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Nehemiah
1 |
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The
words of Nehemiah son of Hacaliah: In the month of Kislev in the
twentieth year, while I was in the citadel of Susa, {2} Hanani,
one of my brothers, came from Judah with some other men, and I
questioned them about the Jewish remnant that survived the exile, and
also about Jerusalem. {3} They said to me, "Those who survived
the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and
disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been
burned with fire." {4} When I heard these things, I sat down and
wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of
heaven. {5} Then I said: "O LORD, God of heaven, the great and
awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and
obey his commands, {6} let your ear be attentive and your eyes
open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night
for your servants, the people of Israel. I confess the sins we
Israelites, including myself and my father's house, have committed
against you. {7} We have acted very wickedly toward you. We have
not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses.
{8} "Remember the instruction you gave your servant Moses, saying,
'If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations, {9}
but if you return to me and obey my commands, then even if your exiled
people are at the farthest horizon, I will gather them from there and
bring them to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for my Name.'
{10} "They are your servants and your people, whom you redeemed by
your great strength and your mighty hand. {11} O Lord, let your
ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer of
your servants who delight in revering your name. Give your servant
success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man." I was
cupbearer to the king. |
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Nehemiah
2 |
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In
the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine
was brought for him, I took the wine and gave it to the king. I had not
been sad in his presence before; {2} so 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, {3} but I said to the
king, "May the king live forever! Why should my face not look sad when
the city where my fathers are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have
been destroyed by fire?" {4} The king said to me, "What is it you
want?" Then I prayed to the God of heaven, {5} and 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 fathers are buried
so that I can rebuild it." {6} Then the king, with the queen
sitting beside him, asked me, "How long will your journey take, and when
will you get back?" It pleased the king to send me; so I set a time.
{7} I 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? {8} And may I have a letter
to Asaph, keeper of the king's forest, 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 upon me, the king granted my requests. {9} So 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. {10}
When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard about
this, they were very much disturbed that someone had come to promote the
welfare of the Israelites. {11} I went to Jerusalem, and after
staying there three days {12} I set out during the night with a
few men. 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.
{13} By 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. {14}
Then I moved on toward the Fountain Gate and the King's Pool, but
there was not enough room for my mount to get through; {15} so I
went up the valley by night, examining the wall. Finally, I turned back
and reentered through the Valley Gate. {16} The 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. {17} Then I said to them, "You see
the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been
burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we
will no longer be in disgrace." {18} I also told them about the
gracious hand of my God upon me and what the king had said to me. They
replied, "Let us start rebuilding." So they began this good work.
{19} But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official
and Geshem the Arab heard about it, they mocked and ridiculed us. "What
is this you are doing?" they asked. "Are you rebelling against the
king?" {20} I answered them by saying, "The God of heaven will
give us success. We his servants will start rebuilding, but as for you,
you have no share in Jerusalem or any claim or historic right to it." |
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Nehemiah 3 |
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Eliashib 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. {2} The men of Jericho built the adjoining
section, and Zaccur son of Imri built next to them. {3} The Fish
Gate was rebuilt by the sons of Hassenaah. They laid its beams and put
its doors and bolts and bars in place. {4} Meremoth 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. {5} The next section was repaired
by the men of Tekoa, but their nobles would not put their shoulders to
the work under their supervisors. {6} The Jeshanah Gate was
repaired by Joiada son of Paseah and Meshullam son of Besodeiah. They
laid its beams and put its doors and bolts and bars in place. {7}
Next 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. {8} Uzziel 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. {9} Rephaiah son of Hur, ruler of a
half-district of Jerusalem, repaired the next section. {10}
Adjoining this, Jedaiah son of Harumaph made repairs opposite his house,
and Hattush son of Hashabneiah made repairs next to him. {11}
Malkijah son of Harim and Hasshub son of Pahath-Moab repaired another
section and the Tower of the Ovens. {12} Shallum son of Hallohesh,
ruler of a half-district of Jerusalem, repaired the next section with
the help of his daughters. {13} The Valley Gate was repaired by
Hanun and the residents of Zanoah. They rebuilt it and put its doors and
bolts and bars in place. They also repaired five hundred yards of the
wall as far as the Dung Gate. {14} The Dung Gate was repaired by
Malkijah son of Recab, ruler of the district of Beth Hakkerem. He
rebuilt it and put its doors and bolts and bars in place. {15}
The Fountain Gate was repaired by Shallun son of Col-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. {16} Beyond 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.
{17} Next 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. {18} Next to him, the
repairs were made by their countrymen under Binnui son of Henadad, ruler
of the other half-district of Keilah. {19} Next 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. {20} Next to
him, Baruch son of Zabbai zealously repaired another section, from the
angle to the entrance of the house of Eliashib the high priest. {21}
Next 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.
