The Book of
NEHEMIAH
Author
The book derives its present title from the main character whose name appears in 1:1. (See “Occasion and Date” below.) Our first glimpse of Nehemiah is in his role as cupbearer at the court of Artaxerxes. A cupbearer had a position of great trust as advisor to the king and had the responsibility of keeping the king from being poisoned. While Nehemiah no doubt enjoyed the luxury of the palace, his heart was in Jerusalem, a little city on the far frontier of the empire.
Nehemiah’s prayer and fasting, qualities of leadership, powerful eloquence, inspirational organizational skills, confidence in God’s purpose, and quick, decisive response to problems qualify him as a great leader and man of God. Most importantly, he shows us a self-sacrificing spirit whose only interest is summed up in his repeated prayer, “Remember me, O my God, for good.”
Occasion and Purpose
In the Hebrew Scriptures Nehemiah was originally included with Ezra. Many scholars consider Ezra as the compiler/author of Ezra-Nehemiah, as well as 1 and 2 Chronicles. Though we cannot be sure, it does seem that Nehemiah contributed some of the material in the book bearing his name (chs. 1—7; 11—13).
Jerome, who translated the Bible into Latin, honored Nehemiah by naming the book after him as its main character. Nehemiah means “Yahweh Comforts.” The story begins in the Book of Ezra and is completed in Nehemiah. Nehemiah, who twice served as governor of Judea, leaves Persia on his first mission in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes I of Persia, who reigned from 465 until 424 B.C. (2:1). He returns to Persia in the king’s thirty-second year (13:6), and he leaves again for Jerusalem “after certain days.”
The contents of the book dictate that the work could not have been written until some time after Nehemiah’s return from Persia to Jerusalem. Perhaps it was written in its completed form before the death of Artaxerxes I in 424 B.C.; otherwise the death of such a gracious monarch would probably have been mentioned in Nehemiah.
The historical period covered by the books of Ezra and Nehemiah is about 110 years. The period of rebuilding the temple under Zerubbabel, inspired by the preaching of Zechariah and Haggai, was twenty-one years. Sixty years later Ezra brought a revival and proper teaching on temple worship. After thirteen years Nehemiah came to work on the walls. Malachi may also have prophesied during this time. If so, Nehemiah and Malachi worked together to eradicate the evil of the worship of many gods, and they attacked the evil of compromise with the peoples who had been forcibly resettled in the land by the Assyrians approximately two hundred years earlier. They succeeded so well that, during the intertestamental period, the people of God did not return to idolatry. Thus, when the Messiah came, people such as Zacharias and Elizabeth, Mary and Joseph, Simeon, Anna, the shepherds, and others were godly people with whom God would communicate.
Content
Nehemiah expresses the practical, everyday side of our faith in God. Ezra had led a spiritual renewal, while Nehemiah was the James of the Old Testament, challenging the people to show their faith by their works.
The first section of the book (chs. 1—7) deals with the wall. Protection from those outside the city was necessary for Judah and Benjamin to remain a people. In the wall-building period, the committed believers under this dynamic leader overcame laziness (4:6), mockery (2:20), conspiracy (3:9), and threats of physical attack (4:17).
The second section of the book (chs. 8—10) addresses the people inside the walls. The covenant was renewed, and the enemies inside the wall were exposed and dealt with very firmly. To lead His people God chose a man whose heart was right and who had a clear perspective on the issues, placed him in the right place at the right time, equipped him with His Spirit, and sent him forth to do exploits.
In the last section (chs. 11—13), the people are restored to obedience to God’s Word, as Nehemiah the layman works with Ezra the priest. As governor during this period, Nehemiah used the influence of his office to support Ezra and to lead spiritually. Here is a man who wisely thinks things through in advance of his action (“after serious thought”) and a man filled with boldness (“I contended with the nobles”).
Personal Application
Four lasting principles stand out in Nehemiah. First, compassion is often the springboard of obedience to God’s will. Second, cooperation with others is required to carry out God’s will. Third, confidence results from fervent prayer and the exposition of the Word of God, which reveals God’s will. Fourth, courage will manifest itself as sanctified tenacity in refusing to compromise on the conviction that one is doing God’s will.
Christ Revealed
Nehemiah, with his associate Ezra, called on the people of God to remember the law. Doing so, he became part of the chain of inspired writers of Holy Scripture who put the people in the hands of the “tutor” (Gal. 3:23, 24) to guard them until Christ should arrive.
While Christ is not directly referred to in Nehemiah, Nehemiah typifies Him by the life he modeled. He was a courageous leader, defying the odds and encouraging the people to do Yahweh’s work (2:18), even as Christ defied the people’s opposition and encouraged His disciples to endure (John 15:18–27). He was an ardent prayer (2:1–20; 6:9–14), even as Christ was (Luke 6:12). Finally, he was dedicated to God’s law (8:9, 10), an important element in Christ’s life as well (Matt. 5:17).
The Holy Spirit at Work
Since creation, the Holy Spirit has been the executive arm of God on Earth. Elihu spoke the truth when he said to Job, “The Spirit of God has made me” (Job 33:4). The pattern is consistent in that it is the Spirit of God who works to make us all that God desires us to be. Nehemiah 2:18 states, “And I told them of the hand of my God which had been good upon me.” The hand of God, His action on Earth, is the Holy Spirit. Ezekiel, a captive in Babylon before the liberation of God’s people and their return to Jerusalem, wrote: “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them. Then you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; you shall be My people, and I will be your God” (Ezek. 36:26–28). Nehemiah, whose name means “Yahweh Comforts,” was clearly an instrument of the Holy Spirit. Under the power of God’s Spirit, he certainly modeled the Holy Spirit’s workings and became one of the early fulfillments of this remarkable prophecy.
Outline of Nehemiah
I. Nehemiah goes from exile to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem 1:1—7:73
A. Authority from Artaxerxes I to rebuild the wall 1:1—2:8
B. Planning the work, motivating and organizing the workers 2:9—3:32
C. Opposition and defense 4:1–23
D. Extortion and usury resisted by Nehemiah’s godly example 5:1–19
E. Walls completed in spite of evil plots 6:1—7:3
F. Reestablishment of Jerusalem’s citizens 7:3–73
II. Ezra and Nehemiah work together to establish the people 8:1—10:39
A. Reading the Bible 8:1–12
B. Celebration of Feast of Tabernacles 8:13–18
C. Confession of personal and corporate sin 9:1–37
D. Commitment to keep the lawand support the temple 9:38—10:39
III. True repentance results in righteousness 11:1—13:31
A. Census of Jerusalem and surrounding villages 11:1—12:26
B. Dedication of walls and provision for the finances of the temple 12:27—13:3
C. Nehemiah’s second term asgovernor, including furtherreforms and a final prayer 13:4–31
Nehemiah Prays for His People
1
1 THE words of aNehemiah the son of Hachaliah.
It came to pass in the month of Chislev, in the btwentieth year, as I was in cShushan1 the 2citadel,
2 that aHanani one of my brethren came with men from Judah; and I asked them concerning the Jews who had escaped, who had survived the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem.
3 And they said to me, “The survivors who are left from the captivity in the aprovince are there in great distress and breproach. cThe wall of Jerusalem dis also broken down, and its gates are burned with fire.”
4 So it was, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned for many days; I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven.
5 And I said: “I pray, aLORD God of heaven, O great and bawesome God, cYou who keep Your covenant and mercy with those who *love 1You and observe 2Your commandments,
6 “please let Your ear be attentive and aYour eyes open, that You may hear the *prayer of Your servant which I *pray before You now, day and night, for the children of Israel Your servants, and bconfess the sins of the children of Israel which we have sinned against You. Both my father’s house and I have sinned.
7 a“We have acted very corruptly against You, and have bnot kept the commandments, the statutes, nor the ordinances which You commanded Your servant Moses.
8 “Remember, I pray, the word that You commanded Your servant Moses, saying, a‘If you 1are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations;
9 a‘but if you return to Me, and keep My commandments and do them, bthough some of you were cast out to the farthest part of the heavens, yet I will gather them from there, and bring them to the place which I have chosen as a dwelling for My name.’
10 a“Now these are Your servants and Your people, whom You have redeemed by Your great *power, and by Your strong hand.
11 “O Lord, I pray, please alet Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant, and to the prayer of Your servants who bdesire to fear Your name; and let Your servant prosper this day, I pray, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.” For I was the king’s ccupbearer.
