Old/New Testament
Sanballat and Tobiah Mock the Jews’ Work
4 [a]Now it happened that when (A)Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became angry and very vexed and mocked the Jews. 2 He spoke in the presence of his brothers and (B)the [b]wealthy men of Samaria and said, “What are these feeble Jews doing? Are they going to restore it for themselves? Can they offer sacrifices? Can they complete it in a day? Can they bring the stones to life from the [c](C)dusty rubble, though they are burned?” 3 Now Tobiah the Ammonite was near him and he said, “Even what they are building—(D)if a fox should [d]jump on it, he would break their stone wall down!”
4 (E)Hear, O our God, for we are despised! (F)Return their reproach on their own heads and give them up for plunder in a land of captivity. 5 Do not [e](G)forgive their iniquity and let not their sin be blotted out before You, for they have [f]vexed the builders.
6 So we built the wall and the whole wall was joined together to half its height, and the people had a heart to work.
7 [g]Now it happened that when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites heard that the [h]repair of the walls of Jerusalem went on, and that the places broken down began to be closed, they were very angry. 8 All of them (H)joined together to come and fight against Jerusalem and to cause a disturbance in it. 9 But we prayed to our God, and because of them we (I)stood a guard against them day and night.
10 Then Judah said,
“The [i]strength of the burden bearers is failing,
Yet there is much [j]rubbish;
And we ourselves are unable
To rebuild the wall.”
11 Our adversaries said, “They will not know or see until we come among them, kill them, and put a stop to the work.” 12 Now it happened when the Jews who lived near them came and said to us ten times, “[k]They will come up against us from every place where you may turn,” 13 that I had men stand in the lowest parts of the space behind the wall, the [l]exposed places, and I (J)had the people stand by families with their swords, spears, and bows. 14 Then I saw their fear. And I arose and said to the nobles, the officials, and the rest of the people: “(K)Do not fear them; remember the Lord who is great and fearsome, and (L)fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses.”
Doing the Work and Holding a Weapon
15 Now it happened that when our enemies heard that it was known to us, and that (M)God had thwarted their counsel, then all of us returned to the wall, each one to his work. 16 And it happened that from that day on, half of my young men carried on the work while half of them took hold of the spears, the shields, the bows, and the breastplates; and the commanders were behind the whole house of Judah. 17 Those who were rebuilding the wall and those who carried burdens took their load with one hand doing the work and the other holding a weapon. 18 As for the builders, each wore his sword girded at his side as he built, while [m]the trumpeter stood near me. 19 I said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, “The work is great and extensive, and we are separated on the wall far from one another. 20 At whatever place you hear the sound of the trumpet, there gather together to us. (N)Our God will fight for us.”
21 So we kept doing the work with half of them holding spears from [n]dawn until the stars came out. 22 At that time I also said to the people, “Let each man with his young man spend the night within Jerusalem so that they may be a guard for us by night and a worker by day.” 23 So neither I, my brothers, my young men, nor the men of the guard who followed me, none of us removed our clothes, each took his weapon even to the water.
Each Usury Is Forsaken
5 Then (O)there was a great outcry of the people and of their wives against their (P)Jewish brothers. 2 Now there were those who were saying, “We, with our sons and our daughters, are many; therefore let us (Q)get grain that we may eat and live.” 3 There were others who were saying, “We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards, and our houses, that we might get grain because of the famine.” 4 Also there were those who were saying, “We have borrowed money (R)for the king’s tax on our fields and our vineyards. 5 But now (S)our flesh is like the flesh of our brothers, our children like their children. Yet behold, (T)we are forcing our sons and our daughters to be slaves, and some of our daughters are forced into subjugation, and we have no power in our hands to help, and our fields and vineyards belong to others.”
6 Then I was very (U)angry when I had heard their outcry and these words. 7 I consulted within my own heart and contended with the nobles and the officials and said to them, “(V)You are exacting usury, each from his brother!” Therefore, I held a great assembly against them. 8 I said to them, “We, according to our ability, (W)have bought back our Jewish brothers who were sold to the nations; and now would you also sell your brothers that they may be sold to us?” Then they were silent and could not find a word to say. 9 And I said, “The thing which you are doing is not good; should you not walk in the fear of our God because of (X)the reproach of the nations, our enemies? 10 And likewise I, my brothers, and my young men are lending them money and grain. Please, let us forsake this usury. 11 Please, give back to them this very day their fields, their vineyards, their olive groves and their houses, also the hundredth part of the money and of the grain, the new wine and the oil that you are exacting from them.” 12 Then they said, “We (Y)will give it back and (Z)will require nothing from them; we will do exactly as you are saying.” So I called the priests and (AA)made them swear that they would do according to this word. 13 I (AB)also shook out the [o]front of my garment and said, “Thus may God shake out every man from his house and from his possessions who does not establish this word; even thus may he be shaken out and emptied.” And (AC)all the assembly said, “Amen!” And they praised Yahweh. Then the people did according to this word.