{22} The repairs next to him were made by the priests from the
surrounding region. {23} Beyond 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. {24}
Next to him, Binnui son of Henadad repaired another section, from
Azariah's house to the angle and the corner, {25} and 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 {26} and 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. {27} Next to them, the men of Tekoa
repaired another section, from the great projecting tower to the wall of
Ophel. {28} Above the Horse Gate, the priests made repairs, each
in front of his own house. {29} Next to them, Zadok son of Immer
made repairs opposite his house. Next to him, Shemaiah son of Shecaniah,
the guard at the East Gate, made repairs. {30} Next 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. {31} Next 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; {32} and between the room above the corner and
the Sheep Gate the goldsmiths and merchants made repairs. |
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Nehemiah
4 |
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When
Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became angry and
was greatly incensed. He ridiculed the Jews, {2} and 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?" {3} Tobiah
the Ammonite, who was at his side, said, "What they are building--if
even a fox climbed up on it, he would break down their wall of stones!"
{4} Hear us, O our God, for we are despised. Turn their insults back
on their own heads. Give them over as plunder in a land of captivity.
{5} Do not cover up their guilt or blot out their sins from your
sight, for they have thrown insults in the face of the builders. {6}
So we rebuilt the wall till all of it reached half its height, for
the people worked with all their heart. {7} But when Sanballat,
Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites and the men of Ashdod heard that the
repairs to Jerusalem's walls had gone ahead and that the gaps were being
closed, they were very angry. {8} They all plotted together to
come and fight against Jerusalem and stir up trouble against it. {9}
But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet
this threat. {10} Meanwhile, the people in Judah said, "The
strength of the labourers is giving out, and there is so much rubble
that we cannot rebuild the wall." {11} Also our enemies said,
"Before they know it or see us, we will be right there among them and
will kill them and put an end to the work." {12} Then the Jews
who lived near them came and told us ten times over, "Wherever you turn,
they will attack us." {13} Therefore 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. {14}
After 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 brothers, your
sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes." {15} When
our enemies heard that we were aware of their plot and that God had
frustrated it, we all returned to the wall, each to his own work.
{16} From 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 {17} who were
building the wall. Those who carried materials did their work with one
hand and held a weapon in the other, {18} and each of the
builders wore his sword at his side as he worked. But the man who
sounded the trumpet stayed with me. {19} Then 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. {20} Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, join us
there. Our God will fight for us!" {21} So we continued the work
with half the men holding spears, from the first light of dawn till the
stars came out. {22} At 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 workmen by day." {23} Neither
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. |
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Nehemiah 5 |
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Now
the men and their wives raised a great outcry against their Jewish
brothers. {2} Some were saying, "We and our sons and daughters
are numerous; in order for us to eat and stay alive, we must get grain."
{3} Others were saying, "We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards
and our homes to get grain during the famine." {4} Still others
were saying, "We have had to borrow money to pay the king's tax on our
fields and vineyards. {5} Although we are of the same flesh and
blood as our countrymen and though our sons 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." {6} When I heard
their outcry and these charges, I was very angry. {7} I pondered
them in my mind and then accused the nobles and officials. I told them,
"You are exacting usury from your own countrymen!" So I called together
a large meeting to deal with them {8} and said: "As far as
possible, we have bought back our Jewish brothers who were sold to the
Gentiles. Now you are selling your brothers, only for them to be sold
back to us!" They kept quiet, because they could find nothing to say.
{9} So 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? {10} I and my brothers and my men are also lending the
people money and grain. But let the exacting of usury stop! {11}
Give back to them immediately their fields, vineyards, olive groves and
houses, and also the usury you are charging them--the hundredth part of
the money, grain, new wine and oil." {12} "We will give it back,"
they said. "And we will not demand anything more from them. We will do
as you say." Then I summoned the priests and made the nobles and
officials take an oath to do what they had promised. {13} I also
shook out the folds of my robe and said, "In this way may God shake out
of his house and possessions every man who does not keep this promise.
So may such a man be shaken out and emptied!" At this the whole assembly
said, "Amen," and praised the LORD. And the people did as they had
promised. {14} Moreover, 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. {15} But 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. {16} Instead, I
devoted myself to the work on this wall. All my men were assembled there
for the work; we did not acquire any land. {17} Furthermore, a
hundred and fifty Jews and officials ate at my table, as well as those
who came to us from the surrounding nations. {18} Each 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. {19} Remember me with favor, O my
God, for all I have done for these people. |
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Nehemiah 6 |
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When
word came to Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab and the rest of our
enemies that I had rebuilt the wall and not a gap was left in it--though
up to that time I had not set the doors in the gates-- {2}
Sanballat 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; {3} so 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?" {4} Four times they sent me
the same message, and each time I gave them the same answer. {5}
Then, the fifth time, Sanballat sent his aide to me with the same
message, and in his hand was an unsealed letter {6} in 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 {7} and 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
confer together." {8} I sent him this reply: "Nothing like what
you are saying is happening; you are just making it up out of your
head." {9} They were all trying to frighten us, thinking, "Their
hands will get too weak for the work, and it will not be completed."
But I prayed, "Now strengthen my hands." {10} One day I went
to the house of Shemaiah son of Delaiah, the son of Mehetabel, who was
shut in at his home. He said, "Let us meet in the house of God, inside
the temple, and let us close the temple doors, because men are coming to
kill you--by night they are coming to kill you." {11} But I said,
"Should a man like me run away? Or should one like me go into the temple
to save his life? I will not go!" {12} I realised that God had
not sent him, but that he had prophesied against me because Tobiah and
Sanballat had hired him. {13} He 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. {14} Remember Tobiah and Sanballat, O
my God, because of what they have done; remember also the prophetess
Noadiah and the rest of the prophets who have been trying to intimidate
me. {15} So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of Elul,
in fifty-two days. {16} When all our enemies heard about this,
all the surrounding nations were afraid and lost their self-confidence,
because they realised that this work had been done with the help of our
God. {17} Also, in those days the nobles of Judah were sending
many letters to Tobiah, and replies from Tobiah kept coming to them.
