Chronological

1 The words of Nehemiah, the son of Hachaliah. And it was done in the month of Chisleu, that is, November, in the twentieth year, and I was in the castle of Susa (and I was in the capital city of Susa);

² and Hanani, one of my brethren, came to me, he and men of Judah; and I asked them of the Jews, that were left, and were alive of the captivity, and of Jerusalem. (and Hanani, one of my brothers, came to me, he and some men from Judah; and I asked them about Jerusalem, and about the Jews who had remained there since the captivity/and about the Jews who had returned there from the captivity.)

³ And they said to me, They that be left of the captivity, and that dwelled there still in the province, be in great torment, and shame; and the wall of Jerusalem is destroyed, and the gates of it be burnt with fire. (And they said to me, They who survived the captivity, and had returned there to the province, be in great torment, and shame/They who had remained there in the province, and had not gone into captivity, be in great torment, and shame; and the wall of Jerusalem is broken in many places, and its gates be burned with fire.)

⁴ And when I had heard such words, I sat and wept, and mourned many days, and I fasted, and prayed before the face of (the) God of heaven;

⁵ and I said, I beseech thee, Lord God of heaven, that art strong, great, and fearedful, that keepest covenant and mercy with them that love thee, and keep thy behests; (and I said, I beseech thee, Lord God of heaven, who art strong, and great, and fearful, and who keepest covenant and mercy with those who love thee, and who keep thy commandments;)

⁶ thine ear be made harkening, and thine eyes opened, that thou hear the prayer of thy servant, by which prayer I pray before thee now, by night and day, for the sons of Israel, thy servants, and I acknowledge for the sins of the sons of Israel, by which they have sinned to thee; both I and the house of my father have sinned; (let thine ear harken, and thine eyes be opened, so that thou hear the prayer of thy servant, by which prayer I pray before thee now, by night and day, for thy servants the Israelites, and I confess the sins of the Israelites, which we have sinned against thee; both I and the house of my father have sinned;)

⁷ we were deceived by vanity, and we kept not thy commandment(s), and ceremonies, and dooms, which thou commandedest to Moses, thy servant. (we were deceptive and vain, that is, sinful and proud, and we kept not thy commandments, and statutes, and judgements, which thou commandedest to thy servant Moses.)

⁸ Have mind of the word (Remember the word), which thou commandedest to thy servant Moses, and saidest, When ye have trespassed, I shall scatter you into (the) peoples;

⁹ and if ye turn again to me, that ye keep my behests, and do those, yea, though ye be led away to the furthest things of heaven, from thence I shall gather you together, and I shall bring you into the place, that I have chosen, that my name should dwell there. (but if ye return to me, and ye keep my commandments, and do them, yea, though ye be led away to the farthest reaches of the heavens, that is, unto the ends of the earth, I shall gather you together from there, and I shall bring you into the place which I have chosen, that my name should be there.)

¹⁰ And we be thy servants, and thy people, which thou hast again-bought in thy great strength, and in thy strong hand. (And we be thy servants, and thy people, whom thou hast bought back, that is, redeemed, or rescued, with thy great strength, and with thy strong hand.)

¹¹ Lord, I beseech thee, thine ear be attentive to the prayer of thy servant, and to the prayer of thy servants, that will dread thy name; and direct thy servant to day, and give thou mercy to him before this man, that is, Artaxerxes, (the) king. For I was the bottler of the king. (Lord, I beseech thee, let thy ear be attentive to the prayer of thy servant, and to the prayers of thy servants, who desire to revere thy name; and give thy servant success today, and give thou mercy to him before this man, that is, King Artaxerxes. For I was the king’s butler.)

2 And it was done in the month of Nisan, that is, April, in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes, the king, and wine was before him, and I took up the wine, and I gave it to the king, and I was as languishing before his face.

