. (He is the
God who lives at Jerusalem.) In every place where any who are left of
Jehovah's people now live, let the men of that place help with silver,
with gold, with goods, and with animals, in addition to the offering
each man wishes to give for the house of God at Jerusalem.'"

[Illustration: (C) _Ernest Normand_

_Esther Denouncing Haman_

Painted by Ernest Normand]

Then the heads of the families of Judah and Benjamin and the priests
and the Levites, including all whom God had influenced to build the
temple of Jehovah at Jerusalem, started to return. And all their
neighbors supplied them with silver, with gold, with goods, with
animals, and with precious things in addition to all that each man
wished to give.

Cyrus, king of Persia, had the vessels of the temple of Jehovah, which
Nebuchadrezzar had carried from Jerusalem, brought out under the
direction of Mithredath, the treasurer, and given to Sheshbazzar, the
prince of Judah; and he carried them to Jerusalem, with the people who
returned from captivity in Babylon. And Jehovah commanded them, through
Haggai, the prophet, "Go up to the mountains and bring wood and rebuild
the temple, then I will be pleased with it and I will show my glory."

Then Zerubbabel and Joshua, the high priest, with all the rest of the
people obeyed the command of Jehovah their God; and they came and worked
on the temple of Jehovah their God. They finished the building as the
God of Israel commanded.

NEHEMIAH'S ANSWER TO A CALL FOR HELP

In the twentieth year of Artaxerxes' reign, in the month of November, I
(Nehemiah) was in Shushan, the royal palace, when Hanani, one of my
brothers, and certain men came from Judah. I asked them about Jerusalem
and about the Jews who were left from the captivity. They told me,
"Those still living there in the province are in great trouble and
disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down and its gates have been
destroyed by fire."

When I heard these words I sat down and wept and mourned several days.
Then I fasted and offered this prayer to the God of heaven, "I pray
thee, O Jehovah, the God of heaven, who showest kindness to those who
love and follow thy commands, let thine ears now be open to hear the
prayers of thy servant which I am now making before thee day and night
for the Israelites, thy servants, while I confess the sins which we have
committed. These are thy servants and thy people, whom thou hast saved
by thy great power an