Now these are the children of the province, who went up out of the captivity of those who had been carried away, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away to Babylon, and who returned to Jerusalem and Judah, everyone to his city;

These were those who went up from Tel Melah, Tel Harsha, Cherub, Addan, [and] Immer; but they could not show their fathers' houses, and their seed, whether they were of Israel:

These sought their register [among] those who were reckoned by genealogy, but they were not found: therefore were they deemed polluted and put from the priesthood.

Now in the second year of their coming to the house of God at Jerusalem, in the second month, began Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and the rest of their brothers the priests and the Levites, and all those who were come out of the captivity to Jerusalem, and appointed the Levites, from twenty years old and upward, to have the oversight of the work of the house of Yahweh.

Then we asked those elders, and said to them thus, "Who gave you a decree to build this house, and to finish this wall?"

The gold and silver vessels also of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took out of the temple that was in Jerusalem, and brought into the temple of Babylon, those Cyrus the king took out of the temple of Babylon, and they were delivered to one whose name was Sheshbazzar, whom he had made governor;

I make a decree, that all those of the people of Israel, and their priests and the Levites, in my realm, who are minded of their own free will to go to Jerusalem, go with you.

Now these are the heads of their fathers' [houses], and this is the genealogy of those who went up with me from Babylon, in the reign of Artaxerxes the king:

For I was ashamed to ask of the king a band of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy in the way, because we had spoken to the king, saying, "The hand of our God is on all those who seek him, for good; but his power and his wrath is against all those who forsake him."

Now therefore let us make a covenant with our God to put away all the wives, and such as are born of them, according to the counsel of my lord, and of those who tremble at the commandment of our God. Let it be done according to the law.

Let now our princes be appointed for all the assembly, and let all those who are in our cities who have married foreign women come at appointed times, and with them the elders of every city, and its judges, until the fierce wrath of our God be turned from us, until this matter is resolved."

and said, "I beg you, Yahweh, the God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps covenant and loving kindness with those who love him and keep his commandments:

They all built the wall and those who bore burdens loaded themselves; everyone with one of his hands worked in the work, and with the other held his weapon;

Moreover there were at my table, of the Jews and the rulers, one hundred fifty men, besides those who came to us from among the nations that were around us.

Moreover in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah, and [the letters] of Tobiah came to them.

My God put into my heart to gather together the nobles, and the rulers, and the people, that they might be reckoned by genealogy. I found the book of the genealogy of those who came up at the first, and I found written therein:

These are the children of the province, who went up out of the captivity of those who had been carried away, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away, and who returned to Jerusalem and to Judah, everyone to his city;

These were those who went up from Tel Melah, Tel Harsha, Cherub, Addon, and Immer; but they could not show their fathers' houses, nor their seed, whether they were of Israel:

These sought their register [among] those who were reckoned by genealogy, but it was not found: therefore were they deemed polluted and put from the priesthood.

He read therein before the broad place that was before the water gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women, and of those who could understand; and the ears of all the people were [attentive] to the book of the law.

All the assembly of those who were come again out of the captivity made booths, and lived in the booths; for since the days of Jeshua the son of Nun to that day the children of Israel had not done so. There was very great gladness.

Now those who sealed were: Nehemiah the governor, the son of Hacaliah, and Zedekiah,

The rest of the people, the priests, the Levites, the porters, the singers, the Nethinim, and all those who had separated themselves from the peoples of the lands to the law of God, their wives, their sons, and their daughters, everyone who had knowledge, and understanding --

The other company of those who gave thanks went to meet them, and I after them, with the half of the people, on the wall, above the tower of the furnaces, even to the broad wall,

So stood the two companies of those who gave thanks in the house of God, and I, and the half of the rulers with me;

In those days saw I in Judah some men treading winepresses on the Sabbath, and bringing in sheaves, and loading donkeys [therewith]; as also wine, grapes, and figs, and all kinds of burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day: and I testified [against them] in the day in which they sold food.

In those days also saw I the Jews who had married women of Ashdod, of Ammon, [and] of Moab:

that in those days, when the King Ahasuerus sat on the throne of his kingdom, which was in Shushan the palace,

Then the king said to the wise men, who knew the times, (for it was the king's custom to consult those who knew law and judgment;

Now when the turn of Esther, the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her for his daughter, came to go in to the king, she required nothing but what Hegai the king's eunuch, the keeper of the women, advised. Esther obtained favor in the sight of all those who looked at her.

In those days, while Mordecai was sitting in the king's gate, two of the king's eunuchs, Bigthan and Teresh, who were doorkeepers, were angry, and sought to lay hands on the King Ahasuerus.

If it pleases the king, let it be written that they be destroyed; and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver into the hands of those who are in charge of the king's business, to bring it into the king's treasuries."

"All the king's servants, and the people of the king's provinces, know, that whoever, whether man or woman, comes to the king into the inner court without being called, there is one law for him, that he be put to death, except those to whom the king might hold out the golden scepter, that he may live. I have not been called to come in to the king these thirty days."

In those letters, the king granted the Jews who were in every city to gather themselves together, and to defend their life, to destroy, to kill, and to cause to perish, all the power of the people and province that would assault them, their little ones and women, and to plunder their possessions,

Now in the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, on the thirteenth day of the month, when the king's commandment and his decree drew near to be put in execution, on the day that the enemies of the Jews hoped to conquer them, (but it was turned out the opposite happened, that the Jews conquered those who hated them),

the Jews gathered themselves together in their cities throughout all the provinces of the King Ahasuerus, to lay hands on those who wanted to harm them. No one could withstand them, because the fear of them had fallen on all the people.