² And the king said to me, Why is thy cheer sorry, or heavy, since I see not thee sick? This is not without cause; but I know not what evil is in thine heart. And I dreaded full greatly; (And the king said to me, Why is thy face so sad? for I see that thou art not sick. This is not without a cause; but I do not know what the problem is in thy heart. And I greatly feared;)

³ and I said to the king, King, live thou (into) without end; why should not my cheer mourn? for the city of the house of the sepulchres of my father[s] is deserted, either forsaken, and the gates thereof be burnt with fire. (and I said to the king, O king, may thou live forevermore; but why should my face not look sad? for the city of the house of my forefathers’ graves, or tombs, is deserted, and its gates be burned down.)

⁴ And the king said to me, For what thing askest thou? And I prayed (to the) God of heaven,

⁵ and I said to the king, If it seemeth good to the king, and if it pleaseth thy servants which be before thy face, I beseech thee, that thou send me into Judah, to the city of the sepulchre(s) of my father(s), and I shall build it (again). (and I said to the king, If it seemeth good to the king, and if thy servant who is before thy face pleaseth thee, I beseech thee, that thou send me to Judah, to the city of my forefathers’ graves, and I shall rebuild it.)

⁶ And the king said to me, and the queen sat beside him, Unto what time shall thy way be, and when shalt thou turn again? And it pleased to the king, and he sent me forth, and I set to the king a time of coming again; (And the king said to me, as the queen sat beside him, How long shalt thy be away, and when shalt thou return? And so it pleased the king, and he sent me forth, and I set a time when I would return to the king;)

⁷ and I said to the king, If it seemeth good to the king, give he epistles, or letters, to me to the dukes of the country beyond the flood, that they lead me over, till I come into Judah; (and I said to the king, If it seemeth good to the king, let him give me letters to the governors of the province west of the Euphrates River, with orders to help me get to Judah;)

⁸ and a letter to Asaph, the keeper of the king’s forest, that he give trees to me, that I may cover (with it) the gates of the tower of the house, and of the wall of the city, and the house, into which I shall enter. And the king gave (the letters) to me, by the good hand of my God, (that was) with me. (and also a letter to Asaph, the keeper of the king’s forests, ordering him to give me wood, or timber, so that I can make beams for the gates of the stronghold, or the fortress, and for the city wall, and for the house in which I shall live. And the king gave me the letters, by the good hand of my God, who was with me.)

⁹ And I came to the dukes of the country beyond the flood, and I gave to them the letters of the king. Soothly the king had sent with me the princes of knights, and (some) horsemen. (And I came to the governors of the province west of the Euphrates River, and I gave them the king’s letters. And the king had sent with me the leaders of the horsemen, and some horsemen as well.)

¹⁰ And Sanballat (the) Horonite, and Tobiah, the servant, (the) Ammonite, heard, and they were sorrowful by great torment, that a man was come, that sought prosperity of the sons of Israel. (And Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the Ammonite servant, heard of it, and they were greatly vexed that a man had come, who sought to do good for the Israelites.)

¹¹ And I came into Jerusalem, and I was there three days.

¹² And I rose up by night, I and a few men with me, and I showed not to any man (and I told no one), what thing God had given in mine heart, that I would do in Jerusalem; and there was no work beast with me, but the beast that I sat on.

¹³ And I went out by the gate of the valley by night, and before the well of the dragon, and to the gate of dung; and I beheld the wall of Jerusalem (that was) destroyed, and the gates thereof (that were) wasted by fire. (And I went out at night through the Valley Gate, toward the Dragon Well, and the Dung Gate; and I looked at the wall of Jerusalem, that was broken in many places, and at its gates, that had been destroyed by fire.)

¹⁴ And I passed forth to the gate of the well, and to the water conduit of the king, and there was no place for to pass, to the horse, that I sat upon; (And I passed on to the Fountain Gate, and to the King’s Pool, but there was no place for the horse that I sat on, to pass through;)

¹⁵ and in the night I went up by the strand, and I beheld the wall, and I turned again, and came to the gate of the valley, and I went again (to my lodging). (and then I went up that night by the valley, and I looked at the wall, and then I returned, and came back to the Valley Gate, and went home to my lodging.)

