Nehemiah 2-7
New American Standard Bible
Chapter 2
1And it came about in the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, that wine was before him, and I picked up the wine and gave it to the king. Now I had not been sad in his presence. 2So the king said to me, 'Why is your face sad, though you are not ill? This is nothing but sadness of heart.' Then I was very much afraid. 3And I said to the king, 'May the king live forever. Why should my face not be sad when the city, the site of my fathers’ tombs, is desolate and its gates have been consumed by fire?' 4Then the king said to me, 'What would you request?' So I prayed to the God of heaven. 5Then I said to the king, 'If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor before you, I request that you send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers’ tombs, that I may rebuild it.' 6Then the king said to me, with the queen sitting beside him, 'How long will your journey be, and when will you return?' So it pleased the king to send me, and I gave him a definite time. 7And I said to the king, 'If it pleases the king, let letters be given me for the governors of the provinces beyond the River, so that they will allow me to pass through until I come to Judah, 8and a letter to Asaph the keeper of the king’s forest, so that he will give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel which is by the temple, for the wall of the city, and for the house to which I will go.' And the king granted them to me because the good hand of my God was on me.
9Then I came to the governors of the provinces beyond the Euphrates River and gave them the king’s letters. Now the king had sent with me officers of the army and horsemen.
10And when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard about it, it was very displeasing to them that someone had come to seek the welfare of the sons of Israel.
11So I came to Jerusalem and was there for three days.
12And I got up in the night, I and a few men with me. I did not tell anyone what my God was putting into my mind to do for Jerusalem, and there was no animal with me except the animal on which I was riding.
13So I went out at night by the Valley Gate in the direction of the Dragon’s Spring and on to the Dung Gate, and I was inspecting the walls of Jerusalem which were broken down and its gates which had been consumed by fire.
14Then I passed on to the Fountain Gate and the King’s Pool, but there was no place for my mount to pass.
15So I was going up at night by the ravine and inspecting the wall. Then I entered the Valley Gate again and returned.
16However, the officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing; nor had I as yet told the Jews, the priests, the nobles, the officials, or the rest who were doing the work.
17Then I said to them, 'You see the bad situation we are in, that Jerusalem is desolate and its gates have been burned by fire. Come, let’s rebuild the wall of Jerusalem so that we will no longer be a disgrace.'
18And I told them how the hand of my God had been favorable to me and also about the king’s words which he had spoken to me. Then they said, 'Let’s arise and build.' So they put their hands to the good work.
19But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab heard about it, they mocked us and despised us, and said, 'What is this thing that you are doing? Are you rebelling against the king?'
20So I answered them and said to them, 'The God of heaven will make us successful; therefore we His servants will arise and build, but you have no part, right, or memorial in Jerusalem.'
Chapter 3
1Then Eliashib the high priest arose with his brothers the priests and built the Sheep Gate; they consecrated it and installed its doors. They consecrated the wall to the Tower of the Hundred and the Tower of Hananel. 2And next to him the men of Jericho built, and next to them Zaccur the son of Imri built.
3Now the sons of Hassenaah built the Fish Gate; they laid its beams and installed its doors with its bolts and bars.
4Next to them Meremoth the son of Uriah the son of Hakkoz made repairs. And next to him Meshullam the son of Berechiah the son of Meshezabel made repairs. And next to him Zadok the son of Baana also made repairs.
5Moreover, next to him the Tekoites made repairs, but their nobles did not support the work of their masters.
6Now Joiada the son of Paseah and Meshullam the son of Besodeiah repaired the Ancient Gate; they laid its beams and installed its doors with its bolts and its bars.
7Next to them Melatiah the Gibeonite and Jadon the Meronothite, the men of Gibeon and of Mizpah, also made repairs for the official seat of the governor of the province beyond the Euphrates River.
8Next to him Uzziel the son of Harhaiah of the goldsmiths made repairs. And next to him Hananiah, one of the perfumers, made repairs, and they restored Jerusalem as far as the Broad Wall.
9And next to them Rephaiah the son of Hur, the official of half the district of Jerusalem, made repairs.
10Next to them Jedaiah the son of Harumaph made repairs opposite his house. And next to him Hattush the son of Hashabneiah made repairs.
11Malchijah the son of Harim and Hasshub the son of Pahath-moab repaired another section and the Tower of Furnaces.
12Next to him Shallum the son of Hallohesh, the official of half the district of Jerusalem, made repairs, he and his daughters.
15Shallum the son of Col-hozeh, the official of the district of Mizpah, repaired the Fountain Gate. He built it, made a roof for it, and installed its doors with its bolts and its bars, and the wall of the Pool of Shelah at the king’s garden as far as the steps that descend from the city of David.
16After him Nehemiah the son of Azbuk, official of half the district of Beth-zur, made repairs as far as a point opposite the tombs of David, and as far as the artificial pool and the house of the mighty men.
17After him the Levites carried out repairs under Rehum the son of Bani. Next to him Hashabiah, the official of half the district of Keilah, carried out repairs for his district.
18After him their brothers carried out repairs under Bavvai the son of Henadad, official of the other half of the district of Keilah.
19And next to him Ezer the son of Jeshua, the official of Mizpah, repaired another section in front of the ascent of the armory at the Angle.
20After him Baruch the son of Zabbai zealously repaired another section, from the Angle to the doorway of the house of Eliashib the high priest.
21After him Meremoth the son of Uriah the son of Hakkoz repaired another section, from the doorway of Eliashib’s house even as far as the end of his house.
22And after him the priests, the men of the vicinity, carried out repairs.
23After them Benjamin and Hasshub carried out repairs in front of their house. After them Azariah the son of Maaseiah, son of Ananiah, carried out repairs beside his house.
24After him Binnui the son of Henadad repaired another section, from the house of Azariah as far as the Angle and as far as the corner.
25Palal the son of Uzai made repairs in front of the Angle and the tower projecting from the upper house of the king, which is by the courtyard of the guard. After him Pedaiah the son of Parosh made repairs.
26Now the temple servants living in Ophel made repairs as far as the front of the Water Gate toward the east and the projecting tower.
27After them the Tekoites repaired another section in front of the great projecting tower and as far as the wall of Ophel.
28Above the Horse Gate the priests carried out repairs, each in front of his house.
29After them Zadok the son of Immer carried out repairs in front of his house. And after him Shemaiah the son of Shecaniah, the keeper of the East Gate, carried out repairs.
30After him Hananiah the son of Shelemiah, and Hanun the sixth son of Zalaph, repaired another section. After him Meshullam the son of Berechiah carried out repairs in front of his own quarters.
31After him Malchijah, one of the goldsmiths, carried out repairs as far as the house of the temple servants and of the merchants, in front of the Inspection Gate and as far as the upper room of the corner.
32And between the upper room of the corner and the Sheep Gate the goldsmiths and the merchants carried out repairs.
Chapter 4
1Now it came about that when Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became furious and very angry, and he mocked the Jews. 2And he spoke in the presence of his brothers and the wealthy people of Samaria and said, 'What are these feeble Jews doing? Are they going to restore the temple for themselves? Can they offer sacrifices? Can they finish it in a day? Can they revive the stones from the heaps of rubble, even the burned ones?' 3Now Tobiah the Ammonite was near him, and he said, 'Even what they are building—if a fox were to jump on it, it would break their stone wall down!'
4Hear, O our God, how we are an object of contempt! Return their taunting on their own heads, and turn them into plunder in a land of captivity.
5Do not forgive their guilt and do not let their sin be wiped out before You, for they have demoralized the builders.
7Now when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites heard that the repair of the walls of Jerusalem went on, and that the breaches began to be closed, they were very angry.
8So all of them conspired together to come to fight against Jerusalem and to cause confusion in it.
10And so in Judah it was said: 'The strength of the burden bearers is failing, Yet there is much rubble; And we ourselves are unable To rebuild the wall.'
11And our enemies said, 'They will not know or see until we come among them, kill them, and put a stop to the work.'
12When the Jews who lived near them came and told us ten times, 'They will come up against us from every place where you may turn,'
13then I stationed men in the lowest parts of the space behind the wall, the exposed places, and I stationed the people in families with their swords, spears, and bows.
14When I saw their fear, I stood and said to the nobles, the officials, and the rest of the people: 'Do not be afraid of them; remember the Lord who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses.'
15Now when our enemies heard that it was known to us, and that God had frustrated their plan, then all of us returned to the wall, each one to his work.
16And from that day on, half of my servants carried on the work while half of them kept hold of the spears, the shields, the bows, and the coats of mail; and the captains were behind all the house of Judah.
17Those who were rebuilding the wall and those who carried burdens carried with one hand doing the work, and the other keeping hold of a weapon.
18As for the builders, each wore his sword strapped to his waist as he built, while the trumpeter stood near me.
19And 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.
20At whatever place you hear the sound of the trumpet, assemble to us there. Our God will fight for us.'
21So we carried on the work with half of them holding spears from dawn until the stars appeared.
22At that time I also said to the people, 'Each man with his servant shall spend the night within Jerusalem, so that they may be a guard for us by night and a laborer by day.'
23So neither I, my brothers, my servants, nor the men of the guard who followed me—none of us removed our clothes; each took his weapon even to the water.
Chapter 5
1Now there was a great outcry of the people and of their wives against their Jewish brothers. 2For there were those who said, 'We, our sons, and our daughters are many; therefore let’s get grain so that we may eat and live.' 3And there were others who said, 'We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards, and our houses so that we might get grain because of the famine.' 4There also were those who said, 'We have borrowed money for the king’s tax on our fields and our vineyards. 5And now our flesh is like the flesh of our brothers, our children like their children. Yet behold, we are forcing our sons and our daughters to be slaves, and some of our daughters are forced into bondage already, and we are helpless because our fields and vineyards belong to others.'
6Then I was very angry when I heard their outcry and these words.
7So I thought it over and contended with the nobles and the leading people, and said to them, 'You are lending at interest, each to his brother!' Therefore, I held a great assembly against them.
8And I said to them, 'We, according to our ability, have redeemed our Jewish brothers who were sold to the nations; now would you even sell your brothers that they may be sold to us?' Then they were silent and could not find a word to say.
9So I said, 'The thing which you are doing is not good; should you not walk in the fear of our God because of the taunting of the nations, our enemies?
10And likewise I, my brothers, and my servants are lending them money and grain. Please, let’s do without this interest.
11Please, give back to them this very day their fields, their vineyards, their olive groves, and their houses, as well as the hundredth part of the money and of the grain, the new wine, and the oil that you are charging as interest from them.'
12Then they said, 'We will give it back and will require nothing from them; we will do exactly as you say.' So I called the priests and made them take an oath to act in accordance with this promise.
13I also shook out the front of my garment and said, 'So may God shake out every person from his house and from his possessions who does not keep this promise; just so may he be shaken out and emptied.' And all the assembly said, 'Amen!' And they praised the Lord. Then the people acted in accordance with this promise.
14Furthermore, since the day that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year to the thirty-second year of King Artaxerxes, for twelve years, neither I nor my kinsmen have eaten the governor’s food allowance.
15But the previous governors who were before me laid burdens on the people and took from them bread and wine besides forty shekels of silver; even their servants domineered the people. But I did not do so because of my fear of God.
16I also applied myself to the work on this wall; we did not buy any land, and all my servants were gathered there for the work.
17Moreover, there were at my table 150 Jews and officials, besides those who came to us from the nations that were around us.
18Now that which was prepared for each day was one ox and six choice sheep; also birds were prepared for me, and every ten days all sorts of wine were provided in abundance. Yet for all this I did not request the governor’s food allowance, because the forced labor was heavy on this people.
19Remember me, my God, for good, in return for all that I have done for this people.
Chapter 6
1Now when it was reported to Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab, and to the rest of our enemies that I had rebuilt the wall, and that no breach was left in it, although at that time I had not installed the doors in the gates, 2Sanballat and Geshem sent a message to me, saying, 'Come, let’s meet together at Chephirim in the plain of Ono.' But they were plotting to harm me. 3So I sent messengers to them, saying, 'I am doing a great work and am unable to come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and come down to you?' 4Then they sent messages to me four times worded in this way, and I answered them with the same wording. 5Then Sanballat sent his servant to me in the same way a fifth time with an open letter in his hand. 6In it was written: 'It is reported among the nations, and Gashmu says, that you and the Jews intend to rebel; for that reason you are rebuilding the wall. And you are to be their king, according to these reports. 7You have also appointed prophets to proclaim in Jerusalem concerning you, ‘A king is in Judah!’ And now it will be reported to the king according to these reports. So come now, let’s consult together.' 8Then I sent a message to him saying, 'Nothing like these things that you are saying has been done, but you are inventing them in your own mind.' 9For all of them were trying to frighten us, thinking, 'They will become discouraged with the work and it will not be done.' But now, God, strengthen my hands.
10When I entered the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah, son of Mehetabel, who was confined at home, he said, 'Let’s meet together in the house of God, within the temple, and let’s close the doors of the temple, for they are coming to kill you, and they are coming to kill you at night.'
11But I said, 'Should a man like me flee? And who is there like me who would go into the temple to save his own life? I will not go in.'
12Then I realized that God certainly had not sent him, but he uttered his prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.
13He was hired for this reason, that I would become frightened and act accordingly and sin, so that they might have an evil report in order that they could taunt me.
14Remember, my God, Tobiah and Sanballat in accordance with these works of theirs, and also Noadiah the prophetess and the rest of the prophets, who were trying to frighten me.
15So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of the month Elul, in fifty-two days.
16When all our enemies heard about it, and all the nations surrounding us saw it, they lost their confidence; for they realized that this work had been accomplished with the help of our God.
17Also in those days many letters went from the nobles of Judah to Tobiah, and Tobiah’s letters came to them.
