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11 In that day, Israel, your cities will be rebuilt,
    and your borders will be extended.

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11 The day for building your walls(A) will come,
    the day for extending your boundaries.

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A Promise of Restoration

11 “In that day I will restore the fallen house[a] of David.
    I will repair its damaged walls.
From the ruins I will rebuild it
    and restore its former glory.
12 And Israel will possess what is left of Edom
    and all the nations I have called to be mine.[b]
The Lord has spoken,
    and he will do these things.

13 “The time will come,” says the Lord,
“when the grain and grapes will grow faster
    than they can be harvested.
Then the terraced vineyards on the hills of Israel
    will drip with sweet wine!
14 I will bring my exiled people of Israel
    back from distant lands,
and they will rebuild their ruined cities
    and live in them again.
They will plant vineyards and gardens;
    they will eat their crops and drink their wine.
15 I will firmly plant them there
    in their own land.
They will never again be uprooted
    from the land I have given them,”
    says the Lord your God.

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Footnotes

  1. 9:11a Or kingdom; Hebrew reads tent.
  2. 9:11b-12 Greek version reads and restore its former glory, / so that the rest of humanity, including the Gentiles— / all those I have called to be mine—might seek me. Compare Acts 15:16-17.

Israel’s Restoration

11 “In that day

“I will restore David’s(A) fallen shelter(B)
    I will repair its broken walls
    and restore its ruins(C)
    and will rebuild it as it used to be,(D)
12 so that they may possess the remnant of Edom(E)
    and all the nations that bear my name,[a](F)
declares the Lord, who will do these things.(G)

13 “The days are coming,”(H) declares the Lord,

“when the reaper(I) will be overtaken by the plowman(J)
    and the planter by the one treading(K) grapes.
New wine(L) will drip from the mountains
    and flow from all the hills,(M)
14     and I will bring(N) my people Israel back from exile.[b](O)

“They will rebuild the ruined cities(P) and live in them.
    They will plant vineyards(Q) and drink their wine;
    they will make gardens and eat their fruit.(R)
15 I will plant(S) Israel in their own land,(T)
    never again to be uprooted(U)
    from the land I have given them,”(V)

says the Lord your God.(W)

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Footnotes

  1. Amos 9:12 Hebrew; Septuagint so that the remnant of people / and all the nations that bear my name may seek me
  2. Amos 9:14 Or will restore the fortunes of my people Israel

And please give me a letter addressed to Asaph, the manager of the king’s forest, instructing him to give me timber. I will need it to make beams for the gates of the Temple fortress, for the city walls, and for a house for myself.” And the king granted these requests, because the gracious hand of God was on me.

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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(A) 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,(B) the king granted my requests.(C)

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11 “O storm-battered city,
    troubled and desolate!
I will rebuild you with precious jewels
    and make your foundations from lapis lazuli.

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11 “Afflicted(A) city, lashed by storms(B) and not comforted,(C)
    I will rebuild you with stones of turquoise,[a](D)
    your foundations(E) with lapis lazuli.(F)

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 54:11 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.

At last the wall was completed to half its height around the entire city, for the people had worked with enthusiasm.

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So we rebuilt the wall till all of it reached half its height, for the people worked with all their heart.

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Tobiah the Ammonite, who was standing beside him, remarked, “That stone wall would collapse if even a fox walked along the top of it!”

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Tobiah(A) 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!”(B)

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Rebuilding the Wall of Jerusalem

Then Eliashib the high priest and the other priests started to rebuild at the Sheep Gate. They dedicated it and set up its doors, building the wall as far as the Tower of the Hundred, which they dedicated, and the Tower of Hananel. People from the town of Jericho worked next to them, and beyond them was Zaccur son of Imri.

The Fish Gate was built by the sons of Hassenaah. They laid the beams, set up its doors, and installed its bolts and bars. Meremoth son of Uriah and grandson of Hakkoz repaired the next section of wall. Beside him were Meshullam son of Berekiah and grandson of Meshezabel, and then Zadok son of Baana. Next were the people from Tekoa, though their leaders refused to work with the construction supervisors.