¹⁶ Forsooth the magistrates knew not, whither I had gone, either what I would do; but also I had not showed any thing to the Jews, and [the] priests, and to the best men, and [the] magistrates, and to [the] other men that made the work, till that time. (But the magistrates did not know where I had gone, or what I planned to do; and also I had not told anything to the Jews, or the priests, or the leaders, or the magistrates, or the other men who would do the work, up to that time.)

¹⁷ And I said to them, Ye know the torment, in which we Jews be, for Jerusalem is deserted, and the gates thereof be wasted with fire; come ye, build we [up] the walls of Jerusalem, and be we no more (a) shame/and be we no more in shame. (And so I said to them, Ye know the torment in which we Jews be, for Jerusalem is deserted, and its gates have been destroyed by fire; come ye, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and let us be in shame no more.)

¹⁸ And I showed to them the hand of my God, that it was good with me, and the words of the king, which he spake to me; and I said, Rise we up, and build we (it again); and the hands of them were strengthened in good. (And I told them how the good hand of my God was upon me, and the words of the king, which he had spoken to me; and they said, Rise we up, and let us rebuild it; and so they strengthened their hands to do this good work.)

¹⁹ And Sanballat (the) Horonite, and Tobiah, the servant, (the) Ammonite, and Geshem (of) Arabs, heard this, and they scorned us, and despised; and said, What is this thing, that ye do? whether ye rebel against the king? (And Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the Ammonite servant, and Geshem the Arab heard of this, and they scorned us, and despised us; and they said, What is this, that ye do? do ye rebel against the king?)

²⁰ And I answered to them a word, and I said to them, God himself of heaven helpeth us, and we be his servants; rise we up, and build; forsooth part, and rightwiseness, and mind, in Jerusalem, is not to you. (And I answered to them, and said, The God of heaven helpeth us, and we be his servants; we shall rise up, and rebuild it; but there is no part, or right, or precedent, for you in Jerusalem.)

3 And Eliashib, the great priest, rose up, and his brethren, and priests, and they builded the gate of the flock; they made it steadfast; and they set up the gates thereof, and unto the tower of an hundred cubits they made it steadfast, unto the tower of Hananeel. (And the High Priest Eliashib, and his fellow priests, rose up, and they rebuilt the Sheep Gate; and they dedicated it/yea, they rebuilt it, and they put up its doors, or its gates, and they dedicated the wall unto the Tower of the Hundred, and unto the Tower of Hananeel.)

² And beside him the men of Jericho builded; and beside them builded Zaccur, the son of Imri. (And beside him, the men of Jericho rebuilt; and Zaccur, the son of Imri, rebuilt beside them.)

³ And the sons of Hassenaah builded the gates of fishes; they covered it, and setted (up) the gates thereof, and (the) locks, and bars. (And the sons of Hassenaah rebuilt the Fish Gate; they rebuilt it, and put up its doors, or its gates, with their locks and bars.)

⁴ And Meremoth, the son of Urijah, the son of Hakkoz, builded beside them. And Meshullam, the son of Berechiah, the son of Meshezabeel, builded beside him. And Zadok, the son of Baana, builded beside him.

⁵ And men of Tekoa builded beside him; but the principal men of them under-putted not their necks in the work of their Lord God. (And the men of Tekoa rebuilt beside them; but their leaders did not put their shoulders to the work of the Lord their God.)

⁶ And Jehoiada, the son of Paseah, and Meshullam, the son of Besodeiah, builded the old gate; they builded it, and setted up the gates thereof, and the locks, and bars. (And Jehoiada, the son of Paseah, and Meshullam, the son of Besodeiah, rebuilt the Old Gate, or the Jeshanah Gate; they rebuilt it, and put up its doors, or its gates, with their locks and bars.)

⁷ And Melatiah (the) Gibeonite, and Jadon (the) Meronothite, men of Gibeon, and of Mizpah, builded beside them, for the duke that was in the country beyond the flood. (And Melatiah the Gibeonite, and Jadon the Meronothite, the men of Gibeon, and of Mizpah, rebuilt beside them, unto the residence of the governor of the province west of the Euphrates River.)

