and said unto the king, "If it please the king, and if thy servant be favoured in thy sight, I beseech thee: send me in to Judah unto the city of my fathers' burial, that I may build it."

And the king said unto me, the queen his wife sitting by him, "How long shall thy journey continue, and when wilt thou come again?" And it pleased the king to send me, and I set him a time,

And when I came to the captains beyond the water, I gave them the king's letters. And the king sent captains and horsemen with me.

Sanballat and Geshem sent unto me, saying, "Come and let us meet together in the villages upon the plain of the city Ono." Nevertheless, they thought to do me evil.

Notwithstanding, I sent messengers unto them, saying, "I have a great business to do, I cannot come down. The work should stand still, if I were negligent, and came down to you."

Howbeit they sent unto me as good as four times after the same manner. And I gave the same answer.

Then sent Sanballat his servant unto me the fifth time, with an open letter in his hand,

Nevertheless, I sent unto him, saying, "There is no such thing done as thou sayest: thou hast feigned it out of thine own heart."

For I perceived that God had not sent him; Yet spake he prophecy upon me. Nevertheless, Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him for money.

And they spake good of him before me, and told him my words; and Tobiah sent letters, to put me in fear.

Therefore said he unto them, "Go your way, and eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send part unto them also that have not prepared themselves: for this day is holy unto our LORD. Be not ye sorry therefore: for the joy of the LORD is your strength."

And all the people went their way to eat and to drink, and to send part unto others, and to make great mirth, because they had understood the words that were declared unto them.