obtained
this reputation among the people, he died an old man, and was buried in
a magnificent manner at Jerusalem. About the same time it happened also
that Joacim, the high priest, died; and his son Eliasib succeeded in
the high priesthood. 6. Now there was one of those Jews that had
been carried captive who was cup-bearer to king Xerxes; his name was
Nehemiah. As this man was walking before Susa, the metropolis of the
Persians, he heard some strangers that were entering the city, after a
long journey, speaking to one another in the Hebrew tongue; so he went
to them, and asked them whence they came. And when their answer was,
that they came from Judea, he began to inquire of them again in what
state the multitude was, and in what condition Jerusalem was; and when
they replied that they were in a bad state [12] for that their walls
were thrown down to the ground, and that the neighboring nations did a
great deal of mischief to the Jews, while in the day time they overran
the country, and pillaged it, and in the night did them mischief,
insomuch that not a few were led away captive out of the country, and
out of Jerusalem itself, and that the roads were in the day time found
full of dead men. Hereupon Nehemiah shed tears, out of commiseration of
the calamities of his countrymen; and, looking up to heaven, he said,
"How long, O Lord, wilt thou overlook our nation, while it suffers so
great miseries, and while we are made the prey and spoil of all men?"
And while he staid at the gate, and lamented thus, one told him that the
king was going to sit down to supper; so he made haste, and went as he
was, without wishing himself, to minister to the king in his office of
cup-bearer. But as the king was very pleasant after supper, and more
cheerful than usual, he cast his eyes on Nehemiah, and seeing him look
sad, he asked him why he was sad. Whereupon he prayed to God to give him
favor, and afford him the power of persuading by his words, and said,
"How can I, O king, appear otherwise than thus, and not be in trouble,
while I hear that the walls of Jerusalem, the city where are the
sepulchers of my fathers, are thrown down to the ground, and that its
gates are consumed by fire? But do thou grant me the favor to go and
build its wall, and to finish the building of the temple." Accordingly,
the king gave him a signal that he freely granted him what he asked;
and told him that he should carry an epistle to the governors, that they
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