LITV - Nehemiah

Chapter 1

1:1  The words of Nehemiah the son of Hachaliah. And it happened in the month Chisleu, in the twentieth year, as I was in Shushan the palace,

1:2  Hanani came, one of my brothers, he and men of Judah. And I asked them about the Jews who had escaped, who were left of the captivity, and about Jerusalem.

1:3  And they said to me, The remnant that are left of the captivity there in the province are in great evil and shame. The wall of Jerusalem also is broken down, and its gates are burned with fire.

1:4  And it happened, when I heard these words, I sat down and wept, and mourned for days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of Heaven.

1:5  And I said, I beseech You, Jehovah God of Heaven, the great and awesome God, keeping the covenant and mercy to those loving Him, and to keepers of His commandments,

1:6  let Your ear now be open, and Your eyes open, so that You may hear the prayer of Your servant which I pray before You today, day and night, for Your servants the sons of Israel; and confessing the sins of the sons of Israel which we have sinned against You. Both I and my father's house have sinned.

1:7  We have acted utterly corrupt against You, and have not kept the commandments and the statutes and the judgments which You commanded Your servant Moses.

1:8  I beseech You, remember the word that You commanded Your servant Moses, saying, If you sin, I will scatter you among the peoples.

1:9  But if you will turn to Me and keep My commandments, and do them, though you were cast out to the outermost part of the heavens, yet I will gather them from there, and will bring them to the place that I have chosen, to set My name there.

1:10  And these are Your servants and Your people whom You have redeemed by Your great power and by Your strong hand.

1:11  O Lord, I beg You, let Your ear be open to the prayer of Your servant, and to the prayer of Your servants who delight to fear Your name. And I beg You, bless Your servant today and grant him mercy before this man. For I was cupbearer to the king.

Chapter 2

2:1  And it happened in the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king, that wine was before him. And I took the wine and gave to the king. And I had never been sad to his face.

2:2  And the king said to me, Why is your face sad, since you are not sick? This is nothing but sorrow of heart. Then I was very much afraid.

2:3  And I said to the king, let the king live forever. Why should not my face be sad when the place of my fathers' tombs, the City, lies waste and its gates are burned with fire?

2:4  Then the king said to me, For what do you ask? So I prayed to the God of Heaven,

2:5  and I said to the king, If it please the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, that you would send me to Judah to the city of my fathers' tombs, so that I might build it.

2:6  And the king said to me, the queen also sitting beside him, For how long shall your journey be? And when will you return? So it pleased the king, and he sent me; and I set him a time.

2:7  An I said to the king, If it is good to the king, let letters be given me to the governors Beyond the River, so that they may let me go through until I come to Judah;

2:8  also a letter to Asaph the keeper of the king's forest, so that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the palace which is for the house, and for the city wall, and for the house into which I shall enter. And the king granted it to me, according to the good hand of my God on me.

2:9  Then I came to the governors of the province Beyond the River, and gave them the king's letters. And the king had sent army commanders and horsemen with me.

2:10  And Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the servant the Ammonite, heard. And it grieved them greatly that a man had come to seek the good of the sons of Israel.

2:11  So I came to Jerusalem and was there three days.

2:12  And I rose up in the night, I and a few men with me. And I told no man what my God had put in my heart to do at Jerusalem. And there was no animal with me except the animal that I rode on.

2:13  And I went out by night by the Valley Gate, even before the Jackal Fountain, and to the Dung Gate. And I examined the walls of Jerusalem which were broken down, and its gates which were burned with fire.

2:14  Then I passed on to the Fountain Gate, and to the King's Pool. But there was no place for the animal that was under me to pass.

2:15  Then I went up in the night by the torrent, and examined the wall, and turned back, and entered by the Valley Gate, and returned.

2:16  And the rulers did not know where I had gone, or what I was doing. Nor had I told it yet to the Jews, or to the priests, or to the nobles, or to the rulers, or to the rest that did the work.

2:17  Then I said to them, You see the evil that we are in, how Jerusalem is wasted, and its gates are burned with fire. Come and let us build up the wall of Jerusalem, so that we may no longer be a reproach.

2:18  Then I told them of the hand of my God which was good on me, and also the king's words that he had spoken to me. And they said, Let us rise up and build. So they made their hands strong for good.

2:19  But when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian, heard, then they mocked us and despised us. And they said, What is this that you are doing? Will you rebel against the king?

2:20  Then I answered them and said to them, The God of Heaven, He will prosper us, and we His servants will arise and build. But you have no portion or right or memorial in Jerusalem.

Chapter 3

3:1  And Eliashib the high priest rose up with his brothers the priests. And they built the Sheep Gate. They sanctified it and set up its doors. Even to the Tower of Meah they sanctified it, to the Tower of Hananeel.

3:2  And next to him the men of Jericho built. And next to him Zaccur the son of Imri built.

3:3  But the sons of Hassenaah built the Fish Gate, who laid its beams, and set up its doors, its locks and its bars.

3:4  And next to them Meremoth the son of Urijah, the son of Koz repaired. And next to them Meshullam the son of Berechiah, the son of Meshezabeel repaired. And next to them Zadok the son of Baana repaired.

3:5  And next to them the Tekoites repaired. But their nobles did not put their necks to the work of their Lord.

3:6  And the Old Gate was repaired by Jehoiada the son of Paseah, and Meshullam the son of Besodeiah. They laid its beams, and set up its doors, and its locks, and its bars.

3:7  And next to them Melatiah of Gibeon repaired, and Jadon of Meron, the men of Gibeon and of Mizpah, to the throne of the governor Beyond the River.

3:8  And next to him Uzziel the son of Harhaiah, of the goldsmiths, repaired. And next to his hand Hananiah the son of one of the perfumers repaired. And they left Jerusalem safe to the Broad Wall.

3:9  And next to their hand Rephaiah the son of Hur, the ruler of the half part of Jerusalem, repaired.

3:10  And next to their hand Jedaiah the son of Harumaph repaired, even across from his house. And next to his hand Hattush the son of Hashabniah repaired.

3:11  Malchijah the son of Harim, and Hashub the son of Pahath-moab repaired the other piece, and the Tower of the Furnaces.

3:12  And next to his hand Shallum the son of Halohesh, the ruler of the half part of Jerusalem, he and his daughters repaired.

