Now, therefore, Tattenai pasha Beyond the River, Shethar-bozenai, and their associates, the Apharsachites, who are Beyond the River, - be ye far from thence:

And, from me, is issued an edict, as to that which ye shall do, with these elders of Judah, for the building of this house of God, - That, of the resources of the king, even the tribute Beyond the River, forthwith, the expenses be given unto these men, for they must not be hindered.

And, from me, is issued an edict, that, any man who shall alter this message, let timber be torn out of his house, and being lifted up let him be fastened thereunto, - and his house, a dunghill, be made for this;

Therefore the sons of Israel who had returned from the Exile and all who had separated themselves from the impurity of the nations of the land unto them, did eat, - to seek Yahweh, God of Israel;

For, on the first of the first month, was a beginning made of coming up from Babylon, - and, on the first of the fifth month, entered he into Jerusalem, according to the good hand of his God upon him.

From me, is issued an edict, that, every one in my kingdom, of the people of Israel, and of their priests and the Levites, who is minded of his own freewill to go to Jerusalem, with thee, let him go.

Forasmuch as, from before the king and his seven counselors, thou art sent, to enquire concerning Judah and as to Jerusalem, - by the law of thy God which is in thy hand;

And, from me myself, Artaxerxes the king, issueth an edict, to all the treasurers who are Beyond the River, - that, whatsoever Ezra the priest the scribe of the law of the God of the heavens shall ask of you, with diligence, shall it be done:

But, whosoever shall not do the law of thy God and the law of the king, speedily, let, penalty, be exacted from him, - whether to death, or to banishment, or to confiscation of goods, or to imprisonment.

Then I separated, from among the rulers of the priests, twelve, - even Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and, with them, from among their brethren, ten;

Then brake we up from the river of Ahava, on the twelfth of the first month, to journey unto Jerusalem, - and, the hand of our God, was upon us, and he delivered us from the grasp of the enemy and of the lier in wait, by the way.

Now, when these things were ended, the rulers drew near unto me, saying, The people of Israel and the priests and the Levites have not kept themselves separate from the peoples of the lands, - in view of their abominations-even of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites;

And, at the evening gift, I arose from mine affliction, which had been accompanied by the rending of my garment and my robe, - and I bowed upon my knees, and spread forth my hands unto Yahweh my God;

And, now, for a very little moment, hath come favour from Yahweh our God, in leaving to us a remnant to escape, and in giving to us a nail in his holy place, - that our God may enlighten our eyes, and give us a little reviving in our bondage.

which thou didst command by the hand of thy servants the prophets, saying, As for the land which, ye, are entering to possess, an impure land, it is, with the impurity of the peoples of the lands, - with their abominations, which have filled it from one end to the other, with their uncleanness.

Then responded Shecaniah son of Jehiel of the sons of Elam, and said unto Ezra, We, have been faithful with our God, and have married foreign women from among the peoples of the land, - yet, now, there is hope for Israel concerning this thing.

Then arose Ezra from before the house of God, and went into the chamber of Jehohanan son of Eliashib, - and, when he came thither, bread, did he not eat, and, water, did he not drink, for he was mourning over the unfaithfulness of them of the Exile.

and, whosoever should not come within three days, according to the counsel of the rulers and the elders, all his goods should be devoted, - and, himself, be separated from the convocation of them of the Exile.

Now, therefore, make confession unto Yahweh God of your fathers, and do his pleasure, - and separate yourselves from the peoples of the land, and from the foreign women.

Let, we beseech thee, our rulers take up their station for all the convocation, and, all who, throughout our cities, have married foreign women, let them come in at times appointed, and, with them, the elders of every city, and the judges thereof, until the glow of the anger of our God be turned from us, concerning this matter.

When ye return unto me and keep my commandments and do them, though it should be that ye have been driven out unto the uttermost part of the heavens, from thence, will I gather them, and bring them into the place that I have chosen to make a habitation for my Name there.

They, therefore, are thy servants, and thy people, - whom thou hast redeemed by thy great power, and by thy firm hand.

