I bowed my head and thanked the Lord. I blessed the Lord, the God of my master Abraham. I thanked him for leading me straight to the granddaughter of my master’s brother.
There near the Ahava River, I (Ezra) announced that we all should fast. {\cf2\super [53]} We should fast to make ourselves humble before our God. We wanted to ask God for a safe trip for ourselves, our children, and for all the things we owned.
You should teach God’s laws and teachings to the people. Warn them not to break the laws. Tell them the right way to live. Tell them what they should do.