In Ezra 4:7 another letter of accusation is written to the Persian king Artaxerxes by the descendants of the enemies of Judah and Benjamin mentioned in Ezra 4:1. Another letter is then also sent by these same people. The contents of this third letter are revealed to us. In this letter, the officials claim that by allowing the Jews to rebuild the walls, they will lose the whole satrapy of the Trans-Euphrates. This letter is a good example of flattery, misrepresentation, and slander being used to try and get your way.
7 In the days of Artaxerxes, Bishlam and Mithredath and Tabeel and the rest of their associates wrote to Artaxerxes king of Persia. The letter was written in Aramaic and translated.