18For many in Judah were bound by oath to him because he was the son-in-law of Shecaniah the son of Arah, and his son Jehohanan had married the daughter of Meshullam the son of Berechiah.
19Moreover, they were speaking about his good deeds in my presence, and were reporting my words to him. Then Tobiah sent letters to frighten me.
Chapter 7
1Now when the wall was rebuilt and I had installed the doors, and the gatekeepers, the singers, and the Levites were appointed, 2then I put Hanani my brother, and Hananiah the commander of the citadel, in charge of Jerusalem, for he was a faithful man and feared God more than many. 3Then I said to them, 'The gates of Jerusalem are not to be opened until the sun is hot, and while they are standing guard, the gatekeepers are to keep the doors shut and bolted. Also appoint guards from the inhabitants of Jerusalem, each at his post, and each in front of his own house.' 4Now the city was large and spacious, but the people in it were few and the houses were not built.
7who came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, and Baanah. The number of men of the people of Israel:
8the sons of Parosh, 2,172;
9the sons of Shephatiah, 372;
10the sons of Arah, 652;
11the sons of Pahath-moab of the sons of Jeshua and Joab, 2,818;
12the sons of Elam, 1,254;
13the sons of Zattu, 845;
14the sons of Zaccai, 760;
15the sons of Binnui, 648;
16the sons of Bebai, 628;
17the sons of Azgad, 2,322;
18the sons of Adonikam, 667;
19the sons of Bigvai, 2,067;
20the sons of Adin, 655;
21the sons of Ater, of Hezekiah, 98;
22the sons of Hashum, 328;
23the sons of Bezai, 324;
24the sons of Hariph, 112;
25the sons of Gibeon, 95;
26the men of Bethlehem and Netophah, 188;
27the men of Anathoth, 128;
28the men of Beth-azmaveth, 42;
29the men of Kiriath-jearim, Chephirah, and Beeroth, 743;
30the men of Ramah and Geba, 621;
31the men of Michmas, 122;
32the men of Bethel and Ai, 123;
33the men of the other Nebo, 52;
34the sons of the other Elam, 1,254;
35the sons of Harim, 320;
36the men of Jericho, 345;
37the sons of Lod, Hadid, and Ono, 721;
38the sons of Senaah, 3,930.
39The priests: the sons of Jedaiah of the house of Jeshua, 973;
40the sons of Immer, 1,052;
41the sons of Pashhur, 1,247;
42the sons of Harim, 1,017.
43The Levites: the sons of Jeshua, of Kadmiel, of the sons of Hodevah, 74.
44The singers: the sons of Asaph, 148.
45The 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.
46The temple servants: the sons of Ziha, the sons of Hasupha, the sons of Tabbaoth,
47the sons of Keros, the sons of Sia, the sons of Padon,
48the sons of Lebana, the sons of Hagaba, the sons of Shalmai,
49the sons of Hanan, the sons of Giddel, the sons of Gahar,
50the sons of Reaiah, the sons of Rezin, the sons of Nekoda,
51the sons of Gazzam, the sons of Uzza, the sons of Paseah,
52the sons of Besai, the sons of Meunim, the sons of Nephushesim,
53the sons of Bakbuk, the sons of Hakupha, the sons of Harhur,
54the sons of Bazlith, the sons of Mehida, the sons of Harsha,
55the sons of Barkos, the sons of Sisera, the sons of Temah,
56the sons of Neziah, the sons of Hatipha.
57The sons of Solomon’s servants: the sons of Sotai, the sons of Sophereth, the sons of Perida,
58the sons of Jaala, the sons of Darkon, the sons of Giddel,
59the sons of Shephatiah, the sons of Hattil, the sons of Pochereth-hazzebaim, and the sons of Amon.
61These were the ones who came up from Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Cherub, Addon, and Immer; but they could not provide evidence for their fathers’ households or their descendants, whether they were of Israel:
62the sons of Delaiah, the sons of Tobiah, the sons of Nekoda, 642.
63And of the priests: the sons of Hobaiah, the sons of Hakkoz, the sons of Barzillai, who took a wife of the daughters of Barzillai, the Gileadite, and was named after them.
64These searched among their ancestral registration, but it could not be located; therefore they were considered unclean and disqualified from the priesthood.
65And the governor said to them that they were not to eat from the most holy things until a priest arose with Urim and Thummim.
66The whole assembly together totaled 42,360,
67besides their male slaves and their female slaves, of whom there were 7,337; and they had 245 male and female singers.
68Their horses were 736; their mules, 245;
69their camels, 435; their donkeys, 6,720.
70Some of the heads of fathers’ households gave to the work. The governor gave to the treasury a thousand gold drachmas, fifty basins, and 530 priests’ garments.
71And some of the heads of fathers’ households gave to the treasury for the work twenty thousand gold drachmas and 2,200 silver minas.
72What the rest of the people gave was twenty thousand gold drachmas, two thousand silver minas, and sixty-seven priests’ garments.
King James Version
Chapter 2
1And it came to pass in the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king, that wine was before him: and I took up the wine, and gave it unto the king. Now I had not been beforetime sad in his presence. 2Wherefore the king said unto me, Why is thy countenance sad, seeing thou art not sick? this is nothing else but sorrow of heart. Then I was very sore afraid,
3And said unto the king, Let the king live for ever: why should not my countenance be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers' sepulchres, lieth waste, and the gates thereof are consumed with fire?
4Then the king said unto me, For what dost thou make request? So I prayed to the God of heaven.
5And I said unto the king, If it please the king, and if thy servant have found favour in thy sight, that thou wouldest send me unto Judah, unto the city of my fathers' sepulchres, that I may build it.
6And the king said unto me, (the queen also sitting by him,) For how long shall thy journey be? and when wilt thou return? So it pleased the king to send me; and I set him a time.
7Moreover I said unto the king, If it please the king, let letters be given me to the governors beyond the river, that they may convey me over till I come into Judah;
8And a letter unto Asaph the keeper of the king's forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the palace which appertained to the house, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall enter into. And the king granted me, according to the good hand of my God upon me.
9Then I came to the governors beyond the river, and gave them the king's letters. Now the king had sent captains of the army and horsemen with me.
10When Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, heard of it, it grieved them exceedingly that there was come a man to seek the welfare of the children of Israel.
11So I came to Jerusalem, and was there three days.
12And I arose in the night, I and some few men with me; neither told I any man what my God had put in my heart to do at Jerusalem: neither was there any beast with me, save the beast that I rode upon.
13And I went out by night by the gate of the valley, even before the dragon well, and to the dung port, and viewed the walls of Jerusalem, which were broken down, and the gates thereof were consumed with fire.
14Then I went on to the gate of the fountain, and to the king's pool: but there was no place for the beast that was under me to pass.
15Then went I up in the night by the brook, and viewed the wall, and turned back, and entered by the gate of the valley, and so returned.
16And the rulers knew not whither I went, or what I did; neither had I as yet told it to the Jews, nor to the priests, nor to the nobles, nor to the rulers, nor to the rest that did the work.
17Then said I unto them, Ye see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lieth waste, and the gates thereof are burned with fire: come, and let us build up the wall of Jerusalem, that we be no more a reproach.
18Then I told them of the hand of my God which was good upon me; as also the king's words that he had spoken unto me. And they said, Let us rise up and build. So they strengthened their hands for this good work.
19But when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian, heard it, they laughed us to scorn, and despised us, and said, What is this thing that ye do? will ye rebel against the king?
20Then answered I them, and said unto them, The God of heaven, he will prosper us; therefore we his servants will arise and build: but ye have no portion, nor right, nor memorial, in Jerusalem.
Chapter 3
1Then Eliashib the high priest rose up with his brethren the priests, and they builded the sheep gate; they sanctified it, and set up the doors of it; even unto the tower of Meah they sanctified it, unto the tower of Hananeel. 2And next unto him builded the men of Jericho. And next to them builded Zaccur the son of Imri.
3But the fish gate did the sons of Hassenaah build, who also laid the beams thereof, and set up the doors thereof, the locks thereof, and the bars thereof.
4And next unto them repaired Meremoth the son of Urijah, the son of Koz. And next unto them repaired Meshullam the son of Berechiah, the son of Meshezabeel. And next unto them repaired Zadok the son of Baana.
5And next unto them the Tekoites repaired; but their nobles put not their necks to the work of their Lord.
6Moreover the old gate repaired Jehoiada the son of Paseah, and Meshullam the son of Besodeiah; they laid the beams thereof, and set up the doors thereof, and the locks thereof, and the bars thereof.
7And next unto them repaired Melatiah the Gibeonite, and Jadon the Meronothite, the men of Gibeon, and of Mizpah, unto the throne of the governor on this side the river.
8Next unto him repaired Uzziel the son of Harhaiah, of the goldsmiths. Next unto him also repaired Hananiah the son of one of the apothecaries, and they fortified Jerusalem unto the broad wall.
9And next unto them repaired Rephaiah the son of Hur, the ruler of the half part of Jerusalem.
10And next unto them repaired Jedaiah the son of Harumaph, even over against his house. And next unto him repaired Hattush the son of Hashabniah.
11Malchijah the son of Harim, and Hashub the son of Pahathmoab, repaired the other piece, and the tower of the furnaces.
12And next unto him repaired Shallum the son of Halohesh, the ruler of the half part of Jerusalem, he and his daughters.
15But the gate of the fountain repaired Shallun the son of Colhozeh, the ruler of part of Mizpah; he built it, and covered it, and set up the doors thereof, the locks thereof, and the bars thereof, and the wall of the pool of Siloah by the king's garden, and unto the stairs that go down from the city of David.
16After him repaired Nehemiah the son of Azbuk, the ruler of the half part of Bethzur, unto the place over against the sepulchres of David, and to the pool that was made, and unto the house of the mighty.
17After him repaired the Levites, Rehum the son of Bani. Next unto him repaired Hashabiah, the ruler of the half part of Keilah, in his part.
18After him repaired their brethren, Bavai the son of Henadad, the ruler of the half part of Keilah.
19And next to him repaired Ezer the son of Jeshua, the ruler of Mizpah, another piece over against the going up to the armoury at the turning of the wall.
20After him Baruch the son of Zabbai earnestly repaired the other piece, from the turning of the wall unto the door of the house of Eliashib the high priest.
21After him repaired Meremoth the son of Urijah the son of Koz another piece, from the door of the house of Eliashib even to the end of the house of Eliashib.
22And after him repaired the priests, the men of the plain.
23After him repaired Benjamin and Hashub over against their house. After him repaired Azariah the son of Maaseiah the son of Ananiah by his house.
24After him repaired Binnui the son of Henadad another piece, from the house of Azariah unto the turning of the wall, even unto the corner.
25Palal the son of Uzai, over against the turning of the wall, and the tower which lieth out from the king's high house, that was by the court of the prison. After him Pedaiah the son of Parosh.
26Moreover the Nethinims dwelt in Ophel, unto the place over against the water gate toward the east, and the tower that lieth out.
27After them the Tekoites repaired another piece, over against the great tower that lieth out, even unto the wall of Ophel.
28From above the horse gate repaired the priests, every one over against his house.
29After them repaired Zadok the son of Immer over against his house. After him repaired also Shemaiah the son of Shechaniah, the keeper of the east gate.
30After him repaired Hananiah the son of Shelemiah, and Hanun the sixth son of Zalaph, another piece. After him repaired Meshullam the son of Berechiah over against his chamber.
31After him repaired Malchiah the goldsmith's son unto the place of the Nethinims, and of the merchants, over against the gate Miphkad, and to the going up of the corner.
32And between the going up of the corner unto the sheep gate repaired the goldsmiths and the merchants.
Chapter 4
1But it came to pass, that when Sanballat heard that we builded the wall, he was wroth, and took great indignation, and mocked the Jews. 2And he spake before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, What do these feeble Jews? will they fortify themselves? will they sacrifice? will they make an end in a day? will they revive the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish which are burned?
4Hear, O our God; for we are despised: and turn their reproach upon their own head, and give them for a prey in the land of captivity:
5And cover not their iniquity, and let not their sin be blotted out from before thee: for they have provoked thee to anger before the builders.
7But it came to pass, that when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites, heard that the walls of Jerusalem were made up, and that the breaches began to be stopped, then they were very wroth,
8And conspired all of them together to come and to fight against Jerusalem, and to hinder it.
9Nevertheless we made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them.
10And Judah said, The strength of the bearers of burdens is decayed, and there is much rubbish; so that we are not able to build the wall.
13Therefore set I in the lower places behind the wall, and on the higher places, I even set the people after their families with their swords, their spears, and their bows.
14And I looked, and rose up, and said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, Be not ye afraid of them: remember the Lord, which is great and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons, and your daughters, your wives, and your houses.
15And it came to pass, when our enemies heard that it was known unto us, and God had brought their counsel to nought, that we returned all of us to the wall, every one unto his work.
16And it came to pass from that time forth, that the half of my servants wrought in the work, and the other half of them held both the spears, the shields, and the bows, and the habergeons; and the rulers were behind all the house of Judah.
17They which builded on the wall, and they that bare burdens, with those that laded, every one with one of his hands wrought in the work, and with the other hand held a weapon.
18For the builders, every one had his sword girded by his side, and so builded. And he that sounded the trumpet was by me.
19And I said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, The work is great and large, and we are separated upon the wall, one far from another.
20In what place therefore ye hear the sound of the trumpet, resort ye thither unto us: our God shall fight for us.
21So we laboured in the work: and half of them held the spears from the rising of the morning till the stars appeared.
22Likewise at the same time said I unto the people, Let every one with his servant lodge within Jerusalem, that in the night they may be a guard to us, and labour on the day.
