Old/New Testament

Those Against the Rebuilding

4 Sanballat heard we were rebuilding the wall. He was very angry, even furious. He made fun of the Jews. ² He said to his friends and the army of Samaria, “What are these weak Jews doing? They think they can rebuild the wall. They think they will offer sacrifices. Maybe they think they can finish rebuilding it in only one day. They can’t bring stones back to life. These are piles of trash and ashes.”

³ Tobiah the Ammonite was next to Sanballat. Tobiah said, “A fox could climb up on what they are building. Even it could break down their stone wall.”

⁴ I prayed, “Hear us, our God. We are hated. Turn the insults of Sanballat and Tobiah back on their own heads. Let them be captured and taken away like valuables that are stolen. ⁵ Do not hide their guilt. Do not take away their sins so you can’t see them. The builders have seen them make you angry.”

⁶ So we rebuilt the wall until all of it went halfway up. The people were willing to work hard.

⁷ But Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites and the men from Ashdod were very angry. They heard that the repairs to Jerusalem’s walls were continuing. And they heard that the holes in the wall were being closed. ⁸ So they all made plans against Jerusalem. They planned to come and fight and stir up trouble. ⁹ But we prayed to our God. And we appointed guards to watch for them day and night.

¹⁰ The people of Judah said, “The workers are getting tired. There is too much dirt and trash. We cannot rebuild the wall.”

¹¹ And our enemies said, “The Jews won’t know it or see us. But we will come among them and kill them. We will stop the work.”

¹² Then the Jews who lived near our enemies came. They told us ten times, “Everywhere you turn, the enemy will attack us.” ¹³ So I put some of the people behind the lowest places along the wall. And I put some at the open places. I put families together with their swords, spears and bows. ¹⁴ Then I looked around. I stood up and spoke to the important men, the leaders and the rest of the people. I said, “Don’t be afraid of them. Remember the Lord. He is great and others are afraid of him. And fight for your brothers, your sons and daughters, your wives and your homes.”

¹⁵ Then our enemies heard that we knew about their plans. God had ruined their plans. So we all went back to the wall. Each person went back to his own work.

¹⁶ From that day on, half my men worked on the wall. The other half was ready with spears, shields, bows and armor. The officers stood in back of the people of Judah ¹⁷ who were building the wall. Those who carried materials did their work with one hand. They carried a weapon in the other hand. ¹⁸ Each builder wore his sword at his side as he worked. The man who blew the trumpet to warn the people stayed next to me.

¹⁹ Then I spoke to the important men, the leaders and the rest of the people. I said, “This is a very big job. We are spreading out along the wall. We are far apart. ²⁰ So wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, assemble there. Our God will fight for us.”

²¹ So we continued to work. Half the men held spears. We worked from sunrise till the stars came out. ²² At that time I also said to the people, “Let every man and his helper stay inside Jerusalem at night. They can be our guards at night. And they can be workmen during the day.” ²³ Neither I, my brothers, my men nor the guards with me ever took off our clothes. Each person carried his weapon even when he went for water.

Nehemiah Helps Poor People

5 The men and their wives complained loudly against their fellow Jews. ² Some of them were saying, “We have many sons and daughters in our families. To eat and stay alive, we need grain.”

³ Others were saying, “We are borrowing money to get grain. There is not much food. We might not be able to pay back the money we’ve borrowed. Then we will have to pay with our fields, vineyards and homes.”

⁴ And still others were saying, “We are having to borrow money. We have to pay the king’s tax on our fields and vineyards. ⁵ We are just like our fellow Jews. Our sons are like their sons. But we have to sell our sons and daughters as slaves. Some of our daughters have already been sold. But there is nothing we can do. Our fields and vineyards already belong to other people.”

⁶ When I heard their complaints about these things, I was very angry. ⁷ I thought about it. Then I accused the important people and the leaders. I told them, “You are charging your own brothers too much interest.” So I called a large meeting to deal with them. ⁸ I said to them, “Our fellow Jews had been sold to non-Jewish nations. But, as much as possible, we have bought them back. Now you are making your fellow Jews sell themselves to us!” The leaders were quiet. They had nothing to say.

