1:1 The history of Nehemiah, the son of Hacaliah. Now it came

about, in the month Chislev, in the twentieth year, when I was

in Shushan, the king's town,

1:2 That Hanani, one of my brothers, came with certain men from

Judah; and in answer to my request for news of the Jews who had

been prisoners and had got away, and of Jerusalem,

1:3 They said to me, The small band of Jews now living there in

the land are in great trouble and shame: the wall of Jerusalem

has been broken down, and its doorways burned with fire.

1:4 Then, after hearing these words, for some days I gave myself

up to weeping and sorrow, seated on the earth; and taking no

food I made prayer to the God of heaven,

1:5 And said, O Lord, the God of heaven, the great God, greatly

to be feared, keeping faith and mercy with those who have love

for him and are true to his laws:

1:6 Let your ear now take note and let your eyes be open, so

that you may give ear to the prayer of your servant, which I

make before you at this time, day and night, for the children

of Israel, your servants, while I put before you the sins of

the children of Israel, which we have done against you: truly,

I and my father's people are sinners.

1:7 We have done great wrong against you, and have not kept the

orders, the rules, and the decisions, which you gave to your

servant Moses.

1:8 Keep in mind, O Lord, the order you gave your servant Moses,

saying, If you do wrong I will send you wandering among the

peoples:

1:9 But if you come back to me and keep my orders and do them,

even if those of you who have been forced out are living in the

farthest parts of heaven, I will get them from there, and take

them back to the place marked out by me for the resting-place

of my name.

1:10 Now these are your servants and your people, whom you have

made yours by your great power and by your strong hand.

1:11 O Lord, let your ear take note of the prayer of your

servant, and of the prayers of your servants, who take delight

in worshipping your name: give help, O Lord, to your servant

this day, and let him have mercy in the eyes of this man. (Now

I was the king's wine-servant.)

2:1 And it came about in the month Nisan, in the twentieth year

of Artaxerxes the king, when wine was before him, that I took

up the wine and gave it to the king. Now I had never before

been sad when the king was present.

2:2 And the king said to me, Why is your face sad, seeing that

you are not ill? this is nothing but sorrow of heart. Then I

was full of fear;

2:3 And said to the king, May the king be living for ever: is it

not natural for my face to be sad, when the town, the place

where the bodies of my fathers are at rest, has been made waste

and its doorways burned with fire?

2:4 Then the king said to me, What is your desire? So I made

prayer to the God of heaven.

2:5 And I said to the king, If it is the king's pleasure, and if

your servant has your approval, send me to Judah, to the town

where the bodies of my fathers are at rest, so that I may take

in hand the building of it.

2:6 And the king said to me (the queen being seated by his

side), How long will your journey take, and when will you come

back? So the king was pleased to send me, and I gave him a

fixed time.

2:7 Further, I said to the king, If it is the king's pleasure,

let letters be given to me for the rulers across the river, so

that they may let me go through till I come to Judah;

2:8 And a letter to Asaph, the keeper of the king's park, so

that he may give me wood to make boards for the doors of the

tower of the house, and for the wall of the town, and for the

house which is to be mine. And the king gave me this, for the

hand of my God was on me.

2:9 Then I came to the rulers of the lands across the river and

gave them the king's letters. Now the king had sent with me

captains of the army and horsemen.

2:10 And Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the servant, the

Ammonite, hearing of it, were greatly troubled because a man

had come to the help of the children of Israel.

2:11 So I came to Jerusalem and was there three days.

2:12 And in the night I got up, taking with me a small band of

men; I said nothing to any man of what God had put into my

heart to do for Jerusalem: and I had no beast with me but the

one on which I was seated.

2:13 And I went out by night, through the doorway of the valley,

and past the dragon's water-spring as far as the place where

waste material was put, viewing the walls of Jerusalem which

were broken down, and the doorways which had been burned with

fire.

2:14 Then I went on to the door of the fountain and to the

king's pool: but there was no room for my beast to get through.

2:15 Then in the night, I went up by the stream, viewing the

wall; then turning back, I went in by the door in the valley,

and so came back.

2:16 And the chiefs had no knowledge of where I had been or what

I was doing; and I had not then said anything to the Jews or to

the priests or the great ones or the chiefs or the rest of

those who were doing the work.

2:17 Then I said to them, You see what a bad condition we are

in; how Jerusalem is a waste, and its doorways burned with

fire: come, let us get to work, building up the wall of

Jerusalem, so that we may no longer be put to shame.

2:18 Then I gave them an account of how the hand of my God was

on me, helping me; and of the king's words which he had said to

me. And they said, Let us get to work on the building. So they

made their hands strong for the good work.

2:19 But Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the servant, the

Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian, hearing of it, made sport of

us, laughing at us and saying, What are you doing? will you go

against the king?

2:20 Then answering them I said, The God of heaven, he will be

our help; so we his servants will go on with our building: but

you have no part or right or any name in Jerusalem.

3:1 Then Eliashib, the chief priest, got up with his brothers

the priests, and took in hand the building of the sheep

doorway; they made it holy and put its doors in position; as

far as the tower of Hammeah they made it holy, even to the

tower of Hananel.

3:2 And by his side the men of Jericho were building. And after

them, Zaccur, the son of Imri.

3:3 The sons of Hassenaah were the builders of the fish doorway;

they put its boards in place and put up its doors, with their

locks and rods.

3:4 By their side Meremoth, the son of Uriah, the son of Hakkoz,

was making good the walls. Then Meshullam, the son of

Berechiah, the son of Meshezabel; and by him, Zadok, the son of

Baana.

3:5 Near them, the Tekoites were at work; but their chiefs did

not put their necks to the work of their Lord.

3:6 Joiada, the son of Paseah, and Meshullam, the son of

Besodeiah, made good the old doorway; they put its boards in

place and put up its doors, with their locks and rods.

3:7 By their side were working Melatiah the Gibeonite and Jadon

the Meronothite, the men of Gibeon and of Mizpah from the seat

of the ruler across the river.

3:8 Near them was working Uzziel, the son of Harhaiah, the

gold-worker. And by him was Hananiah, one of the

perfume-makers, building up Jerusalem as far as the wide wall.

3:9 Near them was working Rephaiah, the son of Hur, the ruler of

half Jerusalem.

3:10 By his side was Jedaiah, the son of Harumaph, opposite his

house. And by him was Hattush, the son of Hashabneiah.

3:11 Malchijah, the son of Harim, and Hasshub, the son of

Pahath-moab, were working on another part, and the tower of the

ovens.

3:12 Near them was Shallum, the son of Hallohesh, the ruler of

half Jerusalem, with his daughters.

3:13 Hanun and the people of Zanoah were working on the doorway

of the valley; they put it up and put up its doors, with their

locks and rods, and a thousand cubits of wall as far as the

doorway where the waste material was placed.