23So neither I, nor my brethren, nor my servants, nor the men of the guard which followed me, none of us put off our clothes, saving that every one put them off for washing.
Chapter 5
1And there was a great cry of the people and of their wives against their brethren the Jews. 2For there were that said, We, our sons, and our daughters, are many: therefore we take up corn for them, that we may eat, and live. 3Some also there were that said, We have mortgaged our lands, vineyards, and houses, that we might buy corn, because of the dearth. 4There were also that said, We have borrowed money for the king's tribute, and that upon our lands and vineyards. 5Yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren, our children as their children: and, lo, we bring into bondage our sons and our daughters to be servants, and some of our daughters are brought unto bondage already: neither is it in our power to redeem them; for other men have our lands and vineyards.
6And I was very angry when I heard their cry and these words.
7Then I consulted with myself, and I rebuked the nobles, and the rulers, and said unto them, Ye exact usury, every one of his brother. And I set a great assembly against them.
8And I said unto them, We after our ability have redeemed our brethren the Jews, which were sold unto the heathen; and will ye even sell your brethren? or shall they be sold unto us? Then held they their peace, and found nothing to answer.
9Also I said, It is not good that ye do: ought ye not to walk in the fear of our God because of the reproach of the heathen our enemies?
10I likewise, and my brethren, and my servants, might exact of them money and corn: I pray you, let us leave off this usury.
11Restore, I pray you, to them, even this day, their lands, their vineyards, their oliveyards, and their houses, also the hundredth part of the money, and of the corn, the wine, and the oil, that ye exact of them.
12Then said they, We will restore them, and will require nothing of them; so will we do as thou sayest. Then I called the priests, and took an oath of them, that they should do according to this promise.
13Also I shook my lap, and said, So God shake out every man from his house, and from his labour, that performeth not this promise, even thus be he shaken out, and emptied. And all the congregation said, Amen, and praised the Lord. And the people did according to this promise.
14Moreover from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year even unto the two and thirtieth year of Artaxerxes the king, that is, twelve years, I and my brethren have not eaten the bread of the governor.
15But the former governors that had been before me were chargeable unto the people, and had taken of them bread and wine, beside forty shekels of silver; yea, even their servants bare rule over the people: but so did not I, because of the fear of God.
16Yea, also I continued in the work of this wall, neither bought we any land: and all my servants were gathered thither unto the work.
17Moreover there were at my table an hundred and fifty of the Jews and rulers, beside those that came unto us from among the heathen that are about us.
18Now that which was prepared for me daily was one ox and six choice sheep; also fowls were prepared for me, and once in ten days store of all sorts of wine: yet for all this required not I the bread of the governor, because the bondage was heavy upon this people.
Chapter 6
1Now it came to pass, when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and Geshem the Arabian, and the rest of our enemies, heard that I had builded the wall, and that there was no breach left therein; (though at that time I had not set up the doors upon the gates;) 2That Sanballat and Geshem sent unto me, saying, Come, let us meet together in some one of the villages in the plain of Ono. But they thought to do me mischief.
3And I sent messengers unto them, saying, I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you?
4Yet they sent unto me four times after this sort; and I answered them after the same manner.
5Then sent Sanballat his servant unto me in like manner the fifth time with an open letter in his hand;
6Wherein was written, It is reported among the heathen, and Gashmu saith it, that thou and the Jews think to rebel: for which cause thou buildest the wall, that thou mayest be their king, according to these words.
7And thou hast also appointed prophets to preach of thee at Jerusalem, saying, There is a king in Judah: and now shall it be reported to the king according to these words. Come now therefore, and let us take counsel together.
11And I said, Should such a man as I flee? and who is there, that, being as I am, would go into the temple to save his life? I will not go in.
12And, lo, I perceived that God had not sent him; but that he pronounced this prophecy against me: for Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.
13Therefore was he hired, that I should be afraid, and do so, and sin, and that they might have matter for an evil report, that they might reproach me.
14My God, think thou upon Tobiah and Sanballat according to these their works, and on the prophetess Noadiah, and the rest of the prophets, that would have put me in fear.
15So the wall was finished in the twenty and fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty and two days.
16And it came to pass, that when all our enemies heard thereof, and all the heathen that were about us saw these things, they were much cast down in their own eyes: for they perceived that this work was wrought of our God.
17Moreover in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters unto Tobiah, and the letters of Tobiah came unto them.
18For there were many in Judah sworn unto him, because he was the son in law of Shechaniah the son of Arah; and his son Johanan had taken the daughter of Meshullam the son of Berechiah.
19Also they reported his good deeds before me, and uttered my words to him. And Tobiah sent letters to put me in fear.
Chapter 7
1Now it came to pass, when the wall was built, and I had set up the doors, and the porters and the singers and the Levites were appointed, 2That I gave my brother Hanani, and Hananiah the ruler of the palace, charge over Jerusalem: for he was a faithful man, and feared God above many. 3And I said unto them, Let not the gates of Jerusalem be opened until the sun be hot; and while they stand by, let them shut the doors, and bar them: and appoint watches of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, every one in his watch, and every one to be over against his house. 4Now the city was large and great: but the people were few therein, and the houses were not builded. 5And my God put into mine heart to gather together the nobles, and the rulers, and the people, that they might be reckoned by genealogy. And I found a register of the genealogy of them which came up at the first, and found written therein,
6These are the children of the province, that went up out of the captivity, of those that had been carried away, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away, and came again to Jerusalem and to Judah, every one unto his city;
7Who came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, Baanah. The number, I say, of the men of the people of Israel was this;
43The Levites: the children of Jeshua, of Kadmiel, and of the children of Hodevah, seventy and four.
46The Nethinims: the children of Ziha, the children of Hashupha, the children of Tabbaoth,
47The children of Keros, the children of Sia, the children of Padon,
48The children of Lebana, the children of Hagaba, the children of Shalmai,
49The children of Hanan, the children of Giddel, the children of Gahar,
50The children of Reaiah, the children of Rezin, the children of Nekoda,
51The children of Gazzam, the children of Uzza, the children of Phaseah,
52The children of Besai, the children of Meunim, the children of Nephishesim,
53The children of Bakbuk, the children of Hakupha, the children of Harhur,
54The children of Bazlith, the children of Mehida, the children of Harsha,
55The children of Barkos, the children of Sisera, the children of Tamah,
56The children of Neziah, the children of Hatipha.
57The children of Solomon's servants: the children of Sotai, the children of Sophereth, the children of Perida,
58The children of Jaala, the children of Darkon, the children of Giddel,
59The children of Shephatiah, the children of Hattil, the children of Pochereth of Zebaim, the children of Amon.
63And of the priests: the children of Habaiah, the children of Koz, the children of Barzillai, which took one of the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite to wife, and was called after their name.
64These sought their register among those that were reckoned by genealogy, but it was not found: therefore were they, as polluted, put from the priesthood.
65And the Tirshatha said unto them, that they should not eat of the most holy things, till there stood up a priest with Urim and Thummim.
66The whole congregation together was forty and two thousand three hundred and threescore,
67Beside their manservants and their maidservants, of whom there were seven thousand three hundred thirty and seven: and they had two hundred forty and five singing men and singing women.
68Their horses, seven hundred thirty and six: their mules, two hundred forty and five:
69Their camels, four hundred thirty and five: six thousand seven hundred and twenty asses.
70And some of the chief of the fathers gave unto the work. The Tirshatha gave to the treasure a thousand drams of gold, fifty basons, five hundred and thirty priests' garments.
71And some of the chief of the fathers gave to the treasure of the work twenty thousand drams of gold, and two thousand and two hundred pound of silver.
72And that which the rest of the people gave was twenty thousand drams of gold, and two thousand pound of silver, and threescore and seven priests' garments.
Christian Standard Bible
2so the king said to me, "Why are you sad, when you aren’t sick? This is nothing but sadness of heart." I was overwhelmed with fear
3and replied to the king, "May the king live forever! Why should I not be sad when the city where my ancestors are buried lies in ruins and its gates have been destroyed by fire?"
4Then the king asked me, "What is your request?" So I prayed to the God of the heavens
5and answered the king, "If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor with you, send me to Judah and to the city where my ancestors are buried, so that I may rebuild it."
7I also said to the king: "If it pleases the king, let me have letters written to the governors of the region west of the Euphrates River, so that they will grant me safe passage until I reach Judah.
8And let me have a letter written to Asaph, keeper of the king’s forest, so that he will give me timber to rebuild the gates of the temple’s fortress, the city wall, and the home where I will live." The king granted my requests, for the gracious hand of my God was on me.
9I went to the governors of the region west of the Euphrates and gave them the king’s letters. The king had also sent officers of the infantry and cavalry with me.
10When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard that someone had come to pursue the prosperity of the Israelites, they were greatly displeased.
11After I arrived in Jerusalem and had been there three days,
12I got up at night and took a few men with me. I didn’t tell anyone what my God had laid on my heart to do for Jerusalem. The only animal I took was the one I was riding.
13I went out at night through the Valley Gate toward the Serpent’s Well and the Dung Gate, and I inspected the walls of Jerusalem that had been broken down and its gates that had been destroyed by fire.
14I went on to the Fountain Gate and the King’s Pool, but farther down it became too narrow for my animal to go through.
15So I went up at night by way of the valley and inspected the wall. Then heading back, I entered through the Valley Gate and returned.
16The officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing, for I had not yet told the Jews, priests, nobles, officials, or the rest of those who would be doing the work.
17So I said to them, "You see the trouble we are in. Jerusalem lies in ruins and its gates have been burned. Come, let’s rebuild Jerusalem’s wall, so that we will no longer be a disgrace."
Chapter 3
1The high priest Eliashib and his fellow priests began rebuilding the Sheep Gate. They dedicated it and installed its doors. After building the wall to the Tower of the Hundred and the Tower of Hananel, they dedicated it. 2The men of Jericho built next to Eliashib, and next to them Zaccur son of Imri built.
3The sons of Hassenaah built the Fish Gate. They built it with beams and installed its doors, bolts, and bars.
4Next to them Meremoth son of Uriah, son of Hakkoz, made repairs. Beside them Meshullam son of Berechiah, son of Meshezabel, made repairs. Next to them Zadok son of Baana made repairs.
5Beside them the Tekoites made repairs, but their nobles did not lift a finger to help their supervisors.
6Joiada son of Paseah and Meshullam son of Besodeiah repaired the Old Gate. They built it with beams and installed its doors, bolts, and bars.
7Next to them the repairs were done by Melatiah the Gibeonite, Jadon the Meronothite, and the men of Gibeon and Mizpah, who were under the authority of the governor of the region west of the Euphrates River.
8After him Uzziel son of Harhaiah, the goldsmith, made repairs, and next to him Hananiah son of the perfumer made repairs. They restored Jerusalem as far as the Broad Wall.
9Next to them Rephaiah son of Hur, ruler of half the district of Jerusalem, made repairs.
10After them Jedaiah son of Harumaph made repairs across from his house. Next to him Hattush the son of Hashabneiah made repairs.
11Malchijah son of Harim and Hasshub son of Pahath-moab made repairs to another section, as well as to the Tower of the Ovens.
12Beside him Shallum son of Hallohesh, ruler of half the district of Jerusalem, made repairs—he and his daughters.
13Hanun and the inhabitants of Zanoah repaired the Valley Gate. They rebuilt it and installed its doors, bolts, and bars, and repaired five hundred yards of the wall to the Dung Gate.
14Malchijah son of Rechab, ruler of the district of Beth-haccherem, repaired the Dung Gate. He rebuilt it and installed its doors, bolts, and bars.
16After him Nehemiah son of Azbuk, ruler of half the district of Beth-zur, made repairs up to a point opposite the tombs of David, as far as the artificial pool and the House of the Warriors.
17Next to him the Levites made repairs under Rehum son of Bani. Beside him Hashabiah, ruler of half the district of Keilah, made repairs for his district.
18After him their fellow Levites made repairs under Binnui son of Henadad, ruler of half the district of Keilah.
19Next to him Ezer son of Jeshua, ruler of Mizpah, made repairs to another section opposite the ascent to the armory at the Angle.
20After him Baruch son of Zabbai diligently repaired another section, from the Angle to the door of the house of the high priest Eliashib.
21Beside him Meremoth son of Uriah, son of Hakkoz, made repairs to another section, from the door of Eliashib’s house to the end of his house.
22And next to him the priests from the surrounding area made repairs.
23After them Benjamin and Hasshub made repairs opposite their house. Beside them Azariah son of Maaseiah, son of Ananiah, made repairs beside his house.
24After him Binnui son of Henadad made repairs to another section, from the house of Azariah to the Angle and the corner.
25Palal son of Uzai made repairs opposite the Angle and tower that juts out from the king’s upper palace, by the courtyard of the guard. Beside him Pedaiah son of Parosh
26and the temple servants living on Ophel made repairs opposite the Water Gate toward the east and the tower that juts out.
27Next to him the Tekoites made repairs to another section from a point opposite the great tower that juts out, as far as the wall of Ophel.
28Each of the priests made repairs above the Horse Gate, each opposite his own house.
29After them Zadok son of Immer made repairs opposite his house. And beside him Shemaiah son of Shecaniah, guard of the East Gate, made repairs.
30Next to him Hananiah son of Shelemiah and Hanun the sixth son of Zalaph made repairs to another section. After them Meshullam son of Berechiah made repairs opposite his room.
31Next to him Malchijah, one of the goldsmiths, made repairs to the house of the temple servants and the merchants, opposite the Inspection Gate, and as far as the upstairs room on the corner.
32The goldsmiths and merchants made repairs between the upstairs room on the corner and the Sheep Gate.
