He took courage, and built up all the wall that was broken down, and raised it up to the towers, and the other wall outside, and strengthened Millo in the City of David, and made weapons and shields in abundance.

For he built again the high places which Hezekiah his father had broken down; and he reared up altars for the Baals, and made Asheroth, and worshiped all the host of heaven, and served them.

He built altars in the house of the LORD, of which the LORD said, "My name shall be in Jerusalem forever."

He built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the LORD.

Now after this he built an outer wall to the City of David, on the west side of Gihon, in the valley, even to the entrance at the fish gate; and he encircled Ophel with it, and raised it up to a very great height: and he put valiant captains in all the fortified cities of Judah.

He took away the foreign gods, and the idol out of the house of the LORD, and all the altars that he had built in the mountain of the house of the LORD, and in Jerusalem, and cast them out of the city.

He built up the altar of the LORD, and offered thereon sacrifices of peace offerings and of thanksgiving, and commanded Judah to serve the LORD, the God of Israel.

His prayer also, and how God was entreated of him, and all his sin and his trespass, and the places in which he built high places, and set up the Asherim and the engraved images, before he humbled himself, behold, they are written in the Record of the Seers.

He said to the Levites who taught all Israel, who were holy to the LORD, "Put the holy ark in the house which Solomon the son of David king of Israel built. There shall no more be a burden on your shoulders. Now serve the LORD your God, and his people Israel.

They killed the Passover, and the priests sprinkled the blood which they received of their hand, and the Levites flayed them.

"Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, 'The LORD, the God of heaven, has given all the kingdoms of the earth to me; and he has commanded me to build him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever there is among you of all his people, the LORD his God be with him, and let him go up.'"

"Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, 'The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he has commanded me to build him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah.

Whoever there is among you of all his people, may his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of the LORD, the God of Israel (he is God), which is in Jerusalem.

Then the heads of ancestral houses of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests, and the Levites, even all whose spirit God had stirred to go up rose up to build the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem.

Then Jeshua the son of Jozadak stood up with his brothers the priests, and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and his brothers, and built the altar of the God of Israel, to offer burnt offerings thereon, as it is written in the law of Moses the man of God.

then they drew near to Zerubbabel, and to the heads of ancestral houses, and said to them, "Let us build with you; for we seek your God, as you do; and we sacrifice to him since the days of Esar Haddon king of Assyria, who brought us up here."

But Zerubbabel, and Jeshua, and the rest of the heads of ancestral houses of Israel, said to them, "You have nothing to do with us in building a house to our God; but we ourselves together will build to the LORD, the God of Israel, as king Cyrus the king of Persia has commanded us."

Be it known now to the king that if this city is built, and the walls finished, they will not pay tribute, custom, or toll, and in the end it will be hurtful to the kings.

We inform the king that, if this city be built, and the walls finished, by this means you shall have no portion beyond the River.

Make a decree now to cause these men to cease, and that this city not be built, until a decree shall be made by me.

Then rose up Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and began to build God's house which is at Jerusalem; and with them were the prophets of God, helping them.

At the same time came to them Tattenai, the governor beyond the River, and Shetharbozenai, and their companions, and said thus to them, "Who gave you a decree to build this house, and to finish this wall?"

Be it known to the king, that we went into the province of Judah, to the house of the great God, which is built with great stones, and timber is laid in the walls; and this work goes on with diligence and prospers in their hands.

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

Thus they returned us answer, saying, "We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and are building the house that was built these many years ago, which a great king of Israel built and finished.

But in the first year of Cyrus king of Babylon, Cyrus the king made a decree to build this house of God.

and he said to him, 'Take these vessels, go, put them in the temple that is in Jerusalem, and let God's house be built in its place.'

Now therefore, if it seem good to the king, let a search be made in the king's treasure house, which is there at Babylon, whether it be so, that a decree was made of Cyrus the king to build this house of God at Jerusalem; and let the king send his pleasure to us concerning this matter."

In the first year of Cyrus the king, Cyrus the king made a decree: Concerning God's house at Jerusalem, let the house be built, the place where they offer sacrifices, and let its foundations be strongly laid; its height sixty cubits, and its breadth sixty cubits;

Leave the work of this house of God alone; let the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews build this house of God in its place.

The elders of the Jews built and prospered, through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. They built and finished it, according to the commandment of the God of Israel, and according to the decree of Cyrus, and Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia.

I said to the king, "If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, that you would send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers' tombs, that I may build it."

Then I said to them, "You see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lies waste, and its gates are burned with fire. Come, let us build up the wall of Jerusalem, that we won't be disgraced."

I told them of the hand of my God which was good on me, as also of the king's words that he had spoken to me. They said, "Let's rise up and build." So they strengthened their hands for the good work.

Then answered I them, and said to them, "The God of heaven will prosper us. Therefore we, his servants, will arise and build; but you have no portion, nor right, nor memorial, in Jerusalem."

Then Eliashib the high priest rose up with his brothers the priests, and they built the sheep gate; they sanctified it, and set up its doors; even to the tower of Hammeah they sanctified it, to the tower of Hananel.

