The Book of Nehemiah Chapter
1 THE WORDS OF NEHEMIAH THE SON OF HACALIAH And it came to pass,
in the month Chislew, in the twentieth year, as I was in Shushan
the palace, 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. 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. 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, and said, I beseech thee, O Lord God of heaven, the
great and terrible God, that keepeth covenant and mercy for
them that love him and observe his commandments, 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 sinned. We have dealt
very corruptly against thee, and have not kept the commandments,
nor the statutes, nor the judgments, which thou commandest thy servant
Moses. Remember, I beseech thee, the
word that thou commandest thy servant Moses, saying, If ye
transgress, I will scatter you abroad among the nations, but
If ye turn unto me, and keep my commandments, 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.
Now these are thy servants and thy people whom thou hast redeemed
by thy great power and by thy strong hand. 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. Nehemiah chapter 2 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 before time
sad in his presence. 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,
and said unto the king, Let the king live for ever. Why should
not my countenance be sad, when the city, the place of my father's
sepulchres, lieth waste, and the gates thereof are consumed
with fire? Then the king said unto me, For
what dost thou make request? So I prayed to the God of heaven,
and I said unto the king, If it please the king, and if thy
servant have found favour in thy sight, that thou wouldst
send me unto Judah, unto the city of my father's sepulchres,
that I may build it. 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. 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. 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. 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 and horsemen with me. 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. So I came to Jerusalem,
and was there three days. And I rose 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. And I 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 Jerusalem which
were broken down, and the gates thereof were consumed with fire.
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. 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. And the rulers knew not whether
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. 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. 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 strengthened their hands
for this good work. 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?
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 rite,
nor memorial in Jerusalem. Nehemiah chapter 3 Then 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 Mea they
sanctified it unto the tower of Hananiel. And next unto him
builded the men of Jericho, and next to them builded Zechar the
son of Imri. But the fish-gate did the sons
of Hassaniah build, who also laid the beams thereof, and set
up the doors thereof, the locks thereof, and the bars thereof.
And next unto them repaired Merimoth, the son of Uriah, the son of
Chaz. And next unto them repaired Meshulam,
the son of Berechiah, the son of Meshezabiel. And next unto
them repaired Zadok, the son of Bayanna. And next unto them
the Decoites repaired, but their nobles put not their necks to
the work of their lord. Moreover, the old gate repaired
Jehoiada, the son of Bethsaia, and Meshalem, the son of Bethsaida.
They laid the beams thereof, and set up the doors thereof,
and the locks thereof, and the bars thereof. And next unto them
repaired Meletiah, the Gibeonite, and Jadon, the Moronithite, the
men of Gibeon and of Mizpah, unto the throne of the governor
on this side the river. Next unto him repaired Uzziel,
the son of Harhea of the goldsmiths. next unto him also repaired Hananiah
the son of one of the apothecaries and they fortified Jerusalem
under the broad wall and next unto them repaired Raphael the
son of her the ruler of the half part of Jerusalem and next unto
them repaired Judea the son of Haramath even over against his
house and next unto him repaired Hattush the son of Hashabniah
Malkijah, the son of Haram, and Hasheb, the son of Pehath-Moab,
repaired the other piece, and the tower of the furnaces. And
next unto him repaired Shalem, the son of Halochesh, the ruler
of the half-part of Jerusalem, he and his daughters. The valley
gate repaired Hanan and the inhabitants of Zenoa. They built it and set
up the doors thereof, the locks thereof, and the bars thereof,
and a thousand cupids on the wall unto the dung gate. But
the dung gate repaired Malchiah, the son of Rechab, the ruler
of part of Bethacharim. He built it and set up the doors
thereof, the locks thereof, and the bars thereof. But the gate
of the fountain repaired Shalem, the son of Gelhose, 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 Siloah by the king's garden, and under
the stairs that go down from the city of David. After him
repaired Nehemiah, the son of Asbuk, the ruler of the half
part of Bethsa, unto the place over against the sepulchres of
David, and to the pool that was made, and unto the house of the
mighty. After him repaired the Levites,
Rehum, the son of Benai. Next unto him repaired Hashebiah,
the ruler of the half part of Keilah, in his part. After him
repaired their brethren, Bevei, the son of Hinnadad, the ruler
of the half part of Keilah. And next to him repaired Esa,
the son of Jeshua, the ruler of Mizpah, another piece over
against the going up to the armory at the turning of the wall. After
him Berich, the son of Zebei, earnestly repaired the other
piece, from the turning of the wall unto the door of the house
of Eliashib, the high priest. After him repaired Merimoth,
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. And after him repaired the priests,
the men of the plain. After him repaired Benjamin and
Hashub over against their house. After him repaired Azariah, the
son of Maseiah, the son of Ananiah, by his house. After him repaired
Benuai, the son of Hinnadad, another piece, from the house
of Azariah unto the turning of the wall, even unto the corner.
