Ezra 4:2

1 Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the children of the captivity builded the temple unto the LORD God of Israel;

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.

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 to build an 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,

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

    And it came to pass, as he was worshipping in the house of Nisroch his god, that Adrammelech and Sharezer his sons smote him with the sword: and they escaped into the land of Armenia. And Esar-haddon his son reigned in his stead.

    Read in context
  • 2 Kings 17:24

    And the king of Assyria brought men from Babylon, and from Cuthah, and from Ava, and from Hamath, and from Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the children of Israel: and they possessed Samaria, and dwelt in the cities thereof.

    Read in context
  • Galatians 2:4

    And that because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage:

    Read in context
  • 2 Kings 17:27–33

    Then the king of Assyria commanded, saying, Carry thither one of the priests whom ye brought from thence; and let them go and dwell there, and let him teach them the manner of the God of the land.

    Read in context
  • Isaiah 37:37

    So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed, and went and returned, and dwelt at Nineveh.

    Read in context
  • 2 Kings 17:41

    So these nations feared the LORD, and served their graven images, both their children, and their children’s children: as did their fathers, so do they unto this day.

    Read in context
  • Ezra 3:2

    Then stood up Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and his brethren the priests, and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and his brethren, and builded the altar of the God of Israel, to offer burnt offerings thereon, as it is written in the law of Moses the man of God.

    Read in context
  • Ezra 1:5

    Then rose up the chief of the fathers of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests, and the Levites, with all them whose spirit God had raised, to go up to build the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem.

    Read in context