1 Καὶ ἤκουσαν οἱ θλίβοντες Ἰούδα καὶ Βενιαμὶν, ὅτι υἱοὶ τῆς ἀποικίας οἰκοδομοῦσιν οἶκον τῷ Κυρίῳ Θεῷ Ἰσραὴλ, 2 καὶ ἤγγισαν πρὸς Ζοροβάβελ καὶ πρὸς τοὺς ἄρχοντας τῶν πατριῶν, καὶ εἶπον αὐτοῖς, οἰκοδομήσομεν μεθʼ ὑμῶν, ὅτι ὡς ὑμεῖς ἐκζητοῦμεν τῷ Θεῷ ἡμῶν, καὶ αὐτῷ ἡμεῖς θυσιάζομεν ἀπὸ ἡμερῶν Ἀσαραδὰν βασιλέως Ἀσσοὺρ τοῦ ἐνέγκαντος ἡμᾶς ὧδε. 3 Καὶ εἶπε πρὸς αὐτοὺς Ζοροβάβελ καὶ Ἰησοῦς καὶ οἱ κατάλοιποι τῶν ἀρχόντων τῶν πατριῶν τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ, οὐχ ἡμῖν καὶ ὑμῖν τοῦ οἰκοδομῆσαι οἶκον τῷ Θεῷ ἡμῶν, ὅτι ἡμεῖς ἐπὶ τοαυτὸ οἰκοδομήσομεν τῷ Κυρίω Θεῷ ἡμῶν, ὡς ἐνετείλατο ἡμῖν Κύρος ὁ βασιλεὺς Περσῶν. 4 Καὶ ἦν ὁ λαὸς τῆς γῆς ἐκλύων τὰς χεῖρας τοῦ λαοῦ Ἰούδα, καὶ ἐνεπόδιζον αὐτοὺς οἰκοδομεῖν, 5 καὶ μισθούμενοι ἐπʼ αὐτοὺς βουλευόμενοι τοῦ διασκεδάσαι βουλὴν αὐτῶν πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας Κύρου βασιλέως Περσῶν, καὶ ἕως βασιλείας Δαρείου βασιλείας Περσῶν. 6 Καὶ ἐν βασιλείᾳ Ἀσσουήρου, καὶ ἐν ἀρχῇ βασιλείας αὐτοῦ ἔγραψαν ἐπιστολὴν ἐπὶ οἰκοῦντας Ἰούδα καὶ Ἱερουσαλήμ. 7 Καὶ ἐν ἡμέραις Ἀρθασασθὰ ἔγραψεν ἐν εἰρήνῃ Μιθραδάτῃ Ταβεὴλ καὶ τοῖς λοιποῖς συνδούλοις· πρὸς Ἀρθασασθὰ βασιλέα Περσῶν ἔγραψεν ὁ φορολόγος γραφὴν Συριστὶ καὶ ἡρμηνευμένην. 8 Ῥεοὺμ βαλτὰμ καὶ Σαμψὰ ὁ γραμματεὺς ἔγραψαν ἐπιστολὴν μίαν κατὰ Ἱερουσαλὴμ τῷ Ἀρθασασθὰ βασιλεῖ. 9 Τάδε ἔκρινε Ῥεοὺμ βαλτὰμ καὶ Σαμψὰ ὁ γραμματεὺς καὶ οἱ κατάλοιποι σύνδουλοι ἡμῶν, Δειναῖοι, Ἀφαρσαθαχαῖοι, Ταρφαλαῖοι, Ἀφαρσαῖοι, Ἀρχυαῖοι, Βαβυλώνιοι, Σουσαναχαῖοι, Δαυαῖοι, 10 καὶ οἱ κατάλοιποι ἐθνῶν ὧν ἀπῴκισεν Ἀσσεναφὰρ ὁ μέγας καὶ ὁ τίμιος, καὶ κατῴκισεν αὐτοὺς ἐν πόλεσι τῆς Σομόρων καὶ τὸ κατάλοιπον πέραν τοῦ ποταμοῦ. 11 Αὕτη ἡ διαταγὴ τῆς ἐπιστολῆς, ἧς ἀπέστειλαν πρὸς αὐτόν· πρὸς Ἀρθασασθὰ βασιλέα παῖδές σου ἄνδρες πέραν τοῦ ποταμοῦ. 12 Γνωστὸν ἔστω τῷ βασιλεῖ, ὅτι οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι οἱ ἀναβάντες ἀπὸ σοῦ πρὸς ἡμᾶς ἤλθοσαν εἰς Ἱερουσαλὴμ τὴν πόλιν τὴν ἀποστάτιν καὶ πονηρὰν, ἣν οἰκοδομοῦσι· καὶ τὰ τείχη αὐτῆς κατηρτισμένα εἰσὶ, καὶ θεμελίους αὐτῆς ἀνύψωσαν. 