Nehemiah

Book Outhne

Key theme: Godly leadership

Key verses: ,

I. Concern ()

A. Information ()

B. Intercession ()

C. Intention (, )

II. Construction ()

A. Authority ()

B. Investigation ()

C. Challenge ()

D. Assignments ()

III. Conflict ()

A. Ridicule ()

B. Plots ()

C. Discouragement ()

D. Fear ()

E. Selfishness ()

F. Compromise ()

G. Slander ()

H. Threats ()

I. Intrigue ()

IV. Consecration ()

A. The people ()

1. Checking the genealogy ()

2. Teaching the Word ()

3. Confessing sin ()

4. Making a covenant ()

B. The walls ()

V. Cleansing ()

Book Overview

Leaders care. They care about the right things, and they care in the right ways. Every leader brings unique skills and abilities to the challenges he or she faces, but one of the traits leaders share is an attitude of attentiveness that sees opportunities and that cares what happens next. God may place countless opportunities before us, but we will ignore each one if we’re not prepared to lead. The Bible is filled with people who were able to lead, prepared to lead, and already leading long before God gave them the opportunities that made a mark in history. In each case, they noticed opportunity and responded to opportunity because they cared.

Abraham cared and rescued Lot from Sodom (). Moses cared and delivered the Israelites from Egypt. David cared and brought the nation and the kingdom back to the Lord. Esther cared and risked her life to save her nation from genocide. Paul cared and took the gospel throughout the Roman Empire. Jesus cared and died on the cross for a lost world. What is the level of care in your life?

Nehemiah was the kind of person who cared. He cared about the traditions of the past and the needs of the present. He cared about the hopes for the future. He cared about his heritage, his ancestral city, and the glory of his God. He cared enough to notice an opportunity where others would have likely only seen impossibility. He cared enough to make himself available to God for a mighty task.

God is still looking for people like Nehemiah who care enough to ask for the facts, weep over the needs, pray for God’s help, and then volunteer to get the job done. “Here am I! Send me” (). When was the last time you prayed that prayer? What would it take for you to pray it today?

“Be Transformed”

During the French Revolution, a man was seen running down the street after a mob, moving quickly into danger.

“Stop! Stop!” somebody cried out. “Don’t follow that mob!”

As the man continued to run, he called back, “I have to follow them! I’m their leader!”

Nehemiah was certainly not that kind of leader. He wasn’t afraid of danger, but he was wise in his plans and careful in his decisions. The church today could use leaders like Nehemiah. We have a lot of rubbish to remove and rebuilding to accomplish before the world will believe that our God is real and our message is worth believing.

Reading about Nehemiah forces believers in Jesus to ask a couple of crucial questions that can transform life: How did Nehemiah lead by following? What was Nehemiah’s ultimate purpose beyond his goals?

Long before he forged a mighty task force to rebuild Jerusalem’s walls, Nehemiah was busy developing a relationship with God. From the beginning () to the end of this book (), we find Nehemiah praying without stopping (see ). Nehemiah was always following God while he was leading others. And the goal of his building project was great, because his purpose was greater—to honor God’s name (, ). When we clarify and renew, on a daily basis, our determination to follow Christ and our desire to honor Him, we will not be placing limits on where He may lead us or the work He may accomplish in and through our lives.

Nehemiah Prays for His People

The words of Nehemiah the son of Hachaliah.

It came to pass in the month of Chislev, in the twentieth year, as I was in Shushan the citadel,

that Hanani one of my brethren came with men from Judah; and I asked them concerning the Jews who had escaped, who had survived the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem.

And they said to me, “The survivors who are left from the captivity in the province are there in great distress and reproach. The wall of Jerusalem is also broken down, and its gates are burned with fire.”

4So it was, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned for many days; I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven.

And I said: “I pray, LORD God of heaven, O great and awesome God, You who keep Your covenant and mercy with those who love You and observe Your commandments,

“please let Your ear be attentive and Your eyes open, that You may hear the prayer of Your servant which I pray before You now, day and night, for the children of Israel Your servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel which we have sinned against You. Both my father’s house and I have sinned.

7“We have acted very corruptly against You, and have not kept the commandments, the statutes, nor the ordinances which You commanded Your servant Moses.

8“Remember, I pray, the word that You commanded Your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations;

9‘but if you return to Me, and keep My commandments and do them, though some of you were cast out to the farthest part of the heavens, yet I will gather them from there, and bring them to the place which I have chosen as a dwelling for My name.’

10“Now these are Your servants and Your people, whom You have redeemed by Your great power, and by Your strong hand.

“O Lord, I pray, please let Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant, and to the prayer of Your servants who desire to fear Your name; and let Your servant prosper this day, I pray, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.” For I was the king’s cupbearer.

Nehemiah Sent to Judah

And it came to pass in the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was before him, that I took the wine and gave it to the king. Now I had never been sad in his presence before.

Therefore the king said to me, “Why is your face sad, since you are not sick? This is nothing but sorrow of heart.” So I became dreadfully afraid,

3and said to the king, “May the king live forever! Why should my face not be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers’ tombs, lies waste, and its gates are burned with fire?”

Then the king said to me, “What do you request?” So I prayed to the God of heaven.

And I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, I ask that you send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers’ tombs, that I may rebuild it.”

6Then the king said to me (the queen also sitting beside him), “How long will your journey be? And when will you return?” So it pleased the king to send me; and I set him a time.

Furthermore I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, let letters be given to me for the governors of the region beyond the River, that they must permit me to pass through till I come to Judah,

8“and a letter to Asaph the keeper of the king’s forest, that he must give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel which pertains to the temple, for the city wall, and for the house that I will occupy.” And the king granted them to me according to the good hand of my God upon me.

Then I went to the governors in the region 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 Ammonite official heard of it, they were deeply disturbed that a man had come to seek the well-being of the children of Israel.

Nehemiah Views the Wall of Jerusalem

So I came to Jerusalem and was there three days.

12Then I arose in the night, I and a few men with me; I told no one what my God had put in my heart to do at Jerusalem; nor was there any animal with me, except the one on which I rode.

And I went out by night through the Valley Gate to the Serpent Well and the Refuse Gate, and viewed the walls of Jerusalem which were broken down and its gates which were burned with fire.

14Then I went on to the Fountain Gate and to the King’s Pool, but there was no room for the animal under me to pass.

15So I went up in the night by the valley, and viewed the wall; then I turned back and entered by the Valley Gate, and so returned.

16And the officials did not know where I had gone or what I had done; I had not yet told the Jews, the priests, the nobles, the officials, or the others who did the work.

17Then I said to them, “You see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lies waste, and its gates are burned with fire. Come and let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer be a reproach.”

And I told them of the hand of my God which had been good upon me, and also of the king’s words that he had spoken to me. So they said, “Let us rise up and build.” Then they set their hands to this good work.

But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab heard of it, they laughed at us and despised us, and said, “What is this thing that you are doing? Will you rebel against the king?”

So I answered them, and said to them, “The God of heaven Himself will prosper us; therefore we His servants will arise and build, but you have no heritage or right or memorial in Jerusalem.”

Rebuilding the Wall

Then Eliashib the high priest rose up with his brethren the priests and built the Sheep Gate; they consecrated it and hung its doors. They built as far as the Tower of the Hundred, and consecrated it, then as far as the Tower of Hananel.

2Next to Eliashib the men of Jericho built. And next to them Zaccur the son of Imri built.

Also the sons of Hassenaah built the Fish Gate; they laid its beams and hung its doors with its bolts and bars.

4And next to them Meremoth the son of Urijah, the son of Koz, made repairs. Next to them Meshullam the son of Berechiah, the son of Meshezabel, made repairs. Next to them Zadok the son of Baana made repairs.

5Next to them the Tekoites made repairs; but their nobles did not put their shoulders to the work of their Lord.

Moreover Jehoiada the son of Paseah and Meshullam the son of Besodeiah repaired the Old Gate; they laid its beams and hung its doors, with its bolts and bars.

7And next to them Melatiah the Gibeonite, Jadon the Meronothite, the men of Gibeon and Mizpah, repaired the residence of the governor of the region beyond the River.

8Next to him Uzziel the son of Harhaiah, one of the goldsmiths, made repairs. Also next to him Hananiah, one of the perfumers, made repairs; and they fortified Jerusalem as far as the Broad Wall.

9And next to them Rephaiah the son of Hur, leader of half the district of Jerusalem, made repairs.

10Next to them Jedaiah the son of Harumaph made repairs in front of his house. And next to him Hattush the son of Hashabniah made repairs.

11Malchijah the son of Harim and Hashub the son of Pahath-Moab repaired another section, as well as the Tower of the Ovens.

12And next to him was Shallum the son of Hallohesh, leader of half the district of Jerusalem; he and his daughters made repairs.

Hanun and the inhabitants of Zanoah repaired the Valley Gate. They built it, hung its doors with its bolts and bars, and repaired a thousand cubits of the wall as far as the Refuse Gate.

Malchijah the son of Rechab, leader of the district of Beth Haccerem, repaired the Refuse Gate; he built it and hung its doors with its bolts and bars.

Shallun the son of Col-Hozeh, leader of the district of Mizpah, repaired the Fountain Gate; he built it, covered it, hung its doors with its bolts and bars, and repaired the wall of the Pool of Shelah by the King’s Garden, as far as the stairs that go down from the City of David.

16After him Nehemiah the son of Azbuk, leader of half the district of Beth Zur, made repairs as far as the place in front of the tombs of David, to the man-made pool, and as far as the House of the Mighty.

17After him the Levites, under Rehum the son of Bani, made repairs. Next to him Hashabiah, leader of half the district of Keilah, made repairs for his district.

18After him their brethren, under Bavai the son of Henadad, leader of the other half of the district of Keilah, made repairs.

19And next to him Ezer the son of Jeshua, the leader of Mizpah, repaired another section in front of the Ascent to the Armory at the buttress.

20After him Baruch the son of Zabbai carefully repaired the other section, from the buttress to the door of the house of Eliashib the high priest.

21After him Meremoth the son of Urijah, the son of Koz, repaired another section, from the door of the house of Eliashib to the end of the house of Eliashib.

22And after him the priests, the men of the plain, made repairs.

23After him Benjamin and Hasshub made repairs opposite their house. After them Azariah the son of Maaseiah, the son of Ananiah, made repairs by his house.

24After him Binnui the son of Henadad repaired another section, from the house of Azariah to the buttress, even as far as the corner.

25Palal the son of Uzai made repairs opposite the buttress, and on the tower which projects from the king’s upper house that was by the court of the prison. After him Pedaiah the son of Parosh made repairs.

Moreover the Nethinim who dwelt in Ophel made repairs as far as the place in front of the Water Gate toward the east, and on the projecting tower.

27After them the Tekoites repaired another section, next to the great projecting tower, and as far as the wall of Ophel.

Beyond the Horse Gate the priests made repairs, each in front of his own house.

After them Zadok the son of Immer made repairs in front of his own house. After him Shemaiah the son of Shechaniah, the keeper of the East Gate, made repairs.

30After him Hananiah the son of Shelemiah, and Hanun, the sixth son of Zalaph, repaired another section. After him Meshullam the son of Berechiah made repairs in front of his dwelling.

After him Malchijah, one of the goldsmiths, made repairs as far as the house of the Nethinim and of the merchants, in front of the Miphkad Gate, and as far as the upper room at the corner.

And between the upper room at the corner, as far as the Sheep Gate, the goldsmiths and the merchants made repairs.

The Wall Defended Against Enemies

But it so happened, when Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, that he was furious and very indignant, and mocked the Jews.

And he spoke before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, “What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they fortify themselves? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they complete it in a day? Will they revive the stones from the heaps of rubbish—stones that are burned?”

3Now Tobiah the Ammonite was beside him, and he said, “Whatever they build, if even a fox goes up on it, he will break down their stone wall.”

Hear, O our God, for we are despised; turn their reproach on their own heads, and give them as plunder to a land of captivity!

5Do not cover their iniquity, and do not let their sin be blotted out from before You; for they have provoked You to anger before the builders.

So we built the wall, and the entire wall was joined together up to half its height, for the people had a mind to work.

7Now it happened, when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites heard that the walls of Jerusalem were being restored and the gaps were beginning to be closed, that they became very angry,

and all of them conspired together to come and attack Jerusalem and create confusion.

9Nevertheless we made our prayer to our God, and because of them we set a watch against them day and night.

10Then Judah said, “The strength of the laborers is failing, and there is so much rubbish that we are not able to build the wall.”

11And our adversaries said, “They will neither know nor see anything, till we come into their midst and kill them and cause the work to cease.”

12So it was, when the Jews who dwelt near them came, that they told us ten times, “From whatever place you turn, they will be upon us.”

13Therefore I positioned men behind the lower parts of the wall, at the openings; and I set the people according to their families, with their swords, their spears, and their bows.

And I looked, and arose and said to the nobles, to the leaders, and to the rest of the people, “Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, great and awesome, and fight for your brethren, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses.”

15And it happened, when our enemies heard that it was known to us, and that God had brought their plot to nothing, that all of us returned to the wall, everyone to his work.

16So it was, from that time on, that half of my servants worked at construction, while the other half held the spears, the shields, the bows, and wore armor; and the leaders were behind all the house of Judah.

17Those who built on the wall, and those who carried burdens, loaded themselves so that with one hand they worked at construction, and with the other held a weapon.

18Every one of the builders had his sword girded at his side as he built. And the one who sounded the trumpet was beside me.

Then I said to the nobles, the rulers, and the rest of the people, “The work is great and extensive, and we are separated far from one another on the wall.

20“Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us.”

21So we labored in the work, and half of the men held the spears from daybreak until the stars appeared.

22At the same time I also said to the people, “Let each man and his servant stay at night in Jerusalem, that they may be our guard by night and a working party by day.”

23So neither I, my brethren, my servants, nor the men of the guard who followed me took off our clothes, except that everyone took them off for washing.

Nehemiah Deals with Oppression

And there was a great outcry of the people and their wives against their Jewish brethren.

2For there were those who said, “We, our sons, and our daughters are many; therefore let us get grain, that we may eat and live.”

3There were also some who said, “We have mortgaged our lands and vineyards and houses, that we might buy grain because of the famine.”

4There were also those who said, “We have borrowed money for the king’s tax on our lands and vineyards.

5“Yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren, our children as their children; and indeed we are forcing our sons and our daughters to be slaves, and some of our daughters have been brought into slavery. It is not in our power to redeem them, for other men have our lands and vineyards.”

And I became very angry when I heard their outcry and these words.

After serious thought, I rebuked the nobles and rulers, and said to them, “Each of you is exacting usury from his brother.” So I called a great assembly against them.

And I said to them, “According to our ability we have redeemed our Jewish brethren who were sold to the nations. Now indeed, will you even sell your brethren? Or should they be sold to us?” Then they were silenced and found nothing to say.

9Then I said, “What you are doing is not good. Should you not walk in the fear of our God because of the reproach of the nations, our enemies?

“I also, with my brethren and my servants, am lending them money and grain. Please, let us stop this usury!

“Restore now to them, even this day, their lands, their vineyards, their olive groves, and their houses, also a hundredth of the money and the grain, the new wine and the oil, that you have charged them.”

12So they said, “We will restore it, and will require nothing from them; we will do as you say.” Then I called the priests, and required an oath from them that they would do according to this promise.

Then I shook out the fold of my garment and said, “So may God shake out each man from his house, and from his property, who does not perform this promise. Even thus may he be shaken out and emptied.” And all the assembly said, “Amen!” and praised the LORD. Then the people did according to this promise.

The Generosity of Nehemiah

14Moreover, from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year until the thirty-second year of King Artaxerxes, twelve years, neither I nor my brothers ate the governor’s provisions.

But the former governors who were before me laid burdens on the people, and took from them bread and wine, besides forty shekels of silver. Yes, even their servants bore rule over the people, but I did not do so, because of the fear of God.

16Indeed, I also continued the work on this wall, and we did not buy any land. All my servants were gathered there for the work.

17And at my table were one hundred and fifty Jews and rulers, besides those who came to us from the nations around us.

18Now that which was prepared daily was one ox and six choice sheep. Also fowl were prepared for me, and once every ten days an abundance of all kinds of wine. Yet in spite of this I did not demand the governor’s provisions, because the bondage was heavy on this people.

19Remember me, my God, for good, according to all that I have done for this people.

Conspiracy Against Nehemiah

Now it happened when Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab, and the rest of our enemies heard that I had rebuilt the wall, and that there were no breaks left in it (though at that time I had not hung the doors in the gates),

2that Sanballat and Geshem sent to me, saying, “Come, let us meet together among the villages in the plain of Ono.” But they thought to do me harm.

So I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down. Why should the work cease while I leave it and go down to you?”

4But they sent me this message four times, and I answered them in the same manner.

Then Sanballat sent his servant to me as before, the fifth time, with an open letter in his hand.

6In it was written:

It is reported among the nations, and Geshem says, that you and the Jews plan to rebel; therefore, according to these rumors, you are rebuilding the wall, that you may be their king.

7And you have also appointed prophets to proclaim concerning you at Jerusalem, saying, “There is a king in Judah!” Now these matters will be reported to the king. So come, therefore, and let us consult together.

Then I sent to him, saying, “No such things as you say are being done, but you invent them in your own heart.”

9For they all were trying to make us afraid, saying, “Their hands will be weakened in the work, and it will not be done.”

Now therefore, O God, strengthen my hands.

10Afterward I came to the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah, the son of Mehetabel, who was a secret informer; and he said, “Let us meet together in the house of God, within the temple, and let us close the doors of the temple, for they are coming to kill you; indeed, at night they will come to kill you.”

And I said, “Should such a man as I flee? And who is there such as I who would go into the temple to save his life? I will not go in!”

12Then I perceived that God had not sent him at all, but that he pronounced this prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.

13For this reason he was hired, that I should be afraid and act that way and sin, so that they might have cause for an evil report, that they might reproach me.

My God, remember Tobiah and Sanballat, according to these their works, and the prophetess Noadiah and the rest of the prophets who would have made me afraid.

The Wall Completed

So the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of Elul, in fifty-two days.

16And it happened, when all our enemies heard of it, and all the nations around us saw these things, that they were very disheartened in their own eyes; for they perceived that this work was done by our God.

17Also in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah, and the letters of Tobiah came to them.

For many in Judah were pledged to him, because he was the son-in-law of Shechaniah the son of Arah, and his son Jehohanan had married the daughter of Meshullam the son of Berechiah.

19Also they reported his good deeds before me, and reported my words to him. Tobiah sent letters to frighten me.

Then it was, when the wall was built and I had hung the doors, when the gatekeepers, the singers, and the Levites had been appointed,

2that I gave the charge of Jerusalem to my brother Hanani, and Hananiah the leader of the citadel, for he was a faithful man and feared God more than many.

And I said to them, “Do not let the gates of Jerusalem be opened until the sun is hot; and while they stand guard, let them shut and bar the doors; and appoint guards from among the inhabitants of Jerusalem, one at his watch station and another in front of his own house.”

The Captives Who Returned to Jerusalem

4Now the city was large and spacious, but the people in it were few, and the houses were not rebuilt.

5Then my God put it into my heart to gather the nobles, the rulers, and the people, that they might be registered by genealogy. And I found a register of the genealogy of those who had come up in the first return, and found written in it:

These are the people of the province who came back from the captivity, of those who had been carried away, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away, and who returned to Jerusalem and Judah, everyone to his city.

7Those who came with Zerubbabel were Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, and Baanah.

The number of the men of the people of Israel:

8the sons of Parosh, two thousand one hundred and seventy-two;

9the sons of Shephatiah, three hundred and seventy-two;

10the sons of Arah, six hundred and fifty-two;

11the sons of Pahath-Moab, of the sons of Jeshua and Joab, two thousand eight hundred and eighteen;

12the sons of Elam, one thousand two hundred and fifty-four;

13the sons of Zattu, eight hundred and forty-five;

14the sons of Zaccai, seven hundred and sixty;

15the sons of Binnui, six hundred and forty-eight;

16the sons of Bebai, six hundred and twenty-eight;

17the sons of Azgad, two thousand three hundred and twenty-two;

18the sons of Adonikam, six hundred and sixty-seven;

19the sons of Bigvai, two thousand and sixty-seven;

20the sons of Adin, six hundred and fifty-five;

21the sons of Ater of Hezekiah, ninety-eight;

22the sons of Hashum, three hundred and twenty-eight;

23the sons of Bezai, three hundred and twenty-four;

24the sons of Hariph, one hundred and twelve;

25the sons of Gibeon, ninety-five;

the men of Bethlehem and Netophah, one hundred and eighty-eight;

27the men of Anathoth, one hundred and twenty-eight;

28the men of Beth Azmaveth, forty-two;

29the men of Kirjath Jearim, Chephirah, and Beeroth, seven hundred and forty-three;

30the men of Ramah and Geba, six hundred and twenty-one;

31the men of Michmas, one hundred and twenty-two;

32the men of Bethel and Ai, one hundred and twenty-three;

33the men of the other Nebo, fifty-two;

34the sons of the other Elam, one thousand two hundred and fifty-four;

35the sons of Harim, three hundred and twenty;

36the sons of Jericho, three hundred and forty-five;

37the sons of Lod, Hadid, and Ono, seven hundred and twenty-one;

38the sons of Senaah, three thousand nine hundred and thirty.

39The priests: the sons of Jedaiah, of the house of Jeshua, nine hundred and seventy-three;

40the sons of Immer, one thousand and fifty-two;

41the sons of Pashhur, one thousand two hundred and forty-seven;

42the sons of Harim, one thousand and seventeen.

43The Levites: the sons of Jeshua, of Kadmiel, and of the sons of Hodevah, seventy-four.

44The singers: the sons of Asaph, one hundred and forty-eight.

45The gatekeepers: the sons of Shallum, the sons of Ater, the sons of Talmon, the sons of Akkub, the sons of Hatita, the sons of Shobai, one hundred and thirty-eight.

46The Nethinim: the sons of Ziha, the sons of Hasupha, the sons of Tabbaoth,

47the sons of Keros, the sons of Sia, the sons of Padon,

48the sons of Lebana, the sons of Hagaba, the sons of Salmai,

49the sons of Hanan, the sons of Giddel, the sons of Gahar,

50the sons of Reaiah, the sons of Rezin, the sons of Nekoda,

51the sons of Gazzam, the sons of Uzza, the sons of Paseah,

52the sons of Besai, the sons of Meunim, the sons of Nephishesim,

53the sons of Bakbuk, the sons of Hakupha, the sons of Harhur,

54the sons of Bazlith, the sons of Mehida, the sons of Harsha,

55the sons of Barkos, the sons of Sisera, the sons of Tamah,

56the sons of Neziah, and the sons of Hatipha.

57The sons of Solomon’s servants: the sons of Sotai, the sons of Sophereth, the sons of Perida,

58the sons of Jaala, the sons of Darkon, the sons of Giddel,

59the sons of Shephatiah, the sons of Hattil, the sons of Pochereth of Zebaim, and the sons of Amon.

60All the Nethinim, and the sons of Solomon’s servants, were three hundred and ninety-two.

And these were the ones who came up from Tel Melah, Tel Harsha, Cherub, Addon, and Immer, but they could not identify their father’s house nor their lineage, whether they were of Israel:

62the sons of Delaiah, the sons of Tobiah, the sons of Nekoda, six hundred and forty-two;

63and of the priests: the sons of Habaiah, the sons of Koz, the sons of Barzillai, who took a wife of the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite, and was called by their name.

64These sought their listing among those who were registered by genealogy, but it was not found; therefore they were excluded from the priesthood as defiled.

65And the governor said to them that they should not eat of the most holy things till a priest could consult with the Urim and Thummim.

Altogether the whole assembly was forty-two thousand three hundred and sixty,

67besides their male and female servants, of whom there were seven thousand three hundred and thirty-seven; and they had two hundred and forty-five men and women singers.

68Their horses were seven hundred and thirty-six, their mules two hundred and forty-five,

69their camels four hundred and thirty-five, and donkeys six thousand seven hundred and twenty.

And some of the heads of the fathers’ houses gave to the work. The governor gave to the treasury one thousand gold drachmas, fifty basins, and five hundred and thirty priestly garments.

71Some of the heads of the fathers’ houses gave to the treasury of the work twenty thousand gold drachmas, and two thousand two hundred silver minas.

72And that which the rest of the people gave was twenty thousand gold drachmas, two thousand silver minas, and sixty-seven priestly garments.

73So the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, some of the people, the Nethinim, and all Israel dwelt in their cities.

Ezra Reads the Law

When the seventh month came, the children of Israel were in their cities.

Now all the people gathered together as one man in the open square that was in front of the Water Gate; and they told Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded Israel.

So Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly of men and women and all who could hear with understanding on the first day of the seventh month.

3Then he read from it in the open square that was in front of the Water Gate from morning until midday, before the men and women and those who could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law.

4So Ezra the scribe stood on a platform of wood which they had made for the purpose; and beside him, at his right hand, stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Urijah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah; and at his left hand Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbadana, Zechariah, and Meshullam.

And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was standing above all the people; and when he opened it, all the people stood up.

6And Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God. Then all the people answered, “Amen, Amen!” while lifting up their hands. And they bowed their heads and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground.

Also Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodijah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites, helped the people to understand the Law; and the people stood in their place.

8So they read distinctly from the book, in the Law of God; and they gave the sense, and helped them to understand the reading.

And Nehemiah, who was the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, “This day is holy to the LORD your God; do not mourn nor weep.” For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the Law.

10Then he said to them, “Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”

So the Levites quieted all the people, saying, “Be still, for the day is holy; do not be grieved.”

12And all the people went their way to eat and drink, to send portions and rejoice greatly, because they understood the words that were declared to them.

The Feast of Tabernacles

13Now on the second day the heads of the fathers’ houses of all the people, with the priests and Levites, were gathered to Ezra the scribe, in order to understand the words of the Law.

And they found written in the Law, which the LORD had commanded by Moses, that the children of Israel should dwell in booths during the feast of the seventh month,

15and that they should announce and proclaim in all their cities and in Jerusalem, saying, “Go out to the mountain, and bring olive branches, branches of oil trees, myrtle branches, palm branches, and branches of leafy trees, to make booths, as it is written.”

16Then the people went out and brought them and made themselves booths, each one on the roof of his house, or in their courtyards or the courts of the house of God, and in the open square of the Water Gate and in the open square of the Gate of Ephraim.

17So the whole assembly of those who had returned from the captivity made booths and sat under the booths; for since the days of Joshua the son of Nun until that day the children of Israel had not done so. And there was very great gladness.

Also day by day, from the first day until the last day, he read from the Book of the Law of God. And they kept the feast seven days; and on the eighth day there was a sacred assembly, according to the prescribed manner.

The People Confess Their Sins

1Now on the twenty-fourth day of this month the children of Israel were assembled with fasting, in sackcloth, and with dust on their heads.

Then those of Israelite lineage separated themselves from all foreigners; and they stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers.

3And they stood up in their place and read from the Book of the Law of the LORD their God for one-fourth of the day; and for another fourth they confessed and worshiped the LORD their God.

4Then Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Chenani stood on the stairs of the Levites and cried out with a loud voice to the LORD their God.

And the Levites, Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabniah, Sherebiah, Hodijah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah, said:

“Stand up and bless the LORD your God

Forever and ever!

“Blessed be Your glorious name,

Which is exalted above all blessing and praise!

6You alone are the LORD;

You have made heaven,

The heaven of heavens, with all their host,

The earth and everything on it,

The seas and all that is in them,

And You preserve them all.

The host of heaven worships You.

7“You are the LORD God,

Who chose Abram,

And brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans,

And gave him the name Abraham;

8You found his heart faithful before You,

And made a covenant with him

To give the land of the Canaanites,

The Hittites, the Amorites,

The Perizzites, the Jebusites,

And the Girgashites—

To give it to his descendants.

You have performed Your words,

For You are righteous.

9“You saw the affliction of our fathers in Egypt,

And heard their cry by the Red Sea.

10You showed signs and wonders against Pharaoh,

Against all his servants,

And against all the people of his land.

For You knew that they acted proudly against them.

So You made a name for Yourself, as it is this day.

11And You divided the sea before them,

So that they went through the midst of the sea on the dry land;

And their persecutors You threw into the deep,

As a stone into the mighty waters.

12Moreover You led them by day with a cloudy pillar,

And by night with a pillar of fire,

To give them light on the road

Which they should travel.

13“You came down also on Mount Sinai,

And spoke with them from heaven,

And gave them just ordinances and true laws,

Good statutes and commandments.

14You made known to them Your holy Sabbath,

And commanded them precepts, statutes and laws,

By the hand of Moses Your servant.

15You gave them bread from heaven for their hunger,

And brought them water out of the rock for their thirst,

And told them to go in to possess the land

Which You had sworn to give them.

“But they and our fathers acted proudly,

Hardened their necks,

And did not heed Your commandments.

17They refused to obey,

And they were not mindful of Your wonders

That You did among them.

But they hardened their necks,

And in their rebellion

They appointed a leader

To return to their bondage.

But You are God,

Ready to pardon,

Gracious and merciful,

Slow to anger,

Abundant in kindness,

And did not forsake them.

18“Even when they made a molded calf for themselves,

And said, ‘This is your god

That brought you up out of Egypt,’

And worked great provocations,

Yet in Your manifold mercies

You did not forsake them in the wilderness.

The pillar of the cloud did not depart from them by day,

To lead them on the road;

Nor the pillar of fire by night,

To show them light,

And the way they should go.

20You also gave Your good Spirit to instruct them,

And did not withhold Your manna from their mouth,

And gave them water for their thirst.

21Forty years You sustained them in the wilderness;

They lacked nothing;

Their clothes did not wear out

And their feet did not swell.

22“Moreover You gave them kingdoms and nations,

And divided them into districts.

So they took possession of the land of Sihon,

The land of the king of Heshbon,

And the land of Og king of Bashan.

You also multiplied their children as the stars of heaven,

And brought them into the land

Which You had told their fathers

To go in and possess.

24So the people went in

And possessed the land;

You subdued before them the inhabitants of the land,

The Canaanites,

And gave them into their hands,

With their kings

And the people of the land,

That they might do with them as they wished.

25And they took strong cities and a rich land,

And possessed houses full of all goods,

Cisterns already dug, vineyards, olive groves,

And fruit trees in abundance.

So they ate and were filled and grew fat,

And delighted themselves in Your great goodness.

26“Nevertheless they were disobedient

And rebelled against You,

Cast Your law behind their backs

And killed Your prophets, who testified against them

To turn them to Yourself;

And they worked great provocations.

27Therefore You delivered them into the hand of their enemies,

Who oppressed them;

And in the time of their trouble,

When they cried to You,

You heard from heaven;

And according to Your abundant mercies

You gave them deliverers who saved them

From the hand of their enemies.

28“But after they had rest,

They again did evil before You.

Therefore You left them in the hand of their enemies,

So that they had dominion over them;

Yet when they returned and cried out to You,

You heard from heaven;

And many times You delivered them according to Your mercies,

29And testified against them,

That You might bring them back to Your law.

Yet they acted proudly,

And did not heed Your commandments,

But sinned against Your judgments,

‘Which if a man does, he shall live by them.’

And they shrugged their shoulders,

Stiffened their necks,

And would not hear.

30Yet for many years You had patience with them,

And testified against them by Your Spirit in Your prophets.

Yet they would not listen;

Therefore You gave them into the hand of the peoples of the lands.

Nevertheless in Your great mercy

You did not utterly consume them nor forsake them;

For You are God, gracious and merciful.

32“Now therefore, our God,

The great, the mighty, and awesome God,

Who keeps covenant and mercy:

Do not let all the trouble seem small before You

That has come upon us,

Our kings and our princes,

Our priests and our prophets,

Our fathers and on all Your people,

From the days of the kings of Assyria until this day.

33However You are just in all that has befallen us;

For You have dealt faithfully,

But we have done wickedly.

34Neither our kings nor our princes,

Our priests nor our fathers,

Have kept Your law,

Nor heeded Your commandments and Your testimonies,

With which You testified against them.

35For they have not served You in their kingdom,

Or in the many good things that You gave them,

Or in the large and rich land which You set before them;

Nor did they turn from their wicked works.

36“Here we are, servants today!

And the land that You gave to our fathers,

To eat its fruit and its bounty,

Here we are, servants in it!

37And it yields much increase to the kings

You have set over us,

Because of our sins;

Also they have dominion over our bodies and our cattle

At their pleasure;

And we are in great distress.

“And because of all this,

We make a sure covenant and write it;

Our leaders, our Levites, and our priests seal it.”

The People Who Sealed the Covenant

1Now those who placed their seal on the document were:

Nehemiah the governor, the son of Hacaliah, and Zedekiah,

2Seraiah, Azariah, Jeremiah,

3Pashhur, Amariah, Malchijah,

4Hattush, Shebaniah, Malluch,

5Harim, Meremoth, Obadiah,

6Daniel, Ginnethon, Baruch,

7Meshullam, Abijah, Mijamin,

8Maaziah, Bilgai, and Shemaiah. These were the priests.

9The Levites: Jeshua the son of Azaniah, Binnui of the sons of Henadad, and Kadmiel.

10Their brethren: Shebaniah, Hodijah, Kelita, Pelaiah, Hanan,

11Micha, Rehob, Hashabiah,

12Zaccur, Sherebiah, Shebaniah,

13Hodijah, Bani, and Beninu.

14The leaders of the people: Parosh, Pahath-Moab, Elam, Zattu, Bani,

15Bunni, Azgad, Bebai,

16Adonijah, Bigvai, Adin,

17Ater, Hezekiah, Azzur,

18Hodijah, Hashum, Bezai,

19Hariph, Anathoth, Nebai,

20Magpiash, Meshullam, Hezir,

21Meshezabel, Zadok, Jaddua,

22Pelatiah, Hanan, Anaiah,

23Hoshea, Hananiah, Hasshub,

24Hallohesh, Pilha, Shobek,

25Rehum, Hashabnah, Maaseiah,

26Ahijah, Hanan, Anan,

27Malluch, Harim, and Baanah.

The Covenant That Was Sealed

Now the rest of the people—the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, the Nethinim, and all those who had separated themselves from the peoples of the lands to the Law of God, their wives, their sons, and their daughters, everyone who had knowledge and understanding—

these joined with their brethren, their nobles, and entered into a curse and an oath to walk in God’s Law, which was given by Moses the servant of God, and to observe and do all the commandments of the LORD our Lord, and His ordinances and His statutes:

We would not give our daughters as wives to the peoples of the land, nor take their daughters for our sons;

31if the peoples of the land brought wares or any grain to sell on the Sabbath day, we would not buy it from them on the Sabbath, or on a holy day; and we would forego the seventh year’s produce and the exacting of every debt.

Also we made ordinances for ourselves, to exact from ourselves yearly one-third of a shekel for the service of the house of our God:

for the showbread, for the regular grain offering, for the regular burnt offering of the Sabbaths, the New Moons, and the set feasts; for the holy things, for the sin offerings to make atonement for Israel, and all the work of the house of our God.

34We cast lots among the priests, the Levites, and the people, for bringing the wood offering into the house of our God, according to our fathers’ houses, at the appointed times year by year, to burn on the altar of the LORD our God as it is written in the Law.

35And we made ordinances to bring the firstfruits of our ground and the firstfruits of all fruit of all trees, year by year, to the house of the LORD;

36to bring the firstborn of our sons and our cattle, as it is written in the Law, and the firstborn of our herds and our flocks, to the house of our God, to the priests who minister in the house of our God;

to bring the firstfruits of our dough, our offerings, the fruit from all kinds of trees, the new wine and oil, to the priests, to the storerooms of the house of our God; and to bring the tithes of our land to the Levites, for the Levites should receive the tithes in all our farming communities.

38And the priest, the descendant of Aaron, shall be with the Levites when the Levites receive tithes; and the Levites shall bring up a tenth of the tithes to the house of our God, to the rooms of the storehouse.

For the children of Israel and the children of Levi shall bring the offering of the grain, of the new wine and the oil, to the storerooms where the articles of the sanctuary are, where the priests who minister and the gatekeepers and the singers are; and we will not neglect the house of our God.

The People Dwelling in Jerusalem

Now the leaders of the people dwelt at Jerusalem; the rest of the people cast lots to bring one out of ten to dwell in Jerusalem, the holy city, and nine-tenths were to dwell in other cities.

And the people blessed all the men who willingly offered themselves to dwell at Jerusalem.

3These are the heads of the province who dwelt in Jerusalem. (But in the cities of Judah everyone dwelt in his own possession in their cities—Israelites, priests, Levites, Nethinim, and descendants of Solomon’s servants.)

4Also in Jerusalem dwelt some of the children of Judah and of the children of Benjamin.

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;

5and 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 Shiloni.

6All the sons of Perez who dwelt at Jerusalem were four hundred and sixty-eight valiant men.

7And 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;

8and after him Gabbai and Sallai, nine hundred and twenty-eight.

9Joel the son of Zichri was their overseer, and Judah the son of Senuah was second over the city.

Of the priests: Jedaiah the son of Joiarib, and Jachin;

11Seraiah the son of Hilkiah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Zadok, the son of Meraioth, the son of Ahitub, was the leader of the house of God.

12Their brethren who did the work of the house were 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,

13and his brethren, heads of the fathers’ houses, were two hundred and forty-two; and Amashai the son of Azarel, the son of Ahzai, the son of Meshillemoth, the son of Immer,

14and their brethren, mighty men of valor, were one hundred and twenty-eight. Their overseer was Zabdiel the son of one of the great men.

Also of the Levites: Shemaiah the son of Hasshub, the son of Azrikam, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Bunni;

16Shabbethai and Jozabad, of the heads of the Levites, had the oversight of the business outside of the house of God;

17Mattaniah the son of Micha, the son of Zabdi, the son of Asaph, the leader who began the thanksgiving with prayer; Bakbukiah, the second among his brethren; and Abda the son of Shammua, the son of Galal, the son of Jeduthun.

18All the Levites in the holy city were two hundred and eighty-four.

19Moreover the gatekeepers, Akkub, Talmon, and their brethren who kept the gates, were one hundred and seventy-two.

20And the rest of Israel, of the priests and Levites, were in all the cities of Judah, everyone in his inheritance.

21But the Nethinim dwelt in Ophel. And Ziha and Gishpa were over the Nethinim.

22Also the overseer of the Levites at Jerusalem was Uzzi the son of Bani, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Micha, of the sons of Asaph, the singers in charge of the service of the house of God.

23For it was the king’s command concerning them that a certain portion should be for the singers, a quota day by day.

Pethahiah the son of Meshezabel, of the children of Zerah the son of Judah, was the king’s deputy in all matters concerning the people.

The People Dwelling Outside Jerusalem

25And as for the villages with their fields, some of the children of Judah dwelt in Kirjath Arba and its villages, Dibon and its villages, Jekabzeel and its villages;

26in Jeshua, Moladah, Beth Pelet,

27Hazar Shual, and Beersheba and its villages;

28in Ziklag and Meconah and its villages;

29in En Rimmon, Zorah, Jarmuth,

30Zanoah, Adullam, and their villages; in Lachish and its fields; in Azekah and its villages. They dwelt from Beersheba to the Valley of Hinnom.

31Also the children of Benjamin from Geba dwelt in Michmash, Aija, and Bethel, and their villages;

32in Anathoth, Nob, Ananiah;

33in Hazor, Ramah, Gittaim;

34in Hadid, Zeboim, Neballat;

35in Lod, Ono, and the Valley of Craftsmen.

36Some of the Judean divisions of Levites were in Benjamin.

The Priests and Levites

Now these are the priests and the Levites who came up with Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua: Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra,

2Amariah, Malluch, Hattush,

3Shechaniah, Rehum, Meremoth,

4Iddo, Ginnethoi, Abijah,

5Mijamin, Maadiah, Bilgah,

6Shemaiah, Joiarib, Jedaiah,

7Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, and Jedaiah.

These were the heads of the priests and their brethren in the days of Jeshua.

8Moreover the Levites were Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and Mattaniah who led the thanksgiving psalms, he and his brethren.

9Also Bakbukiah and Unni, their brethren, stood across from them in their duties.

10Jeshua begot Joiakim, Joiakim begot Eliashib, Eliashib begot Joiada,

11Joiada begot Jonathan, and Jonathan begot Jaddua.

12Now in the days of Joiakim, the priests, the heads of the fathers’ houses were: of Seraiah, Meraiah; of Jeremiah, Hananiah;

13of Ezra, Meshullam; of Amariah, Jehohanan;

14of Melichu, Jonathan; of Shebaniah, Joseph;

15of Harim, Adna; of Meraioth, Helkai;

16of Iddo, Zechariah; of Ginnethon, Meshullam;

17of Abijah, Zichri; the son of Minjamin; of Moadiah, Piltai;

18of Bilgah, Shammua; of Shemaiah, Jehonathan;

19of Joiarib, Mattenai; of Jedaiah, Uzzi;

20of Sallai, Kallai; of Amok, Eber;

21of Hilkiah, Hashabiah; and of Jedaiah, Nethanel.

22During the reign of Darius the Persian, a record was also kept of the Levites and priests who had been heads of their fathers’ houses in the days of Eliashib, Joiada, Johanan, and Jaddua.

23The sons of Levi, the heads of the fathers’ houses until the days of Johanan the son of Eliashib, were written in the book of the chronicles.

24And the heads of the Levites were Hashabiah, Sherebiah, and Jeshua the son of Kadmiel, with their brothers across from them, to praise and give thanks, group alternating with group, according to the command of David the man of God.

25Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon, and Akkub were gatekeepers keeping the watch at the storerooms of the gates.

26These lived in the days of Joiakim the son of Jeshua, the son of Jozadak, and in the days of Nehemiah the governor, and of Ezra the priest, the scribe.

Nehemiah Dedicates the Wall

Now at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought out the Levites in all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem to celebrate the dedication with gladness, both with thanksgivings and singing, with cymbals and stringed instruments and harps.

28And the sons of the singers gathered together from the countryside around Jerusalem, from the villages of the Netophathites,

29from the house of Gilgal, and from the fields of Geba and Azmaveth; for the singers had built themselves villages all around Jerusalem.

30Then the priests and Levites purified themselves, and purified the people, the gates, and the wall.

31So I brought the leaders of Judah up on the wall, and appointed two large thanksgiving choirs. One went to the right hand on the wall toward the Refuse Gate.

32After them went Hoshaiah and half of the leaders of Judah,

33and Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam,

34Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, Jeremiah,

35and some of the priests’ sons with trumpets—Zechariah the son of Jonathan, the son of Shemaiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Michaiah, the son of Zaccur, the son of Asaph,

36and his brethren, Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah, and Hanani, with the musical instruments of David the man of God. And Ezra the scribe went before them.

37By the Fountain Gate, in front of them, they went up the stairs of the City of David, on the stairway of the wall, beyond the house of David, as far as the Water Gate eastward.

The other thanksgiving choir went the opposite way, and I was behind them with half of the people on the wall, going past the Tower of the Ovens as far as the Broad Wall,

39and above the Gate of Ephraim, above the Old Gate, above the Fish Gate, the Tower of Hananel, the Tower of the Hundred, as far as the Sheep Gate; and they stopped by the Gate of the Prison.

So the two thanksgiving choirs stood in the house of God, likewise I and the half of the rulers with me;

41and the priests, Eliakim, Maaseiah, Minjamin, Michaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, and Hananiah, with trumpets;

42also Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malchijah, Elam, and Ezer. The singers sang loudly with Jezrahiah the director.

Also that day they offered great sacrifices, and rejoiced, for God had made them rejoice with great joy; the women and the children also rejoiced, so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard afar off.

Temple Responsibilities

And at the same time some were appointed over the rooms of the storehouse for the offerings, the firstfruits, and the tithes, to gather into them from the fields of the cities the portions specified by the Law for the priests and Levites; for Judah rejoiced over the priests and Levites who ministered.

Both the singers and the gatekeepers kept the charge of their God and the charge of the purification, according to the command of David and Solomon his son.

46For in the days of David and Asaph of old there were chiefs of the singers, and songs of praise and thanksgiving to God.

In the days of Zerubbabel and in the days of Nehemiah all Israel gave the portions for the singers and the gatekeepers, a portion for each day. They also consecrated holy things for the Levites, and the Levites consecrated them for the children of Aaron.

Principles of Separation

On that day they read from the Book of Moses in the hearing of the people, and in it was found written that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever come into the assembly of God,

because they had not met the children of Israel with bread and water, but hired Balaam against them to curse them. However, our God turned the curse into a blessing.

3So it was, when they had heard the Law, that they separated all the mixed multitude from Israel.

The Reforms of Nehemiah

Now before this, Eliashib the priest, having authority over the storerooms of the house of our God, was allied with Tobiah.

5And he had prepared for him a large room, where previously they had stored the grain offerings, the frankincense, the articles, the tithes of grain, the new wine and oil, which were commanded to be given to the Levites and singers and gatekeepers, and the offerings for the priests.

6But during all this I was not in Jerusalem, for in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon I had returned to the king. Then after certain days I obtained leave from the king,

7and I came to Jerusalem and discovered the evil that Eliashib had done for Tobiah, in preparing a room for him in the courts of the house of God.

8And it grieved me bitterly; therefore I threw all the household goods of Tobiah out of the room.

9Then I commanded them to cleanse the rooms; and I brought back into them the articles of the house of God, with the grain offering and the frankincense.

I also realized that the portions for the Levites had not been given them; for each of the Levites and the singers who did the work had gone back to his field.

11So I contended with the rulers, and said, “Why is the house of God forsaken?” And I gathered them together and set them in their place.

12Then all Judah brought the tithe of the grain and the new wine and the oil to the storehouse.

13And I appointed as treasurers over the storehouse Shelemiah the priest and Zadok the scribe, and of the Levites, Pedaiah; and next to them was Hanan the son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah; for they were considered faithful, and their task was to distribute to their brethren.

14Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and do not wipe out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God, and for its services!

In those days I saw people in Judah treading winepresses on the Sabbath, and bringing in sheaves, and loading donkeys with wine, grapes, figs, and all kinds of burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. And I warned them about the day on which they were selling provisions.

16Men of Tyre dwelt there also, who brought in fish and all kinds of goods, and sold them on the Sabbath to the children of Judah, and in Jerusalem.

17Then I contended with the nobles of Judah, and said to them, “What evil thing is this that you do, by which you profane the Sabbath day?

18“Did not your fathers do thus, and did not our God bring all this disaster on us and on this city? Yet you bring added wrath on Israel by profaning the Sabbath.”

19So it was, at the gates of Jerusalem, as it began to be dark before the Sabbath, that I commanded the gates to be shut, and charged that they must not be opened till after the Sabbath. Then I posted some of my servants at the gates, so that no burdens would be brought in on the Sabbath day.

20Now the merchants and sellers of all kinds of wares lodged outside Jerusalem once or twice.

21Then I warned them, and said to them, “Why do you spend the night around the wall? If you do so again, I will lay hands on you!” From that time on they came no more on the Sabbath.

22And I commanded the Levites that they should cleanse themselves, and that they should go and guard the gates, to sanctify the Sabbath day.

Remember me, O my God, concerning this also, and spare me according to the greatness of Your mercy!

In those days I also saw Jews who had married women of Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab.

24And half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod, and could not speak the language of Judah, but spoke according to the language of one or the other people.

25So I contended with them and cursed them, struck some of them and pulled out their hair, and made them swear by God, saying, “You shall not give your daughters as wives to their sons, nor take their daughters for your sons or yourselves.

26“Did not Solomon king of Israel sin by these things? Yet among many nations there was no king like him, who was beloved of his God; and God made him king over all Israel. Nevertheless pagan women caused even him to sin.

27“Should we then hear of your doing all this great evil, transgressing against our God by marrying pagan women?”

28And one of the sons of Joiada, the son of Eliashib the high priest, was a son-in-law of Sanballat the Horonite; therefore I drove him from me.

Remember them, O my God, because they have defiled the priesthood and the covenant of the priesthood and the Levites.

30Thus I cleansed them of everything pagan. I also assigned duties to the priests and the Levites, each to his service,

31and to bringing the wood offering and the firstfruits at appointed times.

Remember me, O my God, for good!

Annotations for Nehemiah

Nehemiah was a layman, a cupbearer to the great Artaxerxes Longimanus, who ruled Persia from 464 to 423 B.C.

