^35:1And Josiah held a passover to Jehovah in Jerusalem; and they slaughtered the passover on the fourteenth of the first month. ^35:2And he set the priests in their charges, and encouraged them to the service of the house of Jehovah. ^35:3And he said to the Levites, that taught all Israel, [and] who were holy to Jehovah, Put the holy ark in the house that Solomon the son of David, king of Israel, built; ye have not to carry it upon your shoulders. Serve now Jehovah your God, and his people Israel; ^35:4and prepare yourselves by your fathers' houses, in your divisions, according to the writing of David king of Israel, and according to the writing of Solomon his son; ^35:5and stand in the sanctuary for the classes of the fathers' houses, for your brethren, the children of the people, and [according] to the divisions of the fathers' houses of the Levites; ^35:6and slaughter the passover, and hallow yourselves, and prepare it for your brethren, that they may do according to the word of Jehovah through Moses. ^35:7And Josiah gave for the children of the people a heave-offering of the flocks, lambs and goats, all for the passover-offerings, for all that were present to the number of thirty thousand, and three thousand bullocks: these were of the king's substance. ^35:8And his princes gave a voluntary heave-offering for the people, for the priests, and for the Levites: Hilkijah and Zechariah and Jehiel, rulers of the house of God, gave to the priests for the passover-offerings two thousand six hundred [small cattle] and three hundred oxen; ^35:9and Conaniah, and Shemaiah and Nethaneel, his brethren, and Hashabiah and Jeiel and Jozabad, chief of the Levites, gave as heave-offering to the Levites for the passover-offerings five thousand [small cattle] and five hundred oxen. ^35:10And the service was prepared, and the priests stood in their place, and the Levites in their divisions, according to the king's commandment. ^35:11And they slaughtered the passover, and the priests sprinkled [the blood] from their hand, and the Levites flayed them. ^35:12And they set apart the burnt-offerings to give them to the classes of the fathers' houses of the children of the people, to present them to Jehovah, as it is written in the book of Moses. And so [did they] with the oxen. ^35:13And they roasted the passover with fire according to the ordinance; and the consecrated things they boiled in pots and in cauldrons and in pans, and divided them speedily among all the children of the people. ^35:14And afterwards they made ready for themselves and for the priests; because the priests, the sons of Aaron, [were engaged] in offering up the burnt-offerings and the fat until night; therefore the Levites prepared for themselves, and for the priests, the sons of Aaron. ^35:15And the singers, the sons of Asaph, were in their place, according to the commandment of David, and Asaph, and Heman, and Jeduthun the king's seer; and the doorkeepers were at every gate; they had not to depart from their service, for their brethren the Levites prepared for them. ^35:16And all the service of Jehovah was prepared the same day, to hold the passover, and to offer burnt-offerings on the altar of Jehovah according to the commandment of king Josiah. ^35:17And the children of Israel that were present held the passover at that time, and the feast of unleavened bread seven days. ^35:18And there was no passover like to that holden in Israel from the days of Samuel the prophet; neither did all the kings of Israel hold such a passover as Josiah held, and the priests, and the Levites, and all Judah and Israel that were present, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. ^35:19In the eighteenth year of the reign of Josiah was this passover holden. ^35:20After all this, when Josiah had arranged the house, Necho king of Egypt came up to fight against Karkemish at the Euphrates; and Josiah went out against him. ^35:21And he sent messengers to him, saying, What have I to do with thee, thou king of Judah? I come not against thee this day, but against the house with which I have war; and God has told me to make haste: keep aloof from God who is with me, that he destroy thee not. ^35:22But Josiah would not turn his face from him, but disguised himself, that he might fight against him; and he hearkened not to the words of Necho from the mouth of God; and he came to fight in the valley of Megiddo. ^35:23And the archers shot at king Josiah; and the king said to his servants, Have me away, for I am sore wounded. ^35:24And his servants took him out from the chariot, and put him in the second chariot that he had, and brought him to Jerusalem. And he died, and was buried in the sepulchres of his fathers. And all Judah and Jerusalem mourned for Josiah. ^35:25And Jeremiah lamented for Josiah; and all the singing men and singing women spoke of Josiah in their lamentations to this day; and they made them an ordinance for Israel. And behold, they are written in the lamentations. ^35:26And the rest of the acts of Josiah, and his good deeds, according to that which is written in the law of Jehovah, ^35:27and his acts, first and last, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah.