13 Νῦν οὖν γνωστὸν ἔστω τῷ βασιλεῖ, ὅτι ἐὰν ἡ πόλις ἐκείνη ἀνοικοδομηθῇ, καὶ τὰ τείχη αὐτῆς καταρτισθῶσι, φόροι οὐκ ἔσονταί σοι, οὐδὲ δώσουσι· καὶ τοῦτο βασιλεῖς κακοποιεῖ, 14 καὶ ἀσχημοσύνην βασιλέως οὐκ ἔξεστιν ἡμῖν ἰδεῖν· διὰ τοῦτο ἐπέμψαμεν καὶ ἐγνωρίσαμεν τῷ βασιλεῖ, 15 ἵνα ἐπισκέψηται ἐν βίβλῳ ὑπομνηματισμοῦ τῶν πατέρων σου, καὶ εὑρήσεις, καὶ γνώσῃ, ὅτι ἡ πόλις ἐκείνη πόλις ἀποστάτις, καὶ κακοποιοῦσα βασιλεῖς καὶ χώρας, καὶ φυγαδείαι δούλων γίνονται ἐν μέσῳ αὐτῆς ἀπὸ ἡμερῶν αἰῶνος, διὰ ταῦτα ἡ πόλις αὕτη ἠρημώθη. 16 Γνωρίζομεν οὖν ἡμεῖς τῷ βασιλεῖ, ὅτι ἂν ἡ πόλις ἐκείνη οἰκοδομηθῇ, καὶ τὰ τείχη αὐτῆς καταρτισθῇ, οὐκ ἔστι σοι εἰρήνη. 17 Καὶ ἀπέστειλεν ὁ βασιλεὺς πρὸς Ῥεοὺμ βαλτὰμ καὶ Σαμψὰ γραμματέα καὶ τοὺς καταλοίπους συνδούλους αὐτῶν τοὺς οἰκοῦντας ἐν Σαμαρείᾳ καὶ τοὺς καταλοίπους πέραν τοῦ ποταμοῦ, εἰρήνην· καὶ φησὶν, 18 ὁ φορολόγος ὃν ἀπεστείλατε πρὸς ἡμᾶς, ἐκλήθη ἔμπροσθεν ἐμοῦ· 19 Καὶ παρʼ ἐμοῦ ἐτέθη γνώμη, καὶ ἐπεσκεψάμεθα καὶ εὕραμεν, ὅτι ἡ πόλις ἐκείνη ἀφʼ ἡμερῶν αἰῶνος ἐπὶ βασιλεῖς ἐπαίρεται, καὶ ἀποστάσεις καὶ φυγαδείαι γίνονται ἐν αὐτῇ· 20 Καὶ βασιλεῖς ἰσχυροὶ ἐγένοντο ἐν Ἱερουσαλὴμ, καὶ ἐπικρατοῦντες ὅλης τῆς πέραν τοῦ ποταμοῦ, καὶ φόροι πλήρεις καὶ μέρος δίδονται αὐτοῖς. 21 Καὶ νῦν θέτε γνώμην, καταργῆσαι τοὺς ἄνδρας ἐκείνους, καὶ ἡ πόλις ἐκείνη οὐκ οἰκοδομηθήσεται ἔτι· Ὅπως ἀπὸ τῆς γνώμης 22 πεφυλαγμένοι ἦτε ἄνεσιν ποιῆσαι περὶ τούτου, μή ποτε πληθυνθῇ ἀφανισμὸς εἰς κακοποίησιν βασιλεῦσι. 23 Τότε ὁ φορολόγος τοῦ Ἀρθασασθὰ βασιλέως ἀνέγνω ἐνώπιον Ῥεοὺμ βαλτὰμ καὶ Σαμψὰ γραμματέως καὶ συνδούλων αὐτοῦ· καὶ ἐπορεύθησαν σπουδῇ εἶς Ἱερουσαλὴμ καὶ ἐν Ἰούδα, καὶ κατήργησαν αὐτοὺς ἐν ἵπποις καὶ δυνάμει. 24 Τότε ἤργησε τὸ ἔργον οἴκου τοῦ Θεοῦ τὸ ἐν Ἱερουσαλήμ· καὶ ἦν ἀργοῦν ἕως δευτέρου ἔτους τῆς βασιλείας Δαρείου βασιλέως Περσῶν.
Ezra · Brenton's Greek Septuagint
Ezra 4 Brenton's Greek Septuagint
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Notes on this text (1)
- Ezra and Nehemiah form one book (2 Esdras) in this edition; the reader shows them as Ezra 1–10 and Nehemiah 1–13.
People & places in this chapter
From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.
People
Artaxerxes
King of Persia who received the accusing letter of Rehum, sent Ezra to Jerusalem in his seventh year with a decree and funds, and in his twentieth year sent Nehemiah, his…
Cited in the guide: Ezra 4:7; Ezra 7:1; Ezra 7:12
Ashurbanipal
The "great and honorable" king who, in the letter to Artaxerxes, is said to have deported peoples and settled them in Samaria and west of the Euphrates.
