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Nehemiah 1:16-11:11
New King James Version
Nehemiah 1:16-11:11
New King James Version
Nehemiah Sent to Judah
2 And it came to pass in the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of (A)King [a]Artaxerxes, when wine was before him, that (B)I took the wine and gave it to the king. Now I had never been sad in his presence before. 2 Therefore the king said to me, “Why is your face sad, since you are not sick? This is nothing but (C)sorrow of heart.”
So I became [b]dreadfully afraid, 3 and said to the king, (D)“May the king live forever! Why should my face not be sad, when (E)the city, the place of my fathers’ tombs, lies waste, and its gates are burned with (F)fire?”
4 Then the king said to me, “What do you request?”
So I (G)prayed to the God of heaven. 5 And I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, I ask that you send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers’ tombs, that I may rebuild it.”
6 Then the king said to me (the queen also sitting beside him), “How long will your journey be? And when will you return?” So it pleased the king to send me; and I set him (H)a time.
7 Furthermore I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, let letters be given to me for the (I)governors of the region beyond [c]the River, that they must permit me to pass through till I come to Judah, 8 and a letter to Asaph the keeper of the king’s forest, that he must give me timber to make beams for the gates of the [d]citadel which pertains (J)to the [e]temple, for the city wall, and for the house that I will occupy.” And the king granted them to me (K)according to the good hand of my God upon me.
9 Then I went to the governors in the region beyond the River, and gave them the king’s letters. Now the king had sent captains of the army and horsemen with me. 10 When (L)Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite [f]official heard of it, they were deeply disturbed that a man had come to seek the well-being of the children of Israel.
Nehemiah Views the Wall of Jerusalem
11 So I (M)came to Jerusalem and was there three days. 12 Then I arose in the night, I and a few men with me; I told no one what my God had put in my heart to do at Jerusalem; nor was there any animal with me, except the one on which I rode. 13 And I went out by night (N)through the Valley Gate to the Serpent Well and the [g]Refuse Gate, and [h]viewed the walls of Jerusalem which were (O)broken down and its gates which were burned with fire. 14 Then I went on to the (P)Fountain Gate and to the (Q)King’s Pool, but there was no room for the animal under me to pass. 15 So I went up in the night by the (R)valley,[i] and [j]viewed the wall; then I turned back and entered by the Valley Gate, and so returned. 16 And the officials did not know where I had gone or what I had done; I had not yet told the Jews, the priests, the nobles, the officials, or the others who did the work.
17 Then I said to them, “You see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lies [k]waste, and its gates are burned with fire. Come and let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer be (S)a reproach.” 18 And I told them of (T)the hand of my God which had been good upon me, and also of the king’s words that he had spoken to me.
So they said, “Let us rise up and build.” Then they (U)set[l] their hands to this good work.
19 But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab heard of it, they laughed at us and despised us, and said, “What is this thing that you are doing? (V)Will you rebel against the king?”
20 So I answered them, and said to them, “The God of heaven Himself will prosper us; therefore we His servants will arise and build, (W)but you have no heritage or right or memorial in Jerusalem.”
Rebuilding the Wall
3 Then (X)Eliashib the high priest rose up with his brethren the priests (Y)and built the Sheep Gate; they consecrated it and hung its doors. They built (Z)as far as the Tower of [m]the Hundred, and consecrated it, then as far as the Tower of (AA)Hananel. 2 [n]Next to Eliashib (AB)the men of Jericho built. And next to them Zaccur the son of Imri built.
3 Also the sons of Hassenaah built (AC)the Fish Gate; they laid its beams and (AD)hung its doors with its bolts and bars. 4 And next to them (AE)Meremoth the son of Urijah, the son of [o]Koz, made repairs. Next to them (AF)Meshullam the son of Berechiah, the son of Meshezabel, made repairs. Next to them Zadok the son of Baana made repairs. 5 Next to them the Tekoites made repairs; but their nobles did not put their [p]shoulders to (AG)the work of their Lord.
6 Moreover Jehoiada the son of Paseah and Meshullam the son of Besodeiah repaired (AH)the Old Gate; they laid its beams and hung its doors, with its bolts and bars. 7 And next to them Melatiah the Gibeonite, Jadon the Meronothite, the (AI)men of Gibeon and Mizpah, repaired the (AJ)residence[q] of the governor of the region [r]beyond the River. 8 Next to him Uzziel the son of Harhaiah, one of the goldsmiths, made repairs. Also next to him Hananiah, [s]one of the perfumers, made repairs; and they [t]fortified Jerusalem as far as the (AK)Broad Wall. 9 And next to them Rephaiah the son of Hur, leader of half the district of Jerusalem, made repairs. 10 Next to them Jedaiah the son of Harumaph made repairs in front of his house. And next to him Hattush the son of Hashabniah made repairs.
11 Malchijah the son of Harim and Hashub the son of Pahath-Moab repaired another section, (AL)as well as the Tower of the Ovens. 12 And next to him was Shallum the son of Hallohesh, leader of half the district of Jerusalem; he and his daughters made repairs.
13 Hanun and the inhabitants of Zanoah repaired (AM)the Valley Gate. They built it, hung its doors with its bolts and bars, and repaired a thousand cubits of the wall as far as (AN)the Refuse Gate.
14 Malchijah the son of Rechab, leader of the district of (AO)Beth Haccerem, repaired the Refuse Gate; he built it and hung its doors with its bolts and bars.
15 Shallun the son of Col-Hozeh, leader of the district of Mizpah, repaired (AP)the Fountain Gate; he built it, covered it, hung its doors with its bolts and bars, and repaired the wall of the Pool of (AQ)Shelah[u] by the (AR)King’s Garden, as far as the stairs that go down from the City of David. 16 After him Nehemiah the son of Azbuk, leader of half the district of Beth Zur, made repairs as far as the place in front of the [v]tombs of David, to the (AS)man-made pool, and as far as the House of the Mighty.
17 After him the Levites, under Rehum the son of Bani, made repairs. Next to him Hashabiah, leader of half the district of Keilah, made repairs for his district. 18 After him their brethren, under [w]Bavai the son of Henadad, leader of the other half of the district of Keilah, made repairs. 19 And next to him Ezer the son of Jeshua, the leader of Mizpah, repaired another section in front of the Ascent to the Armory at the (AT)buttress.[x] 20 After him Baruch the son of [y]Zabbai carefully repaired the other section, from the [z]buttress to the door of the house of Eliashib the high priest. 21 After him Meremoth the son of Urijah, the son of [aa]Koz, repaired another section, from the door of the house of Eliashib to the end of the house of Eliashib.
22 And after him the priests, the men of the plain, made repairs. 23 After him Benjamin and Hasshub made repairs opposite their house. After them Azariah the son of Maaseiah, the son of Ananiah, made repairs by his house. 24 After him (AU)Binnui the son of Henadad repaired another section, from the house of Azariah to (AV)the [ab]buttress, even as far as the corner. 25 Palal the son of Uzai made repairs opposite the [ac]buttress, and on the tower which projects from the king’s upper house that was by the (AW)court of the prison. After him Pedaiah the son of Parosh made repairs.
26 Moreover (AX)the Nethinim who dwelt in (AY)Ophel made repairs as far as the place in front of (AZ)the Water Gate toward the east, and on the projecting tower. 27 After them the Tekoites repaired another section, next to the great projecting tower, and as far as the wall of Ophel.
28 Beyond the (BA)Horse Gate the priests made repairs, each in front of his own house. 29 After them Zadok the son of Immer made repairs in front of his own house. After him Shemaiah the son of Shechaniah, the keeper of the East Gate, made repairs. 30 After him Hananiah the son of Shelemiah, and Hanun, the sixth son of Zalaph, repaired another section. After him Meshullam the son of Berechiah made repairs in front of his [ad]dwelling. 31 After him Malchijah, [ae]one of the goldsmiths, made repairs as far as the house of the Nethinim and of the merchants, in front of the [af]Miphkad Gate, and as far as the upper room at the corner. 32 And between the upper room at the corner, as far as the (BB)Sheep Gate, the goldsmiths and the merchants made repairs.
The Wall Defended Against Enemies
4 But it so happened, (BC)when Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, that he was furious and very indignant, and mocked the Jews. 2 And he spoke before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, “What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they fortify themselves? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they complete it in a day? Will they revive the stones from the heaps of rubbish—stones that are burned?”
3 Now (BD)Tobiah the Ammonite was beside him, and he said, “Whatever they build, if even a fox goes up on it, he will break down their stone wall.”
4 (BE)Hear, O our God, for we are despised; (BF)turn their reproach on their own heads, and give them as plunder to a land of captivity! 5 (BG)Do not cover their iniquity, and do not let their sin be blotted out from before You; for they have provoked You to anger before the builders.
6 So we built the wall, and the entire wall was joined together up to half its height, for the people had a mind to work.
7 Now it happened, (BH)when Sanballat, Tobiah, (BI)the Arabs, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites heard that the walls of Jerusalem were being restored and the [ag]gaps were beginning to be closed, that they became very angry, 8 and all of them (BJ)conspired together to come and attack Jerusalem and create confusion. 9 Nevertheless (BK)we made our prayer to our God, and because of them we set a watch against them day and night.
10 Then Judah said, “The strength of the laborers is failing, and there is so much rubbish that we are not able to build the wall.”
11 And our adversaries said, “They will neither know nor see anything, till we come into their midst and kill them and cause the work to cease.”
12 So it was, when the Jews who dwelt near them came, that they told us ten times, “From whatever place you turn, they will be upon us.”
