us

Then they came to Zerubbabel, and to the chiefe of the fathers, and said vnto them, Let vs build with you, for wee seeke your God, as yee doe, and we doe sacrifice vnto him, since the dayes of Esar-Haddon king of Assur, which brought vs vp hither.

But Zerubbabel and Ieshua, and the rest of the chiefe of the fathers of Israel, said vnto them, You haue nothing to doe with vs, to build an house vnto our God, but we our selues together will build vnto the LORD God of Israel, as king Cyrus the King of Persia hath commanded vs.

Be it knowen vnto the king, that the Iewes which came vp from thee to vs, are come vnto Ierusalem, building the rebellious and the bad citie, and haue set vp the walles thereof, and ioyned the foundations.

1611 marginal noteOr, finished

1611 marginal noteChal. sowed together.

Now because we haue maintenance from the Kings palace, and it was not meete for vs to see the kings dishonour: therefore haue we sent, and certified the king,

1611 marginal noteChal. we are salted with the salt of the palace.

The letter, which ye sent vnto vs, hath bene plainly read before me.

And thus they returned vs answere, saying, We are the seruants of the God of heauen and earth, and build the house that was builded these many yeeres agoe, which a great King of Israel builded, and set vp.

1611 marginal note1.King. 6.1.

Now therefore, if it seeme good to the king, let there be search made in the kings treasure house which is there at Babylon, whether it be so that a decree was made of Cyrus the king, to build this house of God at Ierusalem: and let the king send his pleasure to vs concerning this matter.

And I sent them with commandement vnto Iddo the chiefe at the place Casiphia, and I told them what they should say vnto Iddo, and to his brethren the Nethinims, at the place Casiphia, that they should bring vnto vs ministers for the house of our God.

1611 marginal noteHebr. I put words in their mouth.

And by the good hand of our God vpon vs, they brought vs a man of vnderstanding, of the sonnes of Mahli the sonne of Leui, the sonne of Israel, and Sherebiah, with his sonnes, and his brethren, eighteene.

¶ Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the riuer Ahaua, that we might afflict our selues before our God, to seeke of him a right way for vs, and for our little ones, and for all our substance.