Ezra 4:14

The NET Bible®

In light of the fact that we are loyal to the king, and since it does not seem appropriate to us that the king should sustain damage, we are sending the king this information

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Since we have taken an oath of loyalty to the king, and it is not right for us to witness his dishonor, we have sent to inform the king

Hebrew Names Version
Now because we eat the salt of the palace, and it is not appropriate for us to see the king's dishonor, therefore have we sent and informed the king;

King James Version
Now because we have maintenance from the king's palace, and it was not meet for us to see the king's dishonour, therefore have we sent and certified the king;

English Standard Version
Now because we eat the salt of the palace and it is not fitting for us to witness the king's dishonor, therefore we send and inform the king,

New Century Version
Since we must be loyal to the government, we don't want to see the king dishonored. So we are writing to let the king know.

Amplified Bible
"Now because we are in the service of the palace, and it is not proper for us to witness the king's dishonor, for that reason we have sent word and informed the king,

New American Standard Bible
"Now because we are in the service of the palace, and it is not fitting for us to see the king's shame, for this reason we have sent word and informed the king,

World English Bible
Now because we eat the salt of the palace, and it is not appropriate for us to see the king's dishonor, therefore have we sent and informed the king;

Geneva Bible (1587)
Nowe therefore because wee haue bene brought vp in the Kings palace, it was not meete for vs to see the Kings dishonour: for this cause haue we sent and certified the King,

Legacy Standard Bible
Now because we are in the service of the palace, and it is not fitting for us to see the king's dishonor, therefore we have sent and made known to the king,

Berean Standard Bible
Now because we are in the service of the palace and it is not fitting for us to allow the king to be dishonored, we have sent to inform the king

Contemporary English Version
We are telling you this, because you have done so much for us, and we want everyone to respect you.

Complete Jewish Bible
Now, because we eat the king's salt, and it is not right for us to see the king dishonored, we therefore are sending to inform the king,

Darby Translation
Now, since we eat the salt of the palace, and it is not right for us to see the king's injury, therefore have we sent and informed the king;

Easy-to-Read Version
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.

George Lamsa Translation
Now because we have eaten the salt of the palace, and it was not meet for us to see the kings dishonor, therefore we have sent and informed the king,

Good News Translation
Now, because we are under obligation to Your Majesty, we do not want to see this happen, and so we suggest

Lexham English Bible
Now since we eat the salt of the palace and the dishonor of the king is not proper for us to see, we send and make this known to the king,

Literal Translation
Now because we have eaten of the palace salt, and it is not right for us to see the king's dishonor, therefore we have sent and notified the king,

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
But now that we all are therby which destroyed the temple, we wolde no longer se the kynges dishonoure. Therfore sent we out, and caused the kynge to be certified therof:

American Standard Version
Now because we eat the salt of the palace, and it is not meet for us to see the king's dishonor, therefore have we sent and certified the king;

Bible in Basic English
Now because we are responsible to the king, and it is not right for us to see the king's honour damaged, we have sent to give the king word of these things,

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And now in the meane season we haue destroyed the temple, and woulde no longer see the kinges dishonour, therefore sent we out also and certified the king,

JPS Old Testament (1917)
Now because we eat the salt of the palace, and it is not meet for us to see the king's dishonour, therefore have we sent and announced to the king,

King James Version (1611)
Now because we haue maintenance from the Kings palace, and it was not meete for vs to see the kings dishonour: therefore haue we sent, and certified the king,

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And it is not lawful for us to see the dishonour of the king: therefore have we sent and made known the matter to the king;

English Revised Version
Now because we eat the salt of the palace, and it is not meet for us to see the king's dishonour, therefore have we sent and certified the king;

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Therfor we ben myndeful of the salt, which we eeten in the paleis, and for we holden it vnleueful to se the harmes of the kyng, therfor we han sent and teld to the kyng;

Update Bible Version
Now because we eat the salt of the palace, and it is not meet for us to see the king's dishonor, therefore we have sent and certified the king;

Webster's Bible Translation
Now because we have maintenance from [the king's] palace, and it was not meet for us to see the king's dishonor, therefore have we sent and certified the king;

New King James Version
Now because we receive support from the palace, it was not proper for us to see the king's dishonor; therefore we have sent and informed the king,

New Living Translation
"Since we are your loyal subjects and do not want to see the king dishonored in this way, we have sent the king this information.

New Life Bible
We are under the care of the king, and it is not right for us to see the king not being honored. So we have sent to let the king know.

