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Ezra 5:2-4
The Voice
Ezra 5:2-4
The Voice
The Jews cannot imagine that such opposition to their rebuilding exists within the very government sanctioning and financing their work. The support of a pagan government is not enough to enable and maintain the building of the Lord’s temple. While Darius struggles with political unrest throughout his empire, God incites the prophets Haggai and Zechariah to motivate the Jews to resume work on the building.
5 1-2 The prophets Haggai and Zechariah (descendant of Iddo) spoke to the Jews in Judah and Jerusalem with the words of the True God of Israel encouraging Zerubbabel (son of Shealtiel) and Jeshua (son of Jozadak) to resume the reconstruction of the True God’s temple in Jerusalem, and the prophets of God gave them assistance. 3 Questioning the sudden commencement of the work, Tattenai (governor of the Persian province west of the Euphrates), Shethar-bozenai, and their associates approached the working Jews.
Persian Officials: Who told you to rebuild the temple?
4 We gave them the names of the people who were doing the work, fearing they might end our construction.
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Ezra 5:2-4
New International Version
Ezra 5:2-4
New International Version
2 Then Zerubbabel(A) son of Shealtiel and Joshua(B) son of Jozadak set to work(C) to rebuild the house of God in Jerusalem. And the prophets of God were with them, supporting them.
3 At that time Tattenai,(D) governor of Trans-Euphrates, and Shethar-Bozenai(E) and their associates went to them and asked, “Who authorized you to rebuild this temple and to finish it?”(F) 4 They[a] also asked, “What are the names of those who are constructing this building?”
Footnotes
- Ezra 5:4 See Septuagint; Aramaic We.
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