Nehemiah 6-9

Christian Standard Bible

Attempts to Discourage the Builders

6 When Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab, and the rest of our enemies^(A) heard that I had rebuilt the wall and that no gap was left in it^(B)—though at that time I had not installed the doors in the city gates^(C)— ² Sanballat and Geshem^(D) sent me a message: “Come, let’s meet together in the villages of^[a] the Ono Valley.”^(E) 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^(F) 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^[b](G) 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.”^(H) 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.”^{(I) 9} For they were all trying to intimidate^(J) us, saying, “They will drop their hands from^[c] the work,^(K) and it will never be finished.”

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

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?^(M) I will not go.” ¹² I realized that God had not sent him, because of the prophecy he spoke against me. Tobiah and Sanballat^(N) had hired him. ¹³ He was hired, so that I would be intimidated,^(O) do as he suggested, sin, and get a bad reputation, in order that they could discredit me.

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

The Wall Completed

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

¹⁷ During those days, the nobles of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah,^(W) and Tobiah’s letters came to them. ¹⁸ For many in Judah were bound by oath^(X) to him, since he was a son-in-law of Shecaniah son of Arah, and his son Jehohanan had married the daughter of Meshullam^(Y) 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^(Z) me.

The Exiles Return

7 When the wall had been rebuilt and I had the doors installed,^(AA) the gatekeepers,^(AB) singers, and Levites were appointed. ² Then I put my brother Hanani^(AC) in charge of Jerusalem,^(AD) along with Hananiah,^(AE) commander of the fortress,^(AF) because he was a faithful man who feared God^(AG) more than most. ³ I said to them, “Do not open the gates of Jerusalem until the sun is hot, and let the doors be shut and securely fastened while the guards are on duty. Station the citizens of Jerusalem as guards, some at their posts and some at their homes.”^(AH)

⁴ The city was large and spacious, but there were few people in it, and no houses had been built yet.^{(AI) 5} Then my God put it into my mind^(AJ) to assemble the nobles, the officials, and the people to be registered by genealogy. I found the genealogical record of those who came back first, and I found the following written in it:^(AK)

⁶ These are the people of the province who went up among the captive exiles deported by King Nebuchadnezzar^(AL) of Babylon. Each of them returned to Jerusalem and Judah, to his own town.^{(AM) 7} They came with Zerubbabel,^(AN) Jeshua,^(AO) Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, and Baanah.

The number of the Israelite men included^[f]

8 Parosh’s descendants(AP)	2,172
9 Shephatiah’s descendants	372
10 Arah’s descendants	652
11 Pahath-moab’s descendants:
Jeshua’s and Joab’s descendants	2,818
12 Elam’s descendants	1,254
13 Zattu’s descendants	845
14 Zaccai’s descendants	760
15 Binnui’s descendants	648
16 Bebai’s descendants	628
17 Azgad’s descendants	2,322
18 Adonikam’s descendants(AQ)	667
19 Bigvai’s descendants	2,067
20 Adin’s descendants(AR)	655
21 Ater’s descendants: of Hezekiah	98
22 Hashum’s descendants	328
23 Bezai’s descendants	324
24 Hariph’s descendants	112
25 Gibeon’s[g] descendants	95
26 Bethlehem’s(AS) and Netophah’s(AT) men	188
27 Anathoth’s(AU) men	128
28 Beth-azmaveth’s men	42
29 Kiriath-jearim’s, Chephirah’s, and Beeroth’s men	743
30 Ramah’s and Geba’s men	621
31 Michmas’s men	122
32 Bethel’s and Ai’s men(AV)	123
33 the other Nebo’s men	52
34 the other Elam’s people	1,254
35 Harim’s people	320
36 Jericho’s people(AW)	345
37 Lod’s,(AX) Hadid’s, and Ono’s people	721
38 Senaah’s people	3,930.

³⁹ The priests included

Jedaiah’s(AY) descendants of the house of Jeshua	973
40 Immer’s descendants	1,052
41 Pashhur’s descendants	1,247
42 Harim’s descendants	1,017.

⁴³ The Levites^(AZ) included

Jeshua’s descendants: of Kadmiel
Hodevah’s descendants	74.

⁴⁴ The singers^(BA) included

Asaph’s descendants

148.

⁴⁵ The gatekeepers^(BB) included

Shallum’s descendants, Ater’s descendants,
Talmon’s descendants, Akkub’s descendants,
Hatita’s descendants, Shobai’s descendants	138.

⁴⁶ The temple servants^(BC) included

⁵⁷ The descendants of Solomon’s servants^(BD) included

60 All the temple servants
and the descendants of Solomon’s servants(BE)	392.

⁶¹ The following^(BF) are those who came from Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Cherub, Addon, and Immer, but were unable to prove that their ancestral families^[i] and their lineage were Israelite:

62 Delaiah’s descendants,
Tobiah’s descendants,
and Nekoda’s descendants	642

⁶³ and from the priests: the descendants of Hobaiah, the descendants of Hakkoz, and the descendants of Barzillai—who had taken a wife from the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite and who bore their name. ⁶⁴ These searched for their entries in the genealogical records, but they could not be found, so they were disqualified from the priesthood. ⁶⁵ The governor^(BG) ordered them not to eat the most holy things until there was a priest who could consult the Urim and Thummim.^(BH)

66 The whole combined assembly numbered	42,360
67 not including their 7,337 male and female servants,
as well as their 245 male and female singers.
68 They had 736 horses, 245 mules,[j]
69 435 camels, and 6,720 donkeys.(BI)

⁷⁰ Some of the family heads contributed to the project. The governor gave 1,000 gold coins,^[k] 50 bowls, and 530 priestly garments to the treasury. ⁷¹ Some of the family heads gave 20,000 gold coins and 2,200 silver minas to the treasury for the project. ⁷² The rest of the people gave 20,000 gold coins, 2,000 silver minas, and 67 priestly garments. ⁷³ The priests, Levites, gatekeepers, temple singers, some of the people, temple servants, and all Israel settled in their towns.^(BJ)

Public Reading of the Law

When the seventh month^(BK) came and the Israelites had settled in their towns,

8 all the people gathered together^(BL) at the square in front of the Water Gate.^(BM) They asked the scribe Ezra^(BN) to bring the book of the law of Moses^(BO) that the Lord had given Israel. ² On the first day of the seventh month,^(BP) the priest Ezra^(BQ) brought the law^(BR) before the assembly of men, women, and all who could listen with understanding. ³ While he was facing the square in front of the Water Gate,^(BS) he read out of it from daybreak until noon before the men, the women, and those who could understand. All the people listened attentively^[l] to the book of the law.^{(BT) 4} The scribe Ezra stood on a high wooden platform^(BU) made for this purpose. Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah stood beside him on his right; to his left were Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hash-baddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam. ⁵ Ezra opened the book in full view of all the people, since he was elevated above everyone. As he opened it, all the people stood up. ⁶ Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God, and with their hands uplifted^(BV) all the people said, “Amen, Amen!” ^(BW) Then they knelt low and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground.^(BX)

⁷ Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, and Pelaiah,^(BY) who were Levites,^[m](BZ) explained the law^(CA) to the people as they stood in their places. ⁸ They read out of the book of the law of God, translating and giving the meaning so that the people could understand what was read. ⁹ Nehemiah the governor,^(CB) Ezra the priest and scribe,^(CC) and the Levites who were instructing the people said to all of them, “This day^(CD) is holy to the Lord your God. Do not mourn or weep.”^(CE) For all the people were weeping as they heard the words of the law. ¹⁰ Then he said to them, “Go and eat what is rich, drink what is sweet, and send portions to those who have nothing prepared,^(CF) since today^(CG) is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, because the joy of the Lord is your strength.”^{[n](CH) 11} And the Levites quieted all the people, saying, “Be still,^(CI) since today^(CJ) is holy. Don’t grieve.” ¹² Then all the people began to eat and drink, send portions, and have a great celebration,^(CK) because they had understood the words that were explained to them.

Festival of Shelters Observed

¹³ On the second day, the family heads of all the people, along with the priests and Levites,^(CL) assembled before the scribe Ezra^(CM) to study the words of the law. ¹⁴ They found written in the law how the Lord had commanded through Moses that the Israelites should dwell in shelters during the festival of the seventh month.^{(CN) 15} So they proclaimed and spread this news throughout their towns and in Jerusalem, saying, “Go out to the hill country and bring back branches of olive, wild olive, myrtle, palm, and other leafy trees to make shelters, just as it is written.”^{(CO) 16} The people went out, brought back branches, and made shelters for themselves on each of their rooftops^(CP) and courtyards, the court of the house of God, the square by the Water Gate,^(CQ) and the square by the Ephraim Gate.^{(CR) 17} The whole community that had returned from exile^(CS) made shelters and lived in them. The Israelites had not celebrated like this from the days of Joshua son of Nun until that day.^(CT) And there was tremendous joy.^{(CU) 18} Ezra^[o] read out of the book of the law of God^(CV) every day, from the first day to the last. The Israelites celebrated the festival for seven days, and on the eighth day there was a solemn assembly, according to the ordinance.^(CW)

National Confession of Sin

9 On the twenty-fourth day of this month^(CX) the Israelites assembled; they were fasting, wearing sackcloth, and had put dust on their heads.^{(CY) 2} Those of Israelite descent separated themselves from all foreigners,^(CZ) and they stood^(DA) and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their ancestors.^{(DB) 3} While they stood in their places,^(DC) they read from the book of the law of the Lord their God for a fourth of the day and spent another fourth of the day^(DD) in confession^(DE) and worship of the Lord their God. ⁴ Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Chenani stood on the raised platform built for the Levites^(DF) and cried out loudly to the Lord their God. ⁵ Then the Levites—Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah^(DG)—said, “Stand up. Blessed be the Lord your God from everlasting to everlasting.”^(DH)

Israel’s Vow of Faithfulness

³⁸ In view of all this, we are making a binding agreement^(FC) in writing on a sealed document containing the names of our leaders, Levites, and priests.^(FD)