3:13  Hanun, and the dwellers of Zanoah, repaired the Valley Gate. They built it and set up its doors, its locks, and its bars, and a thousand cubits on the wall to the Dung Gate.

3:14  And the Dung Gate was repaired by Malchiah the son of Rechab, the ruler of part of Beth-haccerem. He built it, and set up its doors, its locks, and its bars.

3:15  And the Fountain Gate was repaired by Shallun the son of Colhozeh, the ruler of part of Mizpah. He built it and covered it, and set up its doors, its locks, and its bars, and the wall of the Pool of Shelah by the King's Garden, and to the stairs that go down from the City of David.

3:16  After him Nehemiah the son of Azbuk, the ruler of the half part of Beth-zur, repaired in front of the Tombs of David, and to the pool that was made, and to the house of the mighty men.

3:17  After him the levites, Rehum the son of Bani repaired. On his hand Hashabiah the ruler of the half part of Keilah repaired in his part.

3:18  After him their brothers Bavai the son of Henadad, the ruler of the half part of Keilah, repaired.

3:19  And next to his hand Ezer the son of Jeshua, the ruler of Mizpah, repaired another piece before the going up to the armory at the corner.

3:20  After him Baruch the son of Zabbai earnestly repaired the other piece from the corner to the door of the house of Eliashib the high priest.

3:21  After him Meremoth the son of Urijah the son of Koz repaired another piece, from the door of the house of Eliashib even to the end of the house of Eliashib.

3:22  And after him the priests, the men of the plain, repaired.

3:23  After them Benjamin and Hashub repaired across from their house. After them Azariah the son of Maaseiah the son of Ananiah repaired by his house.

3:24  After him Binnui the son of Henadad repaired another piece, from the house of Azariah to the corner, even to the tower.

3:25  Palal the son of Uzai repaired across from the corner, and the tower which sticks out from the king's high house, that was by the court of the prison. After him Pedaiah the son of Parosh repaired .

3:26  And the temple-slaves lived in Ophel, across from the Water Gate toward the east, and the tower that sticks out.

3:27  After him the Tekoites repaired another piece, opposite the great tower that sticks out, even to the wall of Ophel.

3:28  The priests repaired from above the Horse Gate, each before his house.

3:29  After them Zadok the son of Immer repaired across from his house. After him Shemaiah the son of Shechaniah, the keeper of the East Gate, repaired.

3:30  After him Hananiah the son of Shelemiah, and Hanun the sixth son of Zalaph repaired another piece. After him Meshullam the son of Berechiah repaired across from his room.

3:31  After him Malchiah the goldsmith's son repaired the place of the temple-slaves, and of the merchants, before the Miphkad Gate, and to the going up of the corner.

3:32  And between the going up of the corner to the Sheep Gate, the goldsmiths and the merchants repaired.

Chapter 4

4:1  And it happened, when Sanballat heard that we built the wall, he was angry, and it was greatly enraging to him, and he mocked the Jews.

4:2  And he spoke before his brothers and the army of Samaria and said, What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they forsake themselves? Will they sacrifice? Will they make an end in a day? Will they bring to life the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish which are burned?

4:3  And Tobiah the Ammonite was beside him, and he said, Even that which they build, if a fox goes up, he will even break down their stone wall.

4:4  O our God, hear. For we are despised. And turn their curse on their own head, and give them for a prey in the land of captivity.

4:5  And do not cover their iniquity, and do not 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 the half of it. For the people had a heart to work.

4:7  And it happened, when Sanballat and Tobiah, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites, heard that repairing of the walls of Jerusalem had gone up, that the breaks were being closed up, it was very angering to them.

4:8  And all of them conspired together to come and fight against Jerusalem, and do harm to it.

4:9  But we made our prayer to our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them.

4:10  And Judah said, The strength of the burden carriers is weakening, and there is much rubbish, so that we are not able to build the wall.

4:11  And our foes have said, They shall not know or see until we come in the middle of them and kill them, and cause the work to cease.

4:12  And it happened when the Jews who lived near them came in, they said to us ten times, From all places where you shall return, they will be against us.

4:13  So I stationed from the lowest parts of the place, from the back of the wall, in the higher places, even I stationed the people according to their families, with their swords, their spears, and their bows.

4:14  And I saw. And I rose up and said to the nobles and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and terrible, and fight for your brothers, your sons, and your daughters, your wives, and your houses.

4:15  And it happened, when our enemies heard that it was known to us, and that God had broken their counsel, all of us returned to the wall, each one to his work.

4:16  And it happened, from that time on, half of my servants worked in the work, and the other half of them were holding the spears, the shields, and the bows, and the scale-armor. And the rulers were behind all the house of Judah.

4:17  the ones who built on the wall, and the ones who carried a burden, bearing with one of his hands, a worker in the work; and one holder of the weapon.

4:18  For each man of the builders had his sword tied by his side, and built. And he who sounded the ram's horn was beside me.

4:19  And 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, far from one another.

4:20  In whatever place you hear the sound of the ram's horn, gather there to us. Our God will fight for us.

4:21  So we labored in the work. And half of them held the spears from the rising of the morning until the stars came out.

4:22  Likewise at the same time I said to the people, Let each man with his servant stay inside Jerusalem, so that in the night they may be a guard to us, and 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, though each had his vessel of water.

Chapter 5

5:1  And there was a great cry of the people, and of their wives, against their brothers the Jews.

5:2  For some were saying, With our sons and our daughters, we are many. let us take up grain for them, so that we may eat and live.

5:3  Some also were saying, We have mortgaged our fields, and our vineyards, and our houses; let us take up grain because of the famine.

5:4  And some were saying, We have borrowed silver for the king's tax, on our fields, and our vineyards,

5:5  yet now our flesh is like the flesh of our brothers; as their sons, so are our sons; and, behold, we are bringing our sons and our daughters into bondage, to be slaves; yea, there are some of our daughters brought into bondage. And there is no power for our hand, and our fields and our vineyards are to other men.

5:6  And when I heard their cry, and these words, I was very angry.

5:7  Then my heart ruled within myself, and I contended with the nobles and the magistrates. And I said to them, You are each man lending at interest, from his brother. And I held a great assembly against them.

5:8  And I said to them, According to our ability we have redeemed our brothers, the Jews who were sold to the nations. And will you yet sell your brothers? Or shall they be sold to us? Then they were silent, and did not find a word.