Nehemiah is identified as the son of Hacaliah to distinguish him from other Jews of the same name (; ). The name Nehemiah means “The Lord has comforted.”

God put Nehemiah in Shushan (also rendered as Susa) just as He had put Esther there a generation before, and just as He had put Joseph in Egypt and Daniel in Babylon. When God wants to accomplish a work, He always prepares His workers and puts them in the right places at the right time.

Nehemiah asked about Jerusalem and the Jews living there because he had a caring heart. When we truly care about people, we want the facts, no matter how painful they may be.

, Three words can summarize the bad news from Judah: remnant, ruin, and reproach. Instead of a land inhabited by a great nation, only a remnant of people lived there, and they were in great affliction and struggling to survive. Instead of a magnificent city, Jerusalem was in shambles. Where there had once been great glory, now there was nothing but great reproach. You never know what God has in store, even in a commonplace conversation with a friend or relative, so keep your heart open to God’s providential leading.

Nehemiah wept about the plight of his people. What makes people laugh or weep is often an indication of character. People who laugh at others’ mistakes or misfortunes, or who weep over trivial personal disappointments, are lacking either in culture or character, and possibly both. Sometimes weeping is a sign of weakness; but with Nehemiah, it was a sign of strength, as it was with Jeremiah (), Paul (), and the Lord Jesus ().

Nehemiah fasted as he mourned. Fasting was required of the Jews only once a year, on the annual Day of Atonement (), but Nehemiah spent several days fasting, weeping, and praying. He knew that somebody had to do something to rescue Jerusalem, and he was willing to do whatever it took.

This is the first of twelve instances of prayer recorded in this book (see also ; , ; ; ; ; ; , , , ). The book of Nehemiah opens and closes with prayer. Obviously Nehemiah was a man of faith who depended wholly on the Lord to help him accomplish the work God had called him to do.

Real prayer keeps your heart and your head in balance so your burden doesn’t make you impatient to run ahead of God and ruin everything. As we pray, God tells us what to do, when to do it, and how to do it—all are important in accomplishing God’s will.

How do we know that God forgives our sins when we repent and confess to Him? He has so promised in His Word. Nehemiah reminded God of His words found in and , just as today we remind the Lord of His promise in .

The greater part of Nehemiah’s prayer was devoted to confession of sin (vv. ). The God who promised blessing and chastening also promised forgiveness if His people would repent and turn back to Him (; ). Nehemiah was claiming this promise as he prayed for himself and the nation. God’s eyes are upon His people, and His ears are open to their prayers.

A cupbearer was much more than our modern butler (see ). It was a position of great responsibility and privilege. At each meal, the cupbearer would test the king’s wine to make sure it wasn’t poisoned. A man who stood that close to the king in public had to be handsome, cultured, knowledgeable in court procedures, and able to converse with the king and advise him if asked (see ). Because he had access to the king, the cupbearer was a man of great influence, which he could use for good or for evil.

Four months passed since Nehemiah had received the bad news about the plight of Jerusalem. As every believer should, Nehemiah patiently waited on God for directions because through “faith and patience” we inherit the promises (). When we wait on the Lord in prayer, we are not wasting our time; we are investing it. God is preparing both us and our circumstances so that His purposes will be accomplished. When the right time arrives to act by faith, we dare not delay.

The king noticed that his cupbearer was carrying a burden. Had Artaxerxes been in a bad mood, he might have banished Nehemiah or even ordered him killed; instead, the king inquired why his servant was so sad.

As he was accustomed to do, Nehemiah sent one of his quick “instant message” prayers to the Lord (; ; ; , , , ). Keep in mind that these emergency prayers were backed up by four months of fasting and praying.

, Instead of telling the king what he planned to do, Nehemiah aroused the king’s sympathy and interest with a question regarding how he should feel about the sad plight of his ancestral city and the graves of his forefathers. This was a good strategy, and God used Nehemiah’s reply to get the king’s sympathetic attention (see also , ).

Not only had Nehemiah prayed for this opportunity, but he had also planned for it and had his answer ready. During those four months of waiting, Nehemiah had thought the matter through, so he knew exactly how he would approach the project. His reply to the king can be summarized in two requests: “Send me” () and “Give me” (). Nehemiah could not leave his post without the approval of the king, nor could he work in Jerusalem without the authority of the king.

When Jesus sent His disciples out to minister, He gave them the authority they needed to do the job, and He promised to meet their every need (). As we go forth to serve the Lord, we have behind us all authority in heaven and on earth (), so we don’t have to be afraid. But we must go where He sends us and do the work He has called us to do.

Moses and Nehemiah made similar decisions of faith and similar sacrifices (). As the representative of the deliverer of the Jews, would he be welcomed by the Gentile officials? Nehemiah performed no signs or wonders, nor did he deliver any prophecies, but he faithfully did his work and prepared a city for the coming Messiah ().

After his long and difficult journey, Nehemiah took time to rest, for leaders must take care of themselves if they are going to be able to serve the Lord (). He also took time to get the lay of the land without arousing the concern of the enemy. A good leader doesn’t rush into his work but patiently gathers the facts firsthand and then plans his or her strategy (). We must be “wise as serpents,” because the enemy is always watching and waiting to attack.

Catalyst

The Purpose of the Work

Nehemiah faced a great challenge and had great faith in a great God, but he would have accomplished very little had there not been great dedication on the part of the people who helped him rebuild the wall. With the kind of humility that befits a godly leader, Nehemiah gave all the credit to the people when he wrote, “At last the wall was completed to half its height around the entire city, for the people had worked with enthusiasm” ().

The Gentiles delighted in mocking their Jewish neighbors by pointing out the dilapidated condition of Jerusalem. But Nehemiah was concerned about only one thing—the glory of God. “Come and let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer be a reproach!” (; see ; ; ). The purpose of all ministry is the glory of God and not the aggrandizement of religious leaders or organizations (; ).

The Pattern of the Work

Thirty-eight individual workers are named in this chapter, and forty-two different groups are identified. Nehemiah left nameless many other workers, whose labors were also important, but each worker—named and anonymous—was assigned a place and a task. In and , Paul compares individual Christians to members of the human body: Each member is important, and each has a special function to perform.

The people finished this difficult task, because they obeyed the same leader, kept their eyes on the same goal, and worked together for God’s glory. Neither the enemy outside the city nor the difficulties inside the city distracted them from their God-given task. Like Paul, they said, “One thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead” ().

“Bolts” () refer to the sockets into which the bars were fitted, thus making it difficult for anyone outside the walls to access the city. It isn’t enough that we simply do the work of God; we must also make sure that what we do is protected from the enemy. “Look to yourselves, that we do not lose those things we worked for, but that we may receive a full reward” ().

The People in the Work

God uses all kinds of people. The chapter mentions rulers and priests (, ), men and women (v. ), professional craftsmen (vv. , ), and even people from outside the city (vv. , , ). Everyone had a place to work and a job to do. Some of the Israelites did not work, some worked harder than others, some did more work than their peers, and some worked from home. Simply claiming that we have done as much as others isn’t enough; we must do as much as we can as long as the Lord enables us.

Leaders must set the example (). If anybody in the city should have been busy in the work, it was the priests, for the glory of the Lord was involved in the project. That the high priest used his consecrated hands to do manual labor shows that he considered the work on the wall to be a ministry to the Lord. “Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” ().

The Places of the Work

Nehemiah began his list of the “work stations” with the Sheep Gate in the northeast corner of the city (). Then he moved counterclockwise around the walls to the Inspection Gate (v. ), which was adjacent to the Sheep Gate and just above the East Gate (v. ). In his record, Nehemiah names ten gates and several towers and other landmarks. He describes the work on the north wall first (vv. ), then the western wall (vv. ), then the southern point of the city (v. ), and finally the eastern wall (vv. ). Nehemiah’s primary purpose was to document for posterity and the official records the names and accomplishments of the people who worked on the wall.

Go to the

Nehemiah didn’t want the enemy to know what he was doing, so he investigated the ruins by night. By keeping his counsel to himself, Nehemiah prevented Tobiah’s friends from getting information they could pass along to Sanballat. A wise leader knows when to plan, when to speak, and when to work.

Christian leaders today face two obstacles as they seek to lead God’s people into new conquests for the Lord. How often we hear, “We’re content the way things are; don’t rock the boat by trying to change things.” Or, “We tried that before and it didn’t work!”

Whether in the area of science, exploration, invention, business, government, or Christian ministry, just about everyone who has ever accomplished anything has faced ridicule. Our Lord was ridiculed during His life and mocked while He was hanging on the cross. How well do you handle criticism and resistance?

Not only was Nehemiah able to challenge his own people, but he was also able to stand up against the enemy and deal effectively with their opposition. Just as soon as God’s people step out by faith to do His will, the enemy shows up and tries to discourage them.

The Sheep Gate was the gate through which the animals were brought into the city, including the temple sacrifices. This gate reminds us of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God who died for the sins of the world (; ).

The Fish Gate was located to the west of the Sheep Gate, and between the two stood the Tower of the Hundred and the Tower of Hananel (v. ). These two towers were a part of the city’s defense system and were close to the citadel, where the soldiers guarded the temple and protected the northern approach to the city, which was especially vulnerable.

The Old Gate is probably the Corner Gate (; ), located at the northwest corner of the city. Some students identify this with the “Mishneh Gate.” In Nehemiah’s day, the northwest section of the city was the mishneh, or “new quarter” (), and this gate led into it. What a paradox: The old gate leads into the new quarter! But it is from the old that we derive the new, and if we abandon the old, there can be nothing new (see and ).

The Valley Gate is where Nehemiah began his nocturnal investigation of the ruins of the city (). Located at the southwest corner of the city walls, this gate opened into the valley of Hinnom, the most despised area of the city. Every Christian needs a “valley gate,” for God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble (, ). Only as we yield to Christ and serve others can we truly enter into the fullness of the life He has for us ().

The Refuse Gate was located at the southernmost tip of the city, near the Pool of Siloam. It was a main exit to the valley of Hinnom, where the city disposed of its garbage. The Greek word gehenna refers to the valley of Hinnom, identifying this as the area that Jesus used as a picture of hell. The sanitary disposal of waste materials is essential to the health of a city. It reminds us that, like the city, each of us individually must get rid of whatever defiles us, or it may destroy us (; ).

The Fountain Gate was on the east wall, just north of the Refuse Gate, in a very strategic location near the Pool of Siloam, the old City of David, and the water tunnel built by King Hezekiah (). The Gihon Spring that fed the water system was an important source of water in the city. In the Bible, water for drinking is a picture of the Holy Spirit (), while water for washing is a picture of the Word of God ().

The Water Gate led from the old City of David to the Gihon Spring, located adjacent to the Kidron Valley. Jerusalem was one of the few great cities of antiquity that was not built near a great river, and the city depended on reservoirs and springs for its water. The temple servants were descendants of the Gibeonites, who were made drawers of water ().

The Horse Gate stood north of the Water Gate, adjacent to the temple area. God warned His people not to trust in horses and chariots (); but Solomon imported them from Egypt (), and they became an important part of the nation’s defense system (). The Horse Gate reminds us that the Christian life involves warfare () and that we must always be ready to do battle ().

The East Gate led directly to the temple and is probably what we know today as the Golden Gate. Tradition says that Jesus entered the temple on Palm Sunday through this gate. In the sixteenth century, the gate was sealed with blocks of stone by the Turkish sultan, Sulayman the Magnificent. Jewish and Christian tradition both connect the Golden Gate with the coming of the Messiah to Jerusalem, and Muslims associate it with the future judgment.

Ezekiel saw the glory of the Lord depart from the temple at the East Gate (; ), and the Lord will return to the city the same way (). So you have every reason to associate this gate with Christ’s return and to remind yourself to “abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming” ().

The Inspection Gate (Miphkad in Hebrew) was located at the northeast corner of the city. The Hebrew word has a military connotation and refers to the mustering of the troops for numbering and inspection. This is where the army was reviewed and registered. The north side of Jerusalem was the most vulnerable to attack, so this was a logical place to locate the army. When our Lord returns, He will gather His people together and review their works in preparation for giving out rewards for faithful service (; ; , ).

