1 Now when the tzaray (adversaries) of Yahawadah (Judah) and Banayamayan (Benjamin) shamai (hearken / hear) that the banay (children) of the gawalah (captivity) were banah (build) a hayakal (temple) to Yahawah (), the Alahayam () of Yashar-Al (Israel);
2 Then they nagash (drew) near to Zarababal (Zerubbabel), and to the raashay (heads) of abawath (fathers)’ households, and amar (spoke) to them, “Let us banah (build) with you; for we darash (seek) your Alahayam (), as you do; and we zabach (sacrifice) to him since the yamay (days) of Asarachadawan (Esar Haddon) malak (king) of Ashawar (Assyria), who ilah (go up / offer) us up here.”
3 But Zarababal (Zerubbabel), and Yashawai (Jeshua), and the shaar (rest) of the raashay (heads) of abawath (fathers)’ households of Yashar-Al (Israel), amar (spoke) to them, “You have nothing to do with us in banah (build) a bayath (house) to our Alahayam (); but we ourselves yachad (together) will banah (build) to Yahawah (), the Alahayam () of Yashar-Al (Israel), as malak (king) Kawarash (Cyrus) the malak (king) of Paras (Persia) has tzawah (commanded) us.”
4 Then the im (nation / people) of the aratz (Earth/land) rapah (weakened) the yaday (hands) of the im (nation / people) of Yahawadah (Yahawadah / Judah), and balah (troubled) them in banah (build),
5 And shakar (hired) yawaitzayam (counselors) against them, to parar (frustrate) their itzah (purpose), all the yamay (days) of Kawarash (Cyrus) malak (king) of Paras (Persia), even until the malakawath (reign) of Darayawash (Darius) malak (king) of Paras (Persia).
6 In the malakawath (reign) of Achashawarawash (Ahasuerus), in the thachalah (beginning) of his malakawath (reign), kathab (write) they an shatanah (accusation) against the yashabay (inhabitants) of Yahawadah (Yahawadah / Judah) and Yarawashalam (Yarawashalam / Jerusalem).
7 In the yamay (days) of Arathachashashathaa (Artaxerxes) kathab (write) Bashalam (Bishlam), Matharadath (Mithredath), Tabaal (Tabeel), and the shaar (rest) of his kanath (companions), to Arathachashashathaa (Artaxerxes) malak (king) of Paras (Persia); and the kathab (write) of the letter was kathab (write) in Aramayath (Syrian), and set forth in the Aramayath (Syrian) language.
8 Rachawam (Rehum) the bail (chancellor) and Shamashay (Shimshai) the sapar (book) kathab (write) a agaraa (letter) il (over) Yarawashalam (Yarawashalam / Jerusalem) to Arathachashashathaa (Artaxerxes) the malak (king) in kanamaa (this) sort:
9 Then Rachawam (Rehum) the bail (chancellor), and Shamashay (Shimshai) the sapar (book), and the shaar (rest) of their kanath (companions), the dayanay (dinaites), and the Apharsathchites, the tarapalay (tarpelites), the aparasay (apharsites), the arakaway (archevites), the Babalay (Babylonians), the Shushanchites, the Dehaites, the Ilamay (Elamites),
10 And the shaar (rest) of the amay (nations) whom the rab (great) and yaqayar (noble) Asanapar (Osnappar) galah (brought) over, and yathab (set) in the qarayaa (city) of Shamarayan (Samaria), and in the shaar (rest) of the country Ibar (beyond) the nahar (river), and so forth, wrote.
11 Dan (this) is the parashagan (copy) of the agaraa (letter) that they shalach (sent) to Arathachashashathaa (Artaxerxes) the malak (king): Your ibad (servant) the anash (men) Ibar (beyond) the nahar (river), and so forth.
12 Be it yadai (known) to the malak (king), that the Yahawadaay (Jews) who salaq (came) up from you have athah (you (masc)) to us to Yarawashalam (Yarawashalam / Jerusalem); they are banaa (building) the marad (rebellious) and the baawash (bad) qarayaa (city), and have kalal (finished) the shawaray (walls), and repaired the ashay (foundations).
13 Be it yadai (known) kain (now) to the malak (king) that if dak (this) qarayaa (city) is banaa (built), and the shawaray (walls) kalal (finished), they will not nathan (give) balaw (tribute), halak (move), or madah (toll), and in the end it will be nazaq (hurtful) to the malakayam (kings).
14 Kain (now) qabal (because) we eat the salt of the hayakal (palace), and it is not appropriate for us to chazaa (see) the malak (king) irawah (dishonor), il (over) have we shalach (sent) and informed the malak (king);
15 That baqar (morning) may be made in the sapar (book) of the dakaranay (records) of your ab (father): so you shall shakach (find) in the sapar (book) of the dakaranay (records), and yadai (know) that dak (this) qarayaa (city) is a marad (rebellious) qarayaa (city), and nazaq (hurtful) to malakayan (kings) and madanan (provinces), and that they have ibad (servant) ashathadawar (sedition) within the same of ilam (old) yawam (day); for which cause was dak (this) qarayaa (city) laid waste.
16 We inform the malak (king) that, if dak (this) qarayaa (city) be banaa (built), and the shawaray (walls) kalal (finished), by dan (this) qabal (means) you shall ayathay (have) no chalaq (portion) Ibar (beyond) the nahar (river).
17 Then the malak (king) shalach (sent) an pathagam (answer) to Rachawam (Rehum) the bail (chancellor), and to Shamashay (Shimshai) the sapar (book), and to the shaar (rest) of their kanath (companions) who yathab (dwell) in Shamarayan (Samaria), and in the shaar (rest) of the country Ibar (beyond) the nahar (river): shalam (peace), and so forth.
18 The nashathawan (letter) which you shalach (sent) to us has been plainly qaraa (called) qadam (before) me.
19 I decreed, and baqar (morning) has been made, and it is shakach (found) that dak (this) qarayaa (city) of ilam (old) yawam (day) has nashaa (lift) insurrection il (over) malakayan (kings), and that marad (rebellion) and ashathadawar (sedition) have been ibad (servant) therein.
20 There hawaa (which/who/that is) been thaqayap (mighty) malakayan (kings) also over Yarawashalam (Yarawashalam / Jerusalem), who have shalayat (ruled) over kal (every) the country Ibar (beyond) the nahar (river); and balaw (tribute), halak (move), and madah (toll), was yahab (paid) to them.
21 Shawam (place / establish / appoint) a taim (decree) kain (now) to batal (cause) these gabaray (men) to batal (cease), and that dak (this) qarayaa (city) not be banaa (built), id (until / as far as) a decree shall be shawam (place / establish / appoint) by me.
22 Hawaa (which/who/that is) heed that you not be slack herein: mah (why) should chabal (damage) shagaa (grow) to the nazaq (hurt) of the malakayan (kings)?
23 Then when the parashagan (copy) of malak (king) Arathachashashathaa (Artaxerxes)’ nashathawan (letter) was qaraa (called) qadam (before) Rachawam (Rehum), and Shamashay (Shimshai) the sapar (book), and their kanath (companions), they went in bahayalaw (haste) to Yarawashalam (Yarawashalam / Jerusalem) to the Yahawadaay (Jews), and made them to batal (cease) by adarai (force) and chayal (power).
24 Then batal (ceased) the ibayadah (work) of the bayath (house) of Alahayam () which is at Yarawashalam (Jerusalem); and it hawaa (which/who/that is) id (until / as far as) the tharayan (second) shanah (year) of the malakaw (reign) of Darayawash (Darius) malak (king) of Paras (Persia).