The names of them which Asahel, and Jahaziah the son of Tikvali 8 were employed about this matter and Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite helped them. NEHEMIAH, I. B. C. 457. 16 And the children of the cap-8 stood. tivity did so. And Ezra the priest, with certain chief of the fathers, after the house of their fathers, and all of them by their names, were separated, and sat down in the first day of the tenth month to examine / the matter, 17 And they made an end with all the men that had taken strange wives by the first day of the first month. 18 ¶ And among the sons of the m priests there were found that had taken strange wives: namely, of the sons of Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and his brethren; Maaseiah, and Eliezer, and Jarib, and Gedaliah. / De. 13. 14. m Je.23.11. had married strange wives. Malchiah, and Miamin, and Elea zar, and Malchijah, and Benaiah. 26 And of the sons of Elam: Mattaniah, Zechariah, and Jehiel, and Abdi, and Jeremoth, and Elah. 27 And of the sons of Zattu; Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, and Jeremoth, and Zabad, and Aziza. 28 Of the sons also of Bebai; Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Athlai. 29 And of the sons of Bani: Meshullam, Malluch, and Adaiah, Jashub, and Sheal, and Ramoth. 30 And of the sons of Pahathmoab; Adna and Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezaleel, and n 2Ki. 10. 15. Binnui, and Manasseh. 1Ch.29.24. 2Ch.30.8. La.5.6. 19 And they gave n their hands o Le.5. 15, 16. that they would put away their 6.4,6. wives; and being guilty, they offered o a ram of the flock for their trespass. 20 And of the sons of Immer; Hanani and Zebadiah. 21 And of the sons of Harim; Maasciah, and Elijah, and Shemaiah, and Jehiel, and Uzziah. p Ne.7.41. 22 And of the sons of Pashur; p Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Ne-9 or, Matnathaneel, Jozabad, and Elasah. 23 Also of the Levites; Jozabad, and Shimei, and Kelaiah, (the same is Kelita,) Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer. debai, ac- some copies. 24 of the singers also; Eliashib : and of the porters; Shallum, and 9 Pr.5.20. Telem, and Uri. 25 Moreover of Israel: of the sons of Parosh; Ramiah, and Jeziah, and 31 And of the sons of Harim; Eliezer, Ishijah, Malchiah, Shemaiali, Shimeon. 32 Benjamin, Malluch, and Shemariah. 33 Of the sons of Hashum; Mat- 35 Benaiah, Bedeiah, Chelluh, The Book of NEHEMIAH. From the foundation of the Temple, 565....From the division of Israel and Judah. 529.... From the captivity of Israel, 276....From the destruction of the Temple, 143. HE words of Nehemiah a the La. 1.7. son of Hachaliah. And it came Ps. 137.1-3. remnant that are left of the capto pass in the month Chisleu, in the twentieth year, as I was in Shushan the palace, 2 That Hanani, one of my bre-c thren, came, he and certain men of Judah; and I asked them concern 3.61. 5.1. 2Ki.25.10. Is.64.10.11. tivity there in the province are b in great affliction and reproach: the wall of Jerusalem also is broken c down, and the gates thereof are burned with fire. 4 T And it came to pass, when I 5 And said, I beseech thee, d Oe Ex.20.6. LORD God of heaven, the great and fIKI.8.28,29. terrible God, that keepethe cove2Ch.6.40. nant and mercy for them that love him and observe his command-g Ps.34. 15. ments: h Ps.32.5. 1Juo. 1.9. 6 Let f thine ear now be attentive, and thine eyes open, g that thou mayest hear the prayer of thy ser-i Ps. 106.6. vant, which I pray before thee now, k De.28.15. day and night, for the children of Israel thy servants, and confess h1 Le.26.33, &c the sins of the children of Israel, De.4.25,&c. which we have sinned against thee: 28.64. both I and my father's house have m De.30.4. sinned. 7 We i have dealt very corruptly against thee, and have not keptk the commandments, nor the statutes,nor the judgments,which thou commandedst thy servant Moses. n Ps. 147.2. Da.9.15,&c. 8 Remember, I beseech thee, the word that thou commandedst thy scrvant Moses, saying, If ye trans-p Ps.86.6. gress, I will scatter you abroad q Is.26.8. among the nations : He.13.18. r ch.2.1. (CHAP. 2.) a Ezr.7.1. 