Nehemiah’s record ends with the Sheep Gate, the place where he began (v. ). Because they have rejected their Messiah, the people of Israel today have no sacrifice, no temple, and no priesthood (). Thankfully, here and there, individual Jews are trusting Christ; however, the nation as a whole is blinded in unbelief (.). When they see their Messiah, they will believe and be saved ().

No one person could have accomplished the work of repairing the walls and restoring the gates. It took leadership on Nehemiah’s part and cooperation on the part of the people. Each person had a place to fill and a job to do. So it is with the church today: We must work together if we are to finish the work to the glory of God.

The enemy often insults God’s servants. When the enemy laughs at what God’s people are doing, it usually signals that God is going to bless His people in a wonderful way. When the enemy rages on earth, God laughs in heaven ().

The people of the world don’t understand that God delights in using feeble instruments to get His work accomplished (). The world glories in its wealth and power, but God’s people glory in their poverty and weakness. When we are weak, then we are strong ().

How did Nehemiah respond to this ridicule? He prayed and asked God to fight the enemy for him. This is the third time we find Nehemiah praying (; ), and it will not be the last time. Nehemiah didn’t allow himself to be detoured from his work by taking time to reply to his enemy’s words. The Lord had heard the sneering taunts of Sanballat and Tobiah, and He would deal with them in His own way and His own time.

The things people say may hurt us, but they can never harm us, unless we let them get into our system and poison us. If we spend time pondering the enemy’s words, we will give Satan a foothold from which he can launch another attack closer to home. The best thing to do is to pray and commit the whole matter to the Lord, and then get back to work! Anything that keeps us from doing what God has called us to do will only help the enemy.

, The Christian’s battle is not against flesh and blood but against Satan and his demonic forces that use flesh and blood to oppose the Lord’s work. If we hope to win the war and finish the work, we must use the spiritual equipment God has provided (; ). If we focus on the visible enemy alone and forget the invisible enemy, we are sure to start trusting our own resources, and this will lead to defeat.

After looking the situation over, Nehemiah encouraged the people to not be afraid but to look to the Lord for help. If we fear the Lord, we need not fear the enemy. Nehemiah’s heart was captivated by the “great and awesome” God of Israel. When we face a situation that creates fear in our hearts, we must remind ourselves of the greatness of God.

, Again, Nehemiah spoke words of encouragement to the people. He reminded them that they were involved in a great work. After all, they were serving a great God and rebuilding the walls of a great city. He also reminded them that they were not working alone, even though they couldn’t see all of their fellow workers on the wall. God was with all of them and would come to their defense.

In the midst of a great work () for a great God (), the Jews heard a great cry () among the workers. They were not crying out against the Samaritans, the Ammonites, or the Arabs, but against their own people! Jew was exploiting Jew, and the economic situation had become so desperate that even the wives (who usually kept silent) were joining in the protest.

This was not the flaring up of a sinful temper but the expression of righteous indignation at the way the businessmen were oppressing their brothers and sisters. “Do not let the sun go down on your wrath” (; see ). Nehemiah’s was a holy anger against sin, and he knew he had God’s law behind him.

Nehemiah decided to call a great assembly and publicly confront the people whose selfishness had created this difficult and painful situation. Theirs was a grievous public sin, involving the whole nation, and it demanded public rebuke and repentance.

For Jews to loan money to one another was lawful, but they were not to act like money lenders and charge interest (, ). They were to treat one another with love even in the matter of taking security (; ) or making a brother a servant (). Both the people and the land belonged to the Lord, and He would not have anybody using either one for personal gain.

These wealthy businessmen were selfishly exploiting the poor in order to make themselves rich. They were using their power to rob some and to put others into bondage. Greed was one of the sins the prophets had denounced before the Babylonian captivity (; ; , ; , ). God has a special concern for the poor and will not hold those guiltless who take advantage of them.

One reason for the Year of Jubilee () was to balance the economic system in Israel so that the rich could not get richer as the poor became poorer. All debts had to be forgiven in the fiftieth year, all land restored to its original owners, and all servants set free.

, Nehemiah appealed to his own personal practice. He was lending money to the needy, but he was not charging interest or robbing them of their security (). Nehemiah was not a hypocrite; he practiced what he preached.

The Bible has much to say about the right and wrong use of money. Yet many professed believers ignore these truths and use their resources without consulting God. They think that because they tithe or give offerings to the Lord, they can do what they please with the rest of their income. They forget that we are stewards of all that God gives us, not just of what we give Him, and that He will hold us accountable for our stewardship.

The congregation responded with a collective “Amen,” which was much more than a Jewish ritual. It was their solemn assent to what had been said and done at the assembly (see and .). The word “amen” means “so be it”; in other words, “May the Lord do all that you said!” Saying this was an act of worship that made the entire assembly a part of the decisions that were made.

The “fear of God” is not the servile dread of a slave toward a master but the loving respect of a child toward a parent. To fear the Lord means to seek to glorify God in everything we do. It means listening to His Word, honoring it, and obeying it. The fear of the Lord moved Nehemiah to be a faithful servant of the Lord.

Catalyst

If you are in a position of spiritual leadership, this chapter has some important lessons for you. To begin with, expect problems to arise among your people. Wherever you have people, you have the potential for problems. Whenever God’s work is prospering, the enemy sees to it that trouble begins. Don’t be surprised when your people can’t always get along with each other.

Second, confront the problems courageously. “No problem is so great that you can’t ignore it” might be a good philosophy for a character in a comic strip, but it won’t work in the Lord’s service. Every problem you ignore will only go underground, grow deeper roots, and bear bitter fruits. Pray for God’s help and tackle the problem as soon as possible.

Third, be sure that your own integrity is intact. A guilty conscience will rob you of the spiritual authority you need to give proper leadership, but every sacrifice you have made will give you the extra strength you need to defeat the enemy.

Finally, see in every problem an opportunity for God to work. Solving problems in ministry is not an intellectual exercise but a spiritual experience. If we depend on the wisdom of the world, we will get what the world can do. If we depend on the wisdom of God, however, we will get what God can do. All that we say and do must be motivated by love, controlled by truth, and done to the glory of God.

Go to the

Loving compromise and cooperation can be good and useful if no moral or spiritual issues are involved. Happy compromise can invigorate a marriage or strengthen a ministry (), but this is compromise among people who love each other and have the same purposes in mind. When you invite the devil to join your team, expect him to change the rules and the goals, and expect to be defeated.

Nehemiah had both discernment and determination: He refused to be influenced by his enemies’ repeated offers (; see ). If their offer was wrong the first time, it would be wrong the fourth time or the fiftieth time, and he had no reason to reconsider. Decisions based only on opinions might be reconsidered, but decisions based on convictions must stand unless those convictions are changed. Otherwise, decision becomes indecision, and the leader who ought to be a guidepost becomes a weather vane.

The fifth enemy attack against Nehemiah came through an open letter accusing him of sedition. Even our Lord was accused by His enemies of promoting sedition (). This would be considered a serious charge in Nehemiah’s day, because Persian kings tolerated no resistance from their subjects. Any hint of rebellion would be put down immediately and ruthlessly.

, Christian leaders must know how to handle false accusations, vicious letters, unfounded press reports, and gossip. Otherwise, these devilish weapons will so upset them that they will lose their perspective and spend so much time defending themselves that they will neglect their work. Nehemiah didn’t make that mistake. He simply denied the reports, prayed to God for strength, and returned to work.

Nehemiah rejected Shemaiah’s proposal because it was contrary to the Law of Moses. A layman (“outsider,” or unauthorized person) was forbidden to go beyond the altar of burnt offering at the temple: “the outsider who comes near shall be put to death” (). When King Uzziah tried to invade the holy precincts, God smote him with leprosy (). Additionally, Nehemiah was a true shepherd and not a hireling like Shemaiah (, ). Running away and hiding in the temple would have ruined Nehemiah’s reputation forever.

The prophets, including a prophetess named Noadiah, were conspiring against Nehemiah. This created a great deal of pressure for Nehemiah, because the Jews had great respect for their prophets. Nehemiah was outnumbered, yet he stood his ground.

That any Jew would secretly cooperate with the enemy seems incredible, let alone Jews who were nobles from the royal tribe of Judah! If any tribe had a stake in the future of “the city of David,” it was the tribe of Judah, because God had promised that a Savior and King would come from their tribe (; ). When these nobles cooperated with Tobiah, they were resisting the Lord, disobeying the Word, and jeopardizing their own future.

How could these Jews turn their backs on their own heritage, their own brothers and sisters, and their own God? The bonds of human connection were stronger than the bonds of spiritual affection. Before criticizing these Jewish nobles, let’s examine our own lives. Are we totally yielded to the Lord and fully obedient to Him? Do we ever permit human relationships to influence our decisions so much that we deliberately disobey the Word of God?

We need guards at the gates, faithful men and women who will not allow false Christians to get in and take over the ministry (). We need watchers on the walls to warn us when the enemy is approaching. Christian parents need to guard their homes lest the enemy gets in and captures their children. The enemy enters and plants his counterfeits while God’s servants are asleep and overconfident (), so we must be awake and alert.

The gatekeepers were given specific instructions as to when to open and close the gates. To open the gates early in the morning would only invite the enemy to come in while the city was asleep and unprepared. To close and lock the gates without the guards on duty might give enemy agents opportunity to slip in unnoticed. Since many of the people had worked on areas of the wall near their homes (, , ), Nehemiah challenged them to guard the areas they had built. With guards at the gates, watchmen on the walls, and a solid “neighborhood watch,” the city was safe from outside attack.

Catalyst

One of the key lessons we can learn from chapter is that people are important to God. When God wanted to take the next step in His great plan of redemption, He called a group of Jews to leave the place of exile and return to their own land. He gave them encouragement from the prophets and leadership from people who feared God and wanted to honor Him. The Lord didn’t send a band of angels to do the job; He used common people who were willing to risk their futures on God’s promises.

Today, God is still calling people to leave their personal “Babylons” and follow Him by faith. The church is living in a day of “disgrace” (), and we have “ruins” all around us that need to be rebuilt. “If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” David asked (). The answer is plain: the righteous can rebuild what has been torn down and start over again! If you think that an enemy victory is final, then you have lost your faith in God’s promises. Those who are willing to pay the price will always have a new beginning.

This chapter also reminds us that God keeps accounts of His servants. He knows where we came from, what family we belong to, how much we gave, and how much we did for Him. When we stand before the Lord, we will have to give an accounting of our lives before we can receive our rewards (), and we want to be able to give a good account.

A third lesson we must learn is that the Lord is able to keep His work going. The first group of Jewish exiles left Babylon for Judea in 538 B.C. and, in spite of many difficulties and delays, they rebuilt the temple and restored the worship. Eighty years later, Ezra and another group returned, and fourteen years after that, Nehemiah arrived and rebuilt the walls and gates. During the days of Zerubbabel, God raised up the prophets Haggai and Zechariah to give God’s message to His people. No matter how discouraging the situation might be, God is able to accomplish His purposes if we will trust Him and do His will. We must not be discouraged!

Finally, and most important, we must all be sure that we know we are in the family of God. No matter how much they argued or protested, the priests without legitimate genealogies could not enter the temple precincts and minister at the altar. God is not impressed with our first birth; He wants us to experience a second birth and become His children. If you are not certain of your spiritual genealogy, read and , and make sure that your name is written down in heaven ().

Go to the

Reading this long list of difficult names might be boring to the modern student, but these people were God’s bridge from the defeats of the past to the hopes of the future. These Jews were the living link that connected the historic past with the prophetic future, making possible Jesus’ entrance into the world. Chapter and are to the Old Testament what is to the New Testament: a listing of the people whose faith and courage made things happen.

Our modern cities are ethnic melting pots, but at this time in Jerusalem, it was of utmost importance to be a Jew and to be able to prove your ancestry. Genealogies were lifelines that linked the Jews to the heritage of the past and to their hope for the future. Not to be able to prove your ancestry meant second-class citizenship and separation from all that God had given to Israel (, ). Nehemiah wanted to populate the Holy City with citizens who knew they were Jews and were proud of it.

We should note that these returned exiles had maintained their identification with their native towns and villages. They knew where they had come from and were not ashamed of it! Today, many care little about family roots or even civic loyalty.

One group of people, including some priests, could not prove their genealogies. For the priests, this would mean being cut off from the temple ministry and income from the tithes and offerings of the people. But the Law of Moses stated that only those whose family line was clearly in the family of Aaron could minister at the altar.

