Ezra 4:11-13

New Catholic Bible

¹¹ This is a copy of the letter that they sent to him: “To King Artaxerxes, from your servants, the people of the province of Trans-Euphrates: ¹² The king has the right to know that the Jews who came up from you to us have arrived in Jerusalem and are in the process of rebuilding this rebellious and wicked city. They have restored the walls and are repairing the foundations. ¹³ Now we wish to inform the king that if the city is rebuilt and the walls are restored, they will refuse to pay tribute, taxes, or tolls, causing the royal revenues to be sharply reduced.