9 But if ye turn unto me, and keep my commandments, and do them; though there m were of you cast out unto the uttermost part of the heaven, yet will I gathern them from thence, and will bring them b ch.1.11. unto the place that I have chosen c Pr. 15. 13. to set my name there. 10 Now these o are thy servants and thy people, whom thou hast redeemed by thy great power, and by thy strong hand. d 1Ki. 1.31. f2Ch.21.20. 28.27. 32.33. 110 LORD, I beseech thee, let now 1Ch.1.3. thine ear he attentive p to the prayer of thy servant, and to the prayer of thy servants, who desire q to fear thy name: and prosper, pray thee, thy servant this day, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man. Forr I was the king's cupbearer. CHAPTER II. Artaxerxes sendeth Nehemiah to Je rusalem. & Pr.3.6. Phi.4.6. 1 wife. h ch.5.14. i ch.3.7. AND it came to pass in the month ver. 16. Nisan, in the twentieth year Ezr.5.5. of a Artaxerxes the king, that wine 1 Ps. 112. 10. 122.6. q ch.3.15. 2 Wherefore the king said unto ine, Why is thy countenance sad, o 2Ch.26.9. seeing thou art not sick? this is no-p ch.1.3. thing else but sorrow c of heart. Then I was very sore afraid, 3 And said unto the king, Let d the king live for ever: why should not my countenance be sad, when the 2Sa. 15.23. 6 And the king said unto me, (the how long shall thy journey be? queen also sitting by him,) For and when wilt thou return? So it pleased the king to send me; and I set him a time.h 7 Moreover I said unto the king, If it please the king, let letters be given me to the governors beyond the river, that they may convey me over till I come into Judah; 8 And a letter unto Asaph the keeper of the king's forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the palace which appertained to the house, and for the wall of the city, and for the house i that I shall enter into. Anā the good hand of my God upon me. the king granted me, according k to 9 Then I came to the governors beyond the river, and gave them the king's letters. (Now the king had sent captains of the army and horsemen with me.) 10 When Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, heard of it, it grieved l them exceedingly that there was come a man to seek the welfare of the children of Israel. 11 Som I came to Jerusalem, and was there three days. 12 T And I arose in the night, I and some few men with me; neither told I any man what my Godn had put in my heart to do at Jerusalem: neither was there any beast with me, save the beast that I rode upon. 13 And I went out by night by the gate o of the valley, even before the dragon-well, and to the dung-port, and viewed the walls of Jerusalem, which were p broken down, and the gates thereof were consumed with fire. 14 Then I went on to the gate of the fountain, g and to the king's pool: but there was no place for the beast that was under nie to pass. 15 Then went I up in the night by the brook, and viewed the wall, and turned back, and entered by the gate of the valley, and so re turned. 'The names of them NEHEMIAH, III. 16 And the rulers knew not B. C. 445. whither I went, nor what I did; neither had I as yet told it to the La.2.2,8,9. Jews, nor to the priests, nor to the 17 Then said I unto them, Ye see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lieth waste,s 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.t Ps.44.13. 79.4,12. Je.24.9. Eze.5.14, 15. 22.4. u ver.8. v 25a.2.7. 18 Then I told them of the hand u of my God, which was good upon me; as also the king's words that he had spoken unto me. And they w Ps.80.6. said, Let us rise up and build. they strengthened v their hands for x ch.6.6. this good work. So 19 But when Sanballat the Ho-y Ps. 102. 13, ronite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Ara 14. Ec.7.18. bian, heard it, they laughed w ustoz Ezr.4.3. scorn, and despised us, and said, What is this thing that ye do? willa Is.56.5. ye rebel against the king? (CHAP. 3.) a ch. 12. 10. 