And, the fountain-gate, did Shallun son of Col-hozeh ruler of the circuit of Mizpah, repair, he, built it, and covered it, and set up the doors thereof, the locks thereof, and the bars thereof, - also the wall of the pool of Shelah, by the garden of the king, even as far as the stairs that go down from the city of David;

after him, zealously repaired Baruch son of Zabbai, a second length, - from the corner, unto the opening of the house of Eliashib, the high priest;

after him, repaired, Meremoth son of Uriah son of Hakkoz, a second length, - from the opening of the house of Eliashib, even unto the end of the house of Eliashib;

after him, repaired, Binnui son of Henadad, a second length, - from the house of Azariah, unto the corner, even unto the pinnacle:

Palal, son of Uzai, from over against the corner, and the tower that projecteth from the upper house of the king, which belongeth to the court of custody, - after him, Pedaiah son of Parosh.

after him, repaired, the Tekoites, a second length, - from over against the great tower that projecteth, even unto the wall of Ophel:

from beside the horse-gate, repaired the priests, every one over against his own house;

But it came to pass, when the Jews dwelling near them came in, then said they unto us, ten times, From all places whither ye shall turn, they will be upon us!

And it came to pass, from that day, the half of my young men, were working in the work, and, the half of them, were grasping the spears, the bucklers, and the bows, and the coats of mail, - but, the rulers, were behind all the house of Judah.

So I said unto the nobles and unto the deputies, and unto the rest of the people, The work, is great and large, - and, we, are separated upon the wall, far away, each man from his brother:

So, we, were working at the work, - one half of them, grasping the spears, from the uprisings of the dawn, until the coming out of the stars.

And they said, We will restore them, and, from them, will we require nothing, so, will we do, as thou, art saying. Then called I the priests, and put them on oath, to do according to this promise.

Moreover, from the day I was commanded to become their pasha in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year, even unto the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes the king, twelve years, I and my brethren, pasha's bread, have not eaten;

whereas, the former pashas, who were before me, suffered themselves to be a burden upon the people, and took from them in bread and wine, besides forty shekels of silver, even, their young men, bare rule over the people, - but, I, did not so, because of the fear of God.

And, Jews and deputies, a hundred and fifty men, and they who were coming in unto us from among the nations which were round about us, depended upon my table.

For, they all, were seeking to put us in fear, saying, Their hands will slacken from the work, and it will not be accomplished. Now, therefore, strengthen thou my hands!

And it came to pass, when all our enemies heard, and all the nations that were round about us saw, that they fell greatly in their own eyes, and took knowledge that, from God, had this work been wrought.

These, are the sons of the province, who came up from among the Captives of the Exile, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon did exile, - but they came back to Jerusalem and to Judah, every one to his own city;

And, these, are they who came up from Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Cherub, Addon, and Immer, - but they could not tell their ancestral house, nor their seed, whether, of Israel, they were:

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.

So he read in the book of the law of God, day by day, from the first day unto the last day, and they kept the festival seven days, and, on the eighth day, a closing feast, according to the regulation.

And the seed of Israel separated themselves from all the sons of the foreigner, - and stood and made confession over their own sins, and the iniquities of their fathers.

Then said the Levites - Jeshua and Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, Pethahiah, Stand up, bless Yahweh your God, from age to age, - Yea let them bless thy glorious Name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise.

yet, thou, in thine abounding compassions, didst not forsake them in the desert, - the pillar of cloud, departed not from over them by day, to lead them in the way, nor the pillar of fire by night, to light up for them the way wherein they should go.

And, thy Good Spirit, thou gavest, to instruct them, - and, thy manna, thou withheldest not from their mouth, and, water, thou gavest them, for their thirst.

