Old/New Testament

Chapter 4

¹ When Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites heard that the restoration of the walls of Jerusalem was progressing—for the gaps were beginning to be closed up—they became extremely angry. ² They all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and to throw us into confusion. ³ We prayed to our God and posted a watch against them day and night for fear of what they might do. ⁴ Meanwhile the Judahites were saying:

⁵ Our enemies thought, “Before they are aware of it or see us, we will come into their midst, kill them, and put an end to the work.”

⁶ When the Jews who lived near them had come to us from one place after another, and had told us ten times over that they were about to attack us, ⁷ I stationed guards down below, behind the wall, near the exposed points, assigning them by family groups with their swords, spears, and bows. ⁸ I made an inspection, then addressed these words to the nobles, the magistrates, and the rest of the people: “Do not fear them! Keep in mind the Lord, who is great and to be feared, and fight for your kindred, your sons and daughters, your wives and your homes.” ⁹ When our enemies realized that we had been warned and that God had upset their plan, we all went back, each to our own task at the wall.

^10 (A)From that time on, however, only half my work force took a hand in the work, while the other half, armed with spears, bucklers, bows, and breastplates, stood guard behind the whole house of Judah ¹¹ as they rebuilt the wall. The load carriers, too, were armed; each worked with one hand and held a weapon with the other. ¹² Every builder, while working, had a sword tied at his side. A trumpeter stood beside me, ¹³ for I had said to the nobles, the magistrates, and the rest of the people: “Our work is scattered and extensive, and we are widely separated from one another along the wall; ¹⁴ wherever you hear the trumpet sound, join us there; our God will fight with us.” ¹⁵ Thus we went on with the work, half with spears in hand, from daybreak till the stars came out.

¹⁶ At the same time I told the people to spend the nights inside Jerusalem, each with an attendant, so that they might serve as a guard by night and a working force by day. ¹⁷ Neither I, nor my kindred, nor any of my attendants, nor any of the bodyguard that accompanied me took off our clothes; everyone kept a weapon at hand.

Chapter 5

Social and Economic Problems. ^1 (B)Then there rose a great outcry of the people and their wives against certain of their Jewish kindred.^{[a] 2} Some said: “We are forced to pawn our sons and daughters in order to get grain to eat that we may live.” ³ Others said: “We are forced to pawn our fields, our vineyards, and our houses, that we may have grain during the famine.” ⁴ Still others said: “To pay the king’s tax we have borrowed money on our fields and vineyards. ^5 (C)And though these are our own kindred, and our children are as good as theirs, we have had to reduce our sons and daughters to slavery, and violence has been done to some of our daughters! Yet we can do nothing about it, for our fields and vineyards belong to others.”

⁶ I was extremely angry when I heard the reasons for their complaint. ^7 (D)After some deliberation, I called the nobles and magistrates to account, saying to them, “You are exacting interest from your own kindred!”^[b] I then rebuked them severely, ^8 (E)saying to them: “As far as we were able, we bought back our Jewish kindred who had been sold to Gentiles; you, however, are selling your own kindred, to have them bought back by us.” They remained silent, for they could find no answer. ⁹ I continued: “What you are doing is not good. Should you not conduct yourselves out of fear of our God rather than fear of the reproach of our Gentile enemies? ¹⁰ I myself, my kindred, and my attendants have lent the people money and grain without charge. Let us put an end to this usury! ¹¹ Return to them this very day their fields, vineyards, olive groves, and houses, together with the interest on the money, the grain, the wine, and the oil that you have lent them.” ¹² They answered: “We will return everything and exact nothing further from them. We will do just what you ask.” Then I called for the priests to administer an oath to them that they would do as they had promised. ¹³ I shook out the folds of my garment, saying, “Thus may God shake from home and fortune every man who fails to keep this promise, and may he thus be shaken out and emptied!” And the whole assembly answered, “Amen,” and praised the Lord. Then the people did as they had promised.

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,^[c] 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^[d] 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 (F)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;^[e] the work had taken fifty-two days. ^16 (G)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 [f](H)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^[g] 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.

²² You who are Israelites, hear these words. Jesus the Nazorean was a man commended to you by God with mighty deeds, wonders, and signs, which God worked through him in your midst, as you yourselves know.^{(A) 23} This man, delivered up by the set plan and foreknowledge of God, you killed, using lawless men to crucify him.^{(B) 24} But God raised him up, releasing him from the throes of death, because it was impossible for him to be held by it.^{(C) 25} For David says of him:

²⁹ My brothers, one can confidently say to you about the patriarch David that he died and was buried, and his tomb is in our midst to this day. ³⁰ But since he was a prophet and knew that God had sworn an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants upon his throne,^{(F) 31} he foresaw and spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, that neither was he abandoned to the netherworld nor did his flesh see corruption.^{(G) 32} God raised this Jesus; of this we are all witnesses. ³³ Exalted at the right hand of God,^[a] he received the promise of the holy Spirit from the Father and poured it forth, as you [both] see and hear.^{(H) 34} For David did not go up into heaven, but he himself said:

³⁶ Therefore let the whole house of Israel know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Messiah, this Jesus whom you crucified.”^(J)

³⁷ Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and they asked Peter and the other apostles, “What are we to do, my brothers?”^{(K) 38} Peter [said] to them, “Repent and be baptized,^[b] every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the holy Spirit.^{(L) 39} For the promise is made to you and to your children and to all those far off, whomever the Lord our God will call.”^{(M) 40} He testified with many other arguments, and was exhorting them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.”^{(N) 41} Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand persons were added that day.^(O)

Communal Life.^{[c] 42 (P)}They devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles and to the communal life, to the breaking of the bread and to the prayers.^{(Q) 43} Awe came upon everyone, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles.^{(R) 44} All who believed were together and had all things in common;^{(S) 45} they would sell their property and possessions and divide them among all according to each one’s need. ⁴⁶ Every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple area and to breaking bread in their homes. They ate their meals with exultation and sincerity of heart, ⁴⁷ praising God and enjoying favor with all the people. And every day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.