Nehemiah 5-9

Nehemiah 5

¹Then there arose 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: let us get corn, that we may eat and live.

³Some also there were that said, We are mortgaging our fields, and our vineyards, and our houses: let us get corn, because of the dearth.

⁴There were also that said, We have borrowed money for the king’s tribute upon our fields and our 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 into bondage already: neither is it in our power to help it; for other men have our fields and our vineyards.

⁶And I was very angry when I heard their cry and these words.

⁷Then I consulted with myself, and contended with the nobles and the rulers, and said unto them, Ye exact usury, every one of his brother. And I held 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 would ye even sell your brethren, and should they be sold unto us? Then held they their peace, and found never a word.

⁹Also I said, The thing that ye do is not good: ought ye not to walk in the fear of our God, because of the reproach of the heathen our enemies?

¹⁰And I likewise, my brethren and my servants, do lend them money and corn on usury. I pray you, let us leave off this usury.

¹¹Restore, I pray you, to them, even this day, their fields, 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, even 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 out 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 were before me were chargeable unto the people, and took 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 of the Jews and the rulers an hundred and fifty men, beside those that came unto us from among the heathen that were round about us.

¹⁸Now that which was prepared for one day 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 I demanded not the bread of the governor, because the bondage was heavy upon this people.

¹⁹Remember unto me, O my God, for good, all that I have done for this people.

Nehemiah 6

¹Now it came to pass, when it was reported to Sanballat and Tobiah, and to Geshem the Arabian, and unto the rest of our enemies, that I had builded the wall, and that there was no breach left therein; (though even unto that time I had not set up the doors in the gates;)

²that Sanballat and Geshem sent unto me, saying, Come, let us meet together in 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?

⁴And 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 nations, and Gashmu saith it, that thou and the Jews think to rebel; for which cause thou buildest the wall: and thou wouldest 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.

⁸Then I sent unto him, saying, There are no such things done as thou sayest, but thou feignest them out of thine own heart.

⁹For they all would have made us afraid, saying, Their hands shall be weakened from the work, that it be not done. But now, O God, strengthen thou my hands.

¹⁰And I went unto the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah the son of Mehetabel, who was shut up; and he said, Let us meet together in the house of God, within the temple, and let us shut the doors of the temple: for they will come to slay thee; yea, in the night will they come to slay thee.

¹¹And I said, Should such a man as I flee? and who is there, that, being such as I, would go into the temple to save his life? I will not go in.

¹²And I discerned, and, lo, God had not sent him: but he pronounced this prophecy against me: and Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.

¹³For this cause 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.

¹⁴Remember, O my God, Tobiah and Sanballat according to these their works, and also 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, when all our enemies heard thereof, that all the heathen that were about us feared, and 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 Shecaniah the son of Arah; and his son Jehohanan had taken the daughter of Meshullam the son of Berechiah to wife.

¹⁹Also they spake of his good deeds before me, and reported my words to him. And Tobiah sent letters to put me in fear.

Nehemiah 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 governor of the castle, 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 on guard, let them shut the doors, and bar ye 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 wide and large: but the people were few therein, and the houses were not builded.

⁵And my God put into my heart to gather together the nobles, and the rulers, and the people, that they might be reckoned by genealogy. And I found the book of the genealogy of them which came up at the first, and I 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 that returned unto 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 of the men of the people of Israel:

⁸The children of Parosh, two thousand an hundred and seventy and two.

⁹The children of Shephatiah, three hundred seventy and two.

¹⁰The children of Arah, six hundred fifty and two.

¹¹The children of Pahath-moab, of the children of Jeshua and Joab, two thousand and eight hundred and eighteen.

¹²The children of Elam, a thousand two hundred fifty and four.

¹³The children of Zattu, eight hundred forty and five.

¹⁴The children of Zaccai, seven hundred and threescore.

¹⁵The children of Binnui, six hundred forty and eight.

¹⁶The children of Bebai, six hundred twenty and eight.

¹⁷The children of Azgad, two thousand three hundred twenty and two.

¹⁸The children of Adonikam, six hundred threescore and seven.

¹⁹The children of Bigvai, two thousand threescore and seven.