Chapter 4
1When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became furious. He mocked the Jews 2before his colleagues and the powerful men of Samaria, and said, "What are these pathetic Jews doing? Can they restore it by themselves? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they ever finish it? Can they bring these burnt stones back to life from the mounds of rubble?" 3Then Tobiah the Ammonite, who was beside him, said, "Indeed, even if a fox climbed up what they are building, he would break down their stone wall!"
4Listen, our God, for we are despised. Make their insults return on their own heads and let them be taken as plunder to a land of captivity.
5Do not cover their guilt or let their sin be erased from your sight, because they have angered the builders.
7When Sanballat, Tobiah, and the Arabs, Ammonites, and Ashdodites heard that the repair to the walls of Jerusalem was progressing and that the gaps were being closed, they became furious.
8They all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and throw it into confusion.
9So we prayed to our God and stationed a guard because of them day and night.
11And our enemies said, "They won’t realize it until we’re among them and can kill them and stop the work."
12When the Jews who lived nearby arrived, they said to us time and again, "Everywhere you turn, they attack us."
13So I stationed people behind the lowest sections of the wall, at the vulnerable areas. I stationed them by families with their swords, spears, and bows.
14After I made an inspection, I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials, and the rest of the people, "Don’t be afraid of them. Remember the great and awe-inspiring Lord, and fight for your countrymen, your sons and daughters, your wives and homes."
15When our enemies heard that we knew their scheme and that God had frustrated it, every one of us returned to his own work on the wall.
16From that day on, half of my men did the work while the other half held spears, shields, bows, and armor. The officers supported all the people of Judah,
17who were rebuilding the wall. The laborers who carried the loads worked with one hand and held a weapon with the other.
18Each of the builders had his sword strapped around his waist while he was building, and the trumpeter was beside me.
19Then I said to the nobles, the officials, and the rest of the people: "The work is enormous and spread out, and we are separated far from one another along the wall.
20Wherever you hear the trumpet sound, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us!"
21So we continued the work, while half of the men were holding spears from daybreak until the stars came out.
22At that time, I also said to the people, "Let everyone and his servant spend the night inside Jerusalem, so that they can stand guard by night and work by day."
23And I, my brothers, my servants, and the men of the guard with me never took off our clothes. Each carried his weapon, even when washing.
Chapter 5
1There was a widespread outcry from the people and their wives against their Jewish countrymen. 2Some were saying, "We, our sons, and our daughters are numerous. Let us get grain so that we can eat and live." 3Others were saying, "We are mortgaging our fields, vineyards, and homes to get grain during the famine." 4Still others were saying, "We have borrowed money to pay the king’s tax on our fields and vineyards. 5We and our children are just like our countrymen and their children, yet we are subjecting our sons and daughters to slavery. Some of our daughters are already enslaved, but we are powerless because our fields and vineyards belong to others."
6I became extremely angry when I heard their outcry and these complaints.
7After seriously considering the matter, I accused the nobles and officials, saying to them, "Each of you is charging his countrymen interest." So I called a large assembly against them
8and said, "We have done our best to buy back our Jewish countrymen who were sold to foreigners, but now you sell your own countrymen, and we have to buy them back." They remained silent and could not say a word.
9Then I said, "What you are doing isn’t right. Shouldn’t you walk in the fear of our God and not invite the reproach of our foreign enemies?
10Even I, as well as my brothers and my servants, have been lending them money and grain. Please, let us stop charging this interest.
11Return their fields, vineyards, olive groves, and houses to them immediately, along with the percentage of the money, grain, new wine, and fresh oil that you have been assessing them."
14Furthermore, from the day King Artaxerxes appointed me to be their governor in the land of Judah—from the twentieth year until his thirty-second year, twelve years —I and my associates never ate from the food allotted to the governor.
15The governors who preceded me had heavily burdened the people, taking from them food and wine as well as a pound of silver. Their subordinates also oppressed the people, but because of the fear of God, I didn’t do this.
16Instead, I devoted myself to the construction of this wall, and all my subordinates were gathered there for the work. We didn’t buy any land.
17There were 150 Jews and officials, as well as guests from the surrounding nations at my table.
18Each day, one ox, six choice sheep, and some fowl were prepared for me. An abundance of all kinds of wine was provided every ten days. But I didn’t demand the food allotted to the governor, because the burden on the people was so heavy.
Chapter 6
1When Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab, and the rest of our enemies heard that I had rebuilt the wall and that no gap was left in it —though at that time I had not installed the doors in the city gates — 2Sanballat and Geshem sent me a message: "Come, let’s meet together in the villages of the Ono Valley." They were planning to harm me.
3So I sent messengers to them, saying, "I am doing important work and cannot come down. Why should the work cease while I leave it and go down to you?"
4Four times they sent me the same proposal, and I gave them the same reply.
6In it was written: It is reported among the nations—and Geshem agrees—that you and the Jews plan to rebel. This is the reason you are building the wall. According to these reports, you are to become their king
7and have even set up the prophets in Jerusalem to proclaim on your behalf: "There is a king in Judah." These rumors will be heard by the king. So come, let’s confer together.
11But I said, "Should a man like me run away? How can someone like me enter the temple and live? I will not go."
12I realized that God had not sent him, because of the prophecy he spoke against me. Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.
13He was hired, so that I would be intimidated, do as he suggested, sin, and get a bad reputation, in order that they could discredit me.
15The wall was completed in fifty-two days, on the twenty-fifth day of the month Elul.
16When all our enemies heard this, all the surrounding nations were intimidated and lost their confidence, for they realized that this task had been accomplished by our God.
17During those days, the nobles of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah, and Tobiah’s letters came to them.
18For many in Judah were bound by oath to him, since he was a son-in-law of Shecaniah son of Arah, and his son Jehohanan had married the daughter of Meshullam son of Berechiah.
19These nobles kept mentioning Tobiah’s good deeds to me, and they reported my words to him. And Tobiah sent letters to intimidate me.
Chapter 7
1When the wall had been rebuilt and I had the doors installed, the gatekeepers, singers, and Levites were appointed. 2Then I put my brother Hanani in charge of Jerusalem, along with Hananiah, commander of the fortress, because he was a faithful man who feared God more than most. 3I said to them, "Do not open the gates of Jerusalem until the sun is hot, and let the doors be shut and securely fastened while the guards are on duty. Station the citizens of Jerusalem as guards, some at their posts and some at their homes."
4The city was large and spacious, but there were few people in it, and no houses had been built yet.
5Then my God put it into my mind to assemble the nobles, the officials, and the people to be registered by genealogy. I found the genealogical record of those who came back first, and I found the following written in it:
55Barkos’s descendants, Sisera’s descendants, Temah’s descendants,
56Neziah’s descendants, Hatipha’s descendants.
63and from the priests: the descendants of Hobaiah, the descendants of Hakkoz, and the descendants of Barzillai—who had taken a wife from the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite and who bore their name.
64These searched for their entries in the genealogical records, but they could not be found, so they were disqualified from the priesthood.
65The governor ordered them not to eat the most holy things until there was a priest who could consult the Urim and Thummim.
70Some of the family heads contributed to the project. The governor gave 1,000 gold coins, 50 bowls, and 530 priestly garments to the treasury.
71Some of the family heads gave 20,000 gold coins and 2,200 silver minas to the treasury for the project.
72The rest of the people gave 20,000 gold coins, 2,000 silver minas, and 67 priestly garments.
New Living Translation
2So the king asked me, 'Why are you looking so sad? You don’t look sick to me. You must be deeply troubled.' Then I was terrified,
3but I replied, 'Long live the king! How can I not be sad? For the city where my ancestors are buried is in ruins, and the gates have been destroyed by fire.'
4The king asked, 'Well, how can I help you?' With a prayer to the God of heaven,
5I replied, 'If it please the king, and if you are pleased with me, your servant, send me to Judah to rebuild the city where my ancestors are buried.'
7I also said to the king, 'If it please the king, let me have letters addressed to the governors of the province west of the Euphrates River, instructing them to let me travel safely through their territories on my way to Judah.
8And please give me a letter addressed to Asaph, the manager of the king’s forest, instructing him to give me timber. I will need it to make beams for the gates of the Temple fortress, for the city walls, and for a house for myself.' And the king granted these requests, because the gracious hand of God was on me.
9When I came to the governors of the province west of the Euphrates River, I delivered the king’s letters to them. The king, I should add, had sent along army officers and horsemen to protect me.
10But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard of my arrival, they were very displeased that someone had come to help the people of Israel.
11So I arrived in Jerusalem. Three days later,
12I slipped out during the night, taking only a few others with me. I had not told anyone about the plans God had put in my heart for Jerusalem. We took no pack animals with us except the donkey I was riding.
13After dark I went out through the Valley Gate, past the Jackal’s Well, and over to the Dung Gate to inspect the broken walls and burned gates.
14Then I went to the Fountain Gate and to the King’s Pool, but my donkey couldn’t get through the rubble.
15So, though it was still dark, I went up the Kidron Valley instead, inspecting the wall before I turned back and entered again at the Valley Gate.
16The city officials did not know I had been out there or what I was doing, for I had not yet said anything to anyone about my plans. I had not yet spoken to the Jewish leaders — the priests, the nobles, the officials, or anyone else in the administration.
17But now I said to them, 'You know very well what trouble we are in. Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire. Let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem and end this disgrace!'
Chapter 3
1Then Eliashib the high priest and the other priests started to rebuild at the Sheep Gate. They dedicated it and set up its doors, building the wall as far as the Tower of the Hundred, which they dedicated, and the Tower of Hananel. 2People from the town of Jericho worked next to them, and beyond them was Zaccur son of Imri.
3The Fish Gate was built by the sons of Hassenaah. They laid the beams, set up its doors, and installed its bolts and bars.
4Meremoth son of Uriah and grandson of Hakkoz repaired the next section of wall. Beside him were Meshullam son of Berekiah and grandson of Meshezabel, and then Zadok son of Baana.
5Next were the people from Tekoa, though their leaders refused to work with the construction supervisors.
6The Old City Gate was repaired by Joiada son of Paseah and Meshullam son of Besodeiah. They laid the beams, set up its doors, and installed its bolts and bars.
7Next to them were Melatiah from Gibeon, Jadon from Meronoth, people from Gibeon, and people from Mizpah, the headquarters of the governor of the province west of the Euphrates River.
8Next was Uzziel son of Harhaiah, a goldsmith by trade, who also worked on the wall. Beyond him was Hananiah, a manufacturer of perfumes. They left out a section of Jerusalem as they built the Broad Wall.
9Rephaiah son of Hur, the leader of half the district of Jerusalem, was next to them on the wall.
10Next Jedaiah son of Harumaph repaired the wall across from his own house, and next to him was Hattush son of Hashabneiah.
11Then came Malkijah son of Harim and Hasshub son of Pahath-moab, who repaired another section of the wall and the Tower of the Ovens.
12Shallum son of Hallohesh and his daughters repaired the next section. He was the leader of the other half of the district of Jerusalem.
15The Fountain Gate was repaired by Shallum son of Col-hozeh, the leader of the Mizpah district. He rebuilt it, roofed it, set up its doors, and installed its bolts and bars. Then he repaired the wall of the pool of Siloam near the king’s garden, and he rebuilt the wall as far as the stairs that descend from the City of David.
16Next to him was Nehemiah son of Azbuk, the leader of half the district of Beth-zur. He rebuilt the wall from a place across from the tombs of David’s family as far as the water reservoir and the House of the Warriors.
17Next to him, repairs were made by a group of Levites working under the supervision of Rehum son of Bani. Then came Hashabiah, the leader of half the district of Keilah, who supervised the building of the wall on behalf of his own district.
18Next down the line were his countrymen led by Binnui son of Henadad, the leader of the other half of the district of Keilah.
19Next to them, Ezer son of Jeshua, the leader of Mizpah, repaired another section of wall across from the ascent to the armory near the angle in the wall.
20Next to him was Baruch son of Zabbai, who zealously repaired an additional section from the angle to the door of the house of Eliashib the high priest.
21Meremoth son of Uriah and grandson of Hakkoz rebuilt another section of the wall extending from the door of Eliashib’s house to the end of the house.
22The next repairs were made by the priests from the surrounding region.
23After them, Benjamin and Hasshub repaired the section across from their house, and Azariah son of Maaseiah and grandson of Ananiah repaired the section across from his house.
24Next was Binnui son of Henadad, who rebuilt another section of the wall from Azariah’s house to the angle and the corner.
25Palal son of Uzai carried on the work from a point opposite the angle and the tower that projects up from the king’s upper house beside the court of the guard. Next to him were Pedaiah son of Parosh,
26with the Temple servants living on the hill of Ophel, who repaired the wall as far as a point across from the Water Gate to the east and the projecting tower.
27Then came the people of Tekoa, who repaired another section across from the great projecting tower and over to the wall of Ophel.
28Above the Horse Gate, the priests repaired the wall. Each one repaired the section immediately across from his own house.
29Next Zadok son of Immer also rebuilt the wall across from his own house, and beyond him was Shemaiah son of Shecaniah, the gatekeeper of the East Gate.
30Next Hananiah son of Shelemiah and Hanun, the sixth son of Zalaph, repaired another section, while Meshullam son of Berekiah rebuilt the wall across from where he lived.
31Malkijah, one of the goldsmiths, repaired the wall as far as the housing for the Temple servants and merchants, across from the Inspection Gate. Then he continued as far as the upper room at the corner.
32The other goldsmiths and merchants repaired the wall from that corner to the Sheep Gate.
Chapter 4
1Sanballat was very angry when he learned that we were rebuilding the wall. He flew into a rage and mocked the Jews, 2saying in front of his friends and the Samarian army officers, 'What does this bunch of poor, feeble Jews think they’re doing? Do they think they can build the wall in a single day by just offering a few sacrifices? Do they actually think they can make something of stones from a rubbish heap — and charred ones at that?'
