2-3. That made me all the more agitated. I said, “Long live the king! And why shouldn’t I be depressed when the city, the city where all my family is buried, is in ruins and the city gates have been reduced to cinders?”
6. The king, with the queen sitting alongside him, said, “How long will your work take and when would you expect to return?”I gave him a time, and the king gave his approval to send me.
20. I shot back, “The God-of-Heaven will make sure we succeed. We’re his servants and we’re going to work, rebuilding. You can keep your nose out of it. You get no say in this—Jerusalem’s none of your business!”