Pelil, the son of Uzzi, 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, Pedea, the son of
Parash. Moreover, the Nethanims, dwelt
in Ophel, unto the place over against the water-gate toward
the east, and the tower that lieth out. After them the Tekoites
repaired another piece over against the great tower that lieth out,
even under the wall of Ophel. From above the horse-gate repaired
the priests, every one over against his house. After them repaired
Zadok, the son of Emma, over against his house. After him
repaired also Shemaiah, the son of Shechaniah, the keeper of
the east gate. After him repaired Hananiah the
son of Shelemiah, and Hanan the sixth son of Zaleph, another
peace. After him repaired Meshulam the
son of Berechiah, over against his chamber. After him repaired
Malchiah the goldsmith's son, unto the place of the Nephilim,
and of the merchants, over against the gate Miphkad, and to the
going up of the corner. And between the going up of the
corner unto the sheep gate repaired the goldsmiths and the merchants. Nehemiah chapter 4 But it came
to pass that when Sanballat heard that we built up the wall, he
was wrath, and took great indignation, and mocked the Jews. And he spake
before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, What do
these feeble Jews? Will they fortify themselves?
Will 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? Now Tobiah the Ammonite was by
him, and he said, Even that which they build, if a fox go up, he
shall even break down their stone wall. Hear, O our God, for we
are despised, and turn their reproach upon their own head,
and give them for a prey in the land of captivity, and cover
not their iniquity, and let not their sin be blotted out from
before thee, for they have provoked thee to anger before the builders.
So built we the wall and all the wall was joined together
unto the half thereof for the people had a mind to work But
it came to pass that when Sanballat and Tobiah and the Arabians and
the Ammonites and the Ashtodites Heard that the walls of Jerusalem
were made up and that the breaches began to be stopped then they
were very rough and conspired all of them together to come
and to fight against Jerusalem and to hinder it and Nevertheless,
we made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch against them
day and night because of them. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. And it came
to pass, when our enemies heard that it was known unto us, and
God had brought their counsel to naught, that we returned all
of us to the wall, every one unto his work. 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 habagins, and the rulers
were behind all the house of Judah. They which builded on
the wall, and they that bear burdens, with those that laid
it, every one with one of his hands wrought in the work, and
with the other hand held a weapon. For the builders, every one had
his sword girded by his side, and so builded. And he that sounded
the trumpet was by me. And I said unto the nobles, 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. In what place, therefore, ye
hear the sound of the trumpet, resort ye thither unto us. Our
God shall fight for us. So we labored in the work, and
half of them held the spears from the rising of the morning
till the stars appeared. 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
labor on the day. 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 everyone put them
off for washing. Nehemiah chapter 5 And there was a great cry of
the people and of their wives against their brethren, the Jews.
For there were that said, We, our sons and our daughters, are
many. Therefore we take up corn for them, that we may eat and
live. Some also there were that said, We have mortgaged our lands,
vineyards, and houses, that we might buy corn because of the
dearth. There were also that said, We have borrowed money
for the king's tribute, and that upon our lands and vineyards.
Yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren, our children
as their children. And lo, we bring into bondage
our sons and our daughters to 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. Then I was very angry when I
heard their cry and these words. Then I consulted with myself,
and I rebuked the nobles and the rulers, and said unto them,
Ye exact usually every one of his brother. And I set a great
assembly against them, and I said unto them, We, after our ability,
have redeemed our brethren the Jews which were sold unto the
heathen. And will ye even sell your brethren,
or shall they be sold unto us?' Then held they their peace, and
found nothing to answer. Also I said, It is not good that
ye do. Ought he not to walk in the fear
of our God because of the reproach of the heathen, our enemies?
I likewise, and my brethren and my servants, might exact of the
money and corn. I pray you, let us leave off
this usury. Restore, I pray you, to them,
even this day, their lands, their vineyards, their olive yards,
and their houses, also the hundredth part of the money, and of the
corn, the wine, and the oil, that ye exact of them. 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 an oath of them that they should do according to this promise.
Also I shook my lap and said, So God shake out every man from
his house and from his labor that performeth not this promise,
even thus be he shaken out and emptied. And all the congregation
said, Amen, and praised the Lord. And the people did according
to this promise. Moreover, from the time that
I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the
twentieth year, even unto the two and thirtieth year of Artaxerxes
the king, that is twelve years, I and my brethren have not eaten
the bread of the governor. 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 bear rule over the people. But so did not
I, because of the fear of God. 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. 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. Now that which was prepared for me daily was one
ox and six choice sheep, and 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. Think upon me, my God, for good,
according to all that I have done for this people. Nehemiah chapter 6 Now it came
to pass when Sanballat and Tubiah and Gisham 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, that Sanballat and Gisham 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, 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? Yet they sent unto
me four times after this sort, and I answered them after the
same manner. Then sent Sanballat his servant unto me in like manner
the fifth time, with an open letter in his hand, wherein was
written, It is reported among the heathen, and Gashmo said
that, 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. 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.' Then I sent unto him, saying,
There are no such things done as thou sayest, but thou faintest
them out of thine own heart. 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. Afterward I came unto the house
of Shemaiah, the son of Deliah, the son of Mehetabel, 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. 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 his life? I will not
go in. And lo, I perceived that God
had not sent him, but that he pronounced this prophecy against
me. For Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. 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. My God, think thou upon Tobiah
and Sanballat according to these their works, and on the prophetess
Noah dire, and the rest of the prophets. That would have put
me in fear. So the wall was finished in the
twenty-and-fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty-and-two days. And it came to pass that when
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 perceived that this work was wrought of
our God. Moreover, in those days the nobles
of Judah sent many letters unto Tobiah, and the letters of Tobiah
came unto them. For there were many in Judah
sworn unto him, because he was the son-in-law of Shechaniah
the son of Arah, and his son Johanan had taken the daughter
of Meshulam the son of Berechiah. Also, they reported his good
deeds before me and uttered my words to him. And Tobiah sent
letters to put me in fear. Nehemiah chapter 8 And all the people gathered themselves
together as one man into the street that was before the water
gate. And they spake unto Ezra the scribe to bring the book
of the law of Moses which the Lord had commanded to Israel.
And Ezra the priest brought the law before the congregation,
both of men and women, and all that could hear with understanding,
upon the first day of the seventh month. And he read therein before
the street that was before the water gate, from the morning
until midday, before the men and the women and those that
could understand, and the ears of all the people were attentive
unto the book of the law. And Ezra the scribe stood upon
a pulpit of wood which they had made for the purpose, and beside
him stood Mattithiah, and Shema, and Anamiah, and Uriah, and Helkiah,
and Measeiah on his right hand, and on his left hand, Padaiah,
and Mishael, and Malachiah, and Hashem, and Haspadena, Zechariah,
and Meshulam. And Ezra opened the book in the
sight of all the people, for he was above all the people.
And when he opened it, all the people stood up. And Ezra blessed
the Lord, the great God. And all the people answered,
Amen, Amen, with lifting up of their hands. And they bowed their
heads and worshipped the Lord with their faces to the ground.