4Then I prayed, 'Hear us, our God, for we are being mocked. May their scoffing fall back on their own heads, and may they themselves become captives in a foreign land!
5Do not ignore their guilt. Do not blot out their sins, for they have provoked you to anger here in front of the builders.'
7But when Sanballat and Tobiah and the Arabs, Ammonites, and Ashdodites heard that the work was going ahead and that the gaps in the wall of Jerusalem were being repaired, they were furious.
8They all made plans to come and fight against Jerusalem and throw us into confusion.
9But we prayed to our God and guarded the city day and night to protect ourselves.
12The Jews who lived near the enemy came and told us again and again, 'They will come from all directions and attack us!'
13So I placed armed guards behind the lowest parts of the wall in the exposed areas. I stationed the people to stand guard by families, armed with swords, spears, and bows.
15When our enemies heard that we knew of their plans and that God had frustrated them, we all returned to our work on the wall.
16But from then on, only half my men worked while the other half stood guard with spears, shields, bows, and coats of mail. The leaders stationed themselves behind the people of Judah
17who were building the wall. The laborers carried on their work with one hand supporting their load and one hand holding a weapon.
18All the builders had a sword belted to their side. The trumpeter stayed with me to sound the alarm.
19Then I explained to the nobles and officials and all the people, 'The work is very spread out, and we are widely separated from each other along the wall.
20When you hear the blast of the trumpet, rush to wherever it is sounding. Then our God will fight for us!'
21We worked early and late, from sunrise to sunset. And half the men were always on guard.
22I also told everyone living outside the walls to stay in Jerusalem. That way they and their servants could help with guard duty at night and work during the day.
23During this time, none of us — not I, nor my relatives, nor my servants, nor the guards who were with me — ever took off our clothes. We carried our weapons with us at all times, even when we went for water.
Chapter 5
1About this time some of the men and their wives raised a cry of protest against their fellow Jews. 2They were saying, 'We have such large families. We need more food to survive.'
4And others said, 'We have had to borrow money on our fields and vineyards to pay our taxes.
5We belong to the same family as those who are wealthy, and our children are just like theirs. Yet we must sell our children into slavery just to get enough money to live. We have already sold some of our daughters, and we are helpless to do anything about it, for our fields and vineyards are already mortgaged to others.'
6When I heard their complaints, I was very angry.
7After thinking it over, I spoke out against these nobles and officials. I told them, 'You are hurting your own relatives by charging interest when they borrow money!' Then I called a public meeting to deal with the problem.
9Then I pressed further, 'What you are doing is not right! Should you not walk in the fear of our God in order to avoid being mocked by enemy nations?
10I myself, as well as my brothers and my workers, have been lending the people money and grain, but now let us stop this business of charging interest.
11You must restore their fields, vineyards, olive groves, and homes to them this very day. And repay the interest you charged when you lent them money, grain, new wine, and olive oil.'
14For the entire twelve years that I was governor of Judah — from the twentieth year to the thirty-second year of the reign of King Artaxerxes — neither I nor my officials drew on our official food allowance.
15The former governors, in contrast, had laid heavy burdens on the people, demanding a daily ration of food and wine, besides forty pieces of silver. Even their assistants took advantage of the people. But because I feared God, I did not act that way.
16I also devoted myself to working on the wall and refused to acquire any land. And I required all my servants to spend time working on the wall.
17I asked for nothing, even though I regularly fed 150 Jewish officials at my table, besides all the visitors from other lands!
18The provisions I paid for each day included one ox, six choice sheep or goats, and a large number of poultry. And every ten days we needed a large supply of all kinds of wine. Yet I refused to claim the governor’s food allowance because the people already carried a heavy burden.
2So Sanballat and Geshem sent a message asking me to meet them at one of the villages in the plain of Ono. But I realized they were plotting to harm me,
3so I replied by sending this message to them: 'I am engaged in a great work, so I can’t come. Why should I stop working to come and meet with you?'
4Four times they sent the same message, and each time I gave the same reply.
5The fifth time, Sanballat’s servant came with an open letter in his hand,
11But I replied, 'Should someone in my position run from danger? Should someone in my position enter the Temple to save his life? No, I won’t do it!'
12I realized that God had not spoken to him, but that he had uttered this prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.
13They were hoping to intimidate me and make me sin. Then they would be able to accuse and discredit me.
15So on October 2 the wall was finished — just fifty-two days after we had begun.
16When our enemies and the surrounding nations heard about it, they were frightened and humiliated. They realized this work had been done with the help of our God.
17During those fifty-two days, many letters went back and forth between Tobiah and the nobles of Judah.
18For many in Judah had sworn allegiance to him because his father-in-law was Shecaniah son of Arah, and his son Jehohanan was married to the daughter of Meshullam son of Berekiah.
19They kept telling me about Tobiah’s good deeds, and then they told him everything I said. And Tobiah kept sending threatening letters to intimidate me.
Chapter 7
1After the wall was finished and I had set up the doors in the gates, the gatekeepers, singers, and Levites were appointed. 2I gave the responsibility of governing Jerusalem to my brother Hanani, along with Hananiah, the commander of the fortress, for he was a faithful man who feared God more than most. 3I said to them, 'Do not leave the gates open during the hottest part of the day. And even while the gatekeepers are on duty, have them shut and bar the doors. Appoint the residents of Jerusalem to act as guards, everyone on a regular watch. Some will serve at sentry posts and some in front of their own homes.'
4At that time the city was large and spacious, but the population was small, and none of the houses had been rebuilt.
5So my God gave me the idea to call together all the nobles and leaders of the city, along with the ordinary citizens, for registration. I had found the genealogical record of those who had first returned to Judah. This is what was written there:
8The family of Parosh — 2,172
9The family of Shephatiah — 372
10The family of Arah — 652
11The family of Pahath-moab (descendants of Jeshua and Joab) — 2,818
12The family of Elam — 1,254
13The family of Zattu — 845
14The family of Zaccai — 760
15The family of Bani — 648
16The family of Bebai — 628
17The family of Azgad — 2,322
18The family of Adonikam — 667
19The family of Bigvai — 2,067
20The family of Adin — 655
21The family of Ater (descendants of Hezekiah) — 98
22The family of Hashum — 328
23The family of Bezai — 324
24The family of Jorah — 112
25The family of Gibbar — 95
26The people of Bethlehem and Netophah — 188
27The people of Anathoth — 128
28The people of Beth-azmaveth — 42
29The people of Kiriath-jearim, Kephirah, and Beeroth — 743
30The people of Ramah and Geba — 621
31The people of Micmash — 122
32The people of Bethel and Ai — 123
33The people of West Nebo — 52
34The citizens of West Elam — 1,254
35The citizens of Harim — 320
36The citizens of Jericho — 345
37The citizens of Lod, Hadid, and Ono — 721
38The citizens of Senaah — 3,930
39These are the priests who returned from exile: The family of Jedaiah (through the line of Jeshua) — 973
40The family of Immer — 1,052
41The family of Pashhur — 1,247
42The family of Harim — 1,017
43These are the Levites who returned from exile: The families of Jeshua and Kadmiel (descendants of Hodaviah ) — 74
44The singers of the family of Asaph — 148
45The gatekeepers of the families of Shallum, Ater, Talmon, Akkub, Hatita, and Shobai — 138
61Another group returned at this time from the towns of Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Kerub, Addan, and Immer. However, they could not prove that they or their families were descendants of Israel.
62This group included the families of Delaiah, Tobiah, and Nekoda — a total of 642 people.
63Three families of priests — Hobaiah, Hakkoz, and Barzillai — also returned. (This Barzillai had married a woman who was a descendant of Barzillai of Gilead, and he had taken her family name.)
64They searched for their names in the genealogical records, but they were not found, so they were disqualified from serving as priests.
65The governor told them not to eat the priests’ share of food from the sacrifices until a priest could consult the Lord about the matter by using the Urim and Thummim — the sacred lots.
66So a total of 42,360 people returned to Judah,
67in addition to 7,337 servants and 245 singers, both men and women.
68They took with them 736 horses, 245 mules,
69435 camels, and 6,720 donkeys.
70Some of the family leaders gave gifts for the work. The governor gave to the treasury 1,000 gold coins, 50 gold basins, and 530 robes for the priests.
71The other leaders gave to the treasury a total of 20,000 gold coins and some 2,750 pounds of silver for the work.
72The rest of the people gave 20,000 gold coins, about 2,500 pounds of silver, and 67 robes for the priests.
English Standard Version
Chapter 2
1In the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was before him, I took up the wine and gave it to the king. Now I had not been sad in his presence. 2And the king said to me, "Why is your face sad, seeing you are not sick? This is nothing but sadness of the heart." Then I was very much afraid. 3I said to the king, "Let the king live forever! Why should not my face be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers ' graves, lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?" 4Then the king said to me, "What are you requesting?" So I prayed to the God of heaven. 5And I said to the king, "If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, that you send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers ' graves, that I may rebuild it." 6And the king said to me (the queen sitting beside him), "How long will you be gone, and when will you return?" So it pleased the king to send me when I had given him a time. 7And I said to the king, "If it pleases the king, let letters be given me to the governors of the province Beyond the River, that they may let me pass through until I come to Judah, 8and a letter to Asaph, the keeper of the king 's forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the fortress of the temple, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall occupy." And the king granted me what I asked, for the good hand of my God was upon me.
9Then I came to the governors of the province Beyond the River and gave them the king 's letters. Now the king had sent with me officers of the army and horsemen.
10But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite servant heard this, it displeased them greatly that someone had come to seek the welfare of the people of Israel.
11So I went to Jerusalem and was there three days.
12Then I arose in the night, I and a few men with me. And I told no one what my God had put into my heart to do for Jerusalem. There was no animal with me but the one on which I rode.
13I went out by night by the Valley Gate to the Dragon Spring and to the Dung Gate, and I inspected the walls of Jerusalem that were broken down and its gates that had been destroyed by fire.
14Then I went on to the Fountain Gate and to the King 's Pool, but there was no room for the animal that was under me to pass.
15Then I went up in the night by the valley and inspected the wall, and I turned back and entered by the Valley Gate, and so returned.
16And the officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing, and I had not yet told the Jews, the priests, the nobles, the officials, and the rest who were to do the work.
17Then I said to them, "You see the trouble we are in, how Jerusalem lies in ruins with its gates burned. Come, let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer suffer derision."
18And I told them of the hand of my God that had been upon me for good, and also of the words that the king had spoken to me. And they said, "Let us rise up and build." So they strengthened their hands for the good work.
19But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite servant and Geshem the Arab heard of it, they jeered at us and despised us and said, "What is this thing that you are doing? Are you rebelling against the king?"
20Then I replied to them, "The God of heaven will make us prosper, and we his servants will arise and build, but you have no portion or right or claim in Jerusalem."
Chapter 3
1Then Eliashib the high priest rose up with his brothers the priests, and they built the Sheep Gate. They consecrated it and set its doors. They consecrated it as far as the Tower of the Hundred, as far as the Tower of Hananel. 2And next to him the men of Jericho built. And next to them Zaccur the son of Imri built.
3The sons of Hassenaah built the Fish Gate. They laid its beams and set its doors, its bolts, and its bars.
4And next to them Meremoth the son of Uriah, son of Hakkoz repaired. And next to them Meshullam the son of Berechiah, son of Meshezabel repaired. And next to them Zadok the son of Baana repaired.
5And next to them the Tekoites repaired, but their nobles would not stoop to serve their Lord.
6Joiada the son of Paseah and Meshullam the son of Besodeiah repaired the Gate of Yeshanah. They laid its beams and set its doors, its bolts, and its bars.
7And next to them repaired Melatiah the Gibeonite and Jadon the Meronothite, the men of Gibeon and of Mizpah, the seat of the governor of the province Beyond the River.
8Next to them Uzziel the son of Harhaiah, goldsmiths, repaired. Next to him Hananiah, one of the perfumers, repaired, and they restored Jerusalem as far as the Broad Wall.
9Next to them Rephaiah the son of Hur, ruler of half the district of Jerusalem, repaired.
10Next to them Jedaiah the son of Harumaph repaired opposite his house. And next to him Hattush the son of Hashabneiah repaired.
11Malchijah the son of Harim and Hasshub the son of Pahath-moab repaired another section and the Tower of the Ovens.
12Next to him Shallum the son of Hallohesh, ruler of half the district of Jerusalem, repaired, he and his daughters.
15And Shallum the son of Col-hozeh, ruler of the district of Mizpah, repaired the Fountain Gate. He rebuilt it and covered it and set its doors, its bolts, and its bars. And he built the wall of the Pool of Shelah of the king 's garden, as far as the stairs that go down from the city of David.
16After him Nehemiah the son of Azbuk, ruler of half the district of Beth-zur, repaired to a point opposite the tombs of David, as far as the artificial pool, and as far as the house of the mighty men.
17After him the Levites repaired: Rehum the son of Bani. Next to him Hashabiah, ruler of half the district of Keilah, repaired for his district.
18After him their brothers repaired: Bavvai the son of Henadad, ruler of half the district of Keilah.
19Next to him Ezer the son of Jeshua, ruler of Mizpah, repaired another section opposite the ascent to the armory at the buttress.
20After him Baruch the son of Zabbai repaired another section from the buttress to the door of the house of Eliashib the high priest.
21After him Meremoth the son of Uriah, son of Hakkoz repaired another section from the door of the house of Eliashib to the end of the house of Eliashib.
22After him the priests, the men of the surrounding area, repaired.
23After them Benjamin and Hasshub repaired opposite their house. After them Azariah the son of Maaseiah, son of Ananiah repaired beside his own house.
24After him Binnui the son of Henadad repaired another section, from the house of Azariah to the buttress and to the corner.
25Palal the son of Uzai repaired opposite the buttress and the tower projecting from the upper house of the king at the court of the guard. After him Pedaiah the son of Parosh
26and the temple servants living on Ophel repaired to a point opposite the Water Gate on the east and the projecting tower.
27After him the Tekoites repaired another section opposite the great projecting tower as far as the wall of Ophel.
28Above the Horse Gate the priests repaired, each one opposite his own house.
29After them Zadok the son of Immer repaired opposite his own house. After him Shemaiah the son of Shecaniah, the keeper of the East Gate, repaired.
30After him Hananiah the son of Shelemiah and Hanun the sixth son of Zalaph repaired another section. After him Meshullam the son of Berechiah repaired opposite his chamber.
31After him Malchijah, one of the goldsmiths, repaired as far as the house of the temple servants and of the merchants, opposite the Muster Gate, and to the upper chamber of the corner.
32And between the upper chamber of the corner and the Sheep Gate the goldsmiths and the merchants repaired.
Chapter 4
1Now when Sanballat heard that we were building the wall, he was angry and greatly enraged, and he jeered at the Jews. 2And he said in the presence of his brothers and of the army of Samaria, "What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they restore it for themselves? Will they sacrifice? Will they finish up in a day? Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of rubbish, and burned ones at that?" 3Tobiah the Ammonite was beside him, and he said, "Yes, what they are building — if a fox goes up on it he will break down their stone wall!" 4Hear, O our God, for we are despised. Turn back their taunt on their own heads and give them up to be plundered in a land where they are captives. 5Do not cover their guilt, and let not their sin be blotted out from your sight, for they have provoked you to anger in the presence of the builders.
7But when Sanballat and Tobiah and the Arabs and the Ammonites and the Ashdodites heard that the repairing of the walls of Jerusalem was going forward and that the breaches were beginning to be closed, they were very angry.
8And they all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and to cause confusion in it.
9And we prayed to our God and set a guard as a protection against them day and night.
10In Judah it was said, "The strength of those who bear the burdens is failing. There is too much rubble. By ourselves we will not be able to rebuild the wall."
11And our enemies said, "They will not know or see till we come among them and kill them and stop the work."
12At that time the Jews who lived near them came from all directions and said to us ten times, "You must return to us."
13So in the lowest parts of the space behind the wall, in open places, I stationed the people by their clans, with their swords, their spears, and their bows.
14And I looked and arose and said to the nobles and to the officials and to the rest of the people, "Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes."
15When our enemies heard that it was known to us and that God had frustrated their plan, we all returned to the wall, each to his work.
16From that day on, half of my servants worked on construction, and half held the spears, shields, bows, and coats of mail. And the leaders stood behind the whole house of Judah,
17who were building on the wall. Those who carried burdens were loaded in such a way that each labored on the work with one hand and held his weapon with the other.
18And each of the builders had his sword strapped at his side while he built. The man who sounded the trumpet was beside me.
19And I said to the nobles and to the officials and to the rest of the people, "The work is great and widely spread, and we are separated on the wall, far from one another.
20In the place where you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us."
21So we labored at the work, and half of them held the spears from the break of dawn until the stars came out.
22I also said to the people at that time, "Let every man and his servant pass the night within Jerusalem, that they may be a guard for us by night and may labor by day."
23So neither I nor my brothers nor my servants nor the men of the guard who followed me, none of us took off our clothes; each kept his weapon at his right hand.
Chapter 5
1Now there arose a great outcry of the people and of their wives against their Jewish brothers. 2For there were those who said, "With our sons and our daughters, we are many. So let us get grain, that we may eat and keep alive." 3There were also those who said, "We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards, and our houses to get grain because of the famine." 4And there were those who said, "We have borrowed money for the king 's tax on our fields and our vineyards. 5Now our flesh is as the flesh of our brothers, our children are as their children. Yet we are forcing our sons and our daughters to be slaves, and some of our daughters have already been enslaved, but it is not in our power to help it, for other men have our fields and our vineyards."
6I was very angry when I heard their outcry and these words.
7I took counsel with myself, and I brought charges against the nobles and the officials. I said to them, "You are exacting interest, each from his brother." And I held a great assembly against them
8and said to them, "We, as far as we are able, have bought back our Jewish brothers who have been sold to the nations, but you even sell your brothers that they may be sold to us!" They were silent and could not find a word to say.
9So I said, "The thing that you are doing is not good. Ought you not to walk in the fear of our God to prevent the taunts of the nations our enemies?
10Moreover, I and my brothers and my servants are lending them money and grain. Let us abandon this exacting of interest.
11Return to them this very day their fields, their vineyards, their olive orchards, and their houses, and the percentage of money, grain, wine, and oil that you have been exacting from them."
12Then they said, "We will restore these and require nothing from them. We will do as you say." And I called the priests and made them swear to do as they had promised.
13I also shook out the fold of my garment and said, "So may God shake out every man from his house and from his labor who does not keep this promise. So may he be shaken out and emptied." And all the assembly said "Amen" and praised the Lord. And the people did as they had promised.
14Moreover, from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year to the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes the king, twelve years, neither I nor my brothers ate the food allowance of the governor.
15The former governors who were before me laid heavy burdens on the people and took from them for their daily ration forty shekels of silver. Even their servants lorded it over the people. But I did not do so, because of the fear of God.
16I also persevered in the work on this wall, and we acquired no land, and all my servants were gathered there for the work.
17Moreover, there were at my table 150 men, Jews and officials, besides those who came to us from the nations that were around us.
18Now what was prepared at my expense for each day was one ox and six choice sheep and birds, and every ten days all kinds of wine in abundance. Yet for all this I did not demand the food allowance of the governor, because the service was too heavy on this people.
19Remember for my good, O my God, all that I have done for this people.
Chapter 6
1Now when Sanballat and Tobiah and Geshem the Arab and the rest of our enemies heard that I had built the wall and that there was no breach left in it (although up to that time I had not set up the doors in the gates), 2Sanballat and Geshem sent to me, saying, "Come and let us meet together at Hakkephirim in the plain of Ono." But they intended to do me harm. 3And 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?" 4And they sent to me four times in this way, and I answered them in the same manner. 5In the same way Sanballat for the fifth time sent his servant to me with an open letter in his hand. 6In it was written, "It is reported among the nations, and Geshem also says it, that you and the Jews intend to rebel; that is why you are building the wall. And according to these reports you wish to become their king. 7And you have also set up prophets to proclaim concerning you in Jerusalem, ‘There is a king in Judah.’ And now the king will hear of these reports. So now come and let us take counsel together." 8Then I sent to him, saying, "No such things as you say have been done, for you are inventing them out of your own mind." 9For they all wanted to frighten us, thinking, "Their hands will drop from the work, and it will not be done." But now, O God, strengthen my hands.
10Now when I went into the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah, son of Mehetabel, who was confined to his home, he said, "Let us meet together in the house of God, within the temple. Let us close the doors of the temple, for they are coming to kill you. They are coming to kill you by night."
11But I said, "Should such a man as I run away? And what man such as I could go into the temple and live? I will not go in."
12And I understood and saw that God had not sent him, but he had pronounced the prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.
13For this purpose he was hired, that I should be afraid and act in this way and sin, and so they could give me a bad name in order to taunt me.
14Remember Tobiah and Sanballat, O my God, according to these things that they did, and also the prophetess Noadiah and the rest of the prophets who wanted to make me afraid.
15So the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty-two days.
16And when all our enemies heard of it, all the nations around us were afraid and fell greatly in their own esteem, for they perceived that this work had been accomplished with the help of our God.
17Moreover, in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah, and Tobiah 's letters came to them.
18For many in Judah were bound 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 his wife.
19Also they spoke of his good deeds in my presence and reported my words to him. And Tobiah sent letters to make me afraid.
Chapter 7
1Now when the wall had been built and I had set up the doors, and the gatekeepers, the singers, and the Levites had been appointed, 2I gave my brother Hanani and Hananiah the governor of the castle charge over Jerusalem, for he was a more faithful and God-fearing man than many. 3And I said to them, "Let not the gates of Jerusalem be opened until the sun is hot. And while they are still standing guard, let them shut and bar the doors. Appoint guards from among the inhabitants of Jerusalem, some at their guard posts and some in front of their own homes." 4The city was wide and large, but the people within it were few, and no houses had been rebuilt.
6These were the people of the province who came up out of the captivity of those exiles whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried into exile. They returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his town.
7They came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, Baanah. The number of the men of the people of Israel:
8the sons of Parosh, 2,172.
9The sons of Shephatiah, 372.
10The sons of Arah, 652.
11The sons of Pahath-moab, namely the sons of Jeshua and Joab, 2,818.
12The sons of Elam, 1,254.
13The sons of Zattu, 845.
14The sons of Zaccai, 760.
15The sons of Binnui, 648.
16The sons of Bebai, 628.
17The sons of Azgad, 2,322.
18The sons of Adonikam, 667.
19The sons of Bigvai, 2,067.
20The sons of Adin, 655.
21The sons of Ater, namely of Hezekiah, 98.
22The sons of Hashum, 328.
23The sons of Bezai, 324.
24The sons of Hariph, 112.
25The sons of Gibeon, 95.
26The men of Bethlehem and Netophah, 188.
27The men of Anathoth, 128.
28The men of Beth-azmaveth, 42.
29The men of Kiriath-jearim, Chephirah, and Beeroth, 743.
30The men of Ramah and Geba, 621.
31The men of Michmas, 122.
32The men of Bethel and Ai, 123.
33The men of the other Nebo, 52.
34The sons of the other Elam, 1,254.
35The sons of Harim, 320.
36The sons of Jericho, 345.
37The sons of Lod, Hadid, and Ono, 721.
38The sons of Senaah, 3,930.
39The priests: the sons of Jedaiah, namely the house of Jeshua, 973.
40The sons of Immer, 1,052.
41The sons of Pashhur, 1,247.
42The sons of Harim, 1,017.
43The Levites: the sons of Jeshua, namely of Kadmiel of the sons of Hodevah, 74.
44The singers: the sons of Asaph, 148.
45The 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.
46The temple servants: the sons of Ziha, the sons of Hasupha, the sons of Tabbaoth,
47the sons of Keros, the sons of Sia, the sons of Padon,
48the sons of Lebana, the sons of Hagaba, the sons of Shalmai,
49the sons of Hanan, the sons of Giddel, the sons of Gahar,
50the sons of Reaiah, the sons of Rezin, the sons of Nekoda,
51the sons of Gazzam, the sons of Uzza, the sons of Paseah,
52the sons of Besai, the sons of Meunim, the sons of Nephushesim,
53the sons of Bakbuk, the sons of Hakupha, the sons of Harhur,
54the sons of Bazlith, the sons of Mehida, the sons of Harsha,
55the sons of Barkos, the sons of Sisera, the sons of Temah,
56the sons of Neziah, the sons of Hatipha.
57The sons of Solomon 's servants: the sons of Sotai, the sons of Sophereth, the sons of Perida,
58the sons of Jaala, the sons of Darkon, the sons of Giddel,
59the sons of Shephatiah, the sons of Hattil, the sons of Pochereth-hazzebaim, the sons of Amon.
61The following were those who came up from Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Cherub, Addon, and Immer, but they could not prove their fathers ' houses nor their descent, whether they belonged to Israel:
62the sons of Delaiah, the sons of Tobiah, the sons of Nekoda, 642.
63Also, of the priests: the sons of Hobaiah, the sons of Hakkoz, the sons of Barzillai (who had taken a wife of the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite and was called by their name).
64These sought their registration among those enrolled in the genealogies, but it was not found there, so they were excluded from the priesthood as unclean.
65The governor told them that they were not to partake of the most holy food until a priest with Urim and Thummim should arise.
66The whole assembly together was 42,360,
67besides their male and female servants, of whom there were 7,337. And they had 245 singers, male and female.
68Their horses were 736, their mules 245,
69their camels 435, and their donkeys 6,720.
70Now some of the heads of fathers ' houses gave to the work. The governor gave to the treasury 1,000 darics of gold, 50 basins, 30 priests ' garments and 500 minas of silver.
71And some of the heads of fathers ' houses gave into the treasury of the work 20,000 darics of gold and 2,200 minas of silver.
72And what the rest of the people gave was 20,000 darics of gold, 2,000 minas of silver, and 67 priests ' garments.
New International Version
2so the king asked me, "Why does your face look so sad when you are not ill? This can be nothing but sadness of heart." I was very much afraid,
3but I said to the king, "May the king live forever! Why should my face not look sad when the city where my ancestors are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?"
4The king said to me, "What is it you want?" Then I prayed to the God of heaven,
5and I answered the king, "If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favor in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my ancestors are buried so that I can rebuild it."
7I also said to him, "If it pleases the king, may I have letters to the governors of Trans-Euphrates, so that they will provide me safe-conduct until I arrive in Judah?
8And may I have a letter to Asaph, keeper of the royal park, so he will give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel by the temple and for the city wall and for the residence I will occupy?" And because the gracious hand of my God was on me, the king granted my requests.
9So I went to the governors of Trans-Euphrates and gave them the king’s letters. The king had also sent army officers and cavalry with me.
11I went to Jerusalem, and after staying there three days
12I set out during the night with a few others. I had not told anyone what my God had put in my heart to do for Jerusalem. There were no mounts with me except the one I was riding on.
13By night I went out through the Valley Gate toward the Jackal Well and the Dung Gate, examining the walls of Jerusalem, which had been broken down, and its gates, which had been destroyed by fire.
14Then I moved on toward the Fountain Gate and the King’s Pool, but there was not enough room for my mount to get through;
15so I went up the valley by night, examining the wall. Finally, I turned back and reentered through the Valley Gate.
