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 4:5

4:5 They were hiring advisers to oppose them, so as to frustrate their plans, throughout the time ²  of King Cyrus of Persia until the reign of King Darius ³  of Persia. ⁴ 

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

[4:5]  ² tn Heb “all the days of.”

[4:5]  ³ sn Darius ruled Persia ca. 522-486 B.C.

[4:5]  ⁴ sn The purpose of the opening verses of this chapter is to summarize why the Jews returning from the exile were unable to complete the rebuilding of the temple more quickly than they did. The delay was due not to disinterest on their part but to the repeated obstacles that had been placed in their path by determined foes.