for I am the <sc>Lordsc> who brought you up from the land of Egypt to be your God,<n id="1" /> and you are to be holy because I am holy.

<p class="poetry">O daughters of Israel, weep over Saul,p> <p class="poetry">who clothed you in scarlet<n id="1" /> as well as jewelry,p> <p class="poetry">who put gold jewelry on your clothes.p>

And you did not stop there, O God! You have also spoken about the future of your servant&#8217;s family.<n id="1" /> You have revealed to me what men long to know,<n id="2" /> O <sc>Lordsc> God.

On the first day of the first month he had determined to make<n id="1" /> the ascent from Babylon, and on the first day of the fifth month he arrived at Jerusalem,<n id="2" /> for the good hand of his God was on him.

For the <sc>Lordsc> our God took us and our fathers out of slavery<n id="1" /> in the land of Egypt<n id="2" /> and performed these awesome miracles<n id="3" /> before our very eyes. He continually protected us as we traveled and when we passed through nations.<n id="4" />

<t /><p class="bodytext">This happened because the Israelites sinned against the <sc>Lordsc> their God, who brought them up from the land of Egypt and freed them from the power of<n id="1" /> Pharaoh king of Egypt. They worshiped<n id="2" /> other gods;

they came to Zerubbabel and the leaders<n id="1" /> and said to them, &#8220;Let us help you build,<n id="2" /> for like you we seek your God and we have been sacrificing to him<n id="3" /> from the time<n id="4" /> of King Esarhaddon<n id="5" /> of Assyria, who brought us here.&#8221;<n id="6" />

<p class="poetry">They did not ask:p> <p class="poetry">&#8216;Where is the <sc>Lordsc> who delivered us out of Egypt,p> <p class="poetry">who brought us through the wilderness,p> <p class="poetry">through a land of desert sands and rift valleys,p> <p class="poetry">through a land of drought and deep darkness,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">through a land in which no one travels,p> <p class="poetry">and where no one lives?&#8217;<n id="2" />p>