Nehemiah


1:1   The words of Nehemiah son of Hacaliah:   In the month of Kislev in the
twentieth year, while I was in the citadel of Susa, 
1:2  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. 
1:3   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." 
1:4   When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I
mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven. 
1:5  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, 
1:6  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. 
1:7  We have acted very wickedly toward you. We have not obeyed the
commands, decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses. 
1:8   "Remember the instruction you gave your servant Moses, saying, `If you
are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations, 
1:9  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.' 
1:10   "They are your servants and your people, whom you redeemed by your
great strength and your mighty hand. 
1:11  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. 

2:1   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; 
2:2  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, 
2:3  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?" 
2:4   The king said to me, "What is it you want?"  Then I prayed to the God
of heaven, 
2:5  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." 
2:6   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. 
2:7   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? 
2:8  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. 
2:9  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. 
2:10   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.  
2:11   I went to Jerusalem, and after staying there three days 
2:12  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. 
2:13   By night I went out through the Valley Gate toward the Jackal {[13]
Or <Serpent> or <Fig>} Well and the Dung Gate, examining the walls of
Jerusalem, which had been broken down, and its gates, which had been
destroyed by fire. 
2:14  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; 
2:15  so I went up the valley by night, examining the wall. Finally, I
turned back and reentered through the Valley Gate. 
2:16  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. 
2:17   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." 
2:18  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. 
2:19   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?" 
2:20   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." 

3:1   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. 
3:2  The men of Jericho built the adjoining section, and Zaccur son of Imri
built next to them.  
3:3   The Fish Gate was rebuilt by the sons of Hassenaah. They laid its
beams and put its doors and bolts and bars in place. 
3:4  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. 
3:5  The next section was repaired by the men of Tekoa, but their nobles
would not put their shoulders to the work under their supervisors. {[5] Or
<their Lord> or <the governor>}  
3:6   The Jeshanah {[6] Or <Old>} 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. 
3:7  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. 
3:8  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 {[8] Or <They left out part of>} Jerusalem as far as the Broad
Wall. 
3:9  Rephaiah son of Hur, ruler of a half-district of Jerusalem, repaired
the next section. 
3:10  Adjoining this, Jedaiah son of Harumaph made repairs opposite his
house, and Hattush son of Hashabneiah made repairs next to him. 
3:11  Malkijah son of Harim and Hasshub son of Pahath-Moab repaired another
section and the Tower of the Ovens. 
3:12  Shallum son of Hallohesh, ruler of a half-district of Jerusalem,
repaired the next section with the help of his daughters.  
3:13   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 {[13] Hebrew <a thousand cubits> (about 450
meters)} of the wall as far as the Dung Gate.  
3:14   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.  
3:15   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, {[15] Hebrew <Shelah,> a variant of <Shiloah,> that is, Siloam} by
the King's Garden, as far as the steps going down from the City of David. 
3:16  Beyond him, Nehemiah son of Azbuk, ruler of a half-district of Beth
Zur, made repairs up to a point opposite the tombs {[16] Hebrew; Septuagint,
some Vulgate manuscripts and Syriac <tomb>} of David, as far as the
artificial pool and the House of the Heroes. 
3:17   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. 
3:18  Next to him, the repairs were made by their countrymen under Binnui
{[18] Two Hebrew manuscripts and Syriac (see also Septuagint and verse 24);
most Hebrew manuscripts <Bavvai>} son of Henadad, ruler of the other
half-district of Keilah. 
3:19  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. 
3:20  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. 
3:21  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. 
3:22   The repairs next to him were made by the priests from the surrounding
region. 
3:23  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. 
3:24  Next to him, Binnui son of Henadad repaired another section, from
Azariah's house to the angle and the corner, 
3:25  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 
3:26  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. 
3:27  Next to them, the men of Tekoa repaired another section, from the
great projecting tower to the wall of Ophel.  
3:28   Above the Horse Gate, the priests made repairs, each in front of his
own house. 
3:29  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.

3:30  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. 
3:31  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; 
3:32  and between the room above the corner and the Sheep Gate the
goldsmiths and merchants made repairs. 

