And behold, our fathers fell by the sword, and our sons and our daughters and our wives in captivity for this.

For in your turning back to Jehovah, your brethren and your sons are for compassions before them making them captive, to turn back to this land: for Jehovah your God being merciful and compassionate, and he will not turn away his face from you if ye shall turn back to him.

And there will be great gladness in Jerusalem: for from the days of Solomon son of David king of Israel there was not as this in Jerusalem.

And as all this was finished, all Israel being found will go forth to the cities of Judah, and they will break the images and cut off the statues and tear down the heights, and the altars of all Judah and Benjamin, and in Ephraim and Manasseh even to finishing. And all the sons of Israel will turn back each to his possession to their cities.

And Azariah the head priest for the house of Zadok will say to him and he will say, From the beginning to bring the oblations into the house of Jehovah, eating and being filled, and leaving even to abundance: for Jehovah blessed his people; and that being left this multitude.

And according to this Hezekiah will do in all Judah, and he will do the good and the straight and the truth before Jehovah his God.

After this Senherib king of Assur sent his servants to Jerusalem (and he at Lachish, and all his dominion with him) to Hezekiah king of Judah, and against all Judah which were in Jerusalem, saying,

Did not this Hezekiah remove his heights, and his altars? and he will say to Judah and to Jerusalem, saying, Before one altar shall ye worship and upon it shall ye burn incense?

And now Hezekiah shall not deceive you, and he shall not stimulate you according to this, and ye shall not believe upon him: for not any God of any nation and kingdom was able to deliver his people out of my hand, and out of the hand of my father: much less shall your God deliver you out of my hand.

And Hezekiah the king will pray, and Isaiah the prophet, son of Amos, for this, and they will cry to the heavens.

And many bringing a gift to Jehovah to Jerusalem, and precious things to Hezekiah king of Judah: and he will be lifted up to the eyes of all the nations from after this.

And this Hezekiah stopped the going forth of the waters of Gihon the highest, and he will make them straight down from the west to the city of David. And Hezekiah will prosper in all his work.

And he will set up a carved image, the likeness which he made in the house of God, of which God said to David and to Solomon his son, In this house and in Jerusalem which I chose from all the tribes of Israel, I will set my name forever.

And after this he built a wall outside to the city of David from the west to Gihon, in the valley to the entering into the gate of fishes, and it turned round about to the hill, and he will lift it up greatly, and he will set chiefs of the army in all the fortified cities in Judah.

And he was not humbled from before Jehovah as Manasseh his father humbled himself; for this Amon multiplied trespass.

Go seek Jehovah for me, and for those being left in Israel and in Judah, concerning the words of the book which was found: for great the wrath of Jehovah which is poured out upon us, because our fathers watched not the word of Jehovah to do according to all written upon this book.

And Hilkiah will go, and those of the king, to Huldah the prophetess, wife of Shallum son of Tikvath, son of Hasrah, watching the garments; (and she will dwell in Jerusalem in the second rank) and they will speak to her according to this

Thus said Jehovah, Behold me bringing evil upon this place, and upon its inhabitants, all the curses written upon the book which they read before the king of Judah:

Because that they forsook me, and they will burn incense to other gods, so that they irritated me with all the works of their hands; and my wrath shall be poured out upon this place, and it shall not be quenched.

Because thy heart was tender, and thou wilt be humbled from before God in thy hearing his words against this place and against its inhabitants, and thou wilt be humbled before me, and thou wilt rend thy garments and weep before me; I also heard, says Jehovah.

Behold me gathering thee to thy fathers, and thou wert gathered to thy graves in peace, and thine eyes shall not look upon all the evil which I bring upon this place and upon its inhabitants. And they will turn back word to the king.

And the king will stand upon his standing, and he will cut out a covenant before Jehovah to go after Jehovah and to watch his commands and his testimonies, and his laws with all his heart and with all his soul, to do the words of the covenant being written upon this book.

And a passover as this was not done in Israel from the days of Samuel the prophet; and all the kings of Israel did not like the passover which Josiah did, and the priests and the Levites, and all Judah and Israel being found, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

In the eighteenth year to the kingdom of Josiah was done this passover.

After all this, when Josiah prepared the house, Necho king of Egypt came up to war against Carchemish upon Phrath: and Josiah will go forth to meet him.

And he will send messengers to him, saying, What to me and to thee, thou king of Judah? Not against thee this day, but against the house of my war: and God said to hasten me: cease to thyself from God who is with me, and he will not destroy thee.

And Jeremiah will lament for Josiah: and all the singing men and singing women will speak concerning Josiah in their lamentations, even to this day, and they will give them for a law upon Israel: and behold them written upon the lamentations.

And after this the burnt-offerings of continuance, and for the new moons, and for all the appointments of Jehovah being consecrated, and for all giving willingly a voluntary gift to Jehovah.

And many of the priests and the Levites and heads of the fathers, old men, who saw the first house in this house being founded before their eyes, weeping with a great voice; and many with a shout in gladness to the lifting up the voice.

