Praise the Lord, the God of our ancestors, who made the king (Artaxerxes) want to beautify the Temple of the Lord in Jerusalem! And praise Him for demonstrating such unfailing love to me by honoring me before the king, his council, and al his mighty nobles! I felt encouraged because the gracious hand of the lord my God was on me. And I gathered some of the leaders of Israel to return with me to Jerusalem. (vv 27-28, NLT)