Ezra 4:2

1 When the enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the exiles were building a temple for the LORD, the God of Israel,

they approached Zerubbabel and the heads of the families, saying, “Let us build with you because, like you, we seek your God and have been sacrificing to Him since the time of King Esar-haddon of Assyria, who brought us here.”

3 But Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the other heads of the families of Israel replied, “You have no part with us in building a house for our God, since we alone must build it for the LORD, the God of Israel, as Cyrus king of Persia has commanded us.”

4 Then the people of the land set out to discourage the people of Judah and make them afraid to build.

Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB
they approached Zerubbabel and the heads of the families, saying, “Let us build with you because, like you, we seek your God and have been sacrificing to Him since the time of King Esar-haddon of Assyria, who brought us here.”
KJV
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 do sacrifice unto him since the days of Esar-haddon king of Assur, which brought us up hither.
WEB
they came near to Zerubbabel, and to the heads of fathers’ households, and said to them, “Let us build with you, for we seek your God as you do; and we have been sacrificing to him since the days of Esar Haddon king of Assyria, who brought us up here.”
ASV
then they drew near to Zerubbabel, and to the heads of fathers` [houses], and said unto them, Let us build with you; for we seek your God, as ye do; and we sacrifice unto him since the days of Esar-haddon king of Assyria, who brought us up hither.
DARBY
and they came to Zerubbabel and to the chief fathers, and said to them, We would build with you; for we seek your God, as ye; and we have sacrificed to him since the days of Esar-haddon king of Assyria, who brought us up hither.
BLB
and they came to Zerubbabel and the heads of the fathers and said to them, “Let us build with you⁺, for like you⁺, we seek your⁺ God, and to Him we have sacrificed since the days of Esar-haddon king of Assyria, who brought us up us here.”
ÅB
kom de til Serubabel og til familiehodene og sa til dem: La oss få være med dere og bygge; for vi søker deres Gud slik som dere selv, og til ham har vi ofret helt fra assyrerkongen Asarhaddons dager, han som førte oss hit!
OTB
gikk de til Serubabel og overhodene for fedrenes hus og sa til dem: "La oss bygge sammen med dere, for vi søker deres Gud slik som dere, og vi har ofret til Ham siden Esarhaddon, kongen av Assyria, førte oss hit."
B1930
kom de til Serubabel og til familiehodene og sa til dem: La oss få være med eder og bygge; for vi søker eders Gud likesom I selv, og til ham har vi ofret helt fra assyrerkongen Asarhaddons dager, han som førte oss hit!

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

  • 2 Kings 19:37

    One day, while he was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisroch, his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer put him to the sword and escaped to the land of Ararat. And his son Esar-haddon reigned in his place.

    Read in context
  • 2 Kings 17:24

    Then the king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath, and Sepharvaim and settled them in the towns of Samaria to replace the Israelites. They took possession of Samaria and lived in its towns.

    Read in context
  • Galatians 2:4

    This issue arose because some false brothers had come in under false pretenses to spy on our freedom in Christ Jesus, in order to enslave us.

    Read in context
  • 2 Kings 17:27–33

    Then the king of Assyria commanded: “Send back one of the priests you carried off from Samaria, and have him go back to live there and teach the requirements of the God of the land.”

    Read in context
  • Isaiah 37:37

    So Sennacherib king of Assyria broke camp and withdrew. He returned to Nineveh and stayed there.

    Read in context
  • 2 Kings 17:41

    So these nations worshiped the LORD but also served their idols, and to this day their children and grandchildren continue to do as their fathers did.

    Read in context
  • Ezra 3:2

    Then Jeshua son of Jozadak and his fellow priests, along with Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and his associates, began to build the altar of the God of Israel to sacrifice burnt offerings on it, as it is written in the Law of Moses the man of God.

    Read in context
  • Ezra 1:5

    So the family heads of Judah and Benjamin, along with the priests and Levites—everyone whose spirit God had stirred—prepared to go up and rebuild the house of the LORD in Jerusalem.

    Read in context