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 5:2

5:2 Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak began ²  to rebuild the temple of God in Jerusalem. The prophets of God were with them, supporting them.

Ezra 3:8

3:8 In the second year after they had come to the temple of God in Jerusalem, ³  in the second month, Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak initiated the work, ⁴  along with the rest of their associates, ⁵  the priests and the Levites, and all those who were coming to Jerusalem from the exile. They appointed ⁶  the Levites who were at least twenty years old ⁷  to take charge of the work on the Lord’s temple.

¹ tn Heb “not to you and to us.”

² tn Aram “arose and began.” For stylistic reasons this has been translated as a single concept.

³ map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.

⁴ tn Heb “began”; the phrase “the work” is supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity.

⁵ tn Heb “their brothers.”

⁶ tn Heb “stood.”

⁷ tn Heb “from twenty years and upward.”