The total of the figures in this list is 29,818, but Nehemiah’s total is 42,360. Some of these extra unnumbered people may have been priests who could not prove their genealogy (vv. ), as well as others who didn’t fit into any special category. If we knew all the facts about how chapter and and were compiled and copied, we would understand these seeming discrepancies.

The parallel passage is , which tells us that some of the Jewish leaders gave generously to the temple ministry. But Nehemiah informs us that the governor (Tirshatha) and some of the common people also gave offerings to the Lord. It was only right that the leaders set the example.

God’s Word must be understood before it can enter the heart and release its life-changing power. Note the times in this chapter that “understanding” is mentioned (vv. , , , , , ). Only people old enough to understand the Scripture were permitted to be in the assembly (v. ). In our Lord’s parable of the sower (, ), the emphasis is on understanding the Word of God. Jesus compared understanding and receiving the Word to the planting of seed in the soil, where it takes root and bears fruit.

In the Bible, water for washing is a picture of the Word of God (; ), while water for drinking is a picture of the Spirit of God (). When we apply the water of the Word to our lives, the Spirit can work and bring the help we need. Receiving the Word and allowing the Spirit to teach us refreshes the soul.

This was on the first day of the seventh month, the Jewish equivalent of our New Year’s Day. The seventh month was a special time in the Jewish calendar because the Jews celebrated the Feast of Trumpets on the first day, the Day of Atonement on the tenth day, and the Feast of Tabernacles from the fifteenth day to the twenty-first day (). It was the perfect time for the nation to get right with the Lord and make a fresh new beginning.

, When Ezra lifted the scroll and unrolled it to the passage he would read, the people who were seated in the square honored the Word of God by standing. Ezra started his reading and teaching early in the morning and continued through midday (v. ), which means the congregation stood and listened for five or six hours. This continued for a week (v. ). No doubt from time to time, Ezra gave the people opportunities to rest, but the people were there to hear God speak and were willing to stand and listen.

, Ezra read and explained the Book. The common people didn’t own copies of the Scriptures, so they were thrilled to hear the Word of God. Ezra and his assistants made sure the law was explained to the people in a language they could understand. The Word was translated and expounded in such a way that the people were able to apply it to their lives. The Hebrew language would have undergone some changes since the days when Moses wrote the Pentateuch, and the everyday conversational Hebrew of the people would have differed in some ways from ancient Hebrew. We need new translations of the Bible, not because the Bible changes, but because our language changes.

The Word of God brings conviction and leads to repentance, but it also brings us joy, for the same Word that wounds also heals. “Your words were found, and I ate them, and Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart; for I am called by Your name, O LORD God of hosts” (). “The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes” (). “Your testimonies I have taken as a heritage forever, for they are the rejoicing of my heart” ().

Nehemiah convinced the people to stop mourning and start celebrating. Mourning when God has forgiven us is as wrong as rejoicing when sin has conquered us. The sinner has no reason for rejoicing, and the forgiven child of God has no reason for mourning (). Yes, as God’s children we carry burdens and know what it is to weep (, ), but we also experience power that transforms sorrow into joy. The secret of Christian joy is to believe what God says in His Word and act upon it. Faith that isn’t based on the Word is not faith at all; it is presumption or superstition. Joy that isn’t the result of faith is not joy at all; it is only a good feeling that will soon disappear. Faith based on the Word will produce joy that will weather the storms of life.

During the seven days of the festival, the Jews lived in booths made of branches and usually built on the flat roofs of their houses. It was a time for looking back and remembering the nation’s forty years of wandering in the wilderness, when the people were homeless and lived in temporary shelters. But the festival was also a time for looking around at the harvest blessings from God. The Lord had given them a good land, and they were never to forget the Giver as they enjoyed the gifts (). The Feast of Tabernacles was also an occasion for looking ahead to the glorious kingdom God promised His people Israel (, , ). It was a week-long festival of joyful praise and thanksgiving, focusing on the goodness of the Lord.

The world’s joy is temporary and artificial; and when the joy is gone, people are left with even greater weakness and emptiness. But the joy that comes from the Lord is real and lasting and enriches our lives. God doesn’t give us joy instead of sorrow, or joy in spite of sorrow, but joy in the midst of sorrow. It is not substitution but transformation.

Catalyst

God’s greatness is seen in the fact that He receives our worship (vv. ). True worship involves many elements: hearing the Scriptures, praising God, praying, confessing sin, and separating ourselves from that which displeases God. Each of these elements is recorded in this paragraph.

God’s greatness is also seen in the fact that He is God alone (v. ). The nation of Israel was surrounded by idolatry and the degrading lifestyle that was associated with pagan worship. In his reading and explaining of the law, Ezra had certainly emphasized the Ten Commandments (; ), including the first two commandments that declare the uniqueness of God and the wickedness of idolatry. Even today, faithful Jews still recite the “Shema” () as their declaration of faith in the one and only true God.

A third evidence of God’s greatness is the fact that He created the universe (v. ). “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” () is a statement that can be applied only to Jehovah, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Whenever God wanted to encourage His people, He would point to creation around them and remind them that He had made it all (). He used the same approach to remind them of the foolishness of worshiping idols (). To know that our Father in heaven is the Creator of all things is a great source of strength and peace. Idolatry means worshiping and serving the creature and the creation rather than the Creator (). “Thus does the world forget you, its Creator,” wrote Augustine, “and falls in love with what you have created instead of with you.”

God’s greatness is seen in the fact of His providential care for His creation (v. ). God did not simply make everything and then abandon it to its own course. He is involved in the affairs of His creation: He sees when a sparrow falls (), and He hears when a raven cries out for food (). He has the stars all counted and named (), and He has even numbered the hairs on our heads (). “You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing” ().

Finally, God’s greatness is seen in the fact that Nehemiah wrote, “the host of heaven worships You” (). We can’t duplicate the mighty works of the angels, but we can imitate their devotion to the Lord as they worship before His throne. And we have more cause to praise Him than they do! We have been saved by the grace of God and shall one day be like the Lord Jesus Christ. We are not just servants; we are children of God () and will dwell with Him forever!

Go to the

, The people also took time to confess their sins and seek the Lord’s forgiveness. The annual Day of Atonement was past, but the worshipers knew that they needed constant cleansing and renewal from the Lord. We must not major on self-examination to the extent that we start ignoring the Lord, but we must be honest in our dealings with Him (). Whenever you see sin or failure in your life, immediately look by faith to Christ and seek His forgiveness, and keep on looking to Him.

In the Scriptures, God speaks to us, and in prayer and praise, we speak to Him. “Stand up and bless the LORD your God!” is a command every true believer wants to obey. God’s name is exalted above every name (), and we should honor it as we praise Him. His name truly should be “exalted above all blessing and praise.”

Nehemiah tells us how their ancestors responded to all that God had done for them: They refused to bow to His authority (“acted proudly, hardened their necks”), listen to His Word (“did not heed”), and obey His will. At Kadesh Barnea, they tried to take matters in their own hands and appoint a new leader to take them back to Egypt (v. ; ). When Moses was on the mountain with God, the people made and worshiped an idol (; ). Moses interceded for the people, and God pardoned them. They did not truly love Him. Their obedience was only an outward form. In their hearts, they were still living in Egypt and wanting to return there. Though they did not have a living faith in God, they were still willing to receive His help and enjoy His gifts.

During the forty years of Israel’s discipline in the wilderness, the old generation died and a new generation was born, but God never forsook His people. God keeps His promises and fulfills His purposes. If we obey Him, we share in the blessing; if we disobey Him, we miss the blessing—but God’s purposes will be fulfilled and His name glorified. Like too many of God’s people today, the Jews were shortsighted: They forgot the glorious purposes that God had in mind for the nation.

God’s chastening is as much an evidence of His love as is His bountiful supply to meet our needs (). We should be grateful that God loves us too much to allow us to become spoiled children. The Father is never as close to us as when He is chastening us.

God was good to His people when His people were not good to Him. He sent them prophets to teach them and to warn them, but the nation refused to listen (). He was merciful to forgive them when they cried out for help, and He was longsuffering with them as they repeatedly rebelled against His Word. God could have destroyed the nation and started over again (see and , ), but He graciously spared them. In His mercy, God didn’t give them what they deserved, and in His grace, He gave them what they didn’t deserve. Our God is glorious (), powerful (v. ), faithful (v. ), and concerned about the needs of His people (v. ). He is a pardoning God (vv. , ), who is longsuffering when we sin (vv. , ) but who chastens if we rebel (v. ). He is a generous God (vv. , , ), who gives us far more than we deserve. He is a God who keeps His promises even if we are unfaithful.

Putting a seal on this document was a serious matter because it meant taking a solemn oath before the Lord (; see ). The law governing vows and oaths is found in and is introduced with these words: “If a man makes a vow to the LORD, or swears an oath to bind himself by some agreement, he shall not break his word; he shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth.” Since an oath involved the name and possible judgment of God, it was not to be taken lightly. Jesus warned against using empty oaths (; ), and Solomon gave a similar warning ().

Separation is simply total devotion to God, no matter what the cost. When a man and woman get married, they separate themselves from all other possible mates and give themselves completely to each other. This is total commitment motivated by love, and it is a balanced decision: We separate from others to the one who is to be our life’s mate.

Should believers today bind themselves with oaths as they seek to walk with the Lord and serve Him? Probably not. Our relationship to God is that of children to a Father, and our Father wants our obedience to be based on love. The New Testament gives no examples of believers taking oaths of obedience to the Lord. Our obedience should be a joyful response to all that He has done for us in Christ (.).

The Jews separated from the peoples around them and to the Lord and His Word (; ). They also united with their brothers and sisters in promising to obey the law of God (). Separation that ignores God and other believers is isolation and will eventually lead to sin.

, Two special areas of concern were mentioned: marriage and the Sabbath. The danger in mixed marriages was the loss of faith on the part of the Jewish mate (). How could a Jew, married to a Gentile, observe the dietary laws or celebrate the annual festivals? He or she would be continually ceremonially unclean. The husband and wife would experience constant conflict, then occasional compromise, and finally complete conformity, and the Jewish mate would have abandoned his or her spiritual heritage.

The phrase “house of our God” is used repeatedly in this section and refers to the restored temple. The people were promising God that they would obey His laws and provide what was needed for the ministry at the temple. “We will not neglect the house of our God” (v. ).

, The annual census of the people twenty years of age and older was accompanied by the collecting of a half-shekel tax to be used to support the ministry of the house of God (). The tax was a reminder to the people that God had redeemed them, paying a price to set them free, and that they should behave like people who belonged to God.

This verse describes how the census tax would be spent: to provide what was needed for the regular and special ministries at the temple, all of which were part of the “work of the house of our God.” If the nation was to be in a right relationship with the Lord, the priests had to faithfully carry on their ministry.

The word “tithe” means “a tenth.” The Jews were to bring a tenth of their produce to the Lord each year for the support of the Levites (). While the New Testament has no express command that God’s people should tithe today, proportionate giving is certainly commended (). We are managers of God’s wealth and should make wise use of what He shares with us (, ).

Tithing can be a great blessing, but those who tithe must avoid at least three dangers: (1) giving with the wrong motive, out of a sense of duty, fear, or greed (“If I tithe, God must prosper me!”); (2) thinking that they can do what they please with the 90 percent that remains; (3) giving only the tithe and failing to give love offerings to the Lord.

, Now that the walls and gates of Jerusalem were restored, the Jews had to inhabit their capital city and make the population grow. For one thing, people were needed to protect the city, for they never knew when the enemy might decide to attack. It may have been safer for the people to live in the small outlying villages that were no threat to the Gentile society, but somebody had to take the risk and move into the big city.

Having rebuilt the Holy City, the people would live there as a witness to the skeptical Gentiles around them. After all, why rebuild the city if they didn’t plan to live there? God had brought the remnant back home because He had a special job for them to do, and to abandon the restored city would be to obstruct the working out of God’s will through Israel.

Never underestimate the importance of simply being physically present in the place where God wants you. You may not be asked to perform some dramatic ministry, but simply being there is a ministry. The men, women, and children who helped to populate the city of Jerusalem were serving God, their nation, and future generations by their step of faith.