Cited in the guide: Ezra 4:10
Bishlam
Named with Mithredath, Tabeel and associates as writing a letter against the Jews to Artaxerxes.
Cited in the guide: Ezra 4:7
Darius
King of Persia who searched the archives, found Cyrus’s decree, ordered Tattenai to leave the work alone and funded it; the temple was finished in his sixth year.
Cited in the guide: Ezra 4:5; Ezra 5:6; Ezra 6:1
Esar-haddon
Sennacherib's son, who reigned in his father's place after Adrammelech and Sharezer killed him.
Cited in the guide: 2 Kings 19:37; Ezra 4:2; Isaiah 37:38
Mithredath
Named with Bishlam and Tabeel as writing an Aramaic letter against the Jews to Artaxerxes.
Cited in the guide: Ezra 4:7
Rehum
Rehum the commander co-wrote the letter to Artaxerxes accusing Jerusalem of rebellion; the king’s reply let them stop the work by force.
Cited in the guide: Ezra 4:8; Ezra 4:9; Ezra 4:17
Shimshai
Scribe who co-wrote with Rehum the letter to Artaxerxes against the rebuilding of Jerusalem.
Cited in the guide: Ezra 4:8; Ezra 4:17; Ezra 4:23
Tabeel
Named with Bishlam and Mithredath as writing a letter against the Jews to Artaxerxes.
Cited in the guide: Ezra 4:7
Xerxes
King who reigned over 127 provinces from Susa; he deposed Vashti, made Esther queen, honored Mordecai, hanged Haman and allowed the Jews to defend themselves. Ezra 4:6 mentions an…
Cited in the guide: Ezra 4:6; Esther 1:1; Esther 2:16
Zerubbabel
He led the return from Babylon and rebuilt the temple in Jerusalem.
Cited in the guide: Ezra 3-6; Hag. 2:23; Zech. 4; Matt. 1:12-13
Cross references (22)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 1 Chronicles 22:9–10; Ezra 1:11; 1 Kings 5:4–5; 1 Corinthians 16:9; Ezra 10:16
- 2 2 Kings 19:37; 2 Kings 17:24; Galatians 2:4; 2 Kings 17:27–33; Isaiah 37:37
- 3 Nehemiah 2:20; Matthew 10:16; Acts 8:21; Ezra 6:3–5; Isaiah 44:28–45:1
- 4 Ezra 3:3; Jeremiah 38:4; Nehemiah 6:9; Isaiah 35:3–4; Nehemiah 4:11
- 5 Nahum 1:11; Ezra 5:5–6:18; Psalm 2:1–2; Acts 24:1–27; Ezra 4:24
- 6 Esther 1:1; Daniel 9:1; Matthew 27:37; Acts 24:5–9; Revelation 12:10
- 7 2 Kings 18:26; Daniel 2:4; Ezra 4:17; Isaiah 36:11; Ezra 4:9
- 8 Ezra 4:9; 2 Kings 18:18; 2 Samuel 20:25; 2 Samuel 8:17
- 9 Ezra 5:6; Ezra 6:6; 2 Kings 17:24; 2 Kings 17:30–31; Esther 2:3
- 10 Ezra 4:17; Ezra 4:11; Ezra 7:12; Ezra 4:1; 2 Kings 17:24–41
- 12 2 Chronicles 36:13; Ezra 5:3; Ezra 5:9; Psalm 48:1–2; Ezra 4:19
- 13 Ezra 7:24; Nehemiah 5:4; Romans 13:6–7; Matthew 17:25; Psalm 119:69
- 14 John 12:5–6; John 19:12–15; Ezekiel 33:31
- 15 Ezra 4:12; Esther 3:5–8; 2 Kings 24:20–25:1; Nehemiah 2:19; Jeremiah 52:3–34
- 16 2 Samuel 8:3; Ezra 4:20; 1 Kings 4:24
- 17 Romans 1:7; Ezra 5:7; Ezra 4:7; Acts 23:26; Ezra 7:12
- 18 Nehemiah 8:8
- 19 2 Kings 18:7; Proverbs 25:2; Deuteronomy 13:14; Ezra 4:15; Ezekiel 17:13–19
- 20 Genesis 15:18; 1 Kings 4:21; 1 Chronicles 18:3; Psalm 72:8; 1 Chronicles 18:6
- 22 Esther 7:3–4; Ezra 4:13; Esther 3:8–9
- 23 Romans 3:15; Ezra 4:8–9; Micah 2:1; Proverbs 4:16; Ezra 4:17
- 24 Haggai 1:15; Ezra 6:1; Job 20:5; Nehemiah 6:9; Nehemiah 6:3
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences