Nehemiah:4-7
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*
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 .
*
And he spake before his brethren and the army of Samaria ,
and said ,
What do these feeble Jews ?
will they fortify themselves ?
will they sacrifice ?
will they make an end in a day ?
will they revive the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish which are burned ?
*
Now Tobiah the Ammonite was by him ,
and he said ,
Even that which they build ,
if a fox go up ,
he shall even break down their stone wall .
*
Hear ,
O our God ;
for we are despised :
and turn their reproach upon their own head ro #
sh #,
and give them for a prey in the land of captivity :
*
And cover not their iniquity ,
and let not their sin be blotted out from before thee :
for they have provoked thee to anger before the builders .
*
So built we the wall ;
and all the wall was joined together unto the half thereof :
for the people had a mind to work .
*
But it came to pass ,
that when Sanballat ,
and Tobiah ,
and the Arabians ,
and the Ammonites ,
and the Ashdodites ,
heard that the walls of Jerusalem were made up #
H5927 ,
and that the breaches began to be stopped ,
then they were very wroth ,
*
And conspired all of them together to come and to fight against Jerusalem ,
and to hinder #
it .
*
Nevertheless we made our prayer unto our God ,
and set a watch against them day and night ,
because of them .
*
And Judah said ,
The strength of the bearers of burdens is decayed ,
and there is much rubbish ;
so that we are not able to build the wall .
*
And our adversaries said ,
They shall not know ,
neither see ,
till we come in the midst among them ,
and slay them ,
and cause the work to cease .
*
And it came to pass ,
that when the Jews which dwelt by them came ,
they said unto us ten times pa #
am #,
From all places whence ye shall return unto us they will be upon you .
*
Therefore set I in the lower places behind the wall ,
and on the higher places ts @,
I even set the people after their families with their swords ,
their spears ,
and their bows .
*
And I looked ,
and rose up ,
and said unto the nobles ,
and to the rulers ,
and to the rest of the people ,
Be not ye afraid of them :
remember the Lord ,
which is great and terrible ,
and fight for your brethren ,
your sons ,
and your daughters ,
your wives ,
and your houses .
*
And it came to pass ,
when our enemies heard that it was known unto us ,
and God had brought #
their counsel to nought ,
that we returned all of us to the wall ,
every one unto his work m @
la #
kah #.
*
And it came to pass from that time forth ,
that the half of my servants wrought in the work m @
la #
kah #,
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 .
*
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 m @
la #
kah #,
and with the other hand held a weapon .
*
For the builders ,
every one had his sword girded by his side ,
and so builded .
And he that sounded the trumpet was by me .
*
And I said unto the nobles ,
and to the rulers ,
and to the rest of the people ,
The work is great and large ,
and we are separated upon the wall ,
one far from another .
*
In what place therefore ye hear the sound of the trumpet ,
resort ye thither unto us :
our God shall fight for us .
*
So we laboured in the work m @
la #
kah #:
and half of them held the spears from the rising of the morning till the stars appeared .
*
Likewise at the same time said I unto the people ,
Let every one with his servant lodge within Jerusalem ,
that in the night they may be a guard to us ,
and labour on the day .
*
So neither I ,
nor my brethren ,
nor my servants na #
ar #,
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 .
*
And there was a great cry of the people and of their wives against their brethren the Jews .
*
For there were that said ,
We ,
our sons ,
and our daughters ,
are many :
therefore we take up corn for them ,
that we may eat ,
and live .
*
Some also there were that said ,
We have mortgaged our lands ,
vineyards ,
and houses ,
that we might buy corn ,
because of the dearth ra #
ab #.
*
There were also that said ,
We have borrowed money for the kings tribute ,
and that upon our lands and vineyards .
*
Yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren ,
our children as their children :
and ,
lo ,
we bring into bondage our sons and our daughters to be servants ,
and some of our daughters are brought unto bondage already :
neither is it in our power #
H3027to redeem them ;
for other men have our lands and vineyards .
*
And I was very angry when I heard their cry and these words .
*
Then I consulted with myself ,
and I rebuked the nobles ,
and the rulers ,
and said unto them ,
Ye exact (
8678 ) (
8675 )
usury ,
every one of his brother .
And I set a great assembly against them .
*
And I said unto them ,
We after our ability have redeemed our brethren the Jews ,
which were sold unto the heathen ;
and will ye even sell your brethren ?
or shall they be sold unto us ?
Then held they their peace ,
and found nothing to answer .
*
Also I said ,
It is not good that ye do :
ought ye not to walk in the fear of our God because of the reproach of the heathen our enemies ?
*
I likewise ,
and my brethren ,
and my servants na #
ar #,
might exact of them money and corn :
I pray you ,
let us leave off this usury .
*
Restore ,
I pray you ,
to them ,
even this day ,
their lands ,
their vineyards ,
their oliveyards ,
and their houses ,
also the hundredth part of the money ,
and of the corn ,
the wine ,
and the oil ,
that ye exact of them .
*
Then said they ,
We will restore them ,
and will require nothing of them ;
so will we do as thou sayest .
Then I called the priests ,
and took an oath of them ,
that they should do according to this promise .
*
Also I shook my lap ,
and said ,
So God shake out every man from his house ,
and from his labour ,
that performeth not this promise ,
even thus be he shaken out ,
and emptied .
And all the congregation said ,
Amen ,
and praised the LORD .
And the people did according to this promise .
*
Moreover from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah ,
from the twentieth year even unto the two and thirtieth year of Artaxerxes the king ,
that is ,
twelve sh @
nayim #
years ,
I and my brethren have not eaten the bread of the governor .
*
But the former governors that had been before me were chargeable unto the people ,
and had taken of them bread and wine ,
beside forty #
arba #
iym #
shekels of silver ;
yea ,
even their servants bare rule over the people :
but so did not I ,
because of the fear of God .
*
Yea ,
also I continued in the work of this wall ,
neither bought we any land :
and all my servants were gathered thither unto the work m @
la #
kah #.
*
Moreover there were at my table an hundred and fifty chamishshiym #
of the Jews and rulers ,
beside those that came unto us from among the heathen that are about us .
*
Now that which was prepared for me daily was one ox and six choice sheep tso #
n #;
also fowls were prepared for me ,
and once in ten days store of all sorts of wine :
yet for all this required not I the bread of the governor ,
because the bondage was heavy upon this people .
*
Think upon me ,
my God ,
for good ,
according to all that I have done for this people .
*
Now it came to pass ,
when Sanballat ,
and Tobiah ,
and Geshem the Arabian ,
and the rest of our enemies ,
heard that I had builded the wall ,
and that there was no breach left therein ; (
though gam #
at that time I had not set up the doors upon the gates sha #
ar #; )
*
That Sanballat and Geshem sent unto me ,
saying ,
Come ,
let us meet together in some one of the villages in the plain of Ono .
But they thought to do me mischief .
*
And I sent messengers unto them ,
saying ,
I am doing a great work m @
la #
kah #,
so that I cannot come down :
why should the work cease ,
whilst I leave it ,
and come down to you ?
*
Yet they sent unto me four times after this sort ;
and I answered them after the same manner .
*
Then sent Sanballat his servant unto me in like manner the fifth time with an open letter in his hand ;
*
Wherein was written ,
It is reported among the heathen ,
and Gashmu saith it ,
that thou and the Jews think to rebel :
for which cause thou buildest the wall ,
that thou mayest be their king ,
according to these words .
*
And thou hast also appointed prophets to preach of thee at Jerusalem ,
saying ,
There is a king in Judah :
and now shall it be reported to the king according to these words .
Come now therefore ,
and let us take counsel together .
*
Then I sent unto him ,
saying ,
There are #
no such things done as thou sayest ,
but thou feignest them out of thine own heart .
*
For they all made us afraid ,
saying ,
Their hands shall be weakened from the work m @
la #
kah #,
that it be not done .
Now therefore ,
O God ,
strengthen my hands .
*
Afterward I came unto the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah the son of Mehetabeel M @
heytab #
el #,
who was shut up ;
and he said ,
Let us meet together in the house of God ,
within the temple ,
and let us shut the doors of the temple :
for they will come to slay thee ;
yea ,
in the night will they come to slay thee .
*
And I said ,
Should such a man as I flee ?
and who is there ,
that ,
being as I am ,
would go into the temple to save his life ?
I will not go in .
*
And ,
lo ,
I perceived that God had not sent him ;
but that he pronounced this prophecy against me :
for Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him .
*
Therefore was he hired ,
that I should be afraid ,
and do so ,
and sin ,
and that they might have matter for an evil report ,
that they might reproach me .
*
My God ,
think thou upon Tobiah and Sanballat according to these their works ma #
aseh #,
and on the prophetess Noadiah Now #
adyah #,
and the rest of the prophets ,
that would have put me in fear .
*
So the wall was finished in the twenty and fifth day of the month Elul ,
in fifty and two days .
*
And it came to pass ,
that when all our enemies heard thereof ,
and all the heathen that were about us saw these things ,
they were much cast down in their own eyes :
for they perceived that this work was wrought of our God .
*
Moreover in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters unto Tobiah ,
and the letters of Tobiah came unto them .
*
For there were many in Judah sworn #
H7621unto him ,
because he was the son in law of Shechaniah the son of Arah ;
and his son Johanan had taken the daughter of Meshullam the son of Berechiah .
*
Also they reported his good deeds before me ,
and uttered my words dabar #
to him .
And Tobiah sent letters to put me in fear .
*
Now it came to pass ,
when the wall was built ,
and I had set up the doors ,
and the porters and the singers and the Levites were appointed ,
*
That I gave my brother Hanani ,
and Hananiah the ruler of the palace ,
charge over Jerusalem :
for he was a faithful man ,
and feared God above many .
*
And I said unto them ,
Let not the gates of Jerusalem be opened until the sun be hot ;
and while they stand by ,
let them shut the doors ,
and bar them :
and appoint watches of the inhabitants of Jerusalem ,
every one in his watch ,
and every one to be over against his house .
*
Now the city was large rachab #
and great :
but the people were few therein ,
and the houses were not builded .
*
And my God put into mine heart to gather together the nobles ,
and the rulers ,
and the people ,
that they might be reckoned by genealogy .
And I found a register of the genealogy of them which came up at the first ri #
shown #,
and found written therein ,
*
These are the children of the province ,
that went up out of the captivity ,
of those that had been carried away ,
whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away ,
and came again to Jerusalem and to Judah ,
every one unto his city ;
*
Who came with Zerubbabel ,
Jeshua ,
Nehemiah ,
Azariah ,
Raamiah ,
Nahamani ,
Mordecai ,
Bilshan ,
Mispereth ,
Bigvai ,
Nehum ,
Baanah Ba #
anah #.
The number ,
I say ,
of the men of the people of Israel was this ;
*
The children of Parosh Par #
osh #,
two thousand an hundred seventy and two .
*
The children of Shephatiah ,
three hundred seventy and two .
*
The children of Arah ,
six hundred fifty and two .
*
The children of Pahathmoab Pachath Mow #
ab #,
of the children of Jeshua and Joab Yow #
ab #,
two thousand and eight hundred and eighteen sh @
moneh #.
*
The children of Elam ,
a thousand two hundred fifty and four .
*
The children of Zattu ,
eight hundred forty #
arba #
iym #
and five .
*
The children of Zaccai ,
seven hundred and threescore .
*
The children of Binnui ,
six hundred forty #
arba #
iym #
and eight .
*
The children of Bebai ,
six hundred twenty and eight .
*
The children of Azgad ,
two thousand three hundred twenty and two .
*
The children of Adonikam ,
six hundred threescore and seven .
*
The children of Bigvai ,
two thousand threescore and seven .
*
The children of Adin ,
six hundred fifty and five .
*
The children of Ater of Hezekiah ,
ninety and eight .
*
The children of Hashum ,
three hundred twenty and eight .
*
The children of Bezai ,
three hundred twenty and four .
*
The children of Hariph ,
an hundred and twelve sh @
nayim #.
*
The children of Gibeon Gib #
own #,
ninety and five .
*
The men of Bethlehem Beythand Netophah ,
an hundred fourscore and eight .
*
The men of Anathoth ,
an hundred twenty and eight .
*
The men of Bethazmaveth Beyth ,
forty #
arba #
iym #
and two .
*
The men of Kirjathjearim Qiryath Y @#
ariym #,
Chephirah ,
and Beeroth B @#
erowth #,
seven hundred forty #
arba #
iym #
and three .
*
The men of Ramah and Geba ,
six hundred twenty and one .
*
The men of Michmas ,
an hundred and twenty and two .
*
The men of Bethel Beyth -#
El #
and Ai ,
an hundred twenty and three .
*
The men of the other Nebo ,
fifty and two .
*
The children of the other Elam ,
a thousand two hundred fifty and four .
*
The children of Harim ,
three hundred and twenty .
*
The children of Jericho ,
three hundred forty #
arba #
iym #
and five .
*
The children of Lod ,
Hadid ,
and Ono ,
seven hundred twenty and one .