5:9  Also I said, The thing you do is not good. Should you not walk in the fear of God because of the reproach of the nations, our enemies?

5:10  Likewise, my brothers and my servants are lending them silver and grain. I beg you, let us leave off this interest.

5:11  I beg you, even today give back to them their lands, their vineyards, their oliveyards, and their houses; also the hundredth part of their silver, and of the grain, the wine, and the oil, that you have taken from them.

5:12  And they said, We will restore, and will ask nothing from them. So we will do as you say. Then I called the priests and took an oath from them that they would do according to this word.

5:13  Also I shook my lap, and I said, So may God shake out every man from his house and from his labor who does not do this thing; even may he be shaken out this way and emptied. And all the congregation said, Amen, and praised Jehovah. And the people did according to this thing.

5:14  And from the time that I was chosen to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year even to the thirty second year of Artaxerxes the king, twelve years, I and my brothers did not eat the bread of the governor.

5:15  The former governors that had been before me were too heavy on the people, and had taken bread and wine from them, besides forty shekels of silver. Yes, even their servants bore rule over the people. But I did not do this, because of the fear of God.

5:16  Yea, I also was strong in the work of this wall, nor did we buy a field. And all my servants were gathered there to the work.

5:17  And at my table were a hundred and fifty of the Jews and rulers, besides those who came to us from among the nations around us.

5:18  And that which was prepared for me daily was one ox, six fat sheep. Also birds were prepared for me; and between ten days, in all of the wine plentifully. And with this I did not seek the bread of the governor, for the bondage was heavy on this people.

5:19  Think upon me for good, my God, according to all that I have done for this people.

Chapter 6

6:1  And it happened, when it was heard by Sanballat, and Tobiah, and Geshem the Arabian, and to the rest of our enemies, that I had built the wall, and that no break was left in it though at that time I had not set up doors on the gates,

6:2  Sanballat and Geshem sent to me, saying, Come, let us meet together in the villages in the plain of Ono. But they thought to do evil to me.

6:3  And I sent messengers to them, saying, I am doing a great work, and I cannot come down. Why should the work cease while I leave it and come down to you?

6:4  And they sent to me four times in this way. And I answered them in the same way.

6:5  Then Sanballat sent his servant to me in the same way the fifth time with an open letter in his hand, in which was written,

6:6  It is reported among the nations, and Gashmu says, you and the Jews are thinking of rebelling; for which reason you are building the wall, so that you may be a king to them, according to these words.

6:7  And you have also set up prophets to preach about you at Jerusalem, saying, A king in Judah! And now it shall be reported to the king according to these words. Therefore, come now and let us talk it over together.

6:8  And I sent to him, saying, These things which you are saying are not happening, for you pretend them out of your own heart.

6:9  For they all were alarmers of us, saying, Their hands shall be weakened from the work, and it will not be done. And now, make my hands strong.

6:10  And I came to the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah the son of Mehetabeel, who was shut up. And he said, Let us meet together in the house of God, inside the temple, and let us shut the doors of the temple. For they will come to kill you. Yea, in the night they will come to kill you.

6:11  And I said, Should such a man as I flee? And who being as I am would go into the temple and live? I will not go in.

6:12  And I understood that, behold, God had not sent him. For he spoke the prophecy against me, and Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.

6:13  So he was hired, that I should be afraid, and do so, and I should sin, and become for them for an evil name with which they might reproach me.

6:14  O God, remember Tobiah and Sanballat according to these works of theirs, and also to the prophetess Noadiah, and the rest of the prophets who are my alarmers.

6:15  So the wall was restored in the twenty fifth of Elul, on the fifty second day.

6:16  And it happened when all our enemies heard, and all the nations who were around us saw, they were very much lowered in their own eyes. For they saw that this work was done by our God.

6:17  And in those days the nobles of Judah were increasing their letters going to Tobiah, and those of Tobiah came to them.

6:18  For many in Judah were sworn to him because he was the son-in-law of Shechaniah the son of Arah, and his son Jehohanan had taken the daughter of Meshullam the son of Berechiah.

6:19  Also they reported his good deeds before me, and my words were going to him. Tobiah sent letters to make me afraid.

Chapter 7

7:1  And it happened when the wall was built, I set up the doors, and the gatekeepers and the singers and the Levites were chosen.

7:2  I commanded that my brother Hanani, and Hananiah the ruler of the palace be over Jerusalem. For he was as a faithful man and feared God above many.

7:3  And I said to them, Do not let the gates of Jerusalem be opened until the sun is hot. And while they are standing, let them shut and bar the doors. And make stand guards from the people of Jerusalem, each one in his watch, and each one to be across from his house.

7:4  And the city was wide on both hands, and great, but the people in it few, and the houses not being built.

7:5  And my God put into my heart to gather together the nobles, and the rulers, and the people, so that they might be counted by genealogy. And I found a register of genealogy of those who came up at the first. And I found written in it:

7:6  These are the sons of the province who went up of the exiles, of the captivity, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had removed. And they came again to Jerusalem and to Judah, each man to his city.

7:7  The ones coming with Zerubbabel: Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, Baanah. The number of the men of the people of Israel was:

7:8  the sons of Parosh were two thousand, one hundred and seventy two.

7:9  The sons of Shephatiah were three hundred and seventy two.

7:10  The sons of Arah were six hundred and fifty two.

7:11  The sons of Pahath-moab, of the sons of Jeshua and Joab, were two thousand, eight hundred and eighteen.

7:12  The sons of Elam were a thousand, two hundred and fifty four.

7:13  The sons of Zattu were eight hundred and forty five.

7:14  The sons of Zaccai were seven hundred and sixty.

7:15  The sons of Binnui were six hundred and forty eight.

7:16  The sons of Bebai were six hundred and twenty eight.

7:17  The sons of Azgad were two thousand, three hundred and twenty two.

7:18  The sons of Adonikam were six hundred and sixty seven.

7:19  The sons of Bigvai were two thousand and sixty seven.

7:20  The sons of Adin were six hundred and fifty five.

7:21  The sons of Ater of Hezekiah were ninety eight.

7:22  The sons of Hashum were three hundred and twenty eight.

7:23  The sons of Bezai were three hundred and twenty four.

7:24  The sons of Hariph were a hundred and twelve.

7:25  The sons of Gibeon were ninety five.

7:26  The men of Bethlehem and Netophah were a hundred and eighty eight.

7:27  The men of Anathoth were a hundred and twenty eight.

7:28  The men of Beth-azmaveth were forty two.

7:29  The men of Kirjathjearim, Chephirah, and Beeroth were seven hundred and forty three.

7:30  The men of Ramah and Gaba were six hundred and twenty one.

7:31  The men of Michmas were a hundred and twenty two.

7:32  The men of Bethel and Ai were a hundred and twenty three.

7:33  The men of the other Nebo were fifty two.

7:34  The sons of the other Elam were a thousand, two hundred and fifty four.

7:35  The sons of Harim were three hundred and twenty.

7:36  The sons of Jericho were three hundred and forty five.

7:37  The sons of Lod, Hadid, and Ono were seven hundred and twenty one.

7:38  The sons of Senaah were three thousand, nine hundred and thirty.

7:39  The priests: The sons of Jedaiah, of the house of Jeshua: nine hundred and seventy three.

7:40  The sons of Immer were a thousand and fifty two.

7:41  The sons of Pashur were a thousand, two hundred and forty seven.

7:42  The sons of Harim were a thousand and seventeen.

7:43  The Levites: the sons of Jeshua, of Kadmiel, and of the sons of Hodevah, were seventy four.

7:44  The singers: the sons of Asaph were a hundred and forty eight.

7:45  The gatekeepers: The sons of Shallum, the sons of Ater, the sons of Talmon, the sons of Akkub, the sons of Hatita, the sons of Shobai were a hundred and thirty eight.

7:46  The temple-slaves: the sons of Ziha, the sons of Hashupha, the sons of Tabbaoth,

7:47  the sons of Keros, the sons of Sia, the sons of Padon,

7:48  the sons of Lebana, the sons of Hagaba, the sons of Shalmai,

7:49  the sons of Hanan, the sons of Giddel, the sons of Gahar,

7:50  the sons of Reaiah, the sons of Rezin, the sons of Nekoda,

7:51  the sons of Gazzam, the sons of Uzza, the sons of Paseah,

7:52  the sons of Besai, the sons of Meunim, the sons of Nephishesim,

7:53  the sons of Bakbuk, the sons of Hakupha, the sons of Harhur,

7:54  the sons of Bazlith, the sons of Mehida, the sons of Harsha,

7:55  the sons of Barkos, the sons of Sisera, the sons of Tamah,

7:56  the sons of Neziah, the sons of Hatipha;

7:57  of the sons of Solomon's servants, the sons of Sotai, the sons of Sophereth, the sons of Perida,

7:58  the sons of Jaala, the sons of Darkon, the sons of Giddel,

7:59  the sons of Shephatiah, the sons of Hattil, the sons of Pochereth of Zebaim, the sons of Amon.

7:60  All the temple slaves and the sons of Solomon's servants were three hundred and ninety two.

7:61  And these were they who went up from Tel-melah, Tel-haresha, Cherub, Addon, and Immer. But they were not able to manifest their father's house, nor their seed, whether they were of Israel:

7:62  The sons of Delaiah, the sons of Tobiah, the sons of Nekoda, six hundred and forty two;

7:63  and of the priests, the sons of Habaiah, the sons of Koz, the sons of Barzillai, who took one of the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite to wife, and was called after their name.

7:64  These sought their register among those who were reckoned by genealogy, but it was not found. And they were polluted from the priesthood.

7:65  And the governor said to them that they should not eat of the most holy things until there stood up a priest with Urim and Thummim.

7:66  All the congregation together was forty thousand, three hundred and sixty.

7:67  Besides the male slaves and their slave-girls, these were seven thousand, three hundred and thirty seven. And they had two hundred and forty-five singing men and singing women.

7:68  Their horses were seven hundred and thirty six. Their mules were two hundred and forty five;

7:69  their camels, four hundred and thirty five; their asses, six thousand, seven hundred and twenty.

7:70  And some of the heads of the fathers gave to the work. The governor gave to the treasury a thousand darics of gold, fifty, basins, five hundred and thirty priests garments.

7:71  And some of the heads of the fathers gave to the treasury of the work twenty thousand darics of gold, and two thousand, two hundred pieces of silver.

7:72  And what the rest of the people gave was twenty thousand darics of gold, and two thousand pieces of silver, and sixty seven priests' garments.

7:73  So the priests, and the Levites, and the gatekeepers, and the singers, and some of the people, and the temple-slaves, and all Israel, lived in their cities. And when the seventh month came, the sons of Israel were in their cities.

Chapter 8

8:1  And all the people gathered as one man into the plaza before the Water Gate. And they spoke to Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses, which Jehovah had commanded to Israel.

8:2  And Ezra the priest brought the Law before the congregation, both of men and women, and all that could hear with understanding, on the first day of the seventh month.

8:3  And he read in it before the plaza before the Water Gate, from the morning until noon, before the men and the women, and those who could understand. And the ears of all the people listened to the Book of the Law.

8:4  And Ezra the scribe stood on a pulpit of wood which they had made for the purpose. And beside him stood Mattithiah, and Shema, and Anaiah, and Urijah, and Hilkiah, and Maaseiah, on his right hand; and on his left hand were Pedaiah, and Mishael, and Malchiah, and Hashum, and Hashbadana, Zechariah, and Meshullam.

8:5  And Ezra opened the book to the eyes of all the people, for he was above all the people. And when he opened it, all the people stood up.

8:6  And Ezra blessed Jehovah, the great God. And all the people answered, Amen, Amen, lifting up their hands. And they bowed and worshiped to Jehovah with their noses to the ground.

8:7  And Jeshua, and Bani, and Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodijah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites, caused the people to understand the Law. And the people were in their place.

8:8  And they read aloud clearly in the Book of the Law of God, and they gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.

8:9  And Nehemiah the governor, and Ezra the priest, the scribe, and the Levites who taught the people, said to all the people, This day is holy to Jehovah your God. Do not mourn or weep, For all the people wept when they heard the words of the Law.

8:10  Then he said to them, Go eat the fat, and drink of the sweet, and send portions to him for whom nothing is prepared. For this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be sorry, for the joy of Jehovah is your stronghold.

8:11  And the Levites were silencing all the people, saying, Be quiet, for today is holy, and do not be grieved.

