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 finish in a day?
Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of rubbish, since they
are burned?" {4:3} Now Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, and he said,
"What they are building, if a fox climbed up it, he would break down
their stone wall."
{4:4} "Hear, our God; for we are despised; and turn back their
reproach on their own head, give them up for a spoil in a land of
captivity; {4:5} don't cover their iniquity, and don't let their sin
be blotted out from before you; for they have insulted the builders."
{4:6} So we built the wall; and all the wall was joined together to
half its height: 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 filled, 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 fading, 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 their midst, 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, "Wherever you turn, they will
attack us." {4:13} Therefore set I in the lowest parts of the space
behind the wall, in the open places, I set 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 wore his sword at
his side, and so built. He who sounded the [1>]shofar[<1] 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} Wherever you hear the sound of the
[2>]shofar[<2], 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 took off our clothes. Everyone took 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 famine." {5:4} There were also some who said,
"We have borrowed money for the king's tribute using our fields and
our vineyards as collateral. {5:5} Yet now our flesh is as the flesh
of our brothers, our children as their children. Behold, we bring into
bondage our sons and our daughters to be servants, and some of our
daughters have been brought into bondage. 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 they held 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, lend them
money and grain. Please let us stop 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 are charging them."
{5:12} Then they said, "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 may 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 the LORD. 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 the villages in the plain of Ono." But they intended to harm me.
{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 the same way. {6:5} Then Sanballat sent his
servant to me the same way 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 intend to rebel. Because of
that, you are building the wall. You would be their king, according to
these words. {6:7} You have also appointed prophets to proclaim of you
at Jerusalem, saying, 'There is a king in Judah!' Now it will 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 will be weakened
from the work, that it not be done. But now, strengthen my hands."
{6:10} I went to the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah the son of
Mehetabel, who was shut in at his home; and he said, "Let us meet
together in God's house, 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? 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. Tobiah and Sanballat had hired
him. {6:13} He hired so that I would be afraid, do so, and sin, and
that they might have material 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 Elul, in
fifty-two days. {6:16} It happened, when all our enemies heard of it,
that all the nations that were about us were afraid, 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 Tobiah's letters 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.
________________________________________________________________________
Footnotes:
[1] {4:18} or, trumpet
[2] {4:20} or, trumpet
________________________________________________________________________
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