The Daily Audio Bible
15 Shallun son of Col-Hozeh, head of the district of Mizpah, worked on the Fountain Gate. He rebuilt it, put on its roof, and positioned its doors, its bolts, and its bars. In addition, he rebuilt the wall of the Pool of Siloam,[a] by the royal garden, as far as the steps that go down from the City of David. 16 Nehemiah son of Azbuk, head of a half-district of Beth Zur, worked after him as far as the tombs of David and the artificial pool and the House of the Warriors.
17 After him the Levites worked—Rehum son of Bani and[b] after him Hashabiah, head of half the district of Keilah, for his district. 18 After him their relatives[c] worked—Binnui[d] son of Henadad, head of a half-district of Keilah. 19 Adjacent to him Ezer son of Jeshua, head of Mizpah, worked on another section, opposite the ascent to the armory at the buttress. 20 After him Baruch son of Zabbai worked on another section, from the buttress to the door of the house of Eliashib the high priest. 21 After him Meremoth son of Uriah, the son of Hakkoz, worked on another section from the door of Eliashib’s house to the end of it.[e]
22 After him the priests worked, men of the nearby district. 23 After them Benjamin and Hasshub worked opposite their house. After them Azariah son of Maaseiah, the son of Ananiah, worked near his house. 24 After him Binnui son of Henadad worked on another section, from the house of Azariah to the buttress and the corner. 25 After him Palal son of Uzai worked[f] opposite the buttress and the tower that protrudes from the upper palace[g] of the court of the guard. After him Pedaiah son of Parosh 26 and the temple servants who were living on Ophel worked[h] up to the area opposite the Water Gate toward the east and the protruding tower. 27 After them the men of Tekoa worked on another section, from opposite the great protruding tower to the wall of Ophel.
28 Above the Horse Gate the priests worked, each in front of his house. 29 After them Zadok son of Immer worked opposite his house, and after him Shemaiah son of Shecaniah, guard at the East Gate, worked. 30 After him[i] Hananiah son of Shelemiah, and Hanun, the sixth son of Zalaph, worked on another section. After them Meshullam son of Berechiah worked opposite his quarters. 31 After him Malkijah, one of the goldsmiths, worked as far as the house of the temple servants and the traders, opposite the Inspection Gate,[j] and up to the room above the corner. 32 And between the room above the corner and the Sheep Gate the goldsmiths and traders worked.
Opposition to the Work Continues
4 (3:33)[k] Now when Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall he became angry and was quite upset. He derided the Jews, 2 and in the presence of his colleagues[l] and the army of Samaria he said, “What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they be left to themselves?[m] Will they again offer sacrifice? Will they finish this in a day? Can they bring these burnt stones to life again from piles of dust?”
3 Then Tobiah the Ammonite, who was close by, said, “If even a fox were to climb up on what they are building, it would break down their wall of stones!”
4 Hear, O our God, for we are despised. Return their reproach on their own head. Reduce them to plunder in a land of exile! 5 Do not cover their iniquity, and do not wipe out their sin from your sight, for they have bitterly offended[n] the builders.[o]
6 So we rebuilt the wall, and the entire wall was joined together up to half its height.[p] The people were enthusiastic in their work.[q]
7 (4:1)[r] When Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites, and the people of Ashdod heard that the restoration of the walls of Jerusalem had moved ahead and that the breaches had begun to be closed, they were very angry. 8 All of them conspired together to move with armed forces[s] against Jerusalem and to create a disturbance in it. 9 So we prayed to our God and stationed a guard to protect against them[t] both day and night. 10 Then those in Judah said, “The strength of the laborers[u] has failed! The debris is so great that we are unable to rebuild the wall.”
11 Our adversaries also boasted,[v] “Before they are aware or anticipate[w] anything, we will come in among them and kill them, and we will bring this work to a halt!”
12 So it happened that the Jews who were living near them came and warned us repeatedly[x] about all the schemes[y] they were plotting[z] against us.
13 So I stationed people at the lower places behind the wall in the exposed places.[aa] I stationed the people by families, with their swords, spears, and bows. 14 When I had made an inspection,[ab] I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials, and the rest of the people, “Don’t be afraid of them. Remember the great and awesome Lord,[ac] and fight on behalf of your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your families!”[ad]
15 It so happened that when our adversaries heard that we were aware of these matters,[ae] God frustrated their intentions. Then all of us returned to the wall, each to his own work. 16 From that day forward, half my men were doing the work and half were taking up spears,[af] shields, bows, and body armor. Now the officers were behind all the people[ag] of Judah 17 who were rebuilding the wall.[ah] Those who were carrying loads did so[ai] by keeping one hand on the work and the other on their weapon. 18 The builders, to a man, had their swords strapped to their sides while they were building. But the trumpeter[aj] remained with me.
19 I said to the nobles, the officials, and the rest of the people, “The work is demanding[ak] and extensive, and we are spread out on the wall, far removed from one another. 20 Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, gather there with us. Our God will fight for us!”