3:14 And Malchijah, the son of Rechab, the ruler of the division

of Beth-haccherem, made good the doorway of the waste, building

it up and putting up its doors, with their locks and rods.

3:15 And Shallun, the son of Col-hozeh, the ruler of the

division of Mizpah, made good the doorway of the fountain,

building it up and covering it and putting up its doors, with

their locks and rods, with the wall of the pool of Shelah by

the king's garden, as far as the steps which go down from the

town of David.

3:16 By his side was working Nehemiah, the son of Azbuk, ruler

of half the division of Beth-zur, as far as the place opposite

the last resting-places of David's family, and the pool which

was made and the house of the men of war.

3:17 Then came the Levites, Rehum, the son of Bani. By his side

was working Hashabiah, ruler of half the division of Keilah,

for his division.

3:18 After him were working their brothers, Bavvai, the son of

Henadad, ruler of half the division of Keilah.

3:19 And by his side was working Ezer, the son of Jeshua, the

ruler of Mizpah, making good another part opposite the way up

to the store of arms at the turning of the wall.

3:20 After him Baruch, the son of Zabbai, was hard at work on

another part, from the turning of the wall to the door of the

house of Eliashib, the chief priest.

3:21 After him Meremoth, the son of Uriah, the son of Hakkoz,

was working on another part, from the door of the house of

Eliashib as far as the end of his house.

3:22 After him were working the priests, the men of the lowland.

3:23 After them came Benjamin and Hasshub, opposite their house.

After them Azariah, the son of Maaseiah, the son of Ananiah,

made good the wall by the house where he himself was living.

3:24 After him Binnui, the son of Henadad, was working on

another part, from the house of Azariah as far as the turning

of the wall and the angle.

3:25 Palal, the son of Uzai, made good the wall opposite the

angle and the tower which comes out from the higher part of the

king's house, by the open space of the watch. After him was

Pedaiah, the son of Parosh.

3:26 (Now the Nethinim were living in the Ophel, as far as the

place facing the water doorway to the east, and the tower which

comes out.)

3:27 After him the Tekoites were making good another part,

opposite the great tower which comes out, and up to the wall of

the Ophel.

3:28 Further on, past the horse doorway, the priests were at

work, every one opposite his house.

3:29 After them Zadok, the son of Immer, was working opposite

his house. And after him Shemaiah, the son of Shecaniah, the

keeper of the east door.

3:30 After him Hananiah, the son of Shelemiah, and Hanun, the

sixth son of Zalaph, were making good another part. After him

Meshullam, the son of Berechiah, made good the wall opposite

his room.

3:31 After him Malchijah, one of the gold-workers to the

Nethinim and the traders, made good the wall opposite the

doorway of Hammiphkad and as far as the way up to the angle.

3:32 And between the way up to the angle and the sheep door, the

gold-workers and the traders made good the wall.

4:1 Now, Sanballat, hearing that we were building the wall, was

very angry, and in his wrath made sport of the Jews.

4:2 And in the hearing of his countrymen and the army of Samaria

he said, What are these feeble Jews doing? will they make

themselves strong? will they make offerings? will they get the

work done in a day? will they make the stones which have been

burned come again out of the dust?

4:3 Now Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, Such is

their building that if a fox goes up it, their stone wall will

be broken down.

4:4 Give ear, O our God, for we are looked down on: let their

words of shame be turned back on themselves, and let them be

given up to wasting in a land where they are prisoners:

4:5 Let not their wrongdoing be covered or their sin washed away

from before you: for they have made you angry before the

builders.

4:6 So we went on building the wall; and all the wall was joined

together half-way up: for the people were working hard.

4:7 But when it came to the ears of Sanballat and Tobiah and the

Arabians and the Ammonites and the Ashdodites, that the

building of the walls of Jerusalem was going forward and the

broken places were being made good, they were full of wrath;

4:8 And they made designs, all of them together, to come and

make an attack on Jerusalem, causing trouble there.

4:9 But we made our prayer to God, and had men on watch against

them day and night because of them.

4:10 And Judah said, The strength of the workmen is giving way,

and there is much waste material; it is impossible for us to

put up the wall.

4:11 And those who were against us said, Without their knowledge

and without their seeing us, we will come among them and put

them to death, causing the work to come to a stop.

4:12 And it came about that when the Jews who were living near

them came, they said to us ten times, From all directions they

are coming against us.

4:13 So in the lowest part of the space at the back of the

walls, in the open places, I put the people by families, with

their swords, their spears, and their bows.

4:14 And after looking, I got up and said to the great ones and

to the chiefs and to the rest of the people, Have no fear of

them: keep in mind the Lord who is great and greatly to be

feared, and take up arms for your brothers, your sons, and your

daughters, your wives and your houses.

4:15 And when it came to the ears of those who were against us,

that we had knowledge of their designs and that God had made

their purpose come to nothing, we all went back to the wall,

everyone to his work

4:16 And from that time, half of my servants were doing their

part of the work, and half kept the spears and body-covers and

the bows and the metal war-dresses; and the chiefs were at the

back of the men of Judah.

4:17 Those who were building the wall and those who were moving

material did their part, everyone working with one hand, with

his spear in the other;

4:18 Every builder was working with his sword at his side. And

by my side was a man for sounding the horn.

4:19 And I said to the great ones and the chiefs and the rest of

the people, The work is great and widely spaced and we are far

away from one another on the wall:

4:20 Wherever you may be when the horn is sounded, come here to

us; our God will be fighting for us.

4:21 So we went on with the work: and half of them had spears in

their hands from the dawn of the morning till the stars were

seen.

4:22 And at the same time I said to the people, Let everyone

with his servant come inside Jerusalem for the night, so that

at night they may keep watch for us, and go on working by day.

4:23 So not one of us, I or my brothers or my servants or the

watchmen who were with me, took off his clothing, everyone went

armed to the water.

5:1 Then there was a great outcry from the people and their

wives against their countrymen the Jews.

5:2 For there were some who said, We, our sons and our

daughters, are a great number: let us get grain, so that we may

have food for our needs.

5:3 And there were some who said, We are giving our fields and

our vine-gardens and our houses for debt: let us get grain

because we are in need.

5:4 And there were others who said, We have given up our fields

and our vine-gardens to get money for the king's taxes.

5:5 But our flesh is the same as the flesh of our countrymen,

and our children as their children: and now we are giving our

sons and daughters into the hands of others, to be their

servants, and some of our daughters are servants even now: and

we have no power to put a stop to it; for other men have our

fields and our vine-gardens.

5:6 And on hearing their outcry and what they said I was very

angry.

5:7 And after turning it over in my mind, I made a protest to

the chiefs and the rulers, and said to them, Every one of you

is taking interest from his countryman. And I got together a

great meeting of protest.

