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Ezra 4:2-4
New International Version
Ezra 4:2-4
New International Version
2 they came to Zerubbabel and to the heads of the families and said, “Let us help you build because, like you, we seek your God and have been sacrificing to him since the time of Esarhaddon(A) king of Assyria, who brought us here.”(B)
3 But Zerubbabel, Joshua and the rest of the heads of the families of Israel answered, “You have no part with us in building a temple to our God. We alone will build it for the Lord, the God of Israel, as King Cyrus, the king of Persia, commanded us.”(C)
4 Then the peoples around them set out to discourage the people of Judah and make them afraid to go on building.[a](D)
Footnotes
- Ezra 4:4 Or and troubled them as they built
Ezra 4:2-4
English Standard Version
Ezra 4:2-4
English Standard Version
2 they approached Zerubbabel and the heads of fathers' houses and said to them, “Let us build with you, for we worship your God as you do, and we have been sacrificing to him ever (A)since the days of (B)Esarhaddon king of Assyria (C)who brought us here.” 3 But Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the rest of the heads of fathers' houses in Israel said to them, (D)“You have nothing to do with us in building a house to our God; but we alone will build to the Lord, the God of Israel, (E)as King Cyrus the king of Persia has commanded us.”
4 Then (F)the people of the land discouraged the people of Judah and made them afraid to build
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Ezra 4:2-4
King James Version
Ezra 4:2-4
King James Version
2 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 Esarhaddon 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,
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Ezra 4:2-4
New American Standard Bible
Ezra 4:2-4
New American Standard Bible
2 they approached Zerubbabel and the heads of fathers’ households, and said to them, “Let us build with you, for like you, we seek your God; (A)and we have been sacrificing to Him since the days of (B)Esarhaddon king of Assyria, who brought us up here.” 3 But Zerubbabel and Jeshua and the rest of the heads of fathers’ households of Israel said to them, “(C)You have nothing in common with us in building a house to our God; but we ourselves will together build for the Lord God of Israel, (D)just as King Cyrus, the king of Persia, has commanded us.”
4 Then (E)the people of the land [a]discouraged the people of Judah, and frightened them from building,
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- Ezra 4:4 Lit slackened the hands of
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
English Standard Version (ESV) 
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
New American Standard Bible (NASB) 
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.