Ezra 4:8 This is the first verse from the book Ezra of the Old Testament written in Aramaic. KJV –Rehnum the chancellor and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king in this sort: רְח֣וּם בְּעֵל־טְעֵ֗ם וְשִׁמְשַׁי֙ סָֽפְרָ֔א כְּתַ֛בוּ אִגְּרָ֥ה חֲדָ֖ה עַל־יְרוּשְׁלֶ֑ם לְאַרְתַּחְשַׁ֥שְׂתְּא מַלְכָּ֖א כְּנֵֽמָא׃ rǝḥûm bǝʿēl-ṭǝʿēm wǝšimšay sāpǝrāʾ kǝtabû ʾiggǝrâ ḥădâ ʿal-yǝrûšǝlem lǝʾartaḥšaśtǝʾ melekh kǝnēmāʾ Vocabulary רְח֣וּם- rǝḥûm- Rehum (name) בְּעֵל -bǝʿēl -lord טְעֵ֗ם - ṭǝʿēm - chancellor וְשִׁמְשַׁי֙ - wǝšimšay -and Shimsai (sunny), satrap of Judaea וְ - wǝ - and סָֽפְרָ֔א - sāpǝrāʾ - scribe כְּתַ֛בוּ - kǝtabû - wrote אִגְּרָ֥ה - ʾiggǝrâ - letter חֲדָ֖ה עַ - ḥădâ - a, one עַל - ʿal - against יְרוּשְׁלֶ֑ם - yǝrûšǝlem - Jerusalem (teaching of peace) לְ - lǝ - to אַרְתַּחְשַׁ֥שְׂתְּא - ʾartaḥšaśtǝʾ - Artaxerxes מַלְכָּ֖א - melekh - the king כְּנֵֽמָא - kǝnēmāʾ - sort, of this sort