Chronological

6 Forsooth it was done, when Sanballat had heard, and Tobiah, and Geshem of Arabia, and our other enemies, that I had builded (again) the wall, and no more breaking was therein; and unto that time I had not set up the leaves of shutting of the gates; (And it was done, when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and Geshem the Arab, and all our other enemies had heard, that I had rebuilt the wall, and that there were no longer any breaks in it; although until that time I had not put up the leaves for shutting the gates;)

² and Sanballat, and Tobiah, and Geshem of Arabia sent to me, and said, Come thou into a field, and smite we bond of peace in (one of the) villages; certainly they thought to do evil to me. (and Sanballat, and Tobiah, and Geshem the Arab sent word to me, and said, Come thou, and strike we a covenant, in one of the villages on the Plain of Ono; but truly they thought to do evil to me.)

³ Therefore I sent messengers to them, and I said, I make a great work, and I may not go down therefore (And so I sent messengers to them, and I said, I am doing important work here, and so I cannot go down there), lest peradventure it be done recklessly/lest peradventure it be done negligently, when I come, and go down to you.

⁴ Soothly they sent to me by this word by four times, and I answered to them by the former word. (And they sent this request to me four times, and each time I answered to them what I had said before.)

⁵ And Sanballat sent to me the fifth time by the former word his servant; and he had in his hand a letter, (And the fifth time, Sanballat sent his servant to me with the same request; and he had a letter in his hand,)

⁶ written in this manner; It is heard among heathen men, and Gashmu said, that thou and the Jews think for to rebel, and therefore ye build (again) the wall, and thou wilt raise thee (up as) king on them; (written in this manner; It is heard among the heathen, and Gashmu said, that thou and the Jews plan to rebel, and so ye rebuild the wall, and soon thou wilt raise thyself up as a king over them;)

⁷ for which cause also thou hast set prophets, which preach of thee in Jerusalem, and say, A king is in Jerusalem; the king shall hear these words; therefore come thou now, that we take counsel together. (for which reason thou hast also set forth prophets, who preach of thee in Jerusalem, and say, There is a new king in Judah; the king shall hear of these words; and so come thou now, so that we can take counsel about this matter together.)

⁸ And I sent to them, and said, It is not done by these words which thou speakest; for (out) of thine own heart thou makest these things (up).

⁹ All these men made us afeared, and thought that our hands should cease from our works, and that we should rest from building; for which cause I strengthened more mine hand thereto (and for this reason I applied myself even more strongly to the task at hand).

¹⁰ And I entered privily into the house of Shemaiah, the son of Delaiah, the son of Mehetabeel, which said to me, (Re)Treat we there with ourselves in(to) the house of God, in(to) the midst of the temple, and close we the gates of the house; for they shall come to slay thee, yea, by (the) night they shall come to slay thee. (And I entered into the house of Shemaiah, the son of Delaiah, the son of Mehetabeel, who was enclosed, or confined, there, and he said to me, Let us go to the House of God, into the middle of the Temple, and lock all the doors of the House; for they shall come to kill thee, yea, in the night they shall come to kill thee.)

¹¹ And I said, Whether any man like to me, that is, trusting so to God, as I do, hath fled for such a thing, and who as I shall enter into the temple, and shall live, or be saved there? I will not enter [in] thither. (And I said, Hath any man like me, who trusteth in God, like I do, fled for such a reason, or would anyone like me, enter into the Temple to save his own life? I will not go there.)

¹² And I understood that God had not sent him, but he spake as prophesying to me; and Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him for meed. (And then I understood that God had not sent him, but that he only spoke as if prophesying to me; and that Tobiah and Sanballat had bribed him to say it.)

¹³ For he had taken price, that I should be afeared, and do their will, and that I should do sin; and they should have evil (against me), which they should put to me with shame. (For he had taken money from them, to make me afraid, so that I would do their will, and that I would sin; and then they would have evil to put against me, which they would put on me for my shame.)

