# mercy from Yahweh our God has come

God deciding to be merciful is spoken of as if mercy were a person who could move. AT: "Yahweh our God has decided to be merciful to us and" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]])

# but has extended covenant faithfulness to us

The abstract noun "faithfulness" can be stated as "faithful" or "loyal." See how you translated a similar phrase in [Esra 7:28](../07/27.md). AT: "but he as been faithful to us" or "he has been loyal to us" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-abstractnouns]])

# in the sight of the king of Persia

The king could not literally see the temple, but he did know about what was happening in Jerusalem. Here "sight" is a metonym for what a person knows. AT: "so that the king of Persia knows about it" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy]])

# God's house

the temple

# could give us a wall of safety

The wall that keeps people safe is a metaphor for Yahweh protecting his people. AT: "could keep us safe" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]])

# translationWords

* [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/mercy]]
* [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/yahweh]]
* [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/god]]
* [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/holyplace]]
* [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/covenantfaith]]
* [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/other/king]]
* [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/names/persia]]
* [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/houseofgod]]
* [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/names/judah]]
* [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/names/jerusalem]]