Ezra 4

Hebrew24 verses

How to read this: this is a word-for-word rendering straight from the original Hebrew, not a copyrighted translation — the top of each chip is the original word, the bottom is its plain-English sense. Faded chips mark words the Hebrew implies but wouldn't literally be spoken in English. Click any word for its full Strong's dictionary entry.

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וַֽיִּשְׁמְע֔וּand they heard צָרֵ֥יthe opponents of יְהוּדָ֖הJudah וּבִנְיָמִ֑ןand Benjamin כִּֽי־that בְנֵ֤יthe children of הַגּוֹלָה֙the exile בּוֹנִ֣יםwere building הֵיכָ֔לa temple לַיהוָ֖הfor Yahweh אֱלֹהֵ֥יthe God of יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃Israel

וַיְהִי֙and it was עַם־the people of הָאָ֔רֶץthe land מְרַפִּ֖יםwere making slack יְדֵ֣יthe hands of עַם־the people of יְהוּדָ֑הJudah וּֽמְבַהֲלִ֥יםand were terrifying אוֹתָ֖םobj. them לִבְנֽוֹת׃to build

וְסֹכְרִ֧יםand were hiring עֲלֵיהֶ֛םon them יוֹעֲצִ֖יםcounselors לְהָפֵ֣רto frustrate עֲצָתָ֑םpurpose their כָּל־all יְמֵ֗יthe days of כּ֚וֹרֶשׁCyrus מֶ֣לֶךְthe king of פָּרַ֔סPersia וְעַד־and until מַלְכ֖וּתthe reign of דָּרְיָ֥וֶשׁDarius מֶֽלֶךְ־the king of פָּרָֽס׃Persia

וּבְמַלְכוּת֙and in the reign of אֲחַשְׁוֵר֔וֹשׁAhasuerus בִּתְחִלַּ֖תat the beginning of מַלְכוּת֑וֹreign his כָּתְב֣וּthey wrote שִׂטְנָ֔הan accusation עַל־on יֹשְׁבֵ֥יthe inhabitants of יְהוּדָ֖הJudah וִירוּשָׁלִָֽם׃ סand Jerusalem

וּבִימֵ֣יand in the days of אַרְתַּחְשַׁ֗שְׂתָּאArtaxerxes כָּתַ֨בhe wrote בִּשְׁלָ֜םBishlam מִתְרְדָ֤תMithredath טָֽבְאֵל֙Tabeel וּשְׁאָ֣רand the rest of כְּנָוֹתָ֔יוcolleagues his עַל־to אַרְתַּחְשַׁ֖שְׂתְּArtaxerxes מֶ֣לֶךְthe king of פָּרָ֑סPersia וּכְתָב֙and the writing of הַֽנִּשְׁתְּוָ֔ןthe letter כָּת֥וּבwas written אֲרָמִ֖יתAramaic וּמְתֻרְגָּ֥םand was translated אֲרָמִֽית׃ פAramaic

רְח֣וּםRehum בְּעֵל־lord of טְעֵ֗םcommand וְשִׁמְשַׁי֙and Shimshai סָֽפְרָ֔אscribe the כְּתַ֛בוּthey wrote אִגְּרָ֥הa letter חֲדָ֖הone עַל־concerning יְרוּשְׁלֶ֑םJerusalem לְאַרְתַּחְשַׁ֥שְׂתְּאto Artaxerxes מַלְכָּ֖אking the כְּנֵֽמָא׃as follows

אֱדַ֜יִןthen רְח֣וּםRehum בְּעֵל־lord of טְעֵ֗םcommand וְשִׁמְשַׁי֙and Shimshai סָֽפְרָ֔אscribe the וּשְׁאָ֖רand the rest of כְּנָוָתְה֑וֹןassociates their דִּ֠ינָיֵאDinay the וַאֲפַרְסַתְכָיֵ֞אand officials the טַרְפְּלָיֵ֣אTarpelites the אֲפָֽרְסָיֵ֗אSipparites the אַרְכְּוָיֵ֤אErechites the בָבְלָיֵא֙Babylonians the שֽׁוּשַׁנְכָיֵ֔אSusanchites the דֶּהָיֵ֖אDehavites the עֵלְמָיֵֽא׃Elamites the

וּשְׁאָ֣רand the rest of אֻמַּיָּ֗אnations the דִּ֤יwhich הַגְלִי֙he took into exile אָסְנַפַּר֙Osnappar רַבָּ֣אthe great וְיַקִּירָ֔אand the honorable וְהוֹתֵ֣בand he caused to dwell הִמּ֔וֹthem בְּקִרְיָ֖הin the city דִּ֣יof שָׁמְרָ֑יִןSamaria וּשְׁאָ֥רand the rest of עֲבַֽר־the region beyond נַהֲרָ֖הriver the וּכְעֶֽנֶת׃and now

דְּנָה֙this פַּרְשֶׁ֣גֶןis the copy of אִגַּרְתָּ֔אletter the דִּ֚יwhich שְׁלַ֣חוּthey sent עֲל֔וֹהִיto him עַל־to אַרְתַּחְשַׁ֖שְׂתְּאArtaxerxes מַלְכָּ֑אking the עַבְדָ֛ךְservant your אֱנָ֥שׁthe man of עֲבַֽר־the region beyond נַהֲרָ֖הriver the וּכְעֶֽנֶת׃ פand now

כְּעַ֗ןnow יְדִ֙יעַ֙known לֶהֱוֵ֣אlet it be לְמַלְכָּ֔אto king the דִּ֠יthat הֵ֣ןif קִרְיְתָ֥אcity the דָךְ֙this תִּתְבְּנֵ֔אit will be built וְשׁוּרַיָּ֖הand walls the יִֽשְׁתַּכְלְל֑וּןthey will be finished מִנְדָּֽה־tribute בְל֤וֹtax וַהֲלָךְ֙and toll לָ֣אnot יִנְתְּנ֔וּןthey will give וְאַפְּתֹ֥םand certainly מַלְכִ֖יםkings תְּהַנְזִֽק׃it will injure

כְּעַ֗ןnowכָּל־as toקֳבֵל֙because דִּֽי־that מְלַ֤חthe salt of הֵֽיכְלָא֙palace the מְלַ֔חְנָאwe eat salt וְעַרְוַ֣תand the dishonor of מַלְכָּ֔אking the לָ֥אnot אֲֽרִֽיךְis properלַ֖נָאfor usלְמֶֽחֱזֵ֑אto see עַ֨ל־concerning דְּנָ֔הthis שְׁלַ֖חְנָאwe have sent וְהוֹדַ֥עְנָאand we have made known לְמַלְכָּֽא׃to king the

מְהוֹדְעִ֤יןare making known אֲנַ֙חְנָה֙we לְמַלְכָּ֔אto king the דִּ֠יthat הֵ֣ןif קִרְיְתָ֥אcity the דָךְ֙this תִּתְבְּנֵ֔אit will be built וְשׁוּרַיָּ֖הand walls the יִֽשְׁתַּכְלְל֑וּןthey will be finished לָקֳבֵ֣לto before דְּנָ֔הthis חֲלָק֙possession בַּעֲבַ֣רin the region beyond נַהֲרָ֔אriver the לָ֥אnot אִיתַ֖יthereלָֽךְ׃ פwill be to you

פִּתְגָמָ֞אword the שְׁלַ֣חhe sent מַלְכָּ֗אking the עַל־to רְח֤וּםRehum בְּעֵל־lord of טְעֵם֙command וְשִׁמְשַׁ֣יand Shimshai סָֽפְרָ֔אscribe the וּשְׁאָר֙and the rest of כְּנָוָ֣תְה֔וֹןassociates their דִּ֥יwho יָתְבִ֖יןwere dwelling בְּשָֽׁמְרָ֑יִןin Samaria וּשְׁאָ֧רand the rest of עֲבַֽר־the region beyond נַהֲרָ֛הriver the שְׁלָ֖םpeace וּכְעֶֽת׃ סand now

נִשְׁתְּוָנָ֕אletter the דִּ֥יwhich שְׁלַחְתּ֖וּןyou sent עֲלֶ֑ינָאto us מְפָרַ֥שׁmade distinct קֱרִ֖יit was read aloud קָדָמָֽי׃before me

וּמִנִּי֮and from me שִׂ֣יםit was made טְעֵם֒a decree וּבַקַּ֣רוּand they searched וְהַשְׁכַּ֔חוּand they found דִּ֚יthat קִרְיְתָ֣אcity the דָ֔ךְthis מִן־from יוֹמָת֙the days of עָֽלְמָ֔אthe antiquity עַל־against מַלְכִ֖יןkings מִֽתְנַשְּׂאָ֑הwas rising up וּמְרַ֥דand rebellion וְאֶשְׁתַּדּ֖וּרand revolt מִתְעֲבֶד־have been doneבַּֽהּ׃by it

וּמַלְכִ֣יןand kings תַּקִּיפִ֗יןstrong הֲווֹ֙they were עַל־over יְר֣וּשְׁלֶ֔םJerusalem וְשַׁ֨לִּיטִ֔יןand having mastery בְּכֹ֖לover all עֲבַ֣רthe region beyond נַהֲרָ֑הriver the וּמִדָּ֥הand tribute בְל֛וֹtax וַהֲלָ֖ךְand toll מִתְיְהֵ֥בwas being paidלְהֽוֹן׃to them

כְּעַן֙now שִׂ֣ימוּmake טְּעֵ֔םa decree לְבַטָּלָ֖אto make to cease גֻּבְרַיָּ֣אmen the אִלֵּ֑ךְthese וְקִרְיְתָ֥אand city the דָךְ֙this לָ֣אnot תִתְבְּנֵ֔אit will be built עַד־until מִנִּ֖יfrom me טַעְמָ֥אdecree the יִתְּשָֽׂם׃it will be made

וּזְהִירִ֥יןand cautious הֱו֛וֹbe שָׁל֖וּnegligence לְמֶעְבַּ֣דto do עַל־concerning דְּנָ֑הthis לְמָה֙to why?יִשְׂגֵּ֣אwill it grow great חֲבָלָ֔אdamage the לְהַנְזָקַ֖תto injury מַלְכִֽין׃ סkings

בֵּאדַ֗יִןin then בְּטֵלַת֙it ceased עֲבִידַ֣תthe work of בֵּית־the house of אֱלָהָ֔אthe God דִּ֖יwhich בִּירוּשְׁלֶ֑םis in Jerusalem וַהֲוָת֙and it was בָּֽטְלָ֔אceasing עַ֚דuntil שְׁנַ֣תyear תַּרְתֵּ֔יןtwo לְמַלְכ֖וּתof the reign of דָּרְיָ֥וֶשׁDarius מֶֽלֶךְ־the king of פָּרָֽס׃ פPersia

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