¹⁴ Lord, have mind of me, for Tobiah and Sanballat, by such works of them; but also of Noadiah, the prophet(ess), and of other prophets, that have made me afeared. (Lord, remember Tobiah, and Sanballat, for all their evil works; and also Noadiah, the prophetess, and the other prophets, who have made me afraid.)

¹⁵ And the wall was ended in the five and twentieth day of the month of Elul, that is, August, in two and fifty days. (And so the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of the month of Elul, that is, August, after only fifty-two days of rebuilding.)

¹⁶ And it was done, when all our enemies had heard, that all [the] heathen men dreaded us, that were in our compass, and they felled down within themselves, and they knew then, that this work was made of God. (And it was done, when all our enemies had heard of this, then all the heathen, who were all around us, feared us, and they fell down within themselves, for they knew then, that this work was done with God’s help.)

¹⁷ But also in those days many letters of the principal men of (the) Jews were sent to Tobiah, and came from Tobiah to them. (And also in those days many letters were sent from the leaders of the Jews to Tobiah, and came from Tobiah to them.)

¹⁸ For many men were in Judah, that had his oath, that is, (who) were sworn to him; for he had wedded the daughter of Shechaniah, the son of Arah; and Johanan, his son, had taken the daughter of Meshullam, the son of Berechiah.

¹⁹ But also they praised him before me, and told my words to him; and Tobiah sent letters, to make me afeared. (And so they praised him in front of me, and told him all my words, or what I had said; and Tobiah also sent letters to me, to make me afraid.)

7 And after that the wall of Jerusalem was builded, and I had set up the gates thereof, and had numbered the porters, and singers, and deacons, (And after that the wall of Jerusalem was rebuilt, and I had put up its gates, or its doors, and had appointed the guards, or the doorkeepers, and the singers, and the Levites,)

² I commanded to Hanani, my brother, and to Hananiah, the prince of the house of Jerusalem (I put my brother Hanani, and Hananiah, the commander of the stronghold, or the fortress, in charge of Jerusalem); for he seemed a soothfast man, and dreading God more than other men did;

³ and I said to them, The gates of Jerusalem be not opened till to the heat of the sun (and I said to them, Do not let the gates of Jerusalem be opened until the heat of the sun); and, when I was yet present, the gates were closed, and locked. And I set keepers thereof (out) of the dwellers of Jerusalem, all men by their whiles, or times, and each man over against his own house.

⁴ And the city was full broad and great, and little people in the midst thereof (but there were few people living there), and the houses were not yet builded.

⁵ And God gave in mine heart, and I gathered together the principal men, and (the) magistrates, and the common people, for to number them; and I found a book of the number[ing] of them, that had gone up first from the captivity. And it was found written therein, (And God put in my heart, to gather together the leaders, and the magistrates, and the common people, to list, or to register, them; and I found a book listing those who had first returned from the captivity. And I found written in it,)

⁶ These be the sons of the province, which went up from the captivity of men passing over from Babylon to Jerusalem, which Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, had led over into Babylon; and they that were come with Zerubbabel turned again into Jerusalem and into Judah, each man to his city; (These be the sons of the province, who came back from the captivity, yea, the list of men returning from Babylon to Jerusalem, whom Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, had led over to Babylon; they returned to Jerusalem and to Judah, each man to his own city;)

⁷ Joshua, that is to say, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, (and) Baanah. And the number of the men of the people of Israel is this; (and their leaders were Zerubbabel, Jeshua, or Joshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, and Baanah. And the number of the men of the people of Israel was this;)

⁸ the sons of Parosh, two thousand an hundred and two and seventy;

⁹ the sons of Shephatiah, three hundred and two and seventy;

¹⁰ the sons of Arah, six hundred and two and fifty;

¹¹ the sons of Pahathmoab, of the sons of Jeshua and of Joab, two thousand eight hundred and eighteen;

¹² the sons of Elam, a thousand eight hundred and four and fifty; (the sons of Elam, a thousand two hundred and fifty-four;)

¹³ the sons of Zattu, eight hundred and five and forty;

¹⁴ the sons of Zaccai, seven hundred and sixty;

¹⁵ the sons of Binnui, six hundred and eight and forty;

