⁹ For on the first of the first month ^[a]he began to go up from Babylon; and on the first of the fifth month he came to Jerusalem, ^(A)because the good hand of his God was upon him.

²⁸ and ^(A)has extended lovingkindness to me before the king and his counselors and before all the king’s mighty princes. Thus I was strengthened according to ^(B)the hand of Yahweh my God upon me, and I gathered ^[a]chief men from Israel to go up with me.

²² For I was ashamed to ask from the king for a military force and horsemen to help us against the enemy on the way, because we had said to the king, “^(A)The hand of our God is upon all those who seek Him, for their good, but ^(B)His strength and His anger are against all those who ^(C)forsake Him.”