{18} For many in Judah were under oath to him, since he was
son-in-law to Shecaniah son of Arah, and his son Jehohanan had married
the daughter of Meshullam son of Berekiah. {19} Moreover, they
kept reporting to me his good deeds and then telling him what I said.
And Tobiah sent letters to intimidate me. |
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Nehemiah
7 |
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After
the wall had been rebuilt and I had set the doors in place, the
gatekeepers and the singers and the Levites were appointed. {2} I
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 men do. {3} I 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." {4} Now the city was large and
spacious, but there were few people in it, and the houses had not yet
been rebuilt. {5} So 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: {6} These
are the people of the province who came up from the captivity of the
exiles whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had taken captive (they
returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his own town, {7} in
company with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani,
Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum and Baanah): The list of the
men of Israel: {8} the descendants of Parosh 2,172 {9} of
Shephatiah 372 {10} of Arah 652 {11} of Pahath-Moab
(through the line of Jeshua and Joab) 2,818 {12} of Elam 1,254
{13} of Zattu 845 {14} of Zaccai 760 {15} of Binnui
648 {16} of Bebai 628 {17} of Azgad 2,322 {18} of
Adonikam 667 {19} of Bigvai 2,067 {20} of Adin 655 {21}
of Ater (through Hezekiah) 98 {22} of Hashum 328 {23}
of Bezai 324 {24} of Hariph 112 {25} of Gibeon 95 {26}
the men of Bethlehem and Netophah 188 {27} of Anathoth 128
{28} of Beth Azmaveth 42 {29} of Kiriath Jearim, Kephirah and
Beeroth 743 {30} of Ramah and Geba 621 {31} of Micmash 122
{32} of Bethel and Ai 123 {33} of the other Nebo 52 {34}
of the other Elam 1,254 {35} of Harim 320 {36} of
Jericho 345 {37} of Lod, Hadid and Ono 721 {38} of Senaah
3,930 {39} The priests: the descendants of Jedaiah (through the
family of Jeshua) 973 {40} of Immer 1,052 {41} of Pashhur
1,247 {42} of Harim 1,017 {43} The Levites: the
descendants of Jeshua (through Kadmiel through the line of Hodaviah) 74
{44} The singers: the descendants of Asaph 148 {45} The
gatekeepers: the descendants of Shallum, Ater, Talmon, Akkub, Hatita and
Shobai 138 {46} The temple servants: the descendants of Ziha,
Hasupha, Tabbaoth, {47} Keros, Sia, Padon, {48} Lebana,
Hagaba, Shalmai, {49} Hanan, Giddel, Gahar, {50} Reaiah,
Rezin, Nekoda, {51} Gazzam, Uzza, Paseah, {52} Besai,
Meunim, Nephussim, {53} Bakbuk, Hakupha, Harhur, {54}
Bazluth, Mehida, Harsha, {55} Barkos, Sisera, Temah, {56}
Neziah and Hatipha {57} The descendants of the servants of
Solomon: the descendants of Sotai, Sophereth, Perida, {58} Jaala,
Darkon, Giddel, {59} Shephatiah, Hattil, Pokereth-Hazzebaim and
Amon {60} The temple servants and the descendants of the servants
of Solomon 392 {61} The following came up from the towns of Tel
Melah, Tel Harsha, Kerub, Addon and Immer, but they could not show that
their families were descended from Israel: {62} the descendants
of Delaiah, Tobiah and Nekoda 642 {63} And from among the
priests: the descendants of Hobaiah, Hakkoz and Barzillai (a man who had
married a daughter of Barzillai the Gileadite and was called by that
name). {64} These searched for their family records, but they
could not find them and so were excluded from the priesthood as unclean.
{65} The 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. {66} The whole company numbered 42,360, {67}
besides their 7,337 menservants and maidservants; and they also had
245 men and women singers. {68} There were 736 horses, 245 mules,
{69} 435 camels and 6,720 donkeys. {70} Some of the heads of
the families contributed to the work. The governor gave to the treasury
1,000 drachmas of gold, 50 bowls and 530 garments for priests. {71}
Some of the heads of the families gave to the treasury for the work
20,000 drachmas of gold and 2,200 minas of silver. {72} The total
given by the rest of the people was 20,000 drachmas of gold, 2,000 minas
of silver and 67 garments for priests. {73} The priests, the
Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers and the temple servants, along
with certain of the people and the rest of the Israelites, settled in
their own towns. When the seventh month came and the Israelites had
settled in their towns, |
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Nehemiah 8 |
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all
the people assembled as one man in the square before the Water Gate.