21 So we worked on,[al] with half[am] holding spears, from dawn till dusk.[an] 22 At that time I instructed[ao] the people, “Let every man and his coworker spend the night in Jerusalem and let them be guards for us by night and workers by day.” 23 We did not change clothes[ap]—not I, nor my relatives, nor my workers, nor the watchmen who were with me. Each had his weapon, even when getting a drink of water.[aq]
Nehemiah Intervenes on behalf of the Oppressed
5 Then there was a great outcry from the people and their wives against their fellow Jews.[ar] 2 There were those who said, “With our sons and daughters, we are many. We must obtain[as] grain in order to eat and stay alive.” 3 There were others who said, “We are putting up our fields, our vineyards, and our houses as collateral in order to obtain grain during the famine.” 4 Then there were those who said, “We have borrowed money to pay our taxes to the king[at] on our fields and our vineyards. 5 And now, though we share the same flesh and blood as our fellow countrymen[au] and our children are just like their children,[av] still we have found it necessary to subject our sons and daughters to slavery.[aw] Some of our daughters have been subjected to slavery, while we are powerless to help,[ax] since our fields and vineyards now belong to other people.”[ay]
6 I was very angry when I heard their outcry and these complaints.[az] 7 I considered these things carefully[ba] and then registered a complaint with the wealthy[bb] and the officials. I said to them, “Each one of you is seizing the collateral[bc] from your own countrymen!”[bd] Because of them I called for[be] a great public assembly. 8 I said to them, “To the extent possible we have bought back our fellow Jews[bf] who had been sold to the Gentiles. But now you yourselves want to sell your own countrymen,[bg] so that we can then buy them back!” They were utterly silent, and could find nothing to say.
9 Then I[bh] said, “The thing that you are doing is wrong![bi] Should you not conduct yourselves[bj] in the fear of our God in order to avoid the reproach of the Gentiles who are our enemies? 10 Even I and my relatives[bk] and my associates[bl] are lending them money and grain. But let us abandon this practice of seizing collateral![bm] 11 This very day return to them their fields, their vineyards, their olive trees, and their houses, along with the interest[bn] that you are exacting from them on the money, the grain, the new wine, and the olive oil.”
12 They replied, “We will return these things,[bo] and we will no longer demand anything from them. We will do just as you say.” Then I called the priests and made the wealthy and the officials[bp] swear to do what had been promised.[bq] 13 I also shook out my garment,[br] and I said, “In this way may God shake out from his house and his property every person who does not carry out[bs] this matter. In this way may he be shaken out and emptied!” All the assembly replied, “So be it!” and they praised the Lord. Then the people did as they had promised.[bt]
Remaining Unmarried
25 With regard to the question about people who have never married,[a] I have no command from the Lord, but I give my opinion as one shown mercy by the Lord to be trustworthy. 26 Because of the impending crisis I think it best for you to remain as you are. 27 The one bound to a wife should not seek divorce. The one released from a wife should not seek marriage.[b] 28 But if you marry, you have not sinned. And if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. But those who marry will face difficult circumstances,[c] and I am trying to spare you such problems.[d] 29 And I say this, brothers and sisters:[e] The time is short. So then those who have wives should be as those who have none, 30 those with tears like those not weeping, those who rejoice like those not rejoicing, those who buy like those without possessions, 31 those who use the world as though they were not using it to the full. For the present shape of this world is passing away.
32 And I want you to be free from concern. An unmarried man is concerned about the things of the Lord, how to please the Lord. 33 But a married man is concerned about the things of the world, how to please his wife, 34 and he is divided. An unmarried woman[f] or a virgin[g] is concerned about the things of the Lord, to be holy both in body and spirit. But a married woman is concerned about the things of the world, how to please her husband. 35 I am saying this for your benefit, not to place a limitation on you, but so that without distraction you may give notable and constant service to the Lord.
36 If anyone thinks he is acting inappropriately toward his virgin,[h] if she is past the bloom of youth[i] and it seems necessary, he should do what he wishes; he does not sin. Let them marry. 37 But the man who is firm in his commitment, and is under no necessity but has control over his will, and has decided in his own mind to keep his own virgin, does well. 38 So then, the one who marries[j] his own virgin does well, but the one who does not, does better.[k]
39 A wife is bound as long as her husband is living. But if her husband dies,[l] she is free to marry anyone she wishes (only someone in the Lord). 40 But in my opinion, she will be happier if she remains as she is—and I think that I too have the Spirit of God!
Psalm 32[a]
By David; a well-written song.[b]
32 How blessed[c] is the one whose rebellious acts are forgiven,[d]
whose sin is pardoned.[e]
2 How blessed is the one[f] whose wrongdoing the Lord does not punish,[g]
in whose spirit there is no deceit.[h]
3 When I refused to confess my sin,[i]
my whole body wasted away,[j]
while I groaned in pain all day long.
4 For day and night you tormented me;[k]
you tried to destroy me[l] in the intense heat[m] of summer.[n] (Selah)
5 Then I confessed my sin;
I no longer covered up my wrongdoing.
I said, “I will confess[o] my rebellious acts to the Lord.”
And then you forgave my sins.[p] (Selah)
6 For this reason every one of your faithful followers[q] should pray to you
while there is a window of opportunity.[r]
Certainly[s] when the surging water[t] rises,
it will not reach them.[u]
7 You are my hiding place;
you protect me from distress.
You surround me with shouts of joy from those celebrating deliverance.[v] (Selah)
8 I will instruct and teach you[w] about how you should live.[x]
I will advise you as I look you in the eye.[y]
9 Do not be[z] like an unintelligent horse or mule,[aa]
which will not obey you
unless they are controlled by a bridle and bit.[ab]
10 An evil person suffers much pain,[ac]
but the Lord’s faithfulness overwhelms the one who trusts in him.[ad]
11 Rejoice in the Lord and be happy, you who are godly!
Shout for joy, all you who are morally upright![ae]
5 The plans of the diligent[a] lead[b] only to plenty,[c]
but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty.[d]
6 Making a fortune[e] by a lying tongue is like[f] a vapor driven back and forth;[g]
they seek death.[h]
7 The violence[i] done by the wicked[j] will drag them away
because[k] they have refused to do what is right.[l]
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