²⁰The children of Adin, six hundred fifty and five.

²¹The children of Ater, of Hezekiah, ninety and eight.

²²The children of Hashum, three hundred twenty and eight.

²³The children of Bezai, three hundred twenty and four.

²⁴The children of Hariph, an hundred and twelve.

²⁵The children of Gibeon, ninety and five.

²⁶The men of Beth-lehem and Netophah, an hundred fourscore and eight.

²⁷The men of Anathoth, an hundred twenty and eight.

²⁸The men of Beth-azmaveth, forty and two.

²⁹The men of Kirjath-jearim, Chephirah, and Beeroth, seven hundred forty and three.

³⁰The men of Ramah and Geba, six hundred twenty and one.

³¹The men of Michmas, an hundred and twenty and two.

³²The men of Beth-el and Ai, an hundred twenty and three.

³³The men of the other Nebo, fifty and two.

³⁴The children of the other Elam, a thousand two hundred fifty and four.

³⁵The children of Harim, three hundred and twenty.

³⁶The children of Jericho, three hundred forty and five.

³⁷The children of Lod, Hadid, and Ono, seven hundred twenty and one.

³⁸The children of Senaah, three thousand nine hundred and thirty.

³⁹The priests: the children of Jedaiah, of the house of Jeshua, nine hundred seventy and three.

⁴⁰The children of Immer, a thousand fifty and two.

⁴¹The children of Pashhur, a thousand two hundred forty and seven.

⁴²The children of Harim, a thousand and seventeen.

⁴³The Levites: the children of Jeshua, of Kadmiel, of the children of Hodevah, seventy and four.

⁴⁴The singers: the children of Asaph, an hundred forty and eight.

⁴⁵The porters: the children of Shallum, the children of Ater, the children of Talmon, the children of Akkub, the children of Hatita, the children of Shobai, an hundred thirty and eight.

⁴⁶The Nethinim: the children of Ziha, the children of Hasupha, 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 Salmai;

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 Paseah;

⁵²The children of Besai, the children of Meunim, the children of Nephushesim;

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 Temah;

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-hazzebaim, the children of Amon.

⁶⁰All the Nethinim, and the children of Solomon’s servants, were three hundred ninety and two.

⁶¹And these were they which went up from Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Cherub, Addon, and Immer: but they could not shew their fathers’ houses, nor their seed, whether they were of Israel:

⁶²The children of Delaiah, the children of Tobiah, the children of Nekoda, six hundred forty and two.

⁶³And of the priests: the children of Hobaiah, the children of Hakkoz, the children of Barzillai, which took a wife of the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite, 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 deemed polluted and 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 menservants 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 were seven hundred thirty and six; their mules, two hundred forty and five;

⁶⁹their camels, four hundred thirty and five; their asses, six thousand seven hundred and twenty.

⁷⁰And some from among the heads of fathers’ houses gave unto the work. The Tirshatha gave to the treasury a thousand darics of gold, fifty basons, five hundred and thirty priests’ garments.

⁷¹And some of the heads of fathers’ houses gave into the treasury of the work twenty thousand darics of gold, and two thousand and two hundred pounds of silver.

⁷²And that which the rest of the people gave was twenty thousand darics of gold, and two thousand pounds of silver, and threescore and seven priests’ garments.

⁷³So the priests, and the Levites, and the porters, and the singers, and some of the people, and the Nethinim, and all Israel, dwelt in their cities. And when the seventh month was come, the children of Israel were in their cities.

Nehemiah 8

¹And all the people gathered themselves together as one man into the broad place that was before the water gate; and they spake unto Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded to Israel.

²And Ezra the priest brought the law before the congregation, both men and women, and all that could hear with understanding, upon the first day of the seventh month.

³And he read therein before the broad place that was before the water gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women, and of those that could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive unto the book of the law.

⁴And Ezra the scribe stood upon a pulpit of wood, which they had made for the purpose; and beside him stood Mattithiah, and Shema, and Anaiah, and Uriah, and Hilkiah, and Maaseiah, on his right hand; and on his left hand, Pedaiah, and Mishael, and Malchijah, and Hashum, and Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam.

