Nechemyah, starting at chapter 1
{1:1} The words of Nechemyah the son of Hakhalyah. Now it happened
in the month Kislev, in the twentieth year, as I was in Shushan the
palace, {1:2} that Hanani, one of my brothers, came, he and certain
men out of Yehudah; and I asked them concerning the Yehudim who had
escaped, who were left of the captivity, and concerning Yerushalayim.
{1:3} They said to me, The remnant who are left of the captivity there
in the province are in great affliction and reproach: the wall of
Yerushalayim also is broken down, and the gates of it are burned with
fire. {1:4} It happened, when I heard these words, that I sat down and
wept, and mourned certain days; and I fasted and prayed before the God
of heaven, {1:5} and said, I beg you, LORD, the God of heaven, the
great and awesome God, who keeps covenant and lovingkindness with
those who love him and keep his [1>]mitzvot[<1]: {1:6} Let your ear
now be attentive, and your eyes open, that you may listen to the
prayer of your servant, which I pray before you at this time, day and
night, for the children of Yisra'el your servants while I confess the
sins of the children of Yisra'el, which we have sinned against you.
Yes, I and my father's house have sinned: {1:7} we have dealt very
corruptly against you, and have not kept the [2>]mitzvot[<2], nor the
statutes, nor the ordinances, which you commanded your servant Moshe.
{1:8} Remember, I beg you, the word that you commanded your servant
Moshe, saying, If you trespass, I will scatter you abroad among the
peoples: {1:9} but if you return to me, and keep my [3>]mitzvot[<3]
and do them, though your outcasts were in the uttermost part of the
heavens, yet will I gather them from there, and will bring them to the
place that I have chosen, to cause my name to dwell there. {1:10} Now
these are your servants and your people, whom you have redeemed by
your great power, and by your strong hand. {1:11} Lord, I beg you, let
now your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant, and to the
prayer of your servants, who delight to fear your name; and please
prosper your servant this day, and grant him mercy in the sight of
this man. Now I was cup bearer to the king.
{2:1} It happened in the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of
Artachshasta the king, when wine was before him, that I took up the
wine, and gave it to the king. Now I had not been [before] sad in his
presence. {2:2} The king said to me, Why is your face sad, seeing you
are not sick? this is nothing else but sorrow of heart. Then I was
very sore afraid. {2:3} I said to the king, Let the king live forever:
why should not my face be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers'
tombs, lies waste, and the gates of it are consumed with fire? {2:4}
Then the king said to me, For what do you make request? So I prayed to
the God of heaven. {2:5} I said to the king, If it please the king,
and if your servant have found favor in your sight, that you would
send me to Yehudah, to the city of my fathers' tombs, that I may build
it. {2:6} The king said to me (the queen also sitting by him,) For how
long shall your journey be? and when will you return? So it pleased
the king to send me; and I set him a time. {2:7} Moreover I said to
the king, If it please the king, let letters be given me to the
governors beyond the River, that they may let me pass through until I
come to Yehudah; {2:8} and a letter to Asaf the keeper of the king's
forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the
castle which appertains to the house, and for the wall of the city,
and for the house that I shall enter into. The king granted me,
according to the good hand of my God on me. {2:9} Then I came to the
governors beyond the River, and gave them the king's letters. Now the
king had sent with me captains of the army and horsemen. {2:10} When
Sanvallat the Horonite, and Toviyah the servant, the `Ammonite, heard
of it, it grieved them exceedingly, because a man had come to seek the
welfare of the children of Yisra'el. {2:11} So I came to Yerushalayim,
and was there three days. {2:12} I arose in the night, I and some few
men with me; neither told I any man what my God put into my heart to
do for Yerushalayim; neither was there any animal with me, except the
animal that I rode on. {2:13} I went out by night by the valley gate,
even toward the jackal's well, and to the dung gate, and viewed the
walls of Yerushalayim, which were broken down, and the gates of it
were consumed with fire. {2:14} Then I went on to the spring gate and
to the king's pool: but there was no place for the animal that was
under me to pass. {2:15} Then went I up in the night by the brook, and
viewed the wall; and I turned back, and entered by the valley gate,
and so returned. {2:16} The rulers didn't know where I went, or what I
did; neither had I as yet told it to the Yehudim, nor to the
[1>]Kohanim[<1], nor to the nobles, nor to the rulers, nor to the rest
who did the work. {2:17} Then said I to them, You see the evil case
that we are in, how Yerushalayim lies waste, and the gates of it are
burned with fire: come, and let us build up the wall of Yerushalayim,
that we be no more a reproach. {2:18} I told them of the hand of my
God which was good on me, as also of the king's words that he had
spoken to me. They said, Let us rise up and build. So they
strengthened their hands for the good [work]. {2:19} But when
Sanvallat the Horonite, and Toviyah the servant, the `Ammonite, and
Geshem the `Arvian, heard it, they laughed us to scorn, and despised
us, and said, What is this thing that you do? will you rebel against
the king? {2:20} Then answered I them, and said to them, The God of
heaven, he will prosper us; therefore we his servants will arise and
build: but you have no portion, nor right, nor memorial, in
Yerushalayim.