16The officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing, because as yet I had said nothing to the Jews or the priests or nobles or officials or any others who would be doing the work.
Chapter 3
1Eliashib the high priest and his fellow priests went to work and rebuilt the Sheep Gate. They dedicated it and set its doors in place, building as far as the Tower of the Hundred, which they dedicated, and as far as the Tower of Hananel. 2The men of Jericho built the adjoining section, and Zakkur son of Imri built next to them.
3The Fish Gate was rebuilt by the sons of Hassenaah. They laid its beams and put its doors and bolts and bars in place.
4Meremoth son of Uriah, the son of Hakkoz, repaired the next section. Next to him Meshullam son of Berekiah, the son of Meshezabel, made repairs, and next to him Zadok son of Baana also made repairs.
5The next section was repaired by the men of Tekoa, but their nobles would not put their shoulders to the work under their supervisors.
6The Jeshanah Gate was repaired by Joiada son of Paseah and Meshullam son of Besodeiah. They laid its beams and put its doors with their bolts and bars in place.
7Next to them, repairs were made by men from Gibeon and Mizpah—Melatiah of Gibeon and Jadon of Meronoth—places under the authority of the governor of Trans-Euphrates.
8Uzziel son of Harhaiah, one of the goldsmiths, repaired the next section; and Hananiah, one of the perfume-makers, made repairs next to that. They restored Jerusalem as far as the Broad Wall.
9Rephaiah son of Hur, ruler of a half-district of Jerusalem, repaired the next section.
10Adjoining this, Jedaiah son of Harumaph made repairs opposite his house, and Hattush son of Hashabneiah made repairs next to him.
11Malkijah son of Harim and Hasshub son of Pahath-Moab repaired another section and the Tower of the Ovens.
12Shallum son of Hallohesh, ruler of a half-district of Jerusalem, repaired the next section with the help of his daughters.
15The Fountain Gate was repaired by Shallun son of Kol-Hozeh, ruler of the district of Mizpah. He rebuilt it, roofing it over and putting its doors and bolts and bars in place. He also repaired the wall of the Pool of Siloam, by the King’s Garden, as far as the steps going down from the City of David.
16Beyond him, Nehemiah son of Azbuk, ruler of a half-district of Beth Zur, made repairs up to a point opposite the tombs of David, as far as the artificial pool and the House of the Heroes.
17Next to him, the repairs were made by the Levites under Rehum son of Bani. Beside him, Hashabiah, ruler of half the district of Keilah, carried out repairs for his district.
18Next to him, the repairs were made by their fellow Levites under Binnui son of Henadad, ruler of the other half-district of Keilah.
19Next to him, Ezer son of Jeshua, ruler of Mizpah, repaired another section, from a point facing the ascent to the armory as far as the angle of the wall.
20Next to him, Baruch son of Zabbai zealously repaired another section, from the angle to the entrance of the house of Eliashib the high priest.
21Next to him, Meremoth son of Uriah, the son of Hakkoz, repaired another section, from the entrance of Eliashib’s house to the end of it.
22The repairs next to him were made by the priests from the surrounding region.
23Beyond them, Benjamin and Hasshub made repairs in front of their house; and next to them, Azariah son of Maaseiah, the son of Ananiah, made repairs beside his house.
24Next to him, Binnui son of Henadad repaired another section, from Azariah’s house to the angle and the corner,
25and Palal son of Uzai worked opposite the angle and the tower projecting from the upper palace near the court of the guard. Next to him, Pedaiah son of Parosh
26and the temple servants living on the hill of Ophel made repairs up to a point opposite the Water Gate toward the east and the projecting tower.
27Next to them, the men of Tekoa repaired another section, from the great projecting tower to the wall of Ophel.
28Above the Horse Gate, the priests made repairs, each in front of his own house.
29Next to them, Zadok son of Immer made repairs opposite his house. Next to him, Shemaiah son of Shekaniah, the guard at the East Gate, made repairs.
30Next to him, Hananiah son of Shelemiah, and Hanun, the sixth son of Zalaph, repaired another section. Next to them, Meshullam son of Berekiah made repairs opposite his living quarters.
31Next to him, Malkijah, one of the goldsmiths, made repairs as far as the house of the temple servants and the merchants, opposite the Inspection Gate, and as far as the room above the corner;
32and between the room above the corner and the Sheep Gate the goldsmiths and merchants made repairs.
Chapter 4
1When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became angry and was greatly incensed. He ridiculed the Jews, 2and in the presence of his associates and the army of Samaria, he said, "What are those feeble Jews doing? Will they restore their wall? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they finish in a day? Can they bring the stones back to life from those heaps of rubble—burned as they are?"
4Hear us, our God, for we are despised. Turn their insults back on their own heads. Give them over as plunder in a land of captivity.
5Do not cover up their guilt or blot out their sins from your sight, for they have thrown insults in the face of the builders.
7But when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites and the people of Ashdod heard that the repairs to Jerusalem’s walls had gone ahead and that the gaps were being closed, they were very angry.
8They all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and stir up trouble against it.
9But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat.
13Therefore I stationed some of the people behind the lowest points of the wall at the exposed places, posting them by families, with their swords, spears and bows.
14After I looked things over, I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, "Don’t be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your families, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes."
16From that day on, half of my men did the work, while the other half were equipped with spears, shields, bows and armor. The officers posted themselves behind all the people of Judah
17who were building the wall. Those who carried materials did their work with one hand and held a weapon in the other,
18and each of the builders wore his sword at his side as he worked. But the man who sounded the trumpet stayed with me.
19Then I said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, "The work is extensive and spread out, and we are widely separated from each other along the wall.
20Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, join us there. Our God will fight for us!"
21So we continued the work with half the men holding spears, from the first light of dawn till the stars came out.
22At that time I also said to the people, "Have every man and his helper stay inside Jerusalem at night, so they can serve us as guards by night and as workers by day."
23Neither I nor my brothers nor my men nor the guards with me took off our clothes; each had his weapon, even when he went for water.
Chapter 5
1Now the men and their wives raised a great outcry against their fellow Jews. 2Some were saying, "We and our sons and daughters are numerous; in order for us to eat and stay alive, we must get grain."
4Still others were saying, "We have had to borrow money to pay the king’s tax on our fields and vineyards.
5Although we are of the same flesh and blood as our fellow Jews and though our children are as good as theirs, yet we have to subject our sons and daughters to slavery. Some of our daughters have already been enslaved, but we are powerless, because our fields and our vineyards belong to others."
6When I heard their outcry and these charges, I was very angry.
7I pondered them in my mind and then accused the nobles and officials. I told them, "You are charging your own people interest!" So I called together a large meeting to deal with them
8and said: "As far as possible, we have bought back our fellow Jews who were sold to the Gentiles. Now you are selling your own people, only for them to be sold back to us!" They kept quiet, because they could find nothing to say.
9So I continued, "What you are doing is not right. Shouldn’t you walk in the fear of our God to avoid the reproach of our Gentile enemies?
10I and my brothers and my men are also lending the people money and grain. But let us stop charging interest!
11Give back to them immediately their fields, vineyards, olive groves and houses, and also the interest you are charging them—one percent of the money, grain, new wine and olive oil."
14Moreover, from the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, until his thirty-second year—twelve years—neither I nor my brothers ate the food allotted to the governor.
15But the earlier governors—those preceding me—placed a heavy burden on the people and took forty shekels of silver from them in addition to food and wine. Their assistants also lorded it over the people. But out of reverence for God I did not act like that.
16Instead, I devoted myself to the work on this wall. All my men were assembled there for the work; we did not acquire any land.
17Furthermore, a hundred and fifty Jews and officials ate at my table, as well as those who came to us from the surrounding nations.
18Each day one ox, six choice sheep and some poultry were prepared for me, and every ten days an abundant supply of wine of all kinds. In spite of all this, I never demanded the food allotted to the governor, because the demands were heavy on these people.
2Sanballat and Geshem sent me this message: "Come, let us meet together in one of the villages on the plain of Ono." But they were scheming to harm me;
3so I sent messengers to them with this reply: "I am carrying on a great project and cannot go down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and go down to you?"
4Four times they sent me the same message, and each time I gave them the same answer.
6in which was written: "It is reported among the nations—and Geshem says it is true—that you and the Jews are plotting to revolt, and therefore you are building the wall. Moreover, according to these reports you are about to become their king
7and have even appointed prophets to make this proclamation about you in Jerusalem: ‘There is a king in Judah!’ Now this report will get back to the king; so come, let us meet together."
11But I said, "Should a man like me run away? Or should someone like me go into the temple to save his life? I will not go!"
12I realized that God had not sent him, but that he had prophesied against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.
13He had been hired to intimidate me so that I would commit a sin by doing this, and then they would give me a bad name to discredit me.
14Remember Tobiah and Sanballat, my God, because of what they have done; remember also the prophet Noadiah and how she and the rest of the prophets have been trying to intimidate me.
15So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of Elul, in fifty-two days.
17Also, in those days the nobles of Judah were sending many letters to Tobiah, and replies from Tobiah kept coming to them.
18For many in Judah were under oath to him, since he was son-in-law to Shekaniah son of Arah, and his son Jehohanan had married the daughter of Meshullam son of Berekiah.
19Moreover, they kept reporting to me his good deeds and then telling him what I said. And Tobiah sent letters to intimidate me.
Chapter 7
1After the wall had been rebuilt and I had set the doors in place, the gatekeepers, the musicians and the Levites were appointed. 2I put in charge of Jerusalem my brother Hanani, along with Hananiah the commander of the citadel, because he was a man of integrity and feared God more than most people do. 3I said to them, "The gates of Jerusalem are not to be opened until the sun is hot. While the gatekeepers are still on duty, have them shut the doors and bar them. Also appoint residents of Jerusalem as guards, some at their posts and some near their own houses."
4Now the city was large and spacious, but there were few people in it, and the houses had not yet been rebuilt.
5So my God put it into my heart to assemble the nobles, the officials and the common people for registration by families. I found the genealogical record of those who had been the first to return. This is what I found written there:
64These searched for their family records, but they could not find them and so were excluded from the priesthood as unclean.
65The governor, therefore, ordered them not to eat any of the most sacred food until there should be a priest ministering with the Urim and Thummim.
66The whole company numbered 42,360,
67besides their 7,337 male and female slaves; and they also had 245 male and female singers.
68There were 736 horses, 245 mules,
69435 camels and 6,720 donkeys.
70Some of the heads of the families contributed to the work. The governor gave to the treasury 1,000 darics of gold, 50 bowls and 530 garments for priests.
71Some of the heads of the families gave to the treasury for the work 20,000 darics of gold and 2,200 minas of silver.
72The total given by the rest of the people was 20,000 darics of gold, 2,000 minas of silver and 67 garments for priests.
New King James Version
2Therefore the king said to me, “Why is your face sad, since you are not sick? This is nothing but sorrow of heart.” So I became dreadfully afraid,
3and said to the king, “May the king live forever! Why should my face not be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers’ tombs, lies waste, and its gates are burned with fire?”
4Then the king said to me, “What do you request?” So I prayed to the God of heaven.
5And I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, I ask that you send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers’ tombs, that I may rebuild it.”
7Furthermore I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, let letters be given to me for the governors of the region beyond the River, that they must permit me to pass through till I come to Judah,
8and a letter to Asaph the keeper of the king’s forest, that he must give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel which pertains to the temple, for the city wall, and for the house that I will occupy.” And the king granted them to me according to the good hand of my God upon me.
9Then I went to the governors in the region beyond the River, and gave them the king’s letters. Now the king had sent captains of the army and horsemen with me.
10When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard of it, they were deeply disturbed that a man had come to seek the well-being of the children of Israel.
11So I came to Jerusalem and was there three days.
12Then I arose in the night, I and a few men with me; I told no one what my God had put in my heart to do at Jerusalem; nor was there any animal with me, except the one on which I rode.
13And I went out by night through the Valley Gate to the Serpent Well and the Refuse Gate, and viewed the walls of Jerusalem which were broken down and its gates which were burned with fire.
14Then I went on to the Fountain Gate and to the King’s Pool, but there was no room for the animal under me to pass.
15So I went up in the night by the valley, and viewed the wall; then I turned back and entered by the Valley Gate, and so returned.
16And the officials did not know where I had gone or what I had done; I had not yet told the Jews, the priests, the nobles, the officials, or the others who did the work.
Chapter 3
1Then Eliashib the high priest rose up with his brethren the priests and built the Sheep Gate; they consecrated it and hung its doors. They built as far as the Tower of the Hundred, and consecrated it, then as far as the Tower of Hananel. 2Next to Eliashib the men of Jericho built. And next to them Zaccur the son of Imri built.
3Also the sons of Hassenaah built the Fish Gate; they laid its beams and hung its doors with its bolts and bars.
4And next to them Meremoth the son of Urijah, the son of Koz, made repairs. Next to them Meshullam the son of Berechiah, the son of Meshezabel, made repairs. Next to them Zadok the son of Baana made repairs.
5Next to them the Tekoites made repairs; but their nobles did not put their shoulders to the work of their Lord.
6Moreover Jehoiada the son of Paseah and Meshullam the son of Besodeiah repaired the Old Gate; they laid its beams and hung its doors, with its bolts and bars.
7And next to them Melatiah the Gibeonite, Jadon the Meronothite, the men of Gibeon and Mizpah, repaired the residence of the governor of the region beyond the River.
8Next to him Uzziel the son of Harhaiah, one of the goldsmiths, made repairs. Also next to him Hananiah, one of the perfumers, made repairs; and they fortified Jerusalem as far as the Broad Wall.
9And next to them Rephaiah the son of Hur, leader of half the district of Jerusalem, made repairs.