5:8 And I said to them, We have given whatever we were able to

give, to make our brothers the Jews free, who were servants and

prisoners of the nations: and would you now give up your

brothers for a price, and are they to become our property? Then

they said nothing, answering not a word.

5:9 And I said, What you are doing is not good: is it not the

more necessary for you to go in the fear of our God, because of

the shame which the nations may put on us?

5:10 Even I and my servants have been taking interest for the

money and the grain we have let them have. So now, let us give

up this thing.

5:11 Give back to them this very day their fields, their

vine-gardens, their olive-gardens, and their houses, as well as

a hundredth part of the money and the grain and the wine and

the oil which you have taken from them.

5:12 Then they said, We will give them back, and take nothing

for them; we will do as you say. Then I sent for the priests

and made them take an oath that they would keep this agreement.

5:13 And shaking out the folds of my robe, I said, So may God

send out from his house and his work every man who does not

keep this agreement; even so let him be sent out and made as

nothing. And all the meeting of the people said, So be it, and

gave praise to the Lord. And the people did as they had said.

5:14 Now from the time when I was made ruler of the people in

the land of Judah, from the twentieth year till the

thirty-second year of Artaxerxes the king, for twelve years, I

and my servants have never taken the food which was the right

of the ruler.

5:15 But earlier rulers who were before me made the people

responsible for their upkeep, and took from them bread and wine

at the rate of forty shekels of silver; and even their servants

were lords over the people: but I did not do so, because of the

fear of God.

5:16 And I kept on with the work of this wall, and we got no

land for ourselves: and all my servants were helping with the

work.

5:17 And more than this, a hundred and fifty of the Jews and the

rulers were guests at my table, in addition to those who came

to us from the nations round about us.

5:18 Now the food made ready for one day was one ox and six fat

sheep, as well as fowls; and once in ten days a store of all

sorts of wine: but all the same, I did not take the food to

which the ruler had a right, because the people were crushed

under a hard yoke.

5:19 Keep in mind, O my God, for my good, all I have done for

this people.

6:1 Now when word was given to Sanballat and Tobiah and to

Geshem the Arabian and to the rest of our haters, that I had

done the building of the wall and that there were no more

broken places in it (though even then I had not put up the

doors in the doorways);

6:2 Sanballat and Geshem sent to me saying, Come, let us have a

meeting in one of the little towns in the lowland of Ono. But

their purpose was to do me evil.

6:3 And I sent men to them saying, I am doing a great work, so

that it is not possible for me to come down: is the work to be

stopped while I go away from it and come down to you?

6:4 And four times they sent to me in this way, and I sent them

the same answer.

6:5 Then Sanballat sent his servant to me a fifth time with an

open letter in his hand;

6:6 And in it these words were recorded: It is said among the

nations, and Geshem says so, that you and the Jews are hoping

to make yourselves free from the king's authority; and that

this is why you are building the wall: and they say that it is

your purpose to be their king;

6:7 And that you have prophets preaching about you in Jerusalem,

and saying, There is a king in Judah: now an account of these

things will be sent to the king. So come now, and let us have a

discussion.

6:8 Then I sent to him, saying, No such things as you say are

being done, they are only a fiction you have made up yourself.

6:9 For they were hoping to put fear in us, saying, Their hands

will become feeble and give up the work so that it may not get

done. But now, O God, make my hands strong.

6:10 And I went to the house of Shemaiah, the son of Delaiah,

the son of Mehetabel, who was shut up; and he said, Let us have

a meeting in the house of God, inside the Temple, and let the

doors be shut: for they will come to put you to death; truly,

in the night they will come to put you to death.

6:11 And I said, Am I the sort of man to go in flight? what man,

in my position, would go into the Temple to keep himself safe?

I will not go in.

6:12 Then it became clear to me that God had not sent him: he

had given this word of a prophet against me himself: and Tobiah

and Sanballat had given him money to do so.

6:13 For this reason they had given him money, in order that I

might be overcome by fear and do what he said and do wrong, and

so they would have reason to say evil about me and put shame on

me.

6:14 Keep in mind, O my God, Tobiah and Sanballat and what they

did, and Noadiah, the woman prophet, and the rest of the

prophets whose purpose was to put fear into me.

6:15 So the wall was complete on the twenty-fifth day of the

month Elul, in fifty-two days.

6:16 And when our haters had news of this, all the nations round

about us were full of fear and were greatly shamed, for they

saw that this work had been done by our God.

6:17 And further, in those days the chiefs of Judah sent a

number of letters to Tobiah, and his letters came to them.

6:18 For in Judah there were a number of people who had made an

agreement by oath with him, because he was the son-in-law of

Shecaniah, the son of Arah; and his son Jehohanan had taken as

his wife the daughter of Meshullam, the son of Berechiah.

6:19 And they said much before me of the good he had done, and

gave him accounts of my words. And Tobiah sent letters with the

purpose of causing me fear.

7:1 Now when the building of the wall was complete and I had put

up the doors, and the door-keepers and the music-makers and the

Levites had been given their places,

7:2 I made my brother Hanani, and Hananiah, the ruler of the

tower, responsible for the government of Jerusalem: for he was

a man of good faith, fearing God more than most.

7:3 And I said to them, Do not let the doors of Jerusalem be

open till the sun is high; and while the watchmen are in their

places, let the doors be shut and locked: and let the people of

Jerusalem be put on watch, every one in his watch, opposite his

house.

7:4 Now the town was wide and great: but the people in it were

only a small number, and the houses had not been put up.

7:5 And my God put it into my heart to get together the rulers

and the chiefs and the people so that they might be listed by

families. And I came across a record of the names of those who

came up at the first, and in it I saw these words:

7:6 These are the people of the divisions of the kingdom, among

those who had been made prisoners by Nebuchadnezzar, the king

of Babylon, and taken away by him, who went back to Jerusalem

and Judah, every one to his town;

7:7 Who came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah,

Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum,

Baanah. The number of the men of the people of Israel:

7:8 The children of Parosh, two thousand, one hundred and

seventy-two.

7:9 The children of Shephatiah, three hundred and seventy-two.

7:10 The children of Arah, six hundred and fifty-two.

7:11 The children of Pahath-moab, of the children of Jeshua and

Joab, two thousand, eight hundred and eighteen.

7:12 The children of Elam, a thousand, two hundred and

fifty-four.

7:13 The children of Zattu, eight hundred and forty-five.

7:14 The children of Zaccai, seven hundred and sixty.

7:15 The children of Binnui, six hundred and forty-eight.

7:16 The children of Bebai, six hundred and twenty-eight.

7:17 The children of Azgad, two thousand, three hundred and

twenty-two.

7:18 The children of Adonikam, six hundred and sixty-seven.

