Study Desk

Because your heart is tender, and you were humbled before God when you heard His Words concerning this place, and concerning the ones living in it, and were humbled before Me, and have torn yourgarments and wept before Me; I have even heardalso, says Jehovah.

And they set the altar on its bases, for fear was on them because of the people of those lands. And he offered burnt offerings on it to Jehovah, burnt offerings morning and evening.

And they sang, praising and giving thanks to Jehovah, because He is good, for His mercy endures forever toward Israel. And all the people shouted with a great shout when they praisedJehovah because the foundation of the houseof Jehovah was laid.

Now because we have eaten of the palace salt, and it is not right for us to see the king's dishonor, therefore we have sent and notified the king,

But because our fathers had provoked to wrath the God of Heaven, He gave them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, the Chaldean, and he tore down this house, and he exiled its people to Babylon.

For I was ashamed to ask of the king troops and horsemen to help us against the enemy of the way, because we had spoken to the king, saying, The hand of our God is on all those who seek Him for good; but His power and His wrath are against all those who forsake Him.

Then everyone who trembled at the Words of the God of Israel were gathered to me, because of the perfidy of the exiles. And I remained stunned until the evening offering.

O Jehovah the God of Israel, You are righteous. For we are left an escapee, as it is this day. Behold, we are before You in our guilt, for none is able to stand before You because of this.

Then all the men of Judah and Benjamin gathered to Jerusalem within three days. It was the ninth month, on the twentieth of the month. And all the people sat in the plaza of the house of God, trembling because of the matter, and because of theheavy rain.

But we made our prayer to our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them.

Some also were saying, We have mortgaged our fields, and our vineyards, and our houses; let us take up grain because of the famine.

Also I said, The thing you do is not good. Should you not walk in the fear of God because of the reproach of the nations, our enemies?

The former governors that had been before me were too heavy on the people, and had taken bread and wine from them, besides forty shekels of silver. Yes, even their servants bore rule over the people. But I did not do this, because of the fear of God.

For many in Judah were sworn to him because he was the son-in-law of Shechaniah the son of Arah, and his son Jehohanan had taken the daughter of Meshullam the son of Berechiah.

And all the people went to eat, and to drink, and to send portions, and to make great rejoicing, because they had understood the Words which were made known to them.

And it yields much increase to the kings whom You have given to be over us because of our sinning. And they rule over our bodies, and over our cattle, at their pleasure; and we are in great distress.

And because of all this, we are cutting a sure covenant and writing it , and our rulers, Levites, and priests are sealing it.

because they did not meet the sons of Israel with bread and water, but hired Balaam against them to curse them. But our God turned the curse to a blessing.

Remember them, O my God, because they have defiled the priesthood, and the covenant of the priesthood and of the Levites.

What shall be done with Queen Vashti according to law, because she has not done the command of King Ahasuerus by the eunuchs?