Ezra 4:11

Easy-to-Read Version

This is the copy of the letter sent to King Artaxerxes: From your servants living in the area west of the Euphrates River.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
This is the text of the letter they sent to him:

Hebrew Names Version
This is the copy of the letter that they sent to Artachshasta the king: Your servants the men beyond the River, and so forth.

King James Version
This is the copy of the letter that they sent unto him, even unto Artaxerxes the king; Thy servants the men on this side the river, and at such a time.

English Standard Version
(This is a copy of the letter that they sent.) "To Artaxerxes the king: Your servants, the men of the province Beyond the River, send greeting. And now

New Century Version
(This is a copy of the letter they sent to Artaxerxes.) To King Artaxerxes. From your servants who live in Trans-Euphrates.

New English Translation
(This is a copy of the letter they sent to him:) "To King Artaxerxes, from your servants in Trans-Euphrates:

Amplified Bible
this is a copy of the letter which they sent to him: "To King Artaxerxes from your servants, the men in the region west of the [Euphrates] River; and now:

New American Standard Bible
this is a copy of the letter which they sent to him: "To King Artaxerxes: Your servants, the men of the region beyond the Euphrates River; and now

World English Bible
This is the copy of the letter that they sent to Artaxerxes the king: Your servants the men beyond the River, and so forth.

Geneva Bible (1587)
This is the copie of the letter that they sent vnto King Artahshashte, Thy servants the men beyond the Riuer & Cheeneth, salute thee.

Legacy Standard Bible
this is the copy of the letter which they sent to him: "To King Artaxerxes: Your servants, the men in the region beyond the River, and now—

Berean Standard Bible
(This is the text of the letter they sent to him.) To King Artaxerxes, From your servants, the men west of the Euphrates:

Contemporary English Version
This letter said: Your Majesty King Artaxerxes, we are your servants from everywhere in Western Province, and we send you our greetings.

Complete Jewish Bible
(This is the text of the letter they sent him.) "To Artach'shashta the king from his servants the people beyond the River:

Darby Translation
This is the copy of the letter that they sent to him: To Artaxerxes the king: Thy servants the men on this side the river, and so forth.

George Lamsa Translation
This is the copy of the letter that they sent to him, even to Artakhshisht the king: Your servants the men on this side of the River, and at such a time.

Good News Translation
This is the text of the letter: "To Emperor Artaxerxes from his servants who live in West-of-Euphrates.

Lexham English Bible
this is the copy of the letter which they sent to him: "To King Artaxerxes from your servants, the men of the province Beyond the River. And now,

Literal Translation
this is the copy of the letter which they sent to him, to Artaxerxes the king: Your servants, the men of the province Beyond the River, and now,

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And this is ye summe of the letter that they sent vnto kynge Artaxerses: Thy seruauntes the men on this syde the water and in Canaan.

American Standard Version
This is the copy of the letter that they sent unto Artaxerxes the king: Thy servants the men beyond the River, and so forth.

Bible in Basic English
This is a copy of the letter which they sent to Artaxerxes the king: Your servants living across the river send these words:

Bishop's Bible (1568)
This is the copie of the letter that they sent vnto king Artaxerxes: Thy seruauntes, and the men that are nowe beyond the water, and Cheeneth.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
this is the copy of the letter that they sent unto him, even unto Artaxerxes the king--thy servants the men beyond the River--and now

King James Version (1611)
This is the copy of the Letter, that they sent vnto him, euen vnto Artaxerxes the king: Thy seruants on this side the Riuer, and at such a time,

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
This is the purport of the letter, which they sent to him: Thy servants the men beyond the river to king Arthasastha.

English Revised Version
This is the copy of the letter that they sent unto Artaxerxes the king; Thy servants the men beyond the river, and so forth.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
This is the saumplere of the pistle, which thei senten to the kyng. `To Artaxerses, king, thi seruauntis, men `that ben biyende the flood, seyn helthe.

Update Bible Version
This is the copy of the letter that they sent to Artaxerxes the king: Your slaves the men beyond the River, and so forth.

Webster's Bible Translation
This [is] the copy of the letter that they sent to him, [even] to Artaxerxes the king: Thy servants the men on this side of the river, and at such a time.

New King James Version
(This is a copy of the letter that they sent him) To King Artaxerxes from your servants, the men of the region beyond the River, and so forth: [fn]

New Living Translation
This is a copy of their letter: "To King Artaxerxes, from your loyal subjects in the province west of the Euphrates River.

New Life Bible
this is what they said in their letter to him: "To King Artaxerxes, your servants, the men in the land on the other side of the River,

New Revised Standard
this is a copy of the letter that they sent): "To King Artaxerxes: Your servants, the people of the province Beyond the River, send greeting. And now

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
This, is a copy of the letter which they sent unto him - unto Artaxerxes the king, - Thy servants, the men Beyond the River and so forth:

Douay-Rheims Bible
(This is the copy of the letter, which they sent to him:) To Artaxerxes the king, thy servants, the men that are on this side of the river, send greeting.