7:19 The children of Bigvai, two thousand and sixty-seven.

7:20 The children of Adin, six hundred and fifty-five.

7:21 The children of Ater, of Hezekiah, ninety-eight.

7:22 The children of Hashum, three hundred and twenty-eight.

7:23 The children of Bezai, three hundred and twenty-four.

7:24 The children of Hariph, a hundred and twelve.

7:25 The children of Gibeon, ninety-five.

7:26 The men of Beth-lehem and Netophah, a hundred and

eighty-eight.

7:27 The men of Anathoth, a hundred and twenty-eight.

7:28 The men of Beth-azmaveth, forty-two.

7:29 The men of Kiriath-jearim, Chephirah, and Beeroth, seven

hundred and forty-three.

7:30 The men of Ramah and Geba, six hundred and twenty-one.

7:31 The men of Michmas, a hundred and twenty-two.

7:32 The men of Beth-el and Ai, a hundred and twenty-three.

7:33 The men of the other Nebo, fifty-two.

7:34 The children of the other Elam, a thousand, two hundred and

fifty-four.

7:35 The children of Harim, three hundred and twenty.

7:36 The children of Jericho, three hundred and forty-five.

7:37 The children of Lod, Hadid, and Ono, seven hundred and

twenty-one.

7:38 The children of Senaah, three thousand, nine hundred and

thirty.

7:39 The priests: the children of Jedaiah, of the family of

Jeshua, nine hundred and seventy-three.

7:40 The children of Immer, a thousand and fifty-two.

7:41 The children of Pashhur, a thousand, two hundred and

forty-seven.

7:42 The children of Harim, a thousand and seventeen.

7:43 The Levites: the children of Jeshua, of Kadmiel, of the

children of Hodevah, seventy-four.

7:44 The music-makers: the children of Asaph, a hundred and

forty-eight.

7:45 The door-keepers: the children of Shallum, the children of

Ater, the children of Talmon, the children of Akkub, the

children of Hatita, the children of Shobai, a hundred and

thirty-eight.

7:46 The Nethinim: the children of Ziha, the children of

Hasupha, the children of Tabbaoth,

7:47 The children of Keros, the children of Sia, the children of

Padon,

7:48 The children of Lebana, the children of Hagaba, the

children of Salmai,

7:49 The children of Hanan, the children of Giddel, the children

of Gahar,

7:50 The children of Reaiah, the children of Rezin, the children

of Nekoda,

7:51 The children of Gazzam, the children of Uzza, the children

of Paseah,

7:52 The children of Besai, the children of Meunim, the children

of Nephushesim,

7:53 The children of Bakbuk, the children of Hakupha, the

children of Harhur,

7:54 The children of Bazlith, the children of Mehida, the

children of Harsha,

7:55 The children of Barkos, the children of Sisera, the

children of Temah,

7:56 The children of Neziah, the children of Hatipha.

7:57 The children of Solomon's servants: the children of Sotai,

the children of Sophereth, the children of Perida,

7:58 The children of Jaala, the children of Darkon, the children

of Giddel,

7:59 The children of Shephatiah, the children of Hattil, the

children of Pochereth-hazzebaim, the children of Amon.

7:60 All the Nethinim and the children of Solomon's servants

were three hundred and ninety-two.

7:61 All these were the people who went up from Tel-melah,

Tel-harsha, Cherub, Addon, and Immer; but because they had no

knowledge of their fathers' families or offspring, it was not

certain if they were Israelites:

7:62 The children of Delaiah, the children of Tobiah, the

children of Nekoda, six hundred and forty-two.

7:63 And of the priests: the children of Hobaiah, the children

of Hakkoz, the children of Barzillai, who was married to one of

the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite, and took their name.

7:64 They made search for their record among the lists of

families, but their names were nowhere to be seen, so they were

looked on as unclean and no longer priests.

7:65 And the Tirshatha said that they were not to have the most

holy things for their food, till a priest came to give decision

by the Urim and Thummim.

7:66 The number of all the people together was forty-two

thousand, three hundred and sixty;

7:67 As well as their men-servants and their women-servants, of

whom there were seven thousand, three hundred and thirty-seven;

and they had two hundred and forty-five men and women to make

music.

7:68 They had seven hundred and thirty-six horses, two hundred

and forty-five transport beasts;

7:69 Four hundred and thirty-five camels, six thousand, seven

hundred and twenty asses.

7:70 And some of the heads of families gave money for the work.

The Tirshatha gave into the store a thousand darics of gold,

fifty basins, five hundred and thirty priests' robes.

7:71 And some of the heads of families gave into the store for

the work twenty thousand darics of gold, and two thousand, two

hundred pounds of silver.

7:72 And that which the rest of the people gave was twenty

thousand darics of gold, and two thousand pounds of silver, and

sixty-seven priests' robes.

7:73 So the priests and the Levites and the door-keepers and the

music-makers and some of the people and the Nethinim, and all

Israel, were living in their towns.

8:1 And when the seventh month came, the children of Israel were

in their towns. And all the people came together like one man

into the wide place in front of the water-doorway; and they

made a request to Ezra the scribe that he would put before them

the book of the law of Moses which the Lord had given to

Israel.

8:2 And Ezra the priest put the law before the meeting of the

people, before the men and women and all those who were able to

take it in, on the first day of the seventh month.

8:3 He was reading it in the wide place in front of the

water-doorway, from early morning till the middle of the day,

in the hearing of all those men and women whose minds were able

to take it in; and the ears of all the people were open to the

book of the law.

8:4 And Ezra the scribe took his place on a tower of wood which

they had made for the purpose; and by his side were placed

Mattithiah and Shema and Anaiah and Uriah and Hilkiah and

Maaseiah on the right; and on the left, Pedaiah and Mishael and

Malchijah and Hashum and Hashbaddanah, Zechariah and Meshullam.

8:5 And Ezra took the book, opening it before the eyes of all

the people (for he was higher than the people); and when it was

open, all the people got to their feet:

8:6 And Ezra gave praise to the Lord, the great God. And all the

people in answer said, So be it, so be it; lifting up their

hands; and with bent heads they gave worship to the Lord, going

down on their faces to the earth.

8:7 And Jeshua and Bani and Sherebiah and Jamin, Akkub,

Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan,

Pelaiah, and the Levites made the law clear to the people: and

the people kept in their places.

8:8 And they gave out the words of the book the law of God,

clearly, and gave the sense of it, so that their minds were

able to take it in.

8:9 And Nehemiah, who was the Tirshatha, and Ezra, the priest

and scribe, and the Levites who were the teachers of the

people, said to all the people, This day is holy to the Lord

your God; let there be no sorrow or weeping; for all the people

were weeping on hearing the words of the law.

