They also handed over the king’s orders. They gave them to the royal officials and governors who ruled over the land west of the Euphrates River. Then those men helped the people. They also did many things for the house of God.

他们将王的谕旨交给王所派的总督与河西的省长，他们就帮助百姓，又供给神殿里所需用的。

被掳归回的人把王的谕旨交给王的总督与河西的省长，他们就支助百姓和上帝的殿。

被掳归回的人把王的谕旨交给王的总督与河西的省长，他们就支助百姓和神的殿。

他们将王的谕旨交给王的总督和幼发拉底河西的省长，众官员都为民众和上帝殿的工作提供帮助。

他们把王的命令交给王的总督和河西那边的省长，他们就帮助民众和神殿的需要。”

他們將王的諭旨交給王所派的總督與河西的省長，他們就幫助百姓，又供給神殿裏所需用的。

被擄歸回的人把王的諭旨交給王的總督與河西的省長，他們就支助百姓和上帝的殿。

被擄歸回的人把王的諭旨交給王的總督與河西的省長，他們就支助百姓和神的殿。

他們將王的諭旨交給王的總督和幼發拉底河西的省長，眾官員都為民眾和上帝殿的工作提供幫助。

他們把王的命令交給王的總督和河西那邊的省長，他們就幫助民眾和神殿的需要。”

他們將王的諭旨交給王的眾藩臣、和大河以西那邊的各總督，他們就支助人民和上帝的殿。

又以王詔付於王臣、及河西諸方伯、彼乃助民、與上帝室所需、

布王詔於王臣及河西諸伯、遂助民供殿中之所需。

遂付王之諭於王臣、及河西諸方伯、彼乃助民、又供天主殿中所需、原文作彼乃助民與天主之殿

They also delivered the king’s orders to the royal satraps and to the governors of Trans- Euphrates, who then gave assistance to the people and to the house of God.

They also delivered the king’s commissions to the king’s satraps and to the governors of the province Beyond the River, and they aided the people and the house of God.

The king’s decrees were delivered to his highest officers and the governors of the province west of the Euphrates River, who then cooperated by supporting the people and the Temple of God.

They also delivered the king’s edicts to the royal satraps and governors of the region west of the Euphrates, so that they would support the people and the house of God.

Then they delivered the king’s edicts to the king’s satraps and the governors in the provinces beyond the Euphrates River, and they supported the people and the house of God.

And they delivered the king’s orders to the king’s satraps and the governors in the region beyond the River. So they gave support to the people and the house of God.

And they delivered the king’s commissions unto the king’s satraps, and to the governors beyond the River: and they furthered the people and the house of God.

They also delivered the king’s edicts to the royal satraps and governors of the region west of the Euphrates, so that they would support the people and the house of God.

And they delivered the king’s commissions unto the king’s lieutenants, and to the governors on this side the river: and they furthered the people, and the house of God.

Then they presented the decrees of the king to the king’s satraps and to the governors of Trans-Euphrates, who gave help to the people and to the temple of God.

They delivered the king’s commissions to the king’s local governors, and to the governors beyond the River. So they supported the people and God’s house.

I, King Artaxerxes, also give this order. It applies to all those who are in charge of the treasures west of the Euphrates River. Make sure you provide anything Ezra the priest might ask you to give. He is the teacher of the Law of the God of heaven.Give Ezra up to three and three- fourths tons of silver. Give him up to 18 tons of wheat. Give him up to 600 gallons of wine and up to 600 gallons of olive oil. And give him as much salt as he needs.Work hard for the temple of the God of heaven. Do everything he has required. I don’t want him to be angry with my kingdom and the kingdom of my sons.Here is something else I want you to know. You have no authority to collect taxes, gifts or fees from these people. You may not collect them from the priests, Levites or musicians. You may not collect them from those who guard the temple gates. You may not collect them from the temple servants. And you may not collect them from other workers at the house of God in Jerusalem.

Apollos wanted to go to Achaia. The brothers and sisters agreed with him. They wrote to the believers there. They asked them to welcome him. When he arrived, he was a great help to those who had become believers by God’s grace.

All the nobles in the territories helped the Jews. So did the royal officials, the governors and the king’s officers. That’s because they were so afraid of Mordecai.

But the earth helped the woman. It opened its mouth and swallowed the river that the dragon had spit out.

“ Suppose outsiders want to follow me and serve me. They want to love me and worship me. They keep the Sabbath day and do not misuse it. And they are faithful in keeping my covenant.Then I will bring them to my holy mountain of Zion. I will give them joy in my house. They can pray there. I will accept their burnt offerings and sacrifices on my altar. My house will be called a house where people from all nations can pray.”

Here is a copy of the letter sent to King Darius. It was from Tattenai, the governor of the land west of the Euphrates. Shethar- Bozenai joined him in writing it. So did their friends. They were officials of that land.The report they sent to the king said, We are sending this letter to you, King Darius. We give you our most friendly greetings.We want you to know that we went to the land of Judah. We went to the temple of the great God. The people are building it with large stones. They are putting wooden beams in the walls. The people are working hard. The work is moving ahead very quickly under the direction of the people.We asked the elders some questions. We said to them,“ Who authorized you to rebuild this temple? Who told you that you could finish it?”We also asked them what their names were. We wanted to write down the names of their leaders for your information.Here is the answer they gave us. They said,“ We serve the God of heaven and earth. We are rebuilding the temple that was built many years ago. The great King Solomon built it and finished it.But our people made the God of heaven angry. So he handed them over to Nebuchadnezzar from Chaldea. He was king of Babylon. He destroyed this temple. He forced the Jews to leave their own country. He took them away to Babylon.“ But King Cyrus gave an order to rebuild this house of God. He gave it in the first year he was king of Babylon.He even removed some gold and silver objects from the temple of Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar had brought them there from the house of God in Jerusalem. He had taken them to the temple in Babylon. Then King Cyrus brought the objects out. He gave them to a man named Sheshbazzar. Cyrus had appointed him as governor.Cyrus told him,‘ Take these objects with you. Go and put them in the temple in Jerusalem. Rebuild the house of God in the same place where it stood before.’“ So Sheshbazzar made the trip to Jerusalem. He laid the foundations of the house of God there. From that day until now the people have been working on it. But they haven’t finished it yet.”If it pleases you, King Darius, let a search be made in the royal records. Search the official records of the kings of Babylon. Find out whether King Cyrus really did give an order to rebuild this house of God in Jerusalem. Then tell us what you decide to do.

The governor Tattenai and Shethar- Bozenai carried out King Darius’s order. And so did their friends.

Then Artaxerxes became king of Persia. During his rule, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel and their friends wrote a letter to Artaxerxes. It was written in the Aramaic language. And it used the Aramaic alphabet.Rehum and Shimshai also wrote a letter to King Artaxerxes. Rehum was the commanding officer. Shimshai was the secretary. Their letter was against the people of Jerusalem. It said,We, Rehum and Shimshai, are writing this letter. Rehum is the commanding officer. Shimshai is the secretary. Our friends join us in writing. They include the judges, officials and managers in charge of the people from Persia, Uruk and Babylon. They are also over the Elamites from Susa.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.Here is a copy of the letter sent to Artaxerxes. We are sending this letter to you, King Artaxerxes. It is from your servants who live west of the Euphrates River.We want you to know about the people who left you and have come up to us. They have gone to Jerusalem and are rebuilding that evil city. It has caused trouble for a long time. Those people are making its walls like new again. They are repairing the foundations.Here is something else we want you to know. Suppose this city is rebuilt. And suppose its walls are made like new again. Then no more taxes, gifts or fees will be collected. And sooner or later there will be less money for you.We owe a lot to you. We don’t want to see dishonor brought on you. So we’re sending this letter to tell you what is going on.Then you can have a search made in the official records. Have someone check the records of the kings who ruled before you. If you do, you will find out that Jerusalem is an evil city. It causes trouble for kings and countries. For a long time the city has refused to let anyone rule over it. That’s why it was destroyed.We want you to know that this city shouldn’t be rebuilt. Its walls shouldn’t be made like new again. If that happens, you won’t have anything left west of the Euphrates River.The king replied, I am writing this letter to Rehum, the commanding officer. I am also writing it to Shimshai the secretary. And I am writing it to your friends living in Samaria and in other places west of the Euphrates River. I give you my greetings.The letter you sent us has been read to me. It has been explained to me in my language.I gave an order. I had a search made. Here is what we found out. Jerusalem has a long history of turning against the kings of the countries that have ruled over it. It has refused to remain under their control. It is always stirring up trouble.Jerusalem has had powerful kings. Some of them ruled over everything west of the Euphrates. Taxes, gifts and fees were paid to them.So give an order to those men. Make them stop their work. Then the city won’t be rebuilt until I give the order.Pay careful attention to this matter. Why should we let this danger grow? That would not be in our best interests.The copy of the letter of King Artaxerxes was read to Rehum and Shimshai the secretary. It was also read to their friends. Right away they went to the Jews in Jerusalem. They forced them to stop their work.