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 to the LORD God of Israel;

2 Then they came to Zerubbabel, and to the chief of the fathers, and said to them, Let us build with you: for we seek your God, as ye [do]; and we do sacrifice to him since the days of Esar-haddon king of Assur, who brought us up hither.

3 But Zerubbabel, and Jeshua, and the rest of the chief of the fathers of Israel, said to them, Ye have nothing to do with us to build a house to our God; but we ourselves together will build to 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 until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.