8:10 Then he said to them, Go away now, and take the fat for

your food and the sweet for your drink, and send some to him

for whom nothing is made ready: for this day is holy to our

Lord: and let there be no grief in your hearts; for the joy of

the Lord is your strong place.

8:11 So the Levites made all the people quiet, saying, Be quiet,

for the day is holy; and do not give way to grief.

8:12 And all the people went away to take food and drink, and to

send food to others, and to be glad, because the words which

were said to them had been made clear.

8:13 And on the second day the heads of families of all the

people and the priests and the Levites came together to Ezra

the scribe, to give attention to the words of the law.

8:14 And they saw that it was recorded in the law that the Lord

had given orders by Moses, that the children of Israel were to

have tents for their living-places in the feast of the seventh

month:

8:15 And that they were to give out an order, and make it public

in all their towns and in Jerusalem, saying, Go out to the

mountain and get olive branches and branches of field olives

and of myrtle, and palm branches and branches of thick trees,

to make tents, as it says in the book.

8:16 And the people went out and got them and made themselves

tents, every one on the roof of his house, and in the open

spaces and in the open squares of the house of God, and in the

wide place of the water-doorway, and the wide place of the

doorway of Ephraim.

8:17 All the people who had been prisoners and had come back,

made tents and were living in them: for from the time of

Jeshua, the son of Nun, till that day, the children of Israel

had not done so. And there was very great joy.

8:18 And day by day, from the first day till the last, he was

reading from the book of the law of God. And they kept the

feast for seven days: and on the eighth day there was a holy

meeting, as it is ordered in the law.

9:1 Now on the twenty-fourth day of this month the children of

Israel came together, taking no food and putting haircloth and

dust on their bodies.

9:2 And the seed of Israel made themselves separate from all the

men of other nations, publicly requesting forgiveness for their

sins and the wrongdoing of their fathers.

9:3 And for a fourth part of the day, upright in their places,

they were reading from the book of the law of their God; and

for a fourth part of the day they were requesting forgiveness

and worshipping the Lord their God.

9:4 Then Jeshua, and Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah,

Bani, and Chenani took their places on the steps of the

Levites, crying in a loud voice to the Lord their God.

9:5 Then the Levites, Jeshua, and Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah,

Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah said, Get up and

give praise to the Lord your God for ever and ever. Praise be

to your great name which is lifted up high over all blessing

and praise.

9:6 You are the Lord, even you only; you have made heaven, the

heaven of heavens with all their armies, the earth and all

things in it, the seas and everything in them; and you keep

them from destruction: and the armies of heaven are your

worshippers.

9:7 You are the Lord, the God, who took Abram and made him

yours, guiding him from Ur of the Chaldees, and gave him the

name of Abraham;

9:8 You saw that his heart was true to you, and made an

agreement with him to give the land of the Canaanite, the

Hittite, the Amorite and the Perizzite and the Jebusite and the

Girgashite, even to give it to his seed, and you have done what

you said; for righteousness is yours:

9:9 And you saw the trouble of our fathers in Egypt, and their

cry came to your ears by the Red Sea;

9:10 And you did signs and wonders on Pharaoh and all his

servants and all the people of his land; for you saw how cruel

they were to them. So you got yourself a name as it is today.

9:11 By you the sea was parted before them, so that they went

through the sea on dry land; and those who went after them went

down into the deep, like a stone into great waters.

9:12 And you went before them by day in a pillar of cloud, and

in a pillar of fire by night, to give them light on the way

they were to go.

9:13 And you came down on Mount Sinai, and your voice came to

them from heaven, giving them right decisions and true laws,

good rules and orders:

9:14 And you gave them word of your holy Sabbath, and gave them

orders and rules and a law, by the hand of Moses your servant:

9:15 And you gave them bread from heaven when they were in need,

and made water come out of the rock for their drink, and gave

them orders to go in and take for their heritage the land which

your hand had been lifted up to give them.

9:16 But they and our fathers, in their pride, made their necks

stiff, and gave no attention to your orders,

9:17 And would not do them, and gave no thought to the wonders

you had done among them; but made their necks stiff, and

turning away from you, made a captain over themselves to take

them back to their prison in Egypt: but you are a God of

forgiveness, full of grace and pity, slow to wrath and great in

mercy, and you did not give them up.

9:18 Even when they had made for themselves an ox of metal, and

said, This is your God who took you up out of Egypt, and had

done so much to make you angry;

9:19 Even then, in your great mercy, you did not give them up in

the waste land: the pillar of cloud still went before them by

day, guiding them on their way, and the pillar of fire by

night, to give them light, and make clear the way they were to

go.

9:20 And you gave your good spirit to be their teacher, and did

not keep back your manna from their mouths, and gave them water

when they had need of it.

9:21 Truly, for forty years you were their support in the waste

land, and they were in need of nothing; their clothing did not

get old or their feet become tired.

9:22 And you gave them kingdoms and peoples, making distribution

to them in every part of the land: so they took for their

heritage the land of Sihon, even the land of the king of

Heshbon, and the land of Og, king of Bashan.

9:23 And you made their children as great in number as the stars

of heaven, and took them into the land, of which you had said

to their fathers that they were to go in and take it for

themselves.

9:24 So the children went in and took the land, and you overcame

before them the people of the land, the Canaanites, and gave

them up into their hands, with their kings and the people of

the land, so that they might do with them whatever it was their

pleasure to do.

9:25 And they took walled towns and a fat land, and became the

owners of houses full of all good things, water-holes cut in

the rock, vine-gardens and olive-gardens and a wealth of

fruit-trees: so they had food enough and became fat, and had

joy in the good you gave them.

9:26 But they were hard-hearted, and went against your

authority, turning their backs on your law, and putting to

death your prophets, who gave witness against them with the

purpose of turning them back again to you, and they did much to

make you angry.

9:27 And so you gave them up into the hands of their haters who

were cruel to them: and in the time of their trouble, when they

made their prayer to you, you gave ear to them from heaven; and

in your great mercy gave them saviours, who made them free from

the hands of their haters.

9:28 But when they had rest, they did evil again before you: so

you gave them into the hands of their haters, who had rule over

them: but when they came back and made their prayer to you, you

gave ear to them from heaven; again and again, in your mercy,

you gave them salvation;

9:29 And gave witness against them so that you might make them

come back again to your law: but their hearts were lifted up,

and they gave no attention to your orders and went against your

decisions (which, if a man keeps them, will be life to him),

and turning their backs on you, made their necks stiff and did

not give ear.

9:30 Year after year you put up with them, and gave witness

against them by your spirit through your prophets: still they

did not give ear: and so you gave them up into the hands of the

peoples of the lands.

9:31 Even then, in your great mercy, you did not put an end to

them completely, or give them up; for you are a God of grace

and mercy.