4:1   When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became angry
and was greatly incensed. He ridiculed the Jews, 
4:2  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?" 
4:3   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!"  
4:4   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. 
4:5  Do not cover up their guilt or blot out their sins from your sight, for
they have thrown insults in the face of {[5] Or <have provoked you to anger
before>} the builders.  
4:6   So we rebuilt the wall till all of it reached half its height, for the
people worked with all their heart. 
4:7   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. 
4:8  They all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and stir
up trouble against it. 
4:9  But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this
threat. 
4:10   Meanwhile, the people in Judah said, "The strength of the laborers is
giving out, and there is so much rubble that we cannot rebuild the wall." 
4:11   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." 
4:12   Then the Jews who lived near them came and told us ten times over,
"Wherever you turn, they will attack us." 
4:13   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. 
4:14  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." 
4:15   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. 
4:16   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 
4:17  who were building the wall. Those who carried materials did their work
with one hand and held a weapon in the other, 
4:18  and each of the builders wore his sword at his side as he worked. But
the man who sounded the trumpet stayed with me. 
4:19   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. 
4:20  Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, join us there. Our God
will fight for us!" 
4:21   So we continued the work with half the men holding spears, from the
first light of dawn till the stars came out. 
4:22  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." 
4:23  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. {[23] The
meaning of the Hebrew for this clause is uncertain.} 

5:1   Now the men and their wives raised a great outcry against their Jewish
brothers. 
5:2  Some were saying, "We and our sons and daughters are numerous; in order
for us to eat and stay alive, we must get grain." 
5:3   Others were saying, "We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards and
our homes to get grain during the famine." 
5:4   Still others were saying, "We have had to borrow money to pay the
king's tax on our fields and vineyards. 
5:5  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." 
5:6   When I heard their outcry and these charges, I was very angry. 
5:7  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 
5:8  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. 
5:9   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? 
5:10  I and my brothers and my men are also lending the people money and
grain. But let the exacting of usury stop! 
5:11  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." 
5:12   "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. 
5:13  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. 
5:14   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. 
5:15  But the earlier governors--those preceding me--placed a heavy burden
on the people and took forty shekels {[15] That is, about 1 pound (about 0.5
kilogram)} 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. 
5:16  Instead, I devoted myself to the work on this wall. All my men were
assembled there for the work; we {[16] Most Hebrew manuscripts; some Hebrew
manuscripts, Septuagint, Vulgate and Syriac <I>} did not acquire any land. 
5:17   Furthermore, a hundred and fifty Jews and officials ate at my table,
as well as those who came to us from the surrounding nations. 
5:18  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. 
5:19   Remember me with favor, O my God, for all I have done for these
people. 

6:1   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-- 
6:2  Sanballat and Geshem sent me this message: "Come, let us meet together
in one of the villages {[2] Or <in Kephirim>} on the plain of Ono."  But
they were scheming to harm me; 
6:3  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?" 
6:4  Four times they sent me the same message, and each time I gave them the
same answer. 
6:5   Then, the fifth time, Sanballat sent his aide to me with the same
message, and in his hand was an unsealed letter 
6:6  in which was written:   "It is reported among the nations--and Geshem
{[6] Hebrew <Gashmu,> a variant of <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 
6:7  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."  
6:8   I sent him this reply: "Nothing like what you are saying is happening;
you are just making it up out of your head." 
6:9   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." 
6:10   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." 
6:11   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!" 
6:12  I realized that God had not sent him, but that he had prophesied
against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. 
6:13  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.  
6:14   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. 
6:15   So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of Elul, in fifty-two
days. 
6:16  When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations
were afraid and lost their self-confidence, because they realized that this
work had been done with the help of our God. 
6:17   Also, in those days the nobles of Judah were sending many letters to
Tobiah, and replies from Tobiah kept coming to them. 
6:18  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. 
6:19  Moreover, they kept reporting to me his good deeds and then telling
him what I said. And Tobiah sent letters to intimidate me. 