Nehemiah Sent to Judah
2
1 And it came to pass in the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of aKing 1Artaxerxes, when wine was before him, that bI took the wine and gave it to the king. Now I had never been sad in his presence before.
2 Therefore the king said to me, “Why is your face sad, since you are not sick? This is nothing but asorrow of heart.” So I became 1dreadfully afraid,
3 and said to the king, a“May the king live forever! Why should my face not be sad, when bthe city, the place of my fathers’ tombs, lies waste, and its gates are burned with cfire?”
4 Then the king said to me, “What do you request?” So I aprayed to the God of heaven.
5 And I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, I ask that you send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers’ tombs, that I may rebuild it.”
6 Then the king said to me (the queen also sitting beside him), “How long will your journey be? And when will you return?” So it pleased the king to send me; and I set him aa time.
7 Furthermore I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, let letters be given to me for the agovernors of the region beyond 1the River, that they must permit me to pass through till I come to Judah,
8 “and a letter to Asaph the keeper of the king’s forest, that he must give me timber to make beams for the gates of the 1citadel which pertains ato the 2temple, for the city wall, and for the house that I will occupy.” And the king granted them to me baccording to the good hand of my God upon me.
9 Then I went to the governors in the region beyond the River, and gave them the king’s letters. Now the king had sent captains of the army and horsemen with me.
10 When aSanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite 1official heard of it, they were deeply disturbed that a man had come to *seek the well-being of the children of Israel.
Nehemiah Views the Wall of Jerusalem
11 So I acame to Jerusalem and was there three days.
12 Then I arose in the night, I and a few men with me; I told no one what my God had put in my heart to do at Jerusalem; nor was there any animal with me, except the one on which I rode.
13 And I went out by night athrough the Valley Gate to the Serpent Well and the 1Refuse Gate, and 2viewed the walls of Jerusalem which were bbroken down and its gates which were burned with fire.
14 Then I went on to the aFountain Gate and to the bKing’s Pool, but there was no room for the animal under me to pass.
15 So I went up in the night by the avalley,1 and 2viewed the wall; then I turned back and entered by the Valley Gate, and so returned.
16 And the officials did not know where I had gone or what I had done; I had not yet told the Jews, the priests, the nobles, the officials, or the others who did the work.
17 Then I said to them, “You see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lies 1waste, and its gates are burned with fire. Come and let us *build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer be aa reproach.”
18 And I told them of athe hand of my God which had been good upon me, and also of the king’s words that he had spoken to me. So they said, “Let us rise up and build.” Then they bset1 their hands to this good work.
19 But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab heard of it, they laughed at us and despised us, and said, “What is this thing that you are doing? aWill you rebel against the king?”
20 So I answered them, and said to them, “The God of heaven Himself will prosper us; therefore we His servants will arise and build, abut you have no *heritage or right or *memorial in Jerusalem.”
Rebuilding the Wall
3
1 Then aEliashib the high priest rose up with his brethren the priests band built the Sheep Gate; they consecrated it and hung its doors. They built cas far as the Tower of 1the Hundred, and consecrated it, then as far as the Tower of dHananel.
2 1Next to Eliashib athe men of Jericho built. And next to them Zaccur the son of Imri built.
3 Also the sons of Hassenaah built athe Fish Gate; they laid its beams and bhung its doors with its bolts and bars.
4 And next to them aMeremoth the son of Urijah, the son of 1Koz, made repairs. Next to them bMeshullam the son of Berechiah, the son of Meshezabel, made repairs. Next to them Zadok the son of Baana made repairs.
5 Next to them the Tekoites made repairs; but their nobles did not put their 1shoulders to athe work of their Lord.
6 Moreover Jehoiada the son of Paseah and Meshullam the son of Besodeiah repaired athe Old Gate; they laid its beams and hung its doors, with its bolts and bars.
7 And next to them Melatiah the Gibeonite, Jadon the Meronothite, the amen of Gibeon and Mizpah, repaired the bresidence1 of the governor of the region 2beyond the River.
8 Next to him Uzziel the son of Harhaiah, one of the goldsmiths, made repairs. Also next to him Hananiah, 1one of the perfumers, made repairs; and they 2fortified Jerusalem as far as the aBroad Wall.
9 And next to them Rephaiah the son of Hur, leader of half the district of Jerusalem, made repairs.
10 Next to them Jedaiah the son of Harumaph made repairs in front of his house. And next to him Hattush the son of Hashabniah made repairs.
11 Malchijah the son of Harim and Hashub the son of Pahath-Moab repaired another section, aas well as the Tower of the Ovens.
12 And next to him was Shallum the son of Hallohesh, leader of half the district of Jerusalem; he and his daughters made repairs.
13 Hanun and the inhabitants of Zanoah repaired athe Valley Gate. They built it, hung its doors with its bolts and bars, and repaired a thousand cubits of the wall as far as bthe Refuse Gate.
14 Malchijah the son of Rechab, leader of the district of aBeth Haccerem, repaired the Refuse Gate; he built it and hung its doors with its bolts and bars.
15 Shallun the son of Col-Hozeh, leader of the district of Mizpah, repaired athe Fountain Gate; he built it, covered it, hung its doors with its bolts and bars, and repaired the wall of the Pool of bShelah1 by the cKing’s Garden, as far as the *stairs that go down from the City of David.
16 After him Nehemiah the son of Azbuk, leader of half the district of Beth Zur, made repairs as far as the place in front of the 1tombs of David, to the aman-made pool, and as far as the House of the Mighty.
17 After him the Levites, under Rehum the son of Bani, made repairs. Next to him Hashabiah, leader of half the district of Keilah, made repairs for his district.
18 After him their brethren, under 1Bavai the son of Henadad, leader of the other half of the district of Keilah, made repairs.
19 And next to him Ezer the son of Jeshua, the leader of Mizpah, repaired another section in front of the Ascent to the Armory at the abuttress.1
20 After him Baruch the son of 1Zabbai carefully repaired the other section, from the 2buttress to the door of the house of Eliashib the high priest.
21 After him Meremoth the son of Urijah, the son of 1Koz, repaired another section, from the door of the house of Eliashib to the end of the house of Eliashib.
22 And after him the priests, the men of the plain, made repairs.
23 After him Benjamin and Hasshub made repairs opposite their house. After them Azariah the son of Maaseiah, the son of Ananiah, made repairs by his house.
24 After him aBinnui the son of Henadad repaired another section, from the house of Azariah to bthe 1buttress, even as far as the corner.
25 Palal the son of Uzai made repairs opposite the 1buttress, and on the tower which projects from the king’s upper house that was by the acourt of the prison. After him Pedaiah the son of Parosh made repairs.
26 Moreover athe Nethinim who dwelt in bOphel made repairs as far as the place in front of cthe Water Gate toward the east, and on the projecting tower.
27 After them the Tekoites repaired another section, next to the great projecting tower, and as far as the wall of Ophel.
28 Beyond the aHorse Gate the priests made repairs, each in front of his own house.
29 After them Zadok the son of Immer made repairs in front of his own house. After him Shemaiah the son of Shechaniah, the keeper of the East Gate, made repairs.
30 After him Hananiah the son of Shelemiah, and Hanun, the sixth son of Zalaph, repaired another section. After him Meshullam the son of Berechiah made repairs in front of his 1dwelling.
31 After him Malchijah, 1one of the goldsmiths, made repairs as far as the house of the Nethinim and of the merchants, in front of the 2Miphkad Gate, and as far as the upper room at the corner.
32 And between the upper room at the corner, as far as the aSheep Gate, the goldsmiths and the merchants made repairs.
The Wall Defended Against Enemies
4
1 But it so happened, awhen Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, that he was furious and very indignant, and mocked the Jews.
2 And he spoke before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, “What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they fortify themselves? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they complete it in a day? Will they revive the stones from the heaps of rubbish—stones that are burned?”
3 Now aTobiah the Ammonite was beside him, and he said, “Whatever they build, if even a fox goes up on it, he will break down their stone wall.”
4 aHear, O our God, for we are despised; bturn their reproach on their own heads, and give them as plunder to a land of captivity!
5 aDo 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.
6 So we built the wall, and the entire wall was joined together up to half its height, for the people had a mind to work.
7 Now it happened, awhen Sanballat, Tobiah, bthe Arabs, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites heard that the walls of Jerusalem were being restored and the 1gaps were beginning to be closed, that they became very angry,
8 and all of them aconspired together to come and attack Jerusalem and create confusion.