All the princes of the provinces, the satraps, the governors, and those who did the king's business helped the Jews, because the fear of Mordecai had fallen on them.

The Jews struck all their enemies with the stroke of the sword, and with slaughter and destruction, and did what they wanted to those who hated them.

On that day, the number of those who were slain in the citadel of Susa was brought before the king.

The other Jews who were in the king's provinces gathered themselves together, defended their lives, had rest from their enemies, and killed seventy-five thousand of those who hated them; but they didn't lay their hand on the plunder.

the Jews established, and imposed on themselves, and on their descendants, and on all those who joined themselves to them, so that it should not fail, that they would keep these two days according to what was written, and according to its appointed time, every year;

According to what I have seen, those who plow iniquity, and sow trouble, reap the same.

How much more, those who dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, who are crushed before the moth!

so that he sets up on high those who are low, those who mourn are exalted to safety.

Those who hate you shall be clothed with shame. The tent of the wicked shall be no more."

The tents of robbers prosper. Those who provoke God are secure, who carry their God in their hands.

He removes the speech of those who are trusted, and takes away the understanding of the elders.

Those who come after shall be astonished at his day, as those who went before were frightened.

Those who dwell in my house, and my maids, count me for a stranger. I am an alien in their sight.

yet he shall perish forever like his own dung. Those who have seen him shall say, 'Where is he?'

"Shall any teach God knowledge, since he judges those who are high?

saying, 'Surely those who rose up against us are cut off. The fire has consumed the remnant of them.'

"Why aren't times laid up by the Almighty? Why don't those who know him see his days?

There are those who pluck the fatherless from the breast, and take a pledge of the poor,

"These are of those who rebel against the light. They don't know its ways, nor stay in its paths.

Drought and heat consume the snow waters, so does Sheol those who have sinned.

"Those who are deceased tremble, those beneath the waters and all that live in them.

Those who remain of him shall be buried in death. His widows shall make no lamentation.

"But now those who are younger than I have me in derision, whose fathers I would have disdained to put with my sheep dogs.

Therefore my harp has turned to mourning, and my pipe into the voice of those who weep.

"But those who are godless in heart lay up anger. They don't cry for help when he binds them.

Then came there to him all his brothers, and all his sisters, and all those who had been of his acquaintance before, and ate bread with him in his house. They comforted him, and consoled him concerning all the evil that Yahweh had brought on him. Everyone also gave him a piece of money, and everyone a ring of gold.

Give sincere homage to the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath will soon be kindled. Blessed are all those who take refuge in him. A Psalm by David, when he fled from Absalom his son.

Yahweh, how my adversaries have increased! Many are those who rise up against me.

You will destroy those who speak lies. Yahweh abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.

But let all those who take refuge in you rejoice, Let them always shout for joy, because you defend them. Let them also who love your name be joyful in you.

Yahweh, my God, I take refuge in you. Save me from all those who pursue me, and deliver me,

Those who know your name will put their trust in you, for you, Yahweh, have not forsaken those who seek you.

Have mercy on me, Yahweh. See my affliction by those who hate me, and lift me up from the gates of death;

"Because of the oppression of the weak and because of the groaning of the needy, I will now arise," says Yahweh; "I will set him in safety from those who malign him."

In whose eyes a vile man is despised, but who honors those who fear Yahweh; he who keeps an oath even when it hurts, and doesn't change;

Show your marvelous loving kindness, you who save those who take refuge by your right hand from their enemies.

He delivered me from my strong enemy, from those who hated me; for they were too mighty for me.

As for God, his way is perfect. The word of Yahweh is tried. He is a shield to all those who take refuge in him.

For you have armed me with strength to the battle. You have subdued under me those who rose up against me.

You have also made my enemies turn their backs to me, that I might cut off those who hate me.

He rescues me from my enemies. Yes, you lift me up above those who rise up against me. You deliver me from the violent man.

Your hand will find out all of your enemies. Your right hand will find out those who hate you.

All those who see me mock me. They insult me with their lips. They shake their heads, saying,

Of you comes my praise in the great assembly. I will pay my vows before those who fear him.

All the rich ones of the earth shall eat and worship. All those who go down to the dust shall bow before him, even he who can't keep his soul alive.

The earth is Yahweh's, with its fullness; the world, and those who dwell therein.

This is the generation of those who seek Him, who seek your face -- even Jacob. Selah.

The friendship of Yahweh is with those who fear him. He will show them his covenant.

To you, Yahweh, I call. My rock, don't be deaf to me; lest, if you are silent to me, I would become like those who go down into the pit.

I hate those who regard lying vanities, but I trust in Yahweh.

Because of all my adversaries I have become utterly contemptible to my neighbors, A fear to my acquaintances. Those who saw me on the street fled from me.

My times are in your hand. Deliver me from the hand of my enemies, and from those who persecute me.

Oh how great is your goodness, which you have laid up for those who fear you, which you have worked for those who take refuge in you, before the sons of men!

Behold, Yahweh's eye is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his loving kindness;

The angel of Yahweh encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them.

Oh fear Yahweh, you his saints, for there is no lack with those who fear him.

The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger, but those who seek Yahweh shall not lack any good thing.

Yahweh's face is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth.

Yahweh is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves those who have a crushed spirit.

Evil shall kill the wicked. Those who hate the righteous shall be condemned.

Yahweh redeems the soul of his servants. None of those who take refuge in him shall be condemned. By David.

Contend, Yahweh, with those who contend with me. Fight against those who fight against me.

Brandish the spear and block those who pursue me. Tell my soul, "I am your salvation."

Let those who seek after my soul be disappointed and brought to dishonor. Let those who plot my ruin be turned back and confounded.