⁹ Then I said, “What you are doing is not right. You should live in fear of God. Don’t let our non-Jewish enemies shame us. ¹⁰ I, my brothers and my men are also lending money and grain to the people. But stop charging them too much for this! ¹¹ Give back their fields, vineyards, olive trees and houses right now. Also give them back the extra amount you charged them. That is the hundredth part of the money, grain, new wine and oil.”

¹² They said, “We will give it back. And we will not demand anything more from them. We will do as you say.”

Then I called for the priests. And I made the important men and leaders promise to do what they had said. ¹³ Also I shook out the folds of my robe. I said, “In this way may God shake out every man who does not keep his promise. May God shake him out of his house. And may he shake him out of the things that are his. Let that man be shaken out and emptied!”

Then the whole group said, “Amen.” And they praised the Lord. So the people did what they had promised.

¹⁴ I was appointed governor in the land of Judah. This was in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes’ rule. I was governor till his thirty-second year. So I was governor of Judah for 12 years. During that time neither my brothers nor I ate the food that was allowed for the governor. ¹⁵ But the governors before me placed a heavy load on the people. They took about one pound of silver from each person. And they took food and wine. The governors’ helpers before me also controlled the people. But I did not do that because I feared God. ¹⁶ I worked on the wall. So did all my men who were gathered there. We did not buy any fields.

¹⁷ Also, I fed 150 Jews and officers at my table. And I fed those who came from the nations around us. ¹⁸ This is what was prepared every day for me and those who ate with me: one ox, six good sheep, and birds. And every ten days there were all kinds of wine. But I never demanded the food that was allowed for the governor. This was because the people were already working very hard.

¹⁹ Remember, my God, to be kind to me. Remember all the good I have done for these people.

More Problems for Nehemiah

6 Then Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab and our other enemies heard that I had rebuilt the wall. There was not one gap in it. But I had not yet set the doors in the gates. ² So Sanballat and Geshem sent me this message: “Come, Nehemiah, let’s meet together in Kephirim on the plain of Ono.”

But they were planning to harm me. ³ So I sent messengers to them with this answer: “I am doing a great work. I can’t come down. I don’t want the work to stop while I leave to meet you.” ⁴ Sanballat and Geshem sent the same message to me four times. And I sent back the same answer each time.

⁵ The fifth time Sanballat sent his helper to me with the message. And in his hand was an unsealed letter. ⁶ This is what was written:

⁸ So I sent him back this answer: “Nothing you are saying is really happening. You are just making it up in your own mind.”

⁹ Our enemies were trying to scare us. They were thinking, “They will get too weak to work. Then the wall will not be finished.”

But I prayed, “God, make me strong.”

¹⁰ One day I went to the house of Shemaiah son of Delaiah. Delaiah was the son of Mehetabel. Shemaiah had to stay at home. He said, “Nehemiah, let’s meet in the Temple of God. Let’s go inside the Temple and close the doors. Men are coming at night to kill you.”

¹¹ But I said, “Should a man like me run away? Should I run into the Temple to save my life? I will not go.” ¹² I knew that God had not sent him. Tobiah and Sanballat had paid him to prophesy against me. ¹³ They paid him to frighten me so I would do this and sin. Then they could give me a bad name to shame me.

¹⁴ I prayed, “Remember Tobiah and Sanballat, my God. Remember what they have done. Also remember the prophetess Noadiah and the other prophets who have been trying to frighten me.”

The Wall Is Finished

¹⁵ So the wall of Jerusalem was completed. It was on the twenty-fifth day of the month of Elul. It took 52 days to rebuild. ¹⁶ Then all our enemies heard about it. And all the nations around us saw it. So they were shamed. They understood that the work had been done with the help of our God.

¹⁷ Also in those days the important men of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah. And Tobiah answered them. ¹⁸ Many Jews had promised to be faithful to Tobiah. This was because Tobiah was the son-in-law of Shecaniah son of Arah. And Tobiah’s son Jehohanan had married the daughter of Meshullam son of Berekiah. ¹⁹ Those important men kept telling me about the good things Tobiah was doing. Then they would tell Tobiah what I said about him. So Tobiah sent letters to frighten me.

7 After the wall had been rebuilt, I had set the doors in place. Then the gatekeepers, singers and Levites were chosen. ² I put my brother Hanani, along with Hananiah, in charge of Jerusalem. Hananiah was commander of the palace. He was honest, and he feared God more than most men. ³ I said to them, “The gates of Jerusalem should not be opened until the sun is hot. While the gatekeepers are still on duty, have them shut and bolt the doors. Appoint people who live in Jerusalem as guards. Put some at guard posts and some near their own houses.”

The Captives Who Returned

⁴ The city was large and full of room. But there were few people in it. And the houses had not yet been rebuilt. ⁵ So my God caused me to gather the people. I gathered the important men, the leaders and the common people. This was so I could register them by families. I found the family history of those who had returned first. This is what I found written there:

⁶ These are the people of the area who returned from captivity. Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had taken them captive. Now they returned to Jerusalem and Judah. Each one went back to his own town. ⁷ These people returned with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum and Baanah.

These are the men from Israel: ⁸ the descendants of Parosh—2,172; ⁹ the descendants of Shephatiah—372; ¹⁰ the descendants of Arah—652; ¹¹ the descendants of Pahath-Moab (through the family of Jeshua and Joab)—2,818; ¹² the descendants of Elam—1,254; ¹³ the descendants of Zattu—845; ¹⁴ the descendants of Zaccai—760; ¹⁵ the descendants of Binnui—648; ¹⁶ the descendants of Bebai—628; ¹⁷ the descendants of Azgad—2,322; ¹⁸ the descendants of Adonikam—667; ¹⁹ the descendants of Bigvai—2,067; ²⁰ the descendants of Adin—655; ²¹ the descendants of Ater (through Hezekiah)—98; ²² the descendants of Hashum—328; ²³ the descendants of Bezai—324; ²⁴ the descendants of Hariph—112; ²⁵ the descendants of Gibeon—95.

²⁶ These are the men from the towns of Bethlehem and Netophah—188; ²⁷ the men from Anathoth—128; ²⁸ the men from Beth Azmaveth—42; ²⁹ the men from Kiriath Jearim, Kephirah and Beeroth—743; ³⁰ the men from Ramah and Geba—621; ³¹ the men from Micmash—122; ³² the men from Bethel and Ai—123; ³³ the men from the other Nebo—52; ³⁴ the men from the other Elam—1,254; ³⁵ the men from Harim—320; ³⁶ the men from Jericho—345; ³⁷ the men from Lod, Hadid and Ono—721; ³⁸ the men from Senaah—3,930.

³⁹ These are the priests: the descendants of Jedaiah (through the family of Jeshua)—973; ⁴⁰ the descendants of Immer—1,052; ⁴¹ the descendants of Pashhur—1,247; ⁴² the descendants of Harim—1,017.

⁴³ These are the Levites: the descendants of Jeshua (through Kadmiel through the family of Hodaviah)—74.

⁴⁴ These are the singers: the descendants of Asaph—148.

⁴⁵ These are the gatekeepers: the descendants of Shallum, Ater, Talmon, Akkub, Hatita and Shobai—138.

⁴⁶ These are the Temple servants: the descendants of Ziha, Hasupha, Tabbaoth, ⁴⁷ Keros, Sia, Padon, ⁴⁸ Lebana, Hagaba, Shalmai, ⁴⁹ Hanan, Giddel, Gahar, ⁵⁰ Reaiah, Rezin, Nekoda, ⁵¹ Gazzam, Uzza, Paseah, ⁵² Besai, Meunim, Nephusim, ⁵³ Bakbuk, Hakupha, Harhur, ⁵⁴ Bazluth, Mehida, Harsha, ⁵⁵ Barkos, Sisera, Temah, ⁵⁶ Neziah and Hatipha.

⁵⁷ These are the descendants of the servants of Solomon: the descendants of Sotai, Sophereth, Perida, ⁵⁸ Jaala, Darkon, Giddel, ⁵⁹ Shephatiah, Hattil, Pokereth-Hazzebaim and Amon.

⁶⁰ The Temple servants and the descendants of the servants of Solomon totaled 392 people.

⁶¹ Some people came to Jerusalem from these towns: Tel Melah, Tel Harsha, Kerub, Addon and Immer. But they could not prove that their families came from the family of Israel. Here are their names and their number: ⁶² the descendants of Delaiah, Tobiah and Nekoda—642.

⁶³ And these priests could not prove that their families came from Israel: the descendants of Hobaiah, Hakkoz and Barzillai. (He had married a daughter of Barzillai from Gilead and was called by her family name.)

⁶⁴ These people searched for their family records. But they could not find them. So they could not be priests because they were thought to be unclean. ⁶⁵ So the governor ordered them not to eat any of the food offered to God. First a priest had to settle this matter by using the Urim and Thummim.

⁶⁶ The total number of those who returned was 42,360. ⁶⁷ This is not counting their 7,337 male and female servants. They also had 245 men and women singers with them. ⁶⁸ They had 736 horses, 245 mules, ⁶⁹ 435 camels and 6,720 donkeys.

⁷⁰ Some of the family leaders gave to the work. The governor gave to the treasury about 19 pounds of gold. He also gave 50 bowls and 530 pieces of clothing for the priests. ⁷¹ Some of the family leaders gave about 375 pounds of gold to the treasury for the work. They also gave about 2,660 pounds of silver. ⁷² This is the total of what the other people gave: about 375 pounds of gold, about 2,250 pounds of silver and 67 pieces of clothing for the priests. ⁷³ So these people all settled in their own towns: the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, the Temple servants and all the other people of Israel.

Ezra Reads the Teachings

By the seventh month the Israelites were settled in their own towns.

²² “Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus from Nazareth was a very special man. God clearly showed this to you by the miracles, wonders, and signs God did through him. You all know this, because it happened right here among you. ²³ Jesus was given to you, and you killed him. With the help of evil men you nailed him to a cross. But God knew all this would happen. This was God’s plan which he had made long ago. ²⁴ God raised Jesus from death. God set him free from the pain of death. Death could not hold him. ²⁵ For David said this about him:

²⁹ “Brothers, I can tell you truly about David, our ancestor. He died and was buried. His grave is still here with us today. ³⁰ David was a prophet and knew what God had said. God had promised David that he would make a person from David’s family a king just as he was.^{[a] 31} David knew this before it happened. That is why he said:

David was talking about the Christ rising from death. ³² So Jesus is the One who God raised from death! And we are all witnesses to this. ³³ Jesus was lifted up to heaven and is now at God’s right side. The Father has given the Holy Spirit to Jesus as he promised. So now Jesus has poured out that Spirit. This is what you see and hear. ³⁴ David was not the one who was lifted up to heaven. But he said:

³⁶ “So, all the people of Israel should know this truly: God has made Jesus both Lord and Christ. He is the man you nailed to the cross!”

³⁷ When the people heard this, they were sick at heart. They asked Peter and the other apostles, “What shall we do?”

³⁸ Peter said to them, “Change your hearts and lives and be baptized, each 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. ³⁹ This promise is for you. It is also for your children and for all who are far away. It is for everyone the Lord our God calls to himself.”

⁴⁰ Peter warned them with many other words. He begged them, “Save yourselves from the evil of today’s people!” ⁴¹ Then those people who accepted what Peter said were baptized. About 3,000 people were added to the number of believers that day. ⁴² They spent their time learning the apostles’ teaching. And they continued to share, to break bread,^[c] and to pray together.

The Believers Share

⁴³ The apostles were doing many miracles and signs. And everyone felt great respect for God. ⁴⁴ All the believers stayed together. They shared everything. ⁴⁵ They sold their land and the things they owned. Then they divided the money and gave it to those people who needed it. ⁴⁶ The believers met together in the Temple every day. They all had the same purpose. They broke bread in their homes, happy to share their food with joyful hearts. ⁴⁷ They praised God, and all the people liked them. More and more people were being saved every day; the Lord was adding those people to the group of believers.