10Next to them Jedaiah the son of Harumaph made repairs in front of his house. And next to him Hattush the son of Hashabniah made repairs.
11Malchijah the son of Harim and Hashub the son of Pahath-Moab repaired another section, as well as the Tower of the Ovens.
12And next to him was Shallum the son of Hallohesh, leader of half the district of Jerusalem; he and his daughters made repairs.
15Shallun the son of Col-Hozeh, leader of the district of Mizpah, repaired the Fountain Gate; he built it, covered it, hung its doors with its bolts and bars, and repaired the wall of the Pool of Shelah by the King’s Garden, as far as the stairs that go down from the City of David.
16After him Nehemiah the son of Azbuk, leader of half the district of Beth Zur, made repairs as far as the place in front of the tombs of David, to the man-made pool, and as far as the House of the Mighty.
17After him the Levites, under Rehum the son of Bani, made repairs. Next to him Hashabiah, leader of half the district of Keilah, made repairs for his district.
18After him their brethren, under Bavai the son of Henadad, leader of the other half of the district of Keilah, made repairs.
19And next to him Ezer the son of Jeshua, the leader of Mizpah, repaired another section in front of the Ascent to the Armory at the buttress.
20After him Baruch the son of Zabbai carefully repaired the other section, from the buttress to the door of the house of Eliashib the high priest.
21After him Meremoth the son of Urijah, the son of Koz, repaired another section, from the door of the house of Eliashib to the end of the house of Eliashib.
22And after him the priests, the men of the plain, made repairs.
23After him Benjamin and Hasshub made repairs opposite their house. After them Azariah the son of Maaseiah, the son of Ananiah, made repairs by his house.
24After him Binnui the son of Henadad repaired another section, from the house of Azariah to the buttress, even as far as the corner.
25Palal the son of Uzai made repairs opposite the buttress, and on the tower which projects from the king’s upper house that was by the court of the prison. After him Pedaiah the son of Parosh made repairs.
26Moreover the Nethinim who dwelt in Ophel made repairs as far as the place in front of the Water Gate toward the east, and on the projecting tower.
27After them the Tekoites repaired another section, next to the great projecting tower, and as far as the wall of Ophel.
28Beyond the Horse Gate the priests made repairs, each in front of his own house.
29After them Zadok the son of Immer made repairs in front of his own house. After him Shemaiah the son of Shechaniah, the keeper of the East Gate, made repairs.
30After him Hananiah the son of Shelemiah, and Hanun, the sixth son of Zalaph, repaired another section. After him Meshullam the son of Berechiah made repairs in front of his dwelling.
31After him Malchijah, one of the goldsmiths, made repairs as far as the house of the Nethinim and of the merchants, in front of the Miphkad Gate, and as far as the upper room at the corner.
32And between the upper room at the corner, as far as the Sheep Gate, the goldsmiths and the merchants made repairs.
Chapter 4
1But it so happened, when Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, that he was furious and very indignant, and mocked the Jews. 2And he spoke before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, “What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they fortify themselves? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they complete it in a day? Will they revive the stones from the heaps of rubbish— stones that are burned?”
4Hear, O our God, for we are despised; turn their reproach on their own heads, and give them as plunder to a land of captivity!
5Do not cover their iniquity, and do not let their sin be blotted out from before You; for they have provoked You to anger before the builders.
7Now it happened, when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites heard that the walls of Jerusalem were being restored and the gaps were beginning to be closed, that they became very angry,
8and all of them conspired together to come and attack Jerusalem and create confusion.
9Nevertheless we made our prayer to our God, and because of them we set a watch against them day and night.
13Therefore I positioned men behind the lower parts of the wall, at the openings; and I set the people according to their families, with their swords, their spears, and their bows.
14And I looked, and arose and said to the nobles, to the leaders, and to the rest of the people, “Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, great and awesome, and fight for your brethren, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses.”
15And it happened, when our enemies heard that it was known to us, and that God had brought their plot to nothing, that all of us returned to the wall, everyone to his work.
16So it was, from that time on, that half of my servants worked at construction, while the other half held the spears, the shields, the bows, and wore armor; and the leaders were behind all the house of Judah.
17Those who built on the wall, and those who carried burdens, loaded themselves so that with one hand they worked at construction, and with the other held a weapon.
18Every one of the builders had his sword girded at his side as he built. And the one who sounded the trumpet was beside me.
19Then I said to the nobles, the rulers, and the rest of the people, “The work is great and extensive, and we are separated far from one another on the wall.
20Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us.”
21So we labored in the work, and half of the men held the spears from daybreak until the stars appeared.
22At the same time I also said to the people, “Let each man and his servant stay at night in Jerusalem, that they may be our guard by night and a working party by day.”
23So neither I, my brethren, my servants, nor the men of the guard who followed me took off our clothes, except that everyone took them off for washing.
Chapter 5
1And there was a great outcry of the people and their wives against their Jewish brethren. 2For there were those who said, “We, our sons, and our daughters are many; therefore let us get grain, that we may eat and live.”
4There were also those who said, “We have borrowed money for the king’s tax on our lands and vineyards.
5Yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren, our children as their children; and indeed we are forcing our sons and our daughters to be slaves, and some of our daughters have been brought into slavery. It is not in our power to redeem them, for other men have our lands and vineyards.”
6And I became very angry when I heard their outcry and these words.
7After serious thought, I rebuked the nobles and rulers, and said to them, “Each of you is exacting usury from his brother.” So I called a great assembly against them.
8And I said to them, “According to our ability we have redeemed our Jewish brethren who were sold to the nations. Now indeed, will you even sell your brethren? Or should they be sold to us?” Then they were silenced and found nothing to say.
9Then I said, “What you are doing is not good. Should you not walk in the fear of our God because of the reproach of the nations, our enemies?
10I also, with my brethren and my servants, am lending them money and grain. Please, let us stop this usury!
11Restore now to them, even this day, their lands, their vineyards, their olive groves, and their houses, also a hundredth of the money and the grain, the new wine and the oil, that you have charged them.”
14Moreover, from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year until the thirty-second year of King Artaxerxes, twelve years, neither I nor my brothers ate the governor’s provisions.
15But the former governors who were before me laid burdens on the people, and took from them bread and wine, besides forty shekels of silver. Yes, even their servants bore rule over the people, but I did not do so, because of the fear of God.
16Indeed, I also continued the work on this wall, and we did not buy any land. All my servants were gathered there for the work.
17And at my table were one hundred and fifty Jews and rulers, besides those who came to us from the nations around us.
18Now that which was prepared daily was one ox and six choice sheep. Also fowl were prepared for me, and once every ten days an abundance of all kinds of wine. Yet in spite of this I did not demand the governor’s provisions, because the bondage was heavy on this people.
Chapter 6
1Now it happened when Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab, and the rest of our enemies heard that I had rebuilt the wall, and that there were no breaks left in it (though at that time I had not hung the doors in the gates), 2that Sanballat and Geshem sent to me, saying, “Come, let us meet together among the villages in the plain of Ono.” But they thought to do me harm.
6In it was written: It is reported among the nations, and Geshem says, that you and the Jews plan to rebel; therefore, according to these rumors, you are rebuilding the wall, that you may be their king.
7And you have also appointed prophets to proclaim concerning you at Jerusalem, saying, “ There is a king in Judah!” Now these matters will be reported to the king. So come, therefore, and let us consult together.
11And I said, “Should such a man as I flee? And who is there such as I who would go into the temple to save his life? I will not go in!”
12Then I perceived that God had not sent him at all, but that he pronounced this prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.
13For this reason he was hired, that I should be afraid and act that way and sin, so that they might have cause for an evil report, that they might reproach me.
15So the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of Elul, in fifty-two days.
16And it happened, when all our enemies heard of it, and all the nations around us saw these things, that they were very disheartened in their own eyes; for they perceived that this work was done by our God.
17Also in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah, and the letters of Tobiah came to them.
18For many in Judah were pledged to him, because he was the son-in-law of Shechaniah the son of Arah, and his son Jehohanan had married the daughter of Meshullam the son of Berechiah.
19Also they reported his good deeds before me, and reported my words to him. Tobiah sent letters to frighten me.
Chapter 7
1Then it was, when the wall was built and I had hung the doors, when the gatekeepers, the singers, and the Levites had been appointed, 2that I gave the charge of Jerusalem to my brother Hanani, and Hananiah the leader of the citadel, for he was a faithful man and feared God more than many.
4Now the city was large and spacious, but the people in it were few, and the houses were not rebuilt.
5Then my God put it into my heart to gather the nobles, the rulers, and the people, that they might be registered by genealogy. And I found a register of the genealogy of those who had come up in the first return, and found written in it:
6 These are the people of the province who came back from the captivity, of those who had been carried away, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away, and who returned to Jerusalem and Judah, everyone to his city.
7Those who came with Zerubbabel were Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, and Baanah. The number of the men of the people of Israel:
8the sons of Parosh, two thousand one hundred and seventy-two;
9the sons of Shephatiah, three hundred and seventy-two;
10the sons of Arah, six hundred and fifty-two;
11the sons of Pahath-Moab, of the sons of Jeshua and Joab, two thousand eight hundred and eighteen;
12the sons of Elam, one thousand two hundred and fifty-four;
13the sons of Zattu, eight hundred and forty-five;
14the sons of Zaccai, seven hundred and sixty;
15the sons of Binnui, six hundred and forty-eight;
16the sons of Bebai, six hundred and twenty-eight;
17the sons of Azgad, two thousand three hundred and twenty-two;
18the sons of Adonikam, six hundred and sixty-seven;
19the sons of Bigvai, two thousand and sixty-seven;
20the sons of Adin, six hundred and fifty-five;
21the sons of Ater of Hezekiah, ninety-eight;
22the sons of Hashum, three hundred and twenty-eight;
23the sons of Bezai, three hundred and twenty-four;
24the sons of Hariph, one hundred and twelve;
25the sons of Gibeon, ninety-five;
26the men of Bethlehem and Netophah, one hundred and eighty-eight;
27the men of Anathoth, one hundred and twenty-eight;
28the men of Beth Azmaveth, forty-two;
29the men of Kirjath Jearim, Chephirah, and Beeroth, seven hundred and forty-three;
30the men of Ramah and Geba, six hundred and twenty-one;
31the men of Michmas, one hundred and twenty-two;
32the men of Bethel and Ai, one hundred and twenty-three;
33the men of the other Nebo, fifty-two;
34the sons of the other Elam, one thousand two hundred and fifty-four;
35the sons of Harim, three hundred and twenty;
36the sons of Jericho, three hundred and forty-five;
37the sons of Lod, Hadid, and Ono, seven hundred and twenty-one;
38the sons of Senaah, three thousand nine hundred and thirty.
39The priests: the sons of Jedaiah, of the house of Jeshua, nine hundred and seventy-three;
40the sons of Immer, one thousand and fifty-two;
41the sons of Pashhur, one thousand two hundred and forty-seven;
42the sons of Harim, one thousand and seventeen.
43The Levites: the sons of Jeshua, of Kadmiel, and of the sons of Hodevah, seventy-four.
44The singers: the sons of Asaph, one hundred and forty-eight.
45The 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, one hundred and thirty-eight.
46The Nethinim: the sons of Ziha, the sons of Hasupha, the sons of Tabbaoth,
47the sons of Keros, the sons of Sia, the sons of Padon,
48the sons of Lebana, the sons of Hagaba, the sons of Salmai,
49the sons of Hanan, the sons of Giddel, the sons of Gahar,
50the sons of Reaiah, the sons of Rezin, the sons of Nekoda,
51the sons of Gazzam, the sons of Uzza, the sons of Paseah,
52the sons of Besai, the sons of Meunim, the sons of Nephishesim,
53the sons of Bakbuk, the sons of Hakupha, the sons of Harhur,
54the sons of Bazlith, the sons of Mehida, the sons of Harsha,
55the sons of Barkos, the sons of Sisera, the sons of Tamah,
56the sons of Neziah, and the sons of Hatipha.
57The sons of Solomon’s servants: the sons of Sotai, the sons of Sophereth, the sons of Perida,
58the sons of Jaala, the sons of Darkon, the sons of Giddel,
59the sons of Shephatiah, the sons of Hattil, the sons of Pochereth of Zebaim, and the sons of Amon.
60All the Nethinim, and the sons of Solomon’s servants, were three hundred and ninety-two.
61And these were the ones who came up from Tel Melah, Tel Harsha, Cherub, Addon, and Immer, but they could not identify their father’s house nor their lineage, whether they were of Israel:
62the sons of Delaiah, the sons of Tobiah, the sons of Nekoda, six hundred and forty-two;
63and of the priests: the sons of Habaiah, the sons of Koz, the sons of Barzillai, who took a wife of the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite, and was called by their name.
64These sought their listing among those who were registered by genealogy, but it was not found; therefore they were excluded from the priesthood as defiled.
65And the governor said to them that they should not eat of the most holy things till a priest could consult with the Urim and Thummim.
66Altogether the whole assembly was forty-two thousand three hundred and sixty,
67besides their male and female servants, of whom there were seven thousand three hundred and thirty-seven; and they had two hundred and forty-five men and women singers.
68Their horses were seven hundred and thirty-six, their mules two hundred and forty-five,
69 their camels four hundred and thirty-five, and donkeys six thousand seven hundred and twenty.
70And some of the heads of the fathers’ houses gave to the work. The governor gave to the treasury one thousand gold drachmas, fifty basins, and five hundred and thirty priestly garments.
71Some of the heads of the fathers’ houses gave to the treasury of the work twenty thousand gold drachmas, and two thousand two hundred silver minas.
72And that which the rest of the people gave was twenty thousand gold drachmas, two thousand silver minas, and sixty-seven priestly garments.
