this

O LORD, I beseech thee, let now thine eare be attentiue to the prayer of thy seruant, and to the prayer of thy seruants, who desire to feare thy name: and prosper, I pray thee, thy seruant this day, and grant him mercie in the sight of this man. For I was the kings cup-bearer.

Wherefore the king said vnto me, Why is thy countenance sadde, seeing thou art not sicke? this is nothing else but sorrow of heart. Then I was very sore afraid,

Then I told them of the hand of my God, which was good vpon me; as also the kings wordes that he had spoken vnto me. And they said, Let vs rise vp and builde. So they strengthened their hands for this good worke.

But when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the seruant the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian heard it, they laughed vs to scorne, and despised vs, and said, What is this thing that yee doe? will ye rebell against the king?

And next vnto them repaired Melatiah the Gibeonite, and Iadon the Meronothite, the men of Gibeon, and of Mizpah, vnto the throne of the gouernour on this side the Riuer.

I likewise, and my brethren, and my seruants, might exact of them money and corne: I pray you let vs leaue off this vsurie.

Restore, I pray you, to them, euen this day, their lands, their vineyards, their oliue-yards, and their houses, also the hundreth part of the money, and of the corne, the wine, and the oyle, that ye exact of them.

Then said they, Wee will restore them, and will require nothing of them; so will we doe, as thou sayest. Then I called the Priests, and tooke an oath of them, that they should doe according to this promise.

Also I shooke my lap, and said, So God shake out euery man from his house, and from his labour, that performeth not this promise, euen thus be he shaken out, and emptied. And all the Congregation said, Amen, and praised the LORD. And the people did according to this promise.

1611 marginal noteHeb. empty or void.

Yea also I continued in the worke of this wall, neither bought wee any land: and all my seruants were gathered thither vnto the worke.