1 The words of Nehemiah the son of Hachaliah. And it came topass in the month Chisleu, in the twentieth year, as I was inShushan the palace,
2 That Hanani, one of my brethren, came, he and certain men ofJudah; and I asked them concerning the Jews that had escaped,which were left of the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem.
3 And they said unto me, The remnant that are left of thecaptivity there in the province are in great affliction andreproach: the wall of Jerusalem also is broken down, and thegates thereof are burned with fire.
4 And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat downand wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayedbefore the God of heaven,
5 And said, I beseech thee, O LORD God of heaven, the great andterrible God, that keepeth covenant and mercy for them thatlove him and observe his commandments:
6 Let thine ear now be attentive, and thine eyes open, that thoumayest hear the prayer of thy servant, which I pray beforethee now, day and night, for the children of Israel thyservants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel,which we have sinned against thee: both I and my father'shouse have sinned.
7 We have dealt very corruptly against thee, and have not keptthe commandments, nor the statutes, nor the judgments, whichthou commandedst thy servant Moses.
8 Remember, I beseech thee, the word that thou commandedst thyservant Moses, saying, If ye transgress, I will scatter youabroad among the nations:
9 But if ye turn unto me, and keep my commandments, and do them;though there were of you cast out unto the uttermost part ofthe heaven, yet will I gather them from thence, and will bringthem unto the place that I have chosen to set my name there.
10 Now these are thy servants and thy people, whom thou hastredeemed by thy great power, and by thy strong hand.
11 O LORD, I beseech thee, let now thine ear be attentive to theprayer of thy servant, and to the prayer of thy servants, whodesire to fear thy name: and prosper, I pray thee, thy servantthis day, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man. For Iwas the king's cupbearer.
1 And it came to pass in the month Nisan, in the twentieth yearof Artaxerxes the king, that wine was before him: and I tookup the wine, and gave it unto the king. Now I had not beenbeforetime sad in his presence.
2 Wherefore the king said unto me, Why is thy countenance sad,seeing thou art not sick? this is nothing else but sorrow ofheart. Then I was very sore afraid,
3 And said unto the king, Let the king live for ever: why shouldnot my countenance be sad, when the city, the place of myfathers' sepulchres, lieth waste, and the gates thereof areconsumed with fire?
4 Then the king said unto me, For what dost thou make request?So I prayed to the God of heaven.
5 And I said unto the king, If it please the king, and if thyservant have found favour in thy sight, that thou wouldestsend me unto Judah, unto the city of my fathers' sepulchres,that I may build it.
6 And the king said unto me, (the queen also sitting by him,)For how long shall thy journey be? and when wilt thou return?So it pleased the king to send me; and I set him a time.
7 Moreover I said unto the king, If it please the king, letletters be given me to the governors beyond the river, thatthey may convey me over till I come into Judah;
8 And a letter unto Asaph the keeper of the king's forest, thathe may give me timber to make beams for the gates of thepalace which appertained to the house, and for the wall of thecity, and for the house that I shall enter into. And the kinggranted me, according to the good hand of my God upon me.
9 Then I came to the governors beyond the river, and gave themthe king's letters. Now the king had sent captains of the armyand horsemen with me.
10 When Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, theAmmonite, heard of it, it grieved them exceedingly that therewas come a man to seek the welfare of the children of Israel.
11 So I came to Jerusalem, and was there three days.
12 And I arose in the night, I and some few men with me; neithertold I any man what my God had put in my heart to do atJerusalem: neither was there any beast with me, save the beastthat I rode upon.
13 And I went out by night by the gate of the valley, even beforethe dragon well, and to the dung port, and viewed the walls ofJerusalem, which were broken down, and the gates thereof wereconsumed with fire.
14 Then I went on to the gate of the fountain, and to the king'spool: but there was no place for the beast that was under meto pass.
15 Then went I up in the night by the brook, and viewed the wall,and turned back, and entered by the gate of the valley, and soreturned.
16 And the rulers knew not whither I went, or what I did; neitherhad I as yet told it to the Jews, nor to the priests, nor tothe nobles, nor to the rulers, nor to the rest that did thework.
17 Then said I unto them, Ye see the distress that we are in, howJerusalem lieth waste, and the gates thereof are burned withfire: come, and let us build up the wall of Jerusalem, that webe no more a reproach.
18 Then I told them of the hand of my God which was good upon me;as also the king's words that he had spoken unto me. And theysaid, Let us rise up and build. So they strengthened theirhands for this good work.
19 But when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, theAmmonite, and Geshem the Arabian, heard it, they laughed us toscorn, and despised us, and said, What is this thing that yedo? will ye rebel against the king?
20 Then answered I them, and said unto them, The God of heaven,he will prosper us; therefore we his servants will arise andbuild: but ye have no portion, nor right, nor memorial, inJerusalem.
1 Then Eliashib the high priest rose up with his brethren thepriests, and they builded the sheep gate; they sanctified it,and set up the doors of it; even unto the tower of Meah theysanctified it, unto the tower of Hananeel.
2 And next unto him builded the men of Jericho. And next to thembuilded Zaccur the son of Imri.
3 But the fish gate did the sons of Hassenaah build, who alsolaid the beams thereof, and set up the doors thereof, thelocks thereof, and the bars thereof.
4 And next unto them repaired Meremoth the son of Urijah, theson of Koz. And next unto them repaired Meshullam the son ofBerechiah, the son of Meshezabeel. And next unto them repairedZadok the son of Baana.
5 And next unto them the Tekoites repaired; but their nobles putnot their necks to the work of their Lord.
6 Moreover the old gate repaired Jehoiada the son of Paseah, andMeshullam the son of Besodeiah; they laid the beams thereof,and set up the doors thereof, and the locks thereof, and thebars thereof.
7 And next unto them repaired Melatiah the Gibeonite, and Jadonthe Meronothite, the men of Gibeon, and of Mizpah, unto thethrone of the governor on this side the river.
8 Next unto him repaired Uzziel the son of Harhaiah, of thegoldsmiths. Next unto him also repaired Hananiah the son ofone of the apothecaries, and they fortified Jerusalem unto thebroad wall.
9 And next unto them repaired Rephaiah the son of Hur, the rulerof the half part of Jerusalem.
10 And next unto them repaired Jedaiah the son of Harumaph, evenover against his house. And next unto him repaired Hattush theson of Hashabniah.
11 Malchijah the son of Harim, and Hashub the son of Pahath-moab,repaired the other piece, and the tower of the furnaces.