Next to him built the men of Jericho. Next to them built Zaccur the son of Imri.

The sons of Hassenaah built the fish gate. They laid its beams, and set up its doors, its bolts, and its bars.

Hanun and the inhabitants of Zanoah repaired the valley gate. They built it, and set up its doors, its bolts, and its bars, and one thousand cubits of the wall to the dung gate.

Malchijah the son of Rechab, the ruler of the district of Beth Haccherem repaired the dung gate. He built it, and set up its doors, its bolts, and its bars.

Shallun the son of Colhozeh, the ruler of the district of Mizpah repaired the spring gate. He built it, and covered it, and set up its doors, its bolts, and its bars, and the wall of the pool of Shelah by the king's garden, even to the stairs that go down from the City of David.

So we built the wall; and all the wall was joined together to half its height: for the people had a mind to work.

Judah said, "The strength of the bearers of burdens is fading, and there is much rubbish; so that we are not able to build the wall."

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;

and the builders, everyone wore his sword at his side, and so built. He who sounded the trumpet was by me.

Now it happened, 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 that there was no breach left therein; (though even to that time I had not set up the doors in the gates;)

Now it happened, when the wall was built, and I had set up the doors, and the gatekeepers and the singers and the Levites were appointed,

Now the city was wide and large; but the people were few therein, and the houses were not built.

and in Jeshua, and in Moladah, and Beth Pelet,

of Abijah, Zichri; of Miniamin, of Moadiah, Piltai;

also from Beth Gilgal, and out of the fields of Geba and Azmaveth: for the singers had built them villages around Jerusalem.

Esther spoke yet again before the king, and fell down at his feet, and begged him with tears to put away the mischief of Haman the Agagite, and his plot that he had devised against the Jews.

with kings and counselors of the earth, who built up waste places for themselves;

Behold, he breaks down, and it can't be built again. He imprisons a man, and there can be no release.

He loosens the bond of kings. He binds their waist with a belt.

He pours contempt on princes, and loosens the belt of the strong.

"Earth, do not cover my blood. Let my cry have no place to rest.

If indeed you will magnify yourselves against me, and plead against me my reproach;

His troops come on together, build a siege ramp against me, and encamp around my tent.

For he has oppressed and forsaken the poor. He has violently taken away a house, and he shall not build it up.

If you return to Shaddai, you shall be built up, if you put away unrighteousness far from your tents.

then let my shoulder fall from the shoulder blade, and my arm be broken from the bone.

His young ones also suck up blood. Where the slain are, there he is."

Why do the nations rage, and the peoples plot a vain thing?

For he who avenges blood remembers them. He doesn't forget the cry of the afflicted.

Their sorrows shall be multiplied who give gifts to another god. Their drink offerings of blood I will not offer, nor take their names on my lips.

Because they do not regard the works of the LORD, nor the operation of his hands, he will break them down and not build them up.

For I have heard the slander of many, terror on every side, while they conspire together against me, they plot to take away my life.

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

Vindicate me, God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation. Oh, deliver me from deceitful and wicked men.

Will I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats?

Have mercy on me, God, according to your loving kindness. According to the multitude of your tender mercies, blot out my transgressions.

Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all of my iniquities.

Do well in your good pleasure to Zion. Build the walls of Jerusalem.

No, in your heart you plot injustice. You measure out the violence of your hands in the earth.

The righteous shall rejoice when he sees the vengeance. He shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked;

They plot injustice, saying, "We have made a perfect plan." Surely man's mind and heart are cunning.

That you may crush them, dipping your foot in blood, that the tongues of your dogs may have their portion from your enemies."

For God will save Zion, and build the cities of Judah. They shall settle there, and own it.

He will redeem their soul from oppression and violence. Their blood will be precious in his sight.

Arise, God. Plead your own cause. Remember how the foolish man mocks you all day.

he turned their rivers into blood, and their streams, so that they could not drink.

He built his sanctuary like the heights, like the earth which he has established forever.

Their blood they have shed like water around Jerusalem. There was no one to bury them.

Why should the nations say, "Where is their God?" Let it be known among the nations, before our eyes, that vengeance for your servants' blood is being poured out.

They conspire with cunning against your people. They plot against your cherished ones.

'I will establish your seed forever, and build up your throne to all generations.'" Selah.

They gather themselves together against the soul of the righteous, and condemn the innocent blood.

For the LORD has built up Zion. He has appeared in his glory.

He turned their waters into blood, and killed their fish.

They shed innocent blood, even the blood of their sons and of their daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan. The land was polluted with blood.

Let it be to him as the clothing with which he covers himself, for the belt that is always around him.

Plead my cause, and redeem me. Revive me according to your promise.

Jerusalem, that is built as a city that is compact together;

Unless the LORD builds the house, they labor in vain who build it. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchman guards it in vain.

If they say, "Come with us, Let's lie in wait for blood; let's lurk secretly for the innocent without cause;

for their feet run to evil. They hurry to shed blood.

but these lie in wait for their own blood. They lurk secretly for their own lives.

haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood;

Wisdom has built her house. She has carved out her seven pillars.