⁵And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people; (for he was above all the people;) and when he opened it, all the people stood up:

⁶and Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God. And all the people answered, Amen, Amen, with the lifting up of their hands: and they bowed their heads, and worshipped the LORD with their faces to the ground.

⁷Also Jeshua, and Bani, and Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites, caused the people to understand the law: and the people stood in their place.

⁸And they read in the book, in the law of God, distinctly; and they gave the sense, so that they understood the reading.

⁹And Nehemiah, which was the Tirshatha, and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites that taught the people, said unto all the people, This day is holy unto the LORD your God; mourn not, nor weep. For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law.

¹⁰Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto him for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye grieved; for the joy of the LORD is your strength.

¹¹So the Levites stilled all the people, saying, Hold your peace, for the day is holy; neither be ye grieved.

¹²And all the people went their way to eat, and to drink, and to send portions, and to make great mirth, because they had understood the words that were declared unto them.

¹³And on the second day were gathered together the heads of fathers’ houses of all the people, the priests, and the Levites, unto Ezra the scribe, even to give attention to the words of the law.

¹⁴And they found written in the law, how that the LORD had commanded by Moses, that the children of Israel should dwell in booths in the feast of the seventh month:

¹⁵and that they should publish and proclaim in all their cities, and in Jerusalem, saying, Go forth unto the mount, and fetch olive branches, and branches of wild olive, and myrtle branches, and palm branches, and branches of thick trees, to make booths, as it is written.

¹⁶So the people went forth, and brought them, and made themselves booths, every one upon the roof of his house, and in their courts, and in the courts of the house of God, and in the broad place of the water gate, and in the broad place of the gate of Ephraim.

¹⁷And all the congregation of them that were come again out of the captivity made booths, and dwelt in the booths: for since the days of Jeshua the son of Nun unto that day had not the children of Israel done so. And there was very great gladness.

¹⁸Also day by day, from the first day unto the last day, he read in the book of the law of God. And they kept the feast seven days; and on the eighth day was a solemn assembly according unto the ordinance.

Nehemiah 9

¹Now in the twenty and fourth day of this month the children of Israel were assembled with fasting, and with sackcloth, and earth upon them.

²And the seed of Israel separated themselves from all strangers, and stood and confessed their sins, and the iniquities of their fathers.

³And they stood up in their place, and read in the book of the law of the LORD their God a fourth part of the day; and another fourth part they confessed, and worshipped the LORD their God.

⁴Then stood up upon the stairs of the Levites, Jeshua, and Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Chenani, and cried with a loud voice unto the LORD their God.

⁵Then the Levites, Jeshua, and Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah, said, Stand up and bless the LORD your God from everlasting to everlasting: and blessed be thy glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise.

⁶Thou art the LORD, even thou alone; thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and all things that are thereon, the seas and all that is in them, and thou preservest them all; and the host of heaven worshippeth thee.

⁷Then art the LORD the God, who didst choose Abram and broughtest him forth out of Ur of the Chaldees, and gavest him the name of Abraham;

⁸and foundest his heart faithful before thee, and madest a covenant with him to give the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, and the Perizzite, and the Jebusite, and the Girgashite, even to give it unto his seed, and hast performed thy words; for thou art righteous.

⁹And thou sawest the affliction of our fathers in Egypt, and heardest their cry by the Red Sea;

¹⁰and shewedst signs and wonders upon Pharaoh, and on all his servants, and on all the people of his land; for thou knewest that they dealt proudly against them; and didst get thee a name, as it is this day.

¹¹And thou didst divide the sea before them, so that they went through the midst of the sea on the dry land; and their pursuers thou didst cast into the depths, as a stone into the mighty waters.

¹²Moreover thou leddest them in a pillar of cloud by day; and in a pillar of fire by night, to give them light in the way wherein they should go.

¹³Thou camest down also upon mount Sinai, and spakest with them from heaven, and gavest them right judgments and true laws, good statutes and commandments:

¹⁴and madest known unto them thy holy sabbath, and commandedst them commandments, and statutes, and a law, by the hand of Moses thy servant:

¹⁵and gavest them bread from heaven for their hunger, and broughtest forth water for them out of the rock for their thirst, and commandedst them that they should go in to possess the land which thou hadst lifted up thine hand to give them.