12 And next unto him repaired Shallum the son of Halohesh, theruler of the half part of Jerusalem, he and his daughters.
13 The valley gate repaired Hanun, and the inhabitants of Zanoah;they built it, and set up the doors thereof, the locksthereof, and the bars thereof, and a thousand cubits on thewall unto the dung gate.
14 But the dung gate repaired Malchiah the son of Rechab, theruler of part of Beth-haccerem; he built it, and set up thedoors thereof, the locks thereof, and the bars thereof.
15 But the gate of the fountain repaired Shallun the son ofCol-hozeh, the ruler of part of Mizpah; he built it, andcovered it, and set up the doors thereof, the locks thereof,and the bars thereof, and the wall of the pool of Siloah bythe king's garden, and unto the stairs that go down from thecity of David.
16 After him repaired Nehemiah the son of Azbuk, the ruler of thehalf part of Beth-zur, unto the place over against thesepulchres of David, and to the pool that was made, and untothe house of the mighty.
17 After him repaired the Levites, Rehum the son of Bani. Nextunto him repaired Hashabiah, the ruler of the half part ofKeilah, in his part.
18 After him repaired their brethren, Bavai the son of Henadad,the ruler of the half part of Keilah.
19 And next to him repaired Ezer the son of Jeshua, the ruler ofMizpah, another piece over against the going up to the armouryat the turning of the wall.
20 After him Baruch the son of Zabbai earnestly repaired theother piece, from the turning of the wall unto the door of thehouse of Eliashib the high priest.
21 After him repaired Meremoth the son of Urijah the son of Kozanother piece, from the door of the house of Eliashib even tothe end of the house of Eliashib.
22 And after him repaired the priests, the men of the plain.
23 After him repaired Benjamin and Hashub over against theirhouse. After him repaired Azariah the son of Maaseiah the sonof Ananiah by his house.
24 After him repaired Binnui the son of Henadad another piece,from the house of Azariah unto the turning of the wall, evenunto the corner.
25 Palal the son of Uzai, over against the turning of the wall,and the tower which lieth out from the king's high house, thatwas by the court of the prison. After him Pedaiah the son ofParosh.
26 Moreover the Nethinims dwelt in Ophel, unto the place overagainst the water gate toward the east, and the tower thatlieth out.
27 After them the Tekoites repaired another piece, over againstthe great tower that lieth out, even unto the wall of Ophel.
28 From above the horse gate repaired the priests, every one overagainst his house.
29 After them repaired Zadok the son of Immer over against hishouse. After him repaired also Shemaiah the son of Shechaniah,the keeper of the east gate.
30 After him repaired Hananiah the son of Shelemiah, and Hanunthe sixth son of Zalaph, another piece. After him repairedMeshullam the son of Berechiah over against his chamber.
31 After him repaired Malchiah the goldsmith's son unto the placeof the Nethinims, and of the merchants, over against the gateMiphkad, and to the going up of the corner.
32 And between the going up of the corner unto the sheep gaterepaired the goldsmiths and the merchants.
1 But it came to pass, that when Sanballat heard that we buildedthe wall, he was wroth, and took great indignation, and mockedthe Jews.
2 And he spake before his brethren and the army of Samaria, andsaid, What do these feeble Jews? will they fortify themselves?will they sacrifice? will they make an end in a day? will theyrevive the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish which areburned?
3 Now Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, Even thatwhich they build, if a fox go up, he shall even break downtheir stone wall.
4 Hear, O our God; for we are despised: and turn their reproachupon their own head, and give them for a prey in the land ofcaptivity:
5 And cover not their iniquity, and let not their sin be blottedout from before thee: for they have provoked thee to angerbefore the builders.
6 So built we the wall; and all the wall was joined togetherunto the half thereof: for the people had a mind to work.
7 But it came to pass, that when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and theArabians, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites, heard thatthe walls of Jerusalem were made up, and that the breachesbegan to be stopped, then they were very wroth,
8 And conspired all of them together to come and to fightagainst Jerusalem, and to hinder it.
9 Nevertheless we made our prayer unto our God, and set a watchagainst them day and night, because of them.
10 And Judah said, The strength of the bearers of burdens isdecayed, and there is much rubbish; so that we are not able tobuild the wall.
11 And our adversaries said, They shall not know, neither see,till we come in the midst among them, and slay them, and causethe work to cease.
12 And it came to pass, that when the Jews which dwelt by themcame, they said unto us ten times, From all places whence yeshall return unto us they will be upon you.
13 Therefore set I in the lower places behind the wall, and onthe higher places, I even set the people after their familieswith their swords, their spears, and their bows.
14 And I looked, and rose up, and said unto the nobles, and tothe rulers, and to the rest of the people, Be not ye afraid ofthem: remember the LORD, which is great and terrible, andfight for your brethren, your sons, and your daughters, yourwives, and your houses.
15 And it came to pass, when our enemies heard that it was knownunto us, and God had brought their counsel to nought, that wereturned all of us to the wall, every one unto his work.
16 And it came to pass from that time forth, that the half of myservants wrought in the work, and the other half of them heldboth the spears, the shields, and the bows, and thehabergeons; and the rulers were behind all the house of Judah.
17 They which builded on the wall, and they that bare burdens,with those that laded, every one with one of his hands wroughtin the work, and with the other hand held a weapon.
18 For the builders, every one had his sword girded by his side,and so builded. And he that sounded the trumpet was by me.
19 And I said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the restof the people, The work is great and large, and we areseparated upon the wall, one far from another.
20 In what place therefore ye hear the sound of the trumpet,resort ye thither unto us: our God shall fight for us.
21 So we laboured in the work: and half of them held the spearsfrom the rising of the morning till the stars appeared.
22 Likewise at the same time said I unto the people, Let everyone with his servant lodge within Jerusalem, that in the nightthey may be a guard to us, and labour on the day.
23 So neither I, nor my brethren, nor my servants, nor the men ofthe guard which followed me, none of us put off our clothes,saving that every one put them off for washing.
1 And there was a great cry of the people and of their wivesagainst their brethren the Jews.
2 For there were that said, We, our sons, and our daughters, aremany: therefore we take up corn for them, that we may eat, andlive.
3 Some also there were that said, We have mortgaged our lands,vineyards, and houses, that we might buy corn, because of thedearth.
4 There were also that said, We have borrowed money for theking's tribute, and that upon our lands and vineyards.
5 Yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren, ourchildren as their children: and, lo, we bring into bondage oursons and our daughters to be servants, and some of ourdaughters are brought unto bondage already: neither is it inour power to redeem them; for other men have our lands andvineyards.
