What follows ¹  is a copy of the letter that King Artaxerxes gave to Ezra the priestly scribe. ²  Ezra was ³  a scribe in matters pertaining to the commandments of the Lord and his statutes over Israel:

The servant told Isaac everything that had happened.

Tell the nations about his splendor, tell ¹  all the nations about his miraculous deeds!

Or speak ¹  to the earth ²  and it will teach you, or let the fish of the sea declare to you.

“Surely now you count my steps; ²  then you would not mark ³  my sin. ⁴ 

Does he not see my ways and count all my steps?

Who by wisdom can count the clouds, and who can tip over ¹  the water jars of heaven,

I can count ¹  all my bones; my enemies ²  are gloating over me in triumph. ³ 

I will declare your name to my countrymen! ¹  In the middle of the assembly I will praise you!

If I had publicized these thoughts, ¹  I would have betrayed your loyal followers. ² 

The Lord writes in the census book of the nations, ¹  “This one was born there.” ²  (Selah)

so they may proclaim the name of the Lord in Zion, and praise him ¹  in Jerusalem, ² 

I will not die, but live, and I will proclaim what the Lord has done. ¹ 

You counted the houses in Jerusalem, ¹  and demolished houses so you could have material to reinforce the wall. ² 

Remind me of what happened! Let’s debate! You, prove to me that you are right! ¹ 

Tell your children ¹  about it, have your children tell their children, and their children the following generation. ² 

I will greatly multiply your descendants,” the Lord’s angel added, ¹  “so that they will be too numerous to count.” ² 

So the chief cupbearer told his dream to Joseph: ¹  “In my dream, there was a vine in front of me.

“‘If ¹  she becomes clean from her discharge, then she is to count off for herself seven days, and afterward she will be clean.

You must count fifty days – until the day after the seventh Sabbath – and then ¹  you must present a new grain offering to the Lord.