24 Therefore we now inform you, lord king, that if this city be built and its walls restored, there will be no passage for you to Cele-Syria and Phoenicia.

25 Then the king wrote in reply to Raphim, the describer of the events, and to Beeltefmus, and Samellius the scribe, and to the rest who agreed with them, and dwelt in Samaria, and in Syria, and in Phoenicia, as follows:

26 And I read the letter which you sent to me, and commanded it to be examined; and it was found that this city had long rebelled against kings;

27 And these men stirred up rebellions and wars in it, and there were kings in Jerusalem mighty and mighty, who possessed and collected tribute from Coele-Syria and Phoenicia.

28 And now I have commanded that these men be forbidden to build this city, and to see that nothing more is done

29 and that the wicked enterprises should not prosper any further, to the trouble of the kings.

30 And when they had read the writings of King Ahasuerus, Raphim and Samellius, the scribe, and those who agreed with them, went hastily to Jerusalem with the cavalry and the militia of the people

31 And they began to hold back those who were building. And the building of the temple in Jerusalem stopped until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.

Chapter 3

1 And king Darius made a great feast to his subjects, and to his household, and to all the nobles of Media and Persia,

2 And to all the satraps, and captains, and captains of the countries subject to him, from India to Ethiopia, in a hundred and twenty-seven satrapies.

3 And they ate and drank, and when they were satisfied, they departed; and king Darius went to his bedchamber, and slept, and then awoke.

4 And the three young men of the bodyguard who were guarding the king's body said to one another,

5 Have each of us say one word about what is strongest? And whose word is wiser than another, King Darius will give him great gifts and a great reward.