⁸ And Uzziel, the goldsmith, the son of Harhaiah, builded beside him; and Hananiah, the son of an ointment maker, builded beside him; and they let go Jerusalem till to the wall of the larger street. (And Uzziel, the goldsmith, the son of Harhaiah, rebuilt beside them; and Hananiah, the son of a perfume maker, rebuilt beside him; and they rebuilt Jerusalem unto the Broad Wall.)

⁹ And Rephaiah, the son of Hur, prince of a street of Jerusalem, builded beside them. (And Rephaiah, the son of Hur, the ruler of half of the district of Jerusalem, rebuilt beside them.)

¹⁰ And Jedaiah, the son of Harumaph, builded beside them over against his own house; and Hattush, the son of Hashabniah, builded beside him. (And Jedaiah, the son of Harumaph, rebuilt beside him, opposite his own house; and Hattush, the son of Hashabniah, rebuilt beside him.)

¹¹ And Malchijah, the son of Harim, and Hashub, the son of Pahathmoab, builded the half part of the street, and the tower of ovens. (And Malchijah, the son of Harim, and Hashub, the son of Pahathmoab, rebuilt the next section, and the Tower of the Ovens, or the Tower of the Furnaces.)

¹² Shallum, the son of Halohesh, prince of the half part of a street of Jerusalem, builded beside him, he and his sons. (Shallum, the son of Halohesh, the ruler of the other half of the district of Jerusalem, rebuilt beside them, with the help of his daughters.)

¹³ And Hanun, and the dwellers of Zanoah, builded the gate of the valley; they builded it, and setted up the gates thereof, and the locks and bars thereof; and they builded a thousand cubits in the wall unto the gate of the dunghill. (And Hanun, and the inhabitants of Zanoah, rebuilt the Valley Gate; they rebuilt it, and put up its doors, or its gates, with their locks and bars; and they rebuilt a thousand cubits of the wall unto the Dung Gate.)

¹⁴ And Malchiah, the son of Rechab, prince of a street of Bethhaccerem, builded the gate of the dunghill; he builded it, and setted it up, and covered the gates thereof, and (the) locks, and bars. (And Malchiah, the son of Rechab, the ruler of the district of Bethhaccerem, rebuilt the Dung Gate; he rebuilt it, and put up its doors, or its gates, with their locks and bars.)

¹⁵ And Shallun, the son of Colhozeh, prince of a town of Mizpah, builded the gate of the well; he builded it, and covered it, and he set up the gates thereof, and (the) locks, and bars; and he builded the walls of the cistern of Siloah, unto the orchard of the king, and unto the degrees of the king, which come down from the city of David. (And Shallun, the son of Colhozeh, the ruler of the district of Mizpah, rebuilt the Fountain Gate; he rebuilt it, and roofed it, or covered it, and he put up its doors, or its gates, with their locks and bars; and he rebuilt the wall by the Pool of Siloah, beside the king’s garden, and unto the steps which came down from the City of David.)

¹⁶ And Nehemiah, the son of Azbuk, prince of the half part of the street of Bethzur, builded after him, unto over against the sepulchre of David, and unto the cistern, that is builded with great work, and unto the house of strong men. (And Nehemiah, the son of Azbuk, the ruler of half of the district of Bethzur, rebuilt after him, to a point opposite David’s tomb, and the pool that was built with great work, and the house for the strong men, that is, the barracks.)

¹⁷ And (the) deacons builded after him; and Rehum, the son of Bani, builded after them. And Hashabiah, the prince of half part of the street of Keilah, builded in his street after him. (And the Levites rebuilt after him; first Rehum, the son of Bani, rebuilt. And after him, Hashabiah, the ruler of half of the district of Keilah, rebuilt in his district.)

