And the king said unto me, the queen, also sitting beside him, For how long would be thy journey? and when wouldst thou return? So it seemed good before the king to send me, and I set him a time.

Moreover, at that time, I said to the people, Let, every one with his young man, lodge for the night in the midst of Jerusalem, - so shall they serve us, in the night, as a watch, and, the day, for work.

And it came to pass, when it was reported to Sanballat and Tobiah and to Geshem the Arabian and to the rest of our enemies, that I had built the wall, and there was left therein no breach, - though, up to that time, the doors, had I not set up in the gates,

Then Sanballat sent unto me, according to this message, a fifth time, by his young man, - with an open letter, in his hand:

and read therein, before the broad place which was before the water-gate, from the time it was light, until the noon of the day, in presence of the men and the women, and such as had understanding, - and, the ears of all the people, were unto the book of the law.

Therefore didst thou deliver them into the hand of their adversaries, who distressed them, - and, in the time of their distress, they made outcry unto thee, and, thou, out of the heavens, didst hear, and, according to thine abounding compassions, gavest them saviors, that they might save them out of the hand of their adversaries.

But, throughout all this time , was I not in Jerusalem, - for, in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon, I came unto the king, and, at the end of certain days, obtained I leave of the king;

Therefore I testified against them, and said unto them, Wherefore are ye lodging against the wall? if ye do it again, a hand, will I thrust upon you, - From that time, they came not on the sabbath.