The Daily Audio Bible

1 I, Nehemiah, am the son of Hacaliah. These are my words. They tell my story. During the winter month of Chislev in the 20th year of Artaxerxes I’s reign, I was in the fortress of Susa ² when one of my brothers, Hanani, came from Judah along with some other men. I asked them about those Jews who had escaped—who had survived the exile—and about our city, Jerusalem.

⁴ Hearing this, I was overwhelmed with grief and could only sit and weep. For days I mourned this news and sought the audience of the True God of heaven, praying and fasting before Him.

In that day, I was cupbearer to the king.

2 Four months later, in the spring month of Nisan at the start of our New Year, Artaxerxes had been king 20 years. At a feast, wine was brought to him, and when it had passed my examinations, I gave it to him. Now, you must understand that in the presence of the king it is not my custom to openly express emotion, especially sadness.

As I stood there before the king I was very afraid.

All at once, I prayed to the God of heaven ⁵ and made my request to the king.

⁶ With his queen sitting beside him, the king continued to probe.

Then I knew: I had received his blessing. He was sending me. In response to his question, I set a time.

My True God had heard my prayers and rested His hand of favor and love upon me. The king gave me everything I asked for!

⁹ And so I left, journeying to see the governors of the lands beyond the Euphrates River. I gave them the letters the king sent with me. Moreover, I traveled in the company of the king’s army, surrounded by the officers and cavalry. ¹⁰ In fact, when Sanballat (the Horonite who governed Samaria) and Tobiah (the Ammonite official under him there) heard about what was happening, they were unnerved, distressed that someone was seeking the good of the Israelites left in the land.

¹¹ Nevertheless, my journey continued until I reached Jerusalem. After three days in the city, ¹² under the cover of darkness, I was accompanied by a small group of men. The True God had placed a secret plan on my heart, and there I had left it hidden until the time was right. No one knew what it was I imagined for Jerusalem. With my men walking beside me, I mounted and rode around the city. ¹³ At night I went out of Jerusalem through the valley gate, heading toward the dragon well and down to the potsherd gate where the city dumps its trash. As we went, we examined the walls of Jerusalem: they were as bad as we had heard. No stones remained standing, and fire had consumed the gates. ¹⁴ We continued on toward the fountain gate and the pool of the king, but amid the rubble I was unable to continue riding—there was simply no room— ¹⁵ and so I dismounted and followed along the valley, still under the cover of night, examining the wall as I went. Finally I had seen enough and turned back toward the valley gate, reentering the city the way I had left. ¹⁶ Those who were in charge of Jerusalem did not know where I had gone, much less what I was up to. I had said nothing to anyone—even those who would shortly be doing the work of rebuilding. Everyone was in the dark: common Jews, priests, nobles, and leaders alike.

¹⁸ I told them how my True God had used His power to favor me, evidenced by what the king had said to me.

And so they began the good work. ¹⁹ Our adversaries lost no time, either. Joining Samaritan Governor Sanballat (the Horonite) and Official Tobiah (the Ammonite) was an Arab named Geshem. When they heard of our plans, they mocked and ridiculed us.

3 The sheep gate was first. Led by their brother, the high priest Eliashib, the priests began the work of rebuilding. They framed it,^[a] then they set its doors in place. They proceeded to the tower of the hundred, and after dedicating it they made it as far as the tower of Hananel. ² The men of Jericho partnered with Eliashib, as did Zacur (Imri’s son).

³ Hassenaah’s sons rebuilt the fish gate. They framed it, set its doors in place, then secured it with bolts and bars. ⁴ Meremoth (Hakkoz’s grandson and Uriah’s son) partnered with Hassenaah’s sons in repairing the wall, as did Meshullam (Berechiah’s son and Meshezabel’s grandson) and Zadok (Baana’s son). ⁵ Even the men from Tekoa partnered in the repairs; however, Jerusalem’s long-standing noblemen didn’t support the new leadership’s plans.

⁶ Joiada (Paseah’s son) and Meshullam (Besodeiah’s son) rebuilt the old gate. In the same way, they framed it, set its doors in place, and secured it with bolts and bars. ⁷ The men of Gibeon and Mizpah (that’s the Mizpah where the governor of the Persian Empire beyond the Euphrates River had his capital)—Melatiah the Gibeonite and Jadon the Meronothite—partnered with them. ⁸ Uzziel the goldsmith (Harhaiah’s son) partnered with them in the repairs, as did Hananiah, a perfumer. The wall they built was the broad wall. ⁹ There, a half-district ruler of Jerusalem named Rephaiah (Hur’s son) partnered with them in the repairs. ¹⁰ Jedaiah (Harumaph’s son) partnered with Rephaiah, working directly across from his own house, as did Hattush (Hashabneiah’s son). ¹¹ Malchijah (Harim’s son) and Hasshub (Pahath-moab’s son) repaired another section and the oven tower. ¹² A half-district ruler named Shallum (Hallohesh’s son) and his daughters partnered with Malchijah.

¹³ Working with the residents of Zanoah, Hanun rebuilt the valley gate. In the same way, they framed it, set its doors in place, and secured it with bolts and bars. They were able to build the wall as far as the potsherd gate—a full 500 yards past where they started.

¹⁴ The ruler of the district of Beth-haccherem rebuilt the potsherd gate. In the same way, he framed it, set its doors in place, then secured it with bolts and bars.

7 Now to the topics you raised in your last letter. Some have said, “It is better for a man to abstain from having sex with his wife.” ² Well, I disagree. Because of our tendency to embrace immoralities, each man should feel free to join together in sexual intimacy with his own wife, and each woman should join with her own husband. ³ Husbands and wives have reciprocal duties. Each husband has the responsibility to meet his wife’s sexual desires, and each wife should do the same for her husband. ⁴ In marriage neither the husband nor the wife should act as if his or her body is private property—your bodies now belong to one another, and together they are whole. ⁵ So do not withhold sex from one another, unless both of you have agreed to devote a certain period of time to prayer. When the agreed time is over, come together again so that Satan will not tempt you when you are short on self-control. ⁶ I am trying to encourage you and give you some wise counsel, so don’t take this advice as a command. ⁷ I wish that all of you could live as I do, unmarried. But the truth is all people are different, each gifted by God in various and dissimilar ways.

⁸ To those who are unmarried or widowed, here’s my advice: it is a good thing to stay single as I do. ⁹ If they do not have self-control, they should go ahead and get married. It is much better to marry than to be obsessed by sexual urges.

¹⁰ To those who are married, here’s my command (to be clear, this isn’t merely my opinion; it comes from the teaching of the Lord Jesus): it is not right for a wife to leave her husband. ¹¹ If she does, she must either remain single or reconcile with her husband, but she should not marry someone else. Likewise, the husband should not divorce his wife.

^12-13 To everyone else, here’s my counsel (this is not a direct command from the Lord; it is my opinion): if a brother has a wife who does not believe Jesus’ teachings and the truth of His resurrection, he is to stay with her as long as she is willing to live with him. The same is true for any sister; you should not leave your husband even if he has no allegiance to Jesus. ¹⁴ Here’s the reason: An unbelieving husband is consecrated by that union—touched by the grace of God through his believing wife—and the same is true when the husband is a man of faith and he’s wed to an unbelieving wife. His wife is consecrated through their union. If this weren’t so, your children wouldn’t be pure; but as it is when faith enters in, God sets apart these children to be used uniquely for His purposes. ¹⁵ If the unbelieving spouse decides the marriage is over, then let him or her go; the believing partner is freed from the marital vows because God has called you to peace. ¹⁶ Remember that anything is possible, so the life you lead and the love you show under this strain may be what finally liberates your partner.

¹⁷ So here is my instruction to all the churches: each must live with the gifts the Lord Jesus grants you and with the call God offers you. ¹⁸ When you heard the voice of Jesus, what were your circumstances? Were you living as a circumcised Jew? If so, then don’t try to undo your circumcision. Were you living as if you were an uncircumcised outsider? If so, you don’t need to become a Jew. ¹⁹ You see, whether you are circumcised or not—these outward signs aren’t the issue—the way you live out the commands of God is what really matters. ²⁰ It is important for all people to live out faith in the circumstances they know.

²¹ Did you hear God’s voice while you were a slave? Don’t be concerned. (But if the opportunity comes to gain your freedom, then take it.) ²² For the slave who hears the Lord’s call is set free to belong to the Lord. In the same way, the so-called free person is called to become a slave of the Anointed One. ²³ A high price has been paid for your freedom, so don’t devalue God’s investment by becoming a slave to people. ²⁴ My brothers and sisters, each of you should remain in whatever external circumstances you were in when God called you.