4. Thereupon the local inhabitants discouraged the people of Judah and frightened them off from building.
5. They also bribed counselors to work against them and to frustrate their plans during all the years of Cyrus, king of Persia, and even into the reign of Darius, king of Persia.
6. In the reign of Ahasuerus, at the beginning of his reign, they prepared a written accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.
7. Again, in the time of Artaxerxes, Tabeel and the rest of his fellow officials, in concert with Mithredath, wrote to Artaxerxes, king of Persia. The document was written in Aramaic and was accompanied by a translation.
8. Then Rehum, the governor, and Shimshai, the scribe, wrote the following letter against Jerusalem to King Artaxerxes:
9. “Rehum, the governor, Shimshai, the scribe, and their fellow officials, judges, legates, and agents from among the Persians, Urukians, Babylonians, Susians (that is, Elamites),
10. and the other peoples whom the great and illustrious Osnappar transported and settled in the city of Samaria and elsewhere in the province West-of-Euphrates, as follows….”
11. This is a copy of the letter that they sent to him:“To King Artaxerxes, your servants, the men of West-of-Euphrates, as follows:
12. Let it be known to the king that the Jews who came up from you to us have arrived at Jerusalem and are now rebuilding this rebellious and evil city. They are completing its walls, and the foundations have already been laid.
13. Now let it be known to the king that if this city is rebuilt and its walls completed, they will no longer pay taxes, tributes, or tolls; eventually the throne will be harmed.
14. Now, since we eat the salt of the palace and it is not fitting for us to look on while the king is being dishonored, we have sent this message to inform the king,