Ezra 4:1-7

1Now when 1the enemiesH6862 of JudahH3063 and BenjaminH1144 heardH8085 that 2the peopleH1121 of the exileH1473 were buildingH1129 a templeH1964 to the LordH3068 GodH430 of IsraelH3478, 2they approachedH5066 ZerubbabelH2216 and the headsH7218 of fathers’H1 households, and saidH559 to them, “Let us buildH1129 with you, for like you, we seekH1875 your GodH430; 3and we have been sacrificingH2076 to Him sinceH4480 the daysH3117 of 4EsarhaddonH634 kingH4428 of AssyriaH804, who broughtH5927 us upH5927 hereH6311.” 3But ZerubbabelH2216 and JeshuaH3091 and the restH7605 of the headsH7218 of fathers’H1 households of IsraelH3478 saidH559 to them, “5You have nothingH3808 in common with us in buildingH1129 a houseH1004 to our GodH430; but we ourselvesH587 will togetherH3162 buildH1129 for the LordH3068 GodH430 of IsraelH3478, 6justH3512 asH3512 KingH4428 CyrusH3566, the kingH4428 of PersiaH6539, has commandedH6680 us.”

4Then 7the peopleH5971 of the landH776 8discouragedH7503H3027 the peopleH5971 of JudahH3063, and frightenedH1089 them from buildingH1129, 5and bribedH5534 advisersH3289 againstH5921 them to frustrateH6565 their adviceH6098 allH3605 the daysH3117 of CyrusH3566 kingH4428 of PersiaH6539, even untilH5704 the reignH4438 of DariusH1867 kingH4428 of PersiaH6539.

6Now in the reignH4438 of 910AhasuerusH325, in the beginningH8462 of his reignH4438, they wroteH3789 an accusationH7855 againstH5921 the inhabitantsH3427 of JudahH3063 and JerusalemH3389.

7And in the daysH3117 of 11ArtaxerxesH783, BishlamH1312, MithredathH4990, TabeelH2870, and the restH7605 of his colleaguesH3674 wroteH3789 to ArtaxerxesH783 kingH4428 of PersiaH6539; and the 12textH3791 of the letterH5406 was writtenH3789 in AramaicH762 and translatedH8638 13from AramaicH762.