1 犹大和便雅悯的敌人听见被掳回来的人为耶和华以色列的 神重建圣殿， 2 就前来见所罗巴伯和众族长， 对他们说： "请让我们与你们一起建造吧！ 因为我们也像你们那样寻求你们的 神。自从亚述王以撒哈顿把我们带上这里的日子以来， 我们一直向他献祭。" 3 但所罗巴伯、耶书亚和以色列其余的族长对他们说： "你们不能与我们一同建筑 神的殿， 因为波斯王古列王吩咐我们自己为耶和华以色列的 神建殿。" 4 于是那地方的居民使犹大人的手发软， 惊扰他们的建筑工程。 5 又在波斯王古列的日子， 直到波斯王大利乌在位的时候， 常常贿买参谋， 来敌对犹大人， 要破坏他们的建殿计划。 6 亚哈随鲁在位的初期， 他们写了诉状， 控告犹大和耶路撒冷的居民。 7 在亚达薛西年间， 比施兰、米特利达、他别和其余的同僚， 也上书给波斯王亚达薛西， 反对耶路撒冷人， 奏文是用亚兰文写成， 也用亚兰语译出。 8 省长利宏和秘书伸帅写奏本给亚达薛西王， 控告耶路撒冷。奏文如下： 9 省长利宏、秘书伸帅和他们其余的同僚： 法官、钦差、议员、官长（"法官、钦差、议员、官长"或译： "底拿人、亚法萨提迦人、他毗拉人、亚法撒人"）， 亚基卫人、巴比伦人、书珊人， 就是以拦人， 10 还有伟大尊贵的亚斯那巴掳来， 安置在撒玛利亚城和河西那边其余地方的居民， 呈上奏文。 11 这就是他们呈给亚达薛西王的奏文副本： "你的臣仆， 就是河西那边的人， 上奏亚达薛西王： 12 奏知大王： 从你那里上到我们这里来的犹大人， 已经到了耶路撒冷这座叛逆和邪恶的城； 他们进行建造， 并且已经修好根基， 开始建造城墙。 13 现在奏知大王： 如果这城建成， 墙垣筑好， 他们就不再缴税、进贡和纳粮， 王的国库收入必定受损。 14 现在我们既食王家的盐， 不该见王受剥夺， 因此上奏禀告王， 15 请王查考先王的记录， 从记录中查知这城是叛逆的城， 对列王和各省都有损害， 自古以来， 城中常有造反的事， 因此这城被拆毁。 16 我们告知王， 如果这城建成， 墙垣筑好， 河西那边的地方就不再是王的了。" 17 王把谕旨送交省长利宏、秘书伸帅， 以及其余住在撒玛利亚和河西的同僚， 说： "愿你们平安。 18 你们呈给我们的奏本已经在我面前清楚诵读了。 19 我下令考查， 发现这城自古以来反叛列王， 城中常有造反叛乱的事。 20 从前大能的君王统治耶路撒冷， 治理河西那边的全地， 接受他们缴税、进贡和纳粮。 21 现在你们要下令叫这些人停工， 不得重建这城， 等候我的谕令。 22 你们要留心， 不可疏忽这事， 使王的亏损增加。" 23 当亚达薛西王谕旨的副本在利宏和秘书伸帅， 以及他们的同僚面前宣读出来以后， 他们就急忙去耶路撒冷到犹大人那里， 用武力强迫他们停工。 24 所以， 在耶路撒冷的 神殿的工程就停止了， 直到波斯王大利乌在位的第二年。

1 And adversaries of Judah and Benjamin hear that the sons of the captivity are building a temple to Jehovah, God of Israel,2 and they draw nigh unto Zerubbabel, and unto heads of the fathers, and say to them, `Let us build with you; for, like you, we seek to your God, and we are not sacrificing since the days of Esar-Haddon king of Asshur, who brought us up hither.`3 And Zerubbabel saith to them, also Jeshua, and the rest of the heads of the fathers of Israel, `Not for you, and for us, to build a house to our God; but we ourselves together do build to Jehovah God of Israel, as the king Cyrus, king of Persia, commanded us.`4 And it cometh to pass, the people of the land are making the hands of the people of Judah feeble, and troubling them in building,5 and are hiring against them counsellors to make void their counsel all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even till the reign of Darius king of Persia.6 And in the reign of Ahasuerus, in the commencement of his reign, they have written an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem;7 and in the days of Artaxerxes have Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of his companions written unto Artaxerxes king of Persia, and the writing of the letter is written in Aramaean, and interpreted in Aramaean.8 Rehum counsellor, and Shimshai scribe have written a letter concerning Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king, thus:9 Then Rehum counsellor, and Shimshai scribe, and the rest of their companions, Dinaites, and Apharsathchites, Tarpelites, Apharsites, Archevites, Babylonians, Susanchites, (who are Elamites),10 and the rest of the nations that the great and honourable Asnapper removed and set in the city of Samaria, and the rest beyond the river, and at such a time:11 This [is] a copy of a letter that they have sent unto him, unto Artaxerxes the king: `Thy servants, men beyond the river, and at such a time;12 Be it known to the king, that the Jews who have come up from thee unto us, have come in to Jerusalem, the rebellious and base city they are building, and the walls they have finished, and the foundations they join.13 `Now, be it known to the king, that if this city be builded, and the walls finished, toll, tribute, and custom they do not give; and at length [to] the kings it doth cause loss.14 Now, because that the salt of the palace [is] our salt, and the nakedness of the king we have no patience to see, therefore we have sent and made known to the king;15 so that he doth seek in the book of the records of thy fathers, and thou dost find in the book of the records, and dost know, that this city [is] a rebellious city, and causing loss [to] kings and provinces, and makers of sedition [are] in its midst from the days of old, therefore hath this city been wasted.16 We are making known to the king that, if this city be builded and the walls finished, by this means a portion beyond the river thou hast none.`17 An answer hath the king sent unto Rehum counsellor, and Shimshai scribe, and the rest of their companions who are dwelling in Samaria, and the rest beyond the river, `Peace, and at such a time:18 The letter that ye sent unto us, explained, hath been read before me,19 and by me a decree hath been made, and they sought, and have found that this city from the days of old against kings is lifting up itself, and rebellion and sedition is made in it,20 and mighty kings have been over Jerusalem, even rulers over all beyond the river, and toll, tribute, and custom is given to them.21 `Now, make ye a decree to cause these men to cease, and this city is not builded, till by me a decree is made.22 And beware ye of negligence in doing this; why doth the hurt become great to the loss of the kings?`23 Then from the time that a copy of the letter of king Artaxerxes is read before Rehum, and Shimshai the scribe, and their companions, they have gone in haste to Jerusalem, unto the Jews, and caused them to cease by force and strength;24 then ceased the service of the house of God that [is] in Jerusalem, and it ceased till the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.