But, as soon as they had rest, they again wrought wickedness before thee, - and thou didst leave them in the hand of their enemies, who bare rule over them, yet, when they again made outcry unto thee, thou, from the heavens, didst hear and didst deliver them according to thy compassions, many times;

Now, therefore, O our God - the GOD great, mighty, and fearful - keeping the covenant and the lovingkindness, let not all the trouble seem little before thee, which hath come upon us - on our kings, on our rulers, and on our priests, and on our prophets, and on our fathers, and on all thy people, - from the days of the kings of Assyria, until this day.

But, they, in their kingdom, and in thine abundant goodness which thou gavest them, and in the broad and fat land which thou didst set before them, did not serve thee, neither turned they from their wicked doings.

And, the rest of the people - the priests, the Levites, the doorkeepers, the singers, the Nethinim, and all who had separated themselves from the peoples of the lands unto the law of God, their wives, their sons and their daughters, - every one having knowledge and understanding,

Zanoah, Adullam and their villages, Lachish, and the fields thereof, Azekah, and the hamlets thereof, - so they encamped from Beer-sheba, unto the valley of Hinnom.

And, the sons of Benjamin, dwelt from Geba, to Michmas and Aija, and Bethel, and the hamlets thereof:

So it came to pass, when they had heard the law, - that they separated all the mixed multitude from Israel.

and I made treasurers over the treasuries - Shelemiah the priest, and Zadok the scribe, and Pedaiah from among the Levites, and, next unto them, Hanan son of Zaccur, son of Mattaniah, - for faithful were they accounted, and it was laid upon them to distribute unto their brethren.

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.

So I contended with them, and laid a curse upon them, and I smote, from among them, certain men, and pulled out their hair, - and I put them on oath by God, Ye shall not give your daughters unto their sons, nor take of their daughters, for your sons nor for yourselves.

And, one of the sons of Joiada, son of Eliashib the high priest, was son-in-law to Sanballat the Horonite, - therefore I chased him from me.

So I purified them from everything foreign, - and appointed charges unto the priests and unto the Levites, every one in his work;

And it came to pass, in the days of Ahasuerus, - the same, Ahasuerus that reigned from India even unto Ethiopia, a hundred and twenty-seven provinces:

And they gave them drink in vessels of gold, vessels, from vessels, being diverse, - even the wine of the kingdom in abundance, by the bounty of the king.

If, unto the king, it seem good, let there go forth a royal declaration from before him, and let it be written among the laws of Persia and Media, so that it shall not pass away, - That Vashti, is not to come in, before King Ahasuerus, and, her royal estate, let the king give unto her neighbour, who is better than she.

who had been exiled from Jerusalem, with the exiles who were carried away with Jeconiah king of Judah, - whom, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, exiled.

And it came to pass, that he was bringing up Hadassah, the same, was Esther, his uncle's daughter, for she had neither father nor mother, - and, the maiden, was of beautiful form and pleasing appearance, and when her father and mother died, Mordecai took her for his own daughter.

In the first month - the same, was the month Nisan, in the twelfth year of king Ahasuerus, was Pur cast - the same, is the Lot, before Haman, from day to day, and from month to month, - and the lot fell on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the same, is the month Adar.

Then said Haman unto King Ahasuerus, There is a certain people, scattered abroad and dispersed among the peoples, throughout all the provinces of thy kingdom, - whose laws, are diverse from every people, and, the laws of the king, they observe not, for the king, therefore, it is not fit, to suffer them.

So then the king took his signet-ring from off his hand, and gave it unto Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the adversary of the Jews;

So the maidens of Esther and her eunuchs went in and told her, and the queen writhed in great anguish, - and sent garments to clothe Mordecai, and to remove his sackcloth from off him, but he accepted them not.

Then Mordecai commanded to answer Esther, - Do not think in thine own soul, to escape in the house of the king from among all the Jews.

But, if thou, do indeed hold thy peace, at this time, respite and deliverance, will be appointed for the Jews, from another place, but, thou, and thy father's house, will perish, - and who knoweth whether, for a time such as this, thou hast attained unto the royal estate?

Now, the king, arising in his wrath from the banquet of wine, and going into the palace garden, Haman, stood to make request for his life from Esther the queen, for he saw that ruin, was determined against him, by the king.