^36:1And the people of the land took Jehoahaz the son of Josiah, and made him king in his father's stead, in Jerusalem. ^36:2Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he began to reign; and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. ^36:3And the king of Egypt put him down at Jerusalem, and imposed a fine upon the land of a hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold. ^36:4And the king of Egypt made Eliakim his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem, and changed his name to Jehoiakim. And Necho took Jehoahaz his brother, and carried him to Egypt. ^36:5Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he began to reign; and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem; and he did evil in the sight of Jehovah his God. ^36:6Against him came up Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and bound him with chains of brass to carry him to Babylon. ^36:7And Nebuchadnezzar carried [part] of the vessels of the house of Jehovah to Babylon, and put them in his temple at Babylon. ^36:8And the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim, and his abominations which he did, and that which was found in him, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah. And Jehoiachin his son reigned in his stead. ^36:9Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he began to reign; and he reigned three months and ten days in Jerusalem; and he did evil in the sight of Jehovah. ^36:10And at the turn of the year king Nebuchadnezzar sent and had him brought to Babylon, with the precious vessels of the house of Jehovah; and he made Zedekiah his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem. ^36:11Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he began to reign; and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. ^36:12And he did evil in the sight of Jehovah his God; he humbled not himself before the prophet Jeremiah speaking from the mouth of Jehovah. ^36:13And he also rebelled against king Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him take oath by God; and he stiffened his neck, and hardened his heart from returning to Jehovah the God of Israel. ^36:14All the chiefs of the priests also, and the people, increased their transgressions, according to all the abominations of the nations; and they defiled the house of Jehovah which he had hallowed in Jerusalem. ^36:15And Jehovah the God of their fathers sent to them by his messengers, rising up early and sending; because he had compassion on his people and on his dwelling-place. ^36:16But they mocked at the messengers of God, and despised his words, and scoffed at his prophets, until the fury of Jehovah rose against his people, and there was no remedy. ^36:17And he brought up [against] them the king of the Chaldees, and slew their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and spared not young man nor maiden, old man nor him of hoary head: he gave [them] all into his hand. ^36:18And all the vessels of the house of God, great and small, and the treasures of the house of Jehovah, and the treasures of the king and of his princes, he brought all to Babylon. ^36:19And they burned the house of God, and broke down the wall of Jerusalem, and burned all the palaces thereof with fire, and all the precious vessels thereof were given up to destruction. ^36:20And them that had escaped from the sword he carried away to Babylon; and they became servants to him and his sons, until the reign of the kingdom of Persia; ^36:21to fulfil the word of Jehovah by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed its sabbaths. All the days of its desolation it kept sabbath, to fulfil seventy years. ^36:22And in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of Jehovah by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, Jehovah stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, and he made a proclamation throughout his kingdom, and also in writing, saying, ^36:23Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: All the kingdoms of the earth has Jehovah the God of the heavens given to me, and he has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whosoever there is among you of all his people, Jehovah his God be with him, and let him go up.

Ezra

^1:1And in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of Jehovah by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, Jehovah stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, and he made a proclamation throughout his kingdom, and also in writing, saying, ^1:2Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: All the kingdoms of the earth has Jehovah the God of the heavens given to me, and he has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. ^1:3Whosoever there is among you of all his people, his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of Jehovah the God of Israel he is God which is at Jerusalem. ^1:4And whosoever remains in any place where he sojourns, let the men of his place help him with silver, and with gold, and with goods, and with beasts, besides the voluntary offering for the house of God which is at Jerusalem. ^1:5And the chief fathers of Judah and Benjamin rose up, and the priests, and the Levites, even all those whose spirit God had stirred, to go up to build the house of Jehovah which is at Jerusalem. ^1:6And all they that were about them strengthened their hands with articles of silver, with gold, with goods, and with beasts, and with precious things, besides all that was willingly offered. ^1:7And king Cyrus brought forth the vessels of the house of Jehovah, which Nebuchadnezzar had brought forth out of Jerusalem and had put in the house of his god. ^1:8And Cyrus king of Persia brought them forth by the hand of Mithredath the treasurer, who counted them out to Sheshbazzar the prince of Judah. ^1:9And this is the number of them: thirty chargers of gold, a thousand chargers of silver, nine-and-twenty knives, ^1:10thirty basons of gold, silver basons of a second [sort] four hundred and ten, [and] other vessels a thousand. ^1:11All the vessels of gold and of silver were five thousand four hundred. The whole did Sheshbazzar bring up, when they of the captivity were brought up from Babylon to Jerusalem.

^2:1And these are the children of the province, that went up out of the captivity of those that had been carried away, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away to Babylon, and who came again to Jerusalem and to Judah, every one to his city, ^2:2who came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Saraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum, Baanah. The number of the men of the people of Israel: ^2:3The children of Parosh, two thousand one hundred and seventy-two. ^2:4The children of Shephatiah, three hundred and seventy-two. ^2:5The children of Arah, seven hundred and seventy-five. ^2:6The children of Pahath-Moab, of the children of Jeshua [and] Joab, two thousand eight hundred and twelve. ^2:7The children of Elam, a thousand two hundred and fifty-four. ^2:8The children of Zattu, nine hundred and forty-five. ^2:9The children of Zaccai, seven hundred and sixty. ^2:10The children of Bani, six hundred and forty-two. ^2:11The children of Bebai, six hundred and twenty-three. ^2:12The children of Azgad, a thousand two hundred and twenty-two. ^2:13The children of Adonikam, six hundred and sixty-six. ^2:14The children of Bigvai, two thousand and fifty-six. ^2:15The children of Adin, four hundred and fifty-four. ^2:16The children of Ater of [the family of] Hezekiah, ninety-eight. ^2:17The children of Bezai, three hundred and twenty-three. ^2:18The children of Jorah, a hundred and twelve. ^2:19The children of Hashum, two hundred and twenty-three. ^2:20The children of Gibbar, ninety-five. ^2:21The children of Bethlehem, a hundred and twenty-three. ^2:22The men of Netophah, fifty-six. ^2:23The men of Anathoth, a hundred and twenty-eight. ^2:24The children of Azmaveth, forty-two. ^2:25The children of Kirjath-arim, Chephirah, and Beeroth, seven hundred and forty-three. ^2:26The children of Ramah and Geba, six hundred and twenty-one. ^2:27The men of Michmas, a hundred and twenty-two. ^2:28The men of Bethel and Ai, two hundred and twenty-three. ^2:29The children of Nebo, fifty-two. ^2:30The children of Magbish, a hundred and fifty-six. ^2:31The children of the other Elam, a thousand two hundred and fifty-four. ^2:32The children of Harim, three hundred and twenty. ^2:33The children of Lod, Hadid, and Ono, seven hundred and twenty-five. ^2:34The children of Jericho, three hundred and forty-five. ^2:35The children of Senaah, three thousand six hundred and thirty. ^2:36The priests: the children of Jedaiah, of the house of Jeshua, nine hundred and seventy-three. ^2:37The children of Immer, a thousand and fifty-two. ^2:38The children of Pashhur, a thousand two hundred and forty-seven. ^2:39The children of Harim, a thousand and seventeen. ^2:40The Levites: the children of Jeshua and of Kadmiel, of the children of Hodaviah, seventy-four. ^2:41The singers: the children of Asaph, a hundred and twenty-eight. ^2:42The children of the doorkeepers: the children of Shallum, the children of Ater, the children of Talmon, the children of Akkub, the children of Hatita, the children of Shobai, in all a hundred and thirty-nine. ^2:43The Nethinim: the children of Ziha, the children of Hasupha, the children of Tabbaoth, ^2:44the children of Keros, the children of Siaha, the children of Padon, ^2:45the children of Lebanah, the children of Hagabah, the children of Akkub, ^2:46the children of Hagab, the children of Shamlai, the children of Hanan, ^2:47the children of Giddel, the children of Gahar, the children of Reaiah, ^2:48the children of Rezin, the children of Nekoda, the children of Gazzam, ^2:49the children of Uzza, the children of Phaseah, the children of Besai, ^2:50the children of Asnah, the children of Meunim, the children of Nephusim, ^2:51the children of Bakbuk, the children of Hakupha, the children of Harhur, ^2:52the children of Bazluth, the children of Mehida, the children of Harsha, ^2:53the children of Barkos, the children of Sisera, the children of Thamah, ^2:54the children of Neziah, the children of Hatipha. ^2:55The children of Solomon's servants: the children of Sotai, the children of Sophereth, the children of Peruda, ^2:56the children of Jaalah, the children of Darkon, the children of Giddel, ^2:57the children of Shephatiah, the children of Hattil, the children of Pochereth-Hazzebaim, the children of Ami. ^2:58All the Nethinim and the children of Solomon's servants, three hundred and ninety-two. ^2:59And these are they that went up from Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Cherub-Addan, Immer; but they could not shew their fathers' house, nor their seed, whether they were of Israel. ^2:60The children of Delaiah, the children of Tobijah, the children of Nekoda, six hundred and fifty-two. ^2:61And of the children of the priests: the children of Habaiah, the children of Koz, the children of Barzillai; who took a wife of the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite, and was called after their name. ^2:62These sought their genealogical register, but they were not found; therefore were they, as polluted, removed from the priesthood. ^2:63And the Tirshatha said to them that they should not eat of the most holy things, till there stood up a priest with Urim and with Thummim. ^2:64The whole congregation together was forty-two thousand three hundred and sixty, ^2:65besides their servants and their maids, of whom there were seven thousand three hundred and thirty-seven; and they had two hundred singing men and singing women. ^2:66Their horses were seven hundred and thirty-six; their mules two hundred and forty-five; ^2:67their camels four hundred and thirty-five; the asses six thousand seven hundred and twenty. ^2:68And some of the chief fathers, when they came to the house of Jehovah which is at Jerusalem, offered freely for the house of God to set it up in its place. ^2:69They gave after their ability to the treasure of the work sixty-one thousand darics of gold, and five thousand pounds of silver, and one hundred priests' coats. ^2:70And the priests, and the Levites, and [some] of the people, and the singers, and the doorkeepers, and the Nethinim dwelt in their cities, and all Israel in their cities.

^3:1And when the seventh month came, and the children of Israel were in the cities, the people gathered together as one man to Jerusalem. ^3:2Then stood up Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and his brethren the priests, and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and his brethren, and built the altar of the God of Israel, to offer up burnt-offerings on it, as it is written in the law of Moses the man of God. ^3:3And they set the altar on its base; for fear was upon them because of the people of the countries; and they offered up burnt-offerings on it to Jehovah, the morning and evening burnt-offerings. ^3:4And they held the feast of tabernacles as it is written, and [offered] daily burnt-offerings by number, according to the ordinance, as the duty of every day required; ^3:5and afterwards the continual burnt-offering, and those of the new moons, and of all the set feasts of Jehovah that were consecrated, and of every one that willingly offered a voluntary offering to Jehovah. ^3:6From the first day of the seventh month they began to offer up burnt-offerings to Jehovah. But the foundation of the temple of Jehovah was not [yet] laid. ^3:7And they gave money to the masons and to the carpenters; and meat and drink and oil to the Zidonians and to the Tyrians, to bring cedar-trees from Lebanon to the sea at Joppa, according to the grant that they had of Cyrus king of Persia. ^3:8And in the second year of their coming to the house of God at Jerusalem, in the second month, began Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and the remnant of their brethren the priests and the Levites, and all they that had come out of the captivity to Jerusalem; and they appointed the Levites, from twenty years old and upward, to superintend the work of the house of Jehovah. ^3:9And Jeshua stood up, his sons and his brethren, Kadmiel and his sons, the sons of Judah, as one [man], to superintend the workmen in the house of God; [also] the sons of Henadad, their sons and their brethren, the Levites. ^3:10And when the builders laid the foundation of the temple of Jehovah, they set the priests in their apparel, with trumpets, and the Levites the sons of Asaph, with cymbals, to praise Jehovah according to the directions of David king of Israel. ^3:11And they sang alternately together in praising and giving thanks to Jehovah: For he is good, for his loving-kindness [endureth] for ever toward Israel. And all the people shouted with a great shout to the praise of Jehovah, because the foundation of the house of Jehovah was laid. ^3:12But many of the priests and Levites and chief fathers, the ancient men that had seen the first house, wept with a loud voice, [when] the foundation of this house was laid in their sight; and many shouted aloud for joy. ^3:13And the people could not discern the noise of the shout of joy from the noise of the weeping of the people; for the people shouted with a great shout, and the noise was heard afar off.

