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15 Shallun[a] son of Col-hozeh, ruler over the district of Mizpah, repaired the Fountain Gate.(A) He rebuilt it and roofed it. Then he installed its doors, bolts, and bars. He also made repairs to the wall of the Pool of Shelah(B) near the king’s garden,(C) as far as the stairs that descend from the city of David.(D)
16 After him Nehemiah son of Azbuk, ruler over half the district of Beth-zur,(E) made repairs up to a point opposite the tombs of David,(F) as far as the artificial pool(G) and the House of the Warriors.(H) 17 Next to him the Levites(I) made repairs under Rehum son of Bani. Beside him Hashabiah, ruler over half the district of Keilah,(J) made repairs for his district. 18 After him their fellow Levites made repairs under Binnui[b] son of Henadad, ruler over half the district of Keilah. 19 Next to him Ezer son of Jeshua, ruler over Mizpah, made repairs to another section opposite the ascent to the armory at the Angle.(K)
The Angle, Water Gate, and Tower on the Ophel
20 After him Baruch son of Zabbai[c] diligently repaired another section, from the Angle to the door of the house of Eliashib the high priest.(L) 21 Beside him Meremoth(M) son of Uriah, son of Hakkoz, made repairs to another section, from the door of Eliashib’s(N) house to the end of his house. 22 And next to him the priests from the surrounding area made repairs.
23 After them Benjamin and Hasshub made repairs opposite their house. Beside them Azariah son of Maaseiah, son of Ananiah, made repairs beside his house. 24 After him Binnui(O) son of Henadad made repairs to another section, from the house of Azariah to the Angle and the corner. 25 Palal son of Uzai made repairs opposite the Angle and tower that juts out from the upper palace[d] of the king,(P) by the courtyard of the guard.(Q) Beside him Pedaiah son of Parosh, 26 and the temple servants(R) living on Ophel[e](S) made repairs opposite the Water Gate(T) toward the east and the tower that juts out. 27 Next to him the Tekoites(U) made repairs to another section from a point opposite the great tower that juts out, as far as the wall of Ophel.(V)
Horse Gate, Inspection Gate, and Sheep Gate
28 Each of the priests made repairs above the Horse Gate,(W) each opposite his own house. 29 After them Zadok son of Immer made repairs opposite his house. And beside him Shemaiah son of Shecaniah, guard of the East Gate, made repairs. 30 Next to him Hananiah son of Shelemiah and Hanun the sixth son of Zalaph made repairs to another section.
After them Meshullam son of Berechiah made repairs opposite his room. 31 Next to him Malchijah, one of the goldsmiths,(X) made repairs to the house of the temple servants(Y) and the merchants, opposite the Inspection[f] Gate, and as far as the upper room of the corner. 32 The goldsmiths(Z) and merchants made repairs between the upper room of the corner and the Sheep Gate.(AA)
Progress in Spite of Opposition
4 [g]When Sanballat(AB) heard that we were rebuilding the wall,(AC) he became furious. He mocked the Jews(AD) 2 before his colleagues and the powerful men[h] of Samaria,(AE) and said, “What are these pathetic Jews doing? Can they restore it by themselves? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they ever finish it? Can they bring these burnt stones(AF) back to life from the mounds of rubble?”(AG) 3 Then Tobiah the Ammonite,(AH) who was beside him, said, “Indeed, even if a fox(AI) climbed up what they are building, he would break down their stone wall!”
4 Listen, our God, for we are despised. Make their insults return on their own heads and let them be taken as plunder to a land of captivity. 5 Do not cover their guilt or let their sin be erased from Your sight, because they have provoked[i] the builders.(AJ)
6 So we rebuilt the wall until the entire wall was joined together up to half its height, for the people had the will to keep working.(AK)
7 [j]When Sanballat, Tobiah, and the Arabs,(AL) Ammonites, and Ashdodites heard that the repair to the walls of Jerusalem was progressing and that the gaps were being closed,(AM) they became furious.(AN) 8 They all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and throw it into confusion. 9 So we prayed to our God and stationed a guard because of them day and night.
10 In Judah, it was said:[k]
The strength of the laborer fails,
since there is so much rubble.
We will never be able
to rebuild the wall.