They told Ezra the scribe to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses,
which the LORD had commanded for Israel. {2} So on the first day
of the seventh month Ezra the priest brought the Law before the
assembly, which was made up of men and women and all who were able to
understand. {3} He read it aloud from daybreak till noon as he
faced the square before the Water Gate in the presence of the men, women
and others who could understand. And all the people listened attentively
to the Book of the Law. {4} Ezra the scribe stood on a high
wooden platform built for the occasion. Beside him on his right stood
Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah and Maaseiah; and on his left
were Pedaiah, Mishael, Malkijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah and
Meshullam. {5} Ezra opened the book. All the people could see him
because he was standing above them; and as he opened it, the people all
stood up. {6} Ezra praised the LORD, the great God; and all the
people lifted their hands and responded, "Amen! Amen!" Then they bowed
down and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground. {7}
The Levites--Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah,
Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan and Pelaiah--instructed the
people in the Law while the people were standing there. {8} They
read from the Book of the Law of God, making it clear and giving the
meaning so that the people could understand what was being read. {9}
Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the
Levites who were instructing the people said to them all, "This day is
sacred to the LORD your God. Do not mourn or weep." For all the people
had been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law. {10}
Nehemiah said, "Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some
to those who have nothing prepared. This day is sacred to our Lord. Do
not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength." {11} The
Levites calmed all the people, saying, "Be still, for this is a sacred
day. Do not grieve." {12} Then all the people went away to eat
and drink, to send portions of food and to celebrate with great joy,
because they now understood the words that had been made known to them.
{13} On the second day of the month, the heads of all the families,
along with the priests and the Levites, gathered around Ezra the scribe
to give attention to the words of the Law. {14} They found
written in the Law, which the LORD had commanded through Moses, that the
Israelites were to live in booths during the feast of the seventh month
{15} and that they should proclaim this word and spread it
throughout their towns and in Jerusalem: "Go out into the hill country
and bring back branches from olive and wild olive trees, and from
myrtles, palms and shade trees, to make booths"--as it is written.
{16} So the people went out and brought back branches and built
themselves booths on their own roofs, in their courtyards, in the courts
of the house of God and in the square by the Water Gate and the one by
the Gate of Ephraim. {17} The whole company that had returned
from exile built booths and lived in them. From the days of Joshua son
of Nun until that day, the Israelites had not celebrated it like this.
And their joy was very great. {18} Day after day, from the first
day to the last, Ezra read from the Book of the Law of God. They
celebrated the feast for seven days, and on the eighth day, in
accordance with the regulation, there was an assembly. |
|
Nehemiah 9 |
|
On
the twenty-fourth day of the same month, the Israelites gathered
together, fasting and wearing sackcloth and having dust on their heads.
{2} Those of Israelite descent had separated themselves from all
foreigners. They stood in their places and confessed their sins and the
wickedness of their fathers. {3} They stood where they were and
read from the Book of the Law of the LORD their God for a quarter of the
day, and spent another quarter in confession and in worshiping the LORD
their God. {4} Standing on the stairs were the Levites--Jeshua,
Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani and Kenani--who called
with loud voices to the LORD their God. {5} And the Levites--Jeshua,
Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah and Pethahiah--said:
"Stand up and praise the LORD your God, who is from everlasting to
everlasting. " "Blessed be your glorious name, and may it be exalted
above all blessing and praise. {6} You alone are the LORD. You
made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host,
the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You
give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you.
{7} "You are the LORD God, who chose Abram and brought him out of Ur
of the Chaldeans and named him Abraham. {8} You found his heart
faithful to you, and you made a covenant with him to give to his
descendants the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites,
Jebusites and Girgashites. You have kept your promise because you are
righteous. {9} "You saw the suffering of our forefathers in
Egypt; you heard their cry at the Red Sea. {10} You sent
miraculous signs and wonders against Pharaoh, against all his officials
and all the people of his land, for you knew how arrogantly the
Egyptians treated them. You made a name for yourself, which remains to
this day. {11} You divided the sea before them, so that they
passed through it on dry ground, but you hurled their pursuers into the
depths, like a stone into mighty waters. {12} By day you led them
with a pillar of cloud, and by night with a pillar of fire to give them
light on the way they were to take. {13} "You came down on Mount
Sinai; you spoke to them from heaven. You gave them regulations and laws
that are just and right, and decrees and commands that are good. {14}
You made known to them your holy Sabbath and gave them commands,
decrees and laws through your servant Moses. {15} In their hunger
you gave them bread from heaven and in their thirst you brought them
water from the rock; you told them to go in and take possession of the
land you had sworn with uplifted hand to give them. {16} "But
they, our forefathers, became arrogant and stiff-necked, and did not
obey your commands. {17} They refused to listen and failed to
remember the miracles you performed among them. They became stiff-necked
and in their rebellion appointed a leader in order to return to their
slavery. But you are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow
to anger and abounding in love. Therefore you did not desert them,
{18} even when they cast for themselves an image of a calf and said,
'This is your god, who brought you up out of Egypt,' or when they
committed awful blasphemies. {19} "Because of your great
compassion you did not abandon them in the desert. By day the pillar of
cloud did not cease to guide them on their path, nor the pillar of fire
by night to shine on the way they were to take. {20} You gave
your good Spirit to instruct them. You did not withhold your manna from
their mouths, and you gave them water for their thirst. {21} For
forty years you sustained them in the desert; they lacked nothing, their
clothes did not wear out nor did their feet become swollen. {22}
"You gave them kingdoms and nations, allotting to them even the remotest
frontiers. They took over the country of Sihon king of Heshbon and the
country of Og king of Bashan. {23} You made their sons as
numerous as the stars in the sky, and you brought them into the land
that you told their fathers to enter and possess. {24} Their sons
went in and took possession of the land. You subdued before them the
Canaanites, who lived in the land; you handed the Canaanites over to
them, along with their kings and the peoples of the land, to deal with
them as they pleased. {25} They captured fortified cities and
fertile land; they took possession of houses filled with all kinds of
good things, wells already dug, vineyards, olive groves and fruit trees
in abundance. They ate to the full and were well-nourished; they reveled
in your great goodness. {26} "But they were disobedient and
rebelled against you; they put your law behind their backs. They killed
your prophets, who had admonished them in order to turn them back to
you; they committed awful blasphemies. {27} So you handed them
over to their enemies, who oppressed them. But when they were oppressed
they cried out to you. From heaven you heard them, and in your great
compassion you gave them deliverers, who rescued them from the hand of
their enemies. {28} "But as soon as they were at rest, they again
did what was evil in your sight. Then you abandoned them to the hand of
their enemies so that they ruled over them. And when they cried out to
you again, you heard from heaven, and in your compassion you delivered
them time after time. {29} "You warned them to return to your
law, but they became arrogant and disobeyed your commands. They sinned
against your ordinances, by which a man will live if he obeys them.