6 And I was very angry when I heard their cry and these words.
7 Then I consulted with myself, and I rebuked the nobles, andthe rulers, and said unto them, Ye exact usury, every one ofhis brother. And I set a great assembly against them.
8 And I said unto them, We after our ability have redeemed ourbrethren the Jews, which were sold unto the heathen; and willye even sell your brethren? or shall they be sold unto us?Then held they their peace, and found nothing to answer.
9 Also I said, It is not good that ye do: ought ye not to walkin the fear of our God because of the reproach of the heathenour enemies?
10 I likewise, and my brethren, and my servants, might exact ofthem money and corn: I pray you, let us leave off this usury.
11 Restore, I pray you, to them, even this day, their lands,their vineyards, their oliveyards, and their houses, also thehundredth part of the money, and of the corn, the wine, andthe oil, that ye exact of them.
12 Then said they, We will restore them, and will require nothingof them; so will we do as thou sayest. Then I called thepriests, and took an oath of them, that they should doaccording to this promise.
13 Also I shook my lap, and said, So God shake out every man fromhis house, and from his labour, that performeth not thispromise, even thus be he shaken out, and emptied. And all thecongregation said, Amen, and praised the LORD. And the peopledid according to this promise.
14 Moreover from the time that I was appointed to be theirgovernor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year evenunto the two and thirtieth year of Artaxerxes the king, thatis, twelve years, I and my brethren have not eaten the breadof the governor.
15 But the former governors that had been before me werechargeable unto the people, and had taken of them bread andwine, beside forty shekels of silver; yea, even their servantsbare rule over the people: but so did not I, because of thefear of God.
16 Yea, also I continued in the work of this wall, neither boughtwe any land: and all my servants were gathered thither untothe work.
17 Moreover there were at my table an hundred and fifty of theJews and rulers, beside those that came unto us from among theheathen that are about us.
18 Now that which was prepared for me daily was one ox and sixchoice sheep; also fowls were prepared for me, and once in tendays store of all sorts of wine: yet for all this required notI the bread of the governor, because the bondage was heavyupon this people.
19 Think upon me, my God, for good, according to all that I havedone for this people.
1 Now it came to pass, when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and Geshem theArabian, and the rest of our enemies, heard that I had buildedthe wall, and that there was no breach left therein; (thoughat that time I had not set up the doors upon the gates;)
2 That Sanballat and Geshem sent unto me, saying, Come, let usmeet together in some one of the villages in the plain of Ono.But they thought to do me mischief.
3 And I sent messengers unto them, saying, I am doing a greatwork, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease,whilst I leave it, and come down to you?
4 Yet they sent unto me four times after this sort; and Ianswered them after the same manner.
5 Then sent Sanballat his servant unto me in like manner thefifth time with an open letter in his hand;
6 Wherein was written, It is reported among the heathen, andGashmu saith it, that thou and the Jews think to rebel: forwhich cause thou buildest the wall, that thou mayest be theirking, according to these words.
7 And thou hast also appointed prophets to preach of thee atJerusalem, saying, There is a king in Judah: and now shall itbe reported to the king according to these words. Come nowtherefore, and let us take counsel together.
8 Then I sent unto him, saying, There are no such things done asthou sayest, but thou feignest them out of thine own heart.
9 For they all made us afraid, saying, Their hands shall beweakened from the work, that it be not done. Now therefore, OGod, strengthen my hands.
10 Afterward I came unto the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiahthe son of Mehetabeel, who was shut up; and he said, Let usmeet together in the house of God, within the temple, and letus shut the doors of the temple: for they will come to slaythee; yea, in the night will they come to slay thee.
11 And I said, Should such a man as I flee? and who is there,that, being as I am, would go into the temple to save hislife? I will not go in.
12 And, lo, I perceived that God had not sent him; but that hepronounced this prophecy against me: for Tobiah and Sanballathad hired him.
13 Therefore was he hired, that I should be afraid, and do so,and sin, and that they might have matter for an evil report,that they might reproach me.
14 My God, think thou upon Tobiah and Sanballat according tothese their works, and on the prophetess Noadiah, and the restof the prophets, that would have put me in fear.
15 So the wall was finished in the twenty and fifth day of themonth Elul, in fifty and two days.
16 And it came to pass, that when all our enemies heard thereof,and all the heathen that were about us saw these things, theywere much cast down in their own eyes: for they perceived thatthis work was wrought of our God.
17 Moreover in those days the nobles of Judah sent many lettersunto Tobiah, and the letters of Tobiah came unto them.
18 For there were many in Judah sworn unto him, because he wasthe son in law of Shechaniah the son of Arah; and his sonJohanan had taken the daughter of Meshullam the son ofBerechiah.
19 Also they reported his good deeds before me, and uttered mywords to him. And Tobiah sent letters to put me in fear.
1 Now it came to pass, when the wall was built, and I had set upthe doors, and the porters and the singers and the Leviteswere appointed,
2 That I gave my brother Hanani, and Hananiah the ruler of thepalace, charge over Jerusalem: for he was a faithful man, andfeared God above many.
3 And I said unto them, Let not the gates of Jerusalem be openeduntil the sun be hot; and while they stand by, let them shutthe doors, and bar them: and appoint watches of theinhabitants of Jerusalem, every one in his watch, and everyone to be over against his house.
4 Now the city was large and great: but the people were fewtherein, and the houses were not builded.
5 And my God put into mine heart to gather together the nobles,and the rulers, and the people, that they might be reckoned bygenealogy. And I found a register of the genealogy of themwhich came up at the first, and found written therein,
6 These are the children of the province, that went up out ofthe captivity, of those that had been carried away, whomNebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away, and cameagain to Jerusalem and to Judah, every one unto his city;
7 Who came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah,Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, Baanah.The number, I say, of the men of the people of Israel wasthis;
8 The children of Parosh, two thousand an hundred seventy andtwo.
9 The children of Shephatiah, three hundred seventy and two.
10 The children of Arah, six hundred fifty and two.
11 The children of Pahath-moab, of the children of Jeshua andJoab, two thousand and eight hundred and eighteen.
12 The children of Elam, a thousand two hundred fifty and four.
13 The children of Zattu, eight hundred forty and five.
14 The children of Zaccai, seven hundred and threescore.
15 The children of Binnui, six hundred forty and eight.
16 The children of Bebai, six hundred twenty and eight.
17 The children of Azgad, two thousand three hundred twenty andtwo.
18 The children of Adonikam, six hundred threescore and seven.
19 The children of Bigvai, two thousand threescore and seven.
20 The children of Adin, six hundred fifty and five.
21 The children of Ater of Hezekiah, ninety and eight.
22 The children of Hashum, three hundred twenty and eight.
23 The children of Bezai, three hundred twenty and four.
24 The children of Hariph, an hundred and twelve.
25 The children of Gibeon, ninety and five.
26 The men of Beth-lehem and Netophah, an hundred fourscore andeight.
27 The men of Anathoth, an hundred twenty and eight.
28 The men of Beth-azmaveth, forty and two.
29 The men of Kirjath-jearim, Chephirah, and Beeroth, sevenhundred forty and three.
30 The men of Ramah and Geba, six hundred twenty and one.
31 The men of Michmas, an hundred and twenty and two.
32 The men of Beth-el and Ai, an hundred twenty and three.
33 The men of the other Nebo, fifty and two.
34 The children of the other Elam, a thousand two hundred fiftyand four.
35 The children of Harim, three hundred and twenty.
36 The children of Jericho, three hundred forty and five.
37 The children of Lod, Hadid, and Ono, seven hundred twenty andone.
38 The children of Senaah, three thousand nine hundred andthirty.
39 The priests: the children of Jedaiah, of the house of Jeshua,nine hundred seventy and three.
40 The children of Immer, a thousand fifty and two.
41 The children of Pashur, a thousand two hundred forty andseven.
42 The children of Harim, a thousand and seventeen.
43 The Levites: the children of Jeshua, of Kadmiel, and of thechildren of Hodevah, seventy and four.
44 The singers: the children of Asaph, an hundred forty andeight.
45 The porters: the children of Shallum, the children of Ater,the children of Talmon, the children of Akkub, the children ofHatita, the children of Shobai, an hundred thirty and eight.
46 The Nethinims: the children of Ziha, the children of Hashupha,the children of Tabbaoth,
47 The children of Keros, the children of Sia, the children ofPadon,
48 The children of Lebana, the children of Hagaba, the childrenof Shalmai,
49 The children of Hanan, the children of Giddel, the children ofGahar,
50 The children of Reaiah, the children of Rezin, the children ofNekoda,
51 The children of Gazzam, the children of Uzza, the children ofPhaseah,
52 The children of Besai, the children of Meunim, the children ofNephishesim,
53 The children of Bakbuk, the children of Hakupha, the childrenof Harhur,
54 The children of Bazlith, the children of Mehida, the childrenof Harsha,
55 The children of Barkos, the children of Sisera, the childrenof Tamah,
56 The children of Neziah, the children of Hatipha.
57 The children of Solomon's servants: the children of Sotai, thechildren of Sophereth, the children of Perida,
58 The children of Jaala, the children of Darkon, the children ofGiddel,
59 The children of Shephatiah, the children of Hattil, thechildren of Pochereth of Zebaim, the children of Amon.
60 All the Nethinims, and the children of Solomon's servants,were three hundred ninety and two.
61 And these were they which went up also from Tel-melah,Tel-haresha, Cherub, Addon, and Immer: but they could not shewtheir father's house, nor their seed, whether they were ofIsrael.
62 The children of Delaiah, the children of Tobiah, the childrenof Nekoda, six hundred forty and two.
63 And of the priests: the children of Habaiah, the children ofKoz, the children of Barzillai, which took one of thedaughters of Barzillai the Gileadite to wife, and was calledafter their name.
64 These sought their register among those that were reckoned bygenealogy, but it was not found: therefore were they, aspolluted, put from the priesthood.
65 And the Tirshatha said unto them, that they should not eat ofthe most holy things, till there stood up a priest with Urimand Thummim.
66 The whole congregation together was forty and two thousandthree hundred and threescore,
67 Beside their manservants and their maidservants, of whom therewere seven thousand three hundred thirty and seven: and theyhad two hundred forty and five singing men and singing women.
68 Their horses, seven hundred thirty and six: their mules, twohundred forty and five:
69 Their camels, four hundred thirty and five: six thousand sevenhundred and twenty asses.
70 And some of the chief of the fathers gave unto the work. TheTirshatha gave to the treasure a thousand drams of gold, fiftybasons, five hundred and thirty priests' garments.
71 And some of the chief of the fathers gave to the treasure ofthe work twenty thousand drams of gold, and two thousand andtwo hundred pound of silver.
72 And that which the rest of the people gave was twenty thousanddrams of gold, and two thousand pound of silver, andthreescore and seven priests' garments.
73 So the priests, and the Levites, and the porters, and thesingers, and some of the people, and the Nethinims, and allIsrael, dwelt in their cities; and when the seventh monthcame, the children of Israel were in their cities.
1 And all the people gathered themselves together as one maninto the street that was before the water gate; and they spakeunto Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses,which the LORD had commanded to Israel.
2 And Ezra the priest brought the law before the congregationboth of men and women, and all that could hear withunderstanding, upon the first day of the seventh month.
3 And he read therein before the street that was before thewater gate from the morning until midday, before the men andthe women, and those that could understand; and the ears ofall the people were attentive unto the book of the law.
4 And Ezra the scribe stood upon a pulpit of wood, which theyhad made for the purpose; and beside him stood Mattithiah, andShema, and Anaiah, and Urijah, and Hilkiah, and Maaseiah, onhis right hand; and on his left hand, Pedaiah, and Mishael,and Malchiah, and Hashum, and Hashbadana, Zechariah, andMeshullam.
5 And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people; (forhe was above all the people;) and when he opened it, all thepeople stood up:
6 And Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God. And all the peopleanswered, Amen, Amen, with lifting up their hands: and theybowed their heads, and worshipped the LORD with their faces tothe ground.
7 Also Jeshua, and Bani, and Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub,Shabbethai, Hodijah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad,Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites, caused the people tounderstand the law: and the people stood in their place.
8 So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, andgave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.
9 And Nehemiah, which is the Tirshatha, and Ezra the priest thescribe, and the Levites that taught the people, said unto allthe people, This day is holy unto the LORD your God; mournnot, nor weep. For all the people wept, when they heard thewords of the law.
10 Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drinkthe sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing isprepared: for this day is holy unto our LORD: neither be yesorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength.
11 So the Levites stilled all the people, saying, Hold yourpeace, for the day is holy; neither be ye grieved.
12 And all the people went their way to eat, and to drink, and tosend portions, and to make great mirth, because they hadunderstood the words that were declared unto them.
13 And on the second day were gathered together the chief of thefathers of all the people, the priests, and the Levites, untoEzra the scribe, even to understand the words of the law.
14 And they found written in the law which the LORD had commandedby Moses, that the children of Israel should dwell in boothsin the feast of the seventh month:
15 And that they should publish and proclaim in all their cities,and in Jerusalem, saying, Go forth unto the mount, and fetcholive branches, and pine branches, and myrtle branches, andpalm branches, and branches of thick trees, to make booths, asit is written.
16 So the people went forth, and brought them, and madethemselves booths, every one upon the roof of his house, andin their courts, and in the courts of the house of God, and inthe street of the water gate, and in the street of the gate ofEphraim.
17 And all the congregation of them that were come again out ofthe captivity made booths, and sat under the booths: for sincethe days of Jeshua the son of Nun unto that day had not thechildren of Israel done so. And there was very great gladness.
18 Also day by day, from the first day unto the last day, he readin the book of the law of God. And they kept the feast sevendays; and on the eighth day was a solemn assembly, accordingunto the manner.
1 Now in the twenty and fourth day of this month the children ofIsrael were assembled with fasting, and with sackclothes, andearth upon them.
2 And the seed of Israel separated themselves from allstrangers, and stood and confessed their sins, and theiniquities of their fathers.
3 And they stood up in their place, and read in the book of thelaw of the LORD their God one fourth part of the day; andanother fourth part they confessed, and worshipped the LORDtheir God.
4 Then stood up upon the stairs, of the Levites, Jeshua, andBani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Chenani,and cried with a loud voice unto the LORD their God.
5 Then the Levites, Jeshua, and Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabniah,Sherebiah, Hodijah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah, said, Stand upand bless the LORD your God for ever and ever: and blessed bethy glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing andpraise.
6 Thou, even thou, art LORD alone; thou hast made heaven, theheaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth, and allthings that are therein, the seas, and all that is therein,and thou preservest them all; and the host of heavenworshippeth thee.
7 Thou art the LORD the God, who didst choose Abram, andbroughtest him forth out of Ur of the Chaldees, and gavest himthe name of Abraham;
8 And foundest his heart faithful before thee, and madest acovenant with him to give the land of the Canaanites, theHittites, the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Jebusites,and the Girgashites, to give it, I say, to his seed, and hastperformed thy words; for thou art righteous:
9 And didst see the affliction of our fathers in Egypt, andheardest their cry by the Red sea;
10 And shewedst signs and wonders upon Pharaoh, and on all hisservants, and on all the people of his land: for thou knewestthat they dealt proudly against them. So didst thou get thee aname, as it is this day.
11 And thou didst divide the sea before them, so that they wentthrough the midst of the sea on the dry land; and theirpersecutors thou threwest into the deeps, as a stone into themighty waters.
12 Moreover thou leddest them in the day by a cloudy pillar; andin the night by a pillar of fire, to give them light in theway wherein they should go.
13 Thou camest down also upon mount Sinai, and spakest with themfrom heaven, and gavest them right judgments, and true laws,good statutes and commandments:
14 And madest known unto them thy holy sabbath, and commandedstthem precepts, statutes, and laws, by the hand of Moses thyservant:
15 And gavest them bread from heaven for their hunger, andbroughtest forth water for them out of the rock for theirthirst, and promisedst them that they should go in to possessthe land which thou hadst sworn to give them.
16 But they and our fathers dealt proudly, and hardened theirnecks, and hearkened not to thy commandments,
17 And refused to obey, neither were mindful of thy wonders thatthou didst among them; but hardened their necks, and in theirrebellion appointed a captain to return to their bondage: butthou art a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow toanger, and of great kindness, and forsookest them not.
18 Yea, when they had made them a molten calf, and said, This isthy God that brought thee up out of Egypt, and had wroughtgreat provocations;
19 Yet thou in thy manifold mercies forsookest them not in thewilderness: the pillar of the cloud departed not from them byday, to lead them in the way; neither the pillar of fire bynight, to shew them light, and the way wherein they should go.
20 Thou gavest also thy good spirit to instruct them, andwithheldest not thy manna from their mouth, and gavest themwater for their thirst.
21 Yea, forty years didst thou sustain them in the wilderness, sothat they lacked nothing; their clothes waxed not old, andtheir feet swelled not.
22 Moreover thou gavest them kingdoms and nations, and didstdivide them into corners: so they possessed the land of Sihon,and the land of the king of Heshbon, and the land of Og kingof Bashan.
23 Their children also multipliedst thou as the stars of heaven,and broughtest them into the land, concerning which thou hadstpromised to their fathers, that they should go in to possessit.
24 So the children went in and possessed the land, and thousubduedst before them the inhabitants of the land, theCanaanites, and gavest them into their hands, with theirkings, and the people of the land, that they might do withthem as they would.
25 And they took strong cities, and a fat land, and possessedhouses full of all goods, wells digged, vineyards, andoliveyards, and fruit trees in abundance: so they did eat, andwere filled, and became fat, and delighted themselves in thygreat goodness.
26 Nevertheless they were disobedient, and rebelled against thee,and cast thy law behind their backs, and slew thy prophetswhich testified against them to turn them to thee, and theywrought great provocations.
27 Therefore thou deliveredst them into the hand of theirenemies, who vexed them: and in the time of their trouble,when they cried unto thee, thou heardest them from heaven; andaccording to thy manifold mercies thou gavest them saviours,who saved them out of the hand of their enemies.
28 But after they had rest, they did evil again before thee:therefore leftest thou them in the hand of their enemies, sothat they had the dominion over them: yet when they returned,and cried unto thee, thou heardest them from heaven; and manytimes didst thou deliver them according to thy mercies;
29 And testifiedst against them, that thou mightest bring themagain unto thy law: yet they dealt proudly, and hearkened notunto thy commandments, but sinned against thy judgments,(which if a man do, he shall live in them;) and withdrew theshoulder, and hardened their neck, and would not hear.
30 Yet many years didst thou forbear them, and testifiedstagainst them by thy spirit in thy prophets: yet would they notgive ear: therefore gavest thou them into the hand of thepeople of the lands.
31 Nevertheless for thy great mercies' sake thou didst notutterly consume them, nor forsake them; for thou art agracious and merciful God.
32 Now therefore, our God, the great, the mighty, and theterrible God, who keepest covenant and mercy, let not all thetrouble seem little before thee, that hath come upon us, onour kings, on our princes, and on our priests, and on ourprophets, and on our fathers, and on all thy people, since thetime of the kings of Assyria unto this day.
33 Howbeit thou art just in all that is brought upon us; for thouhast done right, but we have done wickedly:
34 Neither have our kings, our princes, our priests, nor ourfathers, kept thy law, nor hearkened unto thy commandments andthy testimonies, wherewith thou didst testify against them.
35 For they have not served thee in their kingdom, and in thygreat goodness that thou gavest them, and in the large and fatland which thou gavest before them, neither turned they fromtheir wicked works.
36 Behold, we are servants this day, and for the land that thougavest unto our fathers to eat the fruit thereof and the goodthereof, behold, we are servants in it:
37 And it yieldeth much increase unto the kings whom thou hastset over us because of our sins: also they have dominion overour bodies, and over our cattle, at their pleasure, and we arein great distress.
38 And because of all this we make a sure covenant, and write it;and our princes, Levites, and priests, seal unto it.
1 Now those that sealed were, Nehemiah, the Tirshatha, the sonof Hachaliah, and Zidkijah,
2 Seraiah, Azariah, Jeremiah,
3 Pashur, Amariah, Malchijah,
4 Hattush, Shebaniah, Malluch,
5 Harim, Meremoth, Obadiah,
6 Daniel, Ginnethon, Baruch,
7 Meshullam, Abijah, Mijamin,
8 Maaziah, Bilgai, Shemaiah: these were the priests.
9 And the Levites: both Jeshua the son of Azaniah, Binnui of thesons of Henadad, Kadmiel;
10 And their brethren, Shebaniah, Hodijah, Kelita, Pelaiah,Hanan,
11 Micha, Rehob, Hashabiah,
12 Zaccur, Sherebiah, Shebaniah,
13 Hodijah, Bani, Beninu.
14 The chief of the people; Parosh, Pahath-moab, Elam, Zatthu,Bani,
15 Bunni, Azgad, Bebai,
16 Adonijah, Bigvai, Adin,
17 Ater, Hizkijah, Azzur,
18 Hodijah, Hashum, Bezai,
19 Hariph, Anathoth, Nebai,
20 Magpiash, Meshullam, Hezir,
21 Meshezabeel, Zadok, Jaddua,
22 Pelatiah, Hanan, Anaiah,
23 Hoshea, Hananiah, Hashub,
24 Hallohesh, Pileha, Shobek,
25 Rehum, Hashabnah, Maaseiah,
26 And Ahijah, Hanan, Anan,
27 Malluch, Harim, Baanah.
28 And the rest of the people, the priests, the Levites, theporters, the singers, the Nethinims, and all they that hadseparated themselves from the people of the lands unto the lawof God, their wives, their sons, and their daughters, everyone having knowledge, and having understanding;
29 They clave to their brethren, their nobles, and entered into acurse, and into an oath, to walk in God's law, which was givenby Moses the servant of God, and to observe and do all thecommandments of the LORD our Lord, and his judgments and hisstatutes;
30 And that we would not give our daughters unto the people ofthe land, nor take their daughters for our sons:
31 And if the people of the land bring ware or any victuals onthe sabbath day to sell, that we would not buy it of them onthe sabbath, or on the holy day: and that we would leave theseventh year, and the exaction of every debt.
32 Also we made ordinances for us, to charge ourselves yearlywith the third part of a shekel for the service of the houseof our God;
33 For the shewbread, and for the continual meat offering, andfor the continual burnt offering, of the sabbaths, of the newmoons, for the set feasts, and for the holy things, and forthe sin offerings to make an atonement for Israel, and for allthe work of the house of our God.
34 And we cast the lots among the priests, the Levites, and thepeople, for the wood offering, to bring it into the house ofour God, after the houses of our fathers, at times appointedyear by year, to burn upon the altar of the LORD our God, asit is written in the law:
35 And to bring the firstfruits of our ground, and thefirstfruits of all fruit of all trees, year by year, unto thehouse of the LORD:
36 Also the firstborn of our sons, and of our cattle, as it iswritten in the law, and the firstlings of our herds and of ourflocks, to bring to the house of our God, unto the prieststhat minister in the house of our God:
37 And that we should bring the firstfruits of our dough, and ourofferings, and the fruit of all manner of trees, of wine andof oil, unto the priests, to the chambers of the house of ourGod; and the tithes of our ground unto the Levites, that thesame Levites might have the tithes in all the cities of ourtillage.
38 And the priest the son of Aaron shall be with the Levites,when the Levites take tithes: and the Levites shall bring upthe tithe of the tithes unto the house of our God, to thechambers, into the treasure house.
39 For the children of Israel and the children of Levi shallbring the offering of the corn, of the new wine, and the oil,unto the chambers, where are the vessels of the sanctuary, andthe priests that minister, and the porters, and the singers:and we will not forsake the house of our God.
1 And the rulers of the people dwelt at Jerusalem: the rest ofthe people also cast lots, to bring one of ten to dwell inJerusalem the holy city, and nine parts to dwell in othercities.
2 And the people blessed all the men, that willingly offeredthemselves to dwell at Jerusalem.
3 Now these are the chief of the province that dwelt inJerusalem: but in the cities of Judah dwelt every one in hispossession in their cities, to wit, Israel, the priests, andthe Levites, and the Nethinims, and the children of Solomon'sservants.
4 And at Jerusalem dwelt certain of the children of Judah, andof the children of Benjamin. Of the children of Judah; Athaiahthe son of Uzziah, the son of Zechariah, the son of Amariah,the son of Shephatiah, the son of Mahalaleel, of the childrenof Perez;
5 And Maaseiah the son of Baruch, the son of Col-hozeh, the sonof Hazaiah, the son of Adaiah, the son of Joiarib, the son ofZechariah, the son of Shiloni.
6 All the sons of Perez that dwelt at Jerusalem were fourhundred threescore and eight valiant men.
7 And these are the sons of Benjamin; Sallu the son ofMeshullam, the son of Joed, the son of Pedaiah, the son ofKolaiah, the son of Maaseiah, the son of Ithiel, the son ofJesaiah.
8 And after him Gabbai, Sallai, nine hundred twenty and eight.
9 And Joel the son of Zichri was their overseer: and Judah theson of Senuah was second over the city.
10 Of the priests: Jedaiah the son of Joiarib, Jachin.
11 Seraiah the son of Hilkiah, the son of Meshullam, the son ofZadok, the son of Meraioth, the son of Ahitub, was the rulerof the house of God.
12 And their brethren that did the work of the house were eighthundred twenty and two: and Adaiah the son of Jeroham, the sonof Pelaliah, the son of Amzi, the son of Zechariah, the son ofPashur, the son of Malchiah,
13 And his brethren, chief of the fathers, two hundred forty andtwo: and Amashai the son of Azareel, the son of Ahasai, theson of Meshillemoth, the son of Immer,
14 And their brethren, mighty men of valour, an hundred twentyand eight: and their overseer was Zabdiel, the son of one ofthe great men.
15 Also of the Levites: Shemaiah the son of Hashub, the son ofAzrikam, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Bunni;
16 And Shabbethai and Jozabad, of the chief of the Levites, hadthe oversight of the outward business of the house of God.
17 And Mattaniah the son of Micha, the son of Zabdi, the son ofAsaph, was the principal to begin the thanksgiving in prayer:and Bakbukiah the second among his brethren, and Abda the sonof Shammua, the son of Galal, the son of Jeduthun.
18 All the Levites in the holy city were two hundred fourscoreand four.
19 Moreover the porters, Akkub, Talmon, and their brethren thatkept the gates, were an hundred seventy and two.
20 And the residue of Israel, of the priests, and the Levites,were in all the cities of Judah, every one in his inheritance.
21 But the Nethinims dwelt in Ophel: and Ziha and Gispa were overthe Nethinims.
22 The overseer also of the Levites at Jerusalem was Uzzi the sonof Bani, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Mattaniah, the sonof Micha. Of the sons of Asaph, the singers were over thebusiness of the house of God.
23 For it was the king's commandment concerning them, that acertain portion should be for the singers, due for every day.
24 And Pethahiah the son of Meshezabeel, of the children of Zerahthe son of Judah, was at the king's hand in all mattersconcerning the people.
25 And for the villages, with their fields, some of the childrenof Judah dwelt at Kirjath-arba, and in the villages thereof,and at Dibon, and in the villages thereof, and at Jekabzeel,and in the villages thereof,
26 And at Jeshua, and at Moladah, and at Beth-phelet,
27 And at Hazar-shual, and at Beer-sheba, and in the villagesthereof,
28 And at Ziklag, and at Mekonah, and in the villages thereof,
29 And at En-rimmon, and at Zareah, and at Jarmuth,
30 Zanoah, Adullam, and in their villages, at Lachish, and thefields thereof, at Azekah, and in the villages thereof. Andthey dwelt from Beer-sheba unto the valley of Hinnom.
31 The children also of Benjamin from Geba dwelt at Michmash, andAija, and Beth-el, and in their villages,
32 And at Anathoth, Nob, Ananiah,
33 Hazor, Ramah, Gittaim,
34 Hadid, Zeboim, Neballat,
35 Lod, and Ono, the valley of craftsmen.
36 And of the Levites were divisions in Judah, and in Benjamin.
1 Now these are the priests and the Levites that went up withZerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua: Seraiah,Jeremiah, Ezra,
2 Amariah, Malluch, Hattush,
3 Shechaniah, Rehum, Meremoth,
4 Iddo, Ginnetho, Abijah,
5 Miamin, Maadiah, Bilgah,
6 Shemaiah, and Joiarib, Jedaiah,
7 Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, Jedaiah. These were the chief of thepriests and of their brethren in the days of Jeshua.
8 Moreover the Levites: Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah,Judah, and Mattaniah, which was over the thanksgiving, he andhis brethren.
9 Also Bakbukiah and Unni, their brethren, were over againstthem in the watches.
10 And Jeshua begat Joiakim, Joiakim also begat Eliashib, andEliashib begat Joiada,
11 And Joiada begat Jonathan, and Jonathan begat Jaddua.
12 And in the days of Joiakim were priests, the chief of thefathers: of Seraiah, Meraiah; of Jeremiah, Hananiah;
13 Of Ezra, Meshullam; of Amariah, Jehohanan;
14 Of Melicu, Jonathan; of Shebaniah, Joseph;
15 Of Harim, Adna; of Meraioth, Helkai;
16 Of Iddo, Zechariah; of Ginnethon, Meshullam;
17 Of Abijah, Zichri; of Miniamin, of Moadiah, Piltai;
18 Of Bilgah, Shammua; of Shemaiah, Jehonathan;
19 And of Joiarib, Mattenai; of Jedaiah, Uzzi;
20 Of Sallai, Kallai; of Amok, Eber;
21 Of Hilkiah, Hashabiah; of Jedaiah, Nethaneel.
22 The Levites in the days of Eliashib, Joiada, and Johanan, andJaddua, were recorded chief of the fathers: also the priests,to the reign of Darius the Persian.
23 The sons of Levi, the chief of the fathers, were written inthe book of the chronicles, even until the days of Johanan theson of Eliashib.
24 And the chief of the Levites: Hashabiah, Sherebiah, and Jeshuathe son of Kadmiel, with their brethren over against them, topraise and to give thanks, according to the commandment ofDavid the man of God, ward over against ward.
25 Mattaniah, and Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon, Akkub,were porters keeping the ward at the thresholds of the gates.
26 These were in the days of Joiakim the son of Jeshua, the sonof Jozadak, and in the days of Nehemiah the governor, and ofEzra the priest, the scribe.
27 And at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought theLevites out of all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem,to keep the dedication with gladness, both with thanksgivings,and with singing, with cymbals, psalteries, and with harps.
28 And the sons of the singers gathered themselves together, bothout of the plain country round about Jerusalem, and from thevillages of Netophathi;
29 Also from the house of Gilgal, and out of the fields of Gebaand Azmaveth: for the singers had builded them villages roundabout Jerusalem.
30 And the priests and the Levites purified themselves, andpurified the people, and the gates, and the wall.
31 Then I brought up the princes of Judah upon the wall, andappointed two great companies of them that gave thanks,whereof one went on the right hand upon the wall toward thedung gate:
32 And after them went Hoshaiah, and half of the princes ofJudah,
33 And Azariah, Ezra, and Meshullam,
34 Judah, and Benjamin, and Shemaiah, and Jeremiah,
35 And certain of the priests' sons with trumpets; namely,Zechariah the son of Jonathan, the son of Shemaiah, the son ofMattaniah, the son of Michaiah, the son of Zaccur, the son ofAsaph:
36 And his brethren, Shemaiah, and Azarael, Milalai, Gilalai,Maai, Nethaneel, and Judah, Hanani, with the musicalinstruments of David the man of God, and Ezra the scribebefore them.
37 And at the fountain gate, which was over against them, theywent up by the stairs of the city of David, at the going up ofthe wall, above the house of David, even unto the water gateeastward.
38 And the other company of them that gave thanks went overagainst them, and I after them, and the half of the peopleupon the wall, from beyond the tower of the furnaces even untothe broad wall;
39 And from above the gate of Ephraim, and above the old gate,and above the fish gate, and the tower of Hananeel, and thetower of Meah, even unto the sheep gate: and they stood stillin the prison gate.
40 So stood the two companies of them that gave thanks in thehouse of God, and I, and the half of the rulers with me:
41 And the priests; Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Michaiah,Elioenai, Zechariah, and Hananiah, with trumpets;
42 And Maaseiah, and Shemaiah, and Eleazar, and Uzzi, andJehohanan, and Malchijah, and Elam, and Ezer. And the singerssang loud, with Jezrahiah their overseer.
43 Also that day they offered great sacrifices, and rejoiced: forGod had made them rejoice with great joy: the wives also andthe children rejoiced: so that the joy of Jerusalem was heardeven afar off.
44 And at that time were some appointed over the chambers for thetreasures, for the offerings, for the firstfruits, and for thetithes, to gather into them out of the fields of the citiesthe portions of the law for the priests and Levites: for Judahrejoiced for the priests and for the Levites that waited.
45 And both the singers and the porters kept the ward of theirGod, and the ward of the purification, according to thecommandment of David, and of Solomon his son.
46 For in the days of David and Asaph of old there were chief ofthe singers, and songs of praise and thanksgiving unto God.
47 And all Israel in the days of Zerubbabel, and in the days ofNehemiah, gave the portions of the singers and the porters,every day his portion: and they sanctified holy things untothe Levites; and the Levites sanctified them unto the childrenof Aaron.
1 On that day they read in the book of Moses in the audience ofthe people; and therein was found written, that the Ammoniteand the Moabite should not come into the congregation of Godfor ever;
2 Because they met not the children of Israel with bread andwith water, but hired Balaam against them, that he shouldcurse them: howbeit our God turned the curse into a blessing.
3 Now it came to pass, when they had heard the law, that theyseparated from Israel all the mixed multitude.
4 And before this, Eliashib the priest, having the oversight ofthe chamber of the house of our God, was allied unto Tobiah:
5 And he had prepared for him a great chamber, where aforetimethey laid the meat offerings, the frankincense, and thevessels, and the tithes of the corn, the new wine, and theoil, which was commanded to be given to the Levites, and thesingers, and the porters; and the offerings of the priests.
6 But in all this time was not I at Jerusalem: for in the twoand thirtieth year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon came I untothe king, and after certain days obtained I leave of the king:
7 And I came to Jerusalem, and understood of the evil thatEliashib did for Tobiah, in preparing him a chamber in thecourts of the house of God.
8 And it grieved me sore: therefore I cast forth all thehousehold stuff of Tobiah out of the chamber.
9 Then I commanded, and they cleansed the chambers: and thitherbrought I again the vessels of the house of God, with the meatoffering and the frankincense.
10 And I perceived that the portions of the Levites had not beengiven them: for the Levites and the singers, that did thework, were fled every one to his field.
11 Then contended I with the rulers, and said, Why is the houseof God forsaken? And I gathered them together, and set them intheir place.
12 Then brought all Judah the tithe of the corn and the new wineand the oil unto the treasuries.
13 And I made treasurers over the treasuries, Shelemiah thepriest, and Zadok the scribe, and of the Levites, Pedaiah: andnext to them was Hanan the son of Zaccur, the son ofMattaniah: for they were counted faithful, and their officewas to distribute unto their brethren.
14 Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and wipe not out mygood deeds that I have done for the house of my God, and forthe offices thereof.
15 In those days saw I in Judah some treading wine presses on thesabbath, and bringing in sheaves, and lading asses; as alsowine, grapes, and figs, and all manner of burdens, which theybrought into Jerusalem on the sabbath day: and I testifiedagainst them in the day wherein they sold victuals.
16 There dwelt men of Tyre also therein, which brought fish, andall manner of ware, and sold on the sabbath unto the childrenof Judah, and in Jerusalem.
17 Then I contended with the nobles of Judah, and said unto them,What evil thing is this that ye do, and profane the sabbathday?
18 Did not your fathers thus, and did not our God bring all thisevil upon us, and upon this city? yet ye bring more wrath uponIsrael by profaning the sabbath.
19 And it came to pass, that when the gates of Jerusalem began tobe dark before the sabbath, I commanded that the gates shouldbe shut, and charged that they should not be opened till afterthe sabbath: and some of my servants set I at the gates, thatthere should no burden be brought in on the sabbath day.
20 So the merchants and sellers of all kind of ware lodgedwithout Jerusalem once or twice.
21 Then I testified against them, and said unto them, Why lodgeye about the wall? if ye do so again, I will lay hands on you.From that time forth came they no more on the sabbath.
22 And I commanded the Levites that they should cleansethemselves, and that they should come and keep the gates, tosanctify the sabbath day. Remember me, O my God, concerningthis also, and spare me according to the greatness of thymercy.
23 In those days also saw I Jews that had married wives ofAshdod, of Ammon, and of Moab:
24 And their children spake half in the speech of Ashdod, andcould not speak in the Jews' language, but according to thelanguage of each people.
25 And I contended with them, and cursed them, and smote certainof them, and plucked off their hair, and made them swear byGod, saying, Ye shall not give your daughters unto their sons,nor take their daughters unto your sons, or for yourselves.
26 Did not Solomon king of Israel sin by these things? yet amongmany nations was there no king like him, who was beloved ofhis God, and God made him king over all Israel: neverthelesseven him did outlandish women cause to sin.
27 Shall we then hearken unto you to do all this great evil, totransgress against our God in marrying strange wives?
28 And one of the sons of Joiada, the son of Eliashib the highpriest, was son in law to Sanballat the Horonite: therefore Ichased him from me.
29 Remember them, O my God, because they have defiled thepriesthood, and the covenant of the priesthood, and of theLevites.
30 Thus cleansed I them from all strangers, and appointed thewards of the priests and the Levites, every one in hisbusiness;
31 And for the wood offering, at times appointed, and for thefirstfruits. Remember me, O my God, for good.
Old Testament
Deuterocanon/Apocrypha
New Testament