Chronological
1 The Divrei Nechemyah ben Chachalyah. And it came to pass in the month Kislev, in the twentieth year [i.e., 445 B.C.E.], as I was in Shushan the capital [of Persia],
2 That Chanani, one of my achim [see 7:2], came, he and certain men, from Yehudah; and I asked them concerning the remnant of the Yehudim that had survived the Exile [the Golus], and concerning Yerushalayim.
3 And they said unto me, The remnant that have survived the Exile [the Golus] there in the province are in ra’ah gedolah and reproach; the Chomat Yerushalayim also is broken down, and the gates thereof are burned with eish.
4 And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned for several yamim, and did a tzom, and davened before Elohei HaShomayim,
5 And said, O Hashem Elohei HaShomayim, HaEl HaGadol vHaNora, that is shomer habrit vachesed for them that love Him and are shomer mitzvot over His commandments,
6 Let Thine ear now be attentive, and Thine eyes open, that Thou mayest hear the tefillah of Thy eved, which I am davening before Thee now, yomam valailah, for the Bnei Yisroel Thy avadim, and mitvaddeh al chattot (confess the sins) of the Bnei Yisroel, which we have sinned against Thee. Both I and the Bais Avi have sinned.
7 We have dealt very corruptly against Thee, and have not been shomer mitzvot, neither over the chukkim, nor the mishpatim, which Thou commandedst Moshe Thy eved.
8 Remember, the word that Thou commandedst Moshe Thy eved, saying, If ye transgress, I will scatter you abroad among the nations,
9 But if ye make teshuvah and turn unto Me, and are shomer over My mitzvot, and do them; though there were of you those exiled unto the uttermost part of HaShomayim, yet will I gather them from there, and will bring them unto the place [i.e., Yerushalayim] that I have chosen to make dwell Shmi (My Name) there.
10 Now these are Thy Avadim and Thy Am, whom Thou hast redeemed by Thy ko’ach hagadol, and by Thy Yad HaChazakah.
11 O Adonoi, let now Thine ear be attentive to the tefillah of Thy eved, and to the tefillah of Thy Avadim, who desire to fear Thy Shem; and give success to Thy eved today, and grant him rachamim in the sight of this man. For I was the Mashkeh L’Melech.
2 And it came to pass in the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of Artachshasta HaMelech, that yayin was before him; and I took up the yayin, and gave it unto HaMelech. Now I had not been previously sad in his presence.
2 Wherefore HaMelech said unto me, Why is thy countenance sad, seeing thou art not choleh (sick)? This is nothing else but ro’ah lev. Then I was very much afraid,
3 And said unto HaMelech, HaMelech l’olam yicheyeh. Why should not my countenance look sad, when HaIr, the Bais Kivrot Avotai, lieth in ruins, and the gates thereof are consumed with eish?
4 Then HaMelech said unto me, For what dost Thou make request? So I davened to Elohei HaShomayim.
5 And I said unto HaMelech, If it please HaMelech, and if thy eved have found favor in thy sight, that thou wouldest send me unto Yehudah, unto the Ir Kivrot Avotai, that I may rebuild her.
6 And HaMelech said unto me, (the queen also sitting by him,) For how long shall thy journey be, and when wilt thou return? So it pleased HaMelech to send me; and I set for him a zman.
7 Moreover I said unto HaMelech, If it please HaMelech, let iggrot be given me to the governors Beyond the River, that they may provide me safe conduct till I come into Yehudah;
8 And an iggeret unto Asaph the Shomer of the forest of HaMelech, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the fortress by the Beis, and for the Chomat HaIr, and for the bais that I shall occupy. And HaMelech granted me, according to the Yad Elohai Hatovah upon me.
9 Then I came to the governors Beyond the River [Euphrates], and gave them the Iggrot HaMelech. Now HaMelech had sent captains of the army and parashim (a troop of horsemen) with me.
10 When Sanvalat the Choroni, and Toviyah the eved (official), the Ammoni, heard of it, it grieved them with a ra’ah gedolah that there was come an adam to seek the welfare of the Bnei Yisroel.
11 So I came to Yerushalayim; was there 3 yamim.
12 And I arose in the lailah, I and some few men with me; neither told I any man what Elohai had put in my lev to do for Yerushalayim; neither was there any mount with me, save the mount that I rode upon.
13 And I went out by lailah by the Valley Gate, even before the Dragon’s Spring, and to the Dung Gate [3:13], and made inspection of the Chomat Yerushalayim, which had been broken down, and the gates thereof that were consumed with eish.
