Ezra 4:1-5
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Opposition to Rebuilding the Temple
4 When the enemies of Judah and Benjamin(A) heard that the returned exiles[a](B) were building a temple for Yahweh, the God of Israel, 2 they approached Zerubbabel and the leaders of the families and said to them, “Let us build with you, for we also worship your God and have been sacrificing to Him[b] since the time King Esar-haddon of Assyria[c] brought us here.”(C)
3 But Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the other leaders of Israel’s families answered them, “You may have no part with us in building a house for our God,(D) since we alone must build it for Yahweh, the God of Israel, as King Cyrus, the king of Persia has commanded us.”(E) 4 Then the people who were already in the land[d] discouraged[e] the people of Judah and made them afraid(F) to build. 5 They also bribed officials to act against them to frustrate their plans(G) throughout the reign of King Cyrus of Persia and until the reign of King Darius of Persia.[f](H)
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