Those who returned with Ezra. EZRA. He keepeth a fast. house of their God which is in Jerusalem: the son of Zerahiah, and with him two hun- money, bullocks, rams, lambs, with their 5 of the sons of Shechaniah; the son of 18 And whatsoever shall seem good to thee, and to thy brethren, to do with the rest of the silver and gold, that do after the will of your God. 19 The vessels also that are given thee for the service of the house of thy God, those deliver thou before the God of Jerusalem. 20 And whatsoever more shall be needful for the house of thy God, which thou shalt have occasion to bestow, bestow it out of the king's treasure-house. 21 And I, even I Artaxerxes the king, do make a decree to all the treasurers which are beyond the river, that whatsoever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven, shall require of you, it be done speedily, 22 Unto an hundred talents of silver, and to an hundred measures of wheat, and to an hundred baths of wine, and to an hundred baths of oil, and salt without prescribing how much. 23 Whatsoever is commanded by the God of heaven, let it be diligently done for the house of the God of heaven: for why should there be wrath against the realm of the king and his soвS? 24 Also we certify you, that touching any of the priests and Levites, singers, porters, Nethinims, or ministers of this house of God, it shall not be lawful to impose toll, tribute, or custom, upon them. 25 And thou Ezra, after the wisdom of thy God that is in thine hand, set magistrates and judges, which may judge all the people that are beyond the river, all such as know the laws of thy God; and teach ye them that know them not. 7 And of the sons of Elam; Jeshaiah the son of Athaliah, and with him seventy males. 8 And of the sons of Shephatiah; Zebadiah the son of Michael, and with him fourscore males. 9 of the sons of Joab: Obadiah the son of Jehiel, and with him two hundred and eighteen males. 10 And of the sons of Shelomith; the son of Josiphiah, and with him an hundred and threescore males. 11 And of the sons of Bebai; Zechariah the son of Bebai, and with him twenty and eight males. 12 And of the sons of Azgad; Johanan the son of Hakkatan, and with him an hundred and ten males. 13 And of the last sons of Adonikam, whose names are these, Eliphelet, Jeiel, and Shemaiah, and with them threescore males. 14 Of the sons also of Bigvai; Uthai, and Zabbud, and with them seventy males. 15 And I gathered them together to the river that runneth to Ahava; and there abode we in tents three days: and I viewed the people and the priests, and found there none of the sons of Levi. 16 Then sent I for Eliezer, for Ariel, for Shemaiah, and for Elnathan, and for Jarib, and for Elnathan, and for Nathan, and for Zechariah, and for Meshullam, chief men; also for Joiarib, and for Elnathan, men of understanding. 17 And I sent them with commandment unto Iddo the chief at the place Casiphia, and I told them what they should say unto Iddo. and to his brethren the Nethinims, at the 26 And whosoever will not do the law of thy place Casiphia, that they should bring unto us God, and the law of the king, let judg-ministers for the house of our God. ment be executed speedily upon him, whe- 18 And by the good hand of our God upon ther it be unto death, or to banishment, us they brought us a man of understanding, of or to confiscation of goods, or to imprison-the sons of Mahli, the son of Levi, the son of Israel; and Sherebiah, with his sons and his ment. 27 ¶ Blessed be the LORD God of our fa-brethren, eighteen; thers, which hath put such a thing as this in the king's heart, to beautify the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem; 28 And bath extended mercy unto me before the king and his counsellors, and before all the king's mighty princes: and I was strengthened as the hand of the LORD my God was upon me; and I gathered together out of Israel chief men to go up with me. CHAP. VIII. 1 Erra's companions from Babylon: 15 he sendeth to fado fc. ministers for the temple: 21 he keepeth a fast. THESE are now the chief of their fathers, and this is the genealogy of them that went up with me from Babylon in the reign of Artaxerxes the king. 2 Of the sons of Phinehas, Gershom; of the sons Ithamar, Daniel; of the sons of David, Hattush: 19 And Hashabiah, and with him Jesbaiah of the sons of Merari, his brethren, and their sons, twenty; 20 Also of the Nethinims, whom David and the princes had appointed for the service of the Levites, two hundred and twenty Nethinims: all of them were expressed by name. 21 Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river Ahava, that we might afflict ourselves before our God, to seek of him a right way for us, and for our little ones, and for all our substance. a 22 For I was ashamed to require of the king band of soldiers and horsemen to belp us against the enemy in the way: because we had spoken unto the king, saying. The hand of our God is upon all them for good that seek him; but his power and his wrath is against all them that forsake him. 23 So we fasted, and besought our God for this: and he was entreated of us. 3 Of the sons of Shechaniah, of the sons of Pharosh, Zechariah; and with him were 24 Then I separated twelve of the chief reckoned by genealogy, of the males an hun-of the