9 Nevertheless awe made our prayer to our God, and because of them we set a watch against them day and night.
10 Then Judah said, “The strength of the laborers is failing, and there is so much rubbish that we are not *able to build the wall.”
11 And our adversaries said, “They will neither know nor see anything, till we come into their midst and kill them and cause the work to cease.”
12 So it was, when the Jews who dwelt near them came, that they told us ten times, “From whatever place you turn, they will be upon us.”
13 Therefore I positioned men behind the lower parts of the wall, at the openings; and I set the people according to their *families, with their swords, their spears, and their bows.
14 And I looked, and arose and said to the nobles, to the leaders, and to the rest of the people, a“Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, bgreat and awesome, and cfight for your brethren, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses.”
15 And it happened, when our enemies heard that it was known to us, and athat God had brought their plot to nothing, that all of us returned to the wall, everyone to his work.
16 So it was, from that time on, that half of my servants worked at construction, while the other half held the spears, the shields, the bows, and wore armor; and the leaders 1were behind all the house of Judah.
17 Those who built on the wall, and those who carried burdens, loaded themselves so that with one hand they worked at construction, and with the other held a weapon.
18 Every one of the builders had his sword girded at his side as he built. And the one who *sounded the *trumpet was beside me.
19 Then I said to the nobles, the rulers, and the rest of the people, “The work is great and extensive, and we are separated far from one another on the wall.
20 “Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally to us there. aOur God will fight for us.”
21 So we labored in the work, and half of 1the men held the spears from daybreak until the stars appeared.
22 At the same time I also said to the people, “Let each man and his servant stay at night in Jerusalem, that they may be our guard by night and a working party by day.”
23 So neither I, my brethren, my servants, nor the men of the guard who followed me took off our clothes, except that everyone took them off for washing.
Nehemiah Deals with Oppression
5
1 And there was a great aoutcry of the people and their wives against their bJewish brethren.
2 For there were those who said, “We, our sons, and our daughters are many; therefore let us get grain, that we may eat and *live.”
3 There were also some who said, “We have mortgaged our lands and vineyards and houses, that we might buy grain because of the famine.”
4 There were also those who said, “We have borrowed money for the king’s tax on our lands and vineyards.
5 “Yet now aour flesh is as the flesh of our brethren, our children as their children; and indeed we bare forcing our sons and our daughters to be slaves, and some of our daughters have been brought into slavery. It is not in our power to redeem them, for other men have our lands and vineyards.”
6 And I became very angry when I heard their outcry and these words.
7 After serious thought, I rebuked the nobles and rulers, and said to them, a“Each of you is 1exacting usury from his brother.” So I 2called a great assembly against them.
8 And I said to them, “According to our ability we have aredeemed our Jewish brethren who were sold to the nations. Now indeed, will you even sell your brethren? Or should they be sold to us?” Then they were silenced and found nothing to say.
9 Then I said, “What you are doing is not good. Should you not walk ain the fear of our God bbecause of the reproach of the nations, our enemies?
10 “I also, with my brethren and my servants, am lending them money and grain. Please, let us stop this 1usury!
11 *“Restore now to them, even this day, their lands, their vineyards, their olive groves, and their houses, also a hundredth of the money and the grain, the new wine and the oil, that you have charged them.”
12 So they said, “We will restore it, and will require nothing from them; we will do as you say.” Then I called the priests, aand required an oath from them that they would do according to this promise.
13 Then aI shook out 1the fold of my garment and said, “So may God shake out each man from his house, and from his property, who does not perform this promise. Even thus may he be shaken out and emptied.” And all the assembly said, “Amen!” and *praised the LORD. bThen the people did according to this promise.
The Generosity of Nehemiah
14 Moreover, from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year auntil the thirty-second year of King Artaxerxes, twelve years, neither I nor my brothers bate the governor’s provisions.
15 But the former governors who were before me laid burdens on the people, and took from them bread and wine, besides forty shekels of silver. Yes, even their servants bore rule over the people, but aI did not do so, because of the bfear of God.
16 Indeed, I also continued the awork on this wall, and 1we did not buy any land. All my servants were gathered there for the work.
17 And aat my table were one hundred and fifty Jews and rulers, besides those who came to us from the nations around us.
18 Now that awhich was prepared daily was one ox and six choice sheep. Also fowl were prepared for me, and once every ten days an abundance of all kinds of wine. Yet in spite of this bI did not demand the governor’s provisions, because the bondage was heavy on this people.
19 aRemember me, my God, for good, according to all that I have done for this people.
Conspiracy Against Nehemiah
6
1 Now it happened awhen Sanballat, Tobiah, 1Geshem the Arab, and the rest of our enemies heard that I had rebuilt the wall, and that there were no *breaks left in it b(though at that time I had not hung the doors in the gates),
2 that Sanballat and 1Geshem asent to me, saying, “Come, let us meet together 2among the villages in the plain of bOno.” But they cthought to do me harm.
3 So I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down. Why should the work cease while I leave it and go down to you?”
4 But they sent me this message four times, and I answered them in the same manner.
5 Then Sanballat sent his servant to me as before, the fifth time, with an *open letter in his hand.
6 In it was written:
It is reported among the nations, and 1Geshem says, that you and the Jews plan to rebel; therefore, according to these rumors, you are rebuilding the wall, athat you may be their king.
7 And you have also appointed prophets to proclaim concerning you at Jerusalem, saying, “There is a king in Judah!” Now these matters will be reported to the king. So come, therefore, and let us consult together.
8 Then I sent to him, saying, “No such things as you say are being done, but you invent them in your own heart.”
9 For they all were trying to make us afraid, saying, “Their hands will be weakened in the work, and it will not be done.”
Now therefore, O God, strengthen my hands.
10 Afterward I came to the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah, the son of Mehetabel, who was a secret informer; and he said, “Let us meet together in the house of God, within the 1temple,* and let us close the doors of the temple, for they are coming to kill you; indeed, at night they will come to kill you.”
11 And I said, “Should such a man as I flee? And who is there such as I who would go into the temple to save his life? I will not go in!”
12 Then I perceived that God had not sent him at all, but that ahe pronounced this prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.
13 For this reason he was hired, that I should be afraid and act that way and sin, so that they might have cause for an evil report, that they might reproach me.
14 aMy God, remember Tobiah and Sanballat, according to these their works, and the bprophetess Noadiah and the rest of the prophets who would have made me afraid.
The Wall Completed
15 So the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of Elul, in fifty-two days.
16 And it happened, awhen all our enemies heard of it, and all the nations around us saw these things, that they were very disheartened in their own eyes; for bthey perceived that this work was done by our God.
17 Also in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah, and the letters of Tobiah came to them.
18 For many in Judah were pledged to him, because he was the ason-in-law of Shechaniah the son of Arah, and his son Jehohanan had married the daughter of bMeshullam the son of Berechiah.
19 Also they reported his good deeds before me, and reported my 1words to him. Tobiah sent letters to frighten me.
7
1 Then it was, when the wall was built and I had ahung the doors, when the gatekeepers, the singers, and the Levites had been appointed,
2 that I gave the charge of Jerusalem to my brother aHanani, and Hananiah the leader bof the 1citadel, for he was a faithful man and cfeared God more than many.
3 And I said to them, “Do not let the gates of Jerusalem be opened until the sun is hot; and while they stand guard, let them shut and bar the doors; and appoint guards from among the inhabitants of Jerusalem, one at his watch station and another in front of his own house.”
The Captives Who Returned to Jerusalem
4 Now the city was large and spacious, but the people in it were afew, and the houses were not rebuilt.
5 Then my God put it into my heart to gather the nobles, the rulers, and the people, that they might be registered by genealogy. And I found a register of the genealogy of those who had come up in the first return, and found written in it:
6 aThese are the people of the province who came back from the captivity, of those who had been carried away, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away, and who returned to Jerusalem and Judah, everyone to his city.
7 Those who came with aZerubbabel were Jeshua, Nehemiah, 1Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, 2Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, and Baanah.