^4:1And the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the children of the captivity were building the temple to Jehovah the God of Israel; ^4:2and they came to Zerubbabel and to the chief fathers, and said to them, We would build with you; for we seek your God, as ye; and we have sacrificed to him since the days of Esar-haddon king of Assyria, who brought us up hither. ^4:3But Zerubbabel and Jeshua and the rest of the chief fathers of Israel said to them, Ye have nothing to do with us to build a house to our God, but we alone will build to Jehovah the God of Israel, as king Cyrus, the king of Persia, has commanded us. ^4:4And the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah, and troubled them in building; ^4:5and they hired counsellors against them, to frustrate their purpose, all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia. ^4:6And in the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, they wrote an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem. ^4:7And in the days of Artaxerxes, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of his companions, wrote to Artaxerxes king of Persia; and the writing of the letter was written in Aramaic, and interpreted in Aramaic. ^4:8Rehum the chancellor and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king after this sort: ^4:9Rehum the chancellor, and Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their companions, the Dinaites, and the Apharsathchites, the Tarpelites, the Apharsites, the Archevites, the Babylonians, the Shushanchites, the Dehaites, the Elamites, ^4:10and the rest of the peoples whom the great and noble Osnappar brought over and settled in the cities of Samaria, and the rest [of the country] on this side the river, and so forth. ^4:11This is the copy of the letter that they sent to him: To Artaxerxes the king: Thy servants the men on this side the river, and so forth. ^4:12Be it known to the king that the Jews who came up from thee unto us have come to Jerusalem; they are building the rebellious and the bad city, and they complete the walls and join up the foundations. ^4:13Be it known therefore unto the king, that, if this city be built and the walls be completed, they will not pay tribute, tax, and toll, and in the end it will bring damage to the kings. ^4:14Now, since we eat the salt of the palace, and it is not right for us to see the king's injury, therefore have we sent and informed the king; ^4:15that search may be made in the book of the annals of thy fathers: so shalt thou find in the book of the annals and know that this city is a rebellious city, which has done damage to kings and provinces, and that they have raised sedition within the same of old time, for which cause this city was destroyed. ^4:16We inform the king that if this city be built and its walls be completed, by this means thou shalt have no portion on this side the river. ^4:17The king sent an answer to Rehum the chancellor, and Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their companions that dwell in Samaria, and the other places beyond the river: Peace, and so forth. ^4:18The letter that ye sent to us has been read before me distinctly. ^4:19And I gave orders, and search has been made, and it has been found that this city of old time has made insurrection against the kings, and that rebellion and sedition have been raised therein. ^4:20And there have been mighty kings over Jerusalem, who have ruled over all beyond the river; and tribute, tax, and toll were paid to them. ^4:21Now give order to make these men to cease, and that this city be not built, until the order shall be given from me; ^4:22and take heed that ye fail not to do this: why should harm grow to the damage of the kings? ^4:23As soon as the copy of king Artaxerxes' letter was read before Rehum, and Shimshai the scribe, and their companions, they went up in haste to Jerusalem to the Jews, and made them cease by force and power. ^4:24Then ceased the work of the house of God which is at Jerusalem; and it ceased until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.

^5:1Now the prophets, Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews that were in Judah and Jerusalem; in the name of the God of Israel [did they prophesy] to them. ^5:2Then rose up Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and began to build the house of God which is at Jerusalem; and with them were the prophets of God, who helped them. ^5:3At that time came to them Tatnai, governor on this side the river, and Shethar-boznai, and their companions, and said thus to them: Who gave you orders to build this house and to complete this wall? ^5:4And they said to them after this manner: What are the names of the men that build this building? ^5:5But the eye of their God was upon the elders of the Jews, and they did not make them cease till the matter came to Darius; and then they returned answer by letter concerning it. ^5:6The copy of the letter that Tatnai, governor on this side the river, and Shethar-boznai, and his companions the Apharsachites, who were on this side the river, sent to Darius the king. ^5:7They sent a report to him in which was written thus: To Darius the king, all peace! ^5:8Be it known to the king that we went into the province of Judah, to the house of the great God, which is being built with great stones, and timber is laid in the walls, and this work is being carried on with diligence, and prospers in their hand. ^5:9Then asked we those elders: thus we said to them, Who gave you orders to build this house and to complete this wall? ^5:10We asked their names also, to inform thee, that we might write the names of the men that were the chief of them. ^5:11And thus they returned us answer, saying, We are the servants of the God of the heavens and the earth, and build the house that was built these many years ago; and a great king of Israel built and completed it. ^5:12But after that our fathers had provoked the God of the heavens to wrath, he gave them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, the Chaldean, and he destroyed this house, and carried the people away unto Babylon. ^5:13But in the first year of Cyrus king of Babylon, king Cyrus gave orders to build this house of God. ^5:14And the vessels also of gold and silver of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took out of the temple that was at Jerusalem and brought into the temple of Babylon, those did king Cyrus take out of the temple of Babylon, and they were delivered to one Sheshbazzar by name, whom he had appointed governor. ^5:15And he said to him, Take these vessels, go, carry them into the temple that is at Jerusalem, and let the house of God be built in its place. ^5:16Then came the same Sheshbazzar, [and] laid the foundation of the house of God which is at Jerusalem; and since that time even until now has it been in building, and it is not completed. ^5:17And now, if it seem good to the king, let search be made in the king's treasure-house, which is there at Babylon, whether it be so, that orders were given by king Cyrus to build this house of God at Jerusalem; and let the king send his pleasure to us concerning this matter.