13 Therefore I positioned men behind the lower parts of the wall, at the openings; and I set the people according to their families, with their swords, their spears, and their bows. 14 And I looked, and arose and said to the nobles, to the leaders, and to the rest of the people, (BL)“Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, (BM)great and awesome, and (BN)fight for your brethren, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses.”
15 And it happened, when our enemies heard that it was known to us, and (BO)that God had brought their plot to nothing, that all of us returned to the wall, everyone to his work. 16 So it was, from that time on, that half of my servants worked at construction, while the other half held the spears, the shields, the bows, and wore armor; and the leaders [ah]were behind all the house of Judah. 17 Those who built on the wall, and those who carried burdens, loaded themselves so that with one hand they worked at construction, and with the other held a weapon. 18 Every one of the builders had his sword girded at his side as he built. And the one who sounded the trumpet was beside me.
19 Then I said to the nobles, the rulers, and the rest of the people, “The work is great and extensive, and we are separated far from one another on the wall. 20 Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally to us there. (BP)Our God will fight for us.”
21 So we labored in the work, and half of [ai]the men held the spears from daybreak until the stars appeared. 22 At the same time I also said to the people, “Let each man and his servant stay at night in Jerusalem, that they may be our guard by night and a working party by day.” 23 So neither I, my brethren, my servants, nor the men of the guard who followed me took off our clothes, except that everyone took them off for washing.
Nehemiah Deals with Oppression
5 And there was a great (BQ)outcry of the people and their wives against their (BR)Jewish brethren. 2 For there were those who said, “We, our sons, and our daughters are many; therefore let us get grain, that we may eat and live.”
3 There were also some who said, “We have mortgaged our lands and vineyards and houses, that we might buy grain because of the famine.”
4 There were also those who said, “We have borrowed money for the king’s tax on our lands and vineyards. 5 Yet now (BS)our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren, our children as their children; and indeed we (BT)are forcing our sons and our daughters to be slaves, and some of our daughters have been brought into slavery. It is not in our power to redeem them, for other men have our lands and vineyards.”
6 And I became very angry when I heard their outcry and these words. 7 After serious thought, I rebuked the nobles and rulers, and said to them, (BU)“Each of you is [aj]exacting usury from his brother.” So I [ak]called a great assembly against them. 8 And I said to them, “According to our ability we have (BV)redeemed our Jewish brethren who were sold to the nations. Now indeed, will you even sell your brethren? Or should they be sold to us?”
Then they were silenced and found nothing to say. 9 Then I said, “What you are doing is not good. Should you not walk (BW)in the fear of our God (BX)because of the reproach of the nations, our enemies? 10 I also, with my brethren and my servants, am lending them money and grain. Please, let us stop this [al]usury! 11 Restore now to them, even this day, their lands, their vineyards, their olive groves, and their houses, also a hundredth of the money and the grain, the new wine and the oil, that you have charged them.”
12 So they said, “We will restore it, and will require nothing from them; we will do as you say.”
Then I called the priests, (BY)and required an oath from them that they would do according to this promise. 13 Then (BZ)I shook out [am]the fold of my garment and said, “So may God shake out each man from his house, and from his property, who does not perform this promise. Even thus may he be shaken out and emptied.”
And all the assembly said, “Amen!” and praised the Lord. (CA)Then the people did according to this promise.
The Generosity of Nehemiah
14 Moreover, from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year (CB)until the thirty-second year of King Artaxerxes, twelve years, neither I nor my brothers (CC)ate the governor’s provisions. 15 But the former governors who were before me laid burdens on the people, and took from them bread and wine, besides forty shekels of silver. Yes, even their servants bore rule over the people, but (CD)I did not do so, because of the (CE)fear of God. 16 Indeed, I also continued the (CF)work on this wall, and [an]we did not buy any land. All my servants were gathered there for the work.
17 And (CG)at my table were one hundred and fifty Jews and rulers, besides those who came to us from the nations around us. 18 Now that (CH)which was prepared daily was one ox and six choice sheep. Also fowl were prepared for me, and once every ten days an abundance of all kinds of wine. Yet in spite of this (CI)I did not demand the governor’s provisions, because the bondage was heavy on this people.
19 (CJ)Remember me, my God, for good, according to all that I have done for this people.
Conspiracy Against Nehemiah
6 Now it happened (CK)when Sanballat, Tobiah, [ao]Geshem the Arab, and the rest of our enemies heard that I had rebuilt the wall, and that there were no breaks left in it (CL)(though at that time I had not hung the doors in the gates), 2 that Sanballat and [ap]Geshem (CM)sent to me, saying, “Come, let us meet together [aq]among the villages in the plain of (CN)Ono.” But they (CO)thought to do me harm.
3 So I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down. Why should the work cease while I leave it and go down to you?”
4 But they sent me this message four times, and I answered them in the same manner.
5 Then Sanballat sent his servant to me as before, the fifth time, with an open letter in his hand. 6 In it was written:
It is reported among the nations, and [ar]Geshem says, that you and the Jews plan to rebel; therefore, according to these rumors, you are rebuilding the wall, (CP)that you may be their king. 7 And you have also appointed prophets to proclaim concerning you at Jerusalem, saying, “There is a king in Judah!” Now these matters will be reported to the king. So come, therefore, and let us consult together.
8 Then I sent to him, saying, “No such things as you say are being done, but you invent them in your own heart.”
9 For they all were trying to make us afraid, saying, “Their hands will be weakened in the work, and it will not be done.”
Now therefore, O God, strengthen my hands.
10 Afterward I came to the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah, the son of Mehetabel, who was a secret informer; and he said, “Let us meet together in the house of God, within the [as]temple, and let us close the doors of the temple, for they are coming to kill you; indeed, at night they will come to kill you.”
11 And I said, “Should such a man as I flee? And who is there such as I who would go into the temple to save his life? I will not go in!” 12 Then I perceived that God had not sent him at all, but that (CQ)he pronounced this prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. 13 For this reason he was hired, that I should be afraid and act that way and sin, so that they might have cause for an evil report, that they might reproach me.
14 (CR)My God, remember Tobiah and Sanballat, according to these their works, and the (CS)prophetess Noadiah and the rest of the prophets who would have made me afraid.
The Wall Completed
15 So the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of Elul, in fifty-two days. 16 And it happened, (CT)when all our enemies heard of it, and all the nations around us saw these things, that they were very disheartened in their own eyes; for (CU)they perceived that this work was done by our God.
17 Also in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah, and the letters of Tobiah came to them. 18 For many in Judah were pledged to him, because he was the (CV)son-in-law of Shechaniah the son of Arah, and his son Jehohanan had married the daughter of (CW)Meshullam the son of Berechiah. 19 Also they reported his good deeds before me, and reported my [at]words to him. Tobiah sent letters to frighten me.
List of Returning Exiles
7 Then it was, when the wall was built and I had (CX)hung the doors, when the gatekeepers, the singers, and the Levites had been appointed, 2 that I gave the charge of Jerusalem to my brother (CY)Hanani, and Hananiah the leader (CZ)of the [au]citadel, for he was a faithful man and (DA)feared God more than many.
3 And I said to them, “Do not let the gates of Jerusalem be opened until the sun is hot; and while they stand guard, let them shut and bar the doors; and appoint guards from among the inhabitants of Jerusalem, one at his watch station and another in front of his own house.”
The Captives Who Returned to Jerusalem(DB)
4 Now the city was large and spacious, but the people in it were (DC)few, and the houses were not rebuilt. 5 Then my God put it into my heart to gather the nobles, the rulers, and the people, that they might be registered by genealogy. And I found a register of the genealogy of those who had come up in the first return, and found written in it:
6 (DD)These are the people of the province who came back from the captivity, of those who had been carried away, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away, and who returned to Jerusalem and Judah, everyone to his city.
7 Those who came with (DE)Zerubbabel were Jeshua, Nehemiah, [av]Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, [aw]Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, and Baanah.
The number of the men of the people of Israel: 8 the sons of Parosh, two thousand one hundred and seventy-two;
9 the sons of Shephatiah, three hundred and seventy-two;
10 the sons of Arah, six hundred and fifty-two;
11 the sons of Pahath-Moab, of the sons of Jeshua and Joab, two thousand eight hundred and eighteen;
12 the sons of Elam, one thousand two hundred and fifty-four;
13 the sons of Zattu, eight hundred and forty-five;
14 the sons of Zaccai, seven hundred and sixty;
15 the sons of [ax]Binnui, six hundred and forty-eight;
16 the sons of Bebai, six hundred and twenty-eight;
17 the sons of Azgad, two thousand three hundred and twenty-two;
18 the sons of Adonikam, six hundred and sixty-seven;
19 the sons of Bigvai, two thousand and sixty-seven;
20 the sons of Adin, six hundred and fifty-five;
21 the sons of Ater of Hezekiah, ninety-eight;
22 the sons of Hashum, three hundred and twenty-eight;
23 the sons of Bezai, three hundred and twenty-four;
24 the sons of [ay]Hariph, one hundred and twelve;
25 the sons of [az]Gibeon, ninety-five;
26 the men of Bethlehem and Netophah, one hundred and eighty-eight;
27 the men of Anathoth, one hundred and twenty-eight;
28 the men of [ba]Beth Azmaveth, forty-two;
29 the men of [bb]Kirjath Jearim, Chephirah, and Beeroth, seven hundred and forty-three;
30 the men of Ramah and Geba, six hundred and twenty-one;
31 the men of Michmas, one hundred and twenty-two;
32 the men of Bethel and Ai, one hundred and twenty-three;
33 the men of the other Nebo, fifty-two;
34 the sons of the other (DF)Elam, one thousand two hundred and fifty-four;
35 the sons of Harim, three hundred and twenty;
36 the sons of Jericho, three hundred and forty-five;
37 the sons of Lod, Hadid, and Ono, seven hundred and twenty-one;
38 the sons of Senaah, three thousand nine hundred and thirty.
