1These are the memoirs of Nehemiah son of Hacaliah. In late autumn, in the month of Kislev, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes' reign, I was at the fortress of Susa.H1697H5166H1121H2446H2320H3691H6242H8141H7800H1002 2Hanani, one of my brothers, came to visit me with some other men who had just arrived from Judah. I asked them about the Jews who had returned there from captivity and about how things were going in Jerusalem.H2607H259H251H935H582H3063H7592H3064H6413H7604H7628H3389 3They said to me, "Things are not going well for those who returned to the province of Judah. They are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem has been torn down, and the gates have been destroyed by fire."H559H7604H7604H7628H4082H1419H7451H2781H2346H3389H6555H8179H3341H784 4When I heard this, I sat down and wept. In fact, for days I mourned, fasted, and prayed to the God of heaven.H8085H1697H3427H1058H56H3117H6684H6419H6440H430H8064 5Then I said, "O LORD, God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps his covenant of unfailing love with those who love him and obey his commands,H559H577H3068H430H8064H1419H3372H410H8104H1285H2617H157H8104H4687 6listen to my prayer! Look down and see me praying night and day for your people Israel. I confess that we have sinned against you. Yes, even my own family and I have sinned!H241H7183H5869H6605H8085H8605H5650H6419H6440H3117H3119H3915H1121H3478H5650H3034H2403H1121H3478H2398H1H1004H2398 7We have sinned terribly by not obeying the commands, decrees, and regulations that you gave us through your servant Moses.H2254H2254H8104H4687H2706H4941H6680H5650H4872 8"Please remember what you told your servant Moses: 'If you are unfaithful to me, I will scatter you among the nations.H2142H1697H6680H5650H4872H559H4603H6327H5971 9But if you return to me and obey my commands and live by them, then even if you are exiled to the ends of the earth, I will bring you back to the place I have chosen for my name to be honored.'H7725H8104H4687H6213H5080H7097H8064H6908H935H4725H977H7931H8034 10"The people you rescued by your great power and strong hand are your servants.H5650H5971H6299H1419H3581H2389H3027 11O Lord, please hear my prayer! Listen to the prayers of those of us who delight in honoring you. Please grant me success today by making the king favorable to me. Put it into his heart to be kind to me." In those days I was the king's cup-bearer.H136H577H241H7183H8605H5650H8605H5650H2655H3372H8034H6743H5650H3117H5414H7356H6440H376H4428H8248
2Early the following spring, in the month of Nisan, during the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes' reign, I was serving the king his wine. I had never before appeared sad in his presence.H2320H5212H6242H8141H783H4428H3196H6440H5375H3196H5414H4428H7451H6440 2So the king asked me, "Why are you looking so sad? You don't look sick to me. You must be deeply troubled." Then I was terrified,H4428H559H6440H7451H2470H7455H3820H3966H7235H3372 3but I replied, "Long live the king! How can I not be sad? For the city where my ancestors are buried is in ruins, and the gates have been destroyed by fire."H559H4428H4428H2421H5769H6440H3415H5892H1004H1H6913H2720H8179H398H784 4The king asked, "Well, how can I help you?" With a prayer to the God of heaven,H4428H559H1245H6419H430H8064 5I replied, "If it please the king, and if you are pleased with me, your servant, send me to Judah to rebuild the city where my ancestors are buried."H559H4428H2895H4428H5650H3190H6440H7971H3063H5892H1H6913H1129 6The king, with the queen sitting beside him, asked, "How long will you be gone? When will you return?" After I told him how long I would be gone, the king agreed to my request.H4428H559H7694H3427H681H4109H7725H3190H6440H4428H7971H5414H2165 7I also said to the king, "If it please the king, let me have letters addressed to the governors of the province west of the Euphrates River, instructing them to let me travel safely through their territories on my way to Judah.H559H4428H2895H4428H107H5414H6346H5676H5104H5674H935H3063 8And please give me a letter addressed to Asaph, the manager of the king's forest, instructing him to give me timber. I will need it to make beams for the gates of the Temple fortress, for the city walls, and for a house for myself." And the king granted these requests, because the gracious hand of God was on me.H107H623H8104H4428H6508H5414H6086H7136H8179H1002H1004H2346H5892H1004H935H4428H5414H2896H3027H430 9When I came to the governors of the province west of the Euphrates River, I delivered the king's letters to them. The king, I should add, had sent along army officers and horsemen to protect