^6:1Then king Darius gave orders, and search was made in the house of the rolls, where the treasures were laid up in Babylon. ^6:2And there was found at Achmetha in the fortress that is in the province of Media a roll, and therein was a record thus written: ^6:3In the first year of king Cyrus, king Cyrus made a decree [concerning] the house of God at Jerusalem: Let the house be built for a place where they offer sacrifices, and let its foundations be solidly laid; its height sixty cubits, its breadth sixty cubits, ^6:4[with] three rows of great stones, and a row of new timber; and let the expenses be given out of the king's house: ^6:5and also let the golden and silver vessels of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took out of the temple that is at Jerusalem and brought to Babylon, be restored and brought again to the temple that is at Jerusalem, in their place; and thou shalt put [them] in the house of God. ^6:6Therefore Tatnai, governor beyond the river, Shethar-boznai, and your companions the Apharsachites, who are beyond the river, be ye far from thence: ^6:7let the work of this house of God alone; let the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews build this house of God in its place. ^6:8Moreover, I give orders what ye shall do to these elders of the Jews, for the building of this house of God: that of the king's goods, of the tribute beyond the river, expenses be diligently given to these men, that they be not hindered. ^6:9And that which they have need of, both young bullocks and rams and lambs, for the burnt-offerings to the God of the heavens, wheat, salt, wine, and oil, according to the appointment of the priests that are at Jerusalem, let it be given them day by day without fail; ^6:10that they may present sweet odours to the God of the heavens, and pray for the life of the king and of his sons. ^6:11Also I have given order that whosoever shall alter this rescript, let timber be pulled down from his house, and being set up, let him be hanged thereon, and let his house be made a dunghill for this. ^6:12And the God that has caused his name to dwell there overthrow every king and people that shall put forth their hand to alter [or] to destroy this house of God which is at Jerusalem. I Darius have given [this] order; let it be done diligently. ^6:13Then Tatnai, governor on this side the river, Shethar-boznai, and their companions, because of that which king Darius had sent, did so diligently. ^6:14And the elders of the Jews built; and they prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. And they built and completed [it] according to the commandment of the God of Israel, and according to the commandment of Cyrus, and Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia. ^6:15And this house was finished on the third day of the month Adar, which was in the sixth year of the reign of king Darius. ^6:16And the children of Israel, the priests and the Levites, and the rest of the children of the captivity, kept the dedication of this house of God with joy; ^6:17and they presented at the dedication of this house of God a hundred bullocks, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs, and for a sin-offering for all Israel, twelve he-goats, according to the number of the tribes of Israel. ^6:18And they set the priests in their classes, and the Levites in their divisions, for the service of God, which is at Jerusalem: as it is written in the book of Moses. ^6:19And the children of the captivity held the passover upon the fourteenth of the first month. ^6:20For the priests and the Levites had purified themselves as one [man]: they were all pure; and they killed the passover for all the children of the captivity, and for their brethren the priests, and for themselves. ^6:21And the children of Israel that were come back out of captivity, and all such as had separated themselves to them from the filthiness of the nations of the land, to seek Jehovah the God of Israel, did eat; ^6:22and they kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with joy; for Jehovah had made them joyful, and turned the heart of the king of Assyria to them, to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.