39 The priests: the sons of (DG)Jedaiah, of the house of Jeshua, nine hundred and seventy-three;
40 the sons of (DH)Immer, one thousand and fifty-two;
41 the sons of (DI)Pashhur, one thousand two hundred and forty-seven;
42 the sons of (DJ)Harim, one thousand and seventeen.
43 The Levites: the sons of Jeshua, of Kadmiel,
and of the sons of [bc]Hodevah, seventy-four.
44 The singers: the sons of Asaph, one hundred and forty-eight.
45 The gatekeepers: the sons of Shallum,
the sons of Ater,
the sons of Talmon,
the sons of Akkub,
the sons of Hatita,
the sons of Shobai, one hundred and thirty-eight.
46 The Nethinim: the sons of Ziha,
the sons of Hasupha,
the sons of Tabbaoth,
47 the sons of Keros,
the sons of [bd]Sia,
the sons of Padon,
48 the sons of [be]Lebana,
the sons of [bf]Hagaba,
the sons of [bg]Salmai,
49 the sons of Hanan,
the sons of Giddel,
the sons of Gahar,
50 the sons of Reaiah,
the sons of Rezin,
the sons of Nekoda,
51 the sons of Gazzam,
the sons of Uzza,
the sons of Paseah,
52 the sons of Besai,
the sons of Meunim,
the sons of [bh]Nephishesim,
53 the sons of Bakbuk,
the sons of Hakupha,
the sons of Harhur,
54 the sons of [bi]Bazlith,
the sons of Mehida,
the sons of Harsha,
55 the sons of Barkos,
the sons of Sisera,
the sons of Tamah,
56 the sons of Neziah,
and the sons of Hatipha.
57 The sons of Solomon’s servants: the sons of Sotai,
the sons of Sophereth,
the sons of [bj]Perida,
58 the sons of Jaala,
the sons of Darkon,
the sons of Giddel,
59 the sons of Shephatiah,
the sons of Hattil,
the sons of Pochereth of Zebaim,
and the sons of [bk]Amon.
60 All the Nethinim, and the sons of Solomon’s servants, were three hundred and ninety-two.
61 And these were the ones who came up from Tel Melah, Tel Harsha, Cherub, [bl]Addon, and Immer, but they could not identify their father’s house nor their lineage, whether they were of Israel: 62 the sons of Delaiah,
the sons of Tobiah,
the sons of Nekoda, six hundred and forty-two;
63 and of the priests: the sons of Habaiah,
the sons of [bm]Koz,
the sons of Barzillai, who took a wife of the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite, and was called by their name.
64 These sought their listing among those who were registered by genealogy, but it was not found; therefore they were excluded from the priesthood as defiled. 65 And the [bn]governor said to them that they should not eat of the most holy things till a priest could consult with the Urim and Thummim.
66 Altogether the whole assembly was forty-two thousand three hundred and sixty, 67 besides their male and female servants, of whom there were seven thousand three hundred and thirty-seven; and they had two hundred and forty-five men and women singers. 68 Their horses were seven hundred and thirty-six, their mules two hundred and forty-five, 69 their camels four hundred and thirty-five, and donkeys six thousand seven hundred and twenty.
70 And some of the heads of the fathers’ houses gave to the work. (DK)The [bo]governor gave to the treasury one thousand gold drachmas, fifty basins, and five hundred and thirty priestly garments. 71 Some of the heads of the fathers’ houses gave to the treasury of the work (DL)twenty thousand gold drachmas, and two thousand two hundred silver minas. 72 And that which the rest of the people gave was twenty thousand gold drachmas, two thousand silver minas, and sixty-seven priestly garments.
73 So the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, some of the people, the Nethinim, and all Israel dwelt in their cities.
Ezra Reads the Law
(DM)When the seventh month came, the children of Israel were in their cities.
Ezra Reads and Explains the Law
8 Now all (DN)the people gathered together as one man in the open square that was (DO)in front of the Water Gate; and they told Ezra the (DP)scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded Israel. 2 So Ezra the priest brought (DQ)the Law before the assembly of men and women and all who could hear with understanding (DR)on the first day of the seventh month. 3 Then he (DS)read from it in the open square that was in front of the Water Gate [bp]from morning until midday, before the men and women and those who could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law.
4 So Ezra the scribe stood on a platform of wood which they had made for the purpose; and beside him, at his right hand, stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Urijah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah; and at his left hand Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbadana, Zechariah, and Meshullam. 5 And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was standing above all the people; and when he opened it, all the people (DT)stood up. 6 And Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God.
Then all the people (DU)answered, “Amen, Amen!” while (DV)lifting up their hands. And they (DW)bowed their heads and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground.
7 Also Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodijah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites, (DX)helped the people to understand the Law; and the people (DY)stood in their place. 8 So they read distinctly from the book, in the Law of God; and they gave the sense, and helped them to understand the reading.
9 (DZ)And Nehemiah, who was the [bq]governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, (EA)“This day is holy to the Lord your God; (EB)do not mourn nor weep.” For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the Law.
10 Then he said to them, “Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, (EC)and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”
11 So the Levites quieted all the people, saying, “Be still, for the day is holy; do not be grieved.” 12 And all the people went their way to eat and drink, to (ED)send portions and rejoice greatly, because they (EE)understood the words that were declared to them.
The Feast of Tabernacles(EF)
13 Now on the second day the heads of the fathers’ houses of all the people, with the priests and Levites, were gathered to Ezra the scribe, in order to understand the words of the Law. 14 And they found written in the Law, which the Lord had commanded by Moses, that the children of Israel should dwell in (EG)booths[br] during the feast of the seventh month, 15 and (EH)that they should announce and proclaim in all their cities and (EI)in Jerusalem, saying, “Go out to the mountain, and (EJ)bring olive branches, branches of oil trees, myrtle branches, palm branches, and branches of leafy trees, to make booths, as it is written.”
16 Then the people went out and brought them and made themselves booths, each one on the (EK)roof of his house, or in their courtyards or the courts of the house of God, and in the open square of the (EL)Water Gate (EM)and in the open square of the Gate of Ephraim. 17 So the whole assembly of those who had returned from the captivity made [bs]booths and sat under the booths; for since the days of Joshua the son of Nun until that day the children of Israel had not done so. And there was very (EN)great gladness. 18 Also (EO)day by day, from the first day until the last day, he read from the Book of the Law of God. And they kept the feast (EP)seven days; and on the (EQ)eighth day there was a sacred assembly, according to the prescribed manner.
The People Confess Their Sins
9 Now on the twenty-fourth day of (ER)this month the children of Israel were assembled with fasting, in sackcloth, (ES)and with [bt]dust on their heads. 2 Then (ET)those of Israelite lineage separated themselves from all foreigners; and they stood and (EU)confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers. 3 And they stood up in their place and (EV)read from the Book of the Law of the Lord their God for one-fourth of the day; and for another fourth they confessed and worshiped the Lord their God.
4 Then Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Chenani stood on the [bu]stairs of the Levites and cried out with a loud voice to the Lord their God. 5 And the Levites, Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabniah, Sherebiah, Hodijah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah, said:
“Stand up and bless the Lord your God
Forever and ever!
“Blessed be (EW)Your glorious name,
Which is exalted above all blessing and praise!
6 (EX)You alone are the Lord;
(EY)You have made heaven,
(EZ)The heaven of heavens, with (FA)all their host,
The earth and everything on it,
The seas and all that is in them,
And You (FB)preserve them all.
The host of heaven worships You.
7 “You are the Lord God,
Who chose (FC)Abram,
And brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans,
And gave him the name (FD)Abraham;
8 You found his heart (FE)faithful before You,
And made a (FF)covenant with him
To give the land of the Canaanites,
The Hittites, the Amorites,
The Perizzites, the Jebusites,
And the Girgashites—
To give it to his descendants.
You (FG)have performed Your words,
For You are righteous.
9 “You(FH) saw the affliction of our fathers in Egypt,
And (FI)heard their cry by the Red Sea.
10 You (FJ)showed signs and wonders against Pharaoh,
Against all his servants,
And against all the people of his land.
For You knew that they (FK)acted [bv]proudly against them.
So You (FL)made a name for Yourself, as it is this day.
11 (FM)And You divided the sea before them,
So that they went through the midst of the sea on the dry land;
And their persecutors You threw into the deep,
(FN)As a stone into the mighty waters.
12 Moreover You (FO)led them by day with a cloudy pillar,
And by night with a pillar of fire,
To give them light on the road
Which they should travel.
13 “You(FP) came down also on Mount Sinai,
And spoke with them from heaven,
And gave them (FQ)just ordinances and true laws,
Good statutes and commandments.
14 You made known to them Your (FR)holy Sabbath,
And commanded them precepts, statutes and laws,
By the hand of Moses Your servant.
15 You (FS)gave them bread from heaven for their hunger,
And (FT)brought them water out of the rock for their thirst,
And told them to (FU)go in to possess the land
Which You had [bw]sworn to give them.
16 “But(FV) they and our fathers acted [bx]proudly,
(FW)Hardened[by] their necks,
And did not heed Your commandments.
17 They refused to obey,
And (FX)they were not mindful of Your wonders
That You did among them.
But they hardened their necks,
And [bz]in their rebellion
They appointed (FY)a leader
To return to their bondage.