The number of the men of the people of Israel:
8 the sons of Parosh, two thousand one hundred and seventy-two;
9 the sons of Shephatiah, three hundred and seventy-two;
10 the sons of Arah, six hundred and fifty-two;
11 the sons of Pahath-Moab, of the sons of Jeshua and Joab, two thousand eight hundred and eighteen;
12 the sons of Elam, one thousand two hundred and fifty-four;
13 the sons of Zattu, eight hundred and forty-five;
14 the sons of Zaccai, seven hundred and sixty;
15 the sons of 1Binnui, six hundred and forty-eight;
16 the sons of Bebai, six hundred and twenty-eight;
17 the sons of Azgad, two thousand three hundred and twenty-two;
18 the sons of Adonikam, six hundred and sixty-seven;
19 the sons of Bigvai, two thousand and sixty-seven;
20 the sons of Adin, six hundred and fifty-five;
21 the sons of Ater of Hezekiah, ninety-eight;
22 the sons of Hashum, three hundred and twenty-eight;
23 the sons of Bezai, three hundred and twenty-four;
24 the sons of 1Hariph, one hundred and twelve;
25 the sons of 1Gibeon, ninety-five;
26 the men of Bethlehem and Netophah, one hundred and eighty-eight;
27 the men of Anathoth, one hundred and twenty-eight;
28 the men of 1Beth Azmaveth, forty-two;
29 the men of 1Kirjath Jearim, Chephirah, and Beeroth, seven hundred and forty-three;
30 the men of Ramah and Geba, six hundred and twenty-one;
31 the men of Michmas, one hundred and twenty-two;
32 the men of Bethel and Ai, one hundred and twenty-three;
33 the men of the other Nebo, fifty-two;
34 the sons of the other aElam, one thousand two hundred and fifty-four;
35 the sons of Harim, three hundred and twenty;
36 the sons of Jericho, three hundred and forty-five;
37 the sons of Lod, Hadid, and Ono, seven hundred and twenty-one;
38 the sons of Senaah, three thousand nine hundred and thirty.
39 The priests: the sons of aJedaiah, of the house of Jeshua, nine hundred and seventy-three;
40 the sons of aImmer, one thousand and fifty-two;
41 the sons of aPashhur, one thousand two hundred and forty-seven;
42 the sons of aHarim, one thousand and seventeen.
43 The Levites: the sons of Jeshua, of Kadmiel, and of the sons of 1Hodevah, seventy-four.
44 The singers: the sons of Asaph, one hundred and forty-eight.
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, one hundred and thirty-eight.
46 The Nethinim: the sons of Ziha, the sons of Hasupha, the sons of Tabbaoth,
47 the sons of Keros, the sons of 1Sia, the sons of Padon,
48 the sons of 1Lebana, the sons of 2Hagaba, the sons of 3Salmai,
49 the sons of Hanan, the sons of Giddel, the sons of Gahar,
50 the sons of Reaiah, the sons of Rezin, the sons of Nekoda,
51 the sons of Gazzam, the sons of Uzza, the sons of Paseah,
52 the sons of Besai, the sons of Meunim, the sons of 1Nephishesim,
53 the sons of Bakbuk, the sons of Hakupha, the sons of Harhur,
54 the sons of 1Bazlith, the sons of Mehida, the sons of Harsha,
55 the sons of Barkos, the sons of Sisera, the sons of Tamah,
56 the sons of Neziah, and the sons of Hatipha.
57 The sons of Solomon’s servants: the sons of Sotai, the sons of Sophereth, the sons of 1Perida,
58 the sons of Jaala, the sons of Darkon, the sons of Giddel,
59 the sons of Shephatiah, the sons of Hattil, the sons of Pochereth of Zebaim, and the sons of 1Amon.
60 All the Nethinim, and the sons of Solomon’s servants, were three hundred and ninety-two.
61 And these were the ones who came up from Tel Melah, Tel Harsha, Cherub, 1Addon, and Immer, but they could not identify their father’s house nor their lineage, whether they were of Israel:
62 the sons of Delaiah, the sons of Tobiah, the sons of Nekoda, six hundred and forty-two;
63 and of the priests: the sons of Habaiah, the sons of 1Koz, the sons of Barzillai, who took a wife of the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite, and was called by their name.
64 These sought their listing among those who were registered by genealogy, but it was not found; therefore they were excluded from the priesthood as defiled.
65 And the 1governor said to them that they should not eat of the most holy things till a priest could consult with the Urim and Thummim.
66 Altogether the whole assembly was forty-two thousand three hundred and sixty,
67 besides their male and female servants, of whom there were seven thousand three hundred and thirty-seven; and they had two hundred and forty-five men and women singers.
68 Their horses were seven hundred and thirty-six, their mules two hundred and forty-five,
69 their camels four hundred and thirty-five, and donkeys six thousand seven hundred and twenty.
70 And some of the heads of the fathers’ houses gave to the work. aThe 1governor gave to the treasury one thousand gold drachmas, fifty basins, and five hundred and thirty priestly garments.
71 Some of the heads of the fathers’ houses gave to the treasury of the work atwenty thousand gold drachmas, and two thousand two hundred silver minas.
72 And that which the rest of the people gave was twenty thousand gold drachmas, two thousand silver minas, and sixty-seven priestly garments.
73 So the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, some of the people, the Nethinim, and all Israel dwelt in their cities.
Ezra Reads the Law
aWhen the seventh month came, the children of Israel were in their cities.
8
1 Now all athe people gathered together as one man in the open square that was bin front of the Water Gate; and they told Ezra the cscribe to bring the Book of the *Law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded Israel.
2 So Ezra the priest brought athe Law before the assembly of men and women and all who could hear with understanding bon the first day of the seventh month.
3 Then he aread from it in the open square that was in front of the Water Gate 1from morning until midday, before the men and women and those who could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law.
4 So Ezra the scribe stood on a platform of wood which they had made for the purpose; and beside him, at his right hand, stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Urijah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah; and at his left hand Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbadana, Zechariah, and Meshullam.
5 And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was standing above all the people; and when he opened it, all the people astood up.
6 And Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God. Then all the people aanswered, “Amen, Amen!” while blifting up their hands. And they cbowed their heads and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground.
7 Also Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodijah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites, ahelped the people to understand the Law; and the people bstood in their place.
8 So they read distinctly from the book, in the Law of God; and they gave the sense, and helped them to understand the reading.
9 aAnd Nehemiah, who was the 1governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, b“This day is holy to the LORD your God; cdo not *mourn nor weep.” For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the Law.
10 Then he said to them, “Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, aand send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”
11 So the Levites quieted all the people, saying, “Be still, for the day is holy; do not be grieved.”
12 And all the people went their way to eat and drink, to asend portions and rejoice greatly, because they bunderstood the words that were declared to them.
The Feast of Tabernacles
13 Now on the second day the heads of the fathers’ houses of all the people, with the priests and Levites, were gathered to Ezra the scribe, in order to understand the words of the Law.
14 And they found written in the Law, which the LORD had commanded by Moses, that the children of Israel should dwell in abooths1 during the feast of the seventh month,
15 and athat they should announce and proclaim in all their cities and bin Jerusalem, saying, “Go out to the mountain, and cbring olive branches, branches of oil trees, myrtle branches, palm branches, and branches of leafy trees, to make booths, as it is written.”
16 Then the people went out and brought them and made themselves booths, each one on the aroof of his house, or in their courtyards or the courts of the house of God, and in the open square of the bWater Gate cand in the open square of the Gate of Ephraim.
17 So the whole assembly of those who had returned from the captivity made 1booths and sat under the booths; for since the days of Joshua the son of Nun until that day the children of Israel had not done so. And there was very agreat gladness.
18 Also aday by day, from the first day until the last day, he read from the Book of the Law of God. And they kept the feast bseven days; and on the ceighth day there was a sacred assembly, according to the prescribed manner.
The People Confess Their Sins
9
1 Now on the twenty-fourth day of athis month the children of Israel were assembled with fasting, in sackcloth, band with 1dust on their heads.
2 Then athose of Israelite lineage separated themselves from all foreigners; and they stood and bconfessed their sins and the *iniquities of their fathers.
3 And they stood up in their place and aread from the Book of the Law of the LORD their God for one-fourth of the day; and for another fourth they confessed and worshiped the LORD their God.
4 Then Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Chenani stood on the 1stairs of the Levites and cried out with a loud voice to the LORD their God.
5 And the Levites, Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabniah, Sherebiah, Hodijah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah, said:
“Stand up and bless the LORD your God
Forever and ever!
“Blessed be aYour glorious name,
Which is exalted above all blessing and *praise!
6 aYou alone are the LORD;
bYou have made heaven,
cThe heaven of heavens, with dall their host,
The earth and everything on it,
The seas and all that is in them,
And You epreserve them all.
The host of heaven worships You.
