“I also hereby issue orders as to what you are to do with those elders of the Jews in order to rebuild this temple of God. From the royal treasury, from the taxes of Trans-Euphrates the complete costs are to be given to these men, so that there may be no interruption of the work. ¹ 

Is not Calneh like Carchemish? Hamath like Arpad? Samaria like Damascus? ¹ 

They will report that the fords have been captured, the reed marshes have been burned, the soldiers are terrified. ¹ 

Haran, Kanneh, Eden, merchants from Sheba, Asshur, and Kilmad were your clients.

If you have no desire ¹  to worship ²  the Lord, choose today whom you will worship, ³  whether it be the gods whom your ancestors ⁴  worshiped ⁵  beyond the Euphrates, ⁶  or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living. But I and my family ⁷  will worship ⁸  the Lord!”

Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah? ¹  Indeed, did any gods rescue Samaria ²  from my power? ³ 

Here is a message about the Desert by the Sea: ¹  Like strong winds blowing in the south, ²  one invades from the desert, from a land that is feared.

Then the servant took ten of his master’s camels and departed with all kinds of gifts from his master at his disposal. ¹  He journeyed ²  to the region of Aram Naharaim ³  and the city of Nahor.