The Old City Gate[a] was repaired by Joiada son of Paseah and Meshullam son of Besodeiah. They laid the beams, set up its doors, and installed its bolts and bars. Next to them were Melatiah from Gibeon, Jadon from Meronoth, people from Gibeon, and people from Mizpah, the headquarters of the governor of the province west of the Euphrates River.[b] Next was Uzziel son of Harhaiah, a goldsmith by trade, who also worked on the wall. Beyond him was Hananiah, a manufacturer of perfumes. They left out a section of Jerusalem as they built the Broad Wall.[c]

Rephaiah son of Hur, the leader of half the district of Jerusalem, was next to them on the wall. 10 Next Jedaiah son of Harumaph repaired the wall across from his own house, and next to him was Hattush son of Hashabneiah. 11 Then came Malkijah son of Harim and Hasshub son of Pahath-moab, who repaired another section of the wall and the Tower of the Ovens. 12 Shallum son of Hallohesh and his daughters repaired the next section. He was the leader of the other half of the district of Jerusalem.

13 The Valley Gate was repaired by the people from Zanoah, led by Hanun. They set up its doors and installed its bolts and bars. They also repaired the 1,500 feet[d] of wall to the Dung Gate.

14 The Dung Gate was repaired by Malkijah son of Recab, the leader of the Beth-hakkerem district. He rebuilt it, set up its doors, and installed its bolts and bars.

15 The Fountain Gate was repaired by Shallum[e] son of Col-hozeh, the leader of the Mizpah district. He rebuilt it, roofed it, set up its doors, and installed its bolts and bars. Then he repaired the wall of the pool of Siloam[f] near the king’s garden, and he rebuilt the wall as far as the stairs that descend from the City of David. 16 Next to him was Nehemiah son of Azbuk, the leader of half the district of Beth-zur. He rebuilt the wall from a place across from the tombs of David’s family as far as the water reservoir and the House of the Warriors.

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Footnotes

  1. 3:6 Or The Mishneh Gate, or The Jeshanah Gate.
  2. 3:7 Hebrew the province beyond the river.
  3. 3:8 Or They fortified Jerusalem up to the Broad Wall.
  4. 3:13 Hebrew 1,000 cubits [460 meters].
  5. 3:15a As in Syriac version; Hebrew reads Shallun.
  6. 3:15b Hebrew pool of Shelah, another name for the pool of Siloam.

Builders of the Wall

Eliashib(A) the high priest and his fellow priests went to work and rebuilt(B) the Sheep Gate.(C) 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.(D) The men of Jericho(E) built the adjoining section, and Zakkur son of Imri built next to them.

The Fish Gate(F) was rebuilt by the sons of Hassenaah. They laid its beams and put its doors and bolts and bars in place. Meremoth(G) 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. The next section was repaired by the men of Tekoa,(H) but their nobles would not put their shoulders to the work under their supervisors.[a]

The Jeshanah[b] Gate(I) 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. Next to them, repairs were made by men from Gibeon(J) and Mizpah—Melatiah of Gibeon and Jadon of Meronoth—places under the authority of the governor of Trans-Euphrates. 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.(K) 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.(L) 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(M) was repaired by Hanun and the residents of Zanoah.(N) They rebuilt it and put its doors with their bolts and bars in place. They also repaired a thousand cubits[c] of the wall as far as the Dung Gate.(O)

14 The Dung Gate was repaired by Malkijah son of Rekab, ruler of the district of Beth Hakkerem.(P) 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,[d](Q) 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,(R) made repairs up to a point opposite the tombs[e](S) of David, as far as the artificial pool and the House of the Heroes.

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Footnotes

  1. Nehemiah 3:5 Or their Lord or the governor
  2. Nehemiah 3:6 Or Old
  3. Nehemiah 3:13 That is, about 1,500 feet or about 450 meters
  4. Nehemiah 3:15 Hebrew Shelah, a variant of Shiloah, that is, Siloam
  5. Nehemiah 3:16 Hebrew; Septuagint, some Vulgate manuscripts and Syriac tomb

17 But now I said to them, “You know very well what trouble we are in. Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire. Let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem and end this disgrace!”

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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.(A) Come, let us rebuild the wall(B) of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace.(C)

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12 “The king should know that the Jews who came here to Jerusalem from Babylon are rebuilding this rebellious and evil city. They have already laid the foundation and will soon finish its walls. 13 And the king should know that if this city is rebuilt and its walls are completed, it will be much to your disadvantage, for the Jews will then refuse to pay their tribute, customs, and tolls to you.

