Bible in Basic English
"The king may be certain that when the building of this town and its walls is complete, they will give no tax or payment in goods or forced payments, and in the end it will be a cause of loss to the kings."
— Ezra 4:13, Bible in Basic English
“Be it known now unto the king, that, if this city be builded, and the walls set up again, then will they not pay toll, tribute, and custom, and so thou shalt endamage the revenue of the kings.”
And the rest of the nations which the great and noble Osnappar took over and put in Samaria and the rest of the country over the river:
This is a copy of the letter which they sent to Artaxerxes the king: Your servants living across the river send these words:
We give news to the king that the Jews who came from you have come to us at Jerusalem; they are building up again that uncontrolled and evil town; the walls are complete and they are joining up the bases.
The king may be certain that when the building of this town and its walls is complete, they will give no tax or payment in goods or forced payments, and in the end it will be a cause of loss to the kings.
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,
So that search may be made in the book of the records of your fathers: and you will see in the book of the records that this town has been uncontrolled, and a cause of trouble to kings and countries, and that there were outbursts against authority there in the past: for which reason the town was made waste.
We give you word, that if the building of this town and its walls is made complete, there will be an end of your power in the country across the river.