Progress in Spite of Opposition

4 When Sanballat^(A) heard that we were rebuilding the wall,^(B) he became furious. He mocked the Jews^{(C) 2} before his colleagues and the powerful men^[a] of Samaria^(D) and said, “What are these pathetic Jews doing? Can they restore it by themselves? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they ever finish it? Can they bring these burnt stones^(E) back to life from the mounds of rubble?” ^{(F) 3} Then Tobiah the Ammonite,^(G) who was beside him, said, “Indeed, even if a fox^(H) climbed up what they are building, he would break down their stone wall!”

⁴ Listen, our God, for we are despised. Make their insults return on their own heads and let them be taken as plunder to a land of captivity. ⁵ Do not cover their guilt or let their sin be erased from your sight, because they have angered^[b] the builders.^(I)

⁶ So we rebuilt the wall until the entire wall was joined together up to half its height, for the people had the will to keep working.^(J)

⁷ When Sanballat, Tobiah, and the Arabs,^(K) Ammonites, and Ashdodites heard that the repair to the walls of Jerusalem was progressing and that the gaps were being closed,^(L) they became furious.^{(M) 8} They all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and throw it into confusion. ⁹ So we prayed to our God and stationed a guard because of them day and night.

¹⁰ In Judah, it was said:^[c]

¹¹ And our enemies said, “They won’t realize it^[d] until we’re among them and can kill them and stop the work.” ¹² When the Jews who lived nearby arrived, they said to us time and again,^[e] “Everywhere you turn, they attack^[f] us.” ¹³ So I stationed people behind the lowest sections of the wall, at the vulnerable areas. I stationed them by families with their swords, spears, and bows. ¹⁴ After I made an inspection, I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials, and the rest of the people,^(N) “Don’t be afraid of them.^(O) Remember the great and awe-inspiring Lord, and fight for your countrymen, your sons and daughters, your wives and homes.”^(P)

Sword and Trowel

¹⁵ When our enemies heard that we knew their scheme and that God had frustrated it, every one of us returned to his own work on the wall. ¹⁶ From that day on, half of my men did the work while the other half held spears, shields, bows, and armor.^(Q) The officers supported all the people of Judah, ¹⁷ who were rebuilding the wall. The laborers who carried the loads worked with one hand and held a weapon with the other. ¹⁸ Each of the builders had his sword strapped around his waist while he was building, and the one who sounded the ram’s horn was beside me. ¹⁹ Then I said to the nobles, the officials, and the rest of the people,^(R) “The work is enormous and spread out, and we are separated far from one another along the wall.^{(S) 20} Wherever you hear the sound of the ram’s horn, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us!” ^{(T) 21} So we continued the work, while half of the men were holding spears from daybreak until the stars came out. ²² At that time, I also said to the people, “Let everyone and his servant spend the night inside Jerusalem, so that they can stand guard by night and work by day.” ²³ And I, my brothers, my servants, and the men of the guard with me never took off our clothes. Each carried his weapon, even when washing.^[g]

Social Injustice

5 There was a widespread outcry from the people and their wives against their Jewish countrymen. ² Some were saying, “We, our sons, and our daughters are numerous. Let us get grain so that we can eat and live.” ³ Others were saying, “We are mortgaging our fields, vineyards, and homes to get grain during the famine.”^{(U) 4} Still others were saying, “We have borrowed money to pay the king’s tax^(V) on our fields and vineyards.^{(W) 5} We and our children are just like our countrymen and their children, yet we are subjecting our sons and daughters to slavery.^(X) Some of our daughters are already enslaved,^(Y) but we are powerless^[h] because our fields and vineyards belong to others.”

⁶ I became extremely angry^(Z) when I heard their outcry and these complaints. ⁷ After seriously considering the matter, I accused the nobles and officials, saying to them, “Each of you is charging his countrymen interest.”^(AA) So I called a large assembly against them ⁸ and said, “We have done our best to buy back our Jewish countrymen who were sold to foreigners, but now you sell your own countrymen, and we have to buy them back.”^(AB) They remained silent and could not say a word.^{(AC) 9} Then I said, “What you are doing isn’t right. Shouldn’t you walk in the fear of our God^(AD) and not invite the reproach of our foreign enemies?^{(AE) 10} Even I, as well as my brothers and my servants, have been lending them money and grain. Please, let’s stop charging this interest.^{[i] 11} Return their fields, vineyards, olive groves, and houses to them immediately, along with the percentage^[j] of the money, grain, new wine, and fresh oil^(AF) that you have been assessing them.”

¹² They responded, “We will return these things and require nothing more from them.^(AG) We will do as you say.”

So I summoned the priests and made everyone take an oath^(AH) to do this. ¹³ I also shook the folds of my robe and said, “May God likewise shake from his house and property everyone who doesn’t keep this promise. May he be shaken out^(AI) and have nothing!”

The whole assembly said, “Amen,” and they praised the Lord. Then the people did as they had promised.^(AJ)

Good and Bad Governors

¹⁴ Furthermore, from the day King Artaxerxes^(AK) appointed me to be their governor in the land of Judah—from the twentieth year until his thirty-second year, twelve years^(AL)—I and my associates never ate from the food allotted to the governor. ¹⁵ The governors^(AM) who preceded me had heavily burdened the people, taking from them food and wine as well as a pound^[k] of silver. Their subordinates also oppressed the people, but because of the fear of God, I didn’t do this.^{(AN) 16} Instead, I devoted myself to the construction of this wall,^(AO) and all my subordinates were gathered there for the work. We didn’t buy any land.^(AP)

¹⁷ There were 150 Jews and officials, as well as guests from the surrounding nations at my table.^{(AQ) 18} Each^[l] day, one ox, six choice sheep, and some fowl were prepared for me. An abundance of all kinds of wine was provided every ten days.^(AR) But I didn’t demand the food allotted to the governor, because the burden on the people was so heavy.

