Though Ezra and Nehemiah have been somewhat neglected in biblical studies, they are important as one of the few windows into the Persian period of Israel's history, the setting for so much of the final shape of the Hebrew Bible. To know this period is to know what influenced these redactors. The dejected post-exilic society of the Israelites will be reconstructed on the written law. How do the people and the leaders speak in order to achieve this goal? The inter-disciplinary approach of this book studies how the Ezra and Nehemiah rhetoric conveys its message, that is, how its many public discourses and prayers advance the theological meaning. Do Ezra and Nehemiah also tell us anything about how the Church can speak the truth faithfully and effectively in our milieu? Do the words of the governor Nehemiah and the scribe Ezra have anything to say about leadership and preaching in the Church today? "Incline your ear, and come to me; listen, so that you may live. I will make with you an everlasting covenant." -Isaiah 55:3 As they have for centuries, people still turn to the Hebrew Bible to hear afresh the life-giving words of God's everlasting covenant. Berit Olam ("The Everlasting Covenant"): Studies in Hebrew Narrative and Poetry brings to all interested in the Bible, be they lay people, professional biblical scholars, students, or religious educators, the latest developments in the literary analysis of these ancient texts. This multi-volume commentary reflects a relatively new development in biblical studies. The readings of the books of the Hebrew Bible offered here all focus on the final form of the texts, approaching them as literary works, recognizing that the craft of poetry and storytelling that the ancient Hebrew world provided can be found in them and that their truth can be better appreciated with a fuller understanding of that art. The authors reflect a variety of religious traditions, professional backgrounds, and theoretical approaches. Yet they share a common desire to make available to all of God's people the words of the everlasting covenant in all of their beauty. 176 pages.