14 Then I went on to the Fountain Gate, and to the King’s Pool [Pool of Shiloah], but there was no place for the mount that was under me to pass.
15 Then went I up in the lailah by way of the valley, and viewed the Chomah (Wall), and turned back, and entered by the Valley Gate, and so returned.
16 And the officials knew not where I went, or what I did; neither as yet to the Yehudim, nor to the Kohanim, nor to the Nobles, nor to the Rulers, nor to the rest that were to do the melachah (work) had I said anything.
17 Then said I unto them, Ye see hara’ah (the trouble) that we are in, how Yerushalayim lieth in ruins, and the gates thereof are burned with eish; come, and let us rebuild the Chomat Yerushalayim, that we suffer derision no more.
18 Then I told them of the Yad Elohai Hatovah which was upon me; as also the Divrei HaMelech that he had spoken unto me. And they said, Let us rise up and rebuild. So they strengthened their hands in tovah (in the good).
19 But when Sanvalat the Choroni, and Toviyah the eved (official), the Ammoni, and Geshem the Arab, heard it, they laughed at us in mockery, and despised us, and said, What is this thing that ye do? Against HaMelech will you be moredim (ones rebelling)?
20 Then answered I them, and said unto them, Elohei HaShomayim, He will give us success; therefore we His avadim will arise and rebuild; but ye have no chelek (allotted portion), nor tzadakah (right), nor zikaron b’Yerushalayim (history to commemorate in Jerusalem).
3 Then Elyashiv the Kohen HaGadol rose up with his achim the Kohanim, and they rebuilt the Sheep Gate; they set it apart as kodesh, and set up the daletot of it; even unto the Migdal HaMe’ah they set it apart as kodesh, unto the Migdal Chanan’el.
2 And next unto him the Anshei Yericho built. And next to them built Zakkur ben Imri.
3 But the Fish Gate did the Bnei Hasnaah build, who also laid the beams thereof, and set up the daletot thereof, the locks , and the bars thereof.
4 And next unto them Meremot ben Uriyah ben Hakotz made repairs. And next unto them Meshullam ben Berekhyah ben Meshezav’el made repairs. And next unto them Tzadok ben Ba’ana did so.
5 And next unto them the Tekoim built; but their Nobles put not their necks to the Avodas adoneihem.
6 Moreover Yoyada ben Paseach and Meshullam ben Besodyah made repairs on the Sha’ar HaYeshanah; they laid the beams thereof, and set up the daletot, and the locks, and the bars thereof.
7 And next unto them repaired Melatyah the Giveoni, and Yadon the Meronoti, the men of Giveon, and of Mitzpah, upto the seat of the governor of Beyond the River [Euphrates].
8 Next unto him repaired Uzziel ben Charhayah, one of the goldsmiths. Next unto him also repaired Chananyah son of the perfumers, and they fortified Yerushalayim upto the Broad Wall.
9 And next unto them repaired Refayah ben Chur, the ruler of half the district of Yerushalayim.
10 And next unto them repaired Yedayah ben Charumaph, opposite his bais. And next unto him repaired Chattush ben Chashavneyah.
11 Malkiyah ben Charim, and Chashuv ben Pachat-Moav, repaired the other section, and the Migdal HaTannurim.
12 And next unto him repaired Shallum ben Halochesh, the ruler of half the district of Yerushalayim, he and his banot.
13 The Valley Gate repaired Chanun, and the inhabitants of Zanoach; they rebuilt it, and set up the daletot thereof, the locks thereof, and the bars thereof, and 1,000 cubits of Chomah unto the Dung Gate.
14 But the Dung Gate did Malkiyah ben Rechav, the ruler of the district of Beit Hakerem repair; he rebuilt it, and set up the daletot thereof, the locks thereof, and the bars thereof.
15 But the Fountain Gate did Shallun ben Kol-Chozeh, ruler of Mitzpah district repair; he rebuilt it, covered it, set up the daletot thereof, the locks thereof, and the bars thereof, and the chomah of the Pool of Shelach [Shiloah] by the Gan HaMelech, and upto the stairs that go down from the Ir Dovid.
16 After him repaired Nechemyah ben Azbuk, the ruler of half the district of Beit-tzur, unto the place opposite the Kivrei Dovid, and to the artificial pool, and unto the Bais HaGiborim.
17 After him repaired the Levi’im, Rechum ben Bani. Next unto him repaired Chashavyah, the ruler of half the district of Keilah, in his district.