And the king took off his signet-ring, which he had taken from Haman, and gave it unto Mordecai, - and Esther set Mordecai over the house of Haman.

Then were called the kings scribes at that time - in the third month, the same, is the month Siwan, on the twenty-third thereof, and it was written according to all that Mordecai commanded unto the Jews, and unto the satraps and pashas and rulers of the provinces, which are from India even unto Ethiopia, a hundred and twenty-seven provinces, every province according to the writing thereof, and every people according to their tongue, - and unto the Jews, according to their writing, and according to their tongue;

And, Mordecai, went forth from the presence of the king, in royal apparel, of blue and white, with a large diadem of gold, and a mantle of fine linen and purple, - and, the city Shusan, was bright and joyful.

And, in every province, and in every city, whithersoever the word of the king and his edict did reach, joy and gladness, had the Jews, - a banquet and a happy day, - and, many from among the peoples of the land, were becoming Jews, for the dread of the Jews had fallen upon them.

And, the remainder of the Jews who were in the provinces of the king, assembled themselves together and stood for their life, and then had rest from their enemies, having slain of them that hated them seventy-five thousand, - but, on the spoil, thrust they not forth their hand:

according to the days wherein the Jews found rest from their enemies, and the month which was turned for them, from sorrow to joy, and from mourning to a happy day, - that they should make them days of banqueting and rejoicing, and of sending portions, every one to his neighbour, and gifts, unto the needy.

And, these days, were to be remembered and to be kept, always from generation to generation, by every family, every province, and every city, - that, these days of Purim, should not pass away, out of the midst of the Jews, and, the memorial of them, not cease from their seed.

And Yahweh said unto the accuser, Whence comest thou? And the accuser answered Yahweh, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and wandering about therein.

And Yahweh said unto the accuser, Lo! all that he hath, is in thy hand, only, against himself, do not put forth thy hand. So the accuser went forth from the presence of Yahweh.

when lo! a great wind, came from over the desert, and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they died, - and escaped am, only I alone, to tell thee.

and said - Naked came I forth from the womb of my mother, and naked must I return thither, Yahweh, gave, and, Yahweh, hath taken away, - The name of Yahweh be blessed!

And Yahweh said unto the accuser, Whence comest thou? And the accuser answered Yahweh, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from wandering about therein.

So the accuser went forth from the presence of Yahweh, - and smote Job with a sore boil, from the sole of his foot, unto his crown.

And he said unto her, As one of the base women speaketh, speakest thou? Blessing, shall we accept from God, and, misfortune, shall we not accept? In all this, Job sinned not with his lips.

Now when the three friends of Job heard of all this misfortune which had befallen him, - they came, every man from his own place, Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite, - for they had by appointment met together to come to shew sympathy with him, and to comfort him.

That day, be it darkness, - Let not God enquire after it from above, May there shine upon it no clear beam:

Because it closed not the doors of the womb wherein I was, and so hid trouble from mine eyes.

Wherefore, in the womb, did I not die? From the womb, come forth and cease to breathe?

There, the lawless, cease from raging, and there the toil-worn are at rest:

Small and great, there, they are, and, the slave, is free from his master.

For, a dread, I dreaded, and it hath come upon me, and, that from which I shrank, hath overtaken me.

When there were thoughts, from visions of the night, - When deep sleep falleth upon men,

It stood still, but I could not distinguish its appearance, I looked, but there was no form before mine eyes, - A whispering voice, I heard: - -

His children are far removed from safety, and they are crushed in the gate, and there is none to deliver:

But he saveth from the sword, out of their mouth, and, out of the hand of the strong, the needy.

In famine, he will ransom thee from death, and in battle from the power of the sword;

Is there any help at all in me? Is not, abiding success, driven from me?

The despairing, from his friend, should have lovingkindness, or, the reverence of the Almighty, he may forsake.

And deliver me from the hand of the adversary? And, out of the hand of tyrants, ransom me?