Rehum

8Rehum, a leader in charge, and Shimshai, a writer, wrote a letter to King Artaxerxes. The letter spoke against Jerusalem. Here is what it said.

Rehum the chancellor and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king in this sort:

NoteA scribe was a man trained to write. Most people could not write at all. Scribes wrote letters for others and kept lists of what happened.

9The letter came from Rehum the leader, Shimshai the writer, and their friends. Judges and officers joined them too. So did people from many places, such as Erech, Babylon, and Susa in Elam.

Then wrote Rehum the chancellor, and Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their companions; the Dinaites, the Apharsathchites, the Tarpelites, the Apharsites, the Archevites, the Babylonians, the Susanchites, the Dehavites, and the Elamites,

NoteErech, Babylon, and Susa were cities far away. The people from those cities had been moved here by a king.

10Other people signed it as well. Long ago the great and famous Ashurbanipal had moved them from their homes. He put them in the towns of Samaria and in other places west of the great river.

And the rest of the nations whom the great and noble Asnapper brought over, and set in the cities of Samaria, and the rest that are on this side the river, and at such a time.

NoteAshurbanipal was a king of Assyria long before this. Samaria was the land just north of Jerusalem. "The great river" is the Euphrates, a huge river far to the east.

11This is a copy of the letter they sent to King Artaxerxes. It began: "To the king, from your servants who live west of the river. We send you our greetings."

This is the copy of the letter that they sent unto him, even unto Artaxerxes the king; Thy servants the men on this side the river, and at such a time.

NoteCalling yourself the king's servant was a polite way to start a letter. It showed you were being respectful.

12"The king should know something. The Jews who left you and came to us have gone to Jerusalem. They are rebuilding that bad city that fought against kings. They are putting up its walls and fixing its base."

Be it known unto the king, that the Jews which came up from thee to us are come unto Jerusalem, building the rebellious and the bad city, and have set up the walls thereof, and joined the foundations.

NoteThe Jews were the people whose families came from Judah. Cities had thick stone walls to keep enemies out. A city with walls was hard for an army to take.

13"The king should also know this. If the city is rebuilt and its walls stand again, they will stop paying their taxes. Then the king will lose money."

Be it known now unto the king, that, if this city be builded, and the walls set up again, then will they not pay toll, tribute, and custom, and so thou shalt endamage the revenue of the kings.

NoteTaxes were money and food that people had to send the king each year. Kings needed that money to pay their soldiers.

14"We work for the king's palace and eat at his table. It would be wrong to watch the king be treated badly. So we are telling the king about this."

Now because we have maintenance from the king’s palace, and it was not meet for us to see the king’s dishonour, therefore have we sent and certified the king;

Note"Eat at his table" means the king paid them and fed them. They said it to remind him they were on his side.

15"Please have someone look in the old record books your fathers kept. There you will see that this city has fought against kings for a long time. It has stirred up trouble again and again. That is why it was torn down."

That search may be made in the book of the records of thy fathers: so shalt thou find in the book of the records, and know that this city is a rebellious city, and hurtful unto kings and provinces, and that they have moved sedition within the same of old time: for which cause was this city destroyed.

NoteKings kept big books listing everything that happened in their kingdom. Someone could look back in them, the way we look things up today.

16"We tell the king plainly. If this city is rebuilt and its walls stand again, you will lose this whole land west of the river."

We certify the king that, if this city be builded again, and the walls thereof set up, by this means thou shalt have no portion on this side the river.

17The king sent back an answer. He wrote to Rehum the leader, Shimshai the writer, and their friends in Samaria and the land west of the river. He said, "Greetings."

Then sent the king an answer unto Rehum the chancellor, and to Shimshai the scribe, and to the rest of their companions that dwell in Samaria, and unto the rest beyond the river, Peace, and at such a time.

Note"Greetings" was the normal way to begin a letter then. It is like saying hello at the top of a note.

18"The letter you sent me was read out loud to me. I understood all of it."

The letter which ye sent unto us hath been plainly read before me.

NoteThe king did not read it himself. A servant read letters out loud to him. The letter also had to be changed into a language the king knew.

19"I gave an order, and men searched the old records. They found that this city has fought against kings for a very long time. It has stirred up trouble again and again."

And I commanded, and search hath been made, and it is found that this city of old time hath made insurrection against kings, and that rebellion and sedition have been made therein.

20"Strong kings have ruled in Jerusalem before. They ruled the whole land west of the river. All the taxes were paid to them."

There have been mighty kings also over Jerusalem, which have ruled over all countries beyond the river; and toll, tribute, and custom, was paid unto them.

NoteLong before this, kings like David and Solomon ruled from Jerusalem. Their kingdom was large and other lands paid them money.

21"So give an order to make these men stop. This city must not be rebuilt until I say so."

Give ye now commandment to cause these men to cease, and that this city be not builded, until another commandment shall be given from me.

22"Be careful to do this. Do not let this trouble grow and cost the king more."

Take heed now that ye fail not to do this: why should damage grow to the hurt of the kings?

23The king's letter was read to Rehum, Shimshai the writer, and their friends. They hurried to the Jews in Jerusalem. They made them stop building by force.

Now when the copy of king Artaxerxes’ letter was read before Rehum, and Shimshai the scribe, and their companions, they went up in haste to Jerusalem unto the Jews, and made them to cease by force and power.

Note"By force" means they brought soldiers with weapons. The builders had to put down their tools and stop.

24So the work on God's house in Jerusalem stopped. It stayed stopped until the second year that Darius was king of Persia.

Then ceased the work of the house of God which is at Jerusalem. So it ceased unto the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.

NoteThe building stopped for a very long time, about sixteen years. Darius became king of Persia later, after other kings.