The Daily Audio Bible
Today's audio is from the CSB. Switch to the CSB to read along with the audio.
Nehemiah’s Record. 14 Moreover, from the time that King Artaxerxes appointed me governor in the land of Judah, from his twentieth to his thirty-second year—during these twelve years neither I nor my kindred lived off the governor’s food allowance. 15 The earlier governors,[a] my predecessors, had laid a heavy burden on the people, taking from them each day forty silver shekels for their food; then, too, their attendants oppressed the people. But I, because I feared God, did not do this. 16 In addition, though I had acquired no land of my own, I did my part in this work on the wall, and all my attendants were gathered there for the work. 17 Though I set my table for a hundred and fifty persons, Jews and magistrates, as well as the neighboring Gentiles who came to us, 18 and though the daily preparations were made at my expense—one ox, six choice sheep, poultry—besides all kinds of wine in abundance every ten days, despite this I did not claim the governor’s allowance, for the labor lay heavy upon this people. 19 Keep in mind, my God, to my credit all that I did for this people.
Chapter 6
Plots Against Nehemiah. 1 When it had been reported to Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab, and our other enemies that I had rebuilt the wall and that there was no breach left in it (though up to that time I had not yet set up the doors in the gates), 2 Sanballat and Geshem sent me this message: “Come, let us hold council together at Chephirim in the plain of Ono.” They were planning to do me harm. 3 I sent messengers to them with this reply: “I am engaged in a great enterprise and am unable to come down. Why should the work stop, while I leave it to come down to you?” 4 Four times they sent me this same proposal, and each time I gave the same reply. 5 Then, the fifth time, Sanballat sent me the same message by one of his servants, who bore an unsealed letter 6 containing this text: “Among the nations it has been reported—Gashmu[b] is witness to this—that you and the Jews are planning a rebellion; that for this reason you are rebuilding the wall; and that you are to be their king. 7 Also, that you have set up prophets in Jerusalem to proclaim you king of Judah. Now, since matters like these will reach the ear of the king, come, let us hold council together.” 8 I sent him this answer: “Nothing of what you report is happening; rather, it is the invention of your own mind.” 9 They were all trying to intimidate us, thinking, “They will be discouraged from continuing with the work, and it will never be completed.” But instead, I then redoubled my efforts.
10 I went to the house of Shemaiah, son of Delaiah, son of Mehetabel, who was confined to his house, and he said: “Let us meet in the house of God, inside the temple building; let us lock the doors of the temple. For they are coming to kill you—by night they are coming to kill you.” 11 My answer was: “A man like me take flight? Should a man like me enter the temple to save his life? I will not go!” 12 For on consideration, it was plain to me that God had not sent him; rather, because Tobiah and Sanballat had bribed him, he voiced this prophecy concerning me, 13 that I might act on it out of fear and commit this sin. Then they would have had a shameful story with which to discredit me. 14 (A)Keep in mind Tobiah and Sanballat, my God, because of these things they did; keep in mind as well Noadiah the woman prophet and the other prophets who were trying to intimidate me.
Completion of the Work. 15 The wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of Elul;[c] the work had taken fifty-two days. 16 (B)When all our enemies had heard of this, and all the neighboring Gentiles round about had taken note of it, they were very discouraged, for they knew that it was with our God’s help that this work had been completed. 17 At that same time, however, many letters were going to Tobiah from the nobles of Judah, and Tobiah’s letters were reaching them, 18 for many in Judah were in league with him, since he was the son-in-law of Shecaniah, son of Arah, and his son Jehohanan had married the daughter of Meshullam, son of Berechiah. 19 They would praise his good deeds in my presence and relate to him whatever I said; and Tobiah sent letters trying to intimidate me.
Chapter 7
1 Now that the wall had been rebuilt, I had the doors set up, and the gatekeepers, the singers, and the Levites were put in charge of them. 2 Over Jerusalem I placed Hanani, my brother, and Hananiah, the commander of the citadel, who was more trustworthy and God-fearing than most. 3 I said to them: “The gates of Jerusalem are not to be opened until the sun is hot, and while the sun is still shining they shall shut and bar the doors. Appoint as sentinels the inhabitants of Jerusalem, some at their watch posts, and others in front of their own houses.”