Also Jeshua and Benai and Sherabiah, Jamin, Aqob, Shabbatai, Hodijah,
Maaseah, Kelita, Azariah, Josabad, Hanun, Peliah, and the Levites
caused the people to understand the law, and the people stood
in their place. So they read in the book in the
law of God distinctly and gave the sense and caused them to
understand the reading. And Nehemiah, which is the Tashartha,
and Ezra the priest, the scribe, and the Levites that taught the
people, said unto all the people, This day is holy unto the Lord
your God. Mourn not, nor weep, for all
the people wept when they heard the words of the law. Then he
said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet,
and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared. For
this day is holy unto our Lord. Neither be ye sorry, for the
joy of the Lord is your strength. So the Levites stilled all the
people, saying, Hold your peace, for the day is holy, neither
be ye grieved. And all the people went their
way to eat and to drink and to send portions and to make great
mirth, because they had understood the words that were declared
unto them. And on the second day were gathered
together the chief of the fathers of all the people, the priests
and the Levites, unto Ezra the scribe, even to understand the
words of the law. And they found written in the
law, which the Lord hath commanded by Moses, that the children of
Israel should dwell in booths in the feast of the seventh month,
and that they should publish and proclaim in all their cities
and in Jerusalem, saying, Go forth unto the mount, and fetch
olive branches, and pine branches, and myrtle branches, and palm
branches, and branches of thick trees, to make booths, as it
is written. So the people went forth. and
brought them, and made themselves booths, every one upon the roof
of his house, and in their courts, and in the courts of the house
of God, and in the street of the water gate, and in the street
of the gate of Ephraim. All the congregation of them
that were come again out of captivity made booths, and sat under the
booths. For since the days of Jeshua
the son of Nun, unto that day had not the children of Israel
done so. and there was very great gladness also day by day from
the first day until the last day he read in the book of the
law of God and they kept the feast seven days and on the eighth
day was a solemn assembly according unto the manna Nehemiah chapter 9 Now in the twenty-fourth day
of this month the children of Israel were assembled with fasting
and with sackclothes and earth upon them. And the seed of Israel
separated themselves from all strangers and stood and confessed
their sins and the iniquities of their fathers. And they stood
up in their place and read in the book of the law of the Lord
their God one fourth part of the day. And another fourth part
they confessed and worshipped the Lord their God. Then stood
up upon the stairs of the Levites, Jeshua and Benai, Kadmiel, Shebaniah,
Banai, Sheribiah, Benai, and Kanani, and cried with a loud
voice unto the Lord their God. Then the Levites, Jeshua and
Kadmiel, Benai, Hashebniah, Sheribiah, Hodijah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah,
said, Stand up and bless the Lord your God for ever and ever,
and blessed be thy glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing
and praise. Thou, even thou art Lord alone. Thou hast made heaven, the heaven
of heavens, with all their host, the earth and all things that
are therein, the seas and all that is therein, and thou preservest
them all, and the host of heaven worshipeth thee. Thou art the
Lord the God, who didst choose Abram, and broughtest him forth
out of Ur of the Chaldees, and gavest him the name of Abraham,
and foundest his heart faithful before thee, and madest a covenant
with him to give the land of the Canaites, the Hittites, the
Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Jebusites, and the Gergeshites,
to give it, I say, to his seed, and hast performed thy words,
for thou art righteous. And did see the affliction of
our fathers in Egypt, and heard us their cry by the Red Sea.
And show its signs and wonders upon Pharaoh, and on all his
servants, and on all the people of his land, for thou knewest
that they dealt proudly against them. so didst thou get thee
a name, as it is this day. And thou didst divide the sea
before them, so that they went through the midst of the sea
on the dry land, and their persecutors thou threwest into the deeps
as a stone into the mighty waters. Moreover thou leadest them in
the day by a cloudy pillar, and in the night by a pillar of fire,
to give them light in the way wherein they should go. Now camest
thou also upon Mount Sinai, and spakest with them from heaven,
and gavest them right judgments, and true laws, good statutes,
and commandments. And madest known unto them thy
holy Sabbath, and commandest them precepts, statutes, and
laws by the hand of Moses thy servant. and gave us them bread
from heaven for their hunger, and brought us forth water for
them out of the rock for their thirst, and promised them that
they should go in to possess the land which thou hast sworn
to give them. But they and our fathers dealt
proudly, and hardened their necks, and hearkened not to thy commandments,
and refused to obey. Neither were mindful of thy wonders
which thou didst among them, but hardened their necks, and
in rebellion appointed a captain to return to their bondage. But
thou art a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to
anger, and of great kindness, and forsookest them not. Yea,
when they had made them a molten calf, and said, This is thy God
which brought thee up out of Egypt, and had wrought great
provocations, yet thou in thy manifold mercies forsookest them
not in the wilderness. The pillar of the cloud departed
not from them by day to lead them in the way, neither the
pillar of fire by night to show them light and the way wherein
they should go. Thou gavest also thy good spirit
to instruct them, and withheldest not thy manner from their mouth,
and gavest them water for their thirst. Yea, forty years didst
thou sustain them in the wilderness, so that they lacked nothing.