7 “You are the LORD God,
Who chose aAbram,
And brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans,
And gave him the name bAbraham;
8 You found his heart afaithful before You,
And made a bcovenant with him
To give the land of the Canaanites,
The Hittites, the Amorites,
The Perizzites, the Jebusites,
And the Girgashites—
To give it to his descendants.
You chave performed Your words,
For You are righteous.
9 “Youa saw the affliction of our fathers in Egypt,
And bheard their cry by the Red Sea.
10 You ashowed *signs and wonders against Pharaoh,
Against all his servants,
And against all the people of his land.
For You knew that they bacted 1proudly against them.
So You cmade a name for Yourself, as it is this day.
11 aAnd You divided the sea before them,
So that they went through the midst of the sea on the dry land;
And their persecutors You threw into the deep,
bAs a stone into the mighty waters.
12 Moreover You aled them by day with a cloudy pillar,
And by night with a pillar of fire,
To give them light on the road
Which they should travel.
13 “Youa came down also on Mount Sinai,
And spoke with them from heaven,
And gave them bjust *ordinances and true laws,
Good statutes and commandments.
14 You made known to them Your aholy Sabbath,
And commanded them precepts, statutes and laws,
By the hand of Moses Your servant.
15 You agave them bread from heaven for their hunger,
And bbrought them water out of the rock for their thirst,
And told them to cgo in to *possess the land
Which You had 1sworn to give them.
16 “Buta they and our fathers acted 1proudly,
bHardened2 their necks,
And did not heed Your commandments.
17 They refused to obey,
And athey were not mindful of Your wonders
That You did among them.
But they hardened their necks,
And 1in their rebellion
They appointed ba leader
To return to their bondage.
But You are God,
Ready to pardon,
cGracious and merciful,
Slow to *anger,
Abundant in kindness,
And did not forsake them.
18 “Even awhen they made a molded calf for themselves,
And said, ‘This is your god
That brought you up out of Egypt,’
And worked great provocations,
19 Yet in Your amanifold mercies
You did not forsake them in the wilderness.
The bpillar of the cloud did not depart from them by day,
To lead them on the road;
Nor the pillar of fire by night,
To show them light,
And the way they should go.
20 You also gave Your agood Spirit to instruct them,
And did not withhold Your bmanna from their mouth,
And gave them cwater for their thirst.
21 aForty years You *sustained them in the wilderness;
They lacked nothing;
Their bclothes did not wear out
And their feet did not swell.
22 “Moreover You gave them kingdoms and nations,
And divided them into 1districts.
So they took possession of the land of aSihon,
2The land of the king of Heshbon,
And the land of Og king of Bashan.
23 You also multiplied atheir children as the stars of heaven,
And brought them into the land
Which You had told their fathers
To go in and possess.
24 So athe 1people went in
And possessed the land;
bYou subdued before them the inhabitants of the land,
The Canaanites,
And gave them into their hands,
With their kings
And the people of the land,
That they might do with them as they wished.
25 And they took strong cities and a arich land,
And possessed bhouses full of all goods,
Cisterns already dug, vineyards, olive groves,
And 1fruit trees in abundance.
So they ate and were filled and cgrew fat,
And delighted themselves in Your great dgoodness.
26 “Nevertheless they awere disobedient
And rebelled against You,
bCast Your law behind their backs
And killed Your cprophets, who 1testified against them
To turn them to Yourself;
And they worked great provocations.
27 aTherefore You delivered them into the hand of their enemies,
Who oppressed them;
And in the time of their trouble,
When they cried to You,
You bheard from heaven;
And according to Your abundant mercies
cYou gave them deliverers who saved them
From the hand of their enemies.
28 “But after they had *rest,
aThey again did evil before You.
Therefore You left them in the hand of their enemies,
So that they had dominion over them;
Yet when they returned and cried out to You,
You heard from heaven;
And bmany *times You delivered them according to Your mercies,
29 And 1testified against them,
That You might bring them back to Your law.
Yet they acted 2proudly,
And did not heed Your commandments,
But sinned against Your judgments,
a‘Which if a *man does, he shall live by them.’
And they shrugged their shoulders,
3Stiffened their necks,
And would not hear.
30 Yet for many years You had patience with them,
And 1testified aagainst them by Your Spirit bin Your prophets.
Yet they would not listen;
cTherefore You gave them into the hand of the peoples of the lands.
31 Nevertheless in Your great mercy
aYou did not utterly consume them nor forsake them;
For You are God, gracious and merciful.
32 “Now therefore, our God,
The great, the amighty, and awesome God,
Who keeps covenant and mercy:
Do not let all the 1trouble seem small before You
That has come upon us,
Our kings and our princes,
Our priests and our prophets,
Our fathers and on all Your people,
bFrom the days of the kings of Assyria until this day.
33 However aYou are just in all that has befallen us;
For You have dealt faithfully,
But bwe have done wickedly.
34 Neither our kings nor our princes,
Our priests nor our fathers,
Have kept Your law,
Nor heeded Your commandments and Your testimonies,
With which You testified against them.
35 For they have anot served You in their kingdom,
Or in the many good things that You gave them,
Or in the large and rich land which You set before them;
Nor did they turn from their wicked works.
36 “Here awe are, servants today!
And the land that You gave to our fathers,
To eat its fruit and its bounty,
Here we are, servants in it!
37 And ait yields much increase to the kings
You have set over us,
Because of our sins;
Also they have bdominion over our bodies and our cattle
At their *pleasure;
And we are in great distress.
38 “And because of all this,
We amake a sure covenant and *write it;
Our leaders, our Levites, and our priests bseal it.”
The People Who Sealed the Covenant
10
1 Now those who placed their seal on the document were:
Nehemiah the 1governor, athe son of Hacaliah, and Zedekiah,
2 aSeraiah, Azariah, Jeremiah,
3 Pashhur, Amariah, Malchijah,
4 Hattush, Shebaniah, Malluch,
5 Harim, Meremoth, Obadiah,
6 Daniel, Ginnethon, Baruch,
7 Meshullam, Abijah, Mijamin,
8 Maaziah, Bilgai, and Shemaiah. These were the priests.
9 The Levites: Jeshua the son of Azaniah, Binnui of the sons of Henadad, and Kadmiel.
10 Their brethren: Shebaniah, Hodijah, Kelita, Pelaiah, Hanan,
11 Micha, Rehob, Hashabiah,
12 Zaccur, Sherebiah, Shebaniah,
13 Hodijah, Bani, and Beninu.
14 The leaders of the people: aParosh, Pahath-Moab, Elam, Zattu, Bani,
15 Bunni, Azgad, Bebai,
16 Adonijah, Bigvai, Adin,
17 Ater, Hezekiah, Azzur,
18 Hodijah, Hashum, Bezai,
19 Hariph, Anathoth, Nebai,
20 Magpiash, Meshullam, Hezir,
21 Meshezabel, Zadok, Jaddua,
22 Pelatiah, Hanan, Anaiah,
23 Hoshea, Hananiah, Hasshub,
24 Hallohesh, Pilha, Shobek,
25 Rehum, Hashabnah, Maaseiah,
26 Ahijah, Hanan, Anan,
27 Malluch, Harim, and Baanah.
The Covenant That Was Sealed
28 aNow the rest of the people—the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, the Nethinim, band all those who had separated themselves from the peoples of the lands to the *Law of God, their wives, their sons, and their daughters, everyone who had knowledge and understanding—
29 these joined with their brethren, their nobles, aand entered into a curse and an oath bto walk in God’s Law, which was given by Moses the servant of God, and to observe and do all the commandments of the LORD our Lord, and His ordinances and His statutes:
30 We would not give aour daughters as wives to the peoples of the land, nor take their daughters for our sons;
31 aif the peoples of the land brought 1wares or any grain to sell on the Sabbath day, we would not buy it from them on the Sabbath, or on a holy day; and we would forego the bseventh year’s produce and the cexacting2 of every debt.
32 Also we made ordinances for ourselves, to exact from ourselves yearly aone-third of a shekel for the service of the house of our God:
33 for athe showbread, for the regular grain offering, for the bregular burnt offering of the Sabbaths, the New Moons, and the set feasts; for the holy things, for the *sin offerings to *make atonement for Israel, and all the work of the house of our God.
34 We cast lots among the priests, the Levites, and the people, afor bringing the wood offering into the house of our God, according to our fathers’ houses, at the appointed times year by year, to burn on the *altar of the LORD our God bas it is written in the Law.
