Ezra 4:1

NET Bible® (New English Translation)

Opposition to the Building Efforts When the enemies of Judah and Benjamin learned that the former exiles were building a temple for the LORD God of Israel,

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Referenced Verses

  • Ezra 1:11 : 11 All these gold and silver vessels totaled 5,400. Sheshbazzar brought them all along when the captives were brought up from Babylon to Jerusalem.
  • Ezra 4:7-9 : 7 And during the reign of Artaxerxes, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of their colleagues wrote to King Artaxerxes of Persia. This letter was first written in Aramaic but then translated.[Aramaic:] 8 Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter concerning Jerusalem to King Artaxerxes as follows: 9 From Rehum the commander, Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their colleagues– the judges, the rulers, the officials, the secretaries, the Erechites, the Babylonians, the people of Susa(that is, the Elamites), 10 and the rest of the nations whom the great and noble Ashurbanipal deported and settled in the cities of Samaria and other places in Trans-Euphrates.
  • Ezra 6:16 : 16 The people of Israel– the priests, the Levites, and the rest of the exiles– observed the dedication of this temple of God with joy.
  • Ezra 6:19-20 : 19 The exiles observed the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month. 20 The priests and the Levites had purified themselves, every last one, and they all were ceremonially pure. They sacrificed the Passover lamb for all the exiles, for their colleagues the priests, and for themselves.
  • Ezra 7:9 : 9 On the first day of the first month he had determined to make the ascent from Babylon, and on the first day of the fifth month he arrived at Jerusalem, for the good hand of his God was on him.
  • Ezra 10:7 : 7 A proclamation was circulated throughout Judah and Jerusalem that all the exiles were to be assembled in Jerusalem.
  • Ezra 10:16 : 16 So the exiles proceeded accordingly. Ezra the priest separated out by name men who were leaders in their family groups. They sat down to consider this matter on the first day of the tenth month,
  • Neh 4:1-9 : 1 Opposition to the Work Continues(3:33) Now when Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall he became angry and was quite upset. He derided the Jews, 2 and in the presence of his colleagues and the army of Samaria he said,“What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they be left to themselves? Will they again offer sacrifice? Will they finish this in a day? Can they bring these burnt stones to life again from piles of dust?” 3 Then Tobiah the Ammonite, who was close by, said,“If even a fox were to climb up on what they are building, it would break down their wall of stones!” 4 Hear, O our God, for we are despised! Return their reproach on their own head! Reduce them to plunder in a land of exile! 5 Do not cover their iniquity, and do not wipe out their sin from your sight. For they have bitterly offended the builders! 6 So we rebuilt the wall, and the entire wall was joined together up to half its height. The people were enthusiastic in their work. 7 (4:1) When Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites, and the people of Ashdod heard that the restoration of the walls of Jerusalem had moved ahead and that the breaches had begun to be closed, they were very angry. 8 All of them conspired together to move with armed forces against Jerusalem and to create a disturbance in it. 9 So we prayed to our God and stationed a guard to protect against them both day and night. 10 Then those in Judah said,“The strength of the laborers has failed! The debris is so great that we are unable to rebuild the wall.” 11 Our adversaries also boasted,“Before they are aware or anticipate anything, we will come in among them and kill them, and we will bring this work to a halt!”
  • Dan 5:13 : 13 So Daniel was brought in before the king. The king said to Daniel,“Are you that Daniel who is one of the captives of Judah, whom my father the king brought from Judah?
  • Dan 9:25 : 25 So know and understand: From the issuing of the command to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until an anointed one, a prince arrives, there will be a period of seven weeks and sixty-two weeks. It will again be built, with plaza and moat, but in distressful times.
  • 1 Cor 16:9 : 9 because a door of great opportunity stands wide open for me, but there are many opponents.
  • 1 Kgs 5:4-5 : 4 But now the LORD my God has made me secure on all fronts; there is no adversary or dangerous threat. 5 So I have decided to build a temple to honor the LORD my God, as the LORD instructed my father David,‘Your son, whom I will put on your throne in your place, is the one who will build a temple to honor me.’
  • 1 Chr 22:9-9 : 9 Look, you will have a son, who will be a peaceful man. I will give him rest from all his enemies on every side. Indeed, Solomon will be his name; I will give Israel peace and quiet during his reign. 10 He will build a temple to honor me; he will become my son, and I will become his father. I will grant to his dynasty permanent rule over Israel.’

