6 At the beginning of the reign of A·has·u·eʹrus, they wrote an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem. 7 And in the days of King Ar·ta·xerxʹes of Persia, Bishʹlam, Mithʹre·dath, Tabʹe·el, and the rest of his colleagues wrote to Ar·ta·xerxʹes the king; they translated the letter into Ar·a·maʹic,+ writing it with Ar·a·maʹic characters.*

8 * Reʹhum the chief government official and Shimʹshai the scribe wrote a letter against Jerusalem to King Ar·ta·xerxʹes, as follows:

7 Now as soon as San·balʹlat, To·biʹah,+ the Arabians,+ the Amʹmon·ites, and the Ashʹdod·ites+ heard that the repairing of the walls of Jerusalem was progressing and that the gaps were being filled in, they became very angry. 8 They conspired together to come and fight against Jerusalem and to create a disturbance in it.