Beginning
4 7 The building of Jerusalem is hindered, 15 but God breaketh their enterprise. 17 The Jews build with one hand, and hold their weapons in the other.
1 But when Sanballat heard that we built the wall, then was he wroth and sore grieved, and mocked the Jews,
2 And said before his [a]brethren and the army of Samaria, thus he said, What do these [b]weak Jews? will they fortify themselves? will they sacrifice? will they finish it in a day? will they make the stones whole again out of the heaps of dust, seeing they are burnt?
3 And Tobiah the Ammonite was beside him, and said, Although they build, yet if a fox go up, he shall even break down their stony wall.
4 [c]Hear, O our God (for we are despised) and turn their shame upon their own head, and give them unto a prey [d]in the land of their captivity,
5 And cover not their [e]iniquity, neither let their sin be put out in thy presence: for they have provoked us before the builders.
6 So we built the wall, and all the wall was joined unto the [f]half thereof, and the heart of the people was to work.
7 ¶ But when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodims heard that the walls of Jerusalem were repaired, (for the breaches began to be stopped) then they were very wroth,
8 And conspired all together to come and to fight against Jerusalem, and to [g]hinder them.
9 Then we prayed unto our God, and set watchmen by them, day and night, because of them.
10 And Judah said, The strength of the bearers is weakened, and there is much earth, so that we are not able to build the wall.
11 Also our adversaries had said, They shall not know, neither see, till we come into the midst of them, and slay them, and cause the work to cease.
12 But when the Jews (which dwelt beside them) came, they told us [h]ten times, [i]From all places, whence ye shall return, they will be upon us.
13 Therefore set I in the lower places behind the wall upon the tops of the stones, and placed the people by their families, with their swords, their spears, and their bows.
14 Then I beheld, and rose up, and said unto the princes, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, Be not afraid of them: [j]remember the great Lord, and fearful, and fight for your brethren, your sons, and your daughters, your wives, and your houses.
15 And when our enemies heard that it was known unto us, then God brought their counsel to nought, and we turned all again to the wall, every one unto his work.
16 And from that day half of the young men did the labor, and the other half part of them held the spears, and shields, and bows, and habergeons: and the Rulers stood [k]behind all the house of Judah.
17 They that built on the wall, and they that bare burdens, and they that laded, did the work with one hand, and with the other held the sword.
18 For every one of the builders had his sword girded on his loins, and so built: and he that blew the trumpet, was beside me.
19 Then said I unto the Princes, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, The work is great and large, and we are separated upon the wall, one far from another.
20 In what place therefore ye hear the sound of the trumpet, [l]resort ye thither unto us: our God shall fight for us.
21 So we labored in the work, and half of them held the spears, from the appearing of the morning, till the stars came forth.
22 And at the same time said I unto the people, Let everyone with his servant lodge within Jerusalem, that they may be a watch for us in the night, and labor in the day.
23 So neither I, nor my brethren, nor my servants, nor the men of the ward (which followed me) none of us did put off our clothes, save everyone put them off [m]for washing.
5 1 The people are oppressed and in necessity. 6 Nehemiah remedieth it. 14 He took not the portion of others that had ruled before, lest he should grieve the people.
1 Now there was a great cry of the people, and of their wives [n]against their brethren the Jews.
2 For there were that said, We, our sons and our daughters are many, therefore we take up [o]corn, that we may eat and live.
3 And there were that said, We must gage our lands, and our vineyards, and our houses, and take up corn for the famine.
4 There were also that said, We have borrowed money for the king’s [p]tribute upon our lands and our vineyards.
5 And now our flesh is as [q]the flesh of our brethren, and our sons as their sons: and lo, we bring into subjection our sons and our daughters, as servants, and there be of our daughters now in subjection, and there is no power [r]in our hands: for other men have our lands and our vineyards.
6 Then was I very angry when I heard their cry and these words.
7 And I thought in my mind, and I rebuked the princes, and the rulers, and said unto them, You lay [s]burdens every one upon his brethren: and I set a great [t]assembly against them,
8 And I said unto them, We (according to our ability) have redeemed our brethren the Jews, which were sold unto the heathen: and will you sell your brethren again, or shall they be [u]sold unto us? Then held they their peace, and could not answer.
9 [v]I said also, That which ye do, is not good. Ought ye not to walk in the fear of our God, for the [w]reproach of the heathen our enemies?
