Ezra 4:22

Green's Literal Translation

And beware of being at fault, to act on this. Why should damage grow to the hurt of the kings?

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
See that you not neglect this matter. Otherwise, the damage will increase and the royal interests will suffer.

Hebrew Names Version
Take heed that you not be slack herein: why should damage grow to the hurt of the kings?

King James Version
Take heed now that ye fail not to do this: why should damage grow to the hurt of the kings?

English Standard Version
And take care not to be slack in this matter. Why should damage grow to the hurt of the king?"

New Century Version
Make sure you do this, because if they continue, it will hurt the government.

New English Translation
Exercise appropriate caution so that there is no negligence in this matter. Why should danger increase to the point that kings sustain damage?"

Amplified Bible
"Beware of being negligent in carrying out this matter. Why should damage increase to the detriment of the kings?"

New American Standard Bible
"And beware of being negligent in carrying out this matter; why should there be great damage, to the detriment of the kings?"

World English Bible
Take heed that you not be slack herein: why should damage grow to the hurt of the kings?

Geneva Bible (1587)
Take heede nowe that ye fayle not to doe this: why should domage grow to hurt the King?

Legacy Standard Bible
And beware of being negligent in doing this matter; why should harm increase to damage the kings?"

Berean Standard Bible
See that you do not neglect this matter. Why allow this threat to increase and the royal interests to suffer?

Contemporary English Version
Do this right now, so that no harm will come to the kingdom.

Complete Jewish Bible
Take care not to neglect your duty; otherwise the harm may increase, to the damage of the king."

Darby Translation
and take heed that ye fail not to do this: why should harm grow to the damage of the kings?

Easy-to-Read Version
Be careful not to overlook this matter. We should not let the building of Jerusalem continue. If that work continues, I will not get any more money from Jerusalem.

George Lamsa Translation
Take heed now that you fail not to do this, lest the damage should increase to the hurt of the king.

Good News Translation
Do this at once, so that no more harm may be done to my interests."

Lexham English Bible
And be careful not to be negligent on this matter. Why should damage grow to hurt kings?"

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Take hede now that ye be not necligent here in, lest the kynge haue harme there thorow.

American Standard Version
And take heed that ye be not slack herein: why should damage grow to the hurt of the kings?

Bible in Basic English
Be certain to do this with all care: do not let trouble be increased to the king's damage.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Take heede now that ye be not negligent to do this: for why should the king haue harme there through?

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And take heed that ye be not slack herein; why should damage grow to the hurt of the kings?'

King James Version (1611)
Take heed now that ye faile not to doe this: why should damage grow to the hurt of the kings?

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
See that ye be careful of the decree, not to be remiss concerning this matter, lest at any time destruction should abound to the harm of kings.

English Revised Version
And take heed that ye be not slack herein: why should damage grow to the hurt of the kings?

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Se ye, that this be not fillid necgligentli, and yuel encreesse litil `and litil ayens kyngis.

Update Bible Version
And take heed that you are not slack in this: why should damage grow to the hurt of the kings?

Webster's Bible Translation
Take heed now that ye fail not to do this: why should damage grow to the hurt of the kings?

New King James Version
Take heed now that you do not fail to do this. Why should damage increase to the hurt of the kings?

New Living Translation
Be diligent, and don't neglect this matter, for we must not permit the situation to harm the king's interests."

New Life Bible
Be sure that you do this. Why should more trouble be given to the kings?"

New Revised Standard
Moreover, take care not to be slack in this matter; why should damage grow to the hurt of the king?"

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Beware, then, of failure to do thus, - wherefore should the damage increase, to inflict loss on the kings?

Douay-Rheims Bible
See that you be not negligent in executing this, lest by little and little the evil grow to the hurt of the kings.

Revised Standard Version
And take care not to be slack in this matter; why should damage grow to the hurt of the king?"

Young's Literal Translation
And beware ye of negligence in doing this; why doth the hurt become great to the loss of the kings?'

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Beware of being negligent in carrying out this matter; why should damage increase to the detriment of the kings?"

Contextual Overview

¹⁷ The message the king sent to Rehum the master of counsel, and to Shimshai the scribe, and to the rest of their associates who dwell in Samaria, and to the rest Beyond the River: Peace! And now, ¹⁸ the letter which you sent to us has been plainly read before me. ¹⁹ And I gave a decree, and search has been made, and it is found that this city has lifted up itself against kings in the past, and rebellion and revolt have been made in it. ²⁰ There have been mighty kings also over Jerusalem, who have ruled over all Beyond the River. And tax, tribute, and forced labor were paid to them. ²¹ Now make a decree to cause these men to cease, and that this city not be rebuilt until the decree shall be given from me. ²² And beware of being at fault, to act on this. Why should damage grow to the hurt of the kings? ²³ Then as soon as the copy of the letter of Artaxerxes the king was read before Rehum, and Shimshai the scribe, and their associates, they hurried to Jerusalem to the Jews, and made them stop working by force and power. ²⁴ Then the work of the house of God in Jerusalem stopped. So it ceased until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

why should: Ezra 4:13, Esther 3:8, Esther 3:9, Esther 7:3, Esther 7:4

Reciprocal: Daniel 6:2 - and the

Cross-References

Exodus 25:3
And this is the offering which you shall take from them: gold, and silver, and bronze;

Numbers 31:22
only the gold, the silver, the copper, the iron, the tin, and the lead,

Deuteronomy 8:9
a land in which you shall eat bread without want; you shall not lack anything in it; a land whose stones are iron; and you shall dig copper out of its mountains.

Deuteronomy 33:25
May your shoe latches be iron and bronze, and your days as your strength.

2 Chronicles 2:7
And now, send to me a skilled man to work in gold, and in silver, and in bronze, and in iron, and in purple, and crimson, and violet, and knowing how to engrave all kinds of engravings with the skilled men who are with me in Judah andin Jerusalem, whom my father David has prepared.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Take heed now that ye fail not to do this,.... To put his orders into execution, and at once, without any loss of time, oblige the Jews to desist from rebuilding the walls of their city, which he was told they were doing, though a great falsehood:

why should damage grow to the hurt of the kings? of him and his successors, to be deprived of their toll, tribute, and customs, and to have insurrections, mutinies, and rebellions, in the dominions belonging to them.