When the enemies of the people of Judah and Benjamin heard that the returned captives were building a Temple for the LORD, the God of Israel, they came to Zerubbabel and the leaders of the families. The enemies said, “Let us help you build, because we are like you and want to worship your God. We have been offering sacrifices to him since the time of Esarhaddon king of Assyria, who brought us here.” But Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the leaders of Israel answered, “You will not help us build a Temple to our God. We will build it ourselves for the LORD, the God of Israel, as King Cyrus, the king of Persia, commanded us to do.” Then the people around them tried to discourage the people of Judah by making them afraid to build.
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Compare All Versions: Ezra 4:1-4
7 Days
Picking up where 2 Chronicles ends, Ezra describes the return of exiles to Jerusalem and the eventual rebuilding of the temple. Using the influence of pagan kings and unbelieving rulers, God was faithful to bring his people back to the land and reestablish worship at the temple.
16 Days
Do you feel like you are in a season of loss and ruin? After decades of captivity, the Jews were allowed to return to Jerusalem, only to find the city in ruins. The books of Ezra and Nehemiah detail God's faithfulness to his people as they rebuilt their homeland and offer encouragement to you when you need to rebuild too.
18 Days
The book of Haggai is certainly not the best-known book of the Bible. It only has two chapters and is about rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem, which is not a major topic of interest for present-day Christians. But when we read carefully and attentively, this book contains valuable lessons for believers from all centuries and from all over the planet.
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