The Byble in Englyshe that is to saye, the content of all the holye scrypture, bothe of the olde and newe Testament, truly translated after the veryte of the Hebrue and Greke textes, by the diligent studye of dyuers excellent lerned [men e]xperte in the fore[saide] tongues.

¶ The buyldynge of the temple is hyndered and let.

CAPI. IIII. [unspec A]

BUt the aduersaries of Iuda and Ben Iamin herde, that the chyldrē of the cap¦tiuite buylded the temple vnto the lorde God of Israel. And they came to Zorobabel and to the principall fathers, and sayde vnto them. We wyll buylde with you: for we seke the Lorde youre God lyke as ye do. And we haue done sacrifice vnto hym, synce the tyme of Asor Hadon the kynge of Assur, whiche brought vs vp hyther. And Zorobabell, and Iesua, and the other auncient fathers of Is∣raell sayd vnto them. It can not be, that you and we togyther shuld buyld the house vnto our God: for we our selues wyl buylde alone vnto the lorde our god of Israel, as Cyrus the kynge of Persia hath cōmaunded vs.

And it came to passe, that the folke of the [unspec B] lande hyndered the people of Iuda, and trou¦bled them as they were buyldyng, and hyred counsaylours agaynst them, to hyndre theyr deuyce, as long as Cyrus the kynge of Per∣sia lyued, vntyl the reygne of Darius kynge of Persia. And in the reygne of Ahasuerus (euen in the begynnyng of his reygne) wrote they vnto hym a complaynte agaynst the en∣habitours of Iuda and Ierusalem. And in the dayes of Arthaxerses, wrote Mithridath Tabeell, and the other of his counsayle, vnto Arthaxerses the kynge of Persia with fayre wordes. And the scripture of the letter was wrytten in the Sirians speche, and interpre∣tated in the language of the Sirians. Rehum the recorder, and Samsai the scribe, wrote a letter frome Ierusalem to Arthaxerses the kynge, as it foloweth. Then Rehum the re∣corder, and Samset the scribe, and other of theyr companye of Dina, of Arphasath, of Tarpla, of Persia, of Arach, Of Babilon, of Susan, of Deha, of Elam, and other of the people whom the great and noble Asnapar brought ouer, and set in the cityes of Sama∣ria, and other, that are nowe on this syde the water. This is the copy of the letter that they sent vnto kynge Arthaxerses.

Thy seruauntes, and the men that are [unspec C] nowe on this syde the water. Be it knowen vnto the kynge, that the Iues whiche came vp from the to vs, are come vnto Ierusalem (a citye sedicious and frowarde) and buylde the same, and set vp the walles therof, & laye the foundacyons. Be it knowen nowe also vnto the kyng, that yf this citye be buylded, and the walles therof made vp agayne, then shall not they gyue toll, tribute, and custome, and the kynges profyte shal incur dāmage.

And nowe in the meane season we haue de∣stroyed the temple, & wolde no longer se the kynges dyshonoure. Therfore sent we oute also, and certified the kynge: that it maye be sought in the boke of Cronicles of thy proge¦nitours, and so shalte thou fynde in the boke of the Cronicles, and perceyue, that this citie is sedicious and noysome vnto kynges and land••, and that they cause other also among them to rebell of olde, and for the same cause was this citye destroyed. Therfore do we cer¦tifie the kynge, that yf this citye be buylded agayne, and the walles therof made vp; thou shalte hereafter haue no porcion on this syde the water. Then sente the kynge an answere vnto Rehum the recorder, and Samsai the

scrybe, and to the other of theyr companyons [unspec D] that dwelte in Samaria, and vnto the other that were beyonde the water, in S••lam and Cheheth. The letter whiche ye sent vnto vs, hath ben openly red before me, and I haue cōmaunded to make search: and it is found / that this citye of olde hath made insurrection agaynst kynges, and that rebellyon / and se∣dicion hath ben cōmytted therin. There haue ben myghty kyng{is} also at Ierusalem, which haue reygned ouer all countryes beyond the water: and tolle, trybute, and custome was gyuen vnto them: Gyue ye nowe therfore cō∣maundement, that the same men be forbyd∣den, & that the citye be not buylded agayne / tyll I haue gyuen another cōmaundement. Take hede nowe that ye be not neclygent to do this: for why shulde the kyng haue harme there thorowe? Now when the copye of kyng Arthaxerses letter was red before Rehū, and Simsai the scrybe and theyr companyons / they went vp in all the haste, to Ierusalem vnto the Iues, and forbad them with vyo∣lence, and power. Then ceased the worke of the house of God at Ierusalem, and conty∣nued so vnto the seconde yeare of Darius kynge of Persia.

Notes

• ••. Esdr. v. g
• 3. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. 17. d
• ••. Esdr ••. ••▪
• 3. Reg 〈◊〉〈◊〉.