New Revised Standard
Now because we share the salt of the palace and it is not fitting for us to witness the king's dishonor, therefore we send and inform the king,

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Now, because the salt of the palace we have eaten, the impoverishment of the king, it is not meet for us to see, - therefore have we sent, and certified the king;

Douay-Rheims Bible
But we remembering the salt that we have eaten in the palace, and because we count it a crime to see the king wronged, have therefore sent and certified the king,

Revised Standard Version
Now because we eat the salt of the palace and it is not fitting for us to witness the king's dishonor, therefore we send and inform the king,

Young's Literal Translation
Now, because that the salt of the palace [is] our salt, and the nakedness of the king we have no patience to see, therefore we have sent and made known to the king;

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Now because we are in the service of the palace, and it is not fitting for us to see the king's dishonor, therefore we have sent and informed the king,

Contextual Overview

⁶ At the beginning of the reign of Ahasuerus they filed an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem. ⁷ And during the reign of Artaxerxes, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of their colleagues wrote to King Artaxerxes of Persia. This letter was first written in Aramaic but then translated. [Aramaic:] ⁸ Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter concerning Jerusalem to King Artaxerxes as follows: ⁹ From Rehum the commander, Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their colleagues—the judges, the rulers, the officials, the secretaries, the Erechites, the Babylonians, the people of Susa (that is, the Elamites), ¹⁰ and the rest of the nations whom the great and noble Ashurbanipal deported and settled in the cities of Samaria and other places in Trans-Euphrates. ¹¹ (This is a copy of the letter they sent to him:) "To King Artaxerxes, from your servants in Trans-Euphrates: ¹² Now let the king be aware that the Jews who came up to us from you have gone to Jerusalem. They are rebuilding that rebellious and odious city. They are completing its walls and repairing its foundations. ¹³ Let the king also be aware that if this city is built and its walls are completed, no more tax, custom, or toll will be paid, and the royal treasury will suffer loss. ¹⁴ In light of the fact that we are loyal to the king, and since it does not seem appropriate to us that the king should sustain damage, we are sending the king this information ¹⁵ so that he may initiate a search of the records of his predecessors and discover in those records that this city is rebellious and injurious to both kings and provinces, producing internal revolts from long ago. It is for this very reason that this city was destroyed.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

have maintenance: etc. Chal, are salted with the salt of the palace, Salt is reckoned among the principal necessaries of life - Ecclesiastes 39:26, or verse 31 hence, by a very natural figure, salt is used for food or maintenance in general. I am well informed, says Mr. Parkhurst, that it is a common expression of the natives in the East Indies, "I eat such a one's salt," meaning, I am fed by him. Salt was also, as it still is, among eastern nations, a symbol of friendship and hospitality; and hence, to eat a man's salt, is to be bound to him by the ties of friendship.

and it was: Ezekiel 33:31, John 12:5, John 12:6, John 19:12-15

Reciprocal: Nehemiah 5:14 - the bread

Cross-References

Genesis 4:5
but with Cain and his offering he was not pleased. So Cain became very angry, and his expression was downcast.

Genesis 4:6
Then the Lord said to Cain, "Why are you angry, and why is your expression downcast?

Genesis 4:11
So now, you are banished from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand.

Genesis 4:12
When you try to cultivate the ground it will no longer yield its best for you. You will be a homeless wanderer on the earth."

Genesis 4:13
Then Cain said to the Lord , "My punishment is too great to endure!

Genesis 4:14
Look! You are driving me off the land today, and I must hide from your presence. I will be a homeless wanderer on the earth; whoever finds me will kill me."

Genesis 4:15
But the Lord said to him, "All right then, if anyone kills Cain, Cain will be avenged seven times as much." Then the Lord put a special mark on Cain so that no one who found him would strike him down.

Genesis 4:16
So Cain went out from the presence of the Lord and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden.

Genesis 4:20
Adah gave birth to Jabal; he was the first of those who live in tents and keep livestock.

Genesis 4:24
If Cain is to be avenged seven times as much, then Lamech seventy-seven times!"

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Now because we have maintenance from the king's palace,.... Have posts under the king, to which salaries were annexed, by which they were supported, and which they had from the king's exchequer; or "salt" o, as in the original, some places of honour and trust formerly being paid in salt; hence, as Pliny p observes, such honours and rewards were called "salaries":

and it was not meet for us to see the king's dishonour; to see any thing done injurious to his crown and dignity, to his honour and revenues, when we are supported by him; this would be ungrateful as well as unjust:

therefore have we sent and certified the king; of the truth of what is before related; and, for the further confirmation of it, refer him to the ancient records of the kingdom, as follows.

o מלח "salem vel sale", Montanus, Vatablus, Michaelis. p Nat. Hist. l. 31. c. 7.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

We have maintenance - See the margin. The phrase “to eat a man’s salt” is common in the East to this day; and is applied not only to those who receive salaries, but to all who obtain their subsistence by means of another. The Persian satraps had no salaries, but taxed their provinces for the support of themselves and their courts.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 14. Now because we have maintenance from the king's palace — More literally: Now because at all times we are salted with the salt of the palace; i.e., We live on the king's bounty, and must be faithful to our benefactor. Salt was used as the emblem of an incorruptible covenant; and those who ate bread and salt together were considered as having entered into a very solemn covenant. These hypocrites intimated that they felt their conscience bound by the league between them and the king; and therefore could not conscientiously see any thing going on that was likely to turn to the king's damage. They were probably also persons in the pay of the Persian king.