Ezra 4:2-11

Adversaries Oppose the Rebuilding

2 they approached Zerubbabel and the heads of fathers' houses 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 h since the days of i Esarhaddon king of Assyria j who brought us here." 3 But Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the rest of the heads of fathers' houses in Israel said to them, k "You have nothing to do with us in building a house to our God; but we alone will build to the Lord, the God of Israel, l as King Cyrus the king of Persia has commanded us."

4 Then m the people of the land discouraged the people of Judah and made them afraid to build 5 and bribed counselors against them to frustrate their purpose, all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.

6 And in the reign of n Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, they wrote an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.

The Letter to King Artaxerxes

7 In the days of Artaxerxes, Bishlam and o Mithredath and Tabeel and the rest of their associates wrote to Artaxerxes king of Persia. The letter was written p in Aramaic and translated. 1 8 Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king as follows: 9 Rehum the commander, Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their associates, the q judges, the r governors, the officials, the Persians, the men of Erech, the Babylonians, the men of Susa, that is, the s Elamites, 10 and the rest of the nations whom the great and noble t Osnappar deported and settled in the cities of Samaria and in the rest of the province Beyond the River. 11 (This is a copy of the letter that they sent.) "To Artaxerxes the king: Your servants, the men of the province Beyond the River, send greeting. And now

  1. Cross References
    2 Kings 17:24
    And the king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath, and Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the people of Israel. And they took possession of Samaria and lived in its cities.
    2 Kings 17:32 - 33
    They also feared the Lord and appointed from among themselves all sorts of people as priests of the high places, who sacrificed for them in the shrines of the high places.
  2. Cross References
    2 Kings 19:37
    And as he was worshiping in the house of Nisroch his god, Adrammelech and Sharezer, his sons, struck him down with the sword and escaped into the land of Ararat. And Esarhaddon his son reigned in his place.
  3. Cross References
    Ezra 4:10
    And the rest of the nations whom the great and noble Osnappar deported and settled in the cities of Samaria and in the rest of the province Beyond the River.
  4. Cross References
    Nehemiah 2:20
    Then I replied to them, "The God of heaven will make us prosper, and we his servants will arise and build, but you have no portion or right or claim in Jerusalem.
  5. Cross References
    Ezra 1:1 - 3
    In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and also put it in writing:
  6. Cross References
    Ezra 3:3
    They set the altar in its place, for fear was on them because of the peoples of the lands, and they offered burnt offerings on it to the Lord, burnt offerings morning and evening.
  7. Cross References
    Esther 1:1
    Now in the days of Ahasuerus, the Ahasuerus who reigned from India to Ethiopia over 127 provinces.
    Daniel 9:1
    In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, by descent a Mede, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans -
  8. Cross References
    Ezra 1:8
    Cyrus king of Persia brought these out in the charge of Mithredath the treasurer, who counted them out to Sheshbazzar the prince of Judah.
  9. Cross References
    2 Kings 18:26
    Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, and Shebnah, and Joah, said to the Rabshakeh, "Please speak to your servants in Aramaic, for we understand it. Do not speak to us in the language of Judah within the hearing of the people who are on the wall.
  10. Cross References
    2 Kings 17:24
    And the king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath, and Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the people of Israel. And they took possession of Samaria and lived in its cities.
    2 Kings 17:30 - 31
    The men of Babylon made Succoth-benoth, the men of Cuth made Nergal, the men of Hamath made Ashima.
  11. Cross References
    Ezra 5:6
    This is a copy of the letter that Tattenai the governor of the province Beyond the River and Shethar-bozenai and his associates, the governors who were in the province Beyond the River, sent to Darius the king.
    Ezra 6:6
    Now therefore, Tattenai, governor of the province Beyond the River, Shethar-bozenai, and your associates the governors who are in the province Beyond the River, keep away.
  12. Cross References
    Isaiah 11:11
    In that day the Lord will extend his hand yet a second time to recover the remnant that remains of his people, from Assyria, from Egypt, from Pathros, from Cush, from Elam, from Shinar, from Hamath, and from the coastlands of the sea.
  13. Cross References
    Ezra 4:2
    They approached Zerubbabel and the heads of fathers' houses 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 Esarhaddon king of Assyria who brought us here.
English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.