Nehemiah 5–7

1Then there arose a great cry of the people and of their wives against their brothers the Jews.

2For there were some who said, “We, our sons and our daughters, are many. Let us get grain, that we may eat and live.”

3There were also some who said, “We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards, and our houses. Let us get grain, because of the famine.”

4There were also some who said, “We have borrowed money for the king’s tribute using our fields and our vineyards as collateral.

5Yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our brothers, our children as their children. Behold, we bring our sons and our daughters into bondage to be servants, and some of our daughters have been brought into bondage. It is also not in our power to help it, because other men have our fields and our vineyards.”

6I was very angry when I heard their cry and these words.

7Then I consulted with myself, and contended with the nobles and the rulers, and said to them, “You exact usury, everyone of his brother.” I held a great assembly against them.

8I said to them, “We, after our ability, have redeemed our brothers the Jews that were sold to the nations; and would you even sell your brothers, and should they be sold to us?” Then they held their peace, and found not a word to say.

9Also I said, “The thing that you do is not good. Shouldn’t you walk in the fear of our God because of the reproach of the nations, our enemies?

10I likewise, my brothers and my servants, lend them money and grain. Please let us stop this usury.

11Please restore to them, even today, their fields, their vineyards, their olive groves, and their houses, also the hundredth part of the money, and of the grain, the new wine, and the oil, that you are charging them.”

12Then they said, “We will restore them, and will require nothing of them. We will do so, even as you say.” Then I called the priests, and took an oath of them, that they would do according to this promise.

13Also I shook out my lap, and said, “So may God shake out every man from his house, and from his labor, that doesn’t perform this promise; even may he be shaken out and emptied like this.” All the assembly said, “Amen,” and praised Yahweh. The people did according to this promise.

14Moreover from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year even to the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes the king, that is, twelve years, I and my brothers have not eaten the bread of the governor.

15But the former governors who were before me were supported by the people, and took bread and wine from them, plus forty shekels of silver; yes, even their servants ruled over the people, but I didn’t do so, because of the fear of God.

16Yes, I also continued in the work of this wall. We didn’t buy any land. All my servants were gathered there to the work.

17Moreover there were at my table, of the Jews and the rulers, one hundred fifty men, in addition to those who came to us from among the nations that were around us.

18Now that which was prepared for one day was one ox and six choice sheep. Also fowls were prepared for me, and once in ten days a store of all sorts of wine. Yet for all this, I didn’t demand the governor’s pay, because the bondage was heavy on this people.

19Remember me, my God, for all the good that I have done for this people.

1Now when it was reported to Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arabian, and to the rest of our enemies that I had built the wall, and that there was no breach left in it (though even to that time I had not set up the doors in the gates),

2Sanballat and Geshem sent to me, saying, “Come! Let’s meet together in the villages in the plain of Ono.” But they intended to harm me.

3I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work, so that I can’t come down. Why should the work cease while I leave it and come down to you?”

4They sent to me four times like this; and I answered them the same way.

5Then Sanballat sent his servant to me the same way the fifth time with an open letter in his hand,

6in which was written, “It is reported among the nations, and Gashmu says it, that you and the Jews intend to rebel. Because of that, you are building the wall. You would be their king, according to these words.

7You have also appointed prophets to proclaim of you at Jerusalem, saying, ‘There is a king in Judah!’ Now it will be reported to the king according to these words. Come now therefore, and let’s take counsel together.”

8Then I sent to him, saying, “There are no such things done as you say, but you imagine them out of your own heart.”

9For they all would have made us afraid, saying, “Their hands will be weakened from the work, that it not be done.” But now, strengthen my hands.

10I went to the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah the son of Mehetabel, who was shut in at his home; and he said, “Let us meet together in God’s house, within the temple, and let’s shut the doors of the temple; for they will come to kill you. Yes, in the night they will come to kill you.”

11I said, “Should a man like me flee? Who is there that, being such as I, would go into the temple to save his life? I will not go in.”

12I discerned, and behold, God had not sent him, but he pronounced this prophecy against me. Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.

13He was hired so that I would be afraid, do so, and sin, and that they might have material for an evil report, that they might reproach me.

14“Remember, my God, Tobiah and Sanballat according to these their works, and also the prophetess Noadiah and the rest of the prophets that would have put me in fear.”

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

16When all our enemies heard of it, all the nations that were around us were afraid, and they lost their confidence; for they perceived that this work was done by our God.

17Moreover in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah, and Tobiah’s letters came to them.

18For there were many in Judah sworn to him because he was the son-in-law of Shecaniah the son of Arah; and his son Jehohanan had taken the daughter of Meshullam the son of Berechiah as wife.

19Also they spoke of his good deeds before me, and reported my words to him. Tobiah sent letters to put me in fear.

1Now when the wall was built and I had set up the doors, and the gatekeepers and the singers and the Levites were appointed,

2I put my brother Hanani, and Hananiah the governor of the fortress, in charge of Jerusalem; for he was a faithful man and feared God above many.

3I said to them, “Don’t let the gates of Jerusalem be opened until the sun is hot; and while they stand guard, let them shut the doors, and you bar them; and appoint watches of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, everyone in his watch, with everyone near his house.”

4Now the city was wide and large; but the people were few therein, and the houses were not built.