their clothes waxed not old, and their feet swelled not. Moreover,
thou gavest them kingdoms and nations, and didst divide them
into corners, so they possessed the land of Sihon, and the land
of the king of Heshbon, and the land of Og, king of Bashan. Their
children also multipliedst thou as the stars of heaven, and broughtest
them into the land concerning which thou hadst promised to
their fathers that they should go in to possess it. So the children
went in and possessed the land. And thou subduest before them
the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, and gavest them
into their hands with their kings and the people of the land, that
they might do with them as they would. And they took strong cities
and a fat land. and possessed houses full of
all goods, wells digged, vineyards and olive-yards, and fruit-trees
in abundance, so they did eat and were filled and became fat,
and delighted themselves in thy great goodness. Nevertheless,
they were disobedient and rebelled against thee, and cast thy law
behind their backs, and slew thy prophets which testified
against them to turn them to thee, and they wrought great
provocations. Therefore thou deliveredst them
into the hand of their enemies, who vexed them. In the time of
their trouble, when they cried unto thee, thou heardest them
from heaven. And according to thy manifold
mercies thou gavest them saviours, who saved them out of the hand
of their enemies. But after they had rest, they
did evil again before thee. Therefore leftest thou them in
the hand of their enemies, so that they had the dominion over
them. Yet when they returned and cried
unto thee, thou heardest them from heaven, and many times didst
thou deliver them according to thy mercies, and testified against
them that thou mightest bring them again unto thy law. Yet
they dealt proudly, and hearkened not unto thy commandments, but
sinned against thy judgments, which, if a man do, he shall
live in them, and withdrew the shoulder, and hardened their
neck, and would not hear. Yet many years didst thou forbear
them, and testify against them by thy spirit in thy prophets,
yet would they not give ear. Therefore gavest thou them into
the hand of the people of the lands. Nevertheless, for thy
great mercy's sake thou didst not utterly consume them, nor
forsake them, for thou art a gracious and merciful God. Now therefore,
our God, the great, the mighty, and the terrible God, who keepest
covenant and mercy, let not all the trouble seem little before
thee that hath come upon us, on our kings, on our princes,
and on our priests, and on our prophets, and on our fathers,
and on all thy people, since the time of the kings of Assyria
unto this day. Howbeit, thou art just in all
that is brought upon us, for thou hast done right, but we
have done wickedly. Neither have our kings, our princes,
our priests, nor our fathers kept thy law, nor hearkened unto
thy commandments and thy testimonies, wherewith thou didst testify
against them. For they have not served thee
in their kingdom, and in thy great goodness that thou gavest
them, and in the large and fat land which thou gavest before
them, neither turn they from their wicked works. Behold, we
are servants this day. And for the land that thou gavest
unto our fathers to eat the fruit thereof and the good thereof,
behold, we are servants in it. And it yieldeth much increase
unto the kings whom thou hast set over us because of our sins. Also they have dominion over
our bodies and over our cattle at their pleasure, and we are
in great distress. and because of all this we make
a sure covenant and write it and our princes, Levites and
priests seal unto it. Nehemiah chapter 13 On that day they read in the
book of Moses in the audience of the people. And therein was
found written that the Ammonite and the Moabite should not come
into the congregation of God forever, because they met not
the children of Israel with bread and water, but hired Balaam against
them, that he should curse them. Albeit our God turned the curse
into a blessing. Now it came to pass, when they
had heard the law, that they separated from Israel all the
mixed multitude. And before this Eliashib the
priest, having the oversight of the chamber of the house of
our God, was allied unto Tobiah, and he had prepared for him a
great chamber where aforetime they laid the meat offerings,
the frankincense, and the vessels, and the tithes of the corn, the
new wine, and the oil, which was commanded to be given to
the Levites, and the singers, and the porters, and the offerings
of the priests. But in all this time was not
I at Jerusalem, for in the two and thirtieth year of Artaxerxes,
king of Babylon, came I unto the king. And after certain days
obtained I leave of the king, and I came to Jerusalem and understood
of the evil that Eliashib did for Tobiah in preparing him a
chamber in the courts of the house of God. And it grieved
me sore. Therefore I cast forth all the
household stuff of Tobiah out of the chamber. Then I commanded,
and they cleansed the chambers. And thither brought I again the
vessels of the house of God, with the meat offering and the
frankincense. And I perceived that the portions
of the Levites had not been given them, for the Levites and the
singers that did the work were fled every one to his field.
Then contended I with the rulers and said, Why is the house of
God forsaken? And I gathered them together
and set them in their place. Then brought all Judah the tithe
of the corn and the new wine and the oil unto the treasuries.
And I made treasurers over the treasuries, Shelemiah the priest,
and Zadok the scribe, and of the Levites, Pediah, and next
to them was Hanun, the son of Zechariah, the son of Mattaniah,
for they were counted faithful, and their office was to distribute
unto their brethren. Remember me, O my God, concerning
this, and wipe not out my good deeds that I have done for the
house of my God, and for the offices thereof. In those days
saw I in Judah some treading wine-presses on the Sabbath and
bringing in sheaves and lading asses, as also wine, grapes,
and figs, and all manner of burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem
on the Sabbath day, and I testified against them in the day wherein
they sold victuals. There dwelt men of Tyre also
therein, which brought fish, and all manner of ware, and sold
on the Sabbath unto the children of Judah, and in Jerusalem. Then
I contended with the nobles of Judah, and said unto them, What
evil thing is this that ye do, and profane the Sabbath day?
Did not your fathers thus, and did not our God bring all this
evil upon us, and upon this city? Yet ye bring more wrath upon
Israel by profaning the Sabbath. And it came to pass that when
the gates of Jerusalem began to be dark before the Sabbath,
I commanded that the gates should be shut and charged that they
should not be opened till after the Sabbath. And some of my servants
set eye at the gates, that there should no burden be brought in
on the Sabbath day. So the merchants and sellers
of all kind of wear lodged without Jerusalem once or twice. Then
I testified against them and said unto them, Why lodge ye
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. And I commanded the Levites that
they should cleanse themselves, and that they should come and
keep the gates to sanctify the Sabbath day. Remember me, O my
God, concerning this also, and spare me according to the greatness
of thy mercy. In those days also I saw Jews
that had married wives of Ashdod, of Ammon, and of Moab. And their
children spake half in the speech of Ashdod, and could not speak
in the Jews' language, but according to the language of each people.
And I contended with them and cursed them. and smote certain
of them, and plucked off their hair, and made them swear by
God, saying, Ye shall not give your daughters unto their sons,
nor take their daughters unto your sons, or for yourselves. Did not Solomon, king of Israel,
sin by these things? Yet among many nations was there
no king like him who was beloved of his God. And God made him
king over all Israel, nevertheless even him. Did outlandish women
cause to sin? Shall we then hearken unto you
to do all this great evil, To transgress against our God in
marrying strange wives? And one of the sons of Jehoiada,
the son of Eliashib the high priest, Was son-in-law to Sanballat
the Horonite. Therefore I chased him from me.
Remember them, O my God, because they have defiled the priesthood,
and the covenant of the priesthood, and of the Levites. Thus cleansed
I them from all strangers, and appointed the wards of the priests
and the Levites, every one in his business, and for the wood-offering
at times appointed, and for the firstfruits. Remember me, oh
my God, for good.