17. Praise God for punishing those evil men! Praise him for everything!
18. “On the 25th day of the month of Kislev we will celebrate the Festival of Rededication just as we celebrate the Festival of Shelters. We thought it important to remind you of this, so that you too may celebrate this festival. In this way you will remember how fire appeared when Nehemiah offered sacrifices after he had rebuilt the Temple and the altar.
19. At the time when our ancestors were being taken to exile in Persia, a few devout priests took some fire from the altar and secretly hid it in the bottom of a dry cistern. They hid the fire so well that no one ever discovered it.
20. Years later, when it pleased God, the Persian emperor sent Nehemiah back to Jerusalem, and Nehemiah told the descendants of those priests to find the fire. They reported to us that they had found no fire but only some oily liquid. Nehemiah then told them to scoop some up and bring it to him.
21. When everything for the sacrifice had been placed on the altar, he told the priests to pour the liquid over both the wood and the sacrifice.
22. After this was done and some time had passed, the sun appeared from behind the clouds, and suddenly everything on the altar burst into flames. Everyone looked on in amazement.
23. Then, while the fire was consuming the sacrifice, Jonathan the High Priest led the people in prayer, and Nehemiah and all the people responded.
24. “Nehemiah's prayer went something like this: ‘Lord God, Creator of all things, you are awesome and strong, yet merciful and just. You alone are king. No one but you is kind;
25. no one but you is gracious and just. You are almighty and eternal, for ever ready to rescue Israel from trouble. You chose our ancestors to be your own special people.
26. Accept this sacrifice which we offer on behalf of all Israel; protect your chosen people and make us holy.
27. Free those who are slaves in foreign lands and gather together our scattered people. Have mercy on our people, who are ill-treated and despised, so that all other nations will know that you are our God.
28. Punish the brutal and arrogant people who have oppressed us,
29. and then establish your people in your holy land, as Moses said you would.’
30. “Then the priests sang hymns.
31. After the sacrifices had been consumed, Nehemiah gave orders for the rest of the liquid to be poured over some large stones.