11 And our enemies said, “They won’t know or see anything until we’re among them and can kill them and stop the work.” 12 When the Jews who lived nearby arrived, they said to us time and again,[l] “Everywhere you turn, they attack[m] us.” 13 So I stationed people behind the lowest sections of the wall, at the vulnerable areas. I stationed them by families with their swords, spears, and bows. 14 After I made an inspection, I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials, and the rest of the people,(AO) “Don’t be afraid of them.(AP) Remember the great and awe-inspiring Lord, and fight for your countrymen, your sons and daughters, your wives and homes.”(AQ)
Sword and Trowel
15 When our enemies heard that we knew their scheme and that God had frustrated it, every one of us returned to his own work on the wall. 16 From that day on, half of my men did the work while the other half held spears, shields, bows, and armor.(AR) The officers supported all the people of Judah, 17 who were rebuilding the wall. The laborers who carried the loads worked with one hand and held a weapon with the other. 18 Each of the builders had his sword strapped around his waist while he was building, and the trumpeter was beside me. 19 Then I said to the nobles, the officials, and the rest of the people:(AS) “The work is enormous and spread out, and we are separated far from one another along the wall.(AT) 20 Wherever you hear the trumpet sound, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us!”(AU) 21 So we continued the work, while half of the men were holding spears from daybreak until the stars came out. 22 At that time, I also said to the people, “Let everyone and his servant spend the night inside Jerusalem, so that they can stand guard by night and work by day.” 23 And I, my brothers, my men, and the guards with me never took off our clothes. Each carried his weapon, even when washing.[n]
Social Injustice
5 There was a widespread outcry from the people and their wives against their Jewish countrymen. 2 Some were saying, “We, our sons, and our daughters are numerous. Let us get grain so that we can eat and live.” 3 Others were saying, “We are mortgaging our fields, vineyards, and homes to get grain during the famine.”(AV) 4 Still others were saying, “We have borrowed money to pay the king’s tax(AW) on our fields and vineyards.(AX) 5 We and our children are just like our countrymen and their children, yet we are subjecting our sons and daughters to slavery.(AY) Some of our daughters are already enslaved,(AZ) but we are powerless[o] because our fields and vineyards belong to others.”
6 I became extremely angry(BA) when I heard their outcry and these complaints. 7 After seriously considering the matter, I accused the nobles and officials, saying to them, “Each of you is charging his countrymen interest.”(BB) So I called a large assembly against them 8 and said, “We have done our best to buy back our Jewish countrymen who were sold to foreigners, but now you sell your own countrymen, and we have to buy them back.”(BC) They remained silent and could not say a word.(BD) 9 Then I said, “What you are doing isn’t right. Shouldn’t you walk in the fear of our God(BE) and not invite the reproach of our foreign enemies?(BF) 10 Even I, as well as my brothers and my servants, have been lending them money and grain. Please, let us stop charging this interest.[p] 11 Return their fields, vineyards, olive groves, and houses to them immediately, along with the percentage[q] of the money, grain, new wine, and olive oil(BG) that you have been assessing them.”
12 They responded: “We will return these things and require nothing more from them.(BH) We will do as you say.”
So I summoned the priests and made everyone take an oath(BI) to do this. 13 I also shook the folds of my robe and said, “May God likewise shake from his house and property everyone who doesn’t keep this promise. May he be shaken out(BJ) and have nothing!”
The whole assembly said, “Amen,” and they praised the Lord. Then the people did as they had promised.(BK)
About the Unmarried and Widows
25 About virgins: I have no command from the Lord, but I do give an opinion as one who by the Lord’s mercy(A) is trustworthy.(B) 26 Therefore I consider this to be good because of the present distress: It is fine for a man to remain as he is. 27 Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be loosed. Are you loosed from a wife? Do not seek a wife. 28 However, if you do get married,(C) you have not sinned, and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. But such people will have trouble in this life,[a] and I am trying to spare you. 29 And I say this, brothers: The time is limited,(D) so from now on those who have wives should be as though they had none, 30 those who weep as though they did not weep, those who rejoice(E) as though they did not rejoice, those who buy as though they did not possess, 31 and those who use the world as though they did not make full use of it. For this world in its current form is passing away.(F)
32 I want you to be without concerns. An unmarried man is concerned about the things of the Lord—how he may please(G) the Lord. 33 But a married man is concerned about the things of the world—how he may please his wife— 34 and his interests are divided. An unmarried woman or a virgin is concerned about the things of the Lord,(H) so that she may be holy both in body and in spirit. But a married woman is concerned about the things of the world—how she may please her husband. 35 Now I am saying this for your own benefit, not to put a restraint on you, but because of what is proper and so that you may be devoted to the Lord without distraction.
36 But if any man thinks he is acting improperly toward his virgin,[b] if she is past marriageable age,[c] and so it must be, he can do what he wants. He is not sinning; they can get married. 37 But he who stands firm in his heart (who is under no compulsion, but has control over his own will(I)) and has decided in his heart to keep his own virgin, will do well. 38 So then he who marries[d] his virgin does well, but he who does not marry[e] will do better.
39 A wife is bound[f] as long as her husband is living. But if her husband dies, she is free to be married to anyone she wants—only in the Lord.[g] 40 But she is happier if she remains as she is, in my opinion. And I think that I also have the Spirit of God.
Psalm 32
The Joy of Forgiveness
Davidic. A Maskil.
1 How joyful is the one
whose transgression is forgiven,
whose sin is covered!(A)
2 How joyful is the man
the Lord does not charge with sin(B)
and in whose spirit is no deceit!(C)
3 When I kept silent, my bones became brittle
from my groaning all day long.(D)
4 For day and night Your hand was heavy on me;(E)
my strength was drained[a]
as in the summer’s heat.(F)
5 Then I acknowledged my sin to You
and did not conceal my iniquity.
I said,
“I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,”
and You took away the guilt of my sin.(G)
6 Therefore let everyone who is faithful pray to You
at a time that You may be found.[b](H)
When great floodwaters come,
they will not reach him.(I)
7 You are my hiding place;(J)
You protect me from trouble.(K)
You surround me with joyful shouts of deliverance.
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