¹⁹ Remember me favorably, my God, for all that I have done for this people.^(AS)

Attempts to Discourage the Builders

6 When Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab, and the rest of our enemies^(AT) heard that I had rebuilt the wall and that no gap was left in it^(AU)—though at that time I had not installed the doors in the city gates^(AV)— ² Sanballat and Geshem^(AW) sent me a message: “Come, let’s meet together in the villages of^[m] the Ono Valley.”^(AX) They were planning to harm me.

³ So I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing important work and cannot come down. Why should the work cease while I leave it and go down to you?” ⁴ Four times they sent me the same proposal, and I gave them the same reply.

⁵ Sanballat^(AY) sent me this same message a fifth time by his aide, who had an open letter in his hand. ⁶ In it was written:

It is reported among the nations—and Geshem^[n](AZ) agrees—that you and the Jews plan to rebel. This is the reason you are building the wall. According to these reports, you are to become their king ⁷ and have even set up the prophets in Jerusalem to proclaim on your behalf, “There is a king in Judah.”^(BA) These rumors will be heard by the king. So come, let’s confer together.

⁸ Then I replied to him, “There is nothing to these rumors you are spreading; you are inventing them in your own mind.”^{(BB) 9} For they were all trying to intimidate^(BC) us, saying, “They will drop their hands from^[o] the work,^(BD) and it will never be finished.”

But now, my God, strengthen my hands.^(BE)

Attempts to Intimidate Nehemiah

¹⁰ I went to the house of Shemaiah son of Delaiah, son of Mehetabel, who was restricted to his house. He said:

¹¹ But I said, “Should a man like me run away? How can someone like me enter the temple and live?^(BF) I will not go.” ¹² I realized that God had not sent him, because of the prophecy he spoke against me. Tobiah and Sanballat^(BG) had hired him. ¹³ He was hired, so that I would be intimidated,^(BH) do as he suggested, sin, and get a bad reputation, in order that they could discredit me.

¹⁴ My God, remember^(BI) Tobiah and Sanballat for what they have done, and also the prophetess Noadiah^(BJ) and the other prophets who wanted to intimidate me.

The Wall Completed

¹⁵ The wall was completed^(BK) in fifty-two days, on the twenty-fifth day of the month Elul.^{(BL) 16} When all our enemies^(BM) heard this, all the surrounding nations were intimidated^(BN) and lost their confidence,^[q] for they realized that this task had been accomplished by our God.^(BO)

¹⁷ During those days, the nobles of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah,^(BP) and Tobiah’s letters came to them. ¹⁸ For many in Judah were bound by oath^(BQ) to him, since he was a son-in-law of Shecaniah son of Arah, and his son Jehohanan had married the daughter of Meshullam^(BR) son of Berechiah. ¹⁹ These nobles kept mentioning Tobiah’s good deeds to me, and they reported my words to him. And Tobiah sent letters to intimidate^(BS) me.

Psalm 98

Praise the King

A psalm.

The First Seal on the Scroll

6 Then I saw the Lamb open one of the seven^[a] seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures say with a voice like thunder,^(A) “Come!” ² I looked, and there was a white horse.^(B) Its rider held a bow;^(C) a crown^(D) was given to him, and he went out as a conqueror in order to conquer.^[b]

The Second Seal

³ When he opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, “Come!” ⁴ Then another horse went out, a fiery red one,^(E) and its rider was allowed to take peace from the earth, so that people would slaughter one another. And a large sword was given to him.^(F)

The Third Seal

⁵ When he opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come!” And I looked, and there was a black horse.^(G) Its rider held a set of scales in his hand.^{(H) 6} Then I heard something like a voice among the four living creatures say, “A quart of wheat for a denarius,^[c] and three quarts of barley for a denarius,^(I) but do not harm the oil and the wine.”^(J)

The Fourth Seal

⁷ When he opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, “Come!” ⁸ And I looked, and there was a pale green^[d] horse. Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following after him.^(K) They were^[e] given authority^(L) over a fourth of the earth, to kill by the sword, by famine, by plague, and by the wild animals of the earth.^(M)

The Fifth Seal

⁹ When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slaughtered because of the word of God and the testimony they had given.^{[f](N) 10} They cried out with a loud voice, “Lord,^[g] the one who is holy and true,^(O) how long until you judge those who live on the earth and avenge our blood?^(P)” ¹¹ So they were each given a white robe, and they were told to rest a little while longer until the number would be completed of their fellow servants and their brothers and sisters, who were going to be killed just as they had been.

The Sixth Seal

¹² Then I saw him open^[h] the sixth seal. A violent earthquake occurred;^(Q) the sun turned black like sackcloth^(R) made of hair; the entire moon^[i] became like blood;^{(S) 13} the stars^[j] of heaven fell to the earth as a fig tree drops its unripe figs when shaken by a high wind; ¹⁴ the sky was split apart like a scroll being rolled up;^(T) and every mountain and island was moved from its place.^(U)

¹⁵ Then the kings of the earth, the nobles, the generals, the rich, the powerful, and every slave and free person hid in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains.^{(V) 16} And they said to the mountains and to the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us^(W) from the face of the one seated on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb, ¹⁷ because the great day of their^[k] wrath has come! And who is able to stand?” ^(X)