20 Then answered I them, and said unto them, The God of heaven, hey will prosper us: therefore we his servants will arise and build: but ye z have no portion, nor right, c ch.12.39. nor memorial, in Jerusalem.a CHAPTER III. The names anul order of them that builded the wall. HEN Eliashib a the high priest priests, and they builded the b sheep-gate; they sanctified it, and set up the doors of it; even unto the tower of Meah c they sanctified it, unto the tower d of Hananeel. that builded the wall. Melatiah the Gibeonite, and Jadon the Meronothite, the men of Gibeon, and of Mizpah, unto the throne i of the governor on this side the river. 8 Next unto him repaired Uzziel the son of Harhaiah, of the goldsmiths. Next unto him also repaired Hananiah the son of one of the apothecaries, and they 2 fortified Jerusalem unto the broad wall.k 9 And next unto them repaired Rephaiah, the son of Hur, the ruler of the half part of Jerusalem. 10 And next unto them repaired Jedaiah, the son of Harumaph, even over against his house. And next unto him repaired Hattush, the son of Hashabniah. 11 Malchijah the son of Harim, and Hashub the son of Pahathmoab, repaired the 3 other piece, and the tower of the furnaces. 12 And next unto him repaired Shallum the son of Halohesh, the ruler of the half part of Jerusalem, he and his daughters. 13 The valley-gate / repaired Hanun, and the inhabitants of Zanoah; they built it, and set up the doors thereof, the locks thereof, and the bars thereof, and a thousand cubits on the wall unto the dung-gate. m 14 But the dung-gate repaired Malchiah the son of Rechab, the 1 at his hand. ruler of part of Beth-haccerem: he built it, and set up the doors thereof, the locks thereof, and the bars thereof. d Je.31.38. Zec. 14.10. e Ezr.2.34. ƒ 2Ch.33.14, g Je.5.4,5. h Ju.5.23. 2 And 1 next unto him builded the men of Jericho. e And next to them builded Zaccur the son of Imri. 3 But thef fish-gate did the sons of Hassenaah build, who also laid the beams thereof, and set up the i ch.2.8. doors thereof, the locks thereof, and the bars thereof. 2 or, left. measure. 4 And next unto them repaired k ch. 12.38. Meremoth, the son of Urijah, the son of Koz. And next unto them 3 second repaired Meshullam the son of Berechiah, the son of Meshezabeel. 7 ch.2.13. And next unto them repaired Zadok the son of Baana. m ch.2.13. ་ 15 But the gate of the fountain a repaired Shallum the son of Colhozeh, the ruler of part of Mizpah; he built it, and covered it, and set up the doors thereof, the locks thereof, and the bars thereof, and the wall of the pool of Siloah o by the king's garden, and unto the stairs that go down from the city of David. 16 After him repaired Nehemiah the son of Azbuk, the ruler of the half part of Beth-zur, unto the place aver against the sepulchres of David, and to the poolp that was made, and unto the house of the mighty. 17 And after him repaired the Levites, Rehum the son of Bani. Next unto him repaired Hashabiah, the ruler of the half part of Keilah, in his part. 18 After him repaired their bre2K1.20.20.thren, Bavai the son of Henadad, the ruler of the half part of Keilah.g 19 And next to him repaired Ezer the son of Jeshua, the ruler of Mizpah, another piece over against the going up to the armoury at the turning r of the wall. 6 Moreover the old gate repaired Jehoiada the son of Paseah, and Meshullam the son of Besodeiah; they laid the beams thereof, and q 1Sa.23.1,&c set up the doors thereof, and the locks thereof, and the bars thereof.r 2Ch.26.9. : 7 And next unto them repaired U 2 465 30 Those who built the wall. NEHEMIAH, IV. 20 After him Baruch the son of 4 Zabbai, earnestly repaired the other piece, from the turning of the wall unto the door of the house of Eliashib the high priest. 21 After him repaired Meremoth, the son of Urijah, the son of Koz. another piece, from the door of the house of Eliashib, even to the end of the house of Eliashib. 22 And after him repaired the priests, the men of the plain.s 23 After him repaired Benjamin and Hashub over against their house. After him repaired Azariah the son of Maaseiah, the son of Ananiah by his house. 24 After him repaired Binnui the son of Henadad another piece, from the house of Azariah unto the turning t of the wall, even unto the corner. B. C. 445. or, Zaccai. ch.12.28. t ver.19. u Je.32.2. 