35 And we made ordinances ato bring the firstfruits of our ground and the firstfruits of all fruit of all trees, year by year, to the house of the LORD;
36 to bring the afirstborn of our sons and our cattle, as it is written in the Law, and the firstborn of our herds and our flocks, to the house of our God, to the priests who minister in the house of our God;
37 ato bring the firstfruits of our dough, our offerings, the fruit from all kinds of trees, the new wine and oil, to the priests, to the storerooms of the 1house of our God; and to bring bthe tithes of our land to the Levites, for the Levites should receive the tithes in all our farming communities.
38 And the priest, the descendant of Aaron, shall be with the Levites awhen the Levites receive tithes; and the Levites shall bring up a tenth of the tithes to the house of our God, to bthe rooms of the storehouse.
39 For the children of Israel and the children of Levi ashall bring the offering of the grain, of the new wine and the oil, to the storerooms where the articles of the sanctuary are, where the priests who minister and the gatekeepers band the singers are; and we will not cneglect the house of our God.
The People Dwelling in Jerusalem
11
1 Now the leaders of the people dwelt at Jerusalem; the rest of the people cast lots to bring one out of ten to dwell in Jerusalem, athe holy city, and nine-tenths were to dwell in other cities.
2 And the people blessed all the men who awillingly offered themselves to dwell at Jerusalem.
3 aThese are the heads of the province who dwelt in Jerusalem. (But in the cities of Judah everyone dwelt in his own *possession in their cities—Israelites, priests, Levites, bNethinim, and cdescendants of Solomon’s servants.)
4 Also ain Jerusalem dwelt some of the children of Judah and of the children of Benjamin.
The children of Judah: Athaiah the son of Uzziah, the son of Zechariah, the son of Amariah, the son of Shephatiah, the son of Mahalalel, of the children of bPerez;
5 and Maaseiah the son of Baruch, the son of Col-Hozeh, the son of Hazaiah, the son of Adaiah, the son of Joiarib, the son of Zechariah, the son of Shiloni.
6 All the sons of Perez who dwelt at Jerusalem were four hundred and sixty-eight valiant men.
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 Jeshaiah;
8 and after him Gabbai and Sallai, nine hundred and twenty-eight.
9 Joel the son of Zichri was their overseer, and Judah the son of 1Senuah was second over the city.
10 aOf the priests: Jedaiah the son of Joiarib, and Jachin;
11 Seraiah the son of Hilkiah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Zadok, the son of Meraioth, the son of Ahitub, was the leader of the house of God.
12 Their brethren 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 Pashhur, the son of Malchijah,
13 and his brethren, heads of the fathers’ houses, were two hundred and forty-two; and Amashai the son of Azarel, the son of Ahzai, the son of Meshillemoth, the son of Immer,
14 and their brethren, mighty men of valor, were one hundred and twenty-eight. Their overseer was Zabdiel 1the son of one of the great men.
15 Also of the Levites: Shemaiah the son of Hasshub, the son of Azrikam, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Bunni;
16 aShabbethai and bJozabad, of the heads of the Levites, had the oversight of cthe business outside of the 1house of God;
17 Mattaniah the son of 1Micha, the son of Zabdi, the son of Asaph, the leader who began the thanksgiving with prayer; Bakbukiah, the second among his brethren; and Abda the son of Shammua, the son of Galal, the son of Jeduthun.
18 All the Levites in athe holy city were two hundred and eighty-four.
19 Moreover the gatekeepers, Akkub, Talmon, and their brethren who kept the gates, were one hundred and seventy-two.
20 And the rest of Israel, of the priests and Levites, were in all the cities of Judah, everyone in his inheritance.
21 aBut the Nethinim dwelt in Ophel. And Ziha and Gishpa were over the Nethinim.
22 Also 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 in charge of the 1service of the 2house of God.
23 For ait was the king’s command concerning them that a 1certain portion should be for the singers, a quota day by day.
24 Pethahiah the son of Meshezabel, of the children of aZerah the son of Judah, was bthe1 king’s deputy in all matters concerning the people.
The People Dwelling Outside Jerusalem
25 And as for the villages with their fields, some of the children of Judah dwelt in aKirjath Arba and its villages, Dibon and its villages, Jekabzeel and its villages;
26 in Jeshua, Moladah, Beth Pelet,
27 Hazar Shual, and Beersheba and its villages;
28 in Ziklag and Meconah and its villages;
29 in En Rimmon, Zorah, Jarmuth,
30 Zanoah, Adullam, and their villages; in Lachish and its fields; in Azekah and its villages. They dwelt from Beersheba to the Valley of Hinnom.
31 Also the children of Benjamin from Geba dwelt in Michmash, Aija, and Bethel, and their villages;
32 in Anathoth, Nob, Ananiah;
33 in Hazor, Ramah, Gittaim;
34 in Hadid, Zeboim, Neballat;
35 in Lod, Ono, and athe Valley of Craftsmen.
36 Some of the Judean divisions of Levites were in Benjamin.
The Priests and Levites
12
1 Now these are the apriests and the Levites who came up with bZerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua: cSeraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra,
2 Amariah, 1Malluch, Hattush,
3 1Shechaniah, 2Rehum, 3Meremoth,
4 Iddo, 1Ginnethoi, aAbijah,
5 1Mijamin, 2Maadiah, Bilgah,
6 Shemaiah, Joiarib, Jedaiah,
7 1Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, and Jedaiah.
These were the heads of the priests and their brethren in the days of aJeshua.
8 Moreover the Levites were Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and Mattaniah awho led the thanksgiving psalms, he and his brethren.
9 Also Bakbukiah and Unni, their brethren, stood across from them in their duties.
10 Jeshua begot Joiakim, Joiakim begot Eliashib, Eliashib begot Joiada,
11 Joiada begot Jonathan, and Jonathan begot Jaddua.
12 Now in the days of Joiakim, the priests, the aheads of the fathers’ houses were: of Seraiah, Meraiah; of Jeremiah, Hananiah;
13 of Ezra, Meshullam; of Amariah, Jehohanan;
14 of 1Melichu, Jonathan; of 2Shebaniah, Joseph;
15 of 1Harim, Adna; of 2Meraioth, Helkai;
16 of Iddo, Zechariah; of Ginnethon, Meshullam;
17 of Abijah, Zichri; the son of 1Minjamin; of 2Moadiah, Piltai;
18 of Bilgah, Shammua; of Shemaiah, Jehonathan;
19 of Joiarib, Mattenai; of Jedaiah, Uzzi;
20 of 1Sallai, Kallai; of Amok, Eber;
21 of Hilkiah, Hashabiah; and of Jedaiah, Nethanel.
22 During the reign of Darius the Persian, a record was also kept of the Levites and priests who had been aheads of their fathers’ houses in the days of Eliashib, Joiada, Johanan, and Jaddua.
23 The sons of Levi, the heads of the fathers’ houses until the days of Johanan the son of Eliashib, were written in the book of the achronicles.
24 And the heads of the Levites were Hashabiah, Sherebiah, and Jeshua the son of Kadmiel, with their brothers across from them, to apraise and give thanks, bgroup1 alternating with group, caccording to the command of David the man of God.
25 Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon, and Akkub were gatekeepers keeping the watch at the storerooms of the gates.
26 These lived in the days of Joiakim the son of Jeshua, the son of 1Jozadak, and in the days of Nehemiah athe governor, and of Ezra the priest, bthe scribe.
Nehemiah Dedicates the Wall
27 Now at athe dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought out the Levites in all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem to celebrate the dedication with gladness, bboth with thanksgivings and singing, with cymbals and stringed instruments and harps.
28 And the sons of the singers gathered together from the countryside around Jerusalem, from the avillages of the Netophathites,
29 from the house of Gilgal, and from the fields of Geba and Azmaveth; for the singers had built themselves villages all around Jerusalem.
30 Then the priests and Levites apurified themselves, and purified the people, the gates, and the wall.
31 So I brought the leaders of Judah up on the wall, and appointed two large thanksgiving choirs. aOne went to the right hand on the wall btoward the Refuse Gate.
32 After them went Hoshaiah and half of the leaders of Judah,
33 and Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam,
34 Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, Jeremiah,
35 and some of the priests’ sons awith 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,
36 and his brethren, Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah, and Hanani, with athe musical binstruments of David the man of God. Ezra the scribe went before them.
37 aBy the Fountain Gate, in front of them, they went up bthe *stairs of the cCity of David, on the stairway of the wall, beyond the house of David, as far as dthe Water Gate eastward.