*
The children of Senaah C @
na #
ah #,
three thousand nine hundred and thirty .
*
The priests :
the children of Jedaiah Y @
kda #
yah #,
of the house of Jeshua ,
nine hundred seventy and three .
*
The children of Immer ,
a thousand fifty and two .
*
The children of Pashur ,
a thousand two hundred forty #
arba #
iym #
and seven .
*
The children of Harim ,
a thousand and seventeen sheba #.
*
The Levites :
the children of Jeshua ,
of Kadmiel Qadmiy #
el #,
and of the children of Hodevah ,
seventy and four .
*
The singers :
the children of Asaph ,
an hundred forty #
arba #
iym #
and eight .
*
The porters show #
er #:
the children of Shallum ,
the children of Ater ,
the children of Talmon ,
the children of Akkub ,
the children of Hatita ,
the children of Shobai ,
an hundred thirty and eight .
*
The Nethinims :
the children of Ziha ,
the children of Hashupha ,
the children of Tabbaoth Tabba #
owth #,
*
The children of Keros ,
the children of Sia ,
the children of Padon ,
*
The children of Lebana ,
the children of Hagaba ,
the children of Shalmai ,
*
The children of Hanan ,
the children of Giddel ,
the children of Gahar ,
*
The children of Reaiah R @#
ayah #,
the children of Rezin ,
the children of Nekoda ,
*
The children of Gazzam ,
the children of Uzza ,
the children of Phaseah ,
*
The children of Besai ,
the children of Meunim M @#
uwniy #,
the children of Nephishesim N @
phuwsh @,
*
The children of Bakbuk ,
the children of Hakupha ,
the children of Harhur ,
*
The children of Bazlith ,
the children of Mehida ,
the children of Harsha ,
*
The children of Barkos ,
the children of Sisera ,
the children of Tamah ,
*
The children of Neziah ,
the children of Hatipha .
*
The children of Solomons servants :
the children of Sotai ,
the children of Sophereth ,
the children of Perida ,
*
The children of Jaala ,
the children of Darkon ,
the children of Giddel ,
*
The children of Shephatiah ,
the children of Hattil ,
the children of Pochereth of Zebaim Pokereth ,
the children of Amon .
*
All the Nethinims ,
and the children of Solomons servants ,
were three hundred ninety and two .
*
And these were they which went up also from Telmelah Tel ,
Telharesha Tel ,
Cherub ,
Addon ,
and Immer :
but they could not shew their fathers house ,
nor their seed ,
whether they were of Israel Yisra #
el #.
*
The children of Delaiah ,
the children of Tobiah ,
the children of Nekoda ,
six hundred forty #
arba #
iym #
and two .
*
And of the priests :
the children of Habaiah ,
the children of Koz ,
the children of Barzillai ,
which took one of the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite to wife ,
and was called after their name .
*
These sought their register among those that were reckoned by genealogy ,
but it was not found :
therefore were they ,
as polluted ,
put from the priesthood .
*
And the Tirshatha said unto them ,
that they should not eat of the most holy things ,
till there stood up a priest with Urim and Thummim .
*
The whole congregation together was forty #
H7239and two thousand three hundred and threescore ,
*
Beside their manservants and their maidservants ,
of whom there were seven thousand three hundred thirty and seven :
and they had two hundred forty #
arba #
iym #
and five singing men and singing women .
*
Their horses ,
seven hundred thirty and six :
their mules ,
two hundred forty #
arba #
iym #
and five :
*
Their camels ,
four hundred thirty and five :
six thousand seven hundred and twenty asses .
*
And some of the chief of the fathers gave unto the work m @
la #
kah #.
The Tirshatha gave to the treasure a thousand drams of gold ,
fifty basons ,
five hundred and thirty priests garments .
*
And some of the chief of the fathers gave to the treasure of the work twenty thousand drams of gold ,
and two thousand and two hundred pound of silver .
*
And that which the rest of the people gave was twenty thousand drams of gold ,
and two thousand pound of silver ,
and threescore and seven priests garments .
*
So the priests ,
and the Levites ,
and the porters show #
er #,
and the singers ,
and some of the people ,
and the Nethinims ,
and all Israel Yisra #
el #,
dwelt in their cities ;
and when the seventh month came ,
the children of Israel were in their cities .
*
And all the people gathered themselves together as one man into the street that was before the water gate sha #
ar #;
and they spake unto Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses ,
which the LORD had commanded to Israel Yisra #
el #.