Census of the Province. 4 Now, the city was quite wide and spacious, but its population was small, and none of the houses had been rebuilt. 5 When my God had inspired me to gather together the nobles, the magistrates, and the people, and to examine their family records, I came upon the family list of those who had returned in the earliest period. There I found the following written:
6 [d](C)These are the inhabitants of the province who returned from the captivity of the exiles whom Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, had carried away, and who came back to Jerusalem and Judah, to their own cities: 7 They returned with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, and Baanah.
The census of the people of Israel: 8 descendants of Parosh, two thousand one hundred and seventy-two; 9 descendants of Shephatiah, three hundred and seventy-two; 10 descendants of Arah, six hundred and fifty-two; 11 descendants of Pahath-moab who were descendants of Jeshua and Joab, two thousand eight hundred and eighteen; 12 descendants of Elam, one thousand two hundred and fifty-four; 13 descendants of Zattu, eight hundred and forty-five; 14 descendants of Zaccai, seven hundred and sixty; 15 descendants of Binnui, six hundred and forty-eight; 16 descendants of Bebai, six hundred and twenty-eight; 17 descendants of Azgad, two thousand three hundred and twenty-two; 18 descendants of Adonikam, six hundred and sixty-seven; 19 descendants of Bigvai, two thousand and sixty-seven; 20 descendants of Adin, six hundred and fifty-five; 21 descendants of Ater who were descendants of Hezekiah, ninety-eight; 22 descendants of Hashum, three hundred and twenty-eight; 23 descendants of Bezai, three hundred and twenty-four; 24 descendants of Hariph, one hundred and twelve; 25 descendants of Gibeon, ninety-five; 26 people of Bethlehem and Netophah, one hundred and eighty-eight; 27 people of Anathoth, one hundred and twenty-eight; 28 people of Beth-azmaveth, forty-two; 29 people of Kiriath-jearim, Chephirah, and Beeroth, seven hundred and forty-three; 30 people of Ramah and Geba, six hundred and twenty-one; 31 people of Michmas, one hundred and twenty-two; 32 people of Bethel and Ai, one hundred and twenty-three; 33 people of Nebo, fifty-two; 34 descendants of the other Elam, one thousand two hundred and fifty-four; 35 descendants of Harim, three hundred and twenty; 36 descendants of Jericho, three hundred and forty-five; 37 descendants of Lod, Hadid, and Ono, seven hundred and twenty-one; 38 descendants of Senaah, three thousand nine hundred and thirty.
39 The priests: descendants of Jedaiah of the house of Jeshua, nine hundred and seventy-three; 40 descendants of Immer, one thousand and fifty-two; 41 descendants of Pashhur, one thousand two hundred and forty-seven; 42 descendants of Harim, one thousand and seventeen.
43 The Levites: descendants of Jeshua, Kadmiel of the descendants of Hodeviah, seventy-four.
44 The singers: descendants of Asaph, one hundred and forty-eight.
45 The gatekeepers: descendants of Shallum, descendants of Ater, descendants of Talmon, descendants of Akkub, descendants of Hatita, descendants of Shobai, one hundred and thirty-eight.
46 The temple servants: descendants of Ziha, descendants of Hasupha, descendants of Tabbaoth, 47 descendants of Keros, descendants of Sia, descendants of Padon, 48 descendants of Lebana, descendants of Hagaba, descendants of Shalmai, 49 descendants of Hanan, descendants of Giddel, descendants of Gahar, 50 descendants of Reaiah, descendants of Rezin, descendants of Nekoda, 51 descendants of Gazzam, descendants of Uzza, descendants of Paseah, 52 descendants of Besai, descendants of the Meunites, descendants of the Nephusites, 53 descendants of Bakbuk, descendants of Hakupha, descendants of Harhur, 54 descendants of Bazlith, descendants of Mehida, descendants of Harsha, 55 descendants of Barkos, descendants of Sisera, descendants of Temah, 56 descendants of Neziah, descendants of Hatipha.
57 Descendants of Solomon’s servants: descendants of Sotai, descendants of Sophereth, descendants of Perida, 58 descendants of Jaala, descendants of Darkon, descendants of Giddel, 59 descendants of Shephatiah, descendants of Hattil, descendants of Pochereth-hazzebaim, descendants of Amon. 60 The total of the temple servants and the descendants of Solomon’s servants was three hundred and ninety-two.
