The Daily Audio Bible

Nehemiah’s Generosity

¹⁴ Moreover from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah (from the twentieth year even until the thirty-second year of King Artaxerxes) twelve years had passed. And my companions and I had not eaten the governor’s food allotment. ¹⁵ The former governors preceding me had extracted a heavy burden on the people, because they took from them food and wine, besides forty shekels^[a] of silver. Moreover, even their servants domineered over the people. But I myself never did so, because of the fear of God. ¹⁶ Furthermore, I stayed determined in the work on this wall. We bought no field, and all my servants were gathered there for the sake of the work.

¹⁷ Moreover there were regularly at my table one hundred and fifty Jews and officials, besides those who came to us from the nations around us. ¹⁸ Daily there were one ox and six choice sheep prepared for me. Fowls were also prepared for me. Once in ten days all sorts of wine were supplied in abundance. Yet for all this, I never required the governor’s food allotment because it was a heavy burden on this people.

¹⁹ Remember me, O my God, for good, according to all that I have done for this people.

Nehemiah’s Enemies

6 When Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arabian, and the rest of our enemies heard that I had rebuilt the wall and that there was not a gap in it (though at that time I had not erected the doors on the gates), ² Sanballat and Geshem sent to me, saying, “Come, that we might meet together in one of the villages in the plain of Ono.”

But they planned to do evil to me. ³ So I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work, so I am not able to come down. Why should the work cease while I leave it and come down to you?” ⁴ Four more times they sent for me like this, but I answered them the same way.

⁵ Sanballat sent the same request a fifth time by his servant, but the letter was open in his hand. ⁶ In it was written,

“It is reported among the nations, and Geshem confirms it, that you and the Jews are planning to rebel; consequently you are rebuilding the wall. According to these words, you are their king. ⁷ You have also appointed prophets to preach on your behalf in Jerusalem, saying, ‘There is a king in Judah!’ According to these words, it will now be reported to the king. So come now and let us consult together.”

⁸ I sent him this response, saying, “Nothing like these reports that you are saying has occurred. From your own mind, you are inventing them.”

⁹ Because they all wanted to frighten us, they thought, “They will pull their hands back from the work.” But that would never be done.

So now, O God, strengthen my hands.

¹⁰ When I came to the house of Shemaiah the crippled son of Delaiah the son of Mehetabel, he said, “Let us meet together at the house of God, inside the temple, and then we can shut the temple doors. They are coming to kill you! Even tonight, they could come to kill you!”

¹¹ But I said, “Should a man like me flee? Who is there like me who would go into the temple to save his life? I would never go!” ¹² Then I perceived and saw that God had not sent him, but that he pronounced the prophecy against me, because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. ¹³ He was hired for this reason: that I might become fearful, act accordingly, and sin. Then they would have an evil report by which they could reproach me.

¹⁴ Remember, O my God, concerning Tobiah and Sanballat these deeds of theirs, as well as the prophetess Noadiah and the rest of the prophets who were trying to frighten me.

The Wall Completed

¹⁵ The wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty-two days. ¹⁶ When all our enemies heard it and all the surrounding nations saw it, they were tremendously humbled. They perceived that, because of our God, this work had been accomplished.

¹⁷ Moreover in those days the nobles of Judah produced numerous letters in transit to Tobiah. Likewise, the letters of Tobiah came to them, ¹⁸ because so many in Judah were bound by oath to him since he was the son-in-law of Shekaniah the son of Arah, and his son Jehohanan had married the daughter of Meshullam the son of Berekiah. ¹⁹ Also they reported his good deeds in front of me and reported my words to him. Tobiah sent letters to frighten me.

7 Once the wall was rebuilt and I had erected the doors, the gatekeepers, the singers, and the Levites were appointed. ² Over Jerusalem, I put in charge both my brother Hanani and Hananiah, the palace commander, because each was a faithful man and feared God more than many. ³ I said to them, “The gates of Jerusalem should not be opened until the sun is hot. Until guards are posted, the doors should be closed and bolted. Likewise, appoint guards from Jerusalem’s inhabitants—each at his post, across from his own house.”

⁴ Now the city was large and spacious, yet the people in it were few since there had been no houses built.

The List of Returned Exiles^(A)

⁵ So my God put an idea in my mind, and I gathered the nobles, the officials, and the people together to conduct a genealogy registration. When I found the book of the genealogical register, it contained the list of those who first came back. I found written in it:

⁶ These are the people of the province who returned from the captivity of the exiles whom King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon had carried away, but came back to Jerusalem and to Judah, everyone to his city. ⁷ Those who came with Zerubbabel were Joshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, and Baanah.

Priestly Leaders

⁶¹ These were they who came up from Tel Melah, Tel Harsha, Kerub, Addon, and Immer, but they could not show their fathers’ houses nor their lineage—whether they were of Israel:

⁶³ Of the priests:

⁶⁴ These sought for their fathers’ registration in the genealogical registry, but it was not found. Therefore, they were considered as unclean and removed from the priesthood. ⁶⁵ The magistrate said to them that they should not eat of the most holy things until there was an appointed priest with Urim and Thummim.

⁶⁶ The whole congregation together was forty-two thousand three hundred and sixty, ⁶⁷ besides their male and female servants, which numbered seven thousand three hundred and thirty-seven; and they had two hundred and forty-five male and female singers. ⁶⁸ Their horses were seven hundred and thirty-six; their mules, two hundred and forty-five; ⁶⁹ their camels, four hundred and thirty-five; the donkeys, six thousand seven hundred and twenty.

⁷⁰ Some of the chiefs of the fathers’ households gave to the work. The magistrate gave to the treasury one thousand gold drachmas,^[b] fifty basins, and five hundred and thirty priests’ garments. ⁷¹ Others of the chiefs of the fathers’ households gave to the treasury for the work twenty thousand gold drachmas^[c] and two thousand two hundred silver minas.^{[d] 72} What the rest of the people gave was twenty thousand gold drachmas, two thousand silver minas,^[e] and sixty-seven priests’ garments.

⁷³ So the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, some of the people, the temple servants, and all Israel lived in their cities.

Ezra Reads the Law

When the seventh month came, the children of Israel were in their cities.

Food Offered to Idols

8 Now as concerning food offered to idols: We know that “we all have knowledge.” Knowledge produces arrogance, but love edifies. ² So if anyone thinks that he knows anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know. ³ But if anyone loves God, this one is known by Him.

⁴ So concerning the eating of foods that are offered in sacrifice to idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no other God but one. ⁵ For there are those who are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, as there are many gods and many lords. ⁶ But for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist. And there is one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.

⁷ However, not everyone has this knowledge. Some, being accustomed to the idol until now, eat the food as a thing offered to an idol. So their weak conscience is defiled. ⁸ But food does not commend us to God. Neither if we eat are we the better, nor if we do not eat are we the worse.

⁹ But take heed, lest by any means this liberty of yours becomes a stumbling block to those who are weak. ¹⁰ For if anyone sees you, who have knowledge, eating in the idol’s temple, shall the conscience of him who is weak not be emboldened to eat those things which are offered to idols, ¹¹ and by your knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died? ¹² When you thus sin against the brothers, wounding their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. ¹³ Therefore, if food causes my brother to stumble, I will never eat meat, lest I cause my brother to stumble.

Psalm 33

The Sovereignty of the Lord.