Ezra 4:9Easy To Read VersionFrom Rehum the commanding officer and Shimshai the secretary, and from the judges and important officials over the men from Tripolis, Persia, Erech, and Babylon, and from the Elamite people from Susa, See the chapter |
At that time Tattenai was the governor of the area west of the Euphrates River. Tattenai, Shethar Bozenai, and the men with them went to Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the others that were building. Tattenai and the people with him asked Zerubbabel and the people with him, “Who gave you permission to build this temple again and fix it like new?”
Sanballat talked with his friends and the army at Samaria. He said, “What are these weak Jews doing? Do they think we will leave them alone? Do they think they will offer sacrifices? {\cf2\super [13]} Maybe they think they can finish building in only one day. They can’t bring stones back to life from these piles of trash and dirt. These are just piles of ashes and dirt!”
Let the king choose leaders in every province of his kingdom. Then let those leaders bring every beautiful young virgin to the capital city of Susa. Those girls will be put with the group of the king’s women. And they will be under the care of Hegai, the king’s eunuch, that is in charge of the women. Then give beauty treatments to all of them.