Stubbornly they turned their backs on you, became stiff-necked and
refused to listen. {30} For many years you were patient with
them. By your Spirit you admonished them through your prophets. Yet they
paid no attention, so you handed them over to the neighboring peoples.
{31} But in your great mercy you did not put an end to them or
abandon them, for you are a gracious and merciful God. {32} "Now
therefore, O our God, the great, mighty and awesome God, who keeps his
covenant of love, do not let all this hardship seem trifling in your
eyes--the hardship that has come upon us, upon our kings and leaders,
upon our priests and prophets, upon our fathers and all your people,
from the days of the kings of Assyria until today. {33} In all
that has happened to us, you have been just; you have acted faithfully,
while we did wrong. {34} Our kings, our leaders, our priests and
our fathers did not follow your law; they did not pay attention to your
commands or the warnings you gave them. {35} Even while they were
in their kingdom, enjoying your great goodness to them in the spacious
and fertile land you gave them, they did not serve you or turn from
their evil ways. {36} "But see, we are slaves today, slaves in
the land you gave our forefathers so they could eat its fruit and the
other good things it produces. {37} Because of our sins, its
abundant harvest goes to the kings you have placed over us. They rule
over our bodies and our cattle as they please. We are in great distress.
{38} "In view of all this, we are making a binding agreement,
putting it in writing, and our leaders, our Levites and our priests are
affixing their seals to it." |
|
Nehemiah 10 |
|
Those
who sealed it were: Nehemiah the governor, the son of Hacaliah.
Zedekiah, {2} Seraiah, Azariah, Jeremiah, {3} Pashhur,
Amariah, Malkijah, {4} Hattush, Shebaniah, Malluch, {5}
Harim, Meremoth, Obadiah, {6} Daniel, Ginnethon, Baruch, {7}
Meshullam, Abijah, Mijamin, {8} Maaziah, Bilgai and Shemaiah.
These were the priests. {9} The Levites: Jeshua son of Azaniah,
Binnui of the sons of Henadad, Kadmiel, {10} and their
associates: Shebaniah, Hodiah, Kelita, Pelaiah, Hanan, {11} Mica,
Rehob, Hashabiah, {12} Zaccur, Sherebiah, Shebaniah, {13}
Hodiah, Bani and Beninu. {14} The leaders of the people: Parosh,
Pahath-Moab, Elam, Zattu, Bani, {15} Bunni, Azgad, Bebai, {16}
Adonijah, Bigvai, Adin, {17} Ater, Hezekiah, Azzur, {18}
Hodiah, Hashum, Bezai, {19} Hariph, Anathoth, Nebai, {20}
Magpiash, Meshullam, Hezir, {21} Meshezabel, Zadok, Jaddua,
{22} Pelatiah, Hanan, Anaiah, {23} Hoshea, Hananiah, Hasshub,
{24} Hallohesh, Pilha, Shobek, {25} Rehum, Hashabnah,
Maaseiah, {26} Ahiah, Hanan, Anan, {27} Malluch, Harim and
Baanah. {28} "The rest of the people--priests, Levites,
gatekeepers, singers, temple servants and all who separated themselves
from the neighboring peoples for the sake of the Law of God, together
with their wives and all their sons and daughters who are able to
understand-- {29} all these now join their brothers the nobles,
and bind themselves with a curse and an oath to follow the Law of God
given through Moses the servant of God and to obey carefully all the
commands, regulations and decrees of the LORD our Lord. {30} "We
promise not to give our daughters in marriage to the peoples around us
or take their daughters for our sons. {31} "When the neighboring
peoples bring merchandise or grain to sell on the Sabbath, we will not
buy from them on the Sabbath or on any holy day. Every seventh year we
will forgo working the land and will cancel all debts. {32} "We
assume the responsibility for carrying out the commands to give a third
of a shekel each year for the service of the house of our God: {33}
for the bread set out on the table; for the regular grain offerings
and burnt offerings; for the offerings on the Sabbaths, New Moon
festivals and appointed feasts; for the holy offerings; for sin
offerings to make atonement for Israel; and for all the duties of the
house of our God. {34} "We--the priests, the Levites and the
people--have cast lots to determine when each of our families is to
bring to the house of our God at set times each year a contribution of
wood to burn on the altar of the LORD our God, as it is written in the
Law. {35} "We also assume responsibility for bringing to the
house of the LORD each year the firstfruits of our crops and of every
fruit tree. {36} "As it is also written in the Law, we will bring
the firstborn of our sons and of our cattle, of our herds and of our
flocks to the house of our God, to the priests ministering there.
