Cyrus Helps the Exiles to Return^(A)

1 In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah,^(B) the Lord moved the heart^(C) of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and also to put it in writing:

King Artaxerxes’ Letter to Ezra

¹¹ This is a copy of the letter King Artaxerxes had given to Ezra the priest, a teacher of the Law, a man learned in matters concerning the commands and decrees of the Lord for Israel:

²⁷ Praise be to the Lord, the God of our ancestors, who has put it into the king’s heart^(R) to bring honor^(S) to the house of the Lord in Jerusalem in this way ²⁸ and who has extended his good favor^(T) to me before the king and his advisers and all the king’s powerful officials. Because the hand of the Lord my God was on me,^(U) I took courage and gathered leaders from Israel to go up with me.

Artaxerxes Sends Nehemiah to Jerusalem

2 In the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes,^(A) when wine was brought for him, I took the wine and gave it to the king. I had not been sad in his presence before, ² so the king asked me, “Why does your face look so sad when you are not ill? This can be nothing but sadness of heart.”

I was very much afraid, ³ but I said to the king, “May the king live forever!^(B) Why should my face not look sad when the city^(C) where my ancestors are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?^(D)”

⁴ The king said to me, “What is it you want?”

Then I prayed to the God of heaven, ⁵ and I answered the king, “If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favor in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my ancestors are buried so that I can rebuild it.”

⁶ Then the king^(E), with the queen sitting beside him, asked me, “How long will your journey take, and when will you get back?” It pleased the king to send me; so I set a time.

⁷ I also said to him, “If it pleases the king, may I have letters to the governors of Trans-Euphrates,^(F) so that they will provide me safe-conduct until I arrive in Judah? ⁸ And may I have a letter to Asaph, keeper of the royal park, so he will give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel^(G) by the temple and for the city wall and for the residence I will occupy?” And because the gracious hand of my God was on me,^(H) the king granted my requests.^(I)

Dedication of the Wall of Jerusalem

²⁷ At the dedication^(A) of the wall of Jerusalem, the Levites were sought out from where they lived and were brought to Jerusalem to celebrate joyfully the dedication with songs of thanksgiving and with the music of cymbals,^(B) harps and lyres.^{(C) 28} The musicians also were brought together from the region around Jerusalem—from the villages of the Netophathites,^{(D) 29} from Beth Gilgal, and from the area of Geba and Azmaveth, for the musicians had built villages for themselves around Jerusalem. ³⁰ When the priests and Levites had purified themselves ceremonially, they purified the people,^(E) the gates and the wall.

³¹ I had the leaders of Judah go up on top of^[a] the wall. I also assigned two large choirs to give thanks. One was to proceed on top of^[b] the wall to the right, toward the Dung Gate.^{(F) 32} Hoshaiah and half the leaders of Judah followed them, ³³ along with Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam, ³⁴ Judah, Benjamin,^(G) Shemaiah, Jeremiah, ³⁵ as well as some priests with trumpets,^(H) and also Zechariah son of Jonathan, the son of Shemaiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Micaiah, the son of Zakkur, the son of Asaph, ³⁶ and his associates—Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah and Hanani—with musical instruments^(I) prescribed by David the man of God.^(J) Ezra^(K) the teacher of the Law led the procession. ³⁷ At the Fountain Gate^(L) they continued directly up the steps of the City of David on the ascent to the wall and passed above the site of David’s palace to the Water Gate^(M) on the east.

³⁸ The second choir proceeded in the opposite direction. I followed them on top of^[c] the wall, together with half the people—past the Tower of the Ovens^(N) to the Broad Wall,^{(O) 39} over the Gate of Ephraim,^(P) the Jeshanah^[d] Gate,^(Q) the Fish Gate,^(R) the Tower of Hananel^(S) and the Tower of the Hundred,^(T) as far as the Sheep Gate.^(U) At the Gate of the Guard they stopped.

⁴⁰ The two choirs that gave thanks then took their places in the house of God; so did I, together with half the officials, ⁴¹ as well as the priests—Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah and Hananiah with their trumpets— ⁴² and also Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malkijah, Elam and Ezer. The choirs sang under the direction of Jezrahiah. ⁴³ And on that day they offered great sacrifices, rejoicing because God had given them great joy. The women and children also rejoiced. The sound of rejoicing in Jerusalem could be heard far away.