But You are God,
Ready to pardon,
(FZ)Gracious and merciful,
Slow to anger,
Abundant in kindness,
And did not forsake them.
18 “Even (GA)when they made a molded calf for themselves,
And said, ‘This is your god
That brought you up out of Egypt,’
And worked great provocations,
19 Yet in Your (GB)manifold mercies
You did not forsake them in the wilderness.
The (GC)pillar of the cloud did not depart from them by day,
To lead them on the road;
Nor the pillar of fire by night,
To show them light,
And the way they should go.
20 You also gave Your (GD)good Spirit to instruct them,
And did not withhold Your (GE)manna from their mouth,
And gave them (GF)water for their thirst.
21 (GG)Forty years You sustained them in the wilderness;
They lacked nothing;
Their (GH)clothes did not wear out
And their feet did not swell.
22 “Moreover You gave them kingdoms and nations,
And divided them into [ca]districts.
So they took possession of the land of (GI)Sihon,
[cb]The land of the king of Heshbon,
And the land of Og king of Bashan.
23 You also multiplied (GJ)their children as the stars of heaven,
And brought them into the land
Which You had told their fathers
To go in and possess.
24 So (GK)the [cc]people went in
And possessed the land;
(GL)You subdued before them the inhabitants of the land,
The Canaanites,
And gave them into their hands,
With their kings
And the people of the land,
That they might do with them as they wished.
25 And they took strong cities and a (GM)rich land,
And possessed (GN)houses full of all goods,
Cisterns already dug, vineyards, olive groves,
And [cd]fruit trees in abundance.
So they ate and were filled and (GO)grew fat,
And delighted themselves in Your great (GP)goodness.
26 “Nevertheless they (GQ)were disobedient
And rebelled against You,
(GR)Cast Your law behind their backs
And killed Your (GS)prophets, who [ce]testified against them
To turn them to Yourself;
And they worked great provocations.
27 (GT)Therefore You delivered them into the hand of their enemies,
Who oppressed them;
And in the time of their trouble,
When they cried to You,
You (GU)heard from heaven;
And according to Your abundant mercies
(GV)You gave them deliverers who saved them
From the hand of their enemies.
28 “But after they had rest,
(GW)They again did evil before You.
Therefore You left them in the hand of their enemies,
So that they had dominion over them;
Yet when they returned and cried out to You,
You heard from heaven;
And (GX)many times You delivered them according to Your mercies,
29 And [cf]testified against them,
That You might bring them back to Your law.
Yet they acted [cg]proudly,
And did not heed Your commandments,
But sinned against Your judgments,
(GY)‘Which if a man does, he shall live by them.’
And they shrugged their shoulders,
[ch]Stiffened their necks,
And would not hear.
30 Yet for many years You had patience with them,
And [ci]testified (GZ)against them by Your Spirit (HA)in Your prophets.
Yet they would not listen;
(HB)Therefore You gave them into the hand of the peoples of the lands.
31 Nevertheless in Your great mercy
(HC)You did not utterly consume them nor forsake them;
For You are God, gracious and merciful.
32 “Now therefore, our God,
The great, the (HD)mighty, and awesome God,
Who keeps covenant and mercy:
Do not let all the [cj]trouble seem small before You
That has come upon us,
Our kings and our princes,
Our priests and our prophets,
Our fathers and on all Your people,
(HE)From the days of the kings of Assyria until this day.
33 However (HF)You are just in all that has befallen us;
For You have dealt faithfully,
But (HG)we have done wickedly.
34 Neither our kings nor our princes,
Our priests nor our fathers,
Have kept Your law,
Nor heeded Your commandments and Your testimonies,
With which You testified against them.
35 For they have (HH)not served You in their kingdom,
Or in the many good things that You gave them,
Or in the large and rich land which You set before them;
Nor did they turn from their wicked works.
36 “Here (HI)we are, servants today!
And the land that You gave to our fathers,
To eat its fruit and its bounty,
Here we are, servants in it!
37 And (HJ)it yields much increase to the kings
You have set over us,
Because of our sins;
Also they have (HK)dominion over our bodies and our cattle
At their pleasure;
And we are in great distress.
38 “And because of all this,
We (HL)make a sure covenant and write it;
Our leaders, our Levites, and our priests (HM)seal it.”
The People Who Sealed the Covenant
10 Now those who placed their seal on the document were:
Nehemiah the [ck]governor, (HN)the son of Hacaliah, and Zedekiah, 2 (HO)Seraiah, Azariah, Jeremiah, 3 Pashhur, Amariah, Malchijah, 4 Hattush, Shebaniah, Malluch, 5 Harim, Meremoth, Obadiah, 6 Daniel, Ginnethon, Baruch, 7 Meshullam, Abijah, Mijamin, 8 Maaziah, Bilgai, and Shemaiah. These were the priests.
9 The Levites: Jeshua the son of Azaniah, Binnui of the sons of Henadad, and Kadmiel.
10 Their brethren: Shebaniah, Hodijah, Kelita, Pelaiah, Hanan, 11 Micha, Rehob, Hashabiah, 12 Zaccur, Sherebiah, Shebaniah, 13 Hodijah, Bani, and Beninu.
14 The leaders of the people: (HP)Parosh, Pahath-Moab, Elam, Zattu, Bani, 15 Bunni, Azgad, Bebai, 16 Adonijah, Bigvai, Adin, 17 Ater, Hezekiah, Azzur, 18 Hodijah, Hashum, Bezai, 19 Hariph, Anathoth, Nebai, 20 Magpiash, Meshullam, Hezir, 21 Meshezabel, Zadok, Jaddua, 22 Pelatiah, Hanan, Anaiah, 23 Hoshea, Hananiah, Hasshub, 24 Hallohesh, Pilha, Shobek, 25 Rehum, Hashabnah, Maaseiah, 26 Ahijah, Hanan, Anan, 27 Malluch, Harim, and Baanah.
The Covenant That Was Sealed
28 (HQ)Now the rest of the people—the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, the Nethinim, (HR)and all those who had separated themselves from the peoples of the lands to the Law of God, their wives, their sons, and their daughters, everyone who had knowledge and understanding— 29 these joined with their brethren, their nobles, (HS)and entered into a curse and an oath (HT)to walk in God’s Law, which was given by Moses the servant of God, and to observe and do all the commandments of the Lord our Lord, and His ordinances and His statutes: 30 We would not give (HU)our daughters as wives to the peoples of the land, nor take their daughters for our sons; 31 (HV)if the peoples of the land brought [cl]wares or any grain to sell on the Sabbath day, we would not buy it from them on the Sabbath, or on a holy day; and we would forego the (HW)seventh year’s produce and the (HX)exacting[cm] of every debt.
32 Also we made ordinances for ourselves, to exact from ourselves yearly (HY)one-third of a shekel for the service of the house of our God: 33 for (HZ)the showbread, for the regular grain offering, for the (IA)regular burnt offering of the Sabbaths, the New Moons, and the set feasts; for the holy things, for the sin offerings to make atonement for Israel, and all the work of the house of our God. 34 We cast lots among the priests, the Levites, and the people, (IB)for bringing the wood offering into the house of our God, according to our fathers’ houses, at the appointed times year by year, to burn on the altar of the Lord our God (IC)as it is written in the Law.
35 And we made ordinances (ID)to bring the firstfruits of our ground and the firstfruits of all fruit of all trees, year by year, to the house of the Lord; 36 to bring the (IE)firstborn of our sons and our cattle, as it is written in the Law, and the firstborn of our herds and our flocks, to the house of our God, to the priests who minister in the house of our God; 37 (IF)to bring the firstfruits of our dough, our offerings, the fruit from all kinds of trees, the new wine and oil, to the priests, to the storerooms of the [cn]house of our God; and to bring (IG)the tithes of our land to the Levites, for the Levites should receive the tithes in all our farming communities. 38 And the priest, the descendant of Aaron, shall be with the Levites (IH)when the Levites receive tithes; and the Levites shall bring up a tenth of the tithes to the house of our God, to (II)the rooms of the storehouse.
39 For the children of Israel and the children of Levi (IJ)shall bring the offering of the grain, of the new wine and the oil, to the storerooms where the articles of the sanctuary are, where the priests who minister and the gatekeepers (IK)and the singers are; and we will not (IL)neglect the house of our God.
The People Dwelling in Jerusalem
11 Now the leaders of the people dwelt at Jerusalem; the rest of the people cast lots to bring one out of ten to dwell in Jerusalem, (IM)the holy city, and nine-tenths were to dwell in other cities. 2 And the people blessed all the men who (IN)willingly offered themselves to dwell at Jerusalem.
3 (IO)These are the heads of the province who dwelt in Jerusalem. (But in the cities of Judah everyone dwelt in his own possession in their cities—Israelites, priests, Levites, (IP)Nethinim, and (IQ)descendants of Solomon’s servants.) 4 Also (IR)in Jerusalem dwelt some of the children of Judah and of the children of Benjamin.
The children of Judah: Athaiah the son of Uzziah, the son of Zechariah, the son of Amariah, the son of Shephatiah, the son of Mahalalel, of the children of (IS)Perez; 5 and Maaseiah the son of Baruch, the son of Col-Hozeh, the son of Hazaiah, the son of Adaiah, the son of Joiarib, the son of Zechariah, the son of Shiloni. 6 All the sons of Perez who dwelt at Jerusalem were four hundred and sixty-eight valiant men.
7 And these are the sons of Benjamin: Sallu the son of Meshullam, the son of Joed, the son of Pedaiah, the son of Kolaiah, the son of Maaseiah, the son of Ithiel, the son of Jeshaiah; 8 and after him Gabbai and Sallai, nine hundred and twenty-eight. 9 Joel the son of Zichri was their overseer, and Judah the son of [co]Senuah was second over the city.