7:1   After the wall had been rebuilt and I had set the doors in place, the
gatekeepers and the singers and the Levites were appointed. 
7:2  I put in charge of Jerusalem my brother Hanani, along with {[2] Or
<Hanani, that is,>} Hananiah the commander of the citadel, because he was a
man of integrity and feared God more than most men do. 
7:3  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." 
7:4   Now the city was large and spacious, but there were few people in it,
and the houses had not yet been rebuilt. 
7:5  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:  
7:6   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, 
7:7  in company with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah,
Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum and Baanah):   The
list of the men of Israel:  
7:8       the descendants of Parosh  2,172 
7:9       of Shephatiah  372 
7:10      of Arah  652 
7:11      of Pahath-Moab (through the line of Jeshua and Joab)  2,818 
7:12      of Elam  1,254 
7:13      of Zattu  845 
7:14      of Zaccai  760 
7:15      of Binnui  648 
7:16      of Bebai  628 
7:17      of Azgad  2,322 
7:18      of Adonikam  667 
7:19      of Bigvai  2,067 
7:20      of Adin  655 
7:21      of Ater (through Hezekiah)  98 
7:22      of Hashum  328 
7:23      of Bezai  324 
7:24      of Hariph  112 
7:25      of Gibeon  95  
7:26      the men of Bethlehem and Netophah  188 
7:27      of Anathoth  128 
7:28      of Beth Azmaveth  42 
7:29      of Kiriath Jearim, Kephirah and Beeroth  743 
7:30      of Ramah and Geba  621 
7:31      of Micmash  122 
7:32      of Bethel and Ai  123 
7:33      of the other Nebo  52 
7:34      of the other Elam  1,254 
7:35      of Harim  320 
7:36      of Jericho  345 
7:37      of Lod, Hadid and Ono  721 
7:38      of Senaah  3,930  
7:39   The priests:  
          the descendants of Jedaiah (through the family of Jeshua)  973 
7:40      of Immer  1,052 
7:41      of Pashhur  1,247 
7:42      of Harim  1,017  
7:43   The Levites:  
          the descendants of Jeshua (through Kadmiel through the line of 
          Hodaviah)  74  
7:44   The singers:  
          the descendants of Asaph  148  
7:45   The gatekeepers:  
          the descendants of 
          Shallum, Ater, Talmon, Akkub, Hatita and Shobai  138  
7:46   The temple servants:  
          the descendants of 
          Ziha, Hasupha, Tabbaoth, 
7:47      Keros, Sia, Padon, 
7:48      Lebana, Hagaba, Shalmai, 
7:49      Hanan, Giddel, Gahar, 
7:50      Reaiah, Rezin, Nekoda, 
7:51      Gazzam, Uzza, Paseah, 
7:52      Besai, Meunim, Nephussim, 
7:53      Bakbuk, Hakupha, Harhur, 
7:54      Bazluth, Mehida, Harsha, 
7:55      Barkos, Sisera, Temah, 
7:56      Neziah and Hatipha  
7:57   The descendants of the servants of Solomon:  
          the descendants of 
          Sotai, Sophereth, Perida, 
7:58      Jaala, Darkon, Giddel, 
7:59      Shephatiah, Hattil, 
          Pokereth-Hazzebaim and Amon  
7:60      The temple servants and the descendants of the servants of 
          Solomon  392  
7:61   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:  
7:62      the descendants of 
          Delaiah, Tobiah and Nekoda  642  
7:63   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). 
7:64   These searched for their family records, but they could not find them
and so were excluded from the priesthood as unclean. 
7:65  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.  
7:66   The whole company numbered 42,360, 
7:67  besides their 7,337 menservants and maidservants; and they also had
245 men and women singers. 
7:68  There were 736 horses, 245 mules, {[68] Some Hebrew manuscripts (see
also Ezra 2:66); most Hebrew manuscripts do not have this verse.} 
7:69  435 camels and 6,720 donkeys.  
7:70   Some of the heads of the families contributed to the work. The
governor gave to the treasury 1,000 drachmas {[70] That is, about 19 pounds
(about 8.5 kilograms)} of gold, 50 bowls and 530 garments for priests. 
7:71  Some of the heads of the families gave to the treasury for the work
20,000 drachmas {[71] That is, about 375 pounds (about 170 kilograms); also
in verse 72} of gold and 2,200 minas {[71] That is, about 1 1/3 tons (about
1.2 metric tons)} of silver. 
7:72  The total given by the rest of the people was 20,000 drachmas of gold,
2,000 minas {[72] That is, about 1 1/4 tons (about 1.1 metric tons)} of
silver and 67 garments for priests. 
7:73   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, 