14 “Since we are your loyal subjects[a] and do not want to see the king dishonored in this way, we have sent the king this information. 15 We suggest that a search be made in your ancestors’ records, where you will discover what a rebellious city this has been in the past. In fact, it was destroyed because of its long and troublesome history of revolt against the kings and countries who controlled it. 16 We declare to the king that if this city is rebuilt and its walls are completed, the province west of the Euphrates River will be lost to you.”

17 Then King Artaxerxes sent this reply:

“To Rehum the governor, Shimshai the court secretary, and their colleagues living in Samaria and throughout the province west of the Euphrates River. Greetings.

18 “The letter you sent has been translated and read to me. 19 I ordered a search of the records and have found that Jerusalem has indeed been a hotbed of insurrection against many kings. In fact, rebellion and revolt are normal there! 20 Powerful kings have ruled over Jerusalem and the entire province west of the Euphrates River, receiving tribute, customs, and tolls. 21 Therefore, issue orders to have these men stop their work. That city must not be rebuilt except at my express command. 22 Be diligent, and don’t neglect this matter, for we must not permit the situation to harm the king’s interests.”

23 When this letter from King Artaxerxes was read to Rehum, Shimshai, and their colleagues, they hurried to Jerusalem. Then, with a show of strength, they forced the Jews to stop building.

The Rebuilding Resumes

24 So the work on the Temple of God in Jerusalem had stopped, and it remained at a standstill until the second year of the reign of King Darius of Persia.[b]

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Footnotes

  1. 4:14 Aramaic Since we eat the salt of the palace.
  2. 4:24 The second year of Darius’s reign was 520 B.c. The narrative started in 4:1-5 is resumed at verse 24.

12 The king should know that the people who came up to us from you have gone to Jerusalem and are rebuilding that rebellious and wicked city. They are restoring the walls and repairing the foundations.(A)

13 Furthermore, the king should know that if this city is built and its walls are restored, no more taxes, tribute or duty(B) will be paid, and eventually the royal revenues will suffer.[a] 14 Now since we are under obligation to the palace and it is not proper for us to see the king dishonored, we are sending this message to inform the king, 15 so that a search may be made in the archives(C) of your predecessors. In these records you will find that this city is a rebellious city, troublesome to kings and provinces, a place with a long history of sedition. That is why this city was destroyed.(D) 16 We inform the king that if this city is built and its walls are restored, you will be left with nothing in Trans-Euphrates.

17 The king sent this reply:

To Rehum the commanding officer, Shimshai the secretary and the rest of their associates living in Samaria and elsewhere in Trans-Euphrates:(E)

Greetings.

18 The letter you sent us has been read and translated in my presence. 19 I issued an order and a search was made, and it was found that this city has a long history of revolt(F) against kings and has been a place of rebellion and sedition. 20 Jerusalem has had powerful kings ruling over the whole of Trans-Euphrates,(G) and taxes, tribute and duty were paid to them. 21 Now issue an order to these men to stop work, so that this city will not be rebuilt until I so order. 22 Be careful not to neglect this matter. Why let this threat grow, to the detriment of the royal interests?(H)

23 As soon as the copy of the letter of King Artaxerxes was read to Rehum and Shimshai the secretary and their associates,(I) they went immediately to the Jews in Jerusalem and compelled them by force to stop.

24 Thus the work on the house of God in Jerusalem came to a standstill until the second year of the reign of Darius(J) king of Persia.

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Footnotes

  1. Ezra 4:13 The meaning of the Aramaic for this clause is uncertain.

25 Now listen and understand! Seven sets of seven plus sixty-two sets of seven[a] will pass from the time the command is given to rebuild Jerusalem until a ruler—the Anointed One[b]—comes. Jerusalem will be rebuilt with streets and strong defenses,[c] despite the perilous times.

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Footnotes

  1. 9:25a Hebrew Seven sevens plus sixty-two sevens.
  2. 9:25b Or an anointed one; similarly in 9:26. Hebrew reads a messiah.
  3. 9:25c Or and a moat, or and trenches.

25 “Know and understand this: From the time the word goes out to restore and rebuild(A) Jerusalem until the Anointed One,[a](B) the ruler,(C) comes, there will be seven ‘sevens,’ and sixty-two ‘sevens.’ It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble.(D)

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Footnotes

  1. Daniel 9:25 Or an anointed one; also in verse 26