8:12  And all the people went to eat, and to drink, and to send portions, and to make great rejoicing, because they had understood the words which were made known to them.

8:13  And on the second day the chief of the fathers of all the people, the priests, and the Levites, were gathered to Ezra the scribe even to understand the words of the Law.

8:14  And they found written in the Law which Jehovah had commanded by Moses, that the sons of Israel should dwell in booths in the feast of the seventh month:

8:15  and that they should make heard and cause to pass the call in all their cities, and in Jerusalem, saying, Go forth to the mountain and bring olive branches and wild olive branches, and myrtle branches, and branches of palm, and branches of thick trees, to make booths, as it is written.

8:16  And the people went out and brought in, and made booths for themselves, each man on his roof and in their courts, and in the courts of the house of God, and in the plaza of the Water Gate, and in the plaza of the Ephraim Gate.

8:17  And all the congregation of those who had come again out of the captivity made booths, and sat under the booths. For since the days of Joshua the son of Nun until that day, the sons of Israel had not done so. And there was very great gladness.

8:18  Also day by day, from the first day until the last day, he read in the Book of the Law of God. And they made the feast seven days, and on the eighth day was an assembly according to the Law.

Chapter 9

9:1  And on the twenty fourth day of this month the sons of Israel were gathered with fasting and with sackcloth, and with earth on them.

9:2  And the seed of Israel separated themselves from all the sons of aliens, and they stood and confessed their sins and the sins of their fathers.

9:3  And they stood up in their place and read in the Book of the Law of Jehovah their God a fourth part of the day. And a fourth part they confessed and worshiped Jehovah their God.

9:4  Then Jeshua, and Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani and Chenani, of the Levites stood on the stairs and cried with a loud voice to Jehovah their God.

9:5  Then the Levites, Jeshua, and Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabniah, Sherebiah, Hodijah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah said, Stand up! Bless Jehovah your God forever and ever. And blessed be the Name of Your Glory, even He being exalted above all blessing and praise.

9:6  You alone are He , O Jehovah; You have made the heavens, and heavens of the heavens, and all their host; the earth and all which is on it; the seas, and all that is in them; and You shall preserve them all alive. And the host of the heavens bows down to You.

9:7  You are Jehovah the God who chose Abram, and brought him forth out of Ur of the Chaldees, and appointed his name Abraham.

9:8  And You found his heart faithful before You, and cut with him the covenant to give the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, and the Perizzite, and the Jebusite, and the Girgashite, to give it to his seed. And You have performed Your words, for You are righteous.

9:9  And You saw the affliction of our fathers in Egypt, and heard their cry by the Sea of Reeds.

9:10  And You gave signs and wonders on Pharaoh, and on all his servants, and on all the people of the land. For You knew that they were seething against them. And You made a name for Yourself, as it is this day.

9:11  And You divided the Sea before them, so that they went through the midst of the Sea on the dry land. And their pursuers You threw into the deep, like a stone into the mighty waters.

9:12  And You led them in the day by a cloudy pillar, and in the night by a pillar of fire, to give them light in the way in which they should go.

9:13  And You came down on Mount Sinai and spoke with them from the heavens, and gave them right judgments and true laws, good statutes and commandments.

9:14  And You made Your holy sabbath known to them, and You commanded commandments, statutes, and laws, to them by the hand of Your servant Moses.

9:15  And You gave them bread from the heavens for their hunger, and brought forth water for them out of the rock for their thirst. And You said to them that they should go in to possess the land which You had raised Your hand to give them.

9:16  But they and our fathers seethed, and hardened their necks, and did not listen to Your commands.

9:17  And they refused to obey, and were not mindful of Your wonders which You did among them. But they hardened their necks, and in their rebellion appointed a leader to return them to their bondage. But You are a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and did not forsake them.

9:18  Yea, when they had made a casted calf for themselves, and said, This is your god who brought you up out of Egypt, and had worked great blasphemies,

9:19  Yet You in Your great mercies did not forsake them in the wilderness. The pillar of cloud did not depart from them by day to lead them in the way, nor the pillar of fire by night, to show them light, and the way in which they should go.

9:20  You also gave Your good Spirit to teach them, and did not withhold Your manna from their mouth, and gave them water for their thirst.

9:21  Yea, forty years You sustained them in the wilderness. They lacked nothing; their clothes did not wear out, and their feet did not swell.

9:22  And You gave them kingdoms and peoples, and divided them to corners. And they possessed the land of Sihon, and the land of the king of Heshbon, and the land of Og king of Bashan.

9:23  You also multiplied their sons like the stars of the heavens and brought them into the land which You had promised to their fathers, that they should go in and possess it.

9:24  And the sons went in and possessed the land, and You humbled the people of the land before them, the Canaanites. And You gave them into their hands, with their kings and the people of the land to do with them as they desired.

9:25  And they took strong cities and a rich land, and occupied houses full of all goods, wells already dug, vineyards and oliveyards and fruit trees in abundance. And they ate, and were filled, and became fat, and lived luxuriously in Your great goodness.

9:26  But they were disobedient, and rebelled against You, and cast Your law behind their backs. And they killed Your prophets who testified against them, to turn them to You. And they worked great blasphemies.

9:27  And You gave them into the hand of their enemies, who distressed them. And in the time of their distress, they cried to You; and You heard from Heaven. And according to Your manifold mercies, You gave them deliverers, who saved them out of the hand of their enemies.

9:28  But after a rest to them, they turned to doing evil before You. And You left them in the hand of their haters, and they ruled over them. But they came back and cried to You, and You heard them from Heaven, and You delivered them according to Your mercies.

9:29  And You testified against them to bring them again to Your Law, but they seethed, and did not listen to Your commands, but were against Your judgments; they sinned in them, which if a man do, he shall live in them. And they gave a rebellious shoulder, and hardened their neck, and would not hear.

9:30  But many years You had patience with them, and testified against them by Your Spirit, by Your prophets. Yet they would not give ear. And You gave them into the hand of the peoples of the lands.

9:31  But for Your great mercies, You did not consume nor forsake them; for You are a gracious and merciful God.

9:32  And now our God, the great, the mighty and the fearful God, keeping the covenant and the mercy, let it not seem little before You, all the trouble which has found us, to our kings, to our rulers, and to our priests, and to our prophets, and to our fathers, and to all Your people, since the time of the kings of Assyria to this day.

