"OLord,I beseechYou, may Your earbe attentiveto the prayerof Your servantand the prayerof Your servantswho delightto revereYour name,and makeYour servantsuccessfultodayand granthim compassionbeforethisman."Now I was the cupbearerto the king.
"So I cametodayto the spring,and said,'O LORD,the Godof my masterAbraham,ifnowYou will make my journeyon whichI gosuccessful;
"Deliverme, I pray,from the handof my brother,from the handof Esau;for I fearhim, that he will comeand attackme [and] the motherswith the children.
He said,"Your nameshall nolongerbe Jacob,but Israel;for you have strivenwith Godand with menand have prevailed."
Then it cameabout afterthesethings,the cupbearerand the bakerfor the kingof Egyptoffendedtheir lord,the kingof Egypt.
Pharaohwas furiouswith his twoofficials,the chiefcupbearerand the chiefbaker.
He restoredthe chiefcupbearerto his office,and he putthe cupinto Pharaoh'shand;
Yet the chiefcupbearerdid not rememberJoseph,but forgothim.
Then the chiefcupbearerspoketo Pharaoh,saying,"I would make mentiontodayof my [own] offenses.
and may GodAlmightygrantyou compassionin the sightof the man,so that he will releaseto you your otherbrotherand Benjamin.And as for me, ifI am bereavedof my children,I am bereaved."
"Now,O my God,I pray,let Your eyesbe openand Your earsattentiveto the prayer[offered] in thisplace.
Now in the firstyearof Cyruskingof Persia,in order to fulfillthe wordof the LORDby the mouthof Jeremiah,the LORDstirredup the spiritof Cyruskingof Persia,so that he senta proclamationthroughout allhis kingdom,and also[put it] in writing,saying:
ThisEzrawentup from Babylon,and he was a scribeskilledin the lawof Moses,whichthe LORDGodof Israelhad given;and the kinggrantedhim allhe requestedbecause the handof the LORDhis God[was] upon him.
let Your earnowbe attentiveand Your eyesopento hearthe prayerof Your servantwhichI am prayingbeforeYou now,dayand night,on behalfof the sonsof IsraelYour servants,confessingthe sinsof the sonsof Israelwhichwe have sinnedagainst You; I and my father'shousehave sinned.
And it cameabout in the monthNisan,in the twentiethyearof KingArtaxerxes,that wine[was] beforehim, and I tookup the wineand gaveit to the king.Now I had not beensadin his presence.
and a letterto Asaphthe keeperof the king'sforest,that he may giveme timberto makebeamsfor the gatesof the fortresswhichis by the temple,for the wallof the cityand for the houseto whichI will go."And the kinggranted[them] to me because the goodhandof my God[was] on me.
He also madethem [objects] of compassionIn the presenceof alltheir captors.
Lord,hearmy voice!Let Your earsbe attentiveTo the voiceof my supplications.
For You have heardmy vows,O God;You have given[me] the inheritanceof those who fearYour name.
Giveear,O LORD,to my prayer;And giveheedto the voiceof my supplications!
Becausethey hatedknowledgeAnd did not choosethe fearof the LORD.
The king'sheartis [like] channelsof waterin the handof the LORD;He turnsit whereverHe wishes.
I will also showyou compassion,so that he will havecompassionon you and restoreyou to your own soil.
Thenthose who fearedthe LORDspoketo oneanother,and the LORDgaveattentionand heard[it], and a bookof remembrancewas writtenbeforeHim for those who fearthe LORDand who esteemHis name.
Prayfor us, for we are surethat we havea goodconscience,desiringto conductourselves honorablyin all things.