Revised Standard Version
this is a copy of the letter that they Sent--"to Ar-ta-xerx'es the king: Your servants, the men of the province Beyond the River, send greeting. And now

Young's Literal Translation
This [is] a copy of a letter that they have sent unto him, unto Artaxerxes the king: `Thy servants, men beyond the river, and at such a time;

New American Standard Bible (1995)
this is the copy of the letter which they sent to him: "To King Artaxerxes: Your servants, the men in the region beyond the River, and now

Contextual Overview

⁶ These enemies even wrote letters to the king of Persia trying to stop the Jews. They wrote a letter the year that Xerxes became the king of Persia. ⁷ Later, when Artaxerxes became the new king of Persia, some of these men wrote another letter complaining about the Jews. The men who wrote the letter were Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the other people in their group. The letter was written in Aramaic and translated. ⁸ Then Rehum the commanding officer and Shimshai the secretary wrote a letter against the people of Jerusalem. They wrote the letter to Artaxerxes the king. This is what they wrote: ⁹ From 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 Elamites from Susa, ¹⁰ and from the other people who the great and powerful Ashurbanipal moved to the city of Samaria and other places in the country west of the Euphrates River. ¹¹ This is the copy of the letter sent to King Artaxerxes: From your servants living in the area west of the Euphrates River. ¹² King Artaxerxes, we wish to inform you that the Jews you sent from there are now in Jerusalem. They are trying to rebuild that terrible city. The people there have always rebelled against other kings. Now they have almost finished repairing the foundations and building the walls. ¹³ Also, King Artaxerxes, you should know that if Jerusalem and its walls are rebuilt, the people of Jerusalem will stop paying their taxes. They will stop sending money to honor you. They also will stop paying customs fees, and the king will lose all that money. ¹⁴ We have a responsibility to the king. We don't want to see this happen, so we are sending this letter to inform the king. ¹⁵ King Artaxerxes, we suggest that you search the writings of the kings who ruled before you. You will see in the writings that Jerusalem always rebelled against other kings. It has caused much trouble for other kings and nations. Many rebellions have started in this city since ancient times. That is why Jerusalem was destroyed.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Reciprocal: 1 Kings 21:8 - she wrote Ezra 3:3 - for fear Ezra 4:10 - at such a time Ezra 4:17 - at such a time Ezra 5:6 - copy Ezra 7:11 - the copy Ezra 7:12 - unto Ezra

Cross-References

Genesis 3:14
So the Lord God said to the snake, "You did this very bad thing, so bad things will happen to you. It will be worse for you than for any other animal. You must crawl on your belly and eat dust all the days of your life.

Genesis 4:14
You are forcing me to leave the land, and I will not be able to be near you or have a home! Now I must wander from place to place, and anyone I meet could kill me."

Genesis 4:15
Then the Lord said to Cain, "No, if anyone kills you, I will punish that person much, much more." Then the Lord put a mark on Cain to show that no one should kill him.

Genesis 4:16
Cain went away from the Lord and lived in the land of Nod.

Genesis 4:19
Lamech married two women. One wife was named Adah, and the other was named Zillah.

Genesis 4:20
Adah gave birth to Jabal. Jabal was the father of people who live in tents and earn their living by keeping cattle.

Genesis 4:21
Jabal was Jubal's brother. Jubal was the father of people who play the harp and flute.

Genesis 4:26
Seth also had a son. He named him Enosh. At that time people began to pray to the Lord .

Job 16:18
"Earth, don't hide the wrong things that were done to me. Don't let my begging for fairness be stopped.

Isaiah 26:21
Look! The Lord is coming out from his place to judge the people of the world for the bad things they have done. The earth will reveal the blood that has been spilled on it. It will no longer hide the proof of those murders.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

This is the copy of the letter they sent unto him, even unto Artaxerxes the king,.... Which Ezra brought with him from Babylon, and is contained in the five following verses:

thy servants the men on this side the river, and at such a time; this was the inscription of the letter, or the beginning of it.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 11. And at such a time. — The word וכענת ucheeneth has greatly perplexed all commentators and critics. The versions give us no light; and the Vulgate translates it et dicunt salutem, "and they wish prosperity." Some translate it and so forth; and our translators supposed that it referred to the date, which however is not specified, and might have been as easily entered as the words and at such a time.

In our first translation of the Bible, that by Coverdale, in 1535, the passage stands thus: "And other on this syde the water, and in Canaan."

In that by Becke, 1549, it is thus: "And other on this syde the water, and in Ceneeth:" and in the margin he enters "or peace," "or health."

In Cardmarden's Bible, printed at Rouen, 1566, it stands thus: "And other that are nowe on thys syde the water."

In that printed by Barker, 1615, we find the text thus: "AND OTHER that are beyond the river, and Cheeneth;" on which is the following marginal note: "To wit, Euphrates: and he meaneth in respect of Babel, that they dwelt beyond it." And the note on Cheeneth is, "Which were a certain people that envied the Jews." All this is merely guessing, in the midst of obscurity; most of these having considered the original word כענת Ceeneth as the name of a people; and in this they follow the Syriac, which uses the word Acaneth.

Calmet thinks we should read ובעת ubaeth, "and at this time; " as if they had said, "We wish thee to enjoy the same health and prosperity at all future times, which thou dost at present." This is not remote from the meaning of the Chaldee original.