Now to be known to the king that if this city shall be built and the walls be completed, tribute, excise, and toll, they will not give, and in the end it will endamage the kings.

Now for the cause that we were salted with the salt of the temple, and not being fit to us to see the king's nakedness, for this we sent and made known to the king;

And the king sent word to Rehum, lord of judgment, and to Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their colleagues who dwelt in Shomeron, and the rest beyond the river, Peace and as now.

Now set up a decree to cause these men to cease, and this city shall not be built till a decree shall be set up from me.

Then this Sheshbazzar came, he set the foundations of the house of God that is in Jerusalem: and from that time even till now, being built and not finished.

And now if good to the king he shall seek in the house of the king's treasure there that is in Babel, if it be that from Cyrus the king a decree was set up to build this house of God in Jerusalem, and the king will send the will to us concerning this.

Now Tatnai prefect beyond the river, Shethar-Bozni, and their colleagues the Apharsachites that are beyond the river, be ye far off from thence:

And now for a little moment grace was from Jehovah our God to leave to us an escaping, and to give to us a nail in his holy place, for our God to enlighten our eyes and to give us a little preservation of our life in our servitude.

And now what shall we say, O our God, after this? for we forsook thy commands,

And now ye shall not give your daughters to their sons, and ye shall not take their daughters to your sons, and ye shall not seek their peace and their good even forever, so that ye shall be strong and eat the good of the land, and cause to your sons to inherit even forever.

And Shecaniah son of Jehiel, from the sons of Elam, will answer and say to Ezra, We transgressed against our God, and we were dwelling with strange wives from the people of the land: and now there is hope to Israel concerning this.

And now we will cut out a covenant to our God to bring forth all the wives, and those being born of them upon the counsel of my lord, and of those trembling at the command of our God; and according to the law it shall be done.

And now ye shall give praise to Jehovah the God of your fathers, and do acceptance: and separate from the people of the land and from the strange wives.

And our chiefs to all the convocation shall stand now, and all who in our cities dwelt with strange wives, shall come at the appointed times, and with them the old men of city and city, and its judges, until the turning back the burning of the anger of our God from us even for this word.