Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the sons of the captivity were building the temple of Jehovah the God of Israel,

But Zerubbabel and Jeshua and the rest of the heads of the fathers of Israel said to them, It is not for you to build a house for our God with us; but we ourselves together will build unto Jehovah the God of Israel, as King Cyrus the king of Persia has commanded us.

and hired counselors against them to frustrate their purpose all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.

And in the days of Artaxerxes, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabel, and the rest of their associates wrote to Artaxerxes king of Persia; and the letter was written in Aramaic, and translated from the Aramaic.

From Rehum the commander, Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their associates; representatives of Dinah, Apharsath, Tarpelah, the people of Persia and Erech and Babylon and Shushan, Dehah, the Elam,

(This is a copy of the letter that they sent him) To King Artaxerxes from your servants, the men of the region beyond the River, and now:

Let it now be known to the king, that if this city is rebuilt and the walls completed, they will not pay tax, tribute, or toll, and the king's treasury will be damaged.

that search may be made in the book of the records of your fathers; and you will find in the book of the records and know that this city is a rebellious city, harmful to kings and provinces, and that they have carried out revolts within the city in ancient times, for which cause this city was destroyed.

The king sent an answer: To Rehum the commander, to Shimshai the scribe, to the rest of their associates who dwell in Samaria, and to the rest beyond the River: Peace! And now:

And I gave command, and a search has been made, and it was found that this city in ancient times has risen up against kings, and rebellion and revolt have been carried out in it.

Now give the command to make these men cease, that this city not be built until the command is given from me.

Now when the copy of King Artaxerxes' letter was read before Rehum, Shimshai the scribe, and their associates, they went up in haste to Jerusalem against the Jews, and by force of arms made them cease.

i1 [A Song of Ascents.] i0 par In my distress I have cried out unto Jehovah, and He heard me.

i1 [A Song of Ascents.] i0 par I lift up my eyes from hill to hill. From where does my help come?

i1 [A Song of Ascents of David.] i0 par I was glad when they said unto me, let us go into the house of Jehovah.

i1 [A Song of Ascents.] i0 par Unto You I lift up my eyes, O You who dwell in the heavens.

i1 [A Song of Ascents of David.] i0 par Unless it had been Jehovah who was for us, let Israel now say:

i1 [A Song of Ascents.] i0 par Those who trust in Jehovah are like Mount Zion, which is not shaken, but remains forever.

i1 [A Song of Ascents.] i0 par When Jehovah brought back the captivity of Zion, we were like those who dream.

i1 [A Song of Ascents for Solomon.] i0 par Unless Jehovah builds the house, they labor in vain who build it; unless Jehovah guards the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.

i1 [A Song of Ascents.] i0 par Blessed is everyone who fears Jehovah, who walks in His ways.

But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were in dread of the children of Israel.

And they made their lives bitter with hard labor; in mortar, in brick, and in all manner of labor in the field. All their labor in which they made them work was with harshness.

You shall no longer give the people straw to make brick as before. Let them go and gather straw for themselves.

Let more labor be laid upon the men, that they may work in it, and let them not regard deceptive words.

Go, get yourselves straw where you can find it; yet none of your labor shall be diminished.

And the taskmasters were pressing upon them saying, Fulfill your work, the matter of each day, as when there was straw.

Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried out to Pharaoh, saying, Why are you dealing thus with your servants?

But he said, You are idle! Idle! Therefore you say, Let us go and sacrifice to Jehovah.

And the officers of the children of Israel saw that they were in a bad way after it was said, You shall not diminish any bricks from the matter day by day.

Wherever they went out, the hand of Jehovah was against them for evil, as Jehovah had said, and as Jehovah had sworn to them. And they were greatly distressed.

And that year they shattered and oppressed the children of Israel; for eighteen years, all the children of Israel who were on the other side of the Jordan in the land of the Amorites, in Gilead.

And the children of Israel cried out unto Jehovah, saying, We have sinned against You, because we have both forsaken our God and served the Baals!

Also the Sidonians and Amalekites and Maonites have oppressed you; and you cried out to Me, and I delivered you from their hand.

Now there was no blacksmith to be found throughout all the land of Israel, for the Philistines thought, Lest the Hebrews make swords or spears.

Judah went into captivity under affliction and hard labor. She dwells among the nations; she finds no rest; all her pursuers have overtaken her between the straits.

Go and cry in the ears of Jerusalem, saying, Thus says Jehovah, I remember you, the kindness of your youth, the love of your betrothals, when you went after Me in the wilderness, in a land not sown.

They committed harlotry in Egypt, they committed harlotry in their youth; their breasts were handled, their virgin nipples were fondled.

And from there I will give her vineyards to her, and the Valley of Achor for a door of hope. And she shall respond there as in the days of her youth, and as in the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt.

When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and I called My Son out of Egypt.

i1 [A Song of Ascents of David.] i0 par Unless it had been Jehovah who was for us, let Israel now say: