Cuando se enteraron los enemigos de Judá^a y de Benjamín de que el pueblo del destierro^b estaba edificando un templo al SEÑOR, Dios de Israel, 2 se llegaron a Zorobabel y a los jefes de casas paternas, y les dijeron: Vamos a edificar con vosotros, porque, como vosotros, buscamos a vuestro Dios^a, y le hemos estado ofreciendo sacrificios desde los días de Esar-hadón, rey de Asiria^b, que nos trajo aquí. 3 Pero Zorobabel y Jesúa y los demás jefes de casas paternas de Israel les dijeron: No tenéis nada en común con nosotros para que juntos edifiquemos una casa a nuestro Dios, sino que nosotros unidos la edificaremos al SEÑOR, Dios de Israel^a, como nos ordenó el rey Ciro, rey de Persia^b. 4 Entonces el pueblo de aquella¹ tierra se puso a desanimar al² pueblo de Judá, y a atemorizarlos para que dejaran de edificar^a; 5 y tomaron a sueldo contra ellos consejeros para frustrar sus propósitos, todos los días de Ciro, rey de Persia, hasta el reinado de Darío, rey de Persia.

6 En el reinado de Asuero^1a, al principio de su reinado, escribieron una acusación contra los habitantes de Judá y de Jerusalén.

7 Y en los días de Artajerjes¹, Bislam, Mitrídates, Tabeel y sus demás compañeros escribieron a Artajerjes, rey de Persia, y el texto² de la carta estaba en escritura aramea y traducido del arameo^a. 8 ¹Rehum, el comandante, y Simsai, el escriba, escribieron una carta al rey Artajerjes contra Jerusalén, de esta manera: 9 Rehum¹, el comandante, Simsai, el escriba, y sus demás compañeros^a, los jueces y los gobernadores de menos categoría^b, los oficiales, los secretarios, los hombres de Erec, los babilonios, los hombres de Susa, es decir, los elamitas, 10 y las demás naciones que el grande y noble Asnapar¹ deportó y estableció en la ciudad de Samaria, y en el resto de la provincia al otro lado del Río². Y ahora^a 11 esta es la copia de la carta que le enviaron: Al rey Artajerjes, de tus siervos, los hombres de la provincia al otro lado del Río: Y ahora 12 sepa el rey que los judíos que subieron de ti han venido a nosotros en Jerusalén; están reedificando la ciudad rebelde y perversa^a, y están terminando las murallas y reparando los cimientos^b. 13 Ahora sepa el rey, que si esa ciudad es reedificada y las murallas terminadas, ellos no pagarán tributo, ni impuesto, ni peaje^a, lo cual perjudicará los ingresos de los reyes. 14 Y¹ debido a que estamos en el servicio² del palacio, y no es apropiado que veamos el menosprecio al rey, por eso hemos enviado para hacerlo saber al rey, 15 a fin de que se investigue en el libro de las Memorias de tus padres. Y en el libro de las Memorias hallarás y sabrás que esa ciudad es una ciudad rebelde y perjudicial a los reyes y a las provincias, y que en tiempos pasados se han incitado rebeliones dentro de ella; por eso fue devastada esa ciudad. 16 Nosotros informamos al rey que si esa ciudad es reedificada y las murallas terminadas, como resultado, el territorio más allá del Río no será tuyo.

17 Entonces el rey envió respuesta a Rehum, el comandante, a Simsai, el escriba, y a sus demás compañeros que habitan en Samaria y en las demás provincias al otro lado del Río: Paz. Y ahora 18 el documento que nos enviasteis ha sido leído claramente^1a delante de mí. 19 Y por mí fue proclamado¹ un decreto; se investigaron los hechos, y se ha descubierto que esa ciudad en tiempos pasados se ha levantado contra los reyes, y que en ella se ha fomentado rebelión e insurrección; 20 que reyes poderosos han reinado^1a sobre Jerusalén, gobernando todas las provincias más allá del Río^b, y que se les pagaba tributo, impuesto y peaje^c. 21 Ahora pues, proclamad un decreto para que estos hombres paren la obra y que esa ciudad no sea reedificada hasta que salga un decreto de mí. 22 Y cuidaos de no ser negligentes en cumplir este asunto; ¿por qué se ha de aumentar el daño en perjuicio de los reyes?

23 Entonces, tan pronto como la copia del documento del rey Artajerjes fue leída delante de Rehum, del escriba Simsai, y sus compañeros, fueron a toda prisa a Jerusalén, a los judíos, y los hicieron parar por la fuerza¹.

24 Entonces cesó la obra en la casa de Dios que estaba en Jerusalén, y quedó suspendida hasta el año segundo del reinado de Darío, rey de Persia.

Now when ^athe enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that ^bthe people of the exile were building a temple to the LORD God of Israel, 2 they approached Zerubbabel and the heads of fathers’ households, and said to them, “Let us build with you, for like you, we seek your God; ^aand we have been sacrificing to Him since the days of ^bEsarhaddon king of Assyria, who brought us up here.” 3 But Zerubbabel and Jeshua and the rest of the heads of fathers’ households of Israel said to them, “^aYou have nothing in common with us in building a house to our God; but we ourselves will together build for the LORD God of Israel, ^bjust as King Cyrus, the king of Persia, has commanded us.”

4 Then ^athe people of the land ¹discouraged the people of Judah, and frightened them from building, 5 and bribed advisers against them to frustrate their advice all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.

6 Now in the reign of ^1aAhasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, they wrote an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.

7 And in the days of ¹Artaxerxes, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of his colleagues wrote to Artaxerxes king of Persia; and the ²text of the letter was written in Aramaic and translated ^afrom Aramaic.

8 ¹Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter against Jerusalem to King Artaxerxes, as follows— 9 ¹Rehum the commander, Shimshai the scribe, and ^athe rest of their colleagues, the judges and ^bthe lesser governors, the officials, the secretaries, the men of Erech, the Babylonians, the men of Susa, that is, the Elamites, 10 and the rest of the nations which the great and honorable ¹Osnappar deported and settled in the city of Samaria, and in the rest of the region beyond the Euphrates River. ^aAnd now 11 this is a copy of the letter which they sent to him:“To King Artaxerxes: Your servants, the men of the region beyond the Euphrates River; and now 12 let it be known to the king that the Jews who came up from you have come to us at Jerusalem; they are rebuilding ^athe rebellious and evil city and ^bare finishing the walls and repairing the foundations. 13 Now let it be known to the king, that if that city is rebuilt and the walls are finished, ^athey will not pay tribute, custom tax, or toll, and it will ¹be detrimental to the revenue of the kings. 14 Now because we ¹are in the service of the palace, and it is not fitting for us to see the king’s shame, for this reason we have sent word and informed the king, 15 so that a search may be conducted in the record books of your fathers. And you will discover in the record books and learn that that city is a rebellious city and detrimental to kings and provinces, and that they have revolted within it in past days; for this reason that city was laid waste. 16 We are informing the king that if that city is rebuilt and the walls finished, then as a result of this you will have no possession in the province beyond the Euphrates River.”

17 Then the king sent a response to Rehum the commander, Shimshai the scribe, and to the rest of their colleagues who live in Samaria and in the rest of the provinces beyond the Euphrates River: “Peace. And now, 18 the document which you sent to us has been ^1atranslated and read before me. 19 And a decree has been ¹issued by me, and a search has been conducted and it has been discovered that that city has risen up against the kings in past days, and that rebellion and revolt have been perpetrated in it, 20 ^athat mighty kings have ¹ruled over Jerusalem, governing all the provinces ^bbeyond the Euphrates River, and that ^ctribute, custom tax, and toll were paid to them. 21 Now issue a decree to make those men stop work, so that this city will not be rebuilt until a decree is issued by me. 22 And beware of being negligent in carrying out this matter; why should there be great damage, to the detriment of the kings?”

23 Then as soon as the copy of King Artaxerxes’ decree was read before Rehum and Shimshai the scribe and their colleagues, they went in a hurry to Jerusalem to the Jews and stopped them by military force.

24 Then work on the house of God in Jerusalem was discontinued, and it was stopped until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.

Now when ^athe enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that ^bthe people of the exile were building a temple to the LORD God of Israel, 2 they approached Zerubbabel and the heads of fathers’ households, and said to them, “Let us build with you, for we, like you, seek your God; ^aand we have been sacrificing to Him since the days of ^bEsarhaddon king of Assyria, who brought us up here.” 3 But Zerubbabel and Jeshua and the rest of the heads of fathers’ households of Israel said to them, “^aYou have nothing in common with us in building a house to our God; but we ourselves will together build to the LORD God of Israel, ^bas King Cyrus, the king of Persia has commanded us.”

4 Then ^athe people of the land ¹discouraged the people of Judah, and frightened them from building, 5 and hired counselors against them to frustrate their counsel all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.

6 Now in the reign of ^1aAhasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, they wrote an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.

7 And in the days of ¹Artaxerxes, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel and the rest of his colleagues wrote to Artaxerxes king of Persia; and the ²text of the letter was written in Aramaic and translated ^afrom Aramaic.

8 ¹Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter against Jerusalem to King Artaxerxes, as follows— 9 then wrote Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe and ^athe rest of their colleagues, the judges and ^bthe lesser governors, the officials, the secretaries, the men of Erech, the Babylonians, the men of Susa, that is, the Elamites, 10 and the rest of the nations which the great and honorable ¹Osnappar deported and settled in the city of Samaria, and in the rest of the region beyond the ²River. ^aNow 11 this is the copy of the letter which they sent to him:“To King Artaxerxes: Your servants, the men in the region beyond the River, and now 12 let it be known to the king that the Jews who came up from you have come to us at Jerusalem; they are rebuilding ^athe rebellious and evil city and ^bare finishing the walls and repairing the foundations. 13 Now let it be known to the king, that if that city is rebuilt and the walls are finished, ^athey will not pay tribute, custom or toll, and it will damage the revenue of the kings. 14 Now because we ¹are in the service of the palace, and it is not fitting for us to see the king’s dishonor, therefore we have sent and informed the king, 15 so that a search may be made in the record books of your fathers. And you will discover in the record books and learn that that city is a rebellious city and damaging to kings and provinces, and that they have incited revolt within it in past days; therefore that city was laid waste. 16 We inform the king that if that city is rebuilt and the walls finished, as a result you will have no possession in the province beyond the River.”

17 Then the king sent an answer to Rehum the commander, to Shimshai the scribe, and to the rest of their colleagues who live in Samaria and in the rest of the provinces beyond the River: “Peace. And now 18 the document which you sent to us has been ^1atranslated and read before me. 19 A decree has been ¹issued by me, and a search has been made and it has been discovered that that city has risen up against the kings in past days, that rebellion and revolt have been perpetrated in it, 20 ^athat mighty kings have ¹ruled over Jerusalem, governing all the provinces ^bbeyond the River, and that ^ctribute, custom and toll were paid to them. 21 So, now issue a decree to make these men stop work, that this city may not be rebuilt until a decree is issued by me. 22 Beware of being negligent in carrying out this matter; why should damage increase to the detriment of the kings?”

23 Then as soon as the copy of King Artaxerxes’ document was read before Rehum and Shimshai the scribe and their colleagues, they went in haste to Jerusalem to the Jews and stopped them by force of arms.

24 Then work on the house of God in Jerusalem ceased, and it was stopped until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.