¹⁸ The brethren of them, Bavai, the son of Henadad, prince of the half part of Keilah, builded after him. (And their kinsmen rebuilt after him; first Bavai, the son of Henadad, the ruler of the other half of the district of Keilah.)

¹⁹ And Ezer, the son of Jeshua, prince of Mizpah, builded beside him the second measure, (over) against the going up of the strongest corner. (And then Ezer, the son of Jeshua, the ruler of Mizpah, rebuilt the next section beside him, opposite the ascent, or the going up, of the strongest corner.)

²⁰ And Baruch, the son of Zabbai, builded after him in the hill the second measure, from the corner unto the gate of the house of Eliashib, the great priest. (And Baruch, the son of Zabbai, rebuilt the next section after him, on the hill, from the corner unto the door of the house of the High Priest Eliashib.)

²¹ And Meremoth, the son of Urijah, son of Hakkoz, builded after him the second measure, from the gate [of the house] of Eliashib, as far as the house of Eliashib was stretched forth. (And Meremoth, the son of Urijah, the son of Hakkoz, rebuilt the next section after him, from the door of the house of Eliashib, unto the end of Eliashib’s house.)

²² And [the] priests, men of the field places of Jordan, builded after him. (And the priests, from the area around Jerusalem, rebuilt after him.)

²³ And Benjamin and Hashub builded after him over against their house; and Azariah, the son of Maaseiah, son of Ananiah, builded after him over against his own house. (And Benjamin and Hashub rebuilt after them, opposite their own houses; and Azariah, the son of Maaseiah, the son of Ananiah, rebuilt after them opposite his own house.)

²⁴ And Binnui, the son of Henadad, builded after him the second measure, from the house of Azariah unto the bowing (of the wall), and unto the corner. (And Binnui, the son of Henadad, rebuilt the next section after him, from the house of Azariah unto the turning of the wall, that is, unto the corner.)

²⁵ Palal, the son of Uzai, builded over against the bowing (of the wall), and the tower that standeth forth, from the high house of the king, that is in the large place of the prison; Pedaiah, the son of Parosh, builded after him. (Palal, the son of Uzai, rebuilt from the turning of the wall, opposite the tower that standeth forth from the king’s high house, or his palace, in the courtyard of the guard; and Pedaiah, the son of Parosh, rebuilt after him,)

²⁶ And (the) Nethinims dwelled in Ophel till (over) against the gate of waters at the east, and the tower that appeared (over the others). (to a place on the east, opposite the Water Gate, and the tower that appeared over the others. This was near the part of Jerusalem called Ophel, where the Temple workers lived.)

²⁷ After him men of Tekoa builded the second measure even over against, from the great tower, and appearing unto the wall of the temple. (After him the men of Tekoa rebuilt a second section, from a point opposite the great tower, that appeared over the others, unto the wall of Ophel.)

²⁸ And [the] priests builded above at the gate of horses, each man over against his house. (And the priests rebuilt above the Horse Gate, each man opposite his own house.)

²⁹ And Zadok, the son of Immer, builded over against his house after them. And Shemaiah, the son of Shechaniah, the keeper of the east gate, builded after him. (And Zadok, the son of Immer, rebuilt after them, opposite his house. And Shemaiah, the son of Shechaniah, the guard, or the doorkeeper, of the East Gate, rebuilt after him.)

³⁰ Hananiah, the son of Shelemiah, and Hanun, the sixth son of Zalaph, builded after him the second measure. Meshullam, the son of Berechiah, builded over against his chamber after him. (Hananiah, the son of Shelemiah, and Hanun, the sixth son of Zalaph, rebuilt the next section after him. Meshullam, the son of Berechiah, rebuilt after them, opposite his room.)

³¹ Malchiah, the son of a goldsmith, builded after him unto the house of (the) Nethinims, and of men selling shields, over against the gate of judges, and unto the solar of the corner. (Malchiah, the son of a goldsmith, rebuilt after him unto the house of the Temple workers, and the merchants, opposite the Miphkad Gate, or the Watch Gate, to the room on the top of the corner.)