priests, Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and ten dred and fifty. of their brethren with them. 4 Of the sons of Pahath-moab. Elihoenail 25 And weighed unto them the silver, and 1 Ezra's prayer and confession of sins. Chap. ix, x. Strange marriages to be reformed. the gold, and the vessels, even the offering of been carried away; and I sat astonied until the the house of our God, which the king and his evening sacrifice. counsellors, and his lords, and all Israel there 5 And at the evening sacrifice I arose up present, had offered: from my heaviness, and having rent my gar26 I even weighed unto their hand six hun- ment and my mantle, I fell upon my knees, and dred and fifty talents of silver, and silver ves-spread out my hands unto the LORD my God, sels an hundred talents, and of gold an hundred 6 And said, O my God, I am ashamed and talents; blush to lift up my face to thee, my God: for 27 Also twenty basons of gold, of a thousand our iniquities are increased over our head, and drams; and two vessels of fine copper, pre-four trespass is grown up unto the heavens. cious as gold.7 Since the days of our fathers have we been 28 And I said unto them, Ye are holy unto in a great trespass unto this day; and for our the LORD; the vessels are holy also; and the iniquities have we, our kings, and our priests, silver and the gold are a free-will-offering unto been delivered into the hand of the kings of the the LORD God of your fathers. lands, to the sword, to captivity, and to a spoil, and to confusion of face, as it is this day. 29 Watch ye, and keep them, until ye weigh them, before the chief of the priests and the Levites, and chief of the fathers of Israel, at Jerusalem, in the chambers of the house of the LORD. 30 So took the priests and the Levites the weight of the silver, and the gold, and the vessels, to bring them to Jerusalem unto the house of our God. 31 Then we departed from the river Ahava on the twelfth day of the first month, to go unto Jerusalem and the hand of our God was upon us, and he delivered us from the hand of the enemy, and of such as lay in wait by the way. 32 And we came to Jerusalem, and abode there three days. 33 Now on the fourth day was the silver and the gold and the vessels weighed in the house of our God by the hand of Meremoth the son of Uriah the priest; and with him was Eleazar the son of Phinehas; and with them was Jozabad the son of Jeshua, and Noadiah the son of Binnai, Levites; 8 And now for a little space grace hath been shewed from the LORD our God, to leave us a remnant to escape, and to give us a nail in his holy place, that our God may lighten our eyes, and give us a little reviving in our bondage. 9 For we were bondmen; yet our God hath not forsaken us in our bondage, but hath extended mercy unto us in the sight of the kings of Persia, to give us a reviving, to set up the house of our God, and to repair the desolations thereof, and to give us a wall in Judah and in Jerusalem. 10 And now, O our God, what shall we say after this? for we have forsaken thy command ments, 11 Which thou hast commanded by thy servants the prophets, saying, The land, unto which ye go to possess it, is an unclean land with the filthiness of the people of the lands, with their abominations, which have filled it from one end to another with their uncleanness. 12 Now therefore give not your daughters 34 By number and by weight of every one: unto their sons, neither take their daughters and all the weight was written at that time. unto your sons, nor seek their peace or their 35 Also the children of those that had been wealth for ever: that ye may be strong, and carried away, which were come out of the cap-eat the good of the land, aud leave it for ar intivity, offered burnt-offerings unto the God of heritance to your children for ever. Israel, twelve bullocks for all Israel, ninety 13 And after all that is come upon us for cur and six rams, seventy and seven lambs, twelve evil deeds, and for our great trespass, seeing he-goats fa sin-offering: all this was a that thou our God hast punished us less than burnt-offering unto the LORD. our iniquities deserve, and hast given us such 36 And they delivered the king's commis-deliverance es this; sions unto the king's lieutenants, and to the go- 14 Should we again break thy commandvernors on this side the river: and they fur-ments, and join in affinity with the people of thered the people, and the house of God. CHAP. IX. 1 Ezra mourneth for the affinity of the people with strangers. 5 He prayeth unto God with confession of sins. OW when these things were done, the these abominations wouldest not thou be angry with us till thou hadst consumed us, so that there should be no remnant nor escaping? 15 O LORD God of Israel, thou art righteous: for we remain yet escaped, as if is this day: behold, we are before thee in our trespasses. for saying, people cannot stand before thee because of Israel, and the priests, and the Levites, have! not separated themselves frora the people of the lands, doing according to their abomina-2 tions, even of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites. 2 For they have taken of their daughters for themselves, and for their sons: so that the holy CHAP. X. Shechaniah encourageth Ezra to reform the strange marriages. 6 Ezra mourning, assembleth the people. 9 The people, at the exhortation of Ezra, repent and promise amendment. 15 The care to perform it. 18 The names of them which had married strange wives. seed have mingled the natives with the people Now when Ezra had prayed, and when he of those lands; yea, the band of the princes and rulers hath been chief in this trespass. had confessed, weeping and casting himself down before the house of God, there as3 And when I heard this thing, I rent mysembled unto him out of Israel a very great garment and my mantle, and plucked off the congregation of men and women and children: hair of my head and of my beard, and sat down astonied 4 Then were assembled unto me every one that trembled at the words of the God of Israel, because of the transgression of those that had for the people wept very sore. 2 And Shechaniah the son of Jchiel, one o the sons of Elam, answered and said unto Ezra. We have trespassed against our God, and have taken strange wives of the people of the land: The names of them which had EZRA, married strange wives. yet now there is hope in Israel concerning of them by their names, were separated, and this thing. sat down in the first day of the tenth month to examine the matter. 3 Now therefore let us make a covenant with our God to put away all the wives, and such as are born of them, according to the counsel of my lord, and of those that tremble at the commandment of our God; and let it be done according to the law. 4 Arise; for this matter belongeth unto thee: we also will be with thee: be of good courage, and do it. 5 Then arose Ezra, and made the chief priests, the Levites, and all Israel, to swear that they should do according to this word. And they sware. 6 Then Ezra rose up from before the house of God, and went into the chamber of Johanan the son of Eliashib: and when he came thither, he did eat no bread, nor drink water: for he mourned because of the transgression of them that had been carried away. 7 And they made proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem unto all the children of the captivity, that they should gather themselves together unto Jerusalem; 8 And that whosoever would not come with-1 in three days, according to the counsel of the princes and the elders, all his substance should be forfeited, and himself separated from the congregation of those that had been carried away. 9 Then all the men of Judah and Benjamin gathered themselves together unto Jerusalem within three days. It was the ninth month, and the twentieth day of the month; and all the people sat in the street of the house of God, trembling because of this matter, and for the great rain. 10 And Ezra the priest stood up, and said unto them, Ye have transgressed, and have taken strange wives to increase the trespass of Israel. 11 Now therefore make confession unto the LORD God of your fathers, and do his pleasure: and separate yourselves from the people of the land, and from the strange wives. 12 Then all the congregation answered and said with a loud voice, As thou hast said, so must we do. 13 But the people are many, and it is a time of much rain, and we are not able to stand without, neither is this a work of one day or two: for we are many that have transgressed In this thing. 14 Let now our rulers of all the congregation stand, and let all them which have taken strange wives in our cities come at appointed times, and with them the elders of every city, and the judges thereof, until the fierce wrath of our God for this matter be turned from us. 15 Only Jonathan the son of Asahel and Jahaziah the son of Tikvah were employed 17 And they made an end with all the men that had taken strange wives by the first day of the first month. 18¶ And among the sons of the priests there were found that had taken strange wives: name ly, of the sons of Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and his brethren; Maaseiah, and Eliezer, and Jarib, and Gedaliah 19 And they gave their hands that they would put away their wives; and being guilty, they offered a ram of the flock for their tres pass. 20 And of the sons of Immer; Hanani, and Zebadiah. 21 And of the sons of Harim; Maaseiah, and Elijab, and Shemaiah, and Jehiel, and Uzziah. 22 And of the sons of Pashur; Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethaneel, Jozabad, and Elasah. 23 Also of the Levites; Jozabad, and Shimei, and Kelaiah (the same is Kelita,) Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer. 24 of the singers also; Eliashib: and of the porters; Shallum, and Telem, and Uri. 25 Moreover, of Israel: of the sons of Parosh; Ramiah, and Jeziah, and Malchiah, and Miamin, and Eleazar, and Malchijah, and Benajah. 26 And of the sons of Elam; Mattaniah, Zechariah, and Jehiel, and Abdi, and Jeremoth, and Eliah. 27 And of the sons of Zattu; Elloenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, and Jeremoth, and Zabad, and Aziza. 28 Of the sons also of Bebai; Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Athlai. 29 And of the sons of Bani; Meshuilam, Malluch, and Adaiah, Jashub, and Sheal, and Ramoth. 30 And of the sons of Pahath-moab: Adna, and Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezaleel, and Binnui, and Manasseh. 31 And of the sons of Harim; Eliezer, Ishijah, Malchiah, Shemaiah, Shimeon, 32 Benjamin, Malluch, and Shemariah. 33 Of the sons of Hashum; Mattenai, Mattathah. Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and Shimei. 34 of the sons of Bani; Maadai, Amram, and Uel, 35 Benaiah, Bedeiah, Chelluh, 39 And Shelemiah, and Nathan, and Adaiah, 43 of the sons of Nebo; Jeiel, Mattithiah, about this matter: and Meshullam and Shabbe-Zabad, Zebina, Jadau, and Joel, Benaiah. thai the Levite helped them. 16 And the children of the captivity did so. And Ezra the priest, with certain chief of the fathers, after the house of their fathers, and all 336 44 All these had taken strange wives: and. some of them had wives by whom they had children The Book of NEHEMIAH. CHAP. I. 1 Nehemiah, understanding by Hanani the misery of Jerusalem, mourneth, fasteth, and prayeth: 5 his prayer. HE words the son Hacha for ever: why should not my countenance be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers' sepulchres lieth waste, and the gates thereof are consumed with fire? 4 Then the king said unto me, For what dost This is of Nehem to pass in the month thou make request? So I prayed to the God of Chisleu, in the twentieth year, as I was in heaven. 2 That Hanani, one of my brethren, came, he and certain men of Judah; 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 the captivity there in the province are in great affliction and reproach: the wall of Jerusalem also is broken down, and the gates thereof are burned with fire. 4 And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven, 5 And I said unto the king, If it please the king, and if thy servant have found favour in thy sight, that thou wouldest send me unto Judah, unto the city of my fathers' sepulchres, that I may build it. 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, let letters be given me to the governors beyond the river, that they may convey me over till I come into Judah; 8 And a letter unto Asaph the keeper of the 5 And said, I beseech thee, O LORD God of king's forest, that he may give me timber to heaven, the great and terrible God, that keep-make beams for the gates of the palace which eth covenant and mercy for them that love hin appertained to the house, and for the wall and observe his commandments: of the city, and for the house that I shall enter into. And the king granted me, according to the good hand of my God upon me. 6 Let thine ear now be attentive, and thine eyes open, that thou mayest hear the prayer of thy servant, which I pray before thee now, day and night, for the children of Israel thy servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel, which we have sinned against thee: both I and my father's house have sin-and horsemen with me.) ned. 7 We have dealt very corruptly against thee, and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the judgments, which thou commandedst thy servant Moses. 8 Remember, I beseech thee, the word that thou commandedst thy servant Moses, saying, If ye transgress, I will scatter you abroad among the nations: 9 But if ye turn unto me, and keep my commandinents, and do them; though there were of you cast out unto the uttermost part of the heaven, yet will I gather them from thence, and will bring them unto the place that I have chosen to set my name there. 9¶ Then I came to the governors beyond the river, and gave them the king's letters. (Now the king had sent captains of the army 10 When Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, beard of it, it grieved them exceedingly that there was 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; neither told I any man what my God had put in my heart to do at Jerusalem: neither was there any beast with me, save the beast that I rode upon. 13 And 1 went out by night by the gate of the valley, even before the dragon-well, and to the dung-port, and viewed the walls of Jerusa 10 Now these are thy servants and thy peo-lem, which were broken down, and the gates ple whom thou hast redeemed by thy great thereof were consumed with fire. power, and by thy strong hand. 11 O LORD, I beseech thee, let now thine ear be attentive to the prayer of thy servant, and to the prayer of thy servants, who desire to fear thy name: and prosper, I pray thee, thy servant this day, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man. For I was the king's cup-bearer. CHAP. II. Artaxerxes, understanding the cause of Nehemiah's sadness, sendeth him with two letters and a commission to Jerusalem. AND it came to pass, in the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king, that wine was before him: and I took up the wine, and gave it unto the king. Now I had not been beforetime sad in his pre sence. 2 Wherefore the king said unto me, Why is thy countenance sad, seeing thou art not sick? This is nothing else but sorrow of heart. Then I was very sore afraid, 3 And said unto the king, Let the king live 14 Then I went on to the gate of the fountain, and to the king's pool: but there nus no place for the beast that was under me te 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 se returned. 16 And the rulers knew not whither I went, or what I did; neither had I as yet told it to the Jews, nor to the priests, nor to the nobles, nor to the rulers, nor to the rest that did the work. 17 ¶ Then said I unto them, Ye see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lieth waste, and the gates thereof are burned with fire: come, and let us build up the wall of Jerusalem, that we be no more a reproach. 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 they said, Let us rise up and build. So they strengt oned their hands for this good work. The names and order o NEHEMIAH. them that built the wall. 19 But when Sanballat the Horonite, and [and the bars thereof, and the wall of the Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and Ge- pool of Siloah by the king's garden, and shem the Arabian, heard it, they laughed us unto the stairs that go down from the city of to scorn, and despised us, and said, What is David. this thing that ye do? 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 and build: but ye have no portion, nor right, nor memorial in in Jerusalem. THE CHAP. III. The names and order of them that builded the wall. HEN Eliashib the high priest rose up, with his brethren the priests, and they builded the sheep-gate; they sanctified it, and set up the doors of it; even unto the tower of Meah they sanctified it, unto the tower of Hanancel. 2 And next unto him builded the men of Jericho. And next to them builded Zaccur the son of Imri. 16 After him repaired Nehemiah the son of Azbuk, the ruler of the half part of Beth-zur, unto the place over against the sepulchres of David, and to the pool that was made, and unto the house of the mighty. 17 After him repaired the Levites, Rehum the son of Bani. Next unto him repaired Hashabiah, the ruler of the half part of Keilah, in his part. 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 of Mizpah, another piece over against the going up to the armoury, at the urning of the wall. 20 After him Baruch the son of Zabbai earnestly repaired the other piece, from the turo3 But the fish-gate did the sons of Hassenaahing of the wall unto the door of the house of build, who also laid the beams thereof, and Eliashib the high priest. set up the doors thereof, the locks thereof, and the bars thereof. 4 And next unto them repaired Meremoth the son of Urijah, the son of Koz. And next unto them repaired Meshullam the son of Berechiah, the son of Meshezabeel. And next unto them repaired Zadok the son of Baana. 5 And next unto them the Tekoites repaired; but their nobles put not their necks to the work of their LORD. 6 Moreover, the old gate repaired Jehoiada the son of Faseah, and Meshullam the son of Besodeiah; they laid the beams thereof, and set up the doors thereof, and the locks thereof, and the bars thereof. 7 And next unto them repaired Melatiah the Gibeonite, and Jadon the Meronothite, the men of Gibeon, and of Mizpah, unto the throne of the governor on this side the river. 8 Next unto him repaired Uzziel the son of Harhaiah, of the goldsmiths. Next unto him also repaired Hananiah the son of one of the apothecaries, and they fortified Jerusalem unto the broad wall. 9 And next unto them repaired Rephaiah the son of Hur, the ruler of the half part of Jerusalem. 10 And next unto the repaired Jedaiah the son of Harumaph, even over against his house. And next unto him repaired Hattush the son 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, the ruler 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 locks thereof, and the bars thereof, and a thousand cubits on the wall unto the dung-gate. 14 But the dung-gate repaired Malchiah the son of Rechab, the ruler of part of Beth-haccerem; he built it, and set up the doors thereof, the locks thereof, and the bars thereof. 21 After him repaired Meremoth the son of Urijah the son of Koz another piece, from the door of the house of Eliashib even to the end of the house of Eliashib. 22 And after him repaired the priests, the men of the plain. 23 After him repaired Benjamin and Hashub over against their house. After him repaired Azariah, the son of Maaseiah the son of 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, even unto 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, that was by the court of the prison. After him, Pedaiah the son of Parosh. 26 Moreover, the Nethinims dwelt in Ophel, unto the place over against the watergate toward the east, and the tower that lieth out. 27 After them the Tekoites repaired another piece, over against the great tower that lieth out, even unto the wall of Ophel. 28 From above the horse-gate repaired the priests, every one over against his house. 29 After them repaired Zadok the son of Immer, over against his house. After him repaired also Shemaiah the son of Shechaniah the keeper of the east gate. 30 After him repaired Hananiah the son of Shelemiah, and Hanun the sixth son of Zalaph, another piece. After him repaired Meshullam the son of Berechiah over against his chamber. 31 After him repaired Malchiah the goldsmith's son, unto the place of the Nethinims, and of the merchants, over against the gate. Miphad, and to the going up of the corner. 32 And between the going up of the corner unto the sheep-gate repaired the goldsmitha and the merchants. CHAP. IV. 1 While the enemies scoff, Nehemiah prayeth : 7 he setteth a match. gif But the gate of the fountain repaired BUT it came to pass, that when Sanballat Shallun the son of Col-hozeh, the ruler of part heard that we builded the wall, he was of Mizpah; be built it, and covered it, and wroth, and took great indignation, and mocked set up the doors thereof, the locks thereof, the Jews. |