18 After him repaired their achim, Bavai ben Chenadad, ruler half the Keilah district.
19 And next to him repaired Ezer ben Yeshua, the ruler of Mitzpah, another section fronting the ascent to the armory at the Corner.
20 After him Baruch ben Zakkai zealously repaired the other section, from the Corner unto the petach Bais Elyashiv the Kohen HaGadol.
21 After him repaired Meremot ben Uriyah ben Hakotz another section, from the entrance of the Bais Elyashiv even to the end of the Bais Elyashiv.
22 And after him repaired the Kohanim, who were the men of the surrounding area.
23 After him repaired Binyamin and Chashuv opposite their bais. After him repaired Azaryah ben Maaseiyah ben Ananyah etzel (beside, Prov 8:30) his bais.
24 After him repaired Binnui ben Chenadad another section, from the bais Azaryah unto the Corner, even unto the Pinnah.
25 Palal ben Uzai, opposite the Corner, and the Migdal which projects from upper part of the Bais HaMelech, that was by the khatzer (court) of the Guard. After him Pedayah ben Parosh
26 And the Netenim (servants of the Bais Hamikdash) dwelt on Ophel, made repairs unto the place opposite the Water Gate on the east, and the migdal that projects out.
27 After them the Tekoim repaired another section, opposite the great migdal that projects out, even unto the Chomat Ophel.
28 From above the Horse Gate repaired the Kohanim, every one opposite his bais.
29 After them repaired Tzadok ben Immer opposite his bais. After him repaired also Shemayah ben Shechanyah, the Shomer of the East Gate.
30 After him repaired Chananyah ben Shelemyah, and Chanun the sixth son of Tzalaph, another section. After him repaired Meshullam ben Berekhyah opposite his living quarters.
31 After him repaired Malkiyah one of the goldsmiths unto the place of the Netenim, and of the merchants, opposite the Sha’ar HaMifkad, and to the aliyyat hapinnah.
32 And between the aliyyat hapinnah unto the Sheep Gate repaired the goldsmiths and the merchants.
4 (3:33) But it came to pass, that when Sanvalat heard that we were rebuilding the Chomah, he was angered, took great indignation, mocked the Yehudim.
2 (3:34) And he spoke before his brethren and the army of Shomron, and said, What do these feeble Yehudim? Will they fortify themselves? Will they sacrifice? Will they finish in a day? Will they revive the avanim out of the heaps of the burned rubble?
3 (3:35) Now Toviyah the Ammoni was by him, and he said, Even that which they build, if a fox climb up on it, even he shall break down their chomat avanim.
4 (3:36) Shema, Eloheinu, for we are despised; turn their insults upon their own head, and give them as plunder in a land of captivity;
5 (3:37) And cover not their avon, and let not their chattat be blotted out from before thee, for they threw insults in the face of HaBonim.
6 (3:38) So we rebuilt HaChomah, and kol HaChomah was joined together unto half the height thereof, for HaAm had a mind to work.
7 (4:1) But it came to pass, that when Sanvalat, and Toviyah, and the Arabs, and the Ammonim, and the Ashdodim, heard about the Chomat Yerushalayim, that its repairs had gone ahead, and that the gaps began to be closed up, then they were very angry,
8 (4:2) And they plotted all of them together to come and to fight against Yerushalayim, and to hinder it.
9 (4:3) Nevertheless we davened unto Eloheinu, and set a watch against them yomam valailah, because of them.
10 (4:4) And Yehudah said, The koach of the bearers of burdens is giving out, and there is much rubble, so that we are not able to rebuild the Chomah (Wall).
11 (4:5) And our adversaries said, They shall have no da’as, neither see, till we come in the midst among them, and slay them, and cause the melachah (work) to cease.
12 (4:6) And it came to pass, that when the Yehudim which dwelt near them came, they said unto us eser p’amim, Wherever ye turn, they will be upon us.
13 (4:7) Therefore set I behind the lower places of the Chomah, and on the exposed places, I even set HaAm by their mishpekhot with their swords, their spears, and their bows.
14 (4:8) And I looked, and rose up, and said unto the Nobles, and to the Officials, and to the rest of HaAm, Be not ye afraid of them. Remember Adonoi HaGadol vHaNorah, and fight for your achim, your banim, and your banot, your nashim, and your batim.
15 (4:9) And it came to pass, when our enemies were aware that it was known unto us, and HaElohim had brought their etzah (plan) to nought, that we returned all of us to HaChomah, every one unto his melachah (work).