³² And craftsmen and merchants builded within the solar of the corner, and the gate of the king. (And the craftsmen, and the merchants, rebuilt between the room on the top of the corner, and the Sheep Gate.)

4 And it was done, when Sanballat had heard, that we builded the wall, he was full wroth, and he was stirred greatly, and he scorned the Jews. (And it was done, when Sanballat heard, that we were rebuilding the wall, he was very angry, and was greatly stirred up, and he scorned the Jews.)

² And he said before his brethren, and the multitude of Samaritans, What do the feeble Jews? Whether heathen men shall suffer them? Whether they shall [ful]fill, and make sacrifice in one day? Whether they may build stones of the heaps of the dust, which be burnt? (And he said before his kinsmen, and the multitude of the Samaritans, What do these feeble Jews think they be doing? Do they think they can rebuild the whole city? Do they believe they can just make a sacrifice, and then finish it all in one day? Can they make stones out of heaps of rubble, which be all burned up?)

³ And also Tobiah (the) Ammonite, his neighbour, said, Build they; if a fox go up, he shall over-leap their stone wall. (And Tobiah the Ammonite, who was beside him, said, Let them build; for if a fox shall go up there, he shall just leap over their stone wall.)

⁴ And Nehemiah said (in prayer), Our God, hear thou, for we be made despising (for we be despised); turn thou the shame upon their own head(s), and give thou them into despising in the land of captivity;

⁵ cover thou not the wickedness of them, and their sins be not done away before thy face; for they scorned the builders.

⁶ Therefore we builded the wall, and joined together all till to the half part, and the heart of the people was excited to work. (And so we rebuilt the wall, and joined it all together, up to half of its height, and the heart of the people was excited to do this work.)

⁷ And it was done when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and Arabians, and Ammonites, and men of Ashdod had heard, that the breaking of the wall of Jerusalem was stopped, and that the crazings had begun to be closed together, they were full wroth. (And when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and the Arabs, and the Ammonites, and the men of Ashdod had heard, that the rebuilding of the wall of Jerusalem was progressing, and that the gaps had begun to be closed, they were very angry.)

⁸ And they all were gathered together to come and fight against Jerusalem, and to cast treasons against it.

⁹ And we prayed the Lord our God, and we setted keepers on the wall day and night against them. (And we prayed to the Lord our God, and we put guards on the wall day and night, to protect against them.)

¹⁰ And Judah said, The strength of the bearer is made feeble, and the earth is full much, and we be not able to build the wall. (But the men of Judah said, The strength of the workers hath become feeble, and there is just too much rubble, and so we cannot rebuild the wall.)

¹¹ And our enemies said, Know they not, and know they not, till we come into the middle of them, and slay them, and make the work to cease. (And our enemies said, Let them know nothing, until we suddenly come into their midst, and kill them all, and stop the work.)

¹² Forsooth it was done, when [the] Jews came, that dwelled beside them, and said to us by ten times, from all places from which they came to us, (And it was done, that the Jews who lived beside them came, and told us ten times, that our enemies would soon be upon us, from all the places from which they had come to us,)

¹³ I ordained the people in order, with their swords, and spears, and bows, in a place behind the wall by compass. (and so I ordained the people in order, with their swords, and spears, and bows, in places all around behind the wall.)

¹⁴ I beheld, and rose, and said to the principal men, and magistrates, and to the other part of the common people, Do not ye dread of their face; but have ye mind of the great Lord, and fearedful, and fight ye for your brothers, and your sons, and your daughters, for your wives, and house(hold)s. (And I looked about, and rose up, and said to the leaders, and the magistrates, and to all the people, Do not ye fear them; but instead, think upon, or remember, the great and fearful Lord, and fight ye for your brothers, and your sons, and your daughters, and your wives, and your families, or your kinsmen.)

¹⁵ And it was done, when our enemies had heard that it was told to us, God destroyed their counsel; and then all we turned again to the walls, each man to his work. (And it was done, that our enemies heard that everything had been told to us, and so God destroyed their plans; and then we all returned to rebuilding the wall, each man to his own work.)

