Protection of God Invoked
21 Then I proclaimed a fast there at the river of Ahava, to humble ourselves before our God, to seek from Him a 8:21 Lit smooth waysafe journey for us, our little ones, and all our possessions. 22 For I was ashamed to request from the king troops and horsemen to 8:22 Lit helpprotect us from the enemy on the way, because we had said to the king, "The hand of our God is 8:22 Lit upon all...for goodfavorably disposed to all who seek Him, but His power and His anger are against all those who abandon Him." 23 So we fasted and sought our God concerning this matter, and He 8:23 Lit was entreated by uslistened to our pleading.
31 Then we journeyed from the river Ahava on the twelfth of the first month to go to Jerusalem; and the hand of our God was upon us, and He rescued us from the hand of the enemy and the ambushes by the road.