{37} "Moreover, we will bring to the storerooms of the house of our
God, to the priests, the first of our ground meal, of our grain
offerings, of the fruit of all our trees and of our new wine and oil.
And we will bring a tithe of our crops to the Levites, for it is the
Levites who collect the tithes in all the towns where we work. {38}
A priest descended from Aaron is to accompany the Levites when they
receive the tithes, and the Levites are to bring a tenth of the tithes
up to the house of our God, to the storerooms of the treasury. {39}
The people of Israel, including the Levites, are to bring their
contributions of grain, new wine and oil to the storerooms where the
articles for the sanctuary are kept and where the ministering priests,
the gatekeepers and the singers stay. "We will not neglect the house of
our God." |
|
Nehemiah 11 |
|
Now
the leaders of the people settled in Jerusalem, and the rest of the
people cast lots to bring one out of every ten to live in Jerusalem, the
holy city, while the remaining nine were to stay in their own towns.
{2} The people commended all the men who volunteered to live in
Jerusalem. {3} These are the provincial leaders who settled in
Jerusalem (now some Israelites, priests, Levites, temple servants and
descendants of Solomon's servants lived in the towns of Judah, each on
his own property in the various towns, {4} while other people
from both Judah and Benjamin lived in Jerusalem): From the descendants
of Judah: Athaiah son of Uzziah, the son of Zechariah, the son of
Amariah, the son of Shephatiah, the son of Mahalalel, a descendant of
Perez; {5} and Maaseiah son of Baruch, the son of Col-Hozeh, the
son of Hazaiah, the son of Adaiah, the son of Joiarib, the son of
Zechariah, a descendant of Shelah. {6} The descendants of Perez
who lived in Jerusalem totaled 468 able men. {7} From the
descendants of Benjamin: Sallu son of Meshullam, the son of Joed, the
son of Pedaiah, the son of Kolaiah, the son of Maaseiah, the son of
Ithiel, the son of Jeshaiah, {8} and his followers, Gabbai and
Sallai--928 men. {9} Joel son of Zicri was their chief officer,
and Judah son of Hassenuah was over the Second District of the city.
{10} From the priests: Jedaiah; the son of Joiarib; Jakin; {11}
Seraiah son of Hilkiah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Zadok, the
son of Meraioth, the son of Ahitub, supervisor in the house of God,
{12} and their associates, who carried on work for the temple--822
men; Adaiah son of Jeroham, the son of Pelaliah, the son of Amzi, the
son of Zechariah, the son of Pashhur, the son of Malkijah, {13}
and his associates, who were heads of families--242 men; Amashsai son of
Azarel, the son of Ahzai, the son of Meshillemoth, the son of Immer,
{14} and his associates, who were able men--128. Their chief officer
was Zabdiel son of Haggedolim. {15} From the Levites: Shemaiah
son of Hasshub, the son of Azrikam, the son of Hashabiah, the son of
Bunni; {16} Shabbethai and Jozabad, two of the heads of the
Levites, who had charge of the outside work of the house of God; {17}
Mattaniah son of Mica, the son of Zabdi, the son of Asaph, the
director who led in thanksgiving and prayer; Bakbukiah, second among his
associates; and Abda son of Shammua, the son of Galal, the son of
Jeduthun. {18} The Levites in the holy city totaled 284. {19}
The gatekeepers: Akkub, Talmon and their associates, who kept watch
at the gates--172 men. {20} The rest of the Israelites, with the
priests and Levites, were in all the towns of Judah, each on his
ancestral property. {21} The temple servants lived on the hill of
Ophel, and Ziha and Gishpa were in charge of them. {22} The chief
officer of the Levites in Jerusalem was Uzzi son of Bani, the son of
Hashabiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Mica. Uzzi was one of
Asaph's descendants, who were the singers responsible for the service of
the house of God. {23} The singers were under the king's orders,
which regulated their daily activity. {24} Pethahiah son of
Meshezabel, one of the descendants of Zerah son of Judah, was the king's
agent in all affairs relating to the people. {25} As for the
villages with their fields, some of the people of Judah lived in Kiriath
Arba and its surrounding settlements, in Dibon and its settlements, in
Jekabzeel and its villages, {26} in Jeshua, in Moladah, in Beth
Pelet, {27} in Hazar Shual, in Beersheba and its settlements,
{28} in Ziklag, in Meconah and its settlements, {29} in En
Rimmon, in Zorah, in Jarmuth, {30} Zanoah, Adullam and their
villages, in Lachish and its fields, and in Azekah and its settlements.