10 For even I, my brethren, and my servants do lend them money and corn: I pray you, let us leave off this [x]burden.
11 Restore, I pray you, unto them this day their lands, their vineyards, their olives, and their houses, and remit the hundredth part of the silver and of the corn, of the wine, and of the oil [y]that ye exact of them.
12 Then said they, We will restore it, and will not require it of them: we will do as thou hast said. Then I called the Priests and caused them to swear, that they should do according to this promise.
13 So I shook my lap, and said, So let God shake out every man that will not perform this promise, from his house, and from his labor: even thus let him be shaken out and emptied. And all the Congregation said, Amen, and praised the Lord: and the people did according to this promise.
14 And from the time that the King gave me charge to be governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year, even unto the two and thirtieth year of King Artaxerxes, that is, twelve years, I, and my brethren have not eaten the [z]bread of the governor.
15 For the former governors that were before me, had been chargeable unto the people, and had taken of them bread and wine, besides forty shekels of silver: yea, and their servants bare rule over the people: but so did not I, because of the fear of God.
16 But rather I fortified a portion in the work of this wall, and we bought no land, and all my servants came thither together unto the work.
17 Moreover there were at my table an hundred and fifty of the Jews, and rulers, which came unto us from among the heathen that are about us.
18 And there was prepared daily an ox, and six chosen sheep, and birds were prepared for me, and [aa]within ten days wine for all [ab]in abundance. Yet for all this I required not the bread of the governor: for the bondage was grievous unto this people.
19 Remember me, O my God, in goodness, according to all that I have done for this people.
6 8 Nehemiah answereth with great wisdom and zeal to his adversary. 11 He is not discouraged by the false Prophets.
1 And when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and Geshem the Arabian, and the rest of our enemies heard that I had built the wall, and that there were no more [ac]breaches therein (though at that time I had not set up the doors upon the gates)
2 Then sent Sanballat and Geshem unto me, saying, come thou that we may meet together in the villages in the plain of Ono: and they thought to do me evil.
3 Therefore I sent messengers unto them, saying, I have a great work to do, and I cannot come down: [ad]why should the work cease, while I leave it and come down to you?
4 Yet they sent unto me four times after this sort. And I answered them after the same manner.
5 Then sent Sanballat his servant after this sort unto me the fifth time, with an open letter in his hand,
6 Wherein was written, It is reported among the heathen, and [ae]Gashmu hath said it, that thou and the Jews think to rebel, for the which cause thou buildest the wall, and thou wilt be their king according to these [af]words.
7 Thou hast also ordained [ag]the Prophets to preach of thee at Jerusalem, saying, There is a King in Judah: and now according to these words it shall come to the King’s ears: come now therefore, and let us take counsel together.
8 Then I sent unto him, saying, It is not done according to these words that thou sayest: for thou feignest them of thine own heart.
9 For all they afraid us, saying, Their hands shall be weakened from the work, and it shall not be done: now therefore [ah]encourage thou me.
10 ¶ And I came to the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah the son of Mehetabel, and he was [ai]shut up, and he said, Let us come together into the house of God in the midst of the Temple, and shut the doors of the Temple: for they will come to slay thee: yea, in the night will they come to kill thee.
11 Then I said, [aj]Should such a man as I, flee? Who is he, being as I am, that would go into the Temple to live? I will not go in.
12 And lo, I perceived that God had not sent him, but that he pronounced this prophecy against me: for Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.
13 Therefore was he hired, that I might be afraid, and do thus, and sin, and that they might have an evil report, that they might reproach me.
14 My God, remember thou Tobiah, and Sanballat according unto these their works, and Noadiah the [ak]Prophetess also, and the rest of the prophets that would have put me in fear.
15 ¶ Notwithstanding the wall was finished on the five and twentieth day of [al]Elul, in two and [am]fifty days.
16 And when all our enemies heard thereof, even all the heathen that were about us, they were afraid, and their courage failed them: for they knew that this work was wrought by our God.
17 And in these days were there many of the princes of Judah, whose [an]letters went unto Tobiah, and those of Tobiah came unto them.
18 For there were many in Judah, that were sworn unto him: for he was the son in law of Shechaniah, the son of Arah: and his son Jehohanan had the daughter of Meshullam, the son of Berechiah.
19 Yea, they spake in his praise before me, and told him my words, and Tobiah sent letters to put me in fear.
Geneva Bible, 1599 Edition. Published by Tolle Lege Press. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles, reviews, and broadcasts.