^7:1And after these things, in the reign of Artaxerxes, king of Persia, Ezra the son of Seraiah, the son of Azariah, the son of Hilkijah, ^7:2the son of Shallum, the son of Zadok, the son of Ahitub, ^7:3the son of Amariah, the son of Azariah, the son of Meraioth, ^7:4the son of Zerahiah, the son of Uzzi, the son of Bukki, ^7:5the son of Abishua, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the chief priest, ^7:6this Ezra went up from Babylon; and he was a ready scribe in the law of Moses, which Jehovah the God of Israel had given. And the king granted him all his request, according to the hand of Jehovah his God upon him. ^7:7(And there went up [some] of the children of Israel, and of the priests, and the Levites, and the singers, and the doorkeepers, and the Nethinim, to Jerusalem, in the seventh year of Artaxerxes the king.) ^7:8And he came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the king. ^7:9For upon the first of the first month the project of going up from Babylon was determined on, and on the first of the fifth month he came to Jerusalem, according to the good hand of his God upon him. ^7:10For Ezra had directed his heart to seek the law of Jehovah and to do it, and to teach in Israel the statutes and the ordinances. ^7:11And this is the copy of the letter that king Artaxerxes gave to Ezra the priest, the scribe, a scribe of the words of the commandments of Jehovah, and of his statutes to Israel: ^7:12Artaxerxes, king of kings, to Ezra the priest, an accomplished scribe of the law of the God of the heavens, and so forth. ^7:13I have given orders that all they of the people of Israel, and of their priests and the Levites, in my realm, who are disposed to go to Jerusalem, go with thee. ^7:14Because thou art sent by the king, and by his seven counsellors, to inquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem, according to the law of thy God which is in thy hand; ^7:15and to carry the silver and gold which the king and his counsellors have freely offered to the God of Israel, whose habitation is at Jerusalem, ^7:16and all the silver and gold that thou canst find in all the province of Babylon, besides the voluntary offering of the people, and of the priests, who offer willingly for the house of their God which is at Jerusalem. ^7:17Therefore thou shalt buy diligently with this money bullocks, rams, lambs, with their oblations and their drink-offerings, and offer them upon the altar of the house of your God which is at Jerusalem. ^7:18And whatever shall seem good to thee and to thy brethren to do with the rest of the silver and the gold, that do according to the will of your God. ^7:19And the vessels that have been given thee for the service of the house of thy God, deliver before the God of Jerusalem. ^7:20And whatever more shall be needful for the house of thy God which thou shalt have occasion to bestow, bestow it out of the king's treasure house. ^7:21And I, I Artaxerxes the king, do give orders to all the treasurers that are beyond the river, that whatever Ezra the priest and scribe of the law of the God of the heavens shall require of you, it be done diligently, ^7:22unto a hundred talents of silver, and to a hundred measures of wheat, and to a hundred baths of wine, and to a hundred baths of oil, and salt without prescribing [how much]. ^7:23Whatever is commanded by the God of the heavens, let it be carefully done for the house of the God of the heavens; for why should there be wrath against the realm of the king and his sons? ^7:24Also we inform you, as regards all the priests and Levites, singers, doorkeepers, Nethinim, and ministers of this house of God, it shall not be lawful to impose tribute, tax, and toll upon them. ^7:25And thou, Ezra, after the wisdom of thy God, which is in thy hand, set magistrates and judges who may judge all the people that are beyond the river, all such as know the laws of thy God; and teach ye him that knows [them] not. ^7:26And whosoever will not do the law of thy God and the law of the king, let judgment be executed diligently upon him, whether unto death, or to banishment, or to confiscation of goods, or to imprisonment. ^7:27Blessed be Jehovah the God of our fathers, who has put [such a thing] as this in the king's heart, to beautify the house of Jehovah which is at Jerusalem; ^7:28and has extended mercy to me before the king and his counsellors, and before all the king's mighty princes. And I was strengthened, as the hand of Jehovah my God was upon me; and I gathered together out of Israel chief men to go up with me.

^8:1And these are the chief fathers, and their genealogy, who went up with me from Babylon in the reign of Artaxerxes the king. ^8:2Of the children of Phinehas, Gershom; of the children of Ithamar, Daniel; of the children of David, Hattush; ^8:3of the children of Shecaniah, of the children of Parosh, Zechariah, and with him were registered by genealogy of the males a hundred and fifty. ^8:4Of the children of Pahath-Moab, Elihoenai the son of Zerahiah, and with him two hundred males. ^8:5Of the children of Shechaniah, the son of Jahaziel, and with him three hundred males. ^8:6And of the children of Adin, Ebed the son of Jonathan, and with him fifty males. ^8:7And of the children of Elam, Isaiah the son of Athaliah, and with him seventy males. ^8:8And of the children of Shephatiah, Zebadiah the son of Michael, and with him eighty males. ^8:9Of the children of Joab, Obadiah the son of Jehiel, and with him two hundred and eighteen males. ^8:10And of the children of Shelomith, the son of Josiphiah, and with him a hundred and sixty males. ^8:11And of the children of Bebai, Zechariah the son of Bebai, and with him twenty-eight males. ^8:12And of the children of Azgad, Johanan the son of Hakkatan, and with him a hundred and ten males. ^8:13And of the children of Adonikam, the last ones, whose names are these: Eliphelet, Jeiel, and Shemaiah, and with them sixty males. ^8:14And of the children of Bigvai, Uthai and Zabbud, and with them seventy males. ^8:15And I gathered them together at the river that runs to Ahava; and there we encamped three days; and I surveyed the people and the priests, and found none of the sons of Levi there. ^8:16And I sent for Eliezer, for Ariel, for Shemaiah, and for Elnathan, and for Jarib, and for Elnathan, and for Nathan, and for Zechariah, and for Meshullam, chief men, and for Joiarib and for Elnathan, men of understanding. ^8:17And I gave them a commission to Iddo the chief, at the place Casiphia, and I put words in their mouths to say to Iddo [and] his brethren the Nethinim, at the place Casiphia, that they should bring to us ministers for the house of our God. ^8:18And by the good hand of our God upon us, they brought us a man of understanding, of the sons of Mahli, the son of Levi, the son of Israel, namely, Sherebiah, with his sons and his brethren, eighteen; ^8:19and Hashabiah, and with him Isaiah of the sons of Merari, his brethren and their sons, twenty; ^8:20and of the Nethinim, whom David and the princes had appointed for the service of the Levites, two hundred and twenty Nethinim: all of them were expressed by name. ^8:21And I proclaimed a fast there, at the river Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek of him a right way for us, and for our little ones, and for all our substance. ^8:22For I was ashamed to require of the king a band of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy in the way; for we had spoken to the king saying, The hand of our God is upon all them for good that seek him; but his power and his anger is against all them that forsake him. ^8:23And we fasted, and besought our God for this; and he was entreated of us. ^8:24And I separated twelve of the chiefs of the priests, Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and ten of their brethren with them, ^8:25and I weighed to them the silver and the gold and the vessels, the heave-offering for the house of our God, which the king and his counsellors and his princes, and all Israel present, had offered. ^8:26And I weighed into their hand six hundred and fifty talents of silver; and silver vessels a hundred talents, [and] of gold a hundred talents; ^8:27and twenty basons of gold, of a thousand darics; and two vessels of shining copper, precious as gold. ^8:28And I said to them, Ye are holy unto Jehovah; the vessels also are holy; and the silver and the gold is a voluntary offering to Jehovah the God of your fathers. ^8:29Watch and keep [them] until ye weigh them before the chiefs of the priests and the Levites, and the chiefs of the fathers of Israel, at Jerusalem, in the chambers of the house of Jehovah. ^8:30And the priests and the Levites received by weight the silver and the gold and the vessels, to bring them to Jerusalem unto the house of our God. ^8:31And we departed from the river Ahava on the twelfth of the first month, to go to Jerusalem; and the hand of our God was upon us, and he delivered us from the hand of the enemy, and of such as lay in wait by the way. ^8:32And we came to Jerusalem, and abode there three days. ^8:33And on the fourth day the silver and the gold and the vessels were weighed in the house of our God into the hand of Meremoth the son of Urijah the priest; and with him was Eleazar the son of Phinehas; and with them were Jozabad the son of Jeshua, and Noadiah the son of Binnui, Levites: ^8:34the whole by number and by weight; and all the weight was written down at that time. ^8:35The children of those that had been carried away, who had come out of the captivity, presented burnt-offerings to the God of Israel, twelve bullocks for all Israel, ninety-six rams, seventy-seven lambs, twelve he-goats for a sin-offering: all for a burnt-offering to Jehovah. ^8:36And they delivered the king's edicts to the king's satraps, and to the governors on this side the river. And they furthered the people and the house of God.

