⁷ I also said to him, “If it pleases the king, may I have letters to the governors of Trans-Euphrates,^(A) so that they will provide me safe-conduct until I arrive in Judah? ⁸ And may I have a letter to Asaph, keeper of the royal park, so he will give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel^(B) by the temple and for the city wall and for the residence I will occupy?” And because the gracious hand of my God was on me,^(C) the king granted my requests.^{(D) 9} So I went to the governors of Trans-Euphrates and gave them the king’s letters. The king had also sent army officers and cavalry^(E) with me.