Nehemiah 4-6; Psalms 49 - Prayer Tents

Enemies Oppose the Rebuilding

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

Nehemiah Defends the Oppressed

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

Continued Opposition to Rebuilding

6Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab, and the rest of our enemies found out that I had finished rebuilding the wall and that no gaps remained—though we had not yet set up the doors in the gates.H5571H2900H1654H6163H3499H341H8085H1129H2346H6556H3498H1571H5704H6256H5975H1817H8179 2So Sanballat and Geshem sent a message asking me to meet them at one of the villages in the plain of Ono. But I realized they were plotting to harm me,H5571H1654H7971H559H3212H3259H3162H3715H1237H207H2803H6213H7451 3so I replied by sending this message to them: "I am engaged in a great work, so I can't come. Why should I stop working to come and meet with you?"H7971H4397H559H6213H1419H4399H3201H3381H4399H7673H834H7503H3381 4Four times they sent the same message, and each time I gave the same reply.H7971H702H6471H1697H7725H1697 5The fifth time, Sanballat's servant came with an open letter in his hand,H7971H5571H5288H1697H2549H6471H6605H107H3027 6and this is what it said: "There is a rumor among the surrounding nations, and Geshem tells me it is true, that you and the Jews are planning to rebel and that is why you are building the wall. According to his reports, you plan to be their king.H3789H8085H1471H1654H559H3064H2803H4775H3651H1129H2346H1933H4428H1697 7He also reports that you have appointed prophets in Jerusalem to proclaim about you, 'Look! There is a king in Judah!' "You can be very sure that this report will get back to the king, so I suggest that you come and talk it over with me."H5975H5030H7121H3389H559H4428H3063H8085H4428H1697H3212H3289H3162 8I replied, "There is no truth in any part of your story. You are making up the whole thing."H7971H559H1961H1697H1961H559H908H3820 9They were just trying to intimidate us, imagining that they could discourage us and stop the work. So I continued the work with even greater determination.H3372H559H3027H7503H4399H6213H2388H3027 10Later I went to visit Shemaiah son of Delaiah and grandson of Mehetabel, who was confined to his home. He said, "Let us meet together inside the Temple of God and bolt the doors shut. Your enemies are coming to kill you tonight."H935H1004H8098H1121H1806H1121H4105H6113H559H3259H1004H430H8432H1964H5462H1817H1964H935H2026H3915H935H2026 11But I replied, "Should someone in my position run from danger? Should someone in my position enter the Temple to save his life? No, I won't do it!"H559H3644H376H1272H935H1964H2425H935 12I realized that God had not spoken to him, but that he had uttered this prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.H5234H430H7971H1696H5016H2900H5571H7936 13They were hoping to intimidate me and make me sin. Then they would be able to accuse and discredit me.H7936H3372H6213H2398H7451H8034H2778 14Remember, O my God, all the evil things that Tobiah and Sanballat have done. And remember Noadiah the prophet and all the prophets like her who have tried to intimidate me.H430H2142H2900H5571H4639H5031H5129H3499H5030H3372

The Builders Complete the Wall

15So on October 2 the wall was finished—just fifty-two days after we had begun.H2346H7999H6242H2568H435H2572H8147H3117 16When our enemies and the surrounding nations heard about it, they were frightened and humiliated. They realized this work had been done with the help of our God.H341H8085H1471H5439H7200H3966H5307H5869H3045H4399H6213H430 17During those fifty-two days, many letters went back and forth between Tobiah and the nobles of Judah.H3117H2715H3063H1980H7235H107H2900H2900H935 18For many in Judah had sworn allegiance to him because his father-in-law was Shecaniah son of Arah, and his son Jehohanan was married to the daughter of Meshullam son of Berekiah.H7227H3063H1167H7621H2860H7935H1121H733H1121H3076H3947H1323H4918H1121H1296 19They kept telling me about Tobiah's good deeds, and then they told him everything I said. And Tobiah kept sending threatening letters to intimidate me.H559H2896H6440H3318H1697H2900H7971H107H3372

49[For the choir director: A psalm of the descendants of Korah.] Listen to this, all you people! Pay attention, everyone in the world!H5329H4210H1121H7141H8085H5971H238H3427H2465 2High and low, rich and poor—listen!H1121H120H1121H376H6223H34H3162 3For my words are wise, and my thoughts are filled with insight.H6310H1696H2454H1900H3820H8394 4I listen carefully to many proverbs and solve riddles with inspiration from a harp.H5186H241H4912H6605H2420H3658 5Why should I fear when trouble comes, when enemies surround me?H3372H3117H7451H5771H6120H5437 6They trust in their wealth and boast of great riches.H982H2428H1984H7230H6239 7Yet they cannot redeem themselves from death by paying a ransom to God.H376H6299H6299H251H5414H430H3724 8Redemption does not come so easily, for no one can ever pay enoughH6306H5315H3365H2308H5769 9to live forever and never see the grave.H2421H5331H7200H7845 10Those who are wise must finally die, just like the foolish and senseless, leaving all their wealth behind.H7200H2450H4191H3162H3684H1198H6H5800H2428H312 11The grave is their eternal home, where they will stay forever. They may name their estates after themselves,H7130H1004H5769H4908H1755H1755H7121H127H8034 12but their fame will not last. They will die, just like animals.H120H3366H3885H4911H929H1820 13This is the fate of fools, though they are remembered as being wise. InterludeH1870H3689H310H7521H6310H5542 14Like sheep, they are led to the grave, where death will be their shepherd. In the morning the godly will rule over them. Their bodies will rot in the grave, far from their grand estates.H6629H8371H7585H4194H7462H3477H7287H1242H6697H6736H1086H7585H2073 15But as for me, God will redeem my life. He will snatch me from the power of the grave. InterludeH430H6299H5315H3027H7585H3947H5542 16So don't be dismayed when the wicked grow rich and their homes become ever more splendid.H3372H376H6238H3519H1004H7235 17For when they die, they take nothing with them. Their wealth will not follow them into the grave.H4194H3947H3519H3381H310 18In this life they consider themselves fortunate and are applauded for their success.H2416H1288H5315H3034H3190 19But they will die like all before them and never again see the light of day.H935H1755H1H3808H5331H7200H216 20People who boast of their wealth don't understand; they will die, just like animals.H120H3366H995H4911H929H1820