Ezra 4:3

4:3 But Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the rest of the leaders of Israel said to them, “You have no right ¹  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.”

Ezra 4:12

4:12 Now ²  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. ³  They are completing its walls and repairing its foundations.

Ezra 6:8

6:8 “I also hereby issue orders as to what you are to do with those elders of the Jews in order to rebuild this temple of God. From the royal treasury, from the taxes of Trans-Euphrates the complete costs are to be given to these men, so that there may be no interruption of the work. ⁴ 

Ezra 6:14

6:14 The elders of the Jews continued building and prospering, while at the same time ⁵  Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo continued prophesying. They built and brought it to completion by the command of the God of Israel and by the command of Cyrus and Darius and Artaxerxes king of Persia.

[4:3]  ¹ tn Heb “not to you and to us.”

[4:12]  ² tn The MT takes this word with the latter part of v. 11, but in English style it fits better with v. 12.

[4:12]  ³ sn Management of the provinces that were distantly removed from the capital was difficult, and insurrection in such places was a perennial problem. The language used in this report about Jerusalem (i.e., “rebellious,” “odious”) is intentionally inflammatory. It is calculated to draw immediate attention to the perceived problem.

[6:8]  ⁴ tn The words “of the work” are not in the Aramaic, but are supplied in the translation for clarity.

[6:14]  ⁵ tn Aram “in” or “by,” in the sense of accompaniment.