Ezra 4:3-5

Holman Christian Standard Bible

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,^(A) since we alone must build it for Yahweh, the God of Israel, as King Cyrus, the king of Persia has commanded us.”^{(B) 4} Then the people who were already in the land^[a] discouraged^[b] the people of Judah and made them afraid^(C) to build. ⁵ They also bribed officials to act against them to frustrate their plans^(D) throughout the reign of King Cyrus of Persia and until the reign of King Darius of Persia.^[c](E)