9:33  And You are just as to all that came on us, for You have done right; but we have done evilly.

9:34  And our kings, our rulers, our priests, and our fathers have not kept Your law, nor listened to Your commands and Your testimonies with which You testified against them.

9:35  And they have not served You in their kingdom, and in Your great goodness which You gave to them, and in the large and rich land which You gave before them. And they did not turn from their evil works.

9:36  Behold, we are slaves today, even the land that You gave to our fathers to eat its fruit and its good, behold, we are slaves in it.

9:37  And it yields much increase to the kings whom You have set over us because of our sinning. And they rule over our bodies, and over our cattle, at their pleasure; and we are in great distress.

9:38  And because of all this, we are cutting a sure covenant and writing it , and our rulers, Levites, and priests are sealing it.

Chapter 10

10:1  And the ones being sealed were Nehemiah the governor, the son of Hachaliah, and Zidkijah,

10:2  Seraiah, Azariah, Jeremiah,

10:3  Pashur, Amariah, Malchijah,

10:4  Hattush, Shebaniah, Malluch,

10:5  Harim, Meremoth, Obadiah,

10:6  Daniel, Ginnethon, Baruch,

10:7  Meshullam, Abijah, Mijamin,

10:8  Maaziah, Bilgai, Shemaiah. These were the priests.

10:9  And the Levites were both Jeshua the son of Azaniah, Binnui, of the sons of Henadad, Kadmiel,

10:10  and their brothers, Shebaniah, Hodijah, Kelita, Pelaiah, Hanan,

10:11  Micha, Rehob, Hashabiah,

10:12  Zaccur, Sherebiah, Shebaniah,

10:13  Hodijah, Bani, Beninu.

10:14  The rulers of the people were Parosh, Pahath-moab, Elam, Zatthu, Bani,

10:15  Bunni, Azgad, Bebai,

10:16  Adonijah, Bigvai, Adin,

10:17  Ater, Hizkijah, Azzur,

10:18  Hodijah, Hashum, Bezai,

10:19  Hariph, Anathoth, Nebai,

10:20  Magpiash, Meshullam, Hezir,

10:21  Meshezabeel, Zadok, Jaddua,

10:22  Pelatiah, Hanan, Anaiah,

10:23  Hoshea, Hananiah, Hashub,

10:24  Hallohesh, Pileha, Shobek,

10:25  Rehum, Hashabnah, Maaseiah,

10:26  and Ahijah, Hanan, Anan,

10:27  Malluch, Harim, Baanah.

10:28  And the rest of the people the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, the temple-slaves, and all those who separated from the people of the lands to the Law of God, their wives, their sons, and their daughters, all knowing and discerning ones ,

10:29  were holding fast to their brothers, their honored ones; and were entering into a curse and into an oath, to walk in God's law which was given by Moses the servant of God, and to keep and to do all the commandments of Jehovah our Lord, and His judgments and His statutes.

10:30  And we swore that we would not give our daughters to the people of the land nor take their daughters for our sons.

10:31  And if the people of the land should bring goods or any food to sell on the Sabbath, we would not take from them on the Sabbath, or on the holy day. And they would forego the seventh year, and the interest of every hand.

10:32  Also, we put commands on ourselves, to charge ourselves yearly with the third part of a shekel for the service of the house of our God,

10:33  for the Bread of Arrangement, and for the continual food offering, and for the continual burnt offering, of the sabbaths, of the new moons, for the set feasts, and for the holy things , and for the sin offerings to make atonement for Israel, and all the work of the house of God.

10:34  And we made fall the lots among the priests, and the Levites, and the people, for the wood offering, to bring it into the house of our God, according to the houses of our fathers, at times appointed year by year, to burn on the altar of Jehovah our God, as it is written in the Law;

10:35  also to bring the firstfruits of our ground, and the firstfruits of all fruit of all trees, year by year, to the house of Jehovah;

10:36  also to bring the first-born of our sons, and of our cattle, as it is written in the Law; and the firstlings of our herds and of our flocks to the house of our God, to the priests who minister in the house of our God.

10:37  And that we should bring the firstfruits of our dough, and our offerings, and the fruit of all kinds of trees, of wine, and of oil, to the priests, to the rooms of the house of our God; and the tithes of our ground to the Levites; and they, the Levites, might have the tithes in all the cities we worked.

10:38  And the priest, the son of Aaron, shall be with the Levites, tithing the Levites; and the Levites shall bring up the tithes of the tithes to the house of our God to the rooms, into the treasure house.

10:39  For the sons of Israel, and the sons of Levi, shall bring the offering of the grain, of the new wine, and the oil, to the rooms, and there shall be the vessels of the sanctuary, and the priests ministering, and the gatekeepers and the singers. And we will not forsake the house of our God.

Chapter 11

11:1  And the rulers of the people lived at Jerusalem. The rest of the people also cast lots, to bring one of the tenth to live in Jerusalem, the holy city, and nine parts in other cities.

11:2  And the people blessed all the men who willingly offered themselves to live in Jerusalem.

11:3  And these are the rulers of the province who lived in Jerusalem; but in the cities of Judah, a man lived in his possession in their cities; Israel, the priests, and the Levites, and the temple-slaves, and the sons of Solomon's servants.

11:4  And in Jerusalem lived some of the sons of Judah, and of the sons of Benjamin. From the sons of Judah were Athaiah the son of Uzziah, the son of Zechariah, the son of Amariah, the son of Shephatiah, the son of Mahalaleel, of the sons of Perez;

11:5  and Maaseiah the son of Baruch, the son of Colhozeh, the son of Hazaiah, the son of Adaiah, the son of Jolarib, the son of Zechariah, the son of Shiloni.

11:6  All the sons of Perez who lived in Jerusalem were four hundred and sixty eight mighty men.

11:7  And these are the sons of Benjamin: Sallu the son of Meshullam, the son of Joed, the son of Pedaiah, the son of Kolaiah, the son of Maaseiah, the son of Ithiel, the son of Jesaiah.

11:8  And after him were Gabbai, Sallai, nine hundred and twenty eight.

11:9  And Joel the son of Zichri was their overseer. And Judah the son of Hassenaah was second over the city.

11:10  From the priests were Jedaiah the son of Joiarib, Jachin,

11:11  Seraiah the son of Hilkiah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Zadok, the son of Meraiah, the son of Ahitub, the ruler of the house of God.

