Then they presented the decrees of the king to the king’s satraps and to the governors of Trans-Euphrates, who gave help to the people and to the temple of God.

Everyone who did not come within three days would thereby forfeit all his property, in keeping with the counsel of the officials and the elders. Furthermore, he himself would be excluded from the assembly of the exiles.

Then I went to the governors of Trans-Euphrates, and I presented to them the letters from the king. The king had sent with me officers of the army and horsemen.

Adjacent to them worked Melatiah the Gibeonite and Jadon the Meronothite, who were men of Gibeon and Mizpah. These towns were under the jurisdiction ¹  of the governor of Trans-Euphrates.

Our kings, our leaders, our priests, and our ancestors have not kept your law. They have not paid attention to your commandments or your testimonies by which you have solemnly admonished them.

(10:1) ¹  “Because of all of this we are entering into a binding covenant ²  in written form; ³  our leaders, our Levites, and our priests have affixed their names ⁴  on the sealed document.”

These all served in the days of Joiakim son of Jeshua, the son of Jozadak, and in the days of Nehemiah the governor and of Ezra the priestly scribe. ¹ 

I brought the leaders of Judah up on top of the wall, and I appointed two large choirs to give thanks. One was to proceed ¹  on the top of the wall southward toward the Dung Gate.

¹ The following events happened ²  in the days of Ahasuerus. ³  (I am referring to ⁴  that Ahasuerus who used to rule over a hundred and twenty-seven provinces ⁵  extending all the way from India to Ethiopia. ⁶ )

For the arrows ¹  of the Almighty ²  are within me; my spirit ³  drinks their poison; ⁴  God’s sudden terrors ⁵  are arrayed ⁶  against me.

Is it of any special benefit ¹  to the Almighty that you should be righteous, or is it any gain to him that you make your ways blameless? ² 

“Why are times not appointed by ¹  the Almighty? ²  Why do those who know him not see his days?

“As surely as God lives, ¹  who has denied me justice, ²  the Almighty, who has made my life bitter ³  –

“Therefore, listen to me, you men of understanding. ¹  Far be it from ²  God to do wickedness, from the Almighty to do evil.

who shows no partiality to princes, and does not take note of ¹  the rich more than the poor, because all of them are the work of his hands?

In a moment they die, in the middle of the night, ¹  people ²  are shaken ³  and they pass away. The mighty are removed effortlessly. ⁴ 

As for the Almighty, ¹  we cannot attain to him! He is great in power, but justice ²  and abundant righteousness he does not oppress.

You rescue me from a hostile army; ¹  you make me ²  a leader of nations; people over whom I had no authority are now my subjects. ³ 

He ¹  gives his chosen king magnificent victories; ²  he is faithful ³  to his chosen ruler, ⁴  to David and his descendants ⁵  forever.” ⁶ 

He executes judgment ¹  against ²  the nations; he fills the valleys with corpses; ³  he shatters their heads over the vast battlefield. ⁴