Ezra 4:1-5
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Resistance to Rebuilding the Temple
4 When the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the returned exiles were building a temple to the Lord, the God of Israel,(A) 2 they approached Zerubbabel and the heads of families and said to them, “Let us build with you, for we worship your God as you do, and we have been sacrificing to him ever since the days of King Esar-haddon of Assyria, who brought us here.”(B) 3 But Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the rest of the heads of families in Israel said to them, “You shall have no part with us in building a house for our God, but we alone will build for the Lord, the God of Israel, as King Cyrus of Persia has commanded us.”(C)
4 Then the people of the land discouraged the people of Judah and made them afraid to build,(D) 5 and they bribed officials to frustrate their plan throughout the reign of King Cyrus of Persia and until the reign of King Darius of Persia.
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Ezra 4:1-5
International Standard Version
A Plot to Hinder the Work
4 When the enemies of Judah and Benjamin learned that the descendants of the Babylonian[a] captivity had built their Temple to the Lord, the God of Israel, 2 they approached Zerubbabel and the heads of the families[b] with this message: “Let’s build along with you, because, like you, we seek your God, as do you, and we’ve been making sacrifices to him since the reign of Esarhaddon, king of Assyria, who brought us here.”
3 But Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the rest of the heads of the families[c] of Israel replied, “You have no part in our plans for[d] building a temple to our God, because we alone will build to the Lord, the God of Israel, in accordance with the decree issued by King Cyrus, king of Persia.”
The Plot Succeeds—for a While
4 After this, the non-Israeli inhabitants[e] of the land undermined[f] the people of Judah, harassing them in their construction work 5 by bribing their consultants in order to frustrate their plans throughout the reign of Cyrus, king of Persia until Darius became king.[g]
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