me.H935H6346H5676H5104H5414H4428H107H4428H7971H8269H2428H6571 10But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard of my arrival, they were very displeased that someone had come to help the people of Israel.H5571H2772H2900H5650H5984H8085H3415H7451H1419H935H120H1245H2896H1121H3478 11So I arrived in Jerusalem. Three days later,H935H3389H7969H3117 12I slipped out during the night, taking only a few others with me. I had not told anyone about the plans God had put in my heart for Jerusalem. We took no pack animals with us except the donkey I was riding.H6965H3915H4592H4592H582H5046H120H430H5414H3820H6213H3389H929H929H7392 13After dark I went out through the Valley Gate, past the Jackal's Well, and over to the Dung Gate to inspect the broken walls and burned gates.H3318H3915H8179H1516H6440H8577H5869H5886H830H8179H7663H7665H2346H3389H6555H8179H398H784 14Then I went to the Fountain Gate and to the King's Pool, but my donkey couldn't get through the rubble.H5674H8179H5869H4428H1295H4725H929H5674 15So, though it was still dark, I went up the Kidron Valley instead, inspecting the wall before I turned back and entered again at the Valley Gate.H5927H3915H5158H7663H7665H2346H7725H935H8179H1516H7725 16The city officials did not know I had been out there or what I was doing, for I had not yet said anything to anyone about my plans. I had not yet spoken to the Jewish leaders—the priests, the nobles, the officials, or anyone else in the administration.H5461H3045H1980H6213H3651H5046H3064H3548H2715H5461H3499H6213H4399 17But now I said to them, "You know very well what trouble we are in. Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire. Let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem and end this disgrace!"H559H7200H7451H3389H2720H8179H3341H784H3212H1129H2346H3389H2781 18Then I told them about how the gracious hand of God had been on me, and about my conversation with the king. They replied at once, "Yes, let's rebuild the wall!" So they began the good work.H5046H3027H430H2896H4428H1697H559H559H6965H1129H2388H3027H2896 19But when Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem the Arab heard of our plan, they scoffed contemptuously. "What are you doing? Are you rebelling against the king?" they asked.H5571H2772H2900H5650H5984H1654H6163H8085H3932H959H559H1697H6213H4775H4428 20I replied, "The God of heaven will help us succeed. We, his servants, will start rebuilding this wall. But you have no share, legal right, or historic claim in Jerusalem."H7725H1697H559H430H8064H6743H5650H6965H1129H2506H6666H2146H3389
3Then Eliashib the high priest and the other priests started to rebuild at the Sheep Gate. They dedicated it and set up its doors, building the wall as far as the Tower of the Hundred, which they dedicated, and the Tower of Hananel.H475H1419H3548H6965H251H3548H1129H6629H8179H6942H5975H1817H4026H3968H6942H4026H2606 2People from the town of Jericho worked next to them, and beyond them was Zaccur son of Imri.H3027H1129H582H3405H1129H2139H1121H566 3The Fish Gate was built by the sons of Hassenaah. They laid the beams, set up its doors, and installed its bolts and bars.H1709H8179H1121H5570H1129H7136H5975H1817H4514H1280 4Meremoth son of Uriah and grandson of Hakkoz repaired the next section of wall. Beside him were Meshullam son of Berekiah and grandson of Meshezabel, and then Zadok son of Baana.H3027H2388H4822H1121H223H1121H6976H3027H2388H4918H1121H1296H1121H4898H3027H2388H6659H1121H1195 5Next were the people from Tekoa, though their leaders refused to work with the construction supervisors.H3027H8621H2388H117H935H6677H5656H113 6The Old City Gate was repaired by Joiada son of Paseah and Meshullam son of Besodeiah. They laid the beams, set up its doors, and installed its bolts and bars.H3465H8179H2388H3111H1121H6454H4918H1121H1152H7136H5975H1817H4514H1280 7Next to them were Melatiah from Gibeon, Jadon from Meronoth, people from Gibeon, and people from Mizpah, the headquarters of the governor of the province west of the Euphrates River.H3027H2388H4424H1393H3036H4824H582H1391H4709H3678H6346H5676H5104 8Next was Uzziel son of Harhaiah, a goldsmith by trade, who also worked on the wall. Beyond him was Hananiah, a manufacturer of perfumes. They left out a section of Jerusalem as they built the Broad Wall.H3027H2388H5816H1121H2736H6884H3027H2388H2608H1121H7546H5800H3389H7342H2346 9Rephaiah son of Hur, the leader of half the district of Jerusalem, was next to them on the wall.H3027H2388H7509H1121H2354H8269H2677H6418H3389 10Next Jedaiah son of Harumaph repaired the wall across from his own house, and next to him was Hattush son of Hashabneiah.H3027H2388H3042H1121H2739H1004H3027H2388H2407H1121H2813 11Then came