whose behalf he prays. His reaction to the news from Jerusalem reminds us of Ezra’s reaction to the news about the marriages, though it is expressed in different terms. Nehemiah sits (in shock like Ezra?) and weeps and mourns like a person grieving over someone’s death. Psalm 137 expresses the commitment of Judahites in Babylon never to forget Jerusalem; this Judahite in Susa accepts the same commitment, and reacts to the news from Jerusalem like someone whose beloved has died. On the other hand