10 (IT)Of the priests: Jedaiah the son of Joiarib, and Jachin; 11 Seraiah the son of Hilkiah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Zadok, the son of Meraioth, the son of Ahitub, was the leader of the house of God.
Footnotes
- Nehemiah 2:1 Artaxerxes Longimanus
- Nehemiah 2:2 Lit. very much
- Nehemiah 2:7 The Euphrates
- Nehemiah 2:8 palace
- Nehemiah 2:8 Lit. house
- Nehemiah 2:10 Lit. servant
- Nehemiah 2:13 Dung
- Nehemiah 2:13 examined
- Nehemiah 2:15 torrent valley, wadi
- Nehemiah 2:15 examined
- Nehemiah 2:17 desolate
- Nehemiah 2:18 Lit. strengthened
- Nehemiah 3:1 Heb. Hammeah
- Nehemiah 3:2 Lit. On his hand
- Nehemiah 3:4 Or Hakkoz
- Nehemiah 3:5 Lit. necks
- Nehemiah 3:7 Lit. throne
- Nehemiah 3:7 West of the Euphrates
- Nehemiah 3:8 Lit. the son
- Nehemiah 3:8 restored
- Nehemiah 3:15 Or Shiloah
- Nehemiah 3:16 LXX, Syr., Vg. tomb
- Nehemiah 3:18 So with MT, Vg.; some Heb. mss., LXX, Syr. Binnui (cf. v. 24)
- Nehemiah 3:19 Lit. turning
- Nehemiah 3:20 A few Heb. mss., Syr., Vg. Zaccai
- Nehemiah 3:20 Lit. turning
- Nehemiah 3:21 Or Hakkoz
- Nehemiah 3:24 Lit. turning
- Nehemiah 3:25 Lit. turning
- Nehemiah 3:30 Lit. room
- Nehemiah 3:31 Lit. a son of the goldsmiths
- Nehemiah 3:31 Lit. Inspection or Recruiting
- Nehemiah 4:7 Lit. breaks
- Nehemiah 4:16 Supported
- Nehemiah 4:21 Lit. them
- Nehemiah 5:7 charging interest
- Nehemiah 5:7 Lit. held
- Nehemiah 5:10 interest
- Nehemiah 5:13 Lit. my lap
- Nehemiah 5:16 So with MT; LXX, Syr., Vg. I
- Nehemiah 6:1 Or Gashmu
- Nehemiah 6:2 Or Gashmu
- Nehemiah 6:2 Or in Kephirim, exact location unknown
- Nehemiah 6:6 Heb. Gashmu
- Nehemiah 6:10 Lit. house
- Nehemiah 6:19 Or affairs
- Nehemiah 7:2 palace
- Nehemiah 7:7 Seraiah, Ezra 2:2
- Nehemiah 7:7 Mispar, Ezra 2:2
- Nehemiah 7:15 Bani, Ezra 2:10
- Nehemiah 7:24 Jorah, Ezra 2:18
- Nehemiah 7:25 Gibbar, Ezra 2:20
- Nehemiah 7:28 Azmaveth, Ezra 2:24
- Nehemiah 7:29 Kirjath Arim, Ezra 2:25
- Nehemiah 7:43 Hodaviah, Ezra 2:40; or Judah, Ezra 3:9
- Nehemiah 7:47 Siaha, Ezra 2:44
- Nehemiah 7:48 MT Lebanah
- Nehemiah 7:48 MT Hogabah
- Nehemiah 7:48 Shalmai, Ezra 2:46; or Shamlai
- Nehemiah 7:52 Nephusim, Ezra 2:50
- Nehemiah 7:54 Bazluth, Ezra 2:52
- Nehemiah 7:57 Peruda, Ezra 2:55
- Nehemiah 7:59 Ami, Ezra 2:57
- Nehemiah 7:61 Addan, Ezra 2:59
- Nehemiah 7:63 Or Hakkoz
- Nehemiah 7:65 Heb. Tirshatha
- Nehemiah 7:70 Heb. Tirshatha
- Nehemiah 8:3 Lit. from the light
- Nehemiah 8:9 Heb. Tirshatha
- Nehemiah 8:14 Temporary shelters
- Nehemiah 8:17 Temporary shelters
- Nehemiah 9:1 Lit. earth on them
- Nehemiah 9:4 Lit. ascent
- Nehemiah 9:10 presumptuously or insolently
- Nehemiah 9:15 Lit. raised Your hand to
- Nehemiah 9:16 presumptuously
- Nehemiah 9:16 Stiffened their necks, became stubborn
- Nehemiah 9:17 So with MT, Vg.; LXX in Egypt
- Nehemiah 9:22 Lit. corners
- Nehemiah 9:22 So with MT, Vg.; LXX omits The land of
- Nehemiah 9:24 Lit. sons
- Nehemiah 9:25 Lit. trees for eating
- Nehemiah 9:26 admonished or warned them
- Nehemiah 9:29 admonished them
- Nehemiah 9:29 presumptuously
- Nehemiah 9:29 Became stubborn
- Nehemiah 9:30 admonished or warned them
- Nehemiah 9:32 hardship
- Nehemiah 10:1 Heb. Tirshatha
- Nehemiah 10:31 merchandise
- Nehemiah 10:31 collection
- Nehemiah 10:37 Temple
- Nehemiah 11:9 Or Hassenuah
Nehemiah 1:16-10:8
New International Version
Nehemiah 1:16-10:8
New International Version
Artaxerxes Sends Nehemiah to Jerusalem
2 In the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes,(A) when wine was brought for him, I took the wine and gave it to the king. I had not been sad in his presence before, 2 so the king asked me, “Why does your face look so sad when you are not ill? This can be nothing but sadness of heart.”
I was very much afraid, 3 but I said to the king, “May the king live forever!(B) Why should my face not look sad when the city(C) where my ancestors are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?(D)”
4 The king said to me, “What is it you want?”
Then I prayed to the God of heaven, 5 and I answered the king, “If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favor in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my ancestors are buried so that I can rebuild it.”
6 Then the king(E), with the queen sitting beside him, asked me, “How long will your journey take, and when will you get back?” It pleased the king to send me; so I set a time.
7 I also said to him, “If it pleases the king, may I have letters to the governors of Trans-Euphrates,(F) 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(G) 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,(H) the king granted my requests.(I) 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(J) with me.
10 When Sanballat(K) the Horonite and Tobiah(L) the Ammonite official heard about this, they were very much disturbed that someone had come to promote the welfare of the Israelites.(M)
Nehemiah Inspects Jerusalem’s Walls
11 I went to Jerusalem, and after staying there three days(N) 12 I set out during the night with a few others. I had not told anyone what my God had put in my heart to do for Jerusalem. There were no mounts with me except the one I was riding on.
13 By night I went out through the Valley Gate(O) toward the Jackal[a] Well and the Dung Gate,(P) examining the walls(Q) of Jerusalem, which had been broken down, and its gates, which had been destroyed by fire. 14 Then I moved on toward the Fountain Gate(R) and the King’s Pool,(S) but there was not enough room for my mount to get through; 15 so I went up the valley by night, examining the wall. Finally, I turned back and reentered through the Valley Gate. 16 The officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing, because as yet I had said nothing to the Jews or the priests or nobles or officials or any others who would be doing the work.
17 Then I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire.(T) Come, let us rebuild the wall(U) of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace.(V)” 18 I also told them about the gracious hand of my God on me(W) and what the king had said to me.
They replied, “Let us start rebuilding.” So they began this good work.
19 But when Sanballat(X) the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official and Geshem(Y) the Arab heard about it, they mocked and ridiculed us.(Z) “What is this you are doing?” they asked. “Are you rebelling against the king?”
20 I answered them by saying, “The God of heaven will give us success. We his servants will start rebuilding,(AA) but as for you, you have no share(AB) in Jerusalem or any claim or historic right to it.”
Builders of the Wall
3 Eliashib(AC) the high priest and his fellow priests went to work and rebuilt(AD) the Sheep Gate.(AE) They dedicated it and set its doors in place, building as far as the Tower of the Hundred, which they dedicated, and as far as the Tower of Hananel.(AF) 2 The men of Jericho(AG) built the adjoining section, and Zakkur son of Imri built next to them.
3 The Fish Gate(AH) was rebuilt by the sons of Hassenaah. They laid its beams and put its doors and bolts and bars in place. 4 Meremoth(AI) son of Uriah, the son of Hakkoz, repaired the next section. Next to him Meshullam son of Berekiah, the son of Meshezabel, made repairs, and next to him Zadok son of Baana also made repairs. 5 The next section was repaired by the men of Tekoa,(AJ) but their nobles would not put their shoulders to the work under their supervisors.[b]
6 The Jeshanah[c] Gate(AK) was repaired by Joiada son of Paseah and Meshullam son of Besodeiah. They laid its beams and put its doors with their bolts and bars in place. 7 Next to them, repairs were made by men from Gibeon(AL) and Mizpah—Melatiah of Gibeon and Jadon of Meronoth—places under the authority of the governor of Trans-Euphrates. 8 Uzziel son of Harhaiah, one of the goldsmiths, repaired the next section; and Hananiah, one of the perfume-makers, made repairs next to that. They restored Jerusalem as far as the Broad Wall.(AM) 9 Rephaiah son of Hur, ruler of a half-district of Jerusalem, repaired the next section. 10 Adjoining this, Jedaiah son of Harumaph made repairs opposite his house, and Hattush son of Hashabneiah made repairs next to him. 11 Malkijah son of Harim and Hasshub son of Pahath-Moab repaired another section and the Tower of the Ovens.(AN) 12 Shallum son of Hallohesh, ruler of a half-district of Jerusalem, repaired the next section with the help of his daughters.