8:1  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. 
8:2   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. 
8:3  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. 
8:4   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. 
8:5   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. 
8:6  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. 
8:7   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. 
8:8  They read from the Book of the Law of God, making it clear {[8] Or
<God, translating it>} and giving the meaning so that the people could
understand what was being read. 
8:9   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. 
8:10   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." 
8:11   The Levites calmed all the people, saying, "Be still, for this is a
sacred day. Do not grieve." 
8:12   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. 
8:13   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. 
8:14  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 
8:15  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. {[15] See Lev. 23:37-40.} 
8:16   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. 
8:17  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. 
8:18   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. 

9:1   On the twenty-fourth day of the same month, the Israelites gathered
together, fasting and wearing sackcloth and having dust on their heads. 
9:2  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. 
9:3  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. 
9:4  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. 
9:5  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. {[5] Or <God for ever and ever>}"  
"Blessed be your glorious name, and may it be exalted above all blessing and
praise. 
9:6  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. 
9:7   "You are the LORD God, who chose Abram and brought him out of Ur of
the Chaldeans and named him Abraham. 
9:8  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. 
9:9   "You saw the suffering of our forefathers in Egypt; you heard their
cry at the Red Sea. {[9] Hebrew <Yam Suph>; that is, Sea of Reeds} 
9:10  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. 
9:11  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. 
9:12  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. 
9:13   "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. 
9:14  You made known to them your holy Sabbath and gave them commands,
decrees and laws through your servant Moses. 
9:15  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. 
9:16   "But they, our forefathers, became arrogant and stiff-necked, and did
not obey your commands. 
9:17  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, 
9:18  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. 
9:19   "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.

9:20  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. 
9:21  For forty years you sustained them in the desert; they lacked nothing,
their clothes did not wear out nor did their feet become swollen. 
9:22   "You gave them kingdoms and nations, allotting to them even the
remotest frontiers. They took over the country of Sihon {[22] One Hebrew
manuscript and Septuagint; most Hebrew manuscripts <Sihon, that is, the
country of the>} king of Heshbon and the country of Og king of Bashan. 
9:23  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.

9:24  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. 
9:25  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. 
9:26   "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. 
9:27  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. 
9:28   "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. 
9:29   "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. 
9:30  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. 
9:31  But in your great mercy you did not put an end to them or abandon
them, for you are a gracious and merciful God. 
9:32   "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. 
9:33  In all that has happened to us, you have been just; you have acted
faithfully, while we did wrong. 
9:34  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. 
9:35  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. 
9:36   "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. 
9:37  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.  
9:38   "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."  

10:1   Those who sealed it were:  Nehemiah the governor, the son of
Hacaliah.  Zedekiah, 
10:2  Seraiah, Azariah, Jeremiah, 
10:3  Pashhur, Amariah, Malkijah, 
10:4  Hattush, Shebaniah, Malluch, 
10:5  Harim, Meremoth, Obadiah, 
10:6  Daniel, Ginnethon, Baruch, 
10:7  Meshullam, Abijah, Mijamin, 
10:8  Maaziah, Bilgai and Shemaiah. These were the priests.  
10:9  The Levites:  Jeshua son of Azaniah, Binnui of the sons of Henadad,
Kadmiel, 
10:10  and their associates: Shebaniah, Hodiah, Kelita, Pelaiah, Hanan, 
10:11  Mica, Rehob, Hashabiah, 
10:12  Zaccur, Sherebiah, Shebaniah, 
10:13  Hodiah, Bani and Beninu.  
10:14  The leaders of the people:  Parosh, Pahath-Moab, Elam, Zattu, Bani, 
10:15  Bunni, Azgad, Bebai, 
10:16  Adonijah, Bigvai, Adin, 
10:17  Ater, Hezekiah, Azzur, 
10:18  Hodiah, Hashum, Bezai, 
10:19  Hariph, Anathoth, Nebai, 
10:20  Magpiash, Meshullam, Hezir, 
10:21  Meshezabel, Zadok, Jaddua, 
10:22  Pelatiah, Hanan, Anaiah, 
10:23  Hoshea, Hananiah, Hasshub, 
10:24  Hallohesh, Pilha, Shobek, 
10:25  Rehum, Hashabnah, Maaseiah, 
10:26  Ahiah, Hanan, Anan, 
10:27  Malluch, Harim and Baanah.  
10:28   "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-- 
10:29  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. 
10:30   "We promise not to give our daughters in marriage to the peoples
around us or take their daughters for our sons. 
10:31   "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.

10:32   "We assume the responsibility for carrying out the commands to give
a third of a shekel {[32] That is, about 1/8 ounce (about 4 grams)} each
year for the service of the house of our God: 
10:33  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. 
10:34   "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. 
10:35   "We also assume responsibility for bringing to the house of the LORD
each year the firstfruits of our crops and of every fruit tree. 
10:36   "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. 
10:37   "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. 
10:38  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. 
10:39  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."  

11:1   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. 
11:2  The people commended all the men who volunteered to live in Jerusalem.

11:3   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, 
11:4  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; 
11:5  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. 
11:6  The descendants of Perez who lived in Jerusalem totaled 468 able men. 

11:7  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, 
11:8  and his followers, Gabbai and Sallai--928 men. 
11:9  Joel son of Zicri was their chief officer, and Judah son of Hassenuah
was over the Second District of the city.  
11:10  From the priests:  Jedaiah; the son of Joiarib; Jakin; 
11:11  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, 
11:12  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, 
11:13  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, 
11:14  and his {[14] Most Septuagint manuscripts; Hebrew <their>}
associates, who were able men--128. Their chief officer was Zabdiel son of
Haggedolim.  
11:15  From the Levites:  Shemaiah son of Hasshub, the son of Azrikam, the
son of Hashabiah, the son of Bunni; 
11:16  Shabbethai and Jozabad, two of the heads of the Levites, who had
charge of the outside work of the house of God; 
11:17  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. 
11:18  The Levites in the holy city totaled 284.  
11:19  The gatekeepers:  Akkub, Talmon and their associates, who kept watch
at the gates--172 men.  
11:20   The rest of the Israelites, with the priests and Levites, were in
all the towns of Judah, each on his ancestral property. 
11:21   The temple servants lived on the hill of Ophel, and Ziha and Gishpa
were in charge of them. 
11:22   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. 
11:23  The singers were under the king's orders, which regulated their daily
activity. 
11:24   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. 
11:25   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, 
11:26  in Jeshua, in Moladah, in Beth Pelet, 
11:27  in Hazar Shual, in Beersheba and its settlements, 
11:28  in Ziklag, in Meconah and its settlements, 
11:29  in En Rimmon, in Zorah, in Jarmuth, 
11:30  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. 
11:31   The descendants of the Benjamites from Geba lived in Micmash, Aija,
Bethel and its settlements, 
11:32  in Anathoth, Nob and Ananiah, 
11:33  in Hazor, Ramah and Gittaim, 
11:34  in Hadid, Zeboim and Neballat, 
11:35  in Lod and Ono, and in the Valley of the Craftsmen. 
11:36   Some of the divisions of the Levites of Judah settled in Benjamin. 

12:1   These were the priests and Levites who returned with Zerubbabel son
of Shealtiel and with Jeshua: Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra, 
12:2  Amariah, Malluch, Hattush, 
12:3  Shecaniah, Rehum, Meremoth, 
12:4  Iddo, Ginnethon, {[4] Many Hebrew manuscripts and Vulgate (see also
Neh. 12:16); most Hebrew manuscripts <Ginnethoi>} Abijah, 
12:5  Mijamin, {[5] A variant of <Miniamin>} Moadiah, Bilgah, 
12:6  Shemaiah, Joiarib, Jedaiah, 
12:7  Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah and Jedaiah. These were the leaders of the
priests and their associates in the days of Jeshua. 
12:8   The Levites were Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and also
Mattaniah, who, together with his associates, was in charge of the songs of
thanksgiving. 
12:9  Bakbukiah and Unni, their associates, stood opposite them in the
services. 
12:10   Jeshua was the father of Joiakim, Joiakim the father of Eliashib,
Eliashib the father of Joiada, 
12:11  Joiada the father of Jonathan, and Jonathan the father of Jaddua. 
12:12   In the days of Joiakim, these were the heads of the priestly
families: of Seraiah's family, Meraiah; of Jeremiah's, Hananiah; 
12:13  of Ezra's, Meshullam; of Amariah's, Jehohanan; 
12:14  of Malluch's, Jonathan; of Shecaniah's, {[14] Very many Hebrew
manuscripts, some Septuagint manuscripts and Syriac (see also Neh. 12:3);
most Hebrew manuscripts <Shebaniah's>} Joseph; 
12:15  of Harim's, Adna; of Meremoth's, {[15] Some Septuagint manuscripts
(see also Neh. 12:3); Hebrew <Meraioth's>} Helkai; 
12:16  of Iddo's, Zechariah; of Ginnethon's, Meshullam; 
12:17  of Abijah's, Zicri; of Miniamin's and of Moadiah's, Piltai; 
12:18  of Bilgah's, Shammua; of Shemaiah's, Jehonathan; 
12:19  of Joiarib's, Mattenai; of Jedaiah's, Uzzi; 
12:20  of Sallu's, Kallai; of Amok's, Eber; 
12:21  of Hilkiah's, Hashabiah; of Jedaiah's, Nethanel. 
12:22   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. 
12:23  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. 
12:24  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. 
12:25   Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon and Akkub were
gatekeepers who guarded the storerooms at the gates. 
12:26  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. 
12:27   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. 
12:28  The singers also were brought together from the region around
Jerusalem--from the villages of the Netophathites, 
12:29  from Beth Gilgal, and from the area of Geba and Azmaveth, for the
singers had built villages for themselves around Jerusalem. 
12:30  When the priests and Levites had purified themselves ceremonially,
they purified the people, the gates and the wall. 
12:31   I had the leaders of Judah go up on top {[31] Or <go alongside>} of
the wall. I also assigned two large choirs to give thanks. One was to
proceed on top {[31] Or <proceed alongside>} of the wall to the right,
toward the Dung Gate. 
12:32  Hoshaiah and half the leaders of Judah followed them, 
12:33  along with Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam, 
12:34  Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, Jeremiah, 
12:35  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, 
12:36  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. 
12:37  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. 
12:38   The second choir proceeded in the opposite direction. I followed
them on top {[38] Or <them alongside>} of the wall, together with half the
people--past the Tower of the Ovens to the Broad Wall, 
12:39  over the Gate of Ephraim, the Jeshanah {[39] Or <Old>} 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. 
12:40   The two choirs that gave thanks then took their places in the house
of God; so did I, together with half the officials, 
12:41  as well as the priests--Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah,
Elioenai, Zechariah and Hananiah with their trumpets-- 
12:42  and also Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malkijah, Elam
and Ezer. The choirs sang under the direction of Jezrahiah. 
12:43  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. 
12:44   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. 
12:45  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. 
12:46  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. 
12:47  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. 

13:1   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, 
13:2  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.) 
13:3  When the people heard this law, they excluded from Israel all who were
of foreign descent. 
13:4   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, 
13:5  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. 
13:6   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 
13:7  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. 
13:8  I was greatly displeased and threw all Tobiah's household goods out of
the room. 
13:9  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. 
13:10   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. 
13:11  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. 
13:12   All Judah brought the tithes of grain, new wine and oil into the
storerooms. 
13:13  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. 

13:14   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.  
13:15   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. 
13:16  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. 
13:17  I rebuked the nobles of Judah and said to them, "What is this wicked
thing you are doing--desecrating the Sabbath day? 
13:18  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." 
13:19   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. 
13:20  Once or twice the merchants and sellers of all kinds of goods spent
the night outside Jerusalem. 
13:21  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. 
13:22  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.  
13:23   Moreover, in those days I saw men of Judah who had married women
from Ashdod, Ammon and Moab. 
13:24  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. 
13:25  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. 
13:26  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. 
13:27  Must we hear now that you too are doing all this terrible wickedness
and are being unfaithful to our God by marrying foreign women?" 
13:28   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.  
13:29   Remember them, O my God, because they defiled the priestly office
and the covenant of the priesthood and of the Levites.  
13:30   So I purified the priests and the Levites of everything foreign, and
assigned them duties, each to his own task. 
13:31  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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