9:32 And now, our God, the great, the strong, the God who is to

be feared, who keeps faith and mercy, let not all this trouble

seem small to you, which has come on us, and on our kings and

our rulers and on our priests and our prophets and our fathers

and on all your people from the time of the kings of Assyria

till this day.

9:33 But still, you have been in the right in everything which

has come on us; you have been true to us, but we have done

evil:

9:34 And our kings, our rulers, our priests, and our fathers

have not kept your law or given attention to your orders and

your witness, with which you gave witness against them.

9:35 For they have not been your servants in their kingdom, and

in all the good things you gave them, and in the great and fat

land you gave them, and they have not been turned away from

their evil-doing.

9:36 Now, today, we are servants, and as for the land which you

gave to our fathers, so that the produce of it and the good

might be theirs, see, we are servants in it:

9:37 And it gives much increase to the kings whom you have put

over us because of our sins: and they have power over our

bodies and over our cattle at their pleasure, and we are in

great trouble.

9:38 And because of all this we are making an agreement in good

faith, and putting it in writing; and our rulers, our Levites,

and our priests are putting their names to it.

10:1 Now those who put down their names were Nehemiah the

Tirshatha, the son of Hacaliah, and Zedekiah,

10:2 Seraiah, Azariah, Jeremiah,

10:3 Pashhur, Amariah, Malchijah,

10:4 Hattush, Shebaniah, Malluch,

10:5 Harim, Meremoth, Obadiah,

10:6 Daniel, Ginnethon, Baruch,

10:7 Meshullam, Abijah, Mijamin,

10:8 Maaziah, Bilgai, Shemaiah; these were the priests.

10:9 And the Levites: by name, Jeshua, the son of Azaniah,

Binnui, of the sons of Henadad, Kadmiel,

10:10 And their brothers, Shebaniah, Hodiah, Kelita, Pelaiah,

Hanan,

10:11 Mica, Rehob, Hashabiah,

10:12 Zaccur, Sherebiah, Shebaniah,

10:13 Hodiah, Bani, Beninu.

10:14 The chiefs of the people: Parosh, Pahath-moab, Elam,

Zattu, Bani,

10:15 Bunni, Azgad, Bebai,

10:16 Adonijah, Bigvai, Adin,

10:17 Ater, Hezekiah, Azzur,

10:18 Hodiah, Hashum, Bezai,

10:19 Hariph, Anathoth, Nobai,

10:20 Magpiash, Meshullam, Hezir,

10:21 Meshezabel, Zadok, Jaddua,

10:22 Pelatiah, Hanan, Anaiah,

10:23 Hoshea, Hananiah, Hasshub,

10:24 Hallohesh, Pilha, Shobek,

10:25 Rehum, Hashabnah, Maaseiah,

10:26 And Ahiah, Hanan, Anan,

10:27 Malluch, Harim, Baanah.

10:28 And the rest of the people, the priests, the Levites, the

door-keepers, the music-makers, the Nethinim, and all those who

had made themselves separate from the peoples of the lands, to

keep the law of God, their wives, their sons, and their

daughters, everyone who had knowledge and wisdom;

10:29 They were united with their brothers, their rulers, and

put themselves under a curse and an oath, to keep their steps

in the way of God's law, which was given by Moses, the servant

of God, and to keep and do all the orders of the Lord, our

Lord, and his decisions and his rules;

10:30 And that we would not give our daughters to the peoples of

the lands, or take their daughters for our sons;

10:31 And if the peoples of the lands come to do trade in goods

or food on the Sabbath day, that we would do no trade with them

on the Sabbath or on a holy day: and that in the seventh year

we would take no payment from any debtor.

10:32 And we made rules for ourselves, taxing ourselves a third

of a shekel every year for the upkeep of the house of our God;

10:33 For the holy bread, and for the regular meal offering and

the regular burned offering on the Sabbaths and at the new moon

and the fixed feasts, and for the sin-offerings to take away

the sin of Israel, and for all the work of the house of our

God.

10:34 And we, the priests and the Levites and the people, made

selection, by the decision of the Lord, of those who were to

take the wood offering into the house of God, by families at

the regular times, year by year, to be burned on the altar of

the Lord our God, as it is recorded in the law;

10:35 And to take the first-fruits of our land, and the

first-fruits of every sort of tree, year by year, into the

house of the Lord;

10:36 As well as the first of our sons and of our cattle, as it

is recorded in the law, and the first lambs of our herds and of

our flocks, which are to be taken to the house of our God, to

the priests who are servants in the house of our God:

10:37 And that we would take the first of our rough meal, and

our lifted offerings, and the fruit of every sort of tree, and

wine and oil, to the priests, to the rooms of the house of our

God; and the tenth of the produce of our land to the Levites;

for they, the Levites, take a tenth in all the towns of our

ploughed land.

10:38 And the priest, the son of Aaron, is to be with the

Levites, when the Levites take the tenths: and the Levites are

to take a tenth of the tenths into the house of our God, to the

rooms, into the store-house;

10:39 For the children of Israel and the children of Levi are to

take the lifted offering of the grain and wine and oil into the

rooms where the vessels of the holy place are, together with

the priests and the door-keepers and the makers of music: and

we will not give up caring for the house of our God.

11:1 And the rulers of the people were living in Jerusalem: the

rest of the people made selection, by the decision of chance,

of one out of every ten to be living in Jerusalem, the holy

town; the other nine to go to the other towns.

11:2 And the people gave a blessing to all the men who were

freely offering to take up their places in Jerusalem.

11:3 Now these are the chiefs of the divisions of the country

who were living in Jerusalem: but in the towns of Judah

everyone was living on his heritage in the towns, that is,

Israel, the priests, the Levites, the Nethinim, and the

children of Solomon's servants.

11:4 And in Jerusalem there were living certain of the children

of Judah and of Benjamin. Of the children of Judah: Athaiah,

the son of Uzziah, the son of Zechariah, the son of Amariah,

the son of Shephatiah, the son of Mahalalel, of the children of

Perez;

11:5 And Maaseiah, the son of Baruch, the son of Col-hozeh, the

son of Hazaiah, the son of Adaiah, the son of Joiarib, the son

of Zechariah, the son of the Shilonite.

11:6 All the sons of Perez living in Jerusalem were four hundred

and sixty-eight men of good position.

11:7 And these are the sons of Benjamin: Sallu, the son of

Meshullam, the son of Joed, the son of Pedaiah, the son of

Kolaiah, the son of Maaseiah, the son of Ithiel, the son of

Jeshaiah.

11:8 And after him Gabbai, Sallai, nine hundred and

twenty-eight.

11:9 And Joel, the son of Zichri, was their overseer; and Judah,

the son of Hassenuah, was second over the town.