Nehemiah as Governor
14 Moreover, from the day that I was put in command to be their governor in the land of Judah, from (AD)the twentieth year to the (AE)thirty-second year of King Artaxerxes, for twelve years, neither I nor my [p]relatives have eaten the governor’s food allowance. 15 But the former governors who were before me [q]laid heavy burdens on the people and took from them bread and wine besides forty [r]shekels of silver; even their young men exerted their power over the people. But I did not do so (AF)because of the fear of God. 16 I also took hold of the work on this wall; we did not buy any land, and all my young men were gathered there for the work. 17 Moreover, (AG)there were at my table 150 Jews and officials, besides those who came to us from the nations that were around us. 18 Now (AH)that which was prepared for each day was one ox and six choice sheep, also birds were prepared for me; and once in ten days all sorts of wine were furnished in abundance. Yet for all this (AI)I did not require the governor’s food allowance, because the slavery was heavy on this people. 19 (AJ)Remember me, O my God, for good, according to all that I have done for this people.
Enemies Try to Make Nehemiah Fearful
6 Now it happened when it was heard by Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab, and the rest of our enemies that I had rebuilt the wall, and that no breach remained in it, (AK)although at that time I had not made the doors to stand in the gates, 2 that Sanballat and Geshem sent a message to me, saying, “Come, let us meet together at [s]Chephirim in the plain of (AL)Ono.” But they were planning to [t]do me harm. 3 So I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work and I cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and come down to you?” 4 And they sent messages to me four times in this manner, and I responded to them in the same manner. 5 Then Sanballat sent his young man to me in the same manner a fifth time with an open letter in his hand. 6 In it was written,
“It is heard among the nations, and [u]Gashmu says, that (AM)you and the Jews are planning to rebel; therefore you are rebuilding the wall. And you are to be their king, according to these words.
7 You have also [v]set up prophets to call out in Jerusalem concerning [w]you, ‘A king is in Judah!’ So now it will be heard by the king according to these words. So now, come, let us take counsel together.”
8 Then I sent a message to him, saying,
“Such words as you are saying have not been done, but you are (AN)devising them in your own heart.”
9 For all of them were trying to frighten us, [x]thinking, “Their hands will [y]become limp in doing the work, and it will not be done.” But now, (AO)O God, strengthen my hands.
10 Now I entered the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah, son of Mehetabel, (AP)who was [z]confined at home, and he said, “Let us meet together in the house of God, within the temple, and let us close the doors of the temple, for they are coming to kill you, and they are coming to kill you at night.” 11 But I said, “(AQ)Should a man like me flee? And could one such as I go into the temple just to live? I will not go in.” 12 Then I recognized [aa]that surely God had not sent him, but he spoke his prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. 13 He was hired for this reason, (AR)that I might become afraid and act accordingly and sin, so that they could give me a bad name in order that they could reproach me. 14 (AS)Remember, O my God, Tobiah and Sanballat according to these works of theirs, and also Noadiah (AT)the prophetess and the rest of the prophets who were trying to make me afraid.
The Wall Is Finished
15 So (AU)the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth of the month Elul, in fifty-two days. 16 (AV)Now it happened that when all our enemies heard of it, and all the nations surrounding us saw it, [ab]their confidence fell. And (AW)they knew that it was from our God that this work had been accomplished. 17 Also in those days many letters went from the nobles of Judah to Tobiah, and Tobiah’s letters came to them. 18 For many in Judah were sworn by oath to him because he was the son-in-law of Shecaniah the son of Arah, and his son Jehohanan had taken the daughter of Meshullam the son of Berechiah as a wife. 19 Moreover, they were speaking about his good deeds in my presence and bringing my words to him. Then Tobiah sent letters to make me afraid.
Census of First Returned Exiles
7 Now it happened when (AX)the wall was rebuilt and I had made the doors to stand, and the gatekeepers and the singers and the Levites were appointed, 2 that I commanded (AY)Hanani my brother and (AZ)Hananiah the commander of (BA)the fortress, to be over Jerusalem, for he was (BB)a faithful man and feared God more than many. 3 Then I said to them, “The gates of Jerusalem must not be opened until the sun is hot; and until they are there standing guard, they must shut and bolt the doors. Also have guards from the inhabitants of Jerusalem stand, each at his post, and each in front of his own house.” 4 Now the city was large and spacious, but the people in it were few and the houses were not rebuilt.
5 (BC)Then my God put it into my heart, and I gathered the nobles, the officials, and the people to be recorded by genealogies. Then I found the book of the genealogy of those who came up first, and in it I found written:
6 (BD)These are the [ac]people of the province who came up out of the captivity of the exiles whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had taken away into exile, and who returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his city, 7 who came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, [ad]Azariah, [ae]Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, [af]Mispereth, Bigvai, [ag]Nehum, Baanah.
The number of men of the people of Israel:
8 the sons of Parosh, 2,172;
9 the sons of Shephatiah, 372;
10 the sons of Arah, 652;
11 the sons of Pahath-moab of the sons of Jeshua and Joab, 2,818;
12 the sons of Elam, 1,254;
13 the sons of Zattu, 845;
14 the sons of Zaccai, 760;
15 the sons of [ah]Binnui, 648;
16 the sons of Bebai, 628;
17 the sons of Azgad, 2,322;
18 the sons of Adonikam, 667;
19 the sons of Bigvai, 2,067;
20 the sons of Adin, 655;
21 the sons of Ater, of Hezekiah, 98;
22 the sons of Hashum, 328;
23 the sons of Bezai, 324;
24 the sons of [ai]Hariph, 112;
25 the sons of [aj]Gibeon, 95;
26 the men of Bethlehem and Netophah, 188;
27 the men of Anathoth, 128;
28 the men of [ak]Beth-azmaveth, 42;
29 the men of [al]Kiriath-jearim, Chephirah, and Beeroth, 743;
30 the men of Ramah and Geba, 621;
31 the men of Michmas, 122;
32 the men of Bethel and Ai, 123;
33 the men of the other Nebo, 52;
34 the sons of the other Elam, 1,254;
35 the sons of Harim, 320;
36 the [am]men of Jericho, 345;
37 the sons of Lod, Hadid and Ono, 721;
38 the sons of Senaah, 3,930.
39 The priests:
the sons of Jedaiah of the house of Jeshua, 973;
40 the sons of Immer, 1,052;
41 the sons of Pashhur, 1,247;
42 the sons of Harim, 1,017.
43 The Levites:
the sons of Jeshua, of Kadmiel, of the sons of [an]Hodevah, 74.
44 The singers:
the sons of Asaph, 148.
45 The gatekeepers:
the sons of Shallum, the sons of Ater, the sons of Talmon, the sons of Akkub, the sons of Hatita, the sons of Shobai, 138.
46 The temple servants:
the sons of Ziha, the sons of Hasupha, the sons of Tabbaoth,
47 the sons of Keros, the sons of [ao]Sia, the sons of Padon,
48 the sons of Lebana, the sons of Hagaba, the sons of Shalmai,
49 the sons of Hanan, the sons of Giddel, the sons of Gahar,
50 the sons of Reaiah, the sons of Rezin, the sons of Nekoda,
51 the sons of Gazzam, the sons of Uzza, the sons of Paseah,
52 the sons of Besai, the sons of Meunim, the sons of [ap]Nephushesim,
53 the sons of Bakbuk, the sons of Hakupha, the sons of Harhur,
54 the sons of [aq]Bazlith, the sons of Mehida, the sons of Harsha,
55 the sons of Barkos, the sons of Sisera, the sons of Temah,
56 the sons of Neziah, the sons of Hatipha.
57 The sons of Solomon’s servants:
the sons of Sotai, the sons of [ar]Sophereth, the sons of [as]Perida,
58 the sons of Jaala, the sons of Darkon, the sons of Giddel,
59 the sons of Shephatiah, the sons of Hattil, the sons of Pochereth-hazzebaim, the sons of [at]Amon.
60 All the temple servants and the sons of Solomon’s servants were 392.
61 Now these were those who came up from Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Cherub, [au]Addon, and Immer; but they were not able to declare their fathers’ houses or their fathers’ seed, whether they were of Israel:
62 the sons of Delaiah, the sons of Tobiah, the sons of Nekoda, 642.
63 Of the priests:
the sons of [av]Hobaiah, the sons of Hakkoz, the sons of Barzillai, who took a wife of the daughters of Barzillai, the Gileadite, and he was called by their name.
64 These searched in their genealogical records, but it could not be found; therefore they were considered unclean and excluded from the priesthood. 65 (BE)And the [aw]governor said to them that they should not eat from the most holy things until a priest stood with [ax](BF)Urim and Thummim.
The Assembly and Their Gifts
66 The whole assembly together was 42,360,
67 besides their male and their female slaves, [ay]of whom there were 7,337;
and they had 245 male and female singers.
68 [az](BG)Their horses were 736; their mules, 245;
69 their camels, 435; their donkeys, 6,720.
70 Some from among the heads of fathers’ households gave to the work. The [ba](BH)governor gave to the treasury 1,000 gold [bb]drachmas, 50 bowls, 530 priests’ tunics. 71 Some of the heads of fathers’ households gave into the treasury of the work 20,000 gold drachmas and 2,200 silver [bc]minas. 72 That which the rest of the people gave was 20,000 gold drachmas and 2,000 silver minas and 67 priests’ tunics.
73 So (BI)the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, some of the people, the temple servants, and all Israel lived in their cities.
(BJ)Then the seventh month came, and the sons of Israel were in their cities.
22 “Men of Israel, listen to these words: (A)Jesus the Nazarene, (B)a man [a]attested to you by God with [b]miracles and (C)wonders and [c]signs which God did through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know— 23 this Man, delivered over by the (D)predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, (E)you nailed to a cross by the hands of lawless men and put Him to death. 24 [d]But (F)God raised Him up again, putting an end to the [e]agony of death, since it (G)was impossible for Him to be held [f]in its power. 25 For David says of Him,
‘(H)I saw the [g]Lord continually before me;
Because He is at my right hand, so that I will not be shaken.
26 Therefore my heart was glad and my tongue exulted;
Moreover my flesh also will live in hope;
27 Because You will not forsake my soul to (I)Hades,
(J)Nor give Your [h]Holy One over to see corruption.
28 You have made known to me the ways of life;
You will make me full of gladness with Your presence.’
29 “Men, brothers, I may confidently say to you regarding the (K)patriarch David that he both (L)died and (M)was buried, and (N)his tomb is [i]with us to this day. 30 And so, because he was (O)a prophet and knew that (P)God had sworn to him with an oath to set one of the fruit [j]of his body on his throne, 31 he looked ahead and spoke of the resurrection of the [k]Christ, that (Q)He was neither forsaken to Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption. 32 This Jesus (R)God raised up again, to which we are all (S)witnesses. 33 Therefore having been exalted [l](T)to the right hand of God, and (U)having received from the Father (V)the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has (W)poured out this which you both see and hear. 34 For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says:
‘(X)The [m]Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at My right hand,
35 Until I put Your enemies as a footstool for Your feet.”’
36 Therefore let all the (Y)house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both (Z)Lord and [n]Christ—this Jesus (AA)whom you crucified.”
About Three Thousand Souls Saved
37 Now when they heard this, they were [o]pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men, brothers, (AB)what should we do?” 38 And Peter said to them, “(AC)Repent, and each of you be (AD)baptized in the name of Jesus Christ [p]for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For (AE)the promise is for you and your children and for all who are (AF)far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself.” 40 And with many other words he solemnly (AG)bore witness and kept on exhorting them, saying, “[q]Be saved from this (AH)crooked generation!” 41 So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand (AI)souls. 42 And they were (AJ)continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to (AK)the breaking of bread and (AL)to the prayers.
43 And fear came upon every soul; and many (AM)wonders and [r]signs were taking place through the apostles. 44 And all those who had believed [s]were together and (AN)had all things in common; 45 and they (AO)began selling their property and possessions and were (AP)dividing them up with all, as anyone might have need. 46 (AQ)And daily devoting themselves with one accord in the temple and (AR)breaking bread [t]from house to house, they were taking their [u]meals together with gladness and [v]sincerity of heart, 47 praising God and (AS)having favor with all the people. And the Lord (AT)was adding [w]to their number daily (AU)those who were being saved.
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