Ezra 4:4

4:4 Then the local people ¹  began to discourage ²  the people of Judah and to dishearten them from building.

Ezra 4:21

4:21 Now give orders that these men cease their work and that this city not be rebuilt until such time as I so instruct. ³ 

Ezra 5:9

5:9 We inquired of those elders, asking them, ‘Who gave you the authority to rebuild this temple and to complete this structure?’

Ezra 6:7

6:7 Leave the work on this temple of God alone. ⁴  Let the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews rebuild this temple of God in its proper place.

Ezra 6:10

6:10 so that they may be offering incense to the God of heaven and may be praying for the good fortune of the king and his family. ⁵ 

Ezra 7:19

7:19 Deliver to ⁶  the God of Jerusalem the vessels that are given to you for the service of the temple of your God.

[4:4]  ¹ tn Heb “the people of the land.” Elsewhere this expression sometimes has a negative connotation, referring to a lay population that was less zealous for Judaism than it should have been. Here, however, it seems to refer to the resident population of the area without any negative connotation.

[4:4]  ² tn Heb “were making slack the hands of.”

[4:21]  ³ tn Aram “until a command is issued from me.”

[6:7]  ⁴ tc For the MT reading “the work on this temple of God” the LXX reads “the servant of the Lord Zurababel” [= Zerubbabel].

[6:10]  ⁵ tn Aram “for the life of the king and his sons.”

[7:19]  ⁶ tn Or “before.”