Nehemiah, starting at chapter 4
{4:1} But it happened that when Sanballat heard that we were
building the wall, he was angry, and took great indignation, and
mocked the Jews. {4:2} He spoke before his brothers and the army of
Samaria, and said, What are these feeble Jews doing? will they fortify
themselves? will they sacrifice? will they make an end in a day? will
they revive the stones out of the heaps of rubbish, seeing they are
burned? {4:3} Now Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, Even
that which they are building, if a fox go up, he shall break down
their stone wall. {4:4} Hear, our God; for we are despised: and turn
back their reproach on their own head, and give them up for a spoil in
a land of captivity; {4:5} and don't cover their iniquity, and don't
let their sin be blotted out from before you; for they have provoked
[you] to anger before the builders. {4:6} So we built the wall; and
all the wall was joined together to half [the height] of it: for the
people had a mind to work. {4:7} But it happened that when Sanballat,
Tobiah, the Arabians, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites heard that the
repairing of the walls of Jerusalem went forward, [and] that the
breaches began to be stopped, then they were very angry; {4:8} and
they conspired all of them together to come and fight against
Jerusalem, and to cause confusion therein. {4:9} But we made our
prayer to our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because
of them. {4:10} Judah said, The strength of the bearers of burdens is
decayed, and there is much rubbish; so that we are not able to build
the wall. {4:11} Our adversaries said, They shall not know, neither
see, until we come into the midst of them, and kill them, and cause
the work to cease. {4:12} It happened that when the Jews who lived by
them came, they said to us ten times from all places, You must return
to us. {4:13} Therefore set I in the lowest parts of the space behind
the wall, in the open places, I set [there] the people after their
families with their swords, their spears, and their bows. {4:14} I
looked, and rose up, and said to the nobles, and to the rulers, and to
the rest of the people, Don't be afraid of them: remember the Lord,
who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, and
your daughters, your wives, and your houses. {4:15} It happened, when
our enemies heard that it was known to us, and God had brought their
counsel to nothing, that we returned all of us to the wall, everyone
to his work. {4:16} It happened from that time forth, that half of my
servants worked in the work, and half of them held the spears, the
shields, and the bows, and the coats of mail; and the rulers were
behind all the house of Judah. {4:17} They all built the wall and
those who bore burdens loaded themselves; everyone with one of his
hands worked in the work, and with the other held his weapon; {4:18}
and the builders, everyone had his sword girded by his side, and so
built. He who sounded the trumpet was by me. {4:19} I said to the
nobles, and to the rulers and to the rest of the people, The work is
great and large, and we are separated on the wall, one far from
another: {4:20} in whatever place you hear the sound of the trumpet,
rally there to us; our God will fight for us. {4:21} So we worked in
the work: and half of them held the spears from the rising of the
morning until the stars appeared. {4:22} Likewise at the same time
said I to the people, Let everyone with his servant lodge within
Jerusalem, that in the night they may be a guard to us, and may labor
in the day. {4:23} So neither I, nor my brothers, nor my servants, nor
the men of the guard who followed me, none of us put off our clothes,
everyone [went with] his weapon [to] the water.
{5:1} Then there arose a great cry of the people and of their wives
against their brothers the Jews. {5:2} For there were that said, We,
our sons and our daughters, are many: let us get grain, that we may
eat and live. {5:3} Some also there were that said, We are mortgaging
our fields, and our vineyards, and our houses: let us get grain,
because of the dearth. {5:4} There were also that said, We have
borrowed money for the king's tribute [on] our fields and our
vineyards. {5:5} Yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our brothers,
our children as their children: and behold, we bring into bondage our
sons and our daughters to be servants, and some of our daughters are
brought into bondage [already]: neither is it in our power to help it;
for other men have our fields and our vineyards. {5:6} I was very
angry when I heard their cry and these words. {5:7} Then I consulted
with myself, and contended with the nobles and the rulers, and said to
them, You exact usury, everyone of his brother. I held a great
assembly against them. {5:8} I said to them, We after our ability have
redeemed our brothers the Jews, that were sold to the nations; and
would you even sell your brothers, and should they be sold to us? Then
held they their peace, and found never a word. {5:9} Also I said, The
thing that you do is not good: ought you not to walk in the fear of
our God, because of the reproach of the nations our enemies? {5:10} I
likewise, my brothers and my servants, do lend them money and grain.
