2 And it came to pass in the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king, that wine was before him; and I took up the wine and gave it unto the king. Now I had not before been sad in his presence.

² Therefore the king said unto me, “Why is thy countenance sad, seeing thou art not sick? This is nothing else but sorrow of heart.” Then I was very sore afraid,

³ and said unto the king, “Let the king live for ever. Why should not my countenance be sad when the city, the place of my fathers’ sepulchers, lieth waste, and the gates thereof are consumed with fire?”

⁴ Then the king said unto me, “For what dost thou make request?” So I prayed to the God of heaven.

⁵ And I said unto the king, “If it please the king, and if thy servant have found favor in thy sight, that thou wouldest send me unto Judah,unto the city of my fathers’ sepulchers, that I may build it.”

⁶ And the king said unto me (the queen also sitting by him), “For how long shall thy journey be? And when wilt thou return?” So it pleased the king to send me, and I set him a time.

⁷ Moreover I said unto the king, “If it please the king, let letters be given me to the governors beyond the river, that they may convey me over until I come into Judah,

⁸ also a letter unto Asaph the keeper of the king’s forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the palace which appertained to the house, and for the wall of the city and for the house that I shall enter into.” And the king granted me, according to the good hand of my God upon me.

⁹ Then I came to the governors 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 Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the servant the Ammonite heard of it, it grieved them exceedingly that there had come a man to seek the welfare of the children of Israel.

¹¹ So I came to Jerusalem and was there three days.

¹² And I arose in the night, I and some few men with me. Neither told I any man what my God had put in my heart to do at Jerusalem; neither was there any beast with me, except the beast that I rode upon.

¹³ And I went out by night by the Gate of the Valley, even before the Dragon Well and to the dung port, and viewed the walls of Jerusalem which were broken down, and the gates thereof were consumed with fire.

¹⁴ Then I went on to the Gate of the Fountain and to the King’s Pool, but there was no place for the beast that was under me to pass.

¹⁵ Then went I up in the night by the brook and viewed the wall, and turned back and entered by the Gate of the Valley, and so returned.

¹⁶ And the rulers knew not whither I went or what I did; neither had I as yet told it to the Jews, nor to the priests, nor to the nobles, nor to the rulers, nor to the rest who did the work.

¹⁷ Then said I unto them, “Ye see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lieth waste, and the gates thereof are burned with fire. Come, and let us build up the wall of Jerusalem, that we be no more a reproach.”

¹⁸ Then I told them of the hand of my God which was good upon me, as also the king’s words that he had spoken unto me. And they said, “Let us rise up and build.” So they strengthened their hands for this good work.

¹⁹ But when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian heard it, they laughed us to scorn and despised us, and said, “What is this thing that ye do? Will ye rebel against the king?”

²⁰ Then answered I them and said unto them, “The God of heaven, He will prosper us. Therefore we His servants will arise and build; but ye have no portion, nor right, nor memorial in Jerusalem.”

11 And the rulers of the people dwelt at Jerusalem; the rest of the people also cast lots to bring one of ten to dwell in Jerusalem, the holy city, and nine parts to dwell in other cities.

² And the people blessed all the men who willingly offered themselves to dwell at Jerusalem.

³ Now these are the chief of the province who dwelt in Jerusalem; but in the cities of Judah dwelt every one in his possession in their cities, to wit: Israel, the priests, and the Levites, and the Nethinim, and the children of Solomon’s servants.

⁴ And at Jerusalem dwelt certain of the children of Judah and of the children of Benjamin. Of the children of Judah: Athaiah the son of Uzziah, the son of Zechariah, the son of Amariah, the son of Shephatiah,the son of Mahalaleel, of the children of Perez;

⁵ and Maaseiah the son of Baruch, the son of Colhozeh, 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 threescore and 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 twenty and eight.

⁹ And Joel the son of Zichri was their overseer; and Judah the son of Senuah was second over the city.

¹⁰ Of the priests: Jedaiah the son of Joiarib, 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 ruler of the house of God.

¹² And their brethren who did the work of the house were eight hundred twenty and two; and Adaiah the son of Jeroham, the son of Pelaliah, the son of Amzi, the son of Zechariah, the son of Pashhur, the son of Malchijah,

¹³ and his brethren, chief of the fathers, were two hundred forty and two; and Amashai the son of Azareel, the son of Ahzai, the son of Meshillemoth, the son of Immer,

¹⁴ and their brethren, mighty men of valor, were a hundred twenty and eight; and their overseer was Zabdiel, the son of one of the great men.

¹⁵ Also of the Levites: Shemaiah the son of Hasshub, the son of Azrikam, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Bunni;

¹⁶ and Shabbethai and Jozabad, of the chief of the Levites, had the oversight of the outside business of the house of God.

¹⁷ And Mattaniah the son of Micha, the son of Zabdi, the son of Asaph, was the principal to begin the thanksgiving in prayer, and Bakbukiah the second among his brethren, and Abda the son of Shammua, the son of Galal, the son of Jeduthun.

¹⁸ All the Levites in the holy city were two hundred fourscore and four.

¹⁹ Moreover the gatekeepers, Akkub, Talmon, and their brethren who kept the gates, were a hundred seventy and two.

²⁰ And the residue of Israel, of the priests, and the Levites, were in all the cities of Judah, every one in his inheritance.

²¹ But the Nethinim dwelt in Ophel; and Ziha and Gishpa were over the Nethinim.

²² The overseer also of the Levites at Jerusalem was Uzzi the son of Bani, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Micha. Of the sons of Asaph, the singers were over the business of the house of God.

