then[wrote] Rehumthe commanderand Shimshaithe scribeand the restof their colleagues,the judgesand the lessergovernors,the officials,the secretaries,the menof Erech,the Babylonians,the menof Susa,that is, the Elamites,
The sonsof Shem[were] Elamand Asshurand Arpachshadand Ludand Aram.
The kingof Assyriabrought[men] from Babylonand from Cuthahand from Avvaand from Hamathand Sephar-vaim,and settled[them] in the citiesof Samariain placeof the sonsof Israel.So they possessedSamariaand livedin its cities.
Rehumthe commanderand Shimshaithe scribewrotea letteragainstJerusalemto KingArtaxerxes,as follows--
At that timeTattenai,the governorof [the province] beyondthe River,and Shethar-bozenaiand their colleaguescameto them and spoketo them thus,"Whoissuedyou a decreeto rebuildthistempleand to finishthisstructure?"
[This is] the copyof the letterwhichTattenai,the governorof [the province] beyondthe River,and Shethar-bozenaiand his colleaguesthe officials,whowere beyondthe River,sentto Dariusthe king.
"Now[therefore], Tattenai,governorof [the province] beyondthe River,Shethar-bozenaiand your colleagues,the officialsof [the provinces] beyondthe River,keepawayfrom there.
He spokein the presenceof his brothersand the wealthy[men] of Samariaand said,"Whatare these feebleJewsdoing?Are they going to restore[it] for themselves? Can they offersacrifices?Can they finishin a day?Can they revivethe stonesfrom the dustyrubbleeven the burnedones?"
in thosedaysas KingAhasuerussaton his royalthronewhich[was] at the citadelin Susa,
"Let the kingappointoverseersin allthe provincesof his kingdomthat they may gathereverybeautifulyoungvirginto the citadelof Susa,to the harem,into the custodyof Hegai,the king'seunuch,who is in chargeof the women;and let their cosmeticsbe given[them].
A harshvisionhas been shownto me; The treacherousone [still] dealstreacherously,and the destroyer[still] destroys.Goup, Elam,laysiege,Media;I have madean endof allthe groaningshe has caused.
and allthe kingsof Zimri,allthe kingsof Elamand allthe kingsof Media;
That whichcameas the wordof the LORDto Jeremiahthe prophetconcerningElam,at the beginningof the reignof Zedekiahkingof Judah,saying:
"Elamis thereand allher hordesaroundher grave;allof them slain,fallenby the sword,whowentdownuncircumcisedto the lowerpartsof the earth,whoinstilledtheir terrorin the landof the livingand boretheir disgracewith those who wentdownto the pit.
I lookedin the vision,and while I was lookingI was in the citadelof Susa,whichis in the provinceof Elam;and I lookedin the visionand I myselfwas besidethe UlaiCanal.
"Parthiansand Medesand Elamites,and residentsof Mesopotamia,Judeaand Cappadocia,Pontusand Asia,
