Ezra On The Enemies Of The Jews

You may not agree, so called Paul “the apostle” is one enemy of the Jews (Observant Jews or religious Jews).

In his 13 letters or epistles, he claims being a pharisee. But he slandered the Torah big time! Rejecting the Laws written in the Torah (First five books of the Hebrew Bible)

Similarly, in this chapter how the enemies did their plot to halt the construction of the second Temple.

“The Enemies’ Disruption”

“The Temple Construction Is Halted”

The enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the people of the exile were building a Sanctuary for Hashem, God of Israel.
4:1
… “It is not for you together with us to build a Temple of our God; rather we, by ourselves, will build [it] for Hashem, God of Israel, as King Cyrus king of Persia has commanded us.”
4:3
Then, people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah and frightened them [from] building.
:4
They hired advisers against them to disrupt their plans, all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, until the reign of Darius the king of Persia.
:5
… they wrote a calumny against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.
:8
Let it be known to the king that the Jews who went up from you to us have arrived in Jerusalem. They are constructing a rebellious and villainous city; they have laid the foundations for the ramparts and are linking the walls.
:12
Now let it be known to the king that should this city be built and the ramparts established they will no longer pay levy, tax and duty, and you will [thus] cause damage to the royal revenue.
:13
Now, issue a decree to halt these people this city shall not be built until a decree is issued by me.
:21
The work of the Temple of God in Jerusalem was thus halted, and remained halted until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.
:27

1 Now the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the people of the exile were building a Temple for the Lord God of Israel.
2 And they approached Zerubbabel and the heads of the fathers’ houses and said to them, “Let us build with you, for like you we seek your God, and we have been sacrificing to Him since the days of Esarhaddon, the king of Assyria, who brought us up here.”
3 And Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the rest of the heads of the fathers’ houses of Israel said to them, “It is not for you and for us to build a House for our God, but we ourselves shall build for the Lord God of Israel, as King Cyrus, the king of Persia, commanded us.”
4 And the people of the land were hindering the people of Judea and frightening them from building.
5 And they would hire advisors against them to frustrate their plan, all the days of Cyrus, the king of Persia, and until the kingdom of Darius, the king of Persia.
6 And in the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, they wrote an accusation against the dwellers of Judea and Jerusalem.
7 And in the days of Artaxerxes, Mithredath Tabeel and the rest of his colleagues wrote with peace, to Artaxerxes, the king of Persia, and the script of the epistle was written in Aramaic and explained in Aramaic.
8 Rehum was the secretary, and Shimshai was the scribe; they wrote a letter about Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king, as is stated.
9 Then Rehum the secretary and Shimshai the scribe and the rest of their companies, the Dinites, the Apharesattechites, the Tarpelites, the Apharesites, the Archevites, the Babylonians, the Shushanchites, the Dehites, the Elamites.
10 And the rest of the nations whom the great and honored Asenappar exiled and settled in the cities of Samaria and the rest of the other side of the river and Ke’eneth.
11 This is the meaning of the letter that they sent to him, to Artaxerxes the king: “Your servants are the people of the other side of the river and Ke’eneth.
12 Let it be known to the king that the Jews who ascended from you upon us have come to Jerusalem, the rebellious and sinful city they are building, and the walls they have completed, and the walls they have joined.
13 Now let it be known to the king that if this city is built and the walls are founded, they will not give the king’s due, the head tax, or the meal tax they will not give, and the tax of the kings will suffer.
14 Now, in view of this, that we wish to destroy the Temple, and it is improper for us to witness the king’s disgrace, we have therefore sent and notified the king.
15 That one should search in the annals of your fathers, and you will find in the annals, and you will know that this city is a rebellious city, and it injures kings and countries, and they have made rebellion in its midst since days of yore; because of this, this city was destroyed.
16 We make known to the king that if this city is built, and its walls founded, because of this, you will have no part in the other side of the river.”
17 The king sent a word to Rehum the secretary and Shimshai the scribe and the rest of their companies who lived in Samaria, and the rest of the other side of the river, Shelam and Ke’eth.
18 “The letter that you sent to us was explained and read before me.
19 And the order was given by me, and they searched and found that this city had raised itself up over kings, and rebellion and disobedience were committed within it.
20 And mighty kings were over Jerusalem who ruled over all beyond the river, and the king’s due, the head tax, and the meal tax was given to them.
21 Now issue an order to stop these men, and this city shall not be built; until orders are given by me.
22 And beware of committing an error in this matter. Why should the damage increase to injure the kings?”
23 Then, since the interpretation of the letter of Artaxerxes the king was read before Rehum, and Shimshai the scribe, and their companies, they went in haste to Jerusalem to the Jews, and they stopped them with force and might.
24 Then the work of the House of God, which was in Jerusalem, was stopped, and it was suspended until the second year of the reign of Darius, the king of Persia.