{3:1} Then Elyashiv the [1>]Kohen Gadol[<1] rose up with his
brothers the [2>]Kohanim[<2], and they built the sheep gate; they
sanctified it, and set up the doors of it; even to the tower of
Hammeah they sanctified it, to the tower of Hanan'el. {3:2} Next to
him built the men of Yericho. Next to them built Zakkur the son of
Imri. {3:3} The fish gate did the sons of Sena'ah build; they laid the
beams of it, and set up the doors of it, the bolts of it, and the bars
of it. {3:4} Next to them repaired Meremot the son of Uriyah, the son
of Hakkotz. Next to them repaired Meshullam the son of Berekhyah, the
son of Meshezav'el. Next to them repaired Tzadok the son of Ba`anah.
{3:5} Next to them the Tekoites repaired; but their nobles didn't put
their necks to the work of their lord. {3:6} The old gate repaired
Yoiada the son of Pase'ach and Meshullam the son of Besodyah; they
laid the beams of it, and set up the doors of it, and the bolts of it,
and the bars of it. {3:7} Next to them repaired Melatyah the Giv`oni,
and Yadon the Meronotite, the men of Giv`on, and of Mitzpah, [that
appertained] to the throne of the governor beyond the River. {3:8}
Next to him repaired `Uzzi'el the son of Harchayah, goldsmiths. Next
to him repaired Hananyah one of the perfumers, and they fortified
Yerushalayim even to the broad wall. {3:9} Next to them repaired
Refayah the son of Hur, the ruler of half the district of
Yerushalayim. {3:10} Next to them repaired Yedayah the son of Harumaf,
over against his house. Next to him repaired Hattush the son of
Hashavneyah. {3:11} Malkiyah the son of Harim, and Hashshuv the son of
Pachat-Mo'av, repaired another portion, and the tower of the furnaces.
{3:12} Next to him repaired Shallum the son of Hallochesh, the ruler
of half the district of Yerushalayim, he and his daughters. {3:13} The
valley gate repaired Hanun, and the inhabitants of Zanoach; they built
it, and set up the doors of it, the bolts of it, and the bars of it,
and one thousand cubits of the wall to the dung gate. {3:14} The dung
gate repaired Malkiyah the son of Rechav, the ruler of the district of
Beit-Hakkerem; he built it, and set up the doors of it, the bolts of
it, and the bars of it. {3:15} The spring gate repaired Shallun the
son of Kolchozeh, the ruler of the district of Mitzpah; he built it,
and covered it, and set up the doors of it, the bolts of it, and the
bars of it, and the wall of the pool of Shelach by the king's garden,
even to the stairs that go down from the city of David. {3:16} After
him repaired Nechemyah the son of Azbuk, the ruler of half the
district of Beit-Tzur, to the place over against the tombs of David,
and to the pool that was made, and to the house of the mighty men.
{3:17} After him repaired the Levites, Rechum the son of Bani. Next to
him repaired Hashavyah, the ruler of half the district of Ke`ilah, for
his district. {3:18} After him repaired their brothers, Bavvai the son
of Henadad, the ruler of half the district of Ke`ilah. {3:19} Next to
him repaired Etzer the son of Yeshua, the ruler of Mitzpah, another
portion, over against the ascent to the armory at the turning [of the
wall]. {3:20} After him Barukh the son of Zakkai earnestly repaired
another portion, from the turning [of the wall] to the door of the
house of Elyashiv the [3>]Kohen Gadol[<3]. {3:21} After him repaired
Meremot the son of Uriyah the son of Hakkotz another portion, from the
door of the house of Elyashiv even to the end of the house of
Elyashiv. {3:22} After him repaired the [4>]Kohanim[<4], the men of
the Plain. {3:23} After them repaired Binyamin and Hashshuv over
against their house. After them repaired `Azaryah the son of Ma`aseyah
the son of `Ananyah beside his own house. {3:24} After him repaired
Binnui the son of Henadad another portion, from the house of `Azaryah
to the turning [of the wall], and to the corner. {3:25} Palal the son
of Uzai [repaired] over against the turning [of the wall], and the
tower that stands out from the upper house of the king, which is by
the court of the guard. After him Pedayahu the son of Par`osh
[repaired]. {3:26} (Now the temple servants lived in `Ofel, to the
place over against the water gate toward the east, and the tower that
stands out.) {3:27} After him the Tekoites repaired another portion,
over against the great tower that stands out, and to the wall of
`Ofel. {3:28} Above the horse gate repaired the [5>]Kohanim[<5],
everyone over against his own house. {3:29} After them repaired Tzadok
the son of Immer over against his own house. After him repaired
Shemayah the son of Shekhanyahu, the keeper of the east gate. {3:30}
After him repaired Hananyah the son of Shelemyahu, and Hanun the sixth
son of Tzalaf, another portion. After him repaired Meshullam the son
of Berekhyah over against his chamber. {3:31} After him repaired
Malkiyah one of the goldsmiths to the house of the temple servants,
and of the merchants, over against the gate of Hammifkad, and to the
ascent of the corner. {3:32} Between the ascent of the corner and the
sheep gate repaired the goldsmiths and the merchants.
________________________________________________________________________
Footnotes:
[1] {1:5} commandments
[2] {1:7} commandments
[3] {1:9} commandments
[1] {2:16} priests
[1] {3:1} high priest
[2] {3:1} priests
[3] {3:20} high priest
[4] {3:22} priests
[5] {3:28} priests
________________________________________________________________________
The Hebrew Names Version of the World English Bible is in the Public
Domain. Please see http://eBible.org/bible/hnv for more information.
___
To unsubscribe, please send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with
unsubscribe hnv
in the body of the message.