13 The Valley Gate(AO) was repaired by Hanun and the residents of Zanoah.(AP) They rebuilt it and put its doors with their bolts and bars in place. They also repaired a thousand cubits[d] of the wall as far as the Dung Gate.(AQ)
14 The Dung Gate was repaired by Malkijah son of Rekab, ruler of the district of Beth Hakkerem.(AR) He rebuilt it and put its doors with their bolts and bars in place.
15 The Fountain Gate was repaired by Shallun son of Kol-Hozeh, ruler of the district of Mizpah. He rebuilt it, roofing it over and putting its doors and bolts and bars in place. He also repaired the wall of the Pool of Siloam,[e](AS) by the King’s Garden, as far as the steps going down from the City of David. 16 Beyond him, Nehemiah son of Azbuk, ruler of a half-district of Beth Zur,(AT) made repairs up to a point opposite the tombs[f](AU) of David, as far as the artificial pool and the House of the Heroes.
17 Next to him, the repairs were made by the Levites under Rehum son of Bani. Beside him, Hashabiah, ruler of half the district of Keilah,(AV) carried out repairs for his district. 18 Next to him, the repairs were made by their fellow Levites under Binnui[g] son of Henadad, ruler of the other half-district of Keilah. 19 Next to him, Ezer son of Jeshua, ruler of Mizpah, repaired another section, from a point facing the ascent to the armory as far as the angle of the wall. 20 Next to him, Baruch son of Zabbai zealously repaired another section, from the angle to the entrance of the house of Eliashib the high priest. 21 Next to him, Meremoth(AW) son of Uriah, the son of Hakkoz, repaired another section, from the entrance of Eliashib’s house to the end of it.
22 The repairs next to him were made by the priests from the surrounding region. 23 Beyond them, Benjamin and Hasshub made repairs in front of their house; and next to them, Azariah son of Maaseiah, the son of Ananiah, made repairs beside his house. 24 Next to him, Binnui(AX) son of Henadad repaired another section, from Azariah’s house to the angle and the corner, 25 and Palal son of Uzai worked opposite the angle and the tower projecting from the upper palace near the court of the guard.(AY) Next to him, Pedaiah son of Parosh(AZ) 26 and the temple servants(BA) living on the hill of Ophel(BB) made repairs up to a point opposite the Water Gate(BC) toward the east and the projecting tower. 27 Next to them, the men of Tekoa(BD) repaired another section, from the great projecting tower(BE) to the wall of Ophel.
28 Above the Horse Gate,(BF) the priests made repairs, each in front of his own house. 29 Next to them, Zadok son of Immer made repairs opposite his house. Next to him, Shemaiah son of Shekaniah, the guard at the East Gate, made repairs. 30 Next to him, Hananiah son of Shelemiah, and Hanun, the sixth son of Zalaph, repaired another section. Next to them, Meshullam son of Berekiah made repairs opposite his living quarters. 31 Next to him, Malkijah, one of the goldsmiths, made repairs as far as the house of the temple servants and the merchants, opposite the Inspection Gate, and as far as the room above the corner; 32 and between the room above the corner and the Sheep Gate(BG) the goldsmiths and merchants made repairs.
Opposition to the Rebuilding
4 [h]When Sanballat(BH) heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became angry and was greatly incensed. He ridiculed the Jews, 2 and in the presence of his associates(BI) and the army of Samaria, he said, “What are those feeble Jews doing? Will they restore their wall? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they finish in a day? Can they bring the stones back to life from those heaps of rubble(BJ)—burned as they are?”
3 Tobiah(BK) the Ammonite, who was at his side, said, “What they are building—even a fox climbing up on it would break down their wall of stones!”(BL)
4 Hear us, our God, for we are despised.(BM) Turn their insults back on their own heads. Give them over as plunder in a land of captivity. 5 Do not cover up their guilt(BN) or blot out their sins from your sight,(BO) for they have thrown insults in the face of[i] the builders.
6 So we rebuilt the wall till all of it reached half its height, for the people worked with all their heart.
7 But when Sanballat, Tobiah,(BP) the Arabs, the Ammonites and the people of Ashdod heard that the repairs to Jerusalem’s walls had gone ahead and that the gaps were being closed, they were very angry. 8 They all plotted together(BQ) to come and fight against Jerusalem and stir up trouble against it. 9 But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat.
10 Meanwhile, the people in Judah said, “The strength of the laborers(BR) is giving out, and there is so much rubble that we cannot rebuild the wall.”
11 Also our enemies said, “Before they know it or see us, we will be right there among them and will kill them and put an end to the work.”
12 Then the Jews who lived near them came and told us ten times over, “Wherever you turn, they will attack us.”
13 Therefore I stationed some of the people behind the lowest points of the wall at the exposed places, posting them by families, with their swords, spears and bows. 14 After I looked things over, I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, “Don’t be afraid(BS) of them. Remember(BT) the Lord, who is great and awesome,(BU) and fight(BV) for your families, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes.”
15 When our enemies heard that we were aware of their plot and that God had frustrated it,(BW) we all returned to the wall, each to our own work.
16 From that day on, half of my men did the work, while the other half were equipped with spears, shields, bows and armor. The officers posted themselves behind all the people of Judah 17 who were building the wall. Those who carried materials did their work with one hand and held a weapon(BX) in the other, 18 and each of the builders wore his sword at his side as he worked. But the man who sounded the trumpet(BY) stayed with me.
19 Then I said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, “The work is extensive and spread out, and we are widely separated from each other along the wall. 20 Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet,(BZ) join us there. Our God will fight(CA) for us!”
21 So we continued the work with half the men holding spears, from the first light of dawn till the stars came out. 22 At that time I also said to the people, “Have every man and his helper stay inside Jerusalem at night, so they can serve us as guards by night and as workers by day.” 23 Neither I nor my brothers nor my men nor the guards with me took off our clothes; each had his weapon, even when he went for water.[j]
Nehemiah Helps the Poor
5 Now the men and their wives raised a great outcry against their fellow Jews. 2 Some were saying, “We and our sons and daughters are numerous; in order for us to eat and stay alive, we must get grain.”
3 Others were saying, “We are mortgaging our fields,(CB) our vineyards and our homes to get grain during the famine.”(CC)
4 Still others were saying, “We have had to borrow money to pay the king’s tax(CD) on our fields and vineyards. 5 Although we are of the same flesh and blood(CE) as our fellow Jews and though our children are as good as theirs, yet we have to subject our sons and daughters to slavery.(CF) Some of our daughters have already been enslaved, but we are powerless, because our fields and our vineyards belong to others.”(CG)
6 When I heard their outcry and these charges, I was very angry. 7 I pondered them in my mind and then accused the nobles and officials. I told them, “You are charging your own people interest!”(CH) So I called together a large meeting to deal with them 8 and said: “As far as possible, we have bought(CI) back our fellow Jews who were sold to the Gentiles. Now you are selling your own people, only for them to be sold back to us!” They kept quiet, because they could find nothing to say.(CJ)
9 So I continued, “What you are doing is not right. Shouldn’t you walk in the fear of our God to avoid the reproach(CK) of our Gentile enemies? 10 I and my brothers and my men are also lending the people money and grain. But let us stop charging interest!(CL) 11 Give back to them immediately their fields, vineyards, olive groves and houses, and also the interest(CM) you are charging them—one percent of the money, grain, new wine and olive oil.”
12 “We will give it back,” they said. “And we will not demand anything more from them. We will do as you say.”
Then I summoned the priests and made the nobles and officials take an oath(CN) to do what they had promised. 13 I also shook(CO) out the folds of my robe and said, “In this way may God shake out of their house and possessions anyone who does not keep this promise. So may such a person be shaken out and emptied!”
At this the whole assembly said, “Amen,”(CP) and praised the Lord. And the people did as they had promised.
14 Moreover, from the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes,(CQ) when I was appointed to be their governor(CR) in the land of Judah, until his thirty-second year—twelve years—neither I nor my brothers ate the food allotted to the governor. 15 But the earlier governors—those preceding me—placed a heavy burden on the people and took forty shekels[k] of silver from them in addition to food and wine. Their assistants also lorded it over the people. But out of reverence for God(CS) I did not act like that. 16 Instead,(CT) I devoted myself to the work on this wall. All my men were assembled there for the work; we[l] did not acquire any land.
17 Furthermore, a hundred and fifty Jews and officials ate at my table, as well as those who came to us from the surrounding nations. 18 Each day one ox, six choice sheep and some poultry(CU) were prepared for me, and every ten days an abundant supply of wine of all kinds. In spite of all this, I never demanded the food allotted to the governor, because the demands were heavy on these people.
19 Remember(CV) me with favor, my God, for all I have done for these people.
Further Opposition to the Rebuilding
6 When word came to Sanballat, Tobiah,(CW) Geshem(CX) the Arab and the rest of our enemies that I had rebuilt the wall and not a gap was left in it—though up to that time I had not set the doors in the gates— 2 Sanballat and Geshem sent me this message: “Come, let us meet together in one of the villages[m] on the plain of Ono.(CY)”
But they were scheming to harm me; 3 so I sent messengers to them with this reply: “I am carrying on a great project and cannot go down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and go down to you?” 4 Four times they sent me the same message, and each time I gave them the same answer.
