The king sent his reply to Rehum the commanding officer, Shimshai the secretary, and the rest of their associates who lived in Samaria and other places beyond the Euphrates. Peace be with you. The letter that you sent has been translated and read to me. I gave orders to search the records, and sure enough it turns out that this city has revolted against kings time and again—rebellion is an old story there. I find that they’ve had their share of strong kings who have taken over beyond the Euphrates and exacted taxes, tribute, and duty. So do this: Order these men to stop work immediately—not a lick of rebuilding in that city unless I order it. Act quickly and firmly; they’ve done enough damage to kings! The letter of King Artaxerxes was read to Rehum and Shimshai the secretary and their associates. They lost no time. They went to the Jews in Jerusalem and made them quit work.
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Compare All Versions: Ezra 4:17-23
7 Days
Picking up where 2 Chronicles ends, Ezra describes the return of exiles to Jerusalem and the eventual rebuilding of the temple. Using the influence of pagan kings and unbelieving rulers, God was faithful to bring his people back to the land and reestablish worship at the temple.
10 Days
Nehemiah was a visionary leader, innovator, and statesman. I believe that the Book of Nehemiah is as good an entrepreneur’s case study as any I use in the classes I teach at Carnegie Mellon. It offers lessons in leadership on par with well-documented examples of exemplary leadership from modern CEOs. Over the course of this 10-day study, we are going to learn by studying the life of Nehemiah.
16 Days
Do you feel like you are in a season of loss and ruin? After decades of captivity, the Jews were allowed to return to Jerusalem, only to find the city in ruins. The books of Ezra and Nehemiah detail God's faithfulness to his people as they rebuilt their homeland and offer encouragement to you when you need to rebuild too.
30 days
In the beginning was the Word … but what came next? This plan is for anyone who wants a better understanding of the Bible. It provides a chronological reading program that endeavors to place all biblical passages in their date order. Part Nine of this twelve-part one-year reading plan is titled ‘From Exile to Rebuilding Jerusalem: 587 BC–410 BC’.
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