And they said unto me, "The remnant of the captivity are there in the land in great misfortune and rebuke. The walls of Jerusalem are broken down, and the gates thereof are burnt with fire."

They are thy servants, and thy people whom thou hast delivered through thy great power and mighty hand.

Nevertheless I was sore afraid and said unto the king, "God save the king's life forever, should I not look sadly? The city of my fathers' burial lieth waste and the gates thereof are consumed with fire."

And letters unto Asaph the lord of the king's wood, that he may give me wood for beams to the gates of the palace, which are hard on the house and hard on the walls of the city, and for the house that I shall enter into." And the king gave me according to the good hand of God upon me.

And I said unto them, "Ye see the misery that we are in, how Jerusalem lieth waste, and how the gates thereof are burnt with fire. Come, let us build up the walls of Jerusalem, that we be no more a rebuke."

and said before his brethren and the soldiers of Samaria, "What do these impotent Jews? Shall they be thus suffered? Shall they offer? Shall they perform it in one day? Shall they make the stones whole again that are brought to dust, and burnt?"

Hear, O thou our God, how we are despised! Turn their shame upon their own head, that thou mayest give them over into despising in the land of their captivity.

And Judah said, "The strength of the bearers is too feeble, and there is too much dust, we are not able to build on the wall."

And I said unto the principal men, and rulers, and to the other people, "The work is great and large, and we are separated upon the wall, one far from another.

For there were some that said, "Our sons and daughters and we are too many, let us take corn for them to eat, that we may live."

Now are our brethrens' bodies as our own bodies and their children as our children: else should we subdue our sons and daughters into bondage, and some of our daughters are subdued already, and no strength is there in our hands, and other men shall have our lands and vineyards."

Moreover there were at my table a hundred and fifty of the Jews and rulers, which came unto me, from among the Heathen that are about us.

and I said unto them, "Let not the gates of Jerusalem be opened until the sun be hot; and while they are yet standing in the watch, the doors shall be shut and barred." And there were certain citizens of Jerusalem appointed to be watchmen every one in his watch, and about his house.

"These are the sons of the land that went up from the captivity of the carrying away, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had brought away, and came again to Jerusalem and Judah, every one unto his city;

Behold, therefore are we in bondage this day: yea, even in the land that thou gavest unto our fathers, to enjoy the fruits and goods thereof, behold, there are we bondsmen.

And great is the increase of it unto the kings, whom thou hast set over us because of our sins, and they have dominion over our bodies, and cattle, and we are in great trouble.

These are the heads of the land that dwelt at Jerusalem and in the cities of Judah; And every one dwelt in his possession, and in their cities of Israel, the priests, Levites, the Nethinims, and the children of Solomon's servants.

These are the children of Benjamin: Sallu the son of Meshullam, the son of Joed, the son of Pedaiah, the son of Kolaiah, the son of Maaseiah, the son of Ithiel, the son of Jeshaiah.

These are the priests and Levites that went up with Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and with Jeshua: Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra,

O my God, think thou upon them that are quit of the priesthood, and have defiled the covenant of the priesthood and of the Levites!