^28 (A)and who extended to me his steadfast love before the king and his counselors, and before all the king's mighty officers. I took courage, for the hand of the Lord my God was on me, and I gathered leading men from Israel to go up with me.

^9 (A)For we are slaves. Yet our God has not forsaken us in our slavery, ^(B)but has extended to us his steadfast love before the kings of Persia, to grant us some reviving to set up the house of our God, to repair its ruins, and to give us protection^[a] in Judea and Jerusalem.

¹⁷ But ^(A)the Lord stood by me and ^(B)strengthened me, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and ^(C)all the Gentiles might hear it. So ^(D)I was rescued ^(E)from the lion's mouth. ¹⁸ The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. ^(F)To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

⁸ and a letter to Asaph, the keeper of the king's forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of ^(A)the fortress of the temple, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall occupy.” And the king granted me what I asked, ^(B)for the good hand of my God was upon me.

⁵ But ^(A)the eye of their God was on the elders of the Jews, and they did not stop them until the report should reach Darius and then an answer be returned by letter concerning it.

¹⁸ And ^(A)by the good hand of our God on us, they brought us a man of discretion, of the sons of ^(B)Mahli the son of Levi, son of Israel, namely Sherebiah with his sons and kinsmen, 18;

⁷ And he issued a proclamation and published through Nineveh, ^(A)“By the decree of the king and his nobles: Let neither man nor ^(B)beast, herd nor flock, taste anything. Let them not feed or drink water,

¹¹ O Lord, ^(A)let your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant, and to the prayer of your servants who delight to fear your name, and give success to your servant today, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.”

Now I was ^(B)cupbearer to the king.

¹⁴ For you are sent by the king ^(A)and his seven counselors to make inquiries about Judah and Jerusalem according to the Law of your God, which is in your hand,

⁹ For on the first day of the first month he began to go up from Babylonia, and on the first day of the fifth month he came to Jerusalem, ^(A)for the good hand of his God was on him.