Study Desk

And the king said to me, Why is your face sad, since you are not sick? This is nothing but sorrow of heart. Then I was very much afraid.

Then I passed on to the Fountain Gate, and to the King's Pool. But there was no place for the animal that was under me to pass.

But when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian, heard, then they mocked us and despised us. And they said, What is this that you are doing? Will you rebel against the king?

Then I answered them and said to them, The God of Heaven, He will prosper us, and we, His servants, will arise and build. But you have no portion or right or memorial in Jerusalem.

But the sons of Hassenaah built the Fish Gate, who laid its beams, and made stand its doors, its locks and its bars.

And next to their hand the Tekoites made strong. But their nobles did not put their necks to the work of their Lord.

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

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.

Sanballat and Geshem sent to me, saying, Come, let us meet together in the villages in the plain of Ono. But they thought to do evil to me.

And the city was wide on both hands, and great, but the people in it few, and the houses not being built.

And these were they who went up from Tel-melah, Tel-haresha, Cherub, Addon, and Immer. But they were not able to manifest their father's house, nor their seed, whether they were of Israel:

These sought their register among those who were reckoned by genealogy, but it was not found. And they were polluted from the priesthood.

But they and our fathers acted presumptuously, and hardened their necks, and did not listen to Your commands.

And they refused to hear, and were not mindful of Your wonders which You did among them. But they hardened their necks, and in their rebellion appointed a leader to return them to their bondage. But You are a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and did not forsake them.

But they were disobedient, and rebelled against You, and cast Your Law behind their backs. And they killed Your prophets who testified against them, to turn them to You. And they worked great blasphemies.

But after a rest to them, they turned to doing evil before You. And You left them in the hand of their enemies, and they ruled over them. But they came back and cried to You, and You heard them from Heaven, and You saved them according to Your mercies.

And You testified against them to bring them again to Your Law, but they acted presumptuously, and did not listen to Your commands, but were against Your judgments; they sinned in them, which if a man does, he shall live in them. And they gave arebellious shoulder, and hardened their neck, and would not hear.

But many years You had patience with them, and testified against them by Your Spirit, by Your prophets. Yet they would not give ear. And You gave them into the hand of the peoples of the lands.

But for Your great mercies, You did not consume nor forsake them; for You are a gracious and merciful God.

And You are just as to all that came on us, for You have done right; but we have done evilly.