11:12  And their brothers who did the work of the house were eight hundred and twenty two. And Adaiah the son of Jeroham, the son of Pelaliah, the son of Amzi, the son of Zechariah, the son of Pashur, the son of Malchiah,

11:13  and his brothers, rulers of the fathers, two hundred and forty two. And Amashai the son of Azareel, the son of Ahasai, the son of Meshillemoth, the son of Immer,

11:14  and their brothers, mighty men, were a hundred and twenty eight. And their overseer was Zabdiel, a son of one of the great men.

11:15  Also from the Levites were Shemaiah the son of Hashub, the son of Azrikam, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Bunni.

11:16  And Shabbethai and Jozabad, of the rulers of the Levites, had the oversight of the outward business of the house of God.

11:17  And Mattaniah the son of Micha, the son of Zabdi, the son of Asaph, was the leader of the beginning, he gave thanks with prayer. And Bakbukiah the second from his brothers, and Abda the son of Shammua, the son of Galal, the son of Jeduthun.

11:18  All the Levites in the holy city were two hundred and eighty four.

11:19  And the gatekeepers: Akkub, Talmon, and their brothers who kept the gates, a hundred and seventy two.

11:20  And the rest of Israel, of the priests, the Levites, were in all the cities of Judah, each one in his inheritance.

11:21  But the temple-slaves lived in Ophel; and Ziha and Gispa were over the temple-slaves.

11:22  And the overseer of the Levites at Jerusalem was Uzzi the son of Bani, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Micha. Of the sons of Asaph, the singers were over the business of the house of God.

11:23  For it was the king's command concerning them, that a certain portion should be for the singers, the matter of the day in his day.

11:24  And Pethahiah the son of Meshezabeel, of the sons of Zerah the son of Judah, was at the king's hand in all matters concerning the people.

11:25  And for the villages, with their fields some of the sons of Judah lived at Kirjath-arba, and in its villages; and at Dibon, and in its villages; and at Jekabzeel, and its villages;

11:26  and at Jeshua, and at Moladah, and at Beth-palet;

11:27  and at Hazar-shual, and at Beersheba, and its villages;

11:28  and at Ziklag; and at Mekonah, and in its villages;

11:29  and at Enrimmon; and at Zareah; and at Jarmuth;

11:30  Zanoah; Adullam, and their villages; at Lachish, and its fields; at Azekah, and its villages. And they camped from Beersheba to the valley of Hinnom.

11:31  And the sons of Benjamin from Geba were at Michmash; and Aija; and Bethel, and their villages;

11:32  and at Anathoth; Nob; Ananiah;

11:33  Hazor; Ramah; Gittaim;

11:34  Hadid; Zeboim; Neballat;

11:35  Lod and Ono, the Valley of Craftsmen.

11:36  And of the Levites, the divisions of Judah were for Benjamin.

Chapter 12

12:1  And these are the priests and the Levites who went up with Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua: Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra,

12:2  Amariah, Malluch, Hattush,

12:3  Shechaniah, Rehum, Meremoth,

12:4  Iddo, Ginnetho, Abijah,

12:5  Miamin, Maadiah, Bilgah,

12:6  Shemaiah, and Joiarib, Jedaiah,

12:7  Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, Jedaiah. These were the rulers of the priests and their brothers in the days of Jeshua.

12:8  And the Levites were Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah. Mattaniah was over the thanksgiving, he and his brothers.

12:9  And Bakbukiah and Unni, their brothers, were next to them in the watches.

12:10  And Jeshua fathered Joiakim, and Joiakim fathered Eliashib; and Eliashib fathered Joiada;

12:11  and Joiada fathered Jonathan; and Jonathan fathered Jaddua.

12:12  And in the days of Joiakim were priests, the rulers of the fathers, from the house of Seraiah was Meraiah; from Jeremiah was Hananiah;

12:13  from Ezra was Meshullam; from Amariah was Jehohanan;

12:14  from Melicu was Jonathan; from Shebaniah was Joseph;

12:15  from Harim was Adna; from Meraioth was Helkai;

12:16  from Iddo was Zechariah; from Ginnethon was Meshullam;

12:17  from Abijah was Zichri; from Miniamin, of Moadiah was Piltai;

12:18  from Bilgah was Shammua; from Shemaiah was Jehonathan;

12:19  and from Joiarib was Mattenai; from Jedaiah was Uzzi;

12:20  from Sallai was Kallai; from Amok was Eber;

12:21  from Hilkiah was Hashabiah; from Jedaiah was Nethaneel.

12:22  The Levites in the days of Eliashib, Joiada, and Johanan, and Jaddua, were written rulers of the fathers; also the priests until the reign of Darius the Persian.

12:23  The sons of the Levites, the rulers of the fathers, are written in the Book of the Matters of the Days, even until the days of Johanan the son of Eliashib.

12:24  And the rulers of the Levites were Hashabiah; Sherebiah; and Jeshua the son of Kadmiel, with their brothers next to them, to praise, to give thanks according to the command of David the man of God, watch by watch.

12:25  Mattaniah, and Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon, and Akkub were guards of the gates, the guard at the thresholds of the gates.

12:26  These were in the days of Joiakim the son of Jeshua, the son of Jozadak, and in the days of Nehemiah the governor, and of Ezra the priest, the scribe.

12:27  And at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem, they sought the Levites out of all their places to bring them to Jerusalem, to keep the dedication with gladness, and with thanksgiving, and with singing, with cymbals, harps, and with lyres.

12:28  And the sons of the singers gathered themselves, both out of the plain country around Jerusalem, and from the villages of the inhabitants of Netophah;

12:29  and from the house of Gilgal, and out of the fields of Geba and Azmaveth (for the singers had built themselves villages all around Jerusalem).

12:30  And the priests and the Levites purified themselves. And they purified the people, and the gates, and the wall.

12:31  Then I brought up the rulers of Judah on the wall, and chose two great thanksgiving choirs. One went to the right on the wall toward the Dung Gate,

12:32  and after them went Hoshaiah, and half the rulers of Judah;

12:33  even Azariah, Ezra, and Meshullam,

12:34  Judah, and Benjamin, and Shemaiah, and Jeremiah;

12:35  and many of the priests' sons with trumpets, Zechariah the son of Jonathan, the son of Shemaiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Michaiah, the son of Zaccur, the son of Asaph,

12:36  and his brothers, Shemaiah, and Azareel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethaneel, and Judah, Hanani, with the musical instruments of David the man of God. And Ezra the scribe was before them.