5My God put into my heart to gather together the nobles, and the rulers, and the people, that they might be listed by genealogy. I found the book of the genealogy of those who came up at the first, and I found this written in it:

6These are the children of the province who went up out of the captivity of those who had been carried away, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away, and who returned to Jerusalem and to Judah, everyone to his city,

7who came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, and Baanah. The number of the men of the people of Israel:

8The children of Parosh: two thousand one hundred seventy-two.

9The children of Shephatiah: three hundred seventy-two.

10The children of Arah: six hundred fifty-two.

11The children of Pahathmoab, of the children of Jeshua and Joab: two thousand eight hundred eighteen.

12The children of Elam: one thousand two hundred fifty-four.

13The children of Zattu: eight hundred forty-five.

14The children of Zaccai: seven hundred sixty.

15The children of Binnui: six hundred forty-eight.

16The children of Bebai: six hundred twenty-eight.

17The children of Azgad: two thousand three hundred twenty-two.

18The children of Adonikam: six hundred sixty-seven.

19The children of Bigvai: two thousand sixty-seven.

20The children of Adin: six hundred fifty-five.

21The children of Ater: of Hezekiah, ninety-eight.

22The children of Hashum: three hundred twenty-eight.

23The children of Bezai: three hundred twenty-four.

24The children of Hariph: one hundred twelve.

25The children of Gibeon: ninety-five.

26The men of Bethlehem and Netophah: one hundred eighty-eight.

27The men of Anathoth: one hundred twenty-eight.

28The men of Beth Azmaveth: forty-two.

29The men of Kiriath Jearim, Chephirah, and Beeroth: seven hundred forty-three.

30The men of Ramah and Geba: six hundred twenty-one.

31The men of Michmas: one hundred twenty-two.

32The men of Bethel and Ai: one hundred twenty-three.

33The men of the other Nebo: fifty-two.

34The children of the other Elam: one thousand two hundred fifty-four.

35The children of Harim: three hundred twenty.

36The children of Jericho: three hundred forty-five.

37The children of Lod, Hadid, and Ono: seven hundred twenty-one.

38The children of Senaah: three thousand nine hundred thirty.

39The priests: The children of Jedaiah, of the house of Jeshua: nine hundred seventy-three.

40The children of Immer: one thousand fifty-two.

41The children of Pashhur: one thousand two hundred forty-seven.

42The children of Harim: one thousand seventeen.

43The Levites: the children of Jeshua, of Kadmiel, of the children of Hodevah: seventy-four.

44The singers: the children of Asaph: one hundred forty-eight.

45The gatekeepers: the children of Shallum, the children of Ater, the children of Talmon, the children of Akkub, the children of Hatita, the children of Shobai: one hundred thirty-eight.

46The temple servants: the children of Ziha, the children of Hasupha, the children of Tabbaoth,

47the children of Keros, the children of Sia, the children of Padon,

48the children of Lebana, the children of Hagaba, the children of Salmai,

49the children of Hanan, the children of Giddel, the children of Gahar,

50the children of Reaiah, the children of Rezin, the children of Nekoda,

51the children of Gazzam, the children of Uzza, the children of Paseah,

52the children of Besai, the children of Meunim, the children of Nephushesim,

53the children of Bakbuk, the children of Hakupha, the children of Harhur,

54the children of Bazlith, the children of Mehida, the children of Harsha,

55the children of Barkos, the children of Sisera, the children of Temah,

56the children of Neziah, and the children of Hatipha.

57The children of Solomon’s servants: the children of Sotai, the children of Sophereth, the children of Perida,

58the children of Jaala, the children of Darkon, the children of Giddel,

59the children of Shephatiah, the children of Hattil, the children of Pochereth Hazzebaim, and the children of Amon.

60All the temple servants and the children of Solomon’s servants were three hundred ninety-two.

61These were those who went up from Tel Melah, Tel Harsha, Cherub, Addon, and Immer; but they could not show their fathers’ houses, nor their offspring, whether they were of Israel:

62The children of Delaiah, the children of Tobiah, the children of Nekoda: six hundred forty-two.

63Of the priests: the children of Hobaiah, the children of Hakkoz, the children of Barzillai, who took a wife of the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite, and was called after their name.

64These searched for their genealogical records, but couldn’t find them. Therefore they were deemed disqualified and removed from the priesthood.

65The governor told them not to eat of the most holy things until a priest stood up to minister with Urim and Thummim.

66The whole assembly together was forty-two thousand three hundred sixty,

67in addition to their male servants and their female servants, of whom there were seven thousand three hundred thirty-seven. They had two hundred forty-five singing men and singing women.

68Their horses were seven hundred thirty-six; their mules, two hundred forty-five;

69their camels, four hundred thirty-five; their donkeys, six thousand seven hundred twenty.

70Some from among the heads of fathers’ households gave to the work. The governor gave to the treasury one thousand darics of gold, fifty basins, and five hundred thirty priests’ garments.

71Some of the heads of fathers’ households gave into the treasury of the work twenty thousand darics of gold, and two thousand two hundred minas of silver.

72That which the rest of the people gave was twenty thousand darics of gold, plus two thousand minas of silver, and sixty-seven priests’ garments.

73So the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, some of the people, the temple servants, and all Israel lived in their cities. When the seventh month had come, the children of Israel were in their cities.