⁵⁰ and forgive Your people who have sinned against You, and all their transgressions which they have transgressed against You; and ^(A)grant them compassion before those who took them captive, that they may have compassion on them

⁹ For if you return to the Lord, your brethren and your children will be treated with ^(A)compassion by those who lead them captive, so that they may come back to this land; for the Lord your God is ^(B)gracious and merciful, and will not turn His face from you if you ^(C)return to Him.”

^9 (A)For we were slaves. ^(B)Yet our God did not forsake us in our bondage; but ^(C)He extended mercy to us in the sight of the kings of Persia, to revive us, to repair the house of our God, to rebuild its ruins, and to give us ^(D)a wall in Judah and Jerusalem.

¹¹ O Lord, I pray, please ^(A)let Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant, and to the prayer of Your servants who ^(B)desire to fear Your name; and let Your servant prosper this day, I pray, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.”

For I was the king’s ^(C)cupbearer.

¹² And ^(A)I will show you mercy, that he may have mercy on you and cause you to return to your own land.’