Malkijah son of Harim and Hasshub son of Pahath-moab, who repaired another section of the wall and the Tower of the Ovens.H4441H1121H2766H2815H1121H6355H2388H8145H4060H4026H8574 12Shallum son of Hallohesh and his daughters repaired the next section. He was the leader of the other half of the district of Jerusalem.H3027H2388H7967H1121H3873H8269H2677H6418H3389H1323 13The Valley Gate was repaired by the people from Zanoah, led by Hanun. They set up its doors and installed its bolts and bars. They also repaired the 1,500 feet of wall to the Dung Gate.H1516H8179H2388H2586H3427H2182H1129H5975H1817H4514H1280H505H520H2346H830H8179 14The Dung Gate was repaired by Malkijah son of Recab, the leader of the Beth-hakkerem district. He rebuilt it, set up its doors, and installed its bolts and bars.H830H8179H2388H4441H1121H7394H8269H6418H1021H1129H5975H1817H4514H1280 15The Fountain Gate was repaired by Shallum son of Col-hozeh, the leader of the Mizpah district. He rebuilt it, roofed it, set up its doors, and installed its bolts and bars. Then he repaired the wall of the pool of Siloam near the king's garden, and he rebuilt the wall as far as the stairs that descend from the City of David.H8179H5869H2388H7968H1121H3626H8269H6418H4709H1129H2926H5975H1817H4514H1280H2346H1295H7975H4428H1588H4609H3381H5892H1732 16Next to him was Nehemiah son of Azbuk, the leader of half the district of Beth-zur. He rebuilt the wall from a place across from the tombs of David's family as far as the water reservoir and the House of the Warriors.H310H2388H5166H1121H5802H8269H2677H6418H1049H6913H1732H1295H6213H1004H1368 17Next to him, repairs were made by a group of Levites working under the supervision of Rehum son of Bani. Then came Hashabiah, the leader of half the district of Keilah, who supervised the building of the wall on behalf of his own district.H310H2388H3881H7348H1121H1137H3027H2388H2811H8269H2677H6418H7084H6418 18Next down the line were his countrymen led by Binnui son of Henadad, the leader of the other half of the district of Keilah.H310H2388H251H942H1121H2582H8269H2677H6418H7084 19Next to them, Ezer son of Jeshua, the leader of Mizpah, repaired another section of wall across from the ascent to the armory near the angle in the wall.H3027H2388H5829H1121H3442H8269H4709H8145H4060H5927H5402H4740 20Next to him was Baruch son of Zabbai, who zealously repaired an additional section from the angle to the door of the house of Eliashib the high priest.H310H1263H1121H2079H2734H2388H8145H4060H4740H6607H1004H475H1419H3548 21Meremoth son of Uriah and grandson of Hakkoz rebuilt another section of the wall extending from the door of Eliashib's house to the end of the house.H310H2388H4822H1121H223H1121H6976H8145H4060H6607H1004H475H8503H1004H475 22The next repairs were made by the priests from the surrounding region.H310H2388H3548H582H3603 23After them, Benjamin and Hasshub repaired the section across from their house, and Azariah son of Maaseiah and grandson of Ananiah repaired the section across from his house.H310H2388H1144H2815H1004H310H2388H5838H1121H4641H1121H6055H681H1004 24Next was Binnui son of Henadad, who rebuilt another section of the wall from Azariah's house to the angle and the corner.H310H2388H1131H1121H2582H8145H4060H1004H5838H4740H6438 25Palal son of Uzai carried on the work from a point opposite the angle and the tower that projects up from the king's upper house beside the court of the guard. Next to him were Pedaiah son of Parosh,H6420H1121H186H4740H4026H3318H4428H5945H1004H2691H4307H310H6305H1121H6551 26with the Temple servants living on the hill of Ophel, who repaired the wall as far as a point across from the Water Gate to the east and the projecting tower.H5411H3427H6077H4325H8179H4217H4026H3318 27Then came the people of Tekoa, who repaired another section across from the great projecting tower and over to the wall of Ophel.H310H8621H2388H8145H4060H1419H4026H3318H2346H6077 28Above the Horse Gate, the priests repaired the wall. Each one repaired the section immediately across from his own house.H5483H8179H2388H3548H376H5048H1004 29Next Zadok son of Immer also rebuilt the wall across from his own house, and beyond him was Shemaiah son of Shecaniah, the gatekeeper of the East Gate.H310H2388H6659H1121H564H1004H310H2388H8098H1121H7935H8104H4217H8179 30Next Hananiah son of Shelemiah and Hanun, the sixth son of Zalaph, repaired another section, while Meshullam son of Berekiah rebuilt the wall across from where he lived.H310H2388H2608H1121H8018H2586H8345H1121H6764H8145H4060H310H2388H4918H1121H1296H5393 31Malkijah, one of the goldsmiths, repaired the wall as far as the housing for the Temple servants and merchants, across from the Inspection Gate. Then he continued as far as the upper room at the corner.H310H2388H4441H6885H1121H1004H5411H7402H8179H4663H5944H6438 32The other goldsmiths and merchants repaired the wall from that corner to the Sheep Gate.H5944H6438H6629H8179H2388H6884H7402
