⁹ He began the journey from Babylon on the first day of the first month^(A) and arrived in Jerusalem on the first day of the fifth month^(B) since the gracious hand of his God was on him.^(C)

¹⁸ I told them how the gracious hand of my God had been on me,^(A) and what the king had said to me.

They said, “Let’s start rebuilding,” and their hands were strengthened^[a] to do this good work.