16 (4:10) And it came to pass from that day forth, that half of my men did the melachah, and the other half of them held the spears, the shields, and the bows, and the body armor; and the officials posted themselves behind Kol Bais Yehudah
17 (4:11) Who were HaBonim BaChomah. And they that bore burdens, carried their loads such that each one with one of his hands did the melachah, and with the other hand held a weapon.
18 (4:12) For the Bonim, every one had his cherev girded by his side, and so built. And he that sounded the shofar was by me.
19 (4:13) And I said unto the Nobles, and to the Officials, and to the rest of haAm, The melachah is great and spread out, and we are separated along the Chomah, one far from another.
20 (4:14) In what place therefore ye hear the kol haShofar, rally ye thither unto us; Eloheinu shall fight for us.
21 (4:15) So we labored in the melachah, and half of them held the spears from the break of dawn till the kokhavim appeared.
22 (4:16) Likewise at the same time said I unto HaAm, Let every one with his servant lodge within Yerushalayim, that in halailah they may be a mishmar (guard) to us, and at hayom a melachah (workman).
23 (4:17) So neither I, nor my brethren, nor my men, nor the anshei hamishmar (the men of the guard) which followed me, none of us put off our clothes; every one carried his weapon, even when he went for water.
5 And there was a great outcry of HaAm and of their nashim against their achim the Yehudim.
2 For there were that said, We, our banim, and our banot, are rabbim (many); therefore we must get dagan (grain) for them, that we may eat, and live.
3 Some also there were that said, We have mortgaged our sadot (fields), kramim (vineyards), and batim (houses), that we might buy dagan, because of the ra’av (famine).
4 There were also that said, We have borrowed kesef for the tax of HaMelech, and that upon our sadot and kramim.
5 Yet now our basar is the same as the basar of acheinu (our brethren, countrymen), our banot as their banot; and, hinei, we bring into the bondage of slavery our banim and our banot, and some of our banot are brought unto bondage already, neither is it in our power to redeem them, for other men have our sadot and kramim.
6 And I was very angry when I heard their outcry and these devarim.
7 Then I consulted my own thoughts, and I rebuked the Nobles [see 3:5], and the officials, and said unto them, Ye exact massa (usury, i.e., seizing what is pledged against debts, whether people, land, or property), every one from his brother. And I called a kehillah gedolah against them.
8 And I said unto them, We as far as we have ability have redeemed acheinu (bought back our brethren) the Yehudim, which were sold unto the Goyim; and will ye even sell your brethren? Or shall they be sold back unto us? Then they were speechless, and found nothing to answer.
9 Also I said, It is not tov this thing ye are doing. Ought ye not to walk in the fear of Eloheinu and end the derision of the Goyim oyveinu (our enemies)?
10 I likewise, and my brethren, and my men, have allowed them to borrow kesef and dagan; let us stop now this massa (burden of debt).
11 Restore, now, to them, even today, their sadot, their kramim, their zayit groves, and their batim (houses), also the usury of the hundredth part of the kesef, and of the dagan, the tirosh (new wine), and the yitzhar (olive oil), that ye exact of them.
12 Then said they, We will restore them, and will require nothing of them; so will we do as thou sayest. Then I summoned the Kohanim, and took an oath of them, that they should do according to this promise.
13 Also I shook out the fold of my robe, and said, So may HaElohim shake out every man from his bais, and from that which belongs to him, that keepeth not this promise, even thus be he shaken out, and emptied. And Kol HaKahal said, Omein, and praised Hashem. And HaAm did according to this promise.
14 Moreover, from the yom that I was appointed to be their governor in Eretz Yehudah, from the twentieth year even unto the two and thirtieth year of Artachshasta HaMelech, that is, twelve shanim, I and my brethren have not eaten the Lechem HaPechah (Allowance of the Governor).
15 But the former governors that had been before me placed a heavy burden on HaAm, and had taken of them lechem and yayin, in addition to the forty shekels of kesef; yea, even their assistants domineered HaAm; but so did not I, because of yirat Elohim.
16 But instead I continued in the melekhet HaChomah (work of this Wall), neither acquired we any sadeh; and all my men were gathered there unto the melachah (work).
17 Moreover there were at my shulchan a hundred and fifty of the Yehudim and officials, besides those that came unto us from among the Goyim around us.
18 Now that which was prepared daily was one shor (ox) and six choice sheep; also poultry were prepared at my expense, and every ten days skins of yayin in quantity of all kinds; yet for all this required not I the Lechem HaPechah, because the avodah was heavy upon this people.
19 Remember me, Elohai, for tovah, according to all that I have done for this people.
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