Similar Verses (AI)

These verses are found using AI-powered semantic similarity based on meaning and context. Results may occasionally include unexpected connections.

  • Ezra 4:2-6
    5 verses
    84%

    2they came to Zerubbabel and the leaders and said to them,“Let us help you build, for like you we seek your God and we have been sacrificing to him from the time of King Esarhaddon of Assyria, who brought us here.”

    3But Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the rest of the leaders of Israel said to them,“You have no right to help us build the temple of our God. We will build it by ourselves for the LORD God of Israel, just as King Cyrus, the king of Persia, has commanded us.”

    4Then the local people began to discourage the people of Judah and to dishearten them from building.

    5They were hiring advisers to oppose them, so as to frustrate their plans, throughout the time of King Cyrus of Persia until the reign of King Darius of Persia.

    6Official Complaints Are Lodged Against the Jews At the beginning of the reign of Ahasuerus they filed an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.

  • Ezra 1:3-6
    4 verses
    80%

    3Anyone of his people among you(may his God be with him!) may go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and may build the temple of the LORD God of Israel– he is the God who is in Jerusalem.

    4Anyone who survives in any of those places where he is a resident foreigner must be helped by his neighbors with silver, gold, equipment, and animals, along with voluntary offerings for the temple of God which is in Jerusalem.’”

    5The Exiles Prepare to Return to Jerusalem Then the leaders of Judah and Benjamin, along with the priests and the Levites– all those whose mind God had stirred– got ready to go up in order to build the temple of the LORD in Jerusalem.

    6All their neighbors assisted them with silver utensils, gold, equipment, animals, and expensive gifts, not to mention all the voluntary offerings.

  • Ezra 5:2-4
    3 verses
    79%

    2Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak began to rebuild the temple of God in Jerusalem. The prophets of God were with them, supporting them.

    3At that time Tattenai governor of Trans-Euphrates, Shethar-Bozenai, and their colleagues came to them and asked,“Who gave you authority to rebuild this temple and to complete this structure?”

    4They also asked them,“What are the names of the men who are building this edifice?”

  • Neh 4:6-11
    6 verses
    78%

    6So we rebuilt the wall, and the entire wall was joined together up to half its height. The people were enthusiastic in their work.

    7(4:1) When Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites, and the people of Ashdod heard that the restoration of the walls of Jerusalem had moved ahead and that the breaches had begun to be closed, they were very angry.

    8All of them conspired together to move with armed forces against Jerusalem and to create a disturbance in it.

    9So we prayed to our God and stationed a guard to protect against them both day and night.

    10Then those in Judah said,“The strength of the laborers has failed! The debris is so great that we are unable to rebuild the wall.”

    11Our adversaries also boasted,“Before they are aware or anticipate anything, we will come in among them and kill them, and we will bring this work to a halt!”

  • Ezra 4:12-13
    2 verses
    78%

    12Now let the king be aware that the Jews who came up to us from you have gone to Jerusalem. They are rebuilding that rebellious and odious city. They are completing its walls and repairing its foundations.

    13Let the king also be aware that if this city is built and its walls are completed, no more tax, custom, or toll will be paid, and the royal treasury will suffer loss.

  • Ezra 5:11-13
    3 verses
    78%

    11They responded to us in the following way:‘We are servants of the God of heaven and earth. We are rebuilding the temple which was previously built many years ago. A great king of Israel built it and completed it.

    12But after our ancestors angered the God of heaven, he delivered them into the hands of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, the Chaldean, who destroyed this temple and exiled the people to Babylon.

    13But in the first year of King Cyrus of Babylon, King Cyrus enacted a decree to rebuild this temple of God.

  • Neh 4:1-2
    2 verses
    77%

    1Opposition to the Work Continues(3:33) Now when Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall he became angry and was quite upset. He derided the Jews,

    2and in the presence of his colleagues and the army of Samaria he said,“What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they be left to themselves? Will they again offer sacrifice? Will they finish this in a day? Can they bring these burnt stones to life again from piles of dust?”

  • Ezra 5:8-9
    2 verses
    77%

    8Let it be known to the king that we have gone to the province of Judah, to the temple of the great God. It is being built with large stones, and timbers are being placed in the walls. This work is being done with all diligence and is prospering in their hands.

    9We inquired of those elders, asking them,‘Who gave you the authority to rebuild this temple and to complete this structure?’