This the copy of the epistle that they sent to him to Arthasatha the king; thy servants the men beyond the river, and thus.

Now to be known to the king that if this city shall be built and the walls be completed, tribute, excise, and toll, they will not give, and in the end it will endamage the kings.

Now for the cause that we were salted with the salt of the temple, and not being fit to us to see the king's nakedness, for this we sent and made known to the king;

That it shall be sought in the book of the records of thy fathers: and thou wilt find in the book of the records, and thou wilt know that this city a city perverse and endamaging kings and provinces, and working rebellion in the midst of it from days forever: for this, this city was laid waste.

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.

And a decree being set from me, and they sought and found that this city from days forever lifting itself up against kings, and perverseness and rebellion being made in it

Now set up a decree to cause these men to cease, and this city shall not be built till a decree shall be set up from me.

And be ye warned from doing wrong upon this: wherefore shall harm overtake to endamage the kings?

In that time came to them Tatnai, prefect beyond the river, and ShetharBozni and their colleagues, and thus they said to them, Who set up to you a decree to build this house, and to complete this wall?

Then thus said we to them, What are they the names of the men that build this building?

And the eye of their God was upon the captivity of the Jews, and they caused them not to cease till the account went to Darius: and then they will return a letter concerning this.

To be known to the king that we went to the Judah province, to the house of the great God; and it was building with stone of rolling, and wood being set up in the walls; and this work being diligently done, and prospering in their hands.

Then we asked these old men, thus we said to them, Who set to you a decree to build this house and to complete this wall?

Therefore after our fathers provoked to the God of the heavens to be angry, he gave them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babel, the Chaldean, and he destroyed this house, and the people he carried away in exile to Babel.

But in one year to Cyrus the king of Babel, Cyrus the king set up a decree to build this house of God.

Then this Sheshbazzar came, he set the foundations of the house of God that is in Jerusalem: and from that time even till now, being built and not finished.

And now if good to the king he shall seek in the house of the king's treasure there that is in Babel, if it be that from Cyrus the king a decree was set up to build this house of God in Jerusalem, and the king will send the will to us concerning this.

Leave to the works of this house of God: the prefect of the Jews and the old men of the Jews, they shall build this house of God upon its place.

And from me a decree was set up for that which ye shall do with the old men of these Jews for building this house of God: and the king's riches, that of the tribute beyond the river, expenses shall be speedily given to these men, not to be made to cease.

And from me a decree was set up that every man that shall change this word, wood shall be pulled down from his house, and being raised up he shall be fastened upon it; and his house shall be made a dung-hill for this.

And God who shall cause his name to dwell there shall cast down every king and people that shall send forth his hand to change, to destroy this house of God that is in Jerusalem. I Darius set up a decree; it shall be done speedily.

And this house was finished even to the third day to the month Adar, which was the sixth year to the kingdom of Darius the king.

And the sons of Israel, the priests and the Levites and the rest of the sons of the exile, made the consecration of this house of God in gladness.

And they brought near to the consecration of this house of God a hundred oxen, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs; and he goats of the goats for sin, for all Israel twelve, for the number of the tribes of Israel.

This Ezra went up from Babel; and he a scribe skilled in the law of Moses which Jehovah God of Israel gave: and the king will give to him according to the hand of Jehovah upon him all his seeking.

And he will come to Jerusalem in the fifth month, this the seventh year to the king.

And this the copy of the epistle which king Arthasatha gave to Ezra the priest, the scribe, the scribe of the words of the commands of Jehovah and of his laws upon Israel

For this cause speedily shalt thou buy with this silver, oxen, rams, lambs, with their gifts and their libations, and thou shalt bring them near upon the altar of the house of your God that is in Jerusalem.

And making known to you that all the priests and Levites, the players, the porters, the Nethinims, and those serving this house of God, tribute, excise and toll, not being permitted to be lifted up upon them.

Praised be Jehovah the God of our fathers who gave according to this in the king's heart, to adorn the house of Jehovah which is in Jerusalem:

And we will fast and seek of our God concerning this; and he will be entreated for us.

For they took from their daughters to themselves and to their sons: and the holy seed mingled themselves with the people of the lands: and the hand of the chiefs and the prophets was the first in this transgression.

And in my hearing this word I rent my garment and my robe, and I shall pluck off from the hair of my head and my beard, and I shall sit down, being astonished.

From the days of our fathers we are in a great trespass even to this day; and in our iniquities we were given, we, our kings, our priests, into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity and to plunder, and to shame of face as this day.

And now what shall we say, O our God, after this? for we forsook thy commands,

And after all coming upon us for our evil deeds, and in our great guilt, for thou our God didst withhold below our iniquities, and didst give to us an escaping according to this.

O Jehovah God of Israel, thou art just: for we remained an escaping as this day: behold us before thee in our guilts; for not to stand before thee for

And Shecaniah son of Jehiel, from the sons of Elam, will answer and say to Ezra, We transgressed against our God, and we were dwelling with strange wives from the people of the land: and now there is hope to Israel concerning this.