²³ For it was the king’s commandment concerning them, that a certain portion should be for the singers, due for every day.

²⁴ And Pethahiah the son of Meshezabeel, of the children of Zerah the son of Judah, was at the king’s hand in all matters concerning the people.

²⁵ And for the villages with their fields, some of the children of Judah dwelt at Kirjatharba and in the villages thereof, and at Dibon and in the villages thereof, and at Jekabzeel and in the villages thereof,

²⁶ and at Jeshua, and at Moladah, and at Bethphelet,

²⁷ and at Hazarshual and at Beersheba and in the villages thereof,

²⁸ and at Ziklag and at Meconah and in the villages thereof;

²⁹ and at Enrimmon and at Zorah and at Jarmuth,

³⁰ Zanoah, Adullam, and in their villages; at Lachish and the fields thereof, at Azekah and in the villages thereof. And they dwelt from Beersheba unto the valley of Hinnom.

³¹ The children also of Benjamin from Geba dwelt at Michmash, and Aija and Bethel and in their villages,

³² and at Anathoth, Nob, Ananiah,

³³ Hazor, Ramah, Gittaim,

³⁴ Hadid, Zeboim, Neballat,

³⁵ Lod, and Ono, the valley of craftsmen.

³⁶ And of the Levites were divisions in Judah, and in Benjamin.

13 On that day they read in the Book of Moses in the audience of the people, and therein was found written that the Ammonite and the Moabite should not come into the congregation of God, ever,

² because they met not the children of Israel with bread and with water, but hired Balaam against them, that he should curse them. However that be, our God turned the curse into a blessing.

³ Now it came to pass, when they had heard the law, that they separated from Israel all the mixed multitude.

⁴ And before this, Eliashib the priest, having the oversight of the chamber of the house of our God, was allied unto Tobiah.

⁵ And he had prepared for him a great chamber, where previously they laid the meat offerings, the frankincense and the vessels and the tithes of the corn, the new wine and the oil, which were commanded to be given to the Levites and the singers and the gatekeepers, and the offerings of the priests.

⁶ But in all this time I was not at Jerusalem; for in the two and thirtieth year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon I came unto the king, and after certain days I obtained leave from the king.

⁷ And I came to Jerusalem and learned of the evil that Eliashib had done for Tobiah in preparing him a chamber in the courts of the house of God.

⁸ And it grieved me sore; therefore I cast forth all the household stuff of Tobiah out of the chamber.

⁹ Then I commanded, and they cleansed the chambers; and thither I brought back the vessels of the house of God, with the meat offering and the frankincense.

¹⁰ And I perceived that the portions for the Levites had not been given them; for the Levites and the singers who did the work had fled every one to his field.

¹¹ Then I contended with the rulers and said, “Why is the house of God forsaken?” And I gathered them together, and set them in their place.

¹² Then brought all Judah the tithe of the corn and the new wine and the oil unto the storehouses.

¹³ And I made treasurers over the storehouses: Shelemiah the priest and Zadok the scribe, and of the Levites, Pedaiah; and next to them was Hanan the son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah; for they were counted faithful, and their office was to distribute unto their brethren.

¹⁴ Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and wipe not out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God and for the offices thereof.

¹⁵ In those days I saw in Judah some treading of wine presses on the Sabbath, and bringing in sheaves and loading them on asses, as also wine, grapes, and figs, and all manner of burdens which they brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. And I testified against them as to the day wherein they sold victuals.

¹⁶ There dwelt men of Tyre also therein, who brought fish and all manner of wares, and sold on the Sabbath unto the children of Judah and in Jerusalem.

¹⁷ Then I contended with the nobles of Judah and said unto them, “What evil thing is this that ye do, and profane the Sabbath day?

¹⁸ Did not your fathers thus, and did not our God bring all this evil upon us and upon this city? Yet ye bring more wrath upon Israel by profaning the Sabbath.”

¹⁹ And it came to pass, when the gates of Jerusalem began to be dark before the Sabbath, that I commanded that the gates should be shut,and charged that they should not be opened until after the Sabbath; and some of my servants I set at the gates, that there should no burden be brought in on the Sabbath day.

²⁰ So the merchants and sellers of all kinds of wares lodged outside Jerusalem once or twice.

²¹ Then I testified against them and said unto them, “Why lodge ye about the wall? If ye do so again, I will lay hands on you.” From that time forth they came no more on the Sabbath.

²² And I commanded the Levites that they should cleanse themselves, and that they should come and keep the gates, to sanctify the Sabbath day. Remember me, O my God, concerning this also, and spare me according to the greatness of Thy mercy.

²³ In those days also I saw Jews who had married wives of Ashdod, of Ammon, and of Moab;

²⁴ and their children spoke half in the speech of Ashdod, and could not speak in the Jews’ language, but according to the language of each people.

²⁵ And I contended with them and cursed them, and smote certain of them and plucked off their hair, and made them swear by God, saying, “Ye shall not give your daughters unto their sons, nor take their daughters unto your sons or for yourselves.

²⁶ Did not Solomon king of Israel sin by these things? Yet among many nations was there no king like him, who was beloved of his God, and God made him king over all Israel: nevertheless even him did women from other lands cause to sin.

²⁷ Shall we then hearken unto you to do all this great evil, to transgress against our God in marrying foreign wives?”

²⁸ And one of the sons of Joiada, the son of Eliashib the high priest, was son-in-law to Sanballat the Horonite; therefore I chased him from me.

²⁹ Remember them, O my God, because they have defiled the priesthood and the covenant of the priesthood and of the Levites.

³¹ and for the wood offering at times appointed, and for the firstfruits. Remember me, O my God, for good.