Ezra 4:5

5 And they hired counsellors against the Jews, that they should destroy the counsel, or purpose, of the Jews, in all the days of Cyrus, king of Persia, and unto the realm of Darius, king of Persia. (And they bribed court officials to work against the Jews, in all the days of Cyrus, the king of Persia, and into the reign of Darius, the king of Persia.)

Ezra 4:5 Meaning and Commentary

Ezra 4:5

And hired counsellors against them, to frustrate their purpose,
&c.] Either to advise and persuade the king of Persia's officers in those parts not to supply them with money, or to influence the great men at his court to get the edict revoked: and this they did

all the days of Cyrus king of Persia;
who, though the hearty friend and patron of the Jews, yet being engaged in wars abroad with the Lydians and Scythians, and leaving his son as viceroy in his absence, who was no friend unto them, the work went on but slowly, attended with interruptions and discouragements:

even until the reign of Darius king of Persia;
who was Darius Hystaspis, between whom and Cyrus were Cambyses the son of Cyrus, and Smerdis the impostor, who pretended to be Smerdis, the brother of Cambyses; a space of about fifteen years.

Ezra 4:5 In-Context

3 And Zerubbabel, and Joshua, and the other princes of the fathers of Israel, said to them, It is not to us and to you, that we build an house to our God; but we us-selves alone shall build an house to the Lord our God, as Cyrus, the king of Persia, commanded us. (And Zerubbabel, and Jeshua, and the other leaders of the families of the tribes of Israel, said to them, It is of no concern to thee, that we build a House for our God; yea, we shall build by ourselves the House for the Lord our God, as Cyrus, the king of Persia, commanded us.)

4 And it was done, that the people of the land hindered the hands of the people of Judah, and troubled them in building. (And then it was done, that the people of the land hindered the hands of the people of Judah, and made them afraid to continue building.)

5 And they hired counsellors against the Jews, that they should destroy the counsel, or purpose, of the Jews, in all the days of Cyrus, king of Persia, and unto the realm of Darius, king of Persia. (And they bribed court officials to work against the Jews, in all the days of Cyrus, the king of Persia, and into the reign of Darius, the king of Persia.)

6 And in the realm of Ahasuerus, he is (also) called Artaxerxes, in the beginning of his realm, they writed accusing against the dwellers of Judah and of Jerusalem; (And then in the kingdom of Ahasuerus, who is also called Artaxerxes, at the beginning of his reign, they wrote accusations against the inhabitants of Judah and of Jerusalem;)

7 and in the days of Artaxerxes, Bishlam wrote, and Mithredath, and Tabeel, and others, that were in the counsel of them, to Artaxerxes, king of Persia. And the epistle of accusing was written in the language of Syria, and it was read in the word of Syria. (yea, in the days of Artaxerxes, Bishlam, and Mithredath, and Tabeel, and their counsellors, or their officials, wrote to Artaxerxes, the king of Persia. And their letter of accusation was written in the Aramaic language, and it was read aloud in Aramaic.)