Opposition to Rebuilding the Temple

4 When the enemies of Judah and Benjamin^(A) heard that the returned exiles^[a](B) were building a temple for Yahweh, the God of Israel, ² they approached Zerubbabel and the leaders of the families and said to them, “Let us build with you, for we also worship your God and have been sacrificing to Him^[b] since the time King Esar-haddon of Assyria^[c] brought us here.”^(C)

³ But Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the other leaders of Israel’s families answered them, “You may have no part with us in building a house for our God,^(D) since we alone must build it for Yahweh, the God of Israel, as King Cyrus, the king of Persia has commanded us.”^(E)