And Ezra will rise and cause the chiefs to swear, the priests, the Levites, and all Israel, to do according to this word. And they will swear.

But the people many, and a time of heavy showers, and no power to stand without, and the work not for one day, and not for two: for we many transgressing in this word.

And our chiefs to all the convocation shall stand now, and all who in our cities dwelt with strange wives, shall come at the appointed times, and with them the old men of city and city, and its judges, until the turning back the burning of the anger of our God from us even for this word.

But Jonathan son of Asahel and Jahaziah, son of Tikvah, stood upon this: and Meshullam and Sabbethai the Levite helped them.

And from the Levites: Jozabad, and Shimei, and Kelaiah (this is Kelita) Pethahiah, Judah and Eleazar.

Will now thine ear be attentive and thine eye opened to hear to the prayer of thy servant which I pray before thee this day, day and night, for the sons of Israel thy servants, and confess for the sins of the sons of Israel which we sinned against thee? and and the house of my father sinned.

Now, O Lord, now will thine ear be attending to the prayer of thy servant, and to the prayer of thy servants, desiring to fear thy name? and prosper now to thy servant this day: and wilt thou give him for compassion before this man? And I was giving drink to the king.

And the king will say to me, Wherefore thy face sad, and thou not being, sick? This nothing but sadness of heart. And I shall be very greatly afraid.

And the king will say to me, For what this thou seekest? And I shall pray to the God of the heavens.

And Sanballat the Horonite will hear, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian, and they will mock to us and despise us, and say, What this word that ye do? are ye bearing rule against the king?

And also I, my brethren and my young men exacting upon them silver and grain: we will leave off now this debt

Turn back now to them according to this day, their fields, their vineyards, their olive trees, and their houses, and the hundredth of the silver and the grain, the new wine and the new oil which ye impose upon them.

And they will say, We will turn back, and we will not seek from them; thus will we do as thou sayest And I shall call the priests and shall cause them to swear to do according to this word.

Also I shook out my arm, and said, Thus God will shake out every man who will not raise up this word from his house and from his labor; so shall he be shaken out and emptied. And all the convocation will say, Amen, and praise Jehovah. And the people did according to this word.

And also I held fast upon the work of this wall, and we bought not a field: and all my young men being gathered there for the work.

And what was done for one day, one ox, six choice sheep; and birds were done for me, and within ten days with every wine for abundance: and with this, the bread of the prefect I sought not for the servitude was heavy upon this people

Remember to me, my God, for good, all that I did for this people

And it will be as it was heard by Sanballat and Tobiah, and by Geshem the Arabian, and by the rest of our enemies, that I built the wall and a breach was not left in it; also even to this time I set not up the doors in the gates;

And they will send to me according to this word four times; and I shall turn them back according to this word.

And Sanballat will send his young man to me according to this word the fifth time, and a letter opened in his hand;

Being written in it, It was heard in the nations, and Geshem said, Thou and the Jews are reckoning to rebel: for this thou buildest the wall, and thou to be to them for king according to these words.

And it will be as all our enemies heard, and all the nations that were round about us saw, and they will fall greatly in their own eyes: and they knew that from God was done this work.

And Nehemiah, (he the Tirshatha) will say, and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites causing the people to understand, To all the people this day is holy to Jehovah your God; ye shall not mourn, and ye shall not weep. For all the people weeping in their hearing to the words of the law.

And he will say to them, Go ye; eat fatnesses, and drink sweetnesses, and send portions to him for whom nothing was prepared: for the day is holy to our Lord: and ye shall not grieve, for the joy of Jehovah this is your strength.

And all the convocation of those turning back from the captivity will make booths, and they will dwell in booths; for from the days of Joshua son of Nun, the sons of Israel did not thus even to this day. And there will be great gladness exceedingly.

And in the twenty and fourth day to this month, the sons of Israel were gathered together with fasting and with sackclothes, and earth upon them.

And thou wilt give signs and wonders upon Pharaoh, and upon all his servants, and upon all the people of his land: for thou knewest that they acted proudly against them. And thou wilt make to thee a name as this day.

Also when they made to them a molten calf, and they will say, This thy God which brought thee up from Egypt; and they will make great reproaches;

And now our God, the great the mighty, and the terrible God, watching the covenant and the mercy, it shall not be little before thee all the distress which found us, to our kings, to our chiefs, to our priests, and to our prophets, and to our fathers, and to all thy people from the days of the kings of Assur even to this day.

Behold, we this day are servants, and the land which thou gavest to our fathers to eat its fruit and its goodness, behold, we are servants upon it:

And for all this we cut out faithfulness, and write; and upon the sealing, our chiefs, our Levites, and our priests

And before this, Eliashib the priest being given over the cells of the house of our God, being near to Tobiah:

And in all this I was not in Jerusalem: for in the thirty and second year to Arthasatha king of Babel, I came to the king, and at the end of days I asked for myself from the king: