For I was ashamed to require of the king a band of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy in the way: because we had spoken unto the king, saying, The hand of our God {is} upon all them for good that seek him; but his power and his wrath {is} against all them that forsake him.

And hath extended mercy unto me before the king, and his counsellors, and before all the king's mighty princes. And I was strengthened as the hand of the LORD my God {was} upon me, and I gathered together out of Israel chief men to go up with me.

Then we departed from the river of Ahava on the twelfth {day} of the first month, to go unto Jerusalem: and the hand of our God was upon us, and he delivered us from the hand of the enemy, and of such as lay in wait by the way.

Then I told them of the hand of my God which was good upon me; as also the king's words that he had spoken unto me. And they said, Let us rise up and build. So they strengthened their hands for {this} good {work}.

And a letter unto Asaph the keeper of the king's forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the palace which {appertained} to the house, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall enter into. And the king granted me, according to the good hand of my God upon me.

And I, {even} I Artaxerxes the king, do make a decree to all the treasurers which {are} beyond the river, that whatsoever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven, shall require of you, it be done speedily,

Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, {even} unto the end of the world. Amen.

And by the good hand of our God upon us they brought us a man of understanding, of the sons of Mahli, the son of Levi, the son of Israel; and Sherebiah, with his sons and his brethren, eighteen;

Now this {is} the copy of the letter that the king Artaxerxes gave unto Ezra the priest, the scribe, {even} a scribe of the words of the commandments of the LORD, and of his statutes to Israel.

For upon the first {day} of the first month began he to go up from Babylon, and on the first {day} of the fifth month came he to Jerusalem, according to the good hand of his God upon him. {began...: Heb. was the foundation of the going up}

Behold, I have taught you statutes and judgments, even as the LORD my God commanded me, that ye should do so in the land whither ye go to possess it.

And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe {and} to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth:

In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort {you} by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, {so} ye would abound more and more. {beseech: or, request} {exhort: or, beseech}

Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;

Where {is} the wise? where {is} the scribe? where {is} the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?

Behold, the LORD'S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:

[To the chief Musician upon Shoshannim, for the sons of Korah, Maschil, A Song of loves.] My heart is inditing a good matter: I speak of the things which I have made touching the king: my tongue {is} the pen of a ready writer. {Maschil: or, of instruction} {is inditing: Heb. boileth, or, bubbleth up}

Then said he unto them, Therefore every scribe {which is} instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man {that is} an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure {things} new and old.

Wherefore, when I came, {was there} no man? when I called, {was there} none to answer? Is my hand shortened at all, that it cannot redeem? or have I no power to deliver? behold, at my rebuke I dry up the sea, I make the rivers a wilderness: their fish stinketh, because {there is} no water, and dieth for thirst.

And kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with joy: for the LORD had made them joyful, and turned the heart of the king of Assyria unto them, to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.

And on the second day were gathered together the chief of the fathers of all the people, the priests, and the Levites, unto Ezra the scribe, even to understand the words of the law. {to understand...: or, that they might instruct in the words of the law}

But the eye of their God was upon the elders of the Jews, that they could not cause them to cease, till the matter came to Darius: and then they returned answer by letter concerning this {matter}.

And I arose in the night, I and some few men with me; neither told I {any} man what my God had put in my heart to do at Jerusalem: neither {was there any} beast with me, save the beast that I rode upon.

Now these {are} thy servants and thy people, whom thou hast redeemed by thy great power, and by thy strong hand.

And it came to pass, when our enemies heard that it was known unto us, and God had brought their counsel to nought, that we returned all of us to the wall, every one unto his work.

And his brethren, Shemaiah, and Azarael, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethaneel, and Judah, Hanani, with the musical instruments of David the man of God, and Ezra the scribe before them.

And Nehemiah, which {is} the Tirshatha, and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites that taught the people, said unto all the people, This day {is} holy unto the LORD your God; mourn not, nor weep. For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law. {the Tirshatha: or, the governor}

How do ye say, We {are} wise, and the law of the LORD {is} with us? Lo, certainly in vain made he {it}; the pen of the scribes {is} in vain. {in vain made...: or, the false pen of the scribes worketh for falsehood}

And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed. {Israel: that is, A prince of God}

And Ezra the scribe stood upon a pulpit of wood, which they had made for the purpose; and beside him stood Mattithiah, and Shema, and Anaiah, and Urijah, and Hilkiah, and Maaseiah, on his right hand; and on his left hand, Pedaiah, and Mishael, and Malchiah, and Hashum, and Hashbadana, Zechariah, {and} Meshullam. {pulpit...: Heb. tower of wood}

These {were} in the days of Joiakim the son of Jeshua, the son of Jozadak, and in the days of Nehemiah the governor, and of Ezra the priest, the scribe.

For I was ashamed to require of the king a band of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy in the way: because we had spoken unto the king, saying, The hand of our God {is} upon all them for good that seek him; but his power and his wrath {is} against all them that forsake him.

And all the people gathered themselves together as one man into the street that {was} before the water gate; and they spake unto Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded to Israel.

For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the LORD, and to do {it}, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments.

And a letter unto Asaph the keeper of the king's forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the palace which {appertained} to the house, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall enter into. And the king granted me, according to the good hand of my God upon me.

O Lord, I beseech thee, let now thine ear be attentive to the prayer of thy servant, and to the prayer of thy servants, who desire to fear thy name: and prosper, I pray thee, thy servant this day, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man. For I was the king's cupbearer.

For upon the first {day} of the first month began he to go up from Babylon, and on the first {day} of the fifth month came he to Jerusalem, according to the good hand of his God upon him. {began...: Heb. was the foundation of the going up}

And the maiden pleased him, and she obtained kindness of him; and he speedily gave her her things for purification, with such things as belonged to her, and seven maidens, {which were} meet to be given her, out of the king's house: and he preferred her and her maids unto the best {place} of the house of the women. {such...: Heb. her portions} {preferred: Heb. changed}

For we {were} bondmen; yet our God hath not forsaken us in our bondage, but hath extended mercy unto us in the sight of the kings of Persia, to give us a reviving, to set up the house of our God, and to repair the desolations thereof, and to give us a wall in Judah and in Jerusalem. {to repair: Heb. to set up}

[To the chief Musician upon Shoshannim, for the sons of Korah, Maschil, A Song of loves.] My heart is inditing a good matter: I speak of the things which I have made touching the king: my tongue {is} the pen of a ready writer. {Maschil: or, of instruction} {is inditing: Heb. boileth, or, bubbleth up}

But the eye of their God was upon the elders of the Jews, that they could not cause them to cease, till the matter came to Darius: and then they returned answer by letter concerning this {matter}.

And I, {even} I Artaxerxes the king, do make a decree to all the treasurers which {are} beyond the river, that whatsoever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven, shall require of you, it be done speedily,

And by the good hand of our God upon us they brought us a man of understanding, of the sons of Mahli, the son of Levi, the son of Israel; and Sherebiah, with his sons and his brethren, eighteen;

Then said he unto them, Therefore every scribe {which is} instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man {that is} an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure {things} new and old.

And hath extended mercy unto me before the king, and his counsellors, and before all the king's mighty princes. And I was strengthened as the hand of the LORD my God {was} upon me, and I gathered together out of Israel chief men to go up with me.

Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat:

And a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man, {and} mighty in the scriptures, came to Ephesus.

And the families of the scribes which dwelt at Jabez; the Tirathites, the Shimeathites, {and} Suchathites. These {are} the Kenites that came of Hemath, the father of the house of Rechab.

And Shemaiah the son of Nethaneel the scribe, {one} of the Levites, wrote them before the king, and the princes, and Zadok the priest, and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar, and {before} the chief of the fathers of the priests and Levites: one principal household being taken for Eleazar, and {one} taken for Ithamar. {principal...: Heb. house of the father}

Also {they were} over the bearers of burdens, and {were} overseers of all that wrought the work in any manner of service: and of the Levites {there were} scribes, and officers, and porters.

Now this {is} the copy of the letter that the king Artaxerxes gave unto Ezra the priest, the scribe, {even} a scribe of the words of the commandments of the LORD, and of his statutes to Israel.

We have dealt very corruptly against thee, and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the judgments, which thou commandedst thy servant Moses.

These {were} in the days of Joiakim the son of Jeshua, the son of Jozadak, and in the days of Nehemiah the governor, and of Ezra the priest, the scribe.

Now while he was not yet gone back, {he said}, Go back also to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan, whom the king of Babylon hath made governor over the cities of Judah, and dwell with him among the people: or go wheresoever it seemeth convenient unto thee to go. So the captain of the guard gave him victuals and a reward, and let him go.

And forgive thy people that have sinned against thee, and all their transgressions wherein they have transgressed against thee, and give them compassion before them who carried them captive, that they may have compassion on them:

And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.

He that loveth pureness of heart, {for} the grace of his lips the king {shall be} his friend. {for...: or, and hath grace in his lips}

And a certain scribe came, and said unto him, Master, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest.