Artaxerxes sendeth Nehemiah

BEFORE CHRIST cir. 446.

p Is. 26. 8. Heb. 13. 18.

q ch. 2. 1.

cir. 445.

b ch. 1. 11.

AND it came to pass in the month

Nisan, in the twentieth year of Ezra 7. 1. & 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

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 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 2 Heb. wife. 2 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 time.

f ch. 5. 14. & 13. 6.

g ch. 3. 7.

h ver. 18. Ezra 5. 5. & 7.6, 9, 28. 445.

a

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 king's forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the palace which appertained to the house, and for the wall 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.

h

9 T Then I came to the governors beyond the river, and gave them the king's letters. Now the king had

with letters to Jerusalem.

sent captains of the army and horsemen with me.

10 When Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, heard of it, it grieved them exceedingly that there was come a man to seek the welfare of the children of Israel.

BEFORE CHRIST

445.

11 So I came to Jerusalem, and Ezra 8. 32. 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 Jeru

salem: neither was there any beast

with me, save the beast that I rode upon.

k

13 And I went out by night byk2 Chr. 26. the gate of the valley, even before ch. 3. 13. the dragon well, and to the dung port, and viewed the walls of Jerusalem, which were broken down, and the gates thereof were consumed with fire.

14 Then I went on to the gate of the fountain, and to the king's pool: but there was no place for the beast that was under me to 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 so 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 P 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 a strengthened their hands for this 42 Sam. 2.7. good work.

19 But when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian, | heard it, they laughed us to scorn, and despised us, and said, What is this thing that ye do? will ye rebel⚫ against the king?

b John 5. 2. 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 a Hananeel.

c ch. 12. 39.

d Jer. 31. 38. Zech. 14.10. 2 Heb. at his hand.

(2 Chr. 33. 14.

2

2 And next unto him builded e the men of Jericho. And next to e Ezra 2.34. them builded Zaccur the son of Imri. 3 But the fish gate did the sons of Hassenaah build, who also laid the Zeph. 1. 10. beams thereof, and set up the doors thereof, the locks thereof, and the bars thereof.

ch. 12. 39.

g See ch. 6.

1. & 7.1.

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 Judg.5.23. not their necks to the work of their Lord.

I ch. 12. 39.

ch. 2. 8.

8 Or, left Jerusalem unto the broad wall.

1 ch. 12. 38.

4 Heb. second measure. m ch. 12. 38.

☐ ch. 2. 13.

h

6 Moreover the old gate repaired Jehoiada the son of Paseah, 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.

3

that builded the wall.

15 But the gate of the fountain P ch. 2. 14. repaired Shallun the son of Colhozeh, the ruler of part of Mizpah; he built it, and covered it, and set up the doors thereof, the locks thereof, and the bars thereof, and the wall of the pool of a Siloah by the king's 4 John 9. 7. garden, and unto the stairs that go down from the city of David.

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 2 Kings unto the house of the mighty.

20 After him Baruch the son of 2 Zabbai earnestly repaired the other 20r, piece, from the turning of the wall unto the door of the house of Eliashib the high priest.

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

BEFORE CHRIST 445.

J2 Chr.27.3.

2 Or,

The tower.

z ch. 8.1, 3. & 12. 37.

82 Kings 11. 16.

2 Chr. 23.15. Jer. 31. 40.

3 Or,

corner

chamber.

a ch.2.10.19.

4 Heb. leave to

in y2 Ophel, unto the place over against the water gate 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.

20 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 MeshulÎam 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 Miphkad, and to the going up of the

corner.

3

2 And he spake before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, What do these feeble Jews? will they fortify themselves? will themselves. they sacrifice? will they make an end in a day? will they revive the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish which are burned?

He armeth the labourers.

BEFORE CHRIST 445. f ver. 1.

7¶ But it came to pass, that when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites, heard that the walls of Jerusalem 2were made up, and that 3 Heb. the breaches began to be stopped, then they were very wroth,

8 And conspired all of them together to come and to fight against Jerusalem, and to hinder it.

ascended.

g Ps. 83. 3, 4, 5.

8 Heb. to make an error to it

9 Nevertheless we made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch Pa. 50. 15. against them day and night, because of them.

10 And Judah said, The strength of the bearers of burdens is decayed, and there is much rubbish; so that we are not able to build 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 cause the work to cease.

12 And it came to pass, that when the Jews which dwelt by them came, they said unto us ten times, From all places whence ye shall return unto us they will be upon you.

13 ¶ Therefore set I in the lower places behind the wall, and on the higher places, I even set the people after their families with their swords, their spears, and their bows.

14 And I looked, and rose up, and said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, Be not

ye afraid of them: remember the Lord, which is great and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons, and your daughters, your wives, and your houses.

15 And it came to pass, when our enemies heard that it was known unto us, and God had brought their mJob 5.12 counsel to nought, that we returned 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 my servants wrought in the work, and the other half of them held both the spears, the shields, and the bows, and the habergeons; 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 wrought in the work, and with the other hand held a weapon.

his loins.

18 For the builders, every one had his sword girded by his side, and Heb, on so builded." And he that sounded the trumpet was by me.

19 And I said unto the nobles,

Nehemiah rebuketh

BEFORE CHRIST 445.

25.

Ex. 14. 14,

Deut. 1. 20.

& 3. 22. & 20. 4.

and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, The work is great and large, and we are separated 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: Joel, 23.10. and half of them held the spears from the rising of the morning till the stars appeared.

22 Likewise at the same time said I unto the people, Let every one with his servant lodge within Jerusalem, that in the night they may be a guard to us, and labour on the day. 23 So neither I, nor my brethren, nor my servants, nor the men of the guard which followed me, none of us put off our clothes, saving that Judg. 5.11. every one put them off for washing.

2 Or, every one went with his weapon for water, See

• Is. 5.7.

36, 37. Deut. 15.7.

CHAPTER V.

the usurers.

9 Also I said, It is not good that ye do: ought ye not to walk in the 8 Lev. 25.36. fear of our God because of the reproach of the heathen our enemies?

h 2 Sam. 12. 14.

Rom. 2. 24.

10 I likewise, and my brethren, 1 Pet. 2. 12. and my servants, might exact of them 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 the hundredth_part_of the money, and of the corn, the wine, and the oil, that ye exact of them.

'12 Then said they, We will restore them, and will require nothing of them; so will we do as thou sayest. Then I called the priests, and took Ezra 10.6. an oath of them, that they should do according to this promise.

13 Also I shook my lap, and said, So God shake out every man from

a

performeth not this promise, even thus be he shaken out, and emptied. 2 Heb. And all the congregation said, Amen, empty, or, and praised the LORD. And the peo-12 Kings ple did according to this promise.

14. Moreover from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twen

void.

23.3.

© Is. 58. 7.

Lev. 25. 39.

3 Some also there were that said, We have mortgaged our lands, vineyards, and houses, that we might buy corn, because of the dearth.

4 There were also that said, We have borrowed money for the king's tribute, and that upon our lands and vineyards.

5 Yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren, our children as their 4 Ex. 21.7. children: and, lo, we bring into bondage our sons and our daughtersto be servants, and some of our daughters are brought unto bondage already: neither is it in our power to redeem them; for other men have our lands and vineyards.

15 But the former governors that had been before me were chargeable unto the people, and had taken of them bread and wine, beside forty shekels of silver; yea, even their servants bare rule over the people: but so did not I, because of the 2 Cor. 11.9. P fear of God.

16 Yea, also I continued in the work of this wall, neither bought we any land: and all my servants were gathered thither unto the work.

17 Moreover there were at my table an hundred and fifty of the Jews and rulers, beside those that came unto us from among the heathen that are about us.

18 Now that which was prepared for me daily was one ox and six choice sheep; also fowls were prepared for me, and once in ten days store of all sorts of wine: yet for all this "required not I the bread of the governor, because the bondage was heavy upon this people.

& 12. 13. p ver. 9.

42Sam.9.7. 19.

1 Kings 18.

r1 Kings 4. 22.

• ver. 14, 15.

19 Think upon me, my God, fort ch. 13. 22.

Sanballat practiseth by craft

CHAPTER VI.

12 And, lo, I perceived that God had not sent him; but that

he

pro

13 Therefore

Sanballat, and Tobiah, and 2 Geshem the Arabian, and the rest of our enemies, heard that I had builded the wall, and that there was no breach left therein; (though at that time I had not set up the doors upon the gates ;)

2 That Sanballat and Geshem sent .unto me, saying, Come, let us meet 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 great work, 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 I answered them after the same manner.

5 Then sent Sanballat his servant unto me in like manner the fifth time with an open letter in his hand; 6 Wherein was written, It is reported among the heathen, and 3Gashmu saith it, that thou and the Jews think to rebel: for which cause thou buildest the wall, that thou mayest be their king, according to these words.

7 And thou hast also appointed prophets to preach of thee at Jerusalem, saying, There is a king in Judah and now shall it be reported to the king according to these words. Come now therefore, and let us take counsel together.

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

9 For they all made us afraid,

saying, Their hands shall be weakened from the work, that it be not done. Now therefore, O God, strengthen my hands.

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

should be afraid, and do so, and sin, and that they might have matter for an evil report, that they might reproach me.

14 h My God, think thou upon Tobiah and Sanballat according to these their works, and on the prophetess Noadiah, and the rest of the prophets, that would have put me in fear.

15 So the wall was finished in the twenty and fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty and two days.

16 And it came to pass, that when ch. 2. 10. & all our enemies heard thereof, and all the heathen that were about us saw these things, they were much cast down in their own eyes: for they Ps. 126.2. perceived that this work was wrought of our God.

1

11 And I said, Should such a man