5 Then, the fifth time, Sanballat(CZ) sent his aide to me with the same message, and in his hand was an unsealed letter 6 in which was written:
“It is reported among the nations—and Geshem[n](DA) says it is true—that you and the Jews are plotting to revolt, and therefore you are building the wall. Moreover, according to these reports you are about to become their king 7 and have even appointed prophets to make this proclamation about you in Jerusalem: ‘There is a king in Judah!’ Now this report will get back to the king; so come, let us meet together.”
8 I sent him this reply: “Nothing like what you are saying is happening; you are just making it up out of your head.”
9 They were all trying to frighten us, thinking, “Their hands will get too weak for the work, and it will not be completed.”
But I prayed, “Now strengthen my hands.”
10 One day I went to the house of Shemaiah son of Delaiah, the son of Mehetabel, who was shut in at his home. He said, “Let us meet in the house of God, inside the temple(DB), and let us close the temple doors, because men are coming to kill you—by night they are coming to kill you.”
11 But I said, “Should a man like me run away? Or should someone like me go into the temple to save his life? I will not go!” 12 I realized that God had not sent him, but that he had prophesied against me(DC) because Tobiah and Sanballat(DD) had hired him. 13 He had been hired to intimidate me so that I would commit a sin by doing this, and then they would give me a bad name to discredit me.(DE)
14 Remember(DF) Tobiah and Sanballat,(DG) my God, because of what they have done; remember also the prophet(DH) Noadiah and how she and the rest of the prophets(DI) have been trying to intimidate me. 15 So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of Elul, in fifty-two days.
Opposition to the Completed Wall
16 When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and lost their self-confidence, because they realized that this work had been done with the help of our God.
17 Also, in those days the nobles of Judah were sending many letters to Tobiah, and replies from Tobiah kept coming to them. 18 For many in Judah were under oath to him, since he was son-in-law to Shekaniah son of Arah, and his son Jehohanan had married the daughter of Meshullam son of Berekiah. 19 Moreover, they kept reporting to me his good deeds and then telling him what I said. And Tobiah sent letters to intimidate me.
7 After the wall had been rebuilt and I had set the doors in place, the gatekeepers,(DJ) the musicians(DK) and the Levites(DL) were appointed. 2 I put in charge of Jerusalem my brother Hanani,(DM) along with Hananiah(DN) the commander of the citadel,(DO) because he was a man of integrity and feared(DP) God more than most people do. 3 I said to them, “The gates of Jerusalem are not to be opened until the sun is hot. While the gatekeepers are still on duty, have them shut the doors and bar them. Also appoint residents of Jerusalem as guards, some at their posts and some near their own houses.”
The List of the Exiles Who Returned(DQ)
4 Now the city was large and spacious, but there were few people in it,(DR) and the houses had not yet been rebuilt. 5 So my God put it into my heart to assemble the nobles, the officials and the common people for registration by families. I found the genealogical record of those who had been the first to return. This is what I found written there:
6 These are the people of the province who came up from the captivity of the exiles(DS) whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had taken captive (they returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his own town, 7 in company with Zerubbabel,(DT) Joshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum and Baanah):
The list of the men of Israel:
| 8 the descendants of Parosh | 2,172 |
| 9 of Shephatiah | 372 |
| 10 of Arah | 652 |
| 11 of Pahath-Moab (through the line of Jeshua and Joab) | 2,818 |
| 12 of Elam | 1,254 |
| 13 of Zattu | 845 |
| 14 of Zakkai | 760 |
| 15 of Binnui | 648 |
| 16 of Bebai | 628 |
| 17 of Azgad | 2,322 |
| 18 of Adonikam | 667 |
| 19 of Bigvai | 2,067 |
| 20 of Adin(DU) | 655 |
| 21 of Ater (through Hezekiah) | 98 |
| 22 of Hashum | 328 |
| 23 of Bezai | 324 |
| 24 of Hariph | 112 |
| 25 of Gibeon | 95 |
| 26 the men of Bethlehem and Netophah(DV) | 188 |
| 27 of Anathoth(DW) | 128 |
| 28 of Beth Azmaveth | 42 |
| 29 of Kiriath Jearim, Kephirah(DX) and Beeroth(DY) | 743 |
| 30 of Ramah and Geba | 621 |
| 31 of Mikmash | 122 |
| 32 of Bethel and Ai(DZ) | 123 |
| 33 of the other Nebo | 52 |
| 34 of the other Elam | 1,254 |
| 35 of Harim | 320 |
| 36 of Jericho(EA) | 345 |
| 37 of Lod, Hadid and Ono(EB) | 721 |
| 38 of Senaah | 3,930 |
39 The priests:
| the descendants of Jedaiah (through the family of Jeshua) | 973 |
| 40 of Immer | 1,052 |
| 41 of Pashhur | 1,247 |
| 42 of Harim | 1,017 |
43 The Levites:
| the descendants of Jeshua (through Kadmiel through the line of Hodaviah) | 74 |
44 The musicians:(EC)
| the descendants of Asaph | 148 |
45 The gatekeepers:(ED)
| the descendants of | |
| Shallum, Ater, Talmon, Akkub, Hatita and Shobai | 138 |
46 The temple servants:(EE)
| the descendants of |
| Ziha, Hasupha, Tabbaoth, |
| 47 Keros, Sia, Padon, |
| 48 Lebana, Hagaba, Shalmai, |
| 49 Hanan, Giddel, Gahar, |
| 50 Reaiah, Rezin, Nekoda, |
| 51 Gazzam, Uzza, Paseah, |
| 52 Besai, Meunim, Nephusim, |
| 53 Bakbuk, Hakupha, Harhur, |
| 54 Bazluth, Mehida, Harsha, |
| 55 Barkos, Sisera, Temah, |
| 56 Neziah and Hatipha |
57 The descendants of the servants of Solomon:
| the descendants of |
| Sotai, Sophereth, Perida, |
| 58 Jaala, Darkon, Giddel, |
| 59 Shephatiah, Hattil, |
| Pokereth-Hazzebaim and Amon |
| 60 The temple servants and the descendants of the servants of Solomon(EF) | 392 |
61 The following came up from the towns of Tel Melah, Tel Harsha, Kerub, Addon and Immer, but they could not show that their families were descended from Israel:
| 62 the descendants of | |
| Delaiah, Tobiah and Nekoda | 642 |
63 And from among the priests:
| the descendants of |
| Hobaiah, Hakkoz and Barzillai (a man who had married a daughter of Barzillai the Gileadite and was called by that name). |
64 These searched for their family records, but they could not find them and so were excluded from the priesthood as unclean. 65 The governor, therefore, ordered them not to eat any of the most sacred food until there should be a priest ministering with the Urim and Thummim.(EG)
66 The whole company numbered 42,360, 67 besides their 7,337 male and female slaves; and they also had 245 male and female singers. 68 There were 736 horses, 245 mules,[o] 69 435 camels and 6,720 donkeys.
70 Some of the heads of the families contributed to the work. The governor gave to the treasury 1,000 darics[p] of gold, 50 bowls and 530 garments for priests. 71 Some of the heads of the families(EH) gave to the treasury for the work 20,000 darics[q] of gold and 2,200 minas[r] of silver. 72 The total given by the rest of the people was 20,000 darics of gold, 2,000 minas[s] of silver and 67 garments for priests.(EI)
73 The priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the musicians and the temple servants,(EJ) along with certain of the people and the rest of the Israelites, settled in their own towns.(EK)
Ezra Reads the Law
When the seventh month came and the Israelites had settled in their towns,(EL) 8 1 all the people came together as one in the square before the Water Gate.(EM) They told Ezra the teacher of the Law to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses,(EN) which the Lord had commanded for Israel.
2 So on the first day of the seventh month(EO) Ezra the priest brought the Law(EP) before the assembly, which was made up of men and women and all who were able to understand. 3 He read it aloud from daybreak till noon as he faced the square before the Water Gate(EQ) in the presence of the men, women and others who could understand. And all the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law.
4 Ezra the teacher of the Law stood on a high wooden platform(ER) built for the occasion. Beside him on his right stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah and Maaseiah; and on his left were Pedaiah, Mishael, Malkijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah and Meshullam.
5 Ezra opened the book. All the people could see him because he was standing(ES) above them; and as he opened it, the people all stood up. 6 Ezra praised the Lord, the great God; and all the people lifted their hands(ET) and responded, “Amen! Amen!” Then they bowed down and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground.
7 The Levites(EU)—Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan and Pelaiah—instructed(EV) the people in the Law while the people were standing there. 8 They read from the Book of the Law of God, making it clear[t] and giving the meaning so that the people understood what was being read.
9 Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and teacher of the Law, and the Levites(EW) who were instructing the people said to them all, “This day is holy to the Lord your God. Do not mourn or weep.”(EX) For all the people had been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law.
10 Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing(EY) prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy(EZ) of the Lord is your strength.”
11 The Levites calmed all the people, saying, “Be still, for this is a holy day. Do not grieve.”
12 Then all the people went away to eat and drink, to send portions of food and to celebrate with great joy,(FA) because they now understood the words that had been made known to them.
13 On the second day of the month, the heads of all the families, along with the priests and the Levites, gathered around Ezra the teacher to give attention to the words of the Law. 14 They found written in the Law, which the Lord had commanded through Moses, that the Israelites were to live in temporary shelters(FB) during the festival of the seventh month 15 and that they should proclaim this word and spread it throughout their towns and in Jerusalem: “Go out into the hill country and bring back branches from olive and wild olive trees, and from myrtles, palms and shade trees, to make temporary shelters”—as it is written.[u]
16 So the people went out and brought back branches and built themselves temporary shelters on their own roofs, in their courtyards, in the courts of the house of God and in the square by the Water Gate(FC) and the one by the Gate of Ephraim.(FD) 17 The whole company that had returned from exile built temporary shelters and lived in them.(FE) From the days of Joshua son of Nun until that day, the Israelites had not celebrated(FF) it like this. And their joy was very great.