¹⁶ the sons of Bebai, six hundred and eight and twenty;

¹⁷ the sons of Azgad, two thousand three hundred and two and twenty;

¹⁸ the sons of Adonikam, six hundred and seven and sixty;

¹⁹ the sons of Bigvai, two thousand and seven and sixty;

²⁰ the sons of Adin, six hundred and five and fifty;

²¹ the sons of Ater, the son of Hezekiah, eight and twenty; (the sons of Ater, also called Hezekiah, ninety-eight;)

²² the sons of Hashum, three hundred and eight and twenty;

²³ the sons of Bezai, three hundred and four and twenty;

²⁴ the sons of Hariph, an hundred and seven and twenty (a hundred and twelve);

²⁵ the sons of Gibeon, five and twenty (ninety-five);

²⁶ the men of Bethlehem and of Netophah, an hundred fourscore and eight;

²⁷ the men of Anathoth, an hundred and eight and twenty;

²⁸ the men of Bethazmaveth, two and forty;

²⁹ the men of Kiriathjearim, of Chephirah, and (of) Beeroth, seven hundred and three and forty;

³⁰ the men of Ramah and of Gaba, six hundred and one and twenty;

³¹ the men of Michmas, two hundred and two and twenty (one hundred and twenty-two);

³² the men of Bethel and of Ai, an hundred and three and twenty;

³³ the men of the other Nebo, two and fifty;

³⁴ the men of the other Elam, a thousand two hundred and four and fifty;

³⁵ the sons of Harim, three hundred and twenty;

³⁶ the sons of Jericho, three hundred and five and forty;

³⁷ the sons of Lod, Hadid, and Ono, seven hundred and one and twenty;

³⁸ the sons of Senaah, three thousand nine hundred and thirty;

³⁹ priests; the sons of Jedaiah, in the house of Joshua, nine hundred and four and seventy; (the priests; the sons of Jedaiah, of the house of Jeshua, nine hundred and seventy-three;)

⁴⁰ the sons of Immer, a thousand and two and fifty;

⁴¹ the sons of Pashur, a thousand two hundred and seven and forty;

⁴² the sons of Harim, a thousand and eighteen (a thousand and seventeen);

⁴³ deacons; the sons of Joshua, and of Kadmiel, (of) the sons of Hodevah, four and seventy; (the Levites; the sons of Jeshua, and of Kadmiel, of the house of Hodevah, seventy-four;)

⁴⁴ (the) singers; the sons of Asaph, an hundred and seven and forty (a hundred and forty-eight);

⁴⁵ porters (the guards, or the doorkeepers); the sons of Shallum, the sons of Ater, the sons of Talmon, the sons of Akkub, the sons of Hatita, the sons of Shobai, an hundred and eight and thirty;

⁴⁶ Nethinims (the Temple workers); the sons of Ziha, the sons of Hashupha, the sons of Tabbaoth,

⁴⁷ the sons of Keros, the sons of Sia, the sons of Padon,

⁴⁸ the sons of Lebana, the sons of Hagaba, the sons of Shalmai,

⁴⁹ the sons of Hanan, the sons of Giddel, the sons of Gahar,

⁵⁰ the sons of Reaiah, the sons of Rezin, the sons of Nekoda,

⁵¹ the sons of Gazzam, the sons of Uzza, the sons of Phaseah,

⁵² the sons of Besai, the sons of Meunim, sons of Nephishesim,

⁵³ sons of Bakbuk, sons of Hakupha, sons of Harhur,

⁵⁴ sons of Bazlith, sons of Mehida, sons of Harsha,

⁵⁵ sons of Barkos, sons of Sisera, sons of Tamah,

⁵⁶ sons of Neziah, sons of Hatipha;

⁵⁷ (the) sons of the servants of Solomon; sons of Sotai, sons of Sophereth, sons of Perida,

⁵⁸ sons of Jaala, sons of Darkon, sons of Giddel,

⁵⁹ sons of Shephatiah, sons of Hattil, sons of Pochereth, which were born of Zebaim, (and) the son(s) of Amon; (the sons of Shephatiah, the sons of Hattil, the sons of Pochereth of Zebaim/the sons of Pochereth Hazzebaim, and the sons of Amon;)

⁶⁰ all Nethinims, and the sons of the servants of Solomon, were three hundred and two and twenty/were three hundred and two and seventy. (all the Temple workers, and the sons of Solomon’s servants, were three hundred and ninety-two.)