¹⁶But they and our fathers dealt proudly, and hardened their neck, and hearkened not to thy commandments,

¹⁷and refused to obey, neither were mindful of thy wonders that thou didst among them; but hardened their neck, and in their rebellion appointed a captain to return to their bondage: but thou art a God ready to pardon, gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy, and forsookest them not.

¹⁸Yea, when they had made them a molten calf, and said, This is thy God that brought thee up out of Egypt, and had wrought great provocations;

¹⁹yet thou in thy manifold mercies forsookest them not in the wilderness: the pillar of cloud departed not from over them by day, to lead them in the way; neither the pillar of fire by night, to shew them light, and the way wherein they should go.

²⁰Thou gavest also thy good spirit to instruct them, and withheldest not thy manna from their mouth, and gavest them water for their thirst.

²¹Yea, forty years didst thou sustain them in the wilderness, and they lacked nothing; their clothes waxed not old, and their feet swelled not.

²²Moreover thou gavest them kingdoms and peoples, which thou didst allot after their portions: so they possessed the land of Sihon, even the land of the king of Heshbon, and the land of Og king of Bashan.

²³Their children also multipliedst thou as the stars of heaven, and broughtest them into the land, concerning which thou didst say to their fathers, that they should go in to possess it.

²⁴So the children went in and possessed the land, and thou subduedst before them the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, and gavest them into their hands, with their kings, and the peoples of the land, that they might do with them as they would.

²⁵And they took fenced cities, and a fat land and possessed houses full of good things, cisterns hewn out, vineyards, and oliveyards, and fruit trees in abundance: so they did eat, and were filled, and became fat, and delighted themselves in thy great goodness.

²⁶Nevertheless they were disobedient, and rebelled against thee, and cast thy law behind their back, and slew thy prophets which testified against them to turn them again unto thee, and they wrought great provocations.

²⁷Therefore thou deliveredst them into the hand of their adversaries, who distressed them: and in the time of their trouble, when they cried unto thee, thou heardest from heaven; and according to thy manifold mercies thou gavest them saviours who saved them out of the hand of their adversaries.

²⁸But after they had rest, they did evil again before thee: therefore leftest thou them in the hand of their enemies, so that they had the dominion over them: yet when they returned, and cried unto thee, thou heardest from heaven; and many times didst thou deliver them according to thy mercies;

²⁹and testifiedst against them, that thou mightest bring them again unto thy law: yet they dealt proudly, and hearkened not unto thy commandments, but sinned against thy judgments, (which if a man do, he shall live in them,) and withdrew the shoulder, and hardened their neck, and would not hear.

³⁰Yet many years didst thou bear with them, and testifiedst against them by thy spirit through thy prophets: yet would they not give ear: therefore gavest thou them into the hand of the peoples of the lands.

³¹Nevertheless in thy manifold mercies thou didst not make a full end of them, nor forsake them; for thou art a gracious and merciful God.

³²Now therefore, our God, the great, the mighty, and the terrible God, who keepest covenant and mercy, let not all the travail seem little before thee, that hath come upon us, on our kings, on our princes, and on our priests, and on our prophets, and on our fathers; and on all thy people, since the time of the kings of Assyria unto this day.

³³Howbeit thou art just in all that is come upon us; for thou hast dealt truly, but we have done wickedly:

³⁴neither have our kings, our princes, our priests, nor our fathers, kept thy law, nor hearkened unto thy commandments and thy testimonies, wherewith thou didst testify against them.

³⁵For they have not served thee in their kingdom, and in thy great goodness that thou gavest them, and in the large and fat land which thou gavest before them, neither turned they from their wicked works.

³⁶Behold, we are servants this day, and as for the land that thou gavest unto our fathers to eat the fruit thereof and the good thereof, behold, we are servants in it.

³⁷And it yieldeth much increase unto the kings whom thou hast set over us because of our sins: also they have power over our bodies, and over our cattle, at their pleasure, and we are in great distress.

³⁸And yet for all this we make a sure covenant, and write it; and our princes, our Levites, and our priests, seal unto it.