  • Ezra 3:1-2
    2 verses
    76%

    1The Altar is Rebuilt When the seventh month arrived and the Israelites were living in their towns, the people assembled in Jerusalem.

    2Then Jeshua the son of Jozadak and his priestly colleagues and Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and his colleagues started to build the altar of the God of Israel so they could offer burnt offerings on it as required by the law of Moses the man of God.

  • Ezra 3:8-9
    2 verses
    76%

    8In the second year after they had come to the temple of God in Jerusalem, in the second month, Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak initiated the work, along with the rest of their associates, the priests and the Levites, and all those who were coming to Jerusalem from the exile. They appointed the Levites who were at least twenty years old to take charge of the work on the LORD’s temple.

    9So Jeshua appointed both his sons and his relatives, Kadmiel and his sons(the sons of Yehudah), to take charge of the workers in the temple of God, along with the sons of Henadad, their sons, and their relatives the Levites.

  • Ezra 6:7
    76%

    7Leave the work on this temple of God alone. Let the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews rebuild this temple of God in its proper place.

  • Neh 4:15
    76%

    15It so happened that when our adversaries heard that we were aware of these matters, God frustrated their intentions. Then all of us returned to the wall, each to his own work.

  • Neh 6:16
    75%

    16When all our enemies heard and all the nations who were around us saw this, they were greatly disheartened. They knew that this work had been accomplished with the help of our God.

  • Ezra 5:15-17
    3 verses
    74%

    15He said to him,“Take these vessels and go deposit them in the temple in Jerusalem, and let the house of God be rebuilt in its proper location.”

    16Then this Sheshbazzar went and laid the foundations of the temple of God in Jerusalem. From that time to the present moment it has been in the process of being rebuilt, although it is not yet finished.’

    17“Now if the king is so inclined, let a search be conducted in the royal archives there in Babylon in order to determine whether King Cyrus did in fact issue orders for this temple of God to be rebuilt in Jerusalem. Then let the king send us a decision concerning this matter.”

  • Neh 2:17-18
    2 verses
    74%

    17Then I said to them,“You see the problem that we have: Jerusalem is desolate and its gates are burned. Come on! Let’s rebuild the wall of Jerusalem so that this reproach will not continue.”

    18Then I related to them how the good hand of my God was on me and what the king had said to me. Then they replied,“Let’s begin rebuilding right away!” So they readied themselves for this good project.

  • Hag 1:15
    74%

    15This took place on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month of King Darius’ second year.

  • Neh 6:1
    74%

    1Opposition to the Rebuilding Efforts Continues When Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab, and the rest of our enemies heard that I had rebuilt the wall and no breach remained in it(even though up to that time I had not positioned doors in the gates),

  • Neh 2:20
    74%

    20I responded to them by saying,“The God of heaven will prosper us. We his servants will start the rebuilding. But you have no just or ancient right in Jerusalem.”

  • Ezra 2:1
    73%

    1The Names of the Returning Exiles These are the people of the province who were going up, from the captives of the exile whom King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon had forced into exile in Babylon. They returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his own city.

  • Neh 2:10
    73%

    10When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard all this, they were very displeased that someone had come to seek benefit for the Israelites.

  • Hag 1:2
    73%

    2The Indifference of the People This is what the LORD of Heaven’s Armies has said:“These people have said,‘The time for rebuilding the LORD’s temple has not yet come.’”

  • Hag 2:4
    73%

    4“Even so, take heart, Zerubbabel,” decrees the LORD.“Take heart, Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest. And take heart all you citizens of the land,” decrees the LORD,“and begin to work. For I am with you,” decrees the LORD of Heaven’s Armies.

  • Neh 1:3
    73%

    3They said to me,“The remnant that remains from the exile there in the province are experiencing considerable adversity and reproach. The wall of Jerusalem lies breached, and its gates have been burned down!”

  • Ezra 6:16
    73%

    16The people of Israel– the priests, the Levites, and the rest of the exiles– observed the dedication of this temple of God with joy.

  • Ezra 4:23
    73%

    23Then, as soon as the copy of the letter from King Artaxerxes was read in the presence of Rehum, Shimshai the scribe, and their colleagues, they proceeded promptly to the Jews in Jerusalem and stopped them with threat of armed force.

  • Neh 4:4
    73%

    4Hear, O our God, for we are despised! Return their reproach on their own head! Reduce them to plunder in a land of exile!