Be it known unto the king, that the Jews which came up from thee to us are come unto Jerusalem, building the rebellious and the bad city, and have set up the walls thereof, and joined the foundations.

We making known to the king that if this city shall be built, and its walls be completed, for this cause a portion beyond the river shall not be to thee.

We asked their names also, to certify thee, that we might write the names of the men that were the chief of them.

I make a decree, that all they of the people of Israel, and of his priests and Levites, in my realm, which are minded of their own freewill to go up to Jerusalem, go with thee.

and that thou shouldest take with thee, silver and gold, which the king and the lords of his counsel give of their own good will unto the God of Israel, whose habitation is at Jerusalem,

And whatsoever shall seem good to thee, and to thy brethren, to do with the rest of the silver and the gold, that do after the will of your God.

The vessels also that are given thee for the service of the house of thy God, those deliver thou before the God of Jerusalem.

and the rest of the needful things of the house of thy God, that it falleth to thee to give, thou dost give from the treasure-house of the king.

And said, O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee, my God: for our iniquities are increased over our head, and our trespass is grown up unto the heavens.

O LORD God of Israel, thou art righteous: for we remain yet escaped, as it is this day: behold, we are before thee in our trespasses: for we cannot stand before thee because of this.

Arise; for this matter belongeth unto thee: we also will be with thee: be of good courage, and do it.

Let, we pray thee, our heads of all the assembly stand, and all who are in our cities, who have settled strange wives, do come in at the times appointed, and with them the elders of city and city, and its judges, till the turning back of the fury of the wrath of our God from us, for this thing.'