4Sanballat was very angry when he learned that we were rebuilding the wall. He flew into a rage and mocked the Jews,H5571H8085H1129H2346H2734H7235H3707H3932H3064 2saying in front of his friends and the Samarian army officers, "What does this bunch of poor, feeble Jews think they're doing? Do they think they can build the wall in a single day by just offering a few sacrifices? Do they actually think they can make something of stones from a rubbish heap—and charred ones at that?"H559H6440H251H2428H8111H559H6213H537H3064H5800H2076H3615H3117H2421H68H6194H6083H8313 3Tobiah the Ammonite, who was standing beside him, remarked, "That stone wall would collapse if even a fox walked along the top of it!"H2900H5984H681H559H1129H7776H5927H6555H68H2346 4Then I prayed, "Hear us, our God, for we are being mocked. May their scoffing fall back on their own heads, and may they themselves become captives in a foreign land!H8085H430H939H7725H2781H7218H5414H961H776H7633 5Do not ignore their guilt. Do not blot out their sins, for they have provoked you to anger here in front of the builders."H3680H5771H2403H4229H6440H3707H1129 6At last the wall was completed to half its height around the entire city, for the people had worked with enthusiasm.H1129H2346H2346H7194H2677H5971H3820H6213 7But when Sanballat and Tobiah and the Arabs, Ammonites, and Ashdodites heard that the work was going ahead and that the gaps in the wall of Jerusalem were being repaired, they were furious.H5571H2900H6163H5984H796H8085H2346H3389H724H5927H6555H2490H5640H3966H2734 8They all made plans to come and fight against Jerusalem and throw us into confusion.H7194H3162H935H3898H3389H6213H8442 9But we prayed to our God and guarded the city day and night to protect ourselves.H6419H430H5975H4929H3119H3915H6440 10Then the people of Judah began to complain, "The workers are getting tired, and there is so much rubble to be moved. We will never be able to build the wall by ourselves."H3063H559H3581H5449H3782H7235H6083H3201H1129H2346 11Meanwhile, our enemies were saying, "Before they know what's happening, we will swoop down on them and kill them and end their work."H6862H559H3045H7200H935H8432H8432H2026H4399H7673 12The Jews who lived near the enemy came and told us again and again, "They will come from all directions and attack us!"H3064H3427H681H935H559H6235H6471H4725H7725 13So I placed armed guards behind the lowest parts of the wall in the exposed areas. I stationed the people to stand guard by families, armed with swords, spears, and bows.H5975H8482H4725H310H2346H6706H6708H5975H5971H4940H2719H7420H7198 14Then as I looked over the situation, I called together the nobles and the rest of the people and said to them, "Don't be afraid of the enemy! Remember the Lord, who is great and glorious, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes!"H7200H6965H559H2715H5461H3499H5971H3372H6440H2142H136H1419H3372H3898H251H1121H1323H802H1004 15When our enemies heard that we knew of their plans and that God had frustrated them, we all returned to our work on the wall.H341H8085H3045H430H6565H6098H6565H7725H2346H376H4399 16But from then on, only half my men worked while the other half stood guard with spears, shields, bows, and coats of mail. The leaders stationed themselves behind the people of JudahH3117H2677H5288H6213H4399H2677H2388H7420H4043H7198H8302H8269H310H1004H3063 17who were building the wall. The laborers carried on their work with one hand supporting their load and one hand holding a weapon.H1129H2346H5375H5447H6006H259H3027H6213H4399H259H2388H7973 18All the builders had a sword belted to their side. The trumpeter stayed with me to sound the alarm.H1129H376H2719H631H4975H1129H8628H7782H681 19Then I explained to the nobles and officials and all the people, "The work is very spread out, and we are widely separated from each other along the wall.H559H2715H5461H3499H5971H4399H7235H7342H6504H2346H376H7350H251 20When you hear the blast of the trumpet, rush to wherever it is sounding. Then our God will fight for us!"H4725H8085H6963H7782H6908H430H3898 21We worked early and late, from sunrise to sunset. And half the men were always on guard.H6213H4399H2677H2388H7420H5927H7837H3556H3318 22I also told everyone living outside the walls to stay in Jerusalem. That way they and their servants could help with guard duty at night and work during the day.H6256H559H5971H376H5288H3885H8432H3389H3915H4929H4399H3117 23During this time, none of us—not I, nor my relatives, nor my servants, nor the guards who were with me—ever took off our clothes. We carried our weapons with us at all times, even when we went for water.H251H5288H582H4929H310H587H6584H899H376H7973H4325