^9:1Now when these things were completed, the princes came to me, saying, The people of Israel, and the priests and the Levites, have not separated themselves from the peoples of the lands, according to their abominations, [even] of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites; ^9:2for they have taken of their daughters for themselves and for their sons, and have mingled the holy seed with the peoples of the lands; and the hand of the princes and rulers has been chief in this unfaithfulness. ^9:3And when I heard this thing, I rent my mantle and my garment, and plucked off the hair of my head and of my beard, and sat down overwhelmed. ^9:4Then were assembled to me every one that trembled at the words of the God of Israel, because of the unfaithfulness of those that had been carried away; and I sat overwhelmed until the evening oblation. ^9:5And at the evening oblation I arose up from my humiliation; and with my mantle and my garment rent, I fell on my knees, and spread out my hands to Jehovah my God, ^9:6and said: O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee, my God; for our iniquities are increased over [our] head, and our trespass is grown up to the heavens. ^9:7Since the days of our fathers, we have been in great trespass to this day; and for our iniquities we, our kings, our priests, have been given into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, and to captivity, and to spoil, and to confusion of face, as it is this day. ^9:8And now for a little space there hath been favour from Jehovah our God, to leave us a remnant to escape, and to give us a nail in his holy place, that our God may lighten our eyes, and give us a little reviving in our bondage. ^9:9For we are bondmen; yet our God hath not forsaken us in our bondage, but hath extended mercy unto us before the kings of Persia, to give us a reviving, to set up the house of our God and to repair the ruins thereof, and to give us a wall in Judah and in Jerusalem. ^9:10And now, what shall we say, our God, after this? for we have forsaken thy commandments, ^9:11which thou hast commanded by thy servants the prophets, saying, The land, unto which ye go to possess [it], is an unclean land through the filthiness of the peoples of the lands, through their abominations with which they have filled it from one end to another through their uncleanness. ^9:12Now therefore give not your daughters to their sons, neither take their daughters to your sons, nor seek their peace or their prosperity for ever; that ye may be strong, and eat the good of the land, and leave it for an inheritance to your children for ever. ^9:13And after all that is come upon us for our evil deeds and for our great trespass, seeing that thou our God hast punished us less than our iniquities [deserve], and hast given us such deliverance as this, ^9:14should we again break thy commandments, and join in affinity with the peoples of these abominations? wouldest thou not be angry with us till thou hadst consumed us, so that there should be no remnant nor any to escape? ^9:15Jehovah, God of Israel, thou art righteous; for we are a remnant that is escaped, as [it is] this day. Behold, we are before thee in our trespasses; for there is no standing before thee because of this.

