Then I said, “Please, O LORD God of heaven, great and awesome God, who keeps his loving covenant ¹  with those who love him and obey ²  his commandments,

Please remember me for this, O my God, and do not wipe out the kindness that I have done for the temple of my God and for its services!

They read from the book of God’s law, explaining it ¹  and imparting insight. Thus the people ²  gained understanding from what was read.

For one-fourth of the day they stood in their place and read from the book of the law of the LORD their God, and for another fourth they were confessing their sins ¹  and worshiping the LORD their God.

The king responded, ¹  “What is it you are seeking?” Then I quickly prayed to the God of heaven

So we prayed to our God and stationed a guard to protect against them ¹  both day and night.

Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, gather there with us. Our God will fight for us!”

Please remember me for good, O my God, for all that I have done for this people.

Shabbethai and Jozabad, leaders ¹  of the Levites, were in charge of the external work for the temple of God;

Please remember them, O my God, because they have defiled the priesthood, the covenant of the priesthood, ¹  and the Levites.

“You are the LORD God who chose Abram and brought him forth from Ur of the Chaldeans. You changed his name to Abraham.

However, due to your abundant mercy you did not do away with them altogether; you did not abandon them. For you are a merciful and compassionate God.

Then the two choirs that gave thanks took their stations ¹  in the temple of God. I did also, along with half the officials with me,

Should we then in your case hear that you do all this great evil, thereby being unfaithful to our God by marrying ¹  foreign wives?”

When I heard these things I sat down abruptly, ¹  crying and mourning for several days. I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven.

Hear, O our God, for we are despised! Return their reproach on their own head! Reduce them to plunder in a land of exile!

I recognized the fact that God had not sent him, for he had spoken the prophecy against me as a hired agent of Tobiah and Sanballat. ¹ 

Remember, O my God, Tobiah and Sanballat in light of these actions of theirs – also Noadiah the prophetess and the other prophets who were trying to scare me!

Then the Levites – Jeshua, Binnui, ¹  Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Kenani – stood on the steps and called out loudly ²  to the LORD their God.

We accept responsibility for fulfilling ¹  the commands to give ²  one third of a shekel each year for the work of the temple ³  of our God,