61 The following who returned from Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Cherub, Addon, and Immer were unable to prove that their ancestral houses and their descent were Israelite: 62 descendants of Delaiah, descendants of Tobiah, descendants of Nekoda, six hundred and forty-two. 63 Also, of the priests: descendants of Hobaiah, descendants of Hakkoz, descendants of Barzillai (he had married one of the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite and was named after him). 64 These men searched their family records, but their names could not be found written there; hence they were disqualified from the priesthood, 65 and the governor[e] ordered them not to partake of the most holy foods until there should be a priest to consult the Urim and Thummim.
66 The entire assembly taken together came to forty-two thousand three hundred and sixty, 67 not counting their male and female servants, who were seven thousand three hundred and thirty-seven. They also had two hundred male and female singers. Their horses were seven hundred and thirty-six, their mules two hundred and forty-five, 68 their camels four hundred and thirty-five, their donkeys six thousand seven hundred and twenty.
69 Certain of the heads of ancestral houses contributed to the temple service. The governor put into the treasury one thousand drachmas of gold, fifty basins, thirty vestments for priests, and five hundred minas of silver. 70 Some of the heads of ancestral houses contributed to the treasury for the temple service: twenty thousand drachmas of gold and two thousand two hundred minas of silver. 71 The contributions of the rest of the people amounted to twenty thousand drachmas of gold, two thousand minas of silver, and sixty-seven vestments for priests.
72 The priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, the temple servants, and all Israel took up residence in their cities.
B. Offerings to Idols[a]
Chapter 8
Knowledge Insufficient. 1 Now in regard to meat sacrificed to idols:[b] we realize that “all of us have knowledge”; knowledge inflates with pride, but love builds up.(A) 2 If anyone supposes he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know. 3 But if one loves God, one is known by him.(B)
4 So about the eating of meat sacrificed to idols: we know that “there is no idol in the world,” and that “there is no God but one.”(C) 5 Indeed, even though there are so-called gods in heaven and on earth (there are, to be sure, many “gods” and many “lords”), 6 [c]yet for us there is
one God, the Father,
from whom all things are and for whom we exist,
and one Lord, Jesus Christ,
through whom all things are and through whom we exist.(D)
Practical Rules. 7 But not all have this knowledge. There are some who have been so used to idolatry up until now that, when they eat meat sacrificed to idols, their conscience, which is weak, is defiled.(E)
8 [d]Now food will not bring us closer to God. We are no worse off if we do not eat, nor are we better off if we do.(F) 9 But make sure that this liberty of yours in no way becomes a stumbling block to the weak.(G) 10 If someone sees you, with your knowledge, reclining at table in the temple of an idol, may not his conscience too, weak as it is, be “built up” to eat the meat sacrificed to idols? 11 Thus through your knowledge, the weak person is brought to destruction, the brother for whom Christ died.(H) 12 When you sin in this way against your brothers and wound their consciences, weak as they are, you are sinning against Christ. 13 [e](I)Therefore, if food causes my brother to sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I may not cause my brother to sin.
Psalm 33[a]
Praise of God’s Power and Providence
I
1 Rejoice, you righteous, in the Lord;
praise from the upright is fitting.(A)
2 Give thanks to the Lord on the harp;
on the ten-stringed lyre offer praise.(B)
3 Sing to him a new song;
skillfully play with joyful chant.
4 For the Lord’s word is upright;
all his works are trustworthy.
5 He loves justice and right.
The earth is full of the mercy of the Lord.(C)
II
6 By the Lord’s word the heavens were made;
by the breath of his mouth all their host.[b](D)
7 [c]He gathered the waters of the sea as a mound;
he sets the deep into storage vaults.(E)
III
8 Let all the earth fear the Lord;
let all who dwell in the world show him reverence.
9 For he spoke, and it came to be,
commanded, and it stood in place.(F)
10 The Lord foils the plan of nations,
frustrates the designs of peoples.
11 But the plan of the Lord stands forever,
the designs of his heart through all generations.(G)
Scripture texts, prefaces, introductions, footnotes and cross references used in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.