5About this time some of the men and their wives raised a cry of protest against their fellow Jews.H1419H6818H5971H802H251H3064 2They were saying, "We have such large families. We need more food to survive."H3426H559H1121H1323H7227H3947H1715H398H2421 3Others said, "We have mortgaged our fields, vineyards, and homes to get food during the famine."H3426H559H6148H7704H3754H1004H3947H1715H7458 4And others said, "We have had to borrow money on our fields and vineyards to pay our taxes.H3426H559H3867H3701H4428H4060H7704H3754 5We belong to the same family as those who are wealthy, and our children are just like theirs. Yet we must sell our children into slavery just to get enough money to live. We have already sold some of our daughters, and we are helpless to do anything about it, for our fields and vineyards are already mortgaged to others."H1320H1320H251H1121H1121H3533H1121H1323H5650H1323H3426H3533H410H3027H312H7704H3754 6When I heard their complaints, I was very angry.H3966H2734H8085H2201H1697 7After thinking it over, I spoke out against these nobles and officials. I told them, "You are hurting your own relatives by charging interest when they borrow money!" Then I called a public meeting to deal with the problem.H4427H3820H7378H2715H5461H559H5378H5383H5375H4855H376H251H5414H1419H6952 8At the meeting I said to them, "We are doing all we can to redeem our Jewish relatives who have had to sell themselves to pagan foreigners, but you are selling them back into slavery again. How often must we redeem them?" And they had nothing to say in their defense.H559H1767H7069H251H3064H4376H1471H4376H251H4376H2790H4672H1697 9Then I pressed further, "What you are doing is not right! Should you not walk in the fear of our God in order to avoid being mocked by enemy nations?H559H2896H1697H6213H3212H3374H430H2781H1471H341 10I myself, as well as my brothers and my workers, have been lending the people money and grain, but now let us stop this business of charging interest.H251H5288H5383H3701H1715H5800H4855 11You must restore their fields, vineyards, olive groves, and homes to them this very day. And repay the interest you charged when you lent them money, grain, new wine, and olive oil."H7725H3117H7704H3754H2132H1004H3967H3701H1715H8492H3323H5383 12They replied, "We will give back everything and demand nothing more from the people. We will do as you say." Then I called the priests and made the nobles and officials swear to do what they had promised.H559H7725H1245H6213H559H7121H3548H7650H6213H1697 13I shook out the folds of my robe and said, "If you fail to keep your promise, may God shake you like this from your homes and from your property!" The whole assembly responded, "Amen," and they praised the LORD. And the people did as they had promised.H5287H2684H559H430H5287H376H1004H3018H6965H1697H5287H7386H6951H559H543H1984H3068H5971H6213H1697 14For the entire twelve years that I was governor of Judah—from the twentieth year to the thirty-second year of the reign of King Artaxerxes—neither I nor my officials drew on our official food allowance.H3117H6680H6346H776H3063H6242H8141H8147H7970H8141H783H4428H8147H6240H8141H251H398H3899H6346 15The former governors, in contrast, had laid heavy burdens on the people, demanding a daily ration of food and wine, besides forty pieces of silver. Even their assistants took advantage of the people. But because I feared God, I did not act that way.H7223H6346H6440H3513H5971H3947H3899H3196H310H705H8255H3701H1571H5288H7980H5971H6213H6440H3374H430 16I also devoted myself to working on the wall and refused to acquire any land. And I required all my servants to spend time working on the wall.H2388H4399H2346H7069H7704H5288H6908H4399 17I asked for nothing, even though I regularly fed 150 Jewish officials at my table, besides all the visitors from other lands!H7979H3967H2572H376H3064H5461H935H1471H5439 18The provisions I paid for each day included one ox, six choice sheep or goats, and a large number of poultry. And every ten days we needed a large supply of all kinds of wine. Yet I refused to claim the governor's food allowance because the people already carried a heavy burden.H6213H3117H259H7794H8337H1305H6629H6833H6213H6235H3117H7235H3196H5973H1245H3899H6346H5656H3513H5971 19Remember, O my God, all that I have done for these people, and bless me for it.H2142H430H2896H6213H5971
Unknown
, I was at the fortress of Susa.H1697