So they were living all the way from Beersheba to the Valley of Hinnom.
{31} The descendants of the Benjamites from Geba lived in Micmash,
Aija, Bethel and its settlements, {32} in Anathoth, Nob and
Ananiah, {33} in Hazor, Ramah and Gittaim, {34} in Hadid,
Zeboim and Neballat, {35} in Lod and Ono, and in the Valley of
the Craftsmen. {36} Some of the divisions of the Levites of Judah
settled in Benjamin. |
|
Nehemiah 12 |
|
These
were the priests and Levites who returned with Zerubbabel son of
Shealtiel and with Jeshua: Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra, {2} Amariah,
Malluch, Hattush, {3} Shecaniah, Rehum, Meremoth, {4} Iddo,
Ginnethon, Abijah, {5} Mijamin, Moadiah, Bilgah, {6}
Shemaiah, Joiarib, Jedaiah, {7} Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah and Jedaiah.
These were the leaders of the priests and their associates in the days
of Jeshua. {8} The Levites were Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel,
Sherebiah, Judah, and also Mattaniah, who, together with his associates,
was in charge of the songs of thanksgiving. {9} Bakbukiah and
Unni, their associates, stood opposite them in the services. {10}
Jeshua was the father of Joiakim, Joiakim the father of Eliashib,
Eliashib the father of Joiada, {11} Joiada the father of
Jonathan, and Jonathan the father of Jaddua. {12} In the days of
Joiakim, these were the heads of the priestly families: of Seraiah's
family, Meraiah; of Jeremiah's, Hananiah; {13} of Ezra's,
Meshullam; of Amariah's, Jehohanan; {14} of Malluch's, Jonathan;
of Shecaniah's, Joseph; {15} of Harim's, Adna; of Meremoth's,
Helkai; {16} of Iddo's, Zechariah; of Ginnethon's, Meshullam;
{17} of Abijah's, Zicri; of Miniamin's and of Moadiah's, Piltai;
{18} of Bilgah's, Shammua; of Shemaiah's, Jehonathan; {19} of
Joiarib's, Mattenai; of Jedaiah's, Uzzi; {20} of Sallu's, Kallai;
of Amok's, Eber; {21} of Hilkiah's, Hashabiah; of Jedaiah's,
Nethanel. {22} The family heads of the Levites in the days of
Eliashib, Joiada, Johanan and Jaddua, as well as those of the priests,
were recorded in the reign of Darius the Persian. {23} The family
heads among the descendants of Levi up to the time of Johanan son of
Eliashib were recorded in the book of the annals. {24} And the
leaders of the Levites were Hashabiah, Sherebiah, Jeshua son of Kadmiel,
and their associates, who stood opposite them to give praise and
thanksgiving, one section responding to the other, as prescribed by
David the man of God. {25} Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, Obadiah,
Meshullam, Talmon and Akkub were gatekeepers who guarded the storerooms
at the gates. {26} They served in the days of Joiakim son of
Jeshua, the son of Jozadak, and in the days of Nehemiah the governor and
of Ezra the priest and scribe. {27} At the dedication of the wall
of Jerusalem, the Levites were sought out from where they lived and were
brought to Jerusalem to celebrate joyfully the dedication with songs of
thanksgiving and with the music of cymbals, harps and lyres. {28}
The singers also were brought together from the region around
Jerusalem--from the villages of the Netophathites, {29} from Beth
Gilgal, and from the area of Geba and Azmaveth, for the singers had
built villages for themselves around Jerusalem. {30} When the
priests and Levites had purified themselves ceremonially, they purified
the people, the gates and the wall. {31} I had the leaders of
Judah go up on top of the wall. I also assigned two large choirs to give
thanks. One was to proceed on top of the wall to the right, toward the
Dung Gate. {32} Hoshaiah and half the leaders of Judah followed
them, {33} along with Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam, {34}
Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, Jeremiah, {35} as well as some priests
with trumpets, and also Zechariah son of Jonathan, the son of Shemaiah,
the son of Mattaniah, the son of Micaiah, the son of Zaccur, the son of
Asaph, {36} and his associates--Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai,
Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah and Hanani--with musical instruments
prescribed by David the man of God. Ezra the scribe led the
procession. {37} At the Fountain Gate they continued directly up
the steps of the City of David on the ascent to the wall and passed
above the house of David to the Water Gate on the east. {38} The
second choir proceeded in the opposite direction. I followed them on top
of the wall, together with half the people--past the Tower of the Ovens
to the Broad Wall, {39} over the Gate of Ephraim, the Jeshanah
Gate, the Fish Gate, the Tower of Hananel and the Tower of the Hundred,
as far as the Sheep Gate. At the Gate of the Guard they stopped. {40}
The two choirs that gave thanks then took their places in the house
of God; so did I, together with half the officials, {41} as well
as the priests--Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai,
Zechariah and Hananiah with their trumpets-- {42} and also
Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malkijah, Elam and Ezer.
