Let thine ears mark and thine eyes open, that thou mayest hear the prayer of thy servant, which I pray now before thee day and night for the children of Israel thy servants, and knowledge the sins of the children of Israel, which we have committed against thee. And I and my father's house have sinned also.

O LORD, let thine ears mark the prayer of thy servant, and the prayer of thy servants, whose desire is to fear thy name; and let thy servant prosper this day, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man. For I was the king's butler."

Then said the king unto me, "Why lookest thou so sadly? Thou art not sick, that is not the matter, but thou art heavy hearted."

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 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.

And I went over unto the well port, and to the king's conduit; and there was no room for my beast, that it could go under 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 I told them of the good hand of my God which was upon me; and the king's words that he had spoken unto me. And they said, "Then let us get up and build," and strengthened their hands to good.

Next unto him builded Uzziel the son of Harhaiah the goldsmith. Next unto him builded Hananiah the Apothecary's son, and they repaired Jerusalem unto the broad wall.

But the Well gate builded Shallum the son of Colhozeh, the ruler of the fourth part of Mizphah; He builded it, covered it, and set on the doors, locks, and bars thereof, and the wall unto the pool of Siloam by the king's garden, unto the steps that go down from the city of David.

After him builded Palal the son of Uzai over against the corner and the high tower, which lieth out over from the king's house, beside the court of the prison. After him, Pedaiah the son of Parosh.

After him builded Malchijah the goldsmith's son, until the house of the Nethinims, and of the merchants over against the council gate, and to the parlor in the corner.

And our adversaries thought, "They shall not know, neither see, till we come in the midst among them, and slay them, and hinder the work."

And everyone that builded, had his sword gird by his side, and so builded they. And the trumpeters stood beside me.

As for me and my brethren, and my servants, and the men of the watch behind me, we put never off our clothes, so much as to wash ourselves.

But some said, "Let us borrow money of the king's tribute for our lands and vineyards.

and I advised so in my mind, that I rebuked the councilors and the rulers, and said unto them, "Will ye require usury one of another?" And I brought a great congregation against them,

Therefore this same day see that ye restore them their lands again, their vineyards, oil gardens, and houses, and the hundredth part of the money of the corn, wine, and oil, that ye have won of them."

Then said they, "We will restore them again and will require nothing of them and will do as thou hast spoken." And I called the priests, and took an oath of them, that they should do so.

And I shook my lap, and said, "God shake out every man after the same manner from his house and labour, that maintaineth not this word: even thus be he shaken out, and void." And all the congregation said, "Amen," and praised the LORD. And the people did so.

For the old captains that were before me, had been chargeable unto the people, and had taken of them bread and wine, and forty sicles of silver: yea and their servants had oppressed the people. But so did not I, and that because of the fear of God.

and hast ordained the Prophets to preach of thee at Jerusalem, and to say, 'He is king of Judah.' Now shall this come to the king's ears: come now therefore, and let us take our counsel together."

Therefore took he the money, that through fear I should do so, and sin: that they might have an evil report of me, to blaspheme me.

The children of Ceros, the children of Sia, the children of Padon,

The children of Solomon's servants: the children of Sotai, the children of Sophereth, the children of Perida,

All the Nethinims, and the children of Solomon's servants, were all together three hundred and two and ninety.

And these went up also, Telmelah, Telharsha, Cherub, Addon, and Immer: but they could not show their father's house, nor their seed, whether they were of Israel.

And they read in the book of the law of God distinctly and plainly, so that men understood the thing that was read.

And so they caused it be declared and proclaimed in all their cities, and at Jerusalem, saying, "Go up unto the mount and fetch Olive branches, and Pine branches, Myrtle branches, Palm branches, and branches of thick trees, to make booths, as it is written."

And all the congregation of them that were come again out of the captivity, made booths, and dwelt therein. For since the time of Jeshua the son of Nun unto this day, had not the children of Israel done so, and there was very great gladness.

LORD, thou alone hast made heaven, and the heaven of all heavens, with all their host, the earth and all that is therein, the sea and all that is therein: thou givest life unto all, and the host of heaven bow themselves unto thee.

and hast considered the misery of our fathers in Egypt, and heard their complaint by the reed sea,

and showed tokens and wonders upon Pharaoh, and on all his servants, and on all the people of his land: for thou knewest that they were presumptuous and cruel against them; and so madest thou thee a name as it is this day.

And the reed sea didst thou divide in sunder before them, so that they went through the midst of the sea dry-shoed: and their persecutors threwest thou into the deep as a stone, in the mighty waters;

But our fathers were proud, and hard necked, so that they followed not thy commandments,

Forty years long madest thou provision for them in the wilderness, so that they lacked nothing: their clothes waxed not old, and their feet swelled not.

And thou gavest them kingdoms and nations, and partest them according to their portions, so that they possessed the land of Sihon king of Heshbon, and the land of Og the king of Bashan.

Nevertheless they were disobedient, and rebelled against thee, and cast thy law behind their backs, and slew thy prophets, which exhorted them so earnestly, that they should convert unto thee, and did great blasphemies.

But when they came to rest, they turned back again to do evil before thee: therefore leftest thou them in the hand of their enemies, so that they had the dominion over them. So they converted, and cried unto thee, and thou heardest them from heaven; and many times hast thou delivered them according to thy great mercy,

and their lords that had rule of them, received it for their brethren. And they came to sware, and to bind themselves with an oath to walk in God's law, which was given by Moses the servant of God, that they would observe and do according unto all the commandments, judgments, and statutes of the LORD our God:

And the priest, the son of Aaron, shall with the Levites have also of the tithes of the Levites, so that the Levites shall bring up the tithes of their tithes unto the house of our God to the chest in the treasure house.

And the rulers of the people dwelt at Jerusalem. But the other people cast lots therefore, so that among ten one part went to Jerusalem into the holy city to dwell, and nine parts in the cities.

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.

For it was the king's commandment concerning them, that the singers should deal faithfully every day as according was.

and so stood the two choirs of thanksgiving of the house of God, and I and the half of the rulers with me,

And the same day were there great sacrifices offered, and they rejoiced: for God had given them great gladness, so that both the wives and children were joyful, and the mirth of Jerusalem was heard afar off.

At the same time saw I some treading wine presses on the Sabbath and bringing in clusters, and asses laden with wine, grapes, figs, and bringing all manner of burdens unto Jerusalem, upon the Sabbath day. And I rebuked them earnestly the same day that they sold the victuals.

And at the same time saw I Jews, that married wives of Ashdod, Ammon, and of Moab;