Please let us leave off this usury. {5:11} Please restore to them,
even this day, their fields, their vineyards, their olive groves, and
their houses, also the hundredth part of the money, and of the grain,
the new wine, and the oil, that you exact of them. {5:12} Then said
they, We will restore them, and will require nothing of them; so will
we do, even as you say. Then I called the priests, and took an oath of
them, that they would do according to this promise. {5:13} Also I
shook out my lap, and said, So God shake out every man from his house,
and from his labor, that doesn't perform this promise; even thus be he
shaken out, and emptied. All the assembly said, Amen, and praised
Yahweh. The people did according to this promise. {5:14} Moreover from
the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of
Judah, from the twentieth year even to the two and thirtieth year of
Artaxerxes the king, [that is], twelve years, I and my brothers have
not eaten the bread of the governor. {5:15} But the former governors
who were before me were supported by the people, and took bread and
wine from them, besides forty shekels of silver; yes, even their
servants ruled over the people: but I didn't do so, because of the
fear of God. {5:16} Yes, also I continued in the work of this wall,
neither bought we any land: and all my servants were gathered there to
the work. {5:17} Moreover there were at my table, of the Jews and the
rulers, one hundred fifty men, besides those who came to us from among
the nations that were around us. {5:18} Now that which was prepared
for one day was one ox and six choice sheep; also fowls were prepared
for me, and once in ten days store of all sorts of wine: yet for all
this I didn't demand the bread of the governor, because the bondage
was heavy on this people. {5:19} Remember to me, my God, for good, all
that I have done for this people.
{6:1} Now it happened, when it was reported to Sanballat and
Tobiah, and to Geshem the Arabian, and to the rest of our enemies,
that I had built the wall, and that there was no breach left therein;
(though even to that time I had not set up the doors in the gates;)
{6:2} that Sanballat and Geshem sent to me, saying, Come, let us meet
together in [one of] the villages in the plain of Ono. But they
thought to do me mischief. {6:3} I sent messengers to them, saying, I
am doing a great work, so that I can't come down: why should the work
cease, while I leave it, and come down to you? {6:4} They sent to me
four times after this sort; and I answered them after the same manner.
{6:5} Then sent Sanballat his servant to me in like manner the fifth
time with an open letter in his hand, {6:6} in which was written, It
is reported among the nations, and Gashmu says it, that you and the
Jews think to rebel; for which cause you are building the wall: and
you would be their king, according to these words. {6:7} You have also
appointed prophets to preach of you at Jerusalem, saying, There is a
king in Judah: and now shall it be reported to the king according to
these words. Come now therefore, and let us take counsel together.
{6:8} Then I sent to him, saying, There are no such things done as you
say, but you imagine them out of your own heart. {6:9} For they all
would have made us afraid, saying, Their hands shall be weakened from
the work, that it not be done. But now, [God], strengthen my hands.
{6:10} I went to the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah the son of
Mehetabel, who was shut up; and he said, Let us meet together in the
house of God, within the temple, and let us shut the doors of the
temple: for they will come to kill you; yes, in the night will they
come to kill you. {6:11} I said, Should such a man as I flee? and who
is there that, being such as I, would go into the temple to save his
life? I will not go in. {6:12} I discerned, and behold, God had not
sent him; but he pronounced this prophecy against me: and Tobiah and
Sanballat had hired him. {6:13} For this cause was he hired, that I
should be afraid, and do so, and sin, and that they might have matter
for an evil report, that they might reproach me. {6:14} Remember, my
God, Tobiah and Sanballat according to these their works, and also the
prophetess Noadiah, and the rest of the prophets, that would have put
me in fear. {6:15} So the wall was finished in the twenty-fifth [day]
of [the month] Elul, in fifty-two days. {6:16} It happened, when all
our enemies heard [of it], that all the nations that were about us
feared, and were much cast down in their own eyes; for they perceived
that this work was worked of our God. {6:17} Moreover in those days
the nobles of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah, and [the letters] of
Tobiah came to them. {6:18} For there were many in Judah sworn to him,
because he was the son-in-law of Shecaniah the son of Arah; and his
son Jehohanan had taken the daughter of Meshullam the son of Berechiah
as wife. {6:19} Also they spoke of his good deeds before me, and
reported my words to him. Tobiah sent letters to put me in fear.
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