusalem. They are rebuilding that rebellious and wicked city. They are close to finishing the walls. The foundations are already in place.
13. You should also know that if this city is rebuilt and its walls are finished, the Jews will no longer pay taxes, fees, and tolls.Ultimately, this will hurt the king’s income.