11:10 Of the priests: Jedaiah, the son of Joiarib, Jachin,

11:11 Seraiah, the son of Hilkiah, the son of Meshullam, the son

of Zadok, the son of Meraioth, the son of Ahitub, the ruler of

the house of God,

11:12 And their brothers who did the work of the house, eight

hundred and twenty-two; and Adaiah, the son of Jeroham, the son

of Pelaliah, the son of Amzi, the son of Zechariah, the son of

Pashhur, the son of Malchijah,

11:13 And his brothers, heads of families, two hundred and

forty-two; and Amashsai, the son of Azarel, the son of Ahzai,

the son of Meshillemoth, the son of Immer,

11:14 And their brothers, men of war, a hundred and

twenty-eight; and their overseer was Zabdiel, the son of

Haggedolim.

11:15 And of the Levites: Shemaiah, the son of Hasshub, the son

of Azrikam, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Bunni,

11:16 And Shabbethai and Jozabad, of the chiefs of the Levites,

who were responsible for the outside business of the house of

God;

11:17 And Mattaniah, the son of Mica, the son of Zabdi, the son

of Asaph, who had to give the first note of the song of praise

in prayer, and Bakbukiah, the second among his brothers, and

Abda, the son of Shammua, the son of Galal, the son of

Jeduthun.

11:18 All the Levites in the holy town were two hundred and

eighty-four.

11:19 In addition the door-keepers, Akkub, Talmon, and their

brothers who kept watch at the doors, were a hundred and

seventy-two.

11:20 And the rest of Israel, of the priests, the Levites, were

in all the towns of Judah, every one in his heritage.

11:21 But the Nethinim were living in the Ophel; and Ziha and

Gishpa were over the Nethinim.

11:22 And the overseer of the Levites at Jerusalem was Uzzi, the

son of Bani, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Mattaniah, the

son of Mica, of the sons of Asaph, the music-makers, who was

over the business of the house of God.

11:23 For there was an order from the king about them and a

regular amount for the music-makers, for their needs day by

day.

11:24 And Pethahiah, the son of Meshezabel, of the sons of

Zerah, the son of Judah, was the king's servant in everything

to do with the people.

11:25 And for the daughter-towns with their fields, some of the

men of Judah were living in Kiriath-arba and its

daughter-towns, and in Dibon and its daughter-towns, and in

Jekabzeel and its daughter-towns,

11:26 And in Jeshua, and in Moladah, and Beth-pelet,

11:27 And in Hazar-shual, and in Beer-sheba and its

daughter-towns,

11:28 And in Ziklag, and in Meconah and its daughter-towns,

11:29 And in En-rimmon, and in Zorah, and in Jarmuth,

11:30 Zanoah, Adullam and their daughter-towns, Lachish and its

fields, Azekah and its daughter-towns. So they were living from

Beer-sheba to the valley of Hinnom.

11:31 And the children of Benjamin were living from Geba, at

Michmash and Aija, and at Beth-el and its daughter-towns,

11:32 At Anathoth, Nob, Ananiah,

11:33 Hazor, Ramah, Gittaim,

11:34 Hadid, Zeboim, Neballat,

11:35 Lod and Ono, the valley of expert workers.

11:36 And of the Levites, certain divisions in Judah were joined

to Benjamin.

12:1 Now these are the priests and the Levites who went up with

Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua: Seraiah,

Jeremiah, Ezra,

12:2 Amariah, Malluch, Hattush,

12:3 Shecaniah, Rehum, Meremoth,

12:4 Iddo, Ginnethoi, Abijah,

12:5 Mijamin, Maadiah, Bilgah,

12:6 Shemaiah, and Joiarib, Jedaiah,

12:7 Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, Jedaiah. These were the chiefs of the

priests and of their brothers in the days of Jeshua.

12:8 And the Levites: Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah,

and Mattaniah, who was over the music-makers, he and his

brothers.

12:9 And Bakbukiah and Unno, their brothers, were opposite them

in their watches.

12:10 And Jeshua was the father of Joiakim, and Joiakim was the

father of Eliashib, and Eliashib was the father of Joiada,

12:11 And Joiada was the father of Jonathan, and Jonathan was

the father of Jaddua.

12:12 And in the days of Joiakim there were priests, heads of

families: of Seraiah, Meraiah; of Jeremiah, Hananiah;

12:13 Of Ezra, Meshullam; of Amariah, Jehohanan;

12:14 Of Malluchi, Jonathan; of Shebaniah, Joseph;

12:15 Of Harim, Adna; of Meraioth, Helkai;

12:16 Of Iddo, Zechariah; of Ginnethon, Meshullam;

12:17 Of Abijah, Zichri; of Miniamin, of Moadiah, Piltai;

12:18 Of Bilgah, Shammua; of Shemaiah, Jehonathan;

12:19 And of Joiarib, Mattenai; of Jedaiah, Uzzi;

12:20 Of Sallai, Kallai; of Amok, Eber;

12:21 Of Hilkiah, Hashabiah; of Jedaiah, Nethanel.

12:22 The Levites in the days of Eliashib, Joiada, and Johanan,

and Jaddua, were listed as heads of families; and the priests,

when Darius the Persian was king.

12:23 The sons of Levi, heads of families, were recorded in the

book of the histories, even till the days of Johanan, the son

of Eliashib.

12:24 And the chiefs of the Levites: Hashabiah, Sherebiah, and

Jeshua, the son of Kadmiel, with their brothers opposite them,

to give blessing and praise as ordered by David, the man of

God, watch against watch.

12:25 Mattaniah, and Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon,

Akkub, were door-keepers keeping the watch at the store-houses

of the doors.

12:26 These were in the days of Joiakim, the son of Jeshua, the

son of Jozadak, and in the days of Nehemiah the ruler and of

Ezra the priest, the scribe.

12:27 And when the time came for the wall of Jerusalem to be

made holy, they sent for the Levites out of all their places to

come to Jerusalem, to keep the feast with joy, and with praise

and melody, with brass and corded instruments of music.

12:28 And the sons of the music-makers came together from the

lowland round about Jerusalem and from the daughter-towns of

the Netophathites,

12:29 And from Beth-gilgal and from the fields of Geba and

Azmaveth: for the music-makers had made daughter-towns for

themselves round about Jerusalem.

12:30 And the priests and the Levites made themselves clean; and

they made the people clean, and the doorways and the wall.

12:31 Then I made the rulers of Judah come up on the wall, and I

put in position two great bands of them who gave praise,

walking in ordered lines; one went to the right on the wall, in

the direction of the doorway where the waste was put;

12:32 And after them went Hoshaiah and half of the rulers of

Judah,

12:33 And Azariah, Ezra, and Meshullam,

12:34 Judah and Benjamin and Shemaiah and Jeremiah,

12:35 And certain of the priests' sons with wind instruments;

Zechariah, the son of Jonathan, the son of Shemaiah, the son of

Mattaniah, the son of Micaiah, the son of Zaccur, the son of

Asaph,

12:36 And his brothers, Shemaiah, and Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai,

Maai, Nethanel and Judah, Hanani, with the music-instruments of

David, the man of God; and Ezra the scribe was at their head;

12:37 And by the doorway of the fountain and straight in front

of them, they went up by the steps of the town of David, at the

slope up of the wall, over the house of David, as far as the

water-doorway to the east.