^10:1And while Ezra prayed, and made confession, weeping and falling down before the house of God, there were gathered to him out of Israel a very great congregation of men and women and children; for the people wept very much. ^10:2And Shechaniah the son of Jehiel, of the sons of Elam, answered and said to Ezra, We have acted unfaithfully toward our God, and have taken foreign wives of the peoples of the land; yet now there is hope for Israel concerning this thing. ^10:3And now let us make a covenant with our God to put away all the wives, and such as are born of them, according to the counsel of [my] lord, and of those that tremble at the commandments of our God; and let it be done according to the law. ^10:4Arise, for this matter is incumbent on thee, and we will be with thee: be of good courage, and do [it]. ^10:5Then Ezra arose, and made the chiefs of the priests, of the Levites, and of all Israel, to swear that they would do according to this word. And they swore. ^10:6And Ezra arose from before the house of God, and went into the chamber of Jehohanan the son of Eliashib; and when he came thither, he ate no bread and drank no water; for he mourned because of the unfaithfulness of them that had been carried away. ^10:7And they made proclamation in Judah and Jerusalem to all the children of the captivity, that they should gather themselves together unto Jerusalem; ^10:8and that whosoever would not come within three days, according to the counsel of the princes and the elders, all his substance should be confiscated, and himself separated from the congregation of those that had been carried away. ^10:9Then were all the men of Judah and Benjamin gathered together at Jerusalem within three days. It was the ninth month, on the twentieth of the month; and all the people sat in the open space of the house of God, trembling because of the matter, and because of the pouring rain. ^10:10And Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, Ye have acted unfaithfully, and have taken foreign wives, to increase the trespass of Israel. ^10:11And now make confession to Jehovah the God of your fathers, and do his pleasure, and separate yourselves from the peoples of the land, and from the foreign wives. ^10:12And the whole congregation answered and said with a loud voice, Yes, it is for us to do according to thy words. ^10:13But the people are many, and it is a time of pouring rain, and it is not possible to stand without: neither is this a work for one day or two; for we are many that have transgressed in this thing. ^10:14Let now our princes, while this matter is going on, stand for all the congregation, and let all those that have taken foreign wives in our cities come at the appointed times, and with them the elders of every city, and the judges thereof, until the fierce anger of our God be turned from us. ^10:15Only Jonathan the son of Asahel and Jahzeiah the son of Tikvah stood up against this; and Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite helped them. ^10:16And the children of the captivity did so. And Ezra the priest [and] certain of the chief fathers were separated according to their fathers' houses, and all of them [expressed] by name; and they sat down on the first day of the tenth month to examine the matter. ^10:17And they ended with all the men that had taken foreign wives by the first day of the first month. ^10:18And among the sons of the priests there were found that had taken foreign wives, of the sons of Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and his brethren: Maaseiah, and Eliezer, and Jarib, and Gedaliah. ^10:19And they gave their hand to send away their wives; and they offered a ram of the flock, as trespass-offering for their guilt. ^10:20And of the children of Immer: Hanani, and Zebadiah. ^10:21And of the children of Harim: Maaseiah, and Elijah, and Shemaiah, and Jehiel, and Uzziah. ^10:22And of the children of Pashhur: Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethaneel, Jozabad, and Elasah. ^10:23And of the Levites: Jozabad, and Shimei, and Kelaiah (that is, Kelita), Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer. ^10:24And of the singers: Eliashib. And of the doorkeepers: Shallum, and Telem, and Uri. ^10:25And of Israel; of the children of Parosh: Ramiah, and Jizzijah, and Malchijah, and Mijamin, and Eleazar, and Malchijah, and Benaiah. ^10:26And of the children of Elam: Mattaniah, Zechariah, and Jehiel, and Abdi, and Jeremoth, and Elijah. ^10:27And of the children of Zattu: Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, and Jeremoth, and Zabad, and Aziza. ^10:28And of the children of Bebai: Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, Athlai. ^10:29And of the children of Bani: Meshullam, Malluch, and Adaiah, Jashub, and Sheal, and Ramoth. ^10:30And of the children of Pahath-Moab: Adna, and Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezaleel, and Binnui, and Manasseh. ^10:31And the children of Harim: Eliezer, Jishijah, Malchijah, Shemaiah, Simeon, ^10:32Benjamin, Malluch, Shemariah. ^10:33Of the children of Hashum: Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, Shimei. ^10:34Of the sons of Bani: Maadai, Amram, and Uel, ^10:35Benaiah, Bediah, Cheluhu, ^10:36Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib, ^10:37Mattaniah, Mattenai, and Jaasai, ^10:38and Bani, and Binnui, Shimei, ^10:39and Shelemiah, and Nathan, and Adaiah, ^10:40Machnadbai, Shashai, Sharai, ^10:41Azareel, and Shelemiah, Shemariah, ^10:42Shallum, Amariah, Joseph. ^10:43Of the children of Nebo: Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jaddai, and Joel, Benaiah. ^10:44All these had taken foreign wives; and there were among them wives who had had children.

Nehemiah

^1:1The words of Nehemiah the son of Hachaliah. And it came to pass in the month Chislev, in the twentieth year, as I was in Shushan the fortress, ^1:2that Hanani, one of my brethren, came, he and [certain] men of Judah. And I asked them concerning the Jews that had escaped, who were left of the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem. ^1:3And they said to me, Those who remain, that are left of the captivity there in the province, are in great affliction and reproach; and the wall of Jerusalem is in ruins, and its gates are burned with fire. ^1:4And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat and wept, and mourned for days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of the heavens, ^1:5and said, I beseech thee, Jehovah, God of the heavens, the great and terrible God, that keepeth covenant and mercy for them that love him and keep his commandments. ^1:6Let thine ear now be attentive, and thine eyes open, to hear the prayer of thy servant, which I pray before thee at this time, day and night, for the children of Israel thy servants, confessing the sins of the children of Israel, which we have sinned against thee: both I and my father's house have sinned. ^1:7We have acted very perversely against thee, and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the ordinances that thou commandedst thy servant Moses. ^1:8Remember, I beseech thee, the word that thou commandedst thy servant Moses, saying, If ye act unfaithfully, I will scatter you among the peoples; ^1:9but if ye return to me, and keep my commandments and do them, though there were of you cast out unto the uttermost part of the heavens, yet will I gather them from thence, and will bring them unto the place that I have chosen to set my name there. ^1:10And they are thy servants and thy people, whom thou hast redeemed by thy great power and by thy strong hand. ^1:11O Lord, I beseech thee, let now thine ear be attentive to the prayer of thy servant, and to the prayer of thy servants who delight to fear thy name; and prosper, I pray thee, thy servant this day, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man. Now I was the king's cupbearer.

^2:1And it came to pass in the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king, [that] wine was before him, and I took up the wine and gave it to the king. Now, I had never been sad in his presence. ^2:2And the king said to me, Why is thy face sad, seeing thou art not sick? this is nothing else but sadness of heart. And I was very sore afraid. ^2:3And I said to the king, