Ezra 4:1-5; Ezra 4:24

Ezra 4:1-5

1 Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the children of the captivity were building the temple unto the LORD God of Israel,

2 then they came to Zerubbabel and to the chief of the fathers, and said unto them, "Let us build with you, for we seek your God as ye do; and we have done sacrifice unto Him since the days of Esarhaddon king of Assyria, who brought us up hither."

3 But Zerubbabel and Jeshua, and the rest of the chief of the fathers of Israel said unto them, "Ye have nothing to do with us in building a house unto our God; but we ourselves together will build unto the LORD God of Israel, as King Cyrus the king of Persia hath commanded us."

4 Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah, and troubled them in building,

5 and hired counselors against them to frustrate their purpose all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.

Ezra 4:24

24 Then ceased the work of the house of God which is at Jerusalem. So it ceased unto the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.