12:38 And the other band of those who gave praise went to the

left, and I went after them with half the people, on the wall,

over the tower of the ovens, as far as the wide wall;

12:39 And over the doorway of Ephraim and by the old door and

the fish door and the tower of Hananel and the tower of

Hammeah, as far as the sheep door: and at the doorway of the

watchmen they came to a stop.

12:40 So the two bands of those who gave praise took up their

positions in the house of God, and I and half of the chiefs

with me:

12:41 And the priests; Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah,

Elioenai, Zechariah, and Hananiah, with wind instruments;

12:42 And Maaseiah and Shemaiah and Eleazar and Uzzi and

Jehohanan and Malchijah and Elam and Ezer. And the makers of

melody made their voices loud, with Jezrahiah their overseer.

12:43 And on that day they made great offerings and were glad;

for God had made them glad with great joy; and the women and

the children were glad with them: so that the joy of Jerusalem

came to the ears of those who were far off.

12:44 And on that day certain men were put over the rooms where

the things which had been given were stored, for the lifted

offerings and the first-fruits and the tenths, and to take into

them the amounts, from the fields of every town, fixed by the

law for the priests and the Levites: for Judah was glad on

account of the priests and the Levites who were in their

places.

12:45 And they kept the watch of their God, and were responsible

for making things clean, and so did the music-makers and the

door-keepers, as it was ordered by David and Solomon his son.

12:46 For in the days of David and Asaph in the past, there was

a master of the music, and songs of blessing and praise to God.

12:47 And all Israel in the days of Zerubbabel and in the days

of Nehemiah gave what was needed by the music-makers and the

door-keepers day by day: and they made the offerings holy for

the Levites; and the Levites did the same for the sons of

Aaron.

13:1 On that day there was a reading from the book of Moses in

the hearing of the people; and they saw that it said in the

book that no Ammonite or Moabite might ever come into the

meeting of God;

13:2 Because they did not give the children of Israel bread and

water when they came to them, but got Balaam to put a curse on

them: though the curse was turned into a blessing by our God.

13:3 So after hearing the law, they took out of Israel all the

mixed people.

13:4 Now before this, Eliashib the priest, who had been placed

over the rooms of the house of our God, being a friend of

Tobiah,

13:5 Had made ready for him a great room, where at one time they

kept the meal offerings, the perfume, and the vessels and the

tenths of the grain and wine and oil which were given by order

to the Levites and the music-makers and the door-keepers, and

the lifted offerings for the priests.

13:6 But all this time I was not at Jerusalem: for in the

thirty-second year of Artaxerxes, king of Babylon, I went to

the king; and after some days, I got the king to let me go,

13:7 And I came to Jerusalem; and it was clear to me what evil

Eliashib had done for Tobiah, in making ready for him a room in

the buildings of the house of God.

13:8 And it was evil in my eyes: so I had all Tobiah's things

put out of the room.

13:9 Then I gave orders, and they made the rooms clean: and I

put back in them the vessels of the house of God, with the meal

offerings and the perfume.

13:10 And I saw that the Levites had not been given what was

needed for their support; so that the Levites and the

music-makers, who did the work, had gone away, everyone to his

field.

13:11 Then I made protests to the chiefs, and said, Why has the

house of God been given up? And I got them together and put

them in their places.

13:12 Then all Judah came with the tenth part of the grain and

wine and oil and put it into the store-houses.

13:13 And I made controllers over the store-houses, Shelemiah

the priest and Zadok the scribe, and of the Levites, Pedaiah:

and with them was Hanan, the son of Zaccur the son of

Mattaniah: they were taken to be true men and their business

was the distribution of these things to their brothers.

13:14 Keep me in mind, O my God, in connection with this, and do

not let the good which I have done for the house of my God and

its worship go from your memory completely.

13:15 In those days, I saw in Judah some who were crushing

grapes on the Sabbath, and getting in grain and putting it on

asses; as well as wine and grapes and figs and all sorts of

goods which they took into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day: and I

gave witness against them on the day when they were marketing

food.

13:16 And there were men of Tyre there, who came with fish and

all sorts of goods, trading with the children of Judah and in

Jerusalem on the Sabbath.

13:17 Then I made protests to the chiefs of Judah, and said to

them, What is this evil which you are doing, not keeping the

Sabbath day holy?

13:18 Did not your fathers do the same, and did not our God send

all this evil on us and on this town? but you are causing more

wrath to come on Israel by not keeping the Sabbath holy.

13:19 And so, when the streets of Jerusalem were getting dark

before the Sabbath, I gave orders for the doors to be shut and

not to be open again till after the Sabbath: and I put some of

my servants by the door so that nothing might be taken in on

the Sabbath day.

13:20 So the traders in all sorts of goods took their night's

rest outside Jerusalem once or twice.

13:21 Then I gave witness against them and said, Why are you

waiting all night by the wall? if you do so again I will have

you taken prisoners. From that time they did not come again on

the Sabbath.

13:22 And I gave the Levites orders to make themselves clean and

come and keep the doors and make the Sabbath holy. Keep this in

mind to my credit, O my God, and have mercy on me, for great is

your mercy.

13:23 And in those days I saw the Jews who were married to women

of Ashdod and Ammon and Moab:

13:24 And their children were talking half in the language of

Ashdod; they had no knowledge of the Jews' language, but made

use of the language of the two peoples.

13:25 And I took up the cause against them, cursing them and

giving blows to some of them and pulling out their hair; and I

made them take an oath by God, saying, You are not to give your

daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons

or for yourselves.

13:26 Was it not in these things that Solomon, king of Israel,

did wrong? among a number of nations there was no king like

him, and he was dear to his God, and God made him king over all

Israel: but even he was made to do evil by strange women.

13:27 Are we then without protest to let you do all this great

evil, sinning against our God by taking strange women for your

wives?

13:28 And one of the sons of Joiada, the son of Eliashib, the

chief priest, was son-in-law to Sanballat the Horonite: so I

sent him away from me.

13:29 Keep them in mind, O my God, because they have put shame

on the priests' name and on the agreement of the priests and

the Levites.

13:30 So I made them clean from all strange people, and had

regular watches fixed for the priests and for the Levites,

everyone in his work;

13:31 And for the wood offering, at fixed times, and for the

first fruits. Keep me in mind, O my God, for good.