\\INTRODUCTION TO EZRA 4\\

The contents of this chapter are the offer the Samaritans made to the
Jews, to assist them in building the temple, which having refused, they
gave them all the trouble they could, \\#Ezr 4:1-6\\ and a letter of
theirs to Artaxerxes, king of Persia, full of accusations of them,
\\#Ezr 4:7-16\\ and the answer of Artaxerxes to it, giving orders to
command the Jews to cease building the temple, \\#Ezr 4:17-22\\ which
orders were accordingly executed, and the work ceased till the second
year of Darius, \\#Ezr 4:23,24\\.