37.21. v Ez.2.43,&c. or, which Ophel, re- unto. or, the w 2Ch.27.3. y 2Ki. 11. 16. z ver.26. 7 or, corner 25 Palal, the son of Uzai, over against the turning of the wall, and the tower which lieth out from the king's high house, that was by the court u of the prison. After him Pedaiah, the son of Parosh. a ch.2.10,19. 26 Moreover the v Nethinimsb Ac.5.17. ❝ dwelt in 6 Ophel, w unto the place c He.11.36. over against the water-gate z to ward the east, and the tower that lieth out. 27 After them, the Tekoites repaired another piece, over against the great tower that lieth out, even unto the wall of Ophel. 23 From above the horsey gate repaired the priests, every one over against his house. d Zee. 12.8. 1 leave to themselves. e 2Ki.18.23. Je. 18.23. 29 After them repaired Zadok the son of Immer over against his house. After him repaired also Shemaiah the son of Shecaniah, i 2Ch.29.36. the keeper of the east gate. Ps.110.3. 30 After him repaired Hananiah 3 ascended. the son of Shelemiah, and Hanunk Ps.83.3-5. the sixth son of Zalaph, another 4 make an piece. After him repaired Meshullam the son of Berechiah over against his chamber. 31 After him repaired Malchiah the goldsmith's son unto the place of the Nethinims, z and of the merchants, over against the gate Miphkad, and to the going up of the 7 corner. 32 And between the going up of the corner unto the sheep-gate a repaired the goldsmiths and the merchants. CHAPTER IV. While the enemies scoff, Nehemiah BUT prayeth. error to it, Je.20.10. Da.6.4,5. Ps.50.15. 55. 16-22. m Lu.21.36. Ac.4.24-29. n 2Sa. 17.2. A.c.23. 12, 21. or, That from all places ye must re turn to us. from the lower parts of UT it came pass, that a when Sanballat heard that we buildthe place. ed the wall, he was wroth, and o De. 1.29,30. took great b indignation, and c mocked the Jews. Mat.10.28. Nehemiah setteth a watch. 2 And he spake before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, What do these d feeble Jews? will they 1 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? 3 Now Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, Even e that which they build, if a fox go up, he shall even break down their stone wall. 4 Hear, ƒ O our God; for we are 2 despised and turng their reproach upon their own head, and give them for a prey in the land of captivity: 5 Andh 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. 6 So built we the wall; and all the wall was joined together unto the half thereof: for the people had a mind to work. 7 T But it came to pass, that when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites, heard that the walls of Jerusalem were 3 made up, and that the breaches began to be stopped, then they were very wroth, 8 And conspired k all of them together to come and to fight against Jerusalem, and to 4 hinder it. 9 Nevertheless we made our / prayer unto our God, and set a watch m against them day and night, because of them. 10 And Judah said, The strength of the bearers of burdens is decayed, and there is much rubbish; so that we are not able to build the wall. 11 And our adversaries said, n They shall not know, neither see, till we come in the midst_among them, and slay them, and cause the work to cease. 12 And it came to pass, that when the Jews which dwelt by them came, they said unto us ten times, 5 From all places whence ye shall return unto us they will be upon you. 13 T Therefore set 1 in the lower places behind the wall, and on the higher places, I even set the people after their families with their swords, their spears, and their bows. 14 And I looked, and rose up, and said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, Beo not ye afraid of them: He armeth the labourers. NEHEMIAH, V. remember the LORD, which is B. C. 445. great p and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons, und your p De. 10.17. daughters, your wives, and your houses. 