Nehemiah 2

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, ²so 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, ³but 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)”

⁴The king said to me, “What is it you want?”

Then I prayed to the God of heaven, ⁵and 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.”

⁶Then 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.

⁷I 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? ⁸And 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) ⁹So 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.

¹⁰When 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

¹¹I went to Jerusalem, and after staying there three days^(N) ¹²I 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.

¹³By 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. ¹⁴Then 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; ¹⁵so I went up the valley by night, examining the wall. Finally, I turned back and reentered through the Valley Gate. ¹⁶The 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.

¹⁷Then 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)” ¹⁸I 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.

¹⁹But 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?”

²⁰I 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.”

Footnotes

Nehemiah 2:13 Or Serpent or Fig

Nehemiah 7:5-67

New International Version

⁵So 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:

⁶These are the people of the province who came up from the captivity of the exiles^(A) whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had taken captive (they returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his own town, ⁷in company with Zerubbabel,^(B) Joshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum and Baanah):

The list of the men of Israel:

⁸the descendants of Parosh	2,172
⁹of Shephatiah	372
¹⁰of Arah	652
¹¹of Pahath-Moab (through the line of Jeshua and Joab)	2,818
¹²of Elam	1,254
¹³of Zattu	845
¹⁴of Zakkai	760
¹⁵of Binnui	648
¹⁶of Bebai	628
¹⁷of Azgad	2,322
¹⁸of Adonikam	667
¹⁹of Bigvai	2,067
²⁰of Adin^(C)	655
²¹of Ater (through Hezekiah)	98
²²of Hashum	328
²³of Bezai	324
²⁴of Hariph	112
²⁵of Gibeon	95

²⁶the men of Bethlehem and Netophah^(D)	188
²⁷of Anathoth^(E)	128
²⁸of Beth Azmaveth	42
²⁹of Kiriath Jearim, Kephirah^(F) and Beeroth^(G)	743
³⁰of Ramah and Geba	621
³¹of Mikmash	122
³²of Bethel and Ai^(H)	123
³³of the other Nebo	52
³⁴of the other Elam	1,254
³⁵of Harim	320
³⁶of Jericho^(I)	345
³⁷of Lod, Hadid and Ono^(J)	721
³⁸of Senaah	3,930

³⁹The priests:

the descendants of Jedaiah (through the family of Jeshua)	973
⁴⁰of Immer	1,052
⁴¹of Pashhur	1,247
⁴²of Harim	1,017

⁴³The Levites:

the descendants of Jeshua (through Kadmiel through the line of Hodaviah)

74

⁴⁴The musicians:^(K)

the descendants of Asaph

148

⁴⁵The gatekeepers:^(L)

the descendants of
Shallum, Ater, Talmon, Akkub, Hatita and Shobai	138

⁴⁶The temple servants:^(M)

the descendants of

Ziha, Hasupha, Tabbaoth,

⁴⁷Keros, Sia, Padon,

⁴⁸Lebana, Hagaba, Shalmai,

⁴⁹Hanan, Giddel, Gahar,

⁵⁰Reaiah, Rezin, Nekoda,

⁵¹Gazzam, Uzza, Paseah,

⁵²Besai, Meunim, Nephusim,

⁵³Bakbuk, Hakupha, Harhur,

⁵⁴Bazluth, Mehida, Harsha,

⁵⁵Barkos, Sisera, Temah,

⁵⁶Neziah and Hatipha

⁵⁷The descendants of the servants of Solomon:

the descendants of

Sotai, Sophereth, Perida,

⁵⁸Jaala, Darkon, Giddel,

⁵⁹Shephatiah, Hattil,

Pokereth-Hazzebaim and Amon

⁶⁰The temple servants and the descendants of the servants of Solomon^(N)

392

⁶¹The 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:

⁶²the descendants of
Delaiah, Tobiah and Nekoda	642

⁶³And 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).

⁶⁴These searched for their family records, but they could not find them and so were excluded from the priesthood as unclean. ⁶⁵The 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.^(O)

⁶⁶The whole company numbered 42,360, ⁶⁷besides their 7,337 male and female slaves; and they also had 245 male and female singers.

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Psalm 85

New International Version

Psalm 85^[a]

For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm.

¹You, Lord, showed favor to your land;
    you restored the fortunes^(A) of Jacob.
²You forgave^(B) the iniquity^(C) of your people
    and covered all their sins.^[b]
³You set aside all your wrath^(D)
    and turned from your fierce anger.^(E)

⁴Restore^(F) us again, God our Savior,^(G)
    and put away your displeasure toward us.
⁵Will you be angry with us forever?^(H)
    Will you prolong your anger through all generations?
⁶Will you not revive^(I) us again,
    that your people may rejoice^(J) in you?
⁷Show us your unfailing love,^(K) Lord,
    and grant us your salvation.^(L)

⁸I will listen to what God the Lord says;
    he promises peace^(M) to his people, his faithful servants—
    but let them not turn to folly.^(N)
⁹Surely his salvation^(O) is near those who fear him,
    that his glory^(P) may dwell in our land.

¹⁰Love and faithfulness^(Q) meet together;
    righteousness^(R) and peace kiss each other.
¹¹Faithfulness springs forth from the earth,
    and righteousness^(S) looks down from heaven.
¹²The Lord will indeed give what is good,^(T)
    and our land will yield^(U) its harvest.
¹³Righteousness goes before him
    and prepares the way for his steps.