38 aThe other thanksgiving choir went the opposite way, and I was behind them with half of the people on the wall, going past the bTower of the Ovens as far as cthe Broad Wall,
39 aand above the Gate of Ephraim, above bthe Old Gate, above cthe Fish Gate, dthe Tower of Hananel, the Tower of 1the Hundred, as far as ethe Sheep Gate; and they stopped by fthe Gate of the Prison.
40 So the two thanksgiving choirs stood in the house of God, likewise I and the half of the rulers with me;
41 and the priests, Eliakim, Maaseiah, 1Minjamin, Michaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, and Hananiah, with trumpets;
42 also Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malchijah, Elam, and Ezer. The singers 1sang loudly with Jezrahiah the director.
43 Also that day they *offered great sacrifices, and rejoiced, for God had made them rejoice with great joy; the women and the children also rejoiced, so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard aafar off.
Temple Responsibilities
44 aAnd at the same time some were appointed over the rooms of the storehouse for the offerings, the firstfruits, and the btithes, to gather into them from the fields of the cities the portions specified by the Law for the priests and Levites; for Judah rejoiced over the priests and Levites who 1ministered.
45 Both the singers and the gatekeepers kept the charge of their God and the charge of the purification, aaccording to the command of David and Solomon his son.
46 For in the days of David aand Asaph of old there were chiefs of the singers, and songs of praise and thanksgiving to God.
47 In the days of Zerubbabel and in the days of Nehemiah all Israel gave the portions for the singers and the gatekeepers, a portion for aeach day. bThey also 1consecrated holy things for the Levites, cand the Levites consecrated them for the children of Aaron.
Principles of Separation
13
1 On that day athey read from the Book of Moses in the hearing of the people, and in it was found written bthat no Ammonite or Moabite should ever come into the assembly of God,
2 because they had not met the children of Israel with bread and water, but ahired Balaam against them to curse them. bHowever, our God turned the curse into a blessing.
3 So it was, when they had heard the Law, athat they separated all the mixed multitude from Israel.
The Reforms of Nehemiah
4 Now before this, aEliashib the priest, having authority over the storerooms of the house of our God, was allied with bTobiah.
5 And he had prepared for him a large room, awhere previously they had stored the grain offerings, the frankincense, the articles, the tithes of grain, the new wine and oil, bwhich were commanded to be given to the Levites and singers and gatekeepers, and the offerings for the priests.
6 But during all this I was not in Jerusalem, afor in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon I had returned to the king. Then after certain days I obtained leave from the king,
7 and I came to Jerusalem and discovered the evil that Eliashib had done for Tobiah, in apreparing a room for him in the courts of the 1house of God.
8 And it grieved me bitterly; therefore I threw all the household goods of Tobiah out of the room.
9 Then I commanded them to acleanse* the rooms; and I brought back into them the articles of the house of God, with the grain offering and the frankincense.
10 I also realized that the portions for the Levites had anot been given them; for each of the Levites and the singers who did the work had gone back to bhis field.
11 So aI contended with the rulers, and said, b“Why is the house of God forsaken?” And I gathered them together and set them in their place.
12 aThen all Judah brought the tithe of the grain and the new wine and the oil to the storehouse.
13 aAnd I appointed as treasurers over the storehouse 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 considered bfaithful, and their task was to distribute to their brethren.
14 aRemember* me, O my God, concerning this, and do not wipe out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God, and for its services!
15 In those days I saw people in Judah treading wine presses aon the Sabbath, and bringing in sheaves, and loading donkeys with wine, grapes, figs, and all kinds of burdens, bwhich they brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. And I warned them about the day on which they were selling provisions.
16 Men of Tyre dwelt there also, who brought in fish and all kinds of goods, and sold them on the Sabbath to the children of Judah, and in Jerusalem.
17 Then I contended with the nobles of Judah, and said to them, “What evil thing is this that you do, by which you profane the Sabbath day?
18 a“Did not your fathers do thus, and did not our God bring all this disaster on us and on this city? Yet you bring added wrath on Israel by profaning the Sabbath.”
19 So it was, at the gates of Jerusalem, as it abegan to be dark before the Sabbath, that I commanded the gates to be shut, and charged that they must not be opened till after the Sabbath. bThen I posted some of my servants at the gates, so that no burdens would be brought in on the Sabbath day.
20 Now the merchants and sellers of all kinds of 1wares 2lodged outside Jerusalem once or twice.
21 Then I warned them, and said to them, “Why do you spend the night 1around the wall? If you do so again, I will lay hands on you!” From that time on they came no more on the Sabbath.
22 And I commanded the Levites that athey should cleanse themselves, and that they should go and guard the gates, to sanctify the Sabbath day.
Remember me, O my God, concerning this also, and spare me according to the greatness of Your mercy!
23 In those days I also saw Jews who ahad married women of bAshdod, Ammon, and Moab.
24 And half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod, and could not speak the language of Judah, but spoke according to the language of one or the other people.
25 So I acontended with them and 1cursed* them, struck some of them and pulled out their hair, and made them bswear by God, saying, “You shall not give your daughters as wives to their sons, nor take their daughters for your sons or yourselves.
26 a“Did not Solomon king of Israel sin by these things? Yet among many nations there was no king like him, bwho was beloved of his God; and God made him king over all Israel. cNevertheless pagan women caused even him to sin.
27 “Should we then hear of your doing all this great evil, atransgressing against our God by marrying pagan women?”
28 And one of the sons aof Joiada, the son of Eliashib the high priest, was a son-in-law of bSanballat the Horonite; therefore I drove him from me.
29 aRemember them, O my God, because they have defiled the priesthood and bthe covenant of the priesthood and the Levites.
30 aThus I cleansed them of everything pagan. I also bassigned duties to the priests and the Levites, each to his service,
31 and to bringing athe wood offering and the firstfruits at appointed times.
bRemember me, O my God, for good!
1:1–3 Chislev, in the twentieth year (of Artaxerxes I), would be December 446 B.C. The setting is Shushan, ancient winter capital of the kings of Persia, located in the southwestern area of present-day Iran. Daniel was here during Belshazzar’s reign (Dan. 8:2). Esther, Mordecai, and Haman also were here. In Nehemiah’s mind Shushan is contrasted with the broken down walls of Jerusalem, his ancestral city.
1:4–11 See section 1 of Truth-In-Action at the end of Neh.
1:4 His distress over Jerusalem drives Nehemiah to fast and pray.
1:5 Strong intercession is based on awareness of the sovereignty of God, who acts according to His promises (vv. 8, 9) when one confesses sin with true remorse and depends completely on God’s mercy.
1:11 The king’s cupbearer: God has gone before to put His man in the right place at the right time. The cupbearer was responsible to select and serve the wine, taste it to be sure it was not poisoned, and be a tactful companion to the king. As the latter, he often offered informal counsel and enjoyed the king’s confidence.
2:1, 2 Nisan was four months after Chislev (1:1). Nehemiah is afraid to appear sad at an inappropriate time before the king because cupbearers were to hide their emotions for the king’s sake. To violate this was punishable by death.
2:4–6 See section 4 of Truth-In-Action at the end of Neh.
2:6 The queen also sitting beside him indicates the traditional role of the queen, to influence her husband to follow a kinder and gentler way.
2:12–16 As a wise leader Nehemiah refrained from sharing his ideas with the people until he had accurately assessed matters, and, no doubt, prayerfully considered the cost.
2:17, 18 After the night of inspection, the true reason for the new governor’s term of office comes out. The people recognize God’s call on Nehemiah and offer full cooperation.
2:18 See section 4 of Truth-In-Action at the end of Neh.
2:19 Sanballat (whose name is Babylonian and means “Sin [the moon god] Gives Life”) was Nehemiah’s prime enemy. He loosely aligned himself with Yahwehism, as seen in the Yahwistic names he gave his two sons. The Horonite likely means he lived north of Jerusalem in Beth Horon. He was governor of Samaria as late as 408 B.C.
Tobiah (whose name is mysteriously Yahwistic) was an Ammonite, indicating he was a pagan. He was apparently Sanballat’s junior colleague. Geshem the Arab was perhaps governor of the Persian province of Arabia, just south of Judah, or he may have been a powerful tribal chieftain living as a nomad near the area’s cities, just as the Bedouin do today in the Middle East. Abraham was such a powerful chieftain, able to raise an army sufficient to rescue neighboring kings and their people (Gen. 14).
