和尊大的亚斯那巴所迁移、安置在撒玛利亚城，并大河西一带地方的人等，

以及被亚斯那巴大人迁移、安置在撒玛利亚城和大河西边一带地方其余的人。现在，

以及被亚斯那巴大人迁移、安置在撒玛利亚城和大河西边一带地方其余的人。现在，

以及伟大尊贵的亚斯那巴迁来并安置在撒玛利亚各城与幼发拉底河西一带的人民，

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。

和尊大的亞斯那巴所遷移、安置在撒馬利亞城，並大河西一帶地方的人等，

以及被亞斯那巴大人遷移、安置在撒瑪利亞城和大河西邊一帶地方其餘的人。現在，

以及被亞斯那巴大人遷移、安置在撒瑪利亞城和大河西邊一帶地方其餘的人。現在，

以及偉大尊貴的亞斯那巴遷來並安置在撒瑪利亞各城與幼發拉底河西一帶的人民，

還有偉大尊貴的亞斯那巴擄來安置在撒瑪利亞城和河西那邊其餘地方的居民，呈上奏文。

和偉大尊貴的亞斯那巴所遷徙而安置在撒瑪利亞城和大河以西那邊其餘地區的人：如今請看：

與其餘諸族、即尊大之亞斯那巴所遷、置於撒瑪利亞邑、及伯拉河西者、

以及他族之民、即大而可尊之亞斯那巴所遷移、使居於撒瑪利亞邑、及河西別處者同奏、使居於撒瑪利亞邑及河西別處者同奏或作使居於撒瑪利亞者並河西其餘之人等同奏

and the other people whom the great and honorable Ashurbanipal deported and settled in the city of Samaria and elsewhere in Trans-Euphrates.

And they are over those who were forced to leave their countries. The great King Ashurbanipal, who is worthy of honor, forced them to leave. He moved them to the city of Samaria. He also moved them to other places west of the Euphrates River.

and the rest of the nations whom the great and noble Osnappar deported and settled in the cities of Samaria and in the rest of the province Beyond the River.

They also sent greetings from the rest of the people whom the great and noble Ashurbanipal had deported and relocated in Samaria and throughout the neighboring lands of the province west of the Euphrates River.

and the rest of the peoples whom the great and illustrious Ashurbanipal deported and settled in the cities of Samaria and the region west of the Euphrates River.

and the rest of the nations which the great and honorable Osnappar deported and settled in the city of Samaria, and in the rest of the region beyond the Euphrates River. And now

and the rest of the nations whom the great and noble Osnapper took captive and settled in the cities of Samaria and the remainder beyond the River— and so forth.

and the rest of the nations whom the great and noble Osnappar brought over, and set in the city of Samaria, and in the rest of the country beyond the River, and so forth.

and the rest of the peoples whom the great and illustrious Ashurbanipal deported and settled in the cities of Samaria and the region west of the Euphrates River.

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

and the rest of nations whom the great and noble Ashurbanipal deported and settled in the cities of Samaria and other places in Trans-Euphrates.

and the rest of the nations whom the great and noble Osnappar brought over, and set in the city of Samaria, and in the rest of the country beyond the River, and so forth, wrote.

The king sent this reply: To Rehum the commanding officer, Shimshai the secretary and the rest of their associates living in Samaria and elsewhere in Trans-Euphrates: Greetings. (niv)

Artaxerxes, king of kings, To Ezra the priest, teacher of the Law of the God of heaven: Greetings. (niv)

( This is a copy of the letter they sent him.) To King Artaxerxes, From your servants in Trans- Euphrates: (niv)

Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor. (niv)

The king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Kuthah, Avva, Hamath and Sepharvaim and settled them in the towns of Samaria to replace the Israelites. They took over Samaria and lived in its towns.When they first lived there, they did not worship the Lord; so he sent lions among them and they killed some of the people.It was reported to the king of Assyria:“ The people you deported and resettled in the towns of Samaria do not know what the god of that country requires. He has sent lions among them, which are killing them off, because the people do not know what he requires.”Then the king of Assyria gave this order:“ Have one of the priests you took captive from Samaria go back to live there and teach the people what the god of the land requires.”So one of the priests who had been exiled from Samaria came to live in Bethel and taught them how to worship the Lord.Nevertheless, each national group made its own gods in the several towns where they settled, and set them up in the shrines the people of Samaria had made at the high places.The people from Babylon made Sukkoth Benoth, those from Kuthah made Nergal, and those from Hamath made Ashima;the Avvites made Nibhaz and Tartak, and the Sepharvites burned their children in the fire as sacrifices to Adrammelek and Anammelek, the gods of Sepharvaim.They worshiped the Lord, but they also appointed all sorts of their own people to officiate for them as priests in the shrines at the high places.They worshiped the Lord, but they also served their own gods in accordance with the customs of the nations from which they had been brought.To this day they persist in their former practices. They neither worship the Lord nor adhere to the decrees and regulations, the laws and commands that the Lord gave the descendants of Jacob, whom he named Israel.When the Lord made a covenant with the Israelites, he commanded them:“ Do not worship any other gods or bow down to them, serve them or sacrifice to them.But the Lord, who brought you up out of Egypt with mighty power and outstretched arm, is the one you must worship. To him you shall bow down and to him offer sacrifices.You must always be careful to keep the decrees and regulations, the laws and commands he wrote for you. Do not worship other gods.Do not forget the covenant I have made with you, and do not worship other gods.Rather, worship the Lord your God; it is he who will deliver you from the hand of all your enemies.”They would not listen, however, but persisted in their former practices.Even while these people were worshiping the Lord, they were serving their idols. To this day their children and grandchildren continue to do as their ancestors did. (niv)

When the enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the exiles were building a temple for the Lord, the God of Israel, (niv)