Nehemiah:1-3

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* The words of Nehemiah the son of Hachaliah . And it came to pass in the month Chisleu , 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 commandedst thy servant Moses . * Remember , I beseech thee , the word that thou commandedst 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 cupbearer . * 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 beforetime 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 fathers ' 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 wouldest send me unto Judah , unto the city of my fathers ' 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 arose in the night , I and some few men with me ; neither told I any man what my God had put in my heart to do at 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 whither I went , or what I did ; neither had I as yet told it to the Jews , nor to the priests , nor to the nobles , nor to the rulers , nor to the rest that did the work . * 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 right , nor memorial , in Jerusalem . * 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 Meah they sanctified it , unto the tower of Hananeel . * And next unto him builded the men of Jericho . And next to them builded Zaccur the son of Imri . * But the fish gate did the sons of Hassenaah 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 Meremoth the son of Urijah , the son of Koz . And next unto them repaired Meshullam the son of Berechiah , the son of Meshezabeel . And next unto them repaired Zadok the son of Baana . * And next unto them the Tekoites repaired ; but their nobles put not their necks to the work of their Lord . * Moreover the old gate repaired Jehoiada the son of Paseah , and Meshullam the son of Besodeiah ; they laid the beams thereof , and set up the doors thereof , and the locks thereof , and the bars thereof . * And next unto them repaired Melatiah the Gibeonite , and Jadon the Meronothite , the men of Gibeon , and of Mizpah , unto the throne of the governor on this side the river . * Next unto him repaired Uzziel the son of Harhaiah , of the goldsmiths . Next unto him also repaired Hananiah the son of one of the apothecaries , and they fortified Jerusalem unto the broad wall . * And next unto them repaired Rephaiah the son of Hur , the ruler of the half part of Jerusalem . * 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 . * Malchijah the son of Harim , and Hashub the son of Pahathmoab , repaired the other piece , and the tower of the furnaces . * And next unto him repaired Shallum the son of Halohesh , the ruler of the half part of Jerusalem , he and his daughters . * 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 . * But the dung gate repaired Malchiah the son of Rechab , the ruler of part of Bethhaccerem ; he built it , and set up the doors thereof , the locks thereof , and the bars thereof . * But the gate of the fountain repaired Shallun the son of Colhozeh , the ruler of part of Mizpah ; he built it , and covered it , and set up the doors thereof , the locks thereof , and the bars thereof , and the wall of the pool of Siloah by the king 's garden , and unto the stairs that go down from the city of David . * After him repaired Nehemiah the son of Azbuk , the ruler of the half part of Bethzur , 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 Bani . Next unto him repaired Hashabiah , the ruler of the half part of Keilah , in his part . * After him repaired their brethren , Bavai the son of Henadad , the ruler of the half part of Keilah . * 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 of the wall . * After him Baruch the son of Zabbai 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 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 . * 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 Maaseiah the son of Ananiah by his house . * After him repaired Binnui the son of Henadad another piece , from the house of Azariah unto the turning of the wall , even unto the corner . * Palal the son of Uzai , over against the turning of the wall , and the tower which lieth out from the king 's high house , that was by the court of the prison . After him Pedaiah the son of Parosh . * Moreover the Nethinims 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 unto 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 Immer 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 Hanun the sixth son of Zalaph , another piece . After him repaired Meshullam the son of Berechiah over against his chamber . * After him repaired Malchiah the goldsmith 's son unto the place of the Nethinims , and of the merchants , over against the gate Miphkad , and to the going up of the corner . * And between the going up of the corner unto the sheep gate repaired the goldsmiths and the merchants . * But it came to pass , that when Sanballat heard that we builded the wall , he was wroth , and took great indignation , and mocked the Jews .

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