Then answered I them, and said unto them
With much spirit and boldness, not at all intimidated by their scoffs or threats:
the God of heaven, he will prosper us;
whom we serve, and under whose protection we are, who will supply us with everything we want, and succeed this undertaking, in whose name we engage in it, and on whom we depend, and we care not what man can do to us:
therefore we his servants will arise and build;
in spite of all opposition, difficulties, and discouragements:
but you have no portion, nor right, nor memorial in Jerusalem; no part
of the city belonged to them; they had no jurisdiction there; they had no name there, nor their ancestors, in times past; nor had they done anything to perpetuate their memory in it: in short, they had nothing to do with them, neither in religious nor in civil things; and it was best for them to mind their own affairs where they presided, and not trouble themselves about theirs.