8. Be it known to the king that we went into the province of Judah, to the house of the great God, which is built with great stones, and timber is laid in the walls. This work goes on with diligence and prospers in their hands.
9. Then we asked those elders, and said to them thus, “Who gave you a decree to build this house, and to finish this wall?”
10. We asked them their names also, to inform you that we might write the names of the men who were at their head.
11. Thus they returned us answer, saying, “We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and are building the house that was built these many years ago, which a great king of Israel built and finished.