The choirs sang under the direction of Jezrahiah. {43} And on
that day they offered great sacrifices, rejoicing because God had given
them great joy. The women and children also rejoiced. The sound of
rejoicing in Jerusalem could be heard far away. {44} At that time
men were appointed to be in charge of the storerooms for the
contributions, firstfruits and tithes. From the fields around the towns
they were to bring into the storerooms the portions required by the Law
for the priests and the Levites, for Judah was pleased with the
ministering priests and Levites. {45} They performed the service
of their God and the service of purification, as did also the singers
and gatekeepers, according to the commands of David and his son Solomon.
{46} For long ago, in the days of David and Asaph, there had been
directors for the singers and for the songs of praise and thanksgiving
to God. {47} So in the days of Zerubbabel and of Nehemiah, all
Israel contributed the daily portions for the singers and gatekeepers.
They also set aside the portion for the other Levites, and the Levites
set aside the portion for the descendants of Aaron. |
|
Nehemiah 13 |
|
On
that day the Book of Moses was read aloud in the hearing of the people
and there it was found written that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever
be admitted into the assembly of God, {2} because they had not
met the Israelites with food and water but had hired Balaam to call a
curse down on them. (Our God, however, turned the curse into a
blessing.) {3} When the people heard this law, they excluded from
Israel all who were of foreign descent. {4} Before this, Eliashib
the priest had been put in charge of the storerooms of the house of our
God. He was closely associated with Tobiah, {5} and he had
provided him with a large room formerly used to store the grain
offerings and incense and temple articles, and also the tithes of grain,
new wine and oil prescribed for the Levites, singers and gatekeepers, as
well as the contributions for the priests. {6} But while all this
was going on, I was not in Jerusalem, for in the thirty-second year of
Artaxerxes king of Babylon I had returned to the king. Some time later I
asked his permission {7} and came back to Jerusalem. Here I
learned about the evil thing Eliashib had done in providing Tobiah a
room in the courts of the house of God. {8} I was greatly
displeased and threw all Tobiah's household goods out of the room.
{9} I gave orders to purify the rooms, and then I put back into them
the equipment of the house of God, with the grain offerings and the
incense. {10} I also learned that the portions assigned to the
Levites had not been given to them, and that all the Levites and singers
responsible for the service had gone back to their own fields. {11}
So I rebuked the officials and asked them, "Why is the house of God
neglected?" Then I called them together and stationed them at their
posts. {12} All Judah brought the tithes of grain, new wine and
oil into the storerooms. {13} I put Shelemiah the priest, Zadok
the scribe, and a Levite named Pedaiah in charge of the storerooms and
made Hanan son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah, their assistant, because
these men were considered trustworthy. They were made responsible for
distributing the supplies to their brothers. {14} Remember me for
this, O my God, and do not blot out what I have so faithfully done for
the house of my God and its services. {15} In those days I saw
men in Judah treading winepresses on the Sabbath and bringing in grain
and loading it on donkeys, together with wine, grapes, figs and all
other kinds of loads. And they were bringing all this into Jerusalem on
the Sabbath. Therefore I warned them against selling food on that day.
{16} Men from Tyre who lived in Jerusalem were bringing in fish and
all kinds of merchandise and selling them in Jerusalem on the Sabbath to
the people of Judah. {17} I rebuked the nobles of Judah and said
to them, "What is this wicked thing you are doing--desecrating the
Sabbath day? {18} Didn't your forefathers do the same things, so
that our God brought all this calamity upon us and upon this city? Now
you are stirring up more wrath against Israel by desecrating the
Sabbath." {19} When evening shadows fell on the gates of
Jerusalem before the Sabbath, I ordered the doors to be shut and not
opened until the Sabbath was over. I stationed some of my own men at the
gates so that no load could be brought in on the Sabbath day. {20}
Once or twice the merchants and sellers of all kinds of goods spent
the night outside Jerusalem. {21} But I warned them and said,
"Why do you spend the night by the wall? If you do this again, I will
lay hands on you." From that time on they no longer came on the Sabbath.
{22} Then I commanded the Levites to purify themselves and go and
guard the gates in order to keep the Sabbath day holy. Remember me for
this also, O my God, and show mercy to me according to your great love.
{23} Moreover, in those days I saw men of Judah who had married
women from Ashdod, Ammon and Moab. {24} Half of their children
spoke the language of Ashdod or the language of one of the other
peoples, and did not know how to speak the language of Judah. {25}
I rebuked them and called curses down on them. I beat some of the
men and pulled out their hair. I made them take an oath in God's name
and said: "You are not to give your daughters in marriage to their sons,
nor are you to take their daughters in marriage for your sons or for
yourselves. {26} Was it not because of marriages like these that
Solomon king of Israel sinned? Among the many nations there was no king
like him. He was loved by his God, and God made him king over all
Israel, but even he was led into sin by foreign women. {27} Must
we hear now that you too are doing all this terrible wickedness and are
being unfaithful to our God by marrying foreign women?" {28} One
of the sons of Joiada son of Eliashib the high priest was son-in-law to
Sanballat the Horonite. And I drove him away from me. {29}
Remember them, O my God, because they defiled the priestly office and
the covenant of the priesthood and of the Levites. {30} So I
purified the priests and the Levites of everything foreign, and assigned
them duties, each to his own task. {31} I also made provision for
contributions of wood at designated times, and for the firstfruits.
Remember me with favor, O my God. |
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