12:37  And at the Fountain Gate across from them, they went up by the stairs of the city of David, at the going up of the wall above the house of David, even to the Water Gate eastward.

12:38  And the other thanksgiving choir was going to the opposite side , and I after them, and half of the people on the wall, from beyond the Tower of Furnaces, even to the Broad Wall;

12:39  and from above the Ephraim Gate, and above the Old Gate, and above the Fish Gate, and the Tower of Hananeel, and the Tower of Meah, even to the Sheep Gate. And they stood still in the Prison Gate.

12:40  So the two thanksgiving choirs stood in the house of God, and I, and half of the rulers with me.

12:41  And the priests, Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Michaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah and Hananiah were with trumpets.

12:42  And Maaseiah, and Shemaiah, and Eleazar, and Uzzi, and Jehohanan, and Malchijah, and Elam, and Ezer; and the singers sang aloud with Jezrahiah as their overseer.

12:43  And that day they offered great sacrifices, and rejoiced. For God had made them rejoice with great joy. And the wives, and the children rejoiced so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard even at a distance.

12:44  And at that time some were chosen over the rooms for the treasuries, for the offerings for the firstfruits, and for the tithes, to gather to them out of the fields of the cities the portions of the Law for the priests and the Levites. For Judah rejoiced for the priests, and for the Levites who waited.

12:45  And both the singers and the gatekeepers kept the watch of their God, and the watch of the cleansing, according to the command of David, of his son Solomon.

12:46  For in the past days of David and Asaph, there were heads of the singers, and songs of praise and thanksgiving to God.

12:47  And all Israel gave the portions of the singers and the gatekeepers, everyday its portion, in the days of Zerubbabel, and in the days of Nehemiah. And they set the holy things apart for the Levites; and the Levites set apart for the sons of Aaron.

Chapter 13

13:1  On that day they read in the Book of Moses in the ears of the people. And it was found written in it that the Ammonite and the Moabite should not come into the congregation of God forever,

13:2  because they did not meet the sons of Israel with bread and water, but hired Balaam against them to curse them. But our God turned the curse to a blessing.

13:3  And it happened, when they had heard the Law, they separated all the mixed multitude from Israel.

13:4  And before this, Eliashib the priest, who was set over the rooms of the house of our God, who was related to Tobiah,

13:5  (and he had prepared for himself a large room where they had in days past laid the food offering, the frankincense, and the vessels, and the tithes of the grain, the new wine, and the oil, which was commanded to be given to the Levites, and the singers, and the gatekeepers, and the offerings of the priests).

13:6  But in all this time I was not at Jerusalem. For in the thirty second year of Artaxerxes the king of Babylon, I came to the king. And after some days I asked leave from the king.

13:7  And I came to Jerusalem, and understood the evil which Eliashib did for Tobiah, in preparing a room for him in the courts of the house of God.

13:8  And it grieved me very much. And I threw all the household stuff of Tobiah out of the room.

13:9  Then I commanded, and they purified the rooms. And I returned there the vessels of the house of God, with the food offering and the frankincense.

13:10  And I was aware that the portions of the Levites had not been given, for the Levites and the singers who did the work had each one fled to his field.

13:11  Then I contended with the rulers, and said, Why is the house of God forsaken? And I gathered them and set them in their place.

13:12  Then all Judah brought the tithe of the grain, and the new wine, and the oil, into the treasuries.

13:13  And I made treasurers over the treasuries: Shelemiah the priest, and Zadok the scribe, and of the Levites, Pedaiah. And next to them was Hanan the son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah. For they were counted faithful, and on them was the duty to distribute to their brothers.

13:14  Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and do not wipe out my good deeds which I have done for the house of my God, and in its keeping.

13:15  In those days I saw in Judah ones treading wine presses on the Sabbath, and bringing in sheaves and loading asses; and also wine, grapes, and figs, and all burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. And I testified against them on the day they sold food.

13:16  Men of Tyre also lived in it, who brought fish and all wares, and were selling on the Sabbath to the sons of Judah even in Jerusalem.

13:17  And I contended with the nobles of Judah and said to them, What is this evil thing that you do, defiling the Sabbath day?

13:18  Did not your fathers do this, and did not our God bring all this evil on us and on this city? Yet you bring more wrath on Israel by defiling the Sabbath.

13:19  And it happened, when the gates of Jerusalem began to be dark before the Sabbath, I commanded that the gates should be shut, and commanded that they should not be opened until after the Sabbath. And I stationed some of my servants at the gates, so that there should be no burden brought in on the Sabbath day.

13:20  And the merchants and sellers of all the wares stayed the night outside Jerusalem once or twice.

13:21  Then I testified against them and said to them, Why are you staying around the wall? If you do it again, I will send a hand against you. From that time they did not come on the Sabbath.

13:22  And I commanded the Levites that they should be cleansing themselves, and they should come guarding the gates, to sanctify the Sabbath day. O my God, remember me for this also and spare me according to the greatness of Your mercy.

13:23  In those days I also saw Jews who had dwelt with women from Ashdod, Ammon and Moab.

13:24  And their children spoke half in the speech of Ashdod, and to them there was no respecting to speak Jewish, but according to the language of each people.

13:25  And I contended with them, and put a curse on them, and struck some of them, and I plucked their hair. And I made them swear by the name of God, saying, You shall not give your daughter to their sons, nor take their daughters to your sons, or for yourselves.

13:26  Did not Solomon king of Israel sin by these things? Yet among many nations there was no king like him, who was beloved by his God; and God made him king over Israel. But women from other lands caused even him to sin.

13:27  Shall we then listen to you, to do this great evil, to sin against our God in living with foreign women?

13:28  And one of the sons of Joiada, the son of Eliashib the high priest, was son-in-law to Sanballat the Horonite. And I chased him from me.

13:29  Remember them, O my God, because they have defiled the priesthood, and the covenant of the priesthood and of the Levites.

13:30  And I cleansed them from all aliens, and appointed watches to the priests and the Levites, each one in his business,

13:31  and for the wood offering, at appointed times, and for the firstfruits. Remember me, O my God, for good!