18 Day after day, from the first day to the last, Ezra read(FG) from the Book of the Law(FH) of God. They celebrated the festival for seven days, and on the eighth day, in accordance with the regulation,(FI) there was an assembly.(FJ)
The Israelites Confess Their Sins
9 On the twenty-fourth day of the same month, the Israelites gathered together, fasting and wearing sackcloth and putting dust on their heads.(FK) 2 Those of Israelite descent had separated themselves from all foreigners.(FL) They stood in their places and confessed their sins and the sins of their ancestors.(FM) 3 They stood where they were and read from the Book of the Law of the Lord their God for a quarter of the day, and spent another quarter in confession and in worshiping the Lord their God. 4 Standing on the stairs of the Levites(FN) were Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani and Kenani. They cried out with loud voices to the Lord their God. 5 And the Levites—Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah and Pethahiah—said: “Stand up and praise the Lord your God,(FO) who is from everlasting to everlasting.[v]”
“Blessed be your glorious name,(FP) and may it be exalted above all blessing and praise. 6 You alone are the Lord.(FQ) You made the heavens,(FR) even the highest heavens, and all their starry host,(FS) the earth(FT) and all that is on it, the seas(FU) and all that is in them.(FV) You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven(FW) worship you.
7 “You are the Lord God, who chose Abram(FX) and brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans(FY) and named him Abraham.(FZ) 8 You found his heart faithful to you, and you made a covenant with him to give to his descendants the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Jebusites and Girgashites.(GA) You have kept your promise(GB) because you are righteous.(GC)
9 “You saw the suffering of our ancestors in Egypt;(GD) you heard their cry at the Red Sea.[w](GE) 10 You sent signs(GF) and wonders(GG) against Pharaoh, against all his officials and all the people of his land, for you knew how arrogantly the Egyptians treated them. You made a name(GH) for yourself,(GI) which remains to this day. 11 You divided the sea before them,(GJ) so that they passed through it on dry ground, but you hurled their pursuers into the depths,(GK) like a stone into mighty waters.(GL) 12 By day(GM) you led(GN) them with a pillar of cloud,(GO) and by night with a pillar of fire to give them light on the way they were to take.
13 “You came down on Mount Sinai;(GP) you spoke(GQ) to them from heaven.(GR) You gave them regulations and laws that are just(GS) and right, and decrees and commands that are good.(GT) 14 You made known to them your holy Sabbath(GU) and gave them commands, decrees and laws through your servant Moses. 15 In their hunger you gave them bread from heaven(GV) and in their thirst you brought them water from the rock;(GW) you told them to go in and take possession of the land you had sworn with uplifted hand(GX) to give them.(GY)
16 “But they, our ancestors, became arrogant and stiff-necked,(GZ) and they did not obey your commands.(HA) 17 They refused to listen and failed to remember(HB) the miracles(HC) you performed among them. They became stiff-necked(HD) and in their rebellion appointed a leader in order to return to their slavery.(HE) But you are a forgiving God,(HF) gracious and compassionate,(HG) slow to anger(HH) and abounding in love.(HI) Therefore you did not desert them,(HJ) 18 even when they cast for themselves an image of a calf(HK) and said, ‘This is your god, who brought you up out of Egypt,’ or when they committed awful blasphemies.(HL)
19 “Because of your great compassion you did not abandon(HM) them in the wilderness. By day the pillar of cloud(HN) did not fail to guide them on their path, nor the pillar of fire by night to shine on the way they were to take. 20 You gave your good Spirit(HO) to instruct(HP) them. You did not withhold your manna(HQ) from their mouths, and you gave them water(HR) for their thirst. 21 For forty years(HS) you sustained them in the wilderness; they lacked nothing,(HT) their clothes did not wear out nor did their feet become swollen.(HU)
22 “You gave them kingdoms and nations, allotting to them even the remotest frontiers. They took over the country of Sihon[x](HV) king of Heshbon and the country of Og king of Bashan.(HW) 23 You made their children as numerous as the stars in the sky,(HX) and you brought them into the land that you told their parents to enter and possess. 24 Their children went in and took possession of the land.(HY) You subdued(HZ) before them the Canaanites, who lived in the land; you gave the Canaanites into their hands, along with their kings and the peoples of the land, to deal with them as they pleased. 25 They captured fortified cities and fertile land;(IA) they took possession of houses filled with all kinds of good things,(IB) wells already dug, vineyards, olive groves and fruit trees in abundance. They ate to the full and were well-nourished;(IC) they reveled in your great goodness.(ID)
26 “But they were disobedient and rebelled against you; they turned their backs on your law.(IE) They killed(IF) your prophets,(IG) who had warned them in order to turn them back to you; they committed awful blasphemies.(IH) 27 So you delivered them into the hands of their enemies,(II) who oppressed them. But when they were oppressed they cried out to you. From heaven you heard them, and in your great compassion(IJ) you gave them deliverers,(IK) who rescued them from the hand of their enemies.
28 “But as soon as they were at rest, they again did what was evil in your sight.(IL) Then you abandoned them to the hand of their enemies so that they ruled over them. And when they cried out to you again, you heard from heaven, and in your compassion(IM) you delivered them(IN) time after time.
29 “You warned(IO) them in order to turn them back to your law, but they became arrogant(IP) and disobeyed your commands. They sinned against your ordinances, of which you said, ‘The person who obeys them will live by them.’(IQ) Stubbornly they turned their backs(IR) on you, became stiff-necked(IS) and refused to listen.(IT) 30 For many years you were patient with them. By your Spirit you warned them through your prophets.(IU) Yet they paid no attention, so you gave them into the hands of the neighboring peoples.(IV) 31 But in your great mercy you did not put an end(IW) to them or abandon them, for you are a gracious and merciful(IX) God.
32 “Now therefore, our God, the great God, mighty(IY) and awesome,(IZ) who keeps his covenant of love,(JA) do not let all this hardship seem trifling in your eyes—the hardship(JB) that has come on us, on our kings and leaders, on our priests and prophets, on our ancestors and all your people, from the days of the kings of Assyria until today. 33 In all that has happened to us, you have remained righteous;(JC) you have acted faithfully, while we acted wickedly.(JD) 34 Our kings,(JE) our leaders, our priests and our ancestors(JF) did not follow your law; they did not pay attention to your commands or the statutes you warned them to keep. 35 Even while they were in their kingdom, enjoying your great goodness(JG) to them in the spacious and fertile land you gave them, they did not serve you(JH) or turn from their evil ways.
36 “But see, we are slaves(JI) today, slaves in the land you gave our ancestors so they could eat its fruit and the other good things it produces. 37 Because of our sins, its abundant harvest goes to the kings you have placed over us. They rule over our bodies and our cattle as they please. We are in great distress.(JJ)
The Agreement of the People
38 “In view of all this, we are making a binding agreement,(JK) putting it in writing,(JL) and our leaders, our Levites and our priests are affixing their seals to it.”[y]
10 [z]Those who sealed it were:
Nehemiah the governor, the son of Hakaliah.
Footnotes
- Nehemiah 2:13 Or Serpent or Fig
- Nehemiah 3:5 Or their Lord or the governor
- Nehemiah 3:6 Or Old
- Nehemiah 3:13 That is, about 1,500 feet or about 450 meters
- Nehemiah 3:15 Hebrew Shelah, a variant of Shiloah, that is, Siloam
- Nehemiah 3:16 Hebrew; Septuagint, some Vulgate manuscripts and Syriac tomb
- Nehemiah 3:18 Two Hebrew manuscripts and Syriac (see also Septuagint and verse 24); most Hebrew manuscripts Bavvai
- Nehemiah 4:1 In Hebrew texts 4:1-6 is numbered 3:33-38, and 4:7-23 is numbered 4:1-17.
- Nehemiah 4:5 Or have aroused your anger before
- Nehemiah 4:23 The meaning of the Hebrew for this clause is uncertain.
- Nehemiah 5:15 That is, about 1 pound or about 460 grams
- Nehemiah 5:16 Most Hebrew manuscripts; some Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint, Vulgate and Syriac I
- Nehemiah 6:2 Or in Kephirim
- Nehemiah 6:6 Hebrew Gashmu, a variant of Geshem
- Nehemiah 7:68 Some Hebrew manuscripts (see also Ezra 2:66); most Hebrew manuscripts do not have this verse.
- Nehemiah 7:70 That is, about 19 pounds or about 8.4 kilograms
- Nehemiah 7:71 That is, about 375 pounds or about 170 kilograms; also in verse 72
- Nehemiah 7:71 That is, about 1 1/3 tons or about 1.2 metric tons
- Nehemiah 7:72 That is, about 1 1/4 tons or about 1.1 metric tons
- Nehemiah 8:8 Or God, translating it
- Nehemiah 8:15 See Lev. 23:37-40.
- Nehemiah 9:5 Or God for ever and ever
- Nehemiah 9:9 Or the Sea of Reeds
- Nehemiah 9:22 One Hebrew manuscript and Septuagint; most Hebrew manuscripts Sihon, that is, the country of the
- Nehemiah 9:38 In Hebrew texts this verse (9:38) is numbered 10:1.
- Nehemiah 10:1 In Hebrew texts 10:1-39 is numbered 10:2-40.
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