The king sent a reply to his chief officer Rehum, Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their colleagues living in Samaria and elsewhere in the region west of the River Euphrates: Greetings.
This is the text of the letter that Tattenai the governor of the region west of the River Euphrates, Shethar-bozenai, and their colleagues, the officials in the region, sent to King Darius.
Let it be known to the king that we went to the house of the great God in the province of Judah. It is being built with cut stones, and its beams are being set in the walls. This work is being done diligently and succeeding through the people’s efforts.