¹⁶ And it was done from that day, the half part of the young men made the work, and the half part was ready to battle; and (held) spears, and shields, and bows, and habergeons, and (the) princes after them, in all the house of men of Judah, (And so it was done from that day on, that half the young men did the work, and the other half were ready for battle, and held spears, and shields, and bows, and breastplates; and the leaders supported all the men of the house of Judah,)

¹⁷ building in the wall, and bearing burdens, and putting on; with their one hand they made the work, and with the other they held their sword. (who were rebuilding the wall. And for those carrying the loads, with their one hand they did the work, and with the other hand they held their sword.)

¹⁸ For each of the builders was girded with a sword upon his reins; and they builded the wall, and they sounded with clarions beside me. (And each of the builders was girded with a sword around his waist, as they rebuilt the wall. And the man who sounded with the trumpet was beside me.)

¹⁹ And I said to the principal men, and (to the) magistrates, and to the other part of the common people, The work is great and broad, and we be separated far in the wall, one from another; (And I said to the leaders, and the magistrates, and the rest of the people, The work is great and broad, or spread out, and we all be separated on the wall, one far from another);

²⁰ therefore in whatever place that ye hear [the] sound of the trump (and so whenever ye hear the sound of the trumpet), run ye together thither to us; for our God shall fight for us.

²¹ And we ourselves shall make the work, and the half of us hold we spears, from the going up of the morrowtide till that [the] stars go out. (And so we did the work, and half of us held spears, from the rising of the morning sun until the stars came out.)

²² And in that time I said to the people, Each man with his servant dwell he in the midst of Jerusalem, and whiles be to us by night, and (the) day to work. (And at that time I said to the people, Each man stay he with his servant in the middle of Jerusalem, and be on guard for us by night, and do the work by day.)

²³ But I, and my brethren, and my keepers, and [my] servants, that were (going) after me, did not (put) off our clothes; each man was made naked only to washing. (And I, and my kinsmen, and my servants, and the men who were protecting me, never took off our clothes; each man was made naked only for washing/each of us kept our right hand on our sword at all times.)

5 And great cry of the people and of their wives was made against their brethren Jews. (And later there came a time when a great cry of the people, both men and women, was made against their fellow Jews.)

² And there were (those) that said, Our sons and our daughters be full many; take we wheat for the price of them, and eat we, and live. (And there were those who said, We have sold our sons and our daughters for corn, or for grain, so that we could eat, and stay alive.)

³ Also there were (others) that said, Set we forth to sale our fields, and vineries, and our houses, and take we wheat to eat in this hunger. (And there were others who said, We have sold our fields, and our vineyards, and our houses, so we could get corn, or grain, to eat during this famine.)

⁴ And other men said, Take we money by borrowing, for usury, into the tributes of the king, and give our fields and vineries. (And still others said, We have borrowed money with interest, against our fields and our vineyards, so we could pay the tributes, or the taxes, to the king.)

⁵ And now as the fleshes of our brethren be, so and our fleshes be; and as be the sons of them, so and our sons be; lo! we have made subject our sons and our daughters into servage, and servantesses be (made) of our daughters, and we have not whereof they may be again-bought; and other men have in possession our fields, and our vineries. (And now though our flesh be like the flesh of our kinsmen, and our sons be like their sons; lo! we have subjected our sons and our daughters to servitude, or slavery, and some of our daughters be made slave-girls; and we have not whereof to buy them back, for now others possess our fields, and our vineyards.)

⁶ And I was full wroth, when I had heard the cry of them by these words. (And I was very angry, when I had heard their outcry over these matters.)

⁷ And mine heart thought with(in) me, and I blamed the principal men, and magistrates; and I said to them, Ask ye not usuries, or increase, each man of your brethren (And I thought in my heart within me, and I rebuked the leaders, and the magistrates; and I said to them, Ye should not ask for usury, or unfair interest, from your kinsmen). And I gathered together a great company against them,

⁸ and I said to them, As ye know, we have by our power again-bought our brethren Jews, that were sold to heathen men; and ye now sell your brethren, and shall we again-buy them of you? And they held silence, and found not what they should answer. (and I said to them, As ye know, by our power we have bought back our fellow Jews, who were sold to the heathen; but now your own kinsmen must sell themselves to you, and so now do we have to buy them back from you? And they held their peace, and found not what they should answer.)

⁹ And I said to them, It is not (a) good thing, that ye do; why go ye not in the dread of our God, and reproof be not said to us of heathen men, our enemies? (And I said to them, It is not good what ye have done; why do ye not go in the fear of our God? and then rebuke would not be said to us by our enemies, the heathen.)

¹⁰ Both I, and my brethren, and my servants, have lent to full many men money and wheat; in common, ask we not (for) this again; but forgive we alien money, or usury, which is due to us. (I, and my kinsmen, and my servants, have lent money and corn to a great many people; let us agree together that we shall not ask for any of this back; and let us forget about the interest, which is due to us.)

¹¹ And again yield ye to them to day their fields, and their vineries, their olive places, and their houses; and rather, give ye for them the hundred part of money, and of wheat, of wine, and of oil, which ye were wont to take of them. (And today, give ye back to them their fields, and their vineyards, their olive groves, and their houses; and give ye back to them the money, and the corn, the wine, and the oil, which ye were wont to take from them.)

¹² And they said, We shall yield their goods to them, and we shall ask nothing of them; and we shall do so as thou speakest. And I called the priests, and I made them to swear, that they should do after this, that I had said. (And they said, We shall give back their goods to them, and we shall ask nothing from them; and we shall do as thou sayest. And I called for the priests, and I made them swear before the priests, that they would do as they had promised.)

¹³ And furthermore I shook my bosom, and I said, So (may) God shake away each man from his house, and from his travails, that fulfilleth not this word; and be he shaken away, and be he made void. And all the multitude said, Amen; and they praised God. And the people did, as it was said (And all the people/And all the leaders did, as they had promised).

¹⁴ Forsooth from that day in which the king had commanded to me, that I should be duke in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year unto the two and thirtieth year of Artaxerxes (the) king, that is, by twelve years, I and my brethren ate not the sustenances which were due to dukes. (And from the day in which the king had commanded me, that I should be the governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year unto the thirty-second year of King Artaxerxes, that is, for twelve years, I and my kinsmen did not take the sustenances, that is, the food allowances, which were due to the governor.)

¹⁵ But the first dukes, that were before me, grieved the people, and took of them in bread, and wine, and money, each day forty shekels; and also their ministers oppressed the people. But I did not so, for the dread of God; (But the former governors, who were there before me, grieved the people, and took from them bread, and wine, and money, forty shekels worth, each day; and their servants, and their officers, also oppressed the people. But I did not do so, for the fear of God/because of my reverence for God;)

¹⁶ but rather I subjected myself, and I builded in the work of the wall (and I helped rebuild the wall), and I bought no field, and all my servants were gathered together with me to (do) the work.

¹⁷ Also [the] Jews and the magistrates of them, an hundred and fifty men, and they that came to me from heathen men, that be in our compass, were eating in my table. (And some of the Jews and their magistrates, a hundred and fifty men, and also some of the heathen, who came to me from all around us, ate at my table.)

¹⁸ Forsooth by each day one ox was made ready to me, six chosen wethers, besides volatiles, and within ten days diverse wines; and I gave many other things; furthermore and I asked not (for) the sustenances of my duchy; for the people was made full poor. (And each day an ox, and six chosen sheep, and fowls, were provided by me, and every ten days, a new supply of wine; and I gave many other things as well; and furthermore I did not ask for the governor’s allowance, to which I was entitled, because the people were already so poor.)

¹⁹ My God, have thou mind on me into good, by all things which I have done to this people. (My God, remember me, for all the good things which I have done for these people.)