15 And it came to pass, when our enemies heard that it was known unto us, and God had brought their counsel to nought,r that we returned all of us to the wall, every one unto his work. 16 And it came to pass from that time forth, that the half of my servants wrought in the work, and the other half of them held both the spears, the shields, and the bows, and the habergeons; and the rulers were behind all the house of Judah. 17 They which builded on the wall, and they that bare burdens, with those that laded, every one with one of his hands wrought in the work, and with the other hand held a weapon.s 18 For the builders, every one had his sword girded 7 by his side, and so builded. And he that sounded! the trumpet was by me. Ps.66.3.5. 9 2Sa. 10.12. Job 5.12. Ps.33.10. La.3.37,38. 1C9.16.13. Phi. 1.28. 1 on his loins, t Ex. 14. 14, 25. De.1.30. Zec. 14.3. u 1Co.15.10. or, every He rebuketh the usurers. | 4 There were also that said, We have borrowed money for the king's tribute, and that upon our lands and vineyards. 5 Yet now our fleshe 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 d are brought unto bondage already: neither is it in our power to redeem them; for other men have our lands and vineyards. 6 ¶ And I was very angry when I heard their cry and these words. 7 Then I consulted with myself, and I rebuked the nobles and the rulers, and said unto them, Ye exact usury,e every one of his brother. And I set a great assembly against them. 8 And I said unto them, We after our ability have redeemed ƒ our brethren the Jews, which were sold unto the heathen; and will you even sell your brethren? or (CHAP. 5.) shall they be sold unto us? Then held they their peace, and found nothing to answer. De. 15.7. 19 T And I said unto the nobles, a Is.5.7. and to the rulers, and to the rest b Le.25.35-39. of the people. The work is great and large, and we are separated upon the wall, one far from another. 20 In what place therefore ye hear the sound of the trumpet, resort |c Is.58.7. ye thither unto us; our Ĝod ₺ shall d Ex.21.7. fight for us. 21 So we laboured in the work: 1 my heart and half of them held the spears consulted from the rising of the morning till the stars appeared. in me, e Ex.22.25. Ps. 15. 1,5. 22 Likewise at the same time said I unto the people, Let every one with his servant lodge within Jerusalem, that in the night they may be a guard to us, and labour f Le.25.48. on the day. 23 So neither I, u nor my brethren, nor my servants, nor the men of the guard which followed me, none of us put off our clothes, & saving that every one put them off for washing. CHAPTER V. The Jews complain of their debt and bondage. ver. 15. Ro.2.24. i 2Ki.23.2,3. Ezr.10.5. k Mat. 10. 14. ND there was a great cry a of the people and of their wives against their brethren the Jews. 2 For there were that said, We, our sons, and our daughters, are many therefore we take up corn 1 De.27.15,&c, for them, that we may eat, and live. void. 3 Some also there were that said, m 2Ki.23.3. We have mortgaged b our lands,|n ch.13.6. vineyards, and houses, that we o 1Co.9.4,15. might buy corn, because of the dearth. 9 Also I said, It is not good that ye do: ought ye not to walk in the fearg of our God because of the reproach h of the heathen our enemies? 10 I likewise, and my brethren, and my servants, might exact of them money and corn: I pray you, let us leave off this usury. 11 Restore, I pray you, to them, even this day, their lands, their vineyards, their 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. 12 Then said they, We will restore them, and will require nothing of them; so will we do as thou sayest. Then I called the priests, and i took an oath of them, that they should do according to this promise. 13 Also I shook k my lap, and said, So God shake out every man from his house, and from his labour, that performeth not this promise, ever thus be he shaken out, and 2 emptied. And all the congregation said, Amen, and praised the LORD. And m the people did according to this promise. 14 ¶ Moreover from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year even unto the two and thirtieth n year of Artaxerxes the king, that is, twelve years, I and my brethren have not o eaten the bread of the governor. |