⁶¹ And these that follow be they that went up of the country of Telmelah, Telharesha, Cherub, Addon, and Immer; which might not show the house of their fathers, nor their seed, whether they were of Israel; (And these who follow be they who returned from the towns of Telmelah, Telharesha, Cherub, Addon, and Immer; but they could not prove their father’s house, or family, or whether they were descendants of Israelites;)

⁶² the sons of Delaiah, the sons of Tobiah, the sons of Nekoda, six hundred and two and forty;

⁶³ and of the priests; the sons of Habaiah, the sons of Hakkoz, the sons of Barzillai, that took a wife of the daughters of Barzillai of Gilead, and was called by the name of them; (and of the priests; the sons of Habaiah, the sons of Hakkoz, and the sons of Barzillai, who took a wife of the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite, and was called by their name;)

⁶⁴ these sought the scripture of their genealogy, and they found it not, and they were therefore cast out of (the) priesthood. (these men searched for their genealogy in the list, but they could not find it, and so they were thrown out of the priesthood.)

⁶⁵ And (the) Tirshatha said to them, that they should not eat of the holy things of holy men, till that a wise priest rose up among the people. (And the governor said to them, that they could not eat the holy food of the offerings, until a priest rose up who could consult the Urim and the Thummim.)

⁶⁶ All the multitude as one man, two and forty thousand six hundred and sixty, (So all the multitude together, were forty-two thousand three hundred and sixty,)

⁶⁷ besides the servants and handmaids of them, which were seven thousand three hundred and seven and thirty; and among [them] the singers and singeresses, six hundred and five and forty. (besides their male and female slaves, of whom there were seven thousand three hundred and thirty-seven; and they were two hundred and forty-five singers and singeresses.)

⁶⁸ The horses of them, six hundred and six and thirty; the mules of them, two hundred and five and forty; (Their horses numbered seven hundred and thirty-six; their mules, two hundred and forty-five;)

⁶⁹ the camels of them, four hundred and five and thirty; the asses of them, six thousand eight hundred and thirty. (their camels, four hundred and thirty-five; and their donkeys, six thousand seven hundred and twenty.)

⁷⁰ Soothly some of the princes of the families gave costs into the work of God; (the) Tirshatha gave into the treasure, a thousand drachmas of gold/a thousand drams of gold, fifty vials, or basins, (and) five hundred and thirty coats of priests. (And some of the leaders of the families contributed to the costs, or the expenses, of the work of God; the governor gave to the treasury a thousand drachmas of gold, fifty basins, and five hundred and thirty priests’ coats.)

⁷¹ And of the princes of families, they gave into the treasure of the work, twenty thousand drachmas of gold/twenty thousand drams of gold, and two thousand and two hundred bezants of silver. (And the leaders of the families, they gave to the treasury for the work, twenty thousand drachmas of gold, and two thousand and two hundred bezants of silver.)

⁷² And that that the residue people gave, twenty thousand drachmas of gold/twenty thousand drams of gold, and two thousand bezants of silver, and seven and sixty coats of priests. (And the rest of the people gave twenty thousand drachmas of gold, and two thousand bezants of silver, and sixty-seven priests’ coats.)

⁷³ Soothly [the] priests, and deacons, and porters, and singers, and the residue people, and Nethinims, and all Israel dwelled in their cities. And (when) the seventh month was come under Ezra and Nehemiah, soothly the sons of Israel were in their cities. (And so the priests, and the Levites, and the guards, or the doorkeepers, and the singers, and the rest of the people, and the Temple workers, yea, all Israel, lived in their own cities and towns. And when the seventh month had come under Ezra and Nehemiah, all the Israelites were in their cities.)