Some of these citizens volunteered willingly, while others had to be drafted. The people had promised to tithe their produce (, ), so Nehemiah decided to tithe the people, and ten percent were chosen by lot to move from the villages into Jerusalem. Since the city had few residents and the housing situation was bad (), it isn’t surprising that many of the Jews were unwilling to move.

The priests, Levites, and temple workers are named next. God had set aside special cities for them (), so they could have legitimately lived outside Jerusalem; but they chose to be with the people as they served God in the temple.

A variety of people were needed for the temple ministry that was so important to the Jewish nation. The priests officiated at the altar, and the Levites assisted them. Some supervised the maintenance of the building (v. ), while others ministered with prayer and praise (vv. , ), and both were important. Nearly 300 men were appointed to guard the temple (v. ). Many people, with many skills, were needed to maintain the ministry in Jerusalem.

Pethahiah was the king’s agent who represented the Jews at court. People involved in government are God’s ministers (), whether they realize it or not. If they are faithful, they are serving the Lord just as much as the priests and Levites in the temple.

God uses many people with different gifts and skills to get His work done. When we give our bodies to the Lord, He can use us as His tools to accomplish His work. Each person is important and each task is significant.

The Jews were accustomed to having workers and watchers on the walls of Jerusalem, but now Nehemiah and Ezra assigned people to be worshipers on the walls. They conducted a dedication service with such enthusiasm that their shouts and songs were heard “afar off” (v. ).

The order for the dedication service was unique. The leaders and singers were divided into two groups, with Ezra leading one group and Nehemiah (following the choir) directing the second group. The processions started probably from the Valley Gate on the west wall, marching in opposite directions. Because the walls and gates were being dedicated, the people wanted to see and touch them.

By marching on the walls, the people had an opportunity to see the results of their labors and realize anew that the work had not been done by one person. True, Nehemiah had been their leader, and they had needed him, but “the people had a mind to work” (). Various people and families had labored on different parts of the wall (ch. ), but nobody owned the part he or she had worked on. The wall belonged to God.

Not only the professional musicians expressed praise to God, for the women and children also joined in the singing. They had heard the Word at the Water Gate (), so they rightfully expressed their worship, for learning the Word and worshiping the Lord must go together (). We must never permit the accomplished ministry of worship leaders to take the place of our own spontaneous celebration of the Lord’s goodness. Otherwise, we will become spectators instead of participants, and spectators miss most of the blessing.

The people brought their tithes and offerings, not only because God had commanded it, but also because they “rejoiced over the priests and Levites who ministered.” The ministers at the temple were exemplary both in their personal purity and in their obedience to God’s Word (vv. , ). They conducted the worship, not according to their own ideas, but in obedience to the directions given by David and Solomon.

Our material gifts are really spiritual sacrifices to the Lord, if they are given in the right spirit. The apostle Paul called the gifts from the Philippian church “a sweet-smelling aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well pleasing to God” (). Jesus accepted Mary’s gift of precious ointment as an act of worship (), and reminds us that doing good and sharing are sacrifices that please the Lord.

Before we can bring our material gifts to the Lord, we must first give ourselves to Him. Paul commended the churches of Macedonia because “they first gave themselves to the Lord” (), before they shared in the missionary offering he was receiving for the needy believers in Jerusalem. Our gifts cannot be a substitute for ourselves.

Ammon and Moab were born from the incestuous union of Lot and his daughters (), and their descendants were the avowed enemies of the Jews. Somehow this mixed multitude had infiltrated the people of Israel in spite of previous purgings (; ). Today the mixed multitude is composed of unsaved people who want to belong to the fellowship of God’s people without trusting the Lord or submitting to His will. They want the blessings but not the obligations, and their appetite is still for the things of the world.

The mixed multitude in the church today urges us to follow the philosophy of Balaam and do what the world wants us to do. If we understand the times (), we can relate to people more easily and apply the Word with greater skill, but we must not imitate the world in order to try to witness to the world.

Just because a family has been active in the church a long time and has helped to build the work does not mean that each generation will be spiritual or that any generation will remain spiritual. Children and grandchildren can drift from the faith and try to bluff their way on the testimony of their ancestors, and fathers and mothers can depart from the faith just to please their children. All this happened while Nehemiah was away at the palace, which suggests that those he appointed to lead in his absence had failed in their oversight. For the enemy to capture leadership doesn’t take long, and too often the people will blindly follow their leaders in the path of compromise and disobedience.

When God’s people start to decline spiritually, one of the first places it shows up is in their giving. “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (). The believer who is happy in the Lord and walking in His will has a generous heart and wants to share with others. Giving is both the thermostat and the thermometer of the Christian life: It measures our spiritual temperature and also helps set it at the right level.

When they signed the covenant, the Jews promised not to do business with the Gentiles on the Sabbath day (); however, Nehemiah found the people not only doing business on the Sabbath but also doing their daily work and carrying unnecessary burdens. The Jewish merchants didn’t want to lose the opportunity to make money from the Gentiles, and the Gentiles were quick to make a profit from their Jewish neighbors.

Nehemiah took three steps toward changing the situation. First, he rebuked the Jews who were working and selling on the Sabbath and made them stop. Second, he rebuked the nobles for allowing business on the Sabbath day, reminding them that the nation’s violation of the Sabbath was one cause for their captivity (vv. ; ). Did they want to have more wrath come on the people? Third, by closing the gates (), he limited access.

The Law of Moses was clear, but both the priests and the common people had deliberately disobeyed it. Nehemiah then purified the priests and made certain that only those who were qualified served (v. ). The problem with the priests was not completely settled, however, for the prophet Malachi had to deal with disobedient priests in his day ().

, Nehemiah closes with two prayers that God would remember him for his faithful service. His conscience was clear, for he knew he had done everything for the good of the people and the glory of God. Despite his sacrifices, the people didn’t always appreciate him, but Nehemiah knew that God would reward him appropriately.

Nehemiah 1

1:1

1:1 , ,

1:1 Or Susa

1:2

1:3

1:5

1:5 [; , ]

1:5 Literally Him

1:5 Literally His

1:6

1:7

1:8

1:9 [; ]

1:9

1:10

1:11

Nehemiah 2

2:1

2:2

2:3 ; ; ,

2:3

2:4

2:6 ;

2:7 ;

2:7 That is, the Euphrates, and so elsewhere in this book

2:8

2:8 ; , ,

2:8 Literally house

2:10 ;

2:10 Literally servant, and so elsewhere in this book

2:11

2:13

2:13 ;

2:14

2:15

2:17

2:18

2:19

2:20

Nehemiah 3

3:1 ; ; , ,

3:1

3:1 Hebrew Hammeah, also at

3:2

3:2 Literally On his hand

3:3

3:3 ;

3:4

3:4 Or Hakkoz

3:5 []

3:5 Literally necks

3:6

3:7

3:7 Literally throne

3:8

3:8 Literally the son

3:11

3:13 ,

3:13

3:14

3:15

3:16

3:16 Septuagint, Syriac, and Vulgate read tomb.

3:18 Following Masoretic Text and Vulgate; some Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint, and Syriac read Binnui (compare verse ).

3:19

3:20 A few Hebrew manuscripts, Syriac, and Vulgate read Zaccai.

3:21 Or Hakkoz

3:24

3:25 ; ;

3:26

3:26 , ;

3:28

3:31 Literally Inspection or Recruiting

3:32 ;

Nehemiah 4

4:1 ,

4:3 ,

4:4 ,

4:4

4:5

4:7

4:8

4:9 []

4:14

4:14 []

4:14

4:15

4:20 ,

4:21 Literally them

Nehemiah 5

5:1 ,

5:1

5:5

5:7 []

5:8

5:9

5:12

5:13 ;

5:13

5:13 Literally my lap

5:14 ;

5:14 []

5:15 ;

5:15

5:16 ;

5:16 Following Masoretic Text; Septuagint, Syriac, and Vulgate read I.

5:17

5:18

5:18 ,

5:19 , ,

Nehemiah 6

6:1 , ; , ;

6:1 ,

6:2 ,

6:2

6:2 ,

6:6

6:6 Hebrew Gashmu

6:12

6:14

6:16 , ; , ;

6:16

6:18 ,

6:18

Nehemiah 7

7:1 ,

7:2

7:2 ;

7:2

7:4

7:6

7:6 Compare verses with

7:7

7:7 Spelled Mispar in

7:15 Spelled Bani in

7:24 Called Jorah in

7:25 Called Gibbar in

7:28 Called Azmaveth in

7:34

7:39

7:40

7:41 ;

7:42

7:43 Spelled Hodaviah in

7:47 Spelled Siaha in

7:48 Masoretic Text reads Lebanah.

7:48 Masoretic Text reads Hogabah.

7:48 Or Shalmai, or Shamlai

7:52 Spelled Nephusim in

7:54 Spelled Bazluth in

7:57 Spelled Peruda in

7:59 Spelled Ami in

7:61 Spelled Addan in

7:63 Or Hakkoz

7:65 Hebrew Tirshatha

7:70

7:70 Hebrew Tirshatha

7:71

7:73

Nehemiah 8

8:1

8:2 [, ]

8:2

8:3

8:5

8:6

8:7 []

8:7

8:9 , ;

8:9

8:9 Hebrew Tirshatha

8:10

8:12

8:12 ,

8:14 , ,

8:15

8:16

8:17

8:18

Nehemiah 9

9:1

9:1 Literally earth on them

9:2 ,

9:2

9:3 ,

9:5

9:6 ,

9:6

9:6 []

9:6

9:6 []

9:7

9:8 ;

9:8

9:9 ;

9:9

9:10

9:11

9:11 ,

9:12 ,

9:13

9:13 []

9:14

9:15

9:16

9:16 ;

9:17 ,

9:17

9:17 Following Masoretic Text and Vulgate; Septuagint reads in Egypt.

9:18 ,

9:19

9:20

9:21

9:21 ;

9:21 Compare

9:22

9:22 Literally corners

9:22 Following Masoretic Text and Vulgate; Septuagint omits The land of.

9:23 ;

9:24

9:24 [, ]

9:25

9:25 []

9:25

9:26

9:26 ;

9:27

9:28

9:29

9:30

9:30 []

9:30

9:31

9:32 [, ]

9:32 ;

9:33 []

9:33 [, , ]

9:35

9:36

9:37 ,

9:37

9:38

Nehemiah 10

10:1

10:2

10:14

10:28

10:29

10:30

10:31

10:31 [, ]

10:32

10:33

10:33 ;

10:34

10:35 ;

10:36 , ,

10:37

10:38

10:39 ,

10:39 []

Nehemiah 11

11:1 ; ;

11:2

11:3 ,

11:3

11:4

11:9 Or Hassenuah

11:10

11:14 Or the son of Haggedolim

11:16

11:17 Or Michah

11:18

11:21

11:23 , ;

11:24

11:24 Literally at the king’s hand

11:25

11:35

Nehemiah 12

12:1 , ;

12:1

12:4

12:4 Or Ginnethon (compare verse )

12:7

12:8

12:12 , ; ;

12:14 Or Malluch (compare verse )

12:14 Or Shechaniah (compare verse )

12:15 Or Rehum (compare verse )

12:15 Or Meremoth (compare verse )

12:17 Or Mijamin (compare verse )

12:17 Or Maadiah (compare verse )

12:20 Or Sallu (compare verse )

12:22

12:23

12:24

12:26

12:26 ,

12:26 Spelled Jehozadak in

12:27

12:28

12:30 ,

12:31

12:31 ;

12:35 ,

12:36

12:36 ,

12:37 ;

12:37

12:37 ; , ,

12:38

12:39

12:41 Or Mijamin (compare verse )

12:43

12:44 , ,

12:44

12:45 ,

12:46

12:47

12:47 ,

12:47

Nehemiah 13

13:1 , ;

13:1 ,

13:2

13:2 ;

13:3 ;

13:4

13:4 ; ;

13:5

13:5 ,

13:6

13:7 ,

13:9 , ,

13:10

13:11 ,

13:11

13:12 ;

13:13

13:14 ; ,

13:15 []

13:18 []

13:19

13:19 ,

13:22

13:23

13:25

13:25 ,

13:26 ,

13:26

13:27 []

13:28 ,

13:28 , ; ,

13:29

13:29 , ,

13:30

13:31

13:31 ,

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