2:20 Rather than arguing with them, Nehemiah affirms God’s sovereignty, stating that these leaders no longer have any civic, legal, or religious rights in Jerusalem.
3:1–32 This chapter reveals a remarkable display of unity. The reconstruction of the walls was a tremendous challenge. Some 40 groups worked simultaneously. On the eastern and southeastern sides a whole new wall had to be constructed, and on the northwest and southwest the older wall needed to be repaired. Archaeologists have found remnants of the new wall, which are 8 feet thick. The successful rebuilding demonstrates Nehemiah’s great ability to lead and organize. It also foreshadows unity of purpose and work that is to characterize the church (Phil. 1:27, 28).
3:5 There is no reason given for the resistance by the Tekoite nobles. Did not put … work seems to indicate a resentment against Nehemiah’s leadership.
3:12 Even the daughters repaired the wall. Surely this was unusual for the time.
4:1–6 See section 5 of Truth-In-Action at the end of Neh.
4:1–5 Ridicule’s power is based on peer pressure. Nehemiah was immune because of his service to the peerless One, His God. Nehemiah’s prayer may have been influenced by Ps. 109, a calling for judgment on the enemies of God’s cause.
4:6 For the project to succeed the people had to combine right attitude with right action.
4:7–9 See section 5 of Truth-In-Action at the end of Neh.
4:7–9 The threat of armed attack and physical violence cannot stop those whose purpose is more important to them than their lives.
4:10–23 By propaganda and fear-mongering, the enemies try to discourage some whose dedication to the task is waning, but those who are strong for God’s purpose redouble their efforts. They add weapons to their assortment of masonry tools.
4:14 Remember the LORD, great and awesome was the exhortation sufficient to produce such single-minded devotion that they work beyond sunset (Deut. 24:15) until the stars are out. The city wall was 1.5 miles long and approximately 8 feet thick, and represented a prodigious task.
4:17–23 See section 5 of Truth-In-Action at the end of Neh.
5:1–13 An economic crisis had struck before Nehemiah’s arrival. A famine, along with the need to pay taxes, had forced many families into insolvency. Nehemiah’s presence emboldened the dispossessed to cry out for justice. The poor had found a champion for their cause. An exceedingly angry Nehemiah set about to right these wrongs, resulting in the reform of audit policies and the redressing of past excesses.
5:14–19 Nehemiah is a man who leads by example. Self-sacrifice is necessary for moral leadership, as Nehemiah shows. Previous governors had lived richly at the taxpayers’ expense, but Nehemiah refused to do so. He believed strongly in retribution for evil, as his prayer here and elsewhere indicates.
6:1–14 Opposition arises again. The Plain of Ono is 25 miles northwest of Jerusalem. Nehemiah detected a plot on the part of Sanballat and Geshem and wisely refused their offer. Four times Nehemiah was too busy to come. Finally, the opponents saw the strategy. In a fifth letter they charged Nehemiah with planning treason against the king. The invitation of Shemaiah the priest to accept sanctuary in the temple was not an alternative for Nehemiah for two reasons: Since he was not a priest, he could not with impunity enter the Holy Place, and God revealed to him that this was a plot on his life.
6:15–19 Differences exist as to whether the “completion” of the wall refers to the construction and hanging of the gates (compare 6:1 and 7:1) or to the whole of the repairs and construction. In either case, completion was on October 2, 52 days after the project started. Archaeologists are greatly impressed by the size and design of this wall. Even the enemies recognized that God was vitally involved in the process. Tobiah and his son had married Jerusalem women, apparently from prominent families. Their relatives provided a spy service against Nehemiah within the city.
7:1–73 This is a list similar to the one found in Ezra 2:1–70. See notes on Ezra 2:2, 3.
7:2 Nehemiah, governor of the province of Judah, appointed his brother Hanani as governor of Jerusalem. Hananiah was made head of the fortress area. Military responsibilities were included along with civic duties. For security purposes 10 percent of the Jews were brought from the outlying areas to reside in the city (11:1). Nehemiah’s authority was obviously absolute, except for the king’s since resettlement of this many people could not be accomplished by a minor official.
7:73—10:39 Neh. 8 seems to fit after Ezra 8. This public assembly took place on the first day of the seventh month. A similar assembly described in Ezra 10 was on the twentieth of the ninth month. The law was read for five or six hours (8:3). Thirteen Levites helped the people understand, moving through the congregation and perhaps translating difficult Hebrew passages into Aramaic, the language of the empire. Ezra would stop often to give them an opportunity to resolve questions in their groups. Joy and weeping, sorrow for sin and joy at God’s provision, sadness for their backslidings, but joy at the opportunity to know truth, were the mixed emotions that brought a firm decision for renewal.
8:1–6 See section 1 of Truth-In-Action at the end of Neh.
8:10 See section 1 of Truth-In-Action at the end of Neh.
8:13–18 The Feast of Tabernacles (or Feast of Booths) was reinstituted. It was a feast such as Joshua had celebrated. It is still celebrated each fall by Jewish people around the world, from the little leafy booths on a New York City apartment balcony to the massive celebrations in Israel. See Lev. 23:6; Num. 29:35–38; Deut. 31:10–13.
9:1–38 See section 3 of Truth-In-Action at the end of Neh.
9:1–3 A great separation between Israelites and foreigners takes place. All those entering the covenant (the most solemn agreement of which a person is capable) had to be pure.
9:4–37 Some of the Levites prayed to God and exhorted the people. The righteous Lord has created and preserved the world, and the hosts of heaven worship Him. He chose Abram, and the events of Nehemiah’s day were the result of God’s faithfulness to His covenant relationship with Abram. All of God’s dealings with Abram’s descendants are recounted and revolve around that covenant.
9:17 See section 3 of Truth-In-Action at the end of Neh.
9:38—10:39 God’s people enter into a covenant with Him. Areas needing change were pointed out, such as mixed marriages, keeping the Sabbath, offerings, tithes, and proper care of the temple. Initially there were 21 priests, 17 Levites, and 44 leaders of the people, along with Nehemiah and Zedekiah (probably Nehemiah’s assistant) who voluntarily bind themselves to a renewed pledge to walk in God’s law. Most of these names are also on other lists in Ezra and Nehemiah. In 10:28 it seems that virtually everyone followed their leaders in a solemn oath to follow the Law.
10:32 One-third of a shekel: A half-shekel offering is found in Ex. 30:13, 14. Even in NT times Jewish men gave a half-shekel (Matt. 17:24) tax to the temple. The value may have been reduced in the time of Nehemiah because of economic conditions.
11:1–24 The account returns to Nehemiah’s central role and the success of his repopulation program.
11:21 Nethinim were temple servants (janitors, maintenance, repair).
11:24 Pethahiah was the Jewish ambassador to the Persian court. Perhaps he served as political watchdog for the regime, appointed by Persia to report Nehemiah and Ezra’s activities.
11:25–36 These were communities outside of Jerusalem in Judah and Benjamin.
12:1–26 These were lists of priests and Levites from the original return until the time of writing.
12:27–43 See section 1 of Truth-In-Action at the end of Neh.
12:27–43 Note the double procession for the dedication service. Ezra’s procession traveled around Jerusalem counterclockwise and Nehemiah’s clockwise, coming together at the temple square. The contributions of the priest and the governor were both honored in this unique way.
12:44–47 Support of the priests and Levites was generous because they had ministered well.
13:1–3 Syncretism (a meshing of various religions) had been the source of much trouble for Israel. Now action was taken to ensure that never again would the remnant turn aside to add other gods to their worship of Yahweh.
13:4–31 See section 3 of Truth-In-Action at the end of Neh.
13:4–9 It is hard to imagine the audacity of Tobiah. As soon as Nehemiah left for Persia, Tobiah had dared to move into a room in the temple! Upon his return a very perturbed Nehemiah ejects Tobiah with his furniture.
13:10–14 The Levites had been scattered during the years because of inadequate financial support. Now the tithes were paid. Malachi presents this message clearly in the days following Nehemiah (Mal. 3:8–12). Nehemiah sacrificed a great deal in order to minister to his people, but he seems quite sure that God is not in any man’s debt. He prays three times in this chapter that God will remember him and reward him for his good deeds.
13:10–13 See section 2 of Truth-In-Action at the end of Neh.
13:15–22 Thirty years had passed since Ezra’s initial ministry concerning the Sabbath, and people had begun to violate the day during Nehemiah’s second term as governor. Nehemiah’s warning was that the same sins would produce the same dire results.
