Report from Jerusalem

1 The words of ^(A)Nehemiah the son of Hacaliah.

Now it happened in the month of ^(B)Chislev, ^(C)in the twentieth year, as I was in ^(D)Susa the citadel,

A Call for Justice and Mercy

7 ^(A)In the fourth year of King Darius, the word of the Lord came to Zechariah on the fourth day of the ninth month, which is ^(B)Chislev.

The People Who Sealed the Covenant

10 ^{[a] (A)}“On the seals are the names of^[b] Nehemiah ^(B)the governor, ^(C)the son of Hacaliah, Zedekiah,

² in those days when King Ahasuerus ^(A)sat on his royal throne in ^(B)Susa, the citadel,

² And I saw in the vision; and when I saw, I was in ^(A)Susa the citadel, which is in the province of ^(B)Elam. And ^(C)I saw in the vision, ^(D)and I was at the ^(E)Ulai canal.

⁷ And there went up also to Jerusalem, in the seventh year of Artaxerxes the king, some of the people of Israel, and ^(A)some of the priests and ^(B)Levites, the singers and gatekeepers, and the temple ^(C)servants.

^15 (A)The couriers went out hurriedly by order of the king, and the decree was issued in Susa the citadel. And the king and Haman sat down to drink, ^(B)but the city of Susa was thrown into confusion.

Nehemiah Sent to Judah

2 In the month of Nisan, ^(A)in the twentieth year of King ^(B)Artaxerxes, when wine was before him, ^(C)I took up the wine and gave it to the king. Now I had not been sad in his presence.

⁹ Then all the men of Judah and Benjamin assembled at Jerusalem within the three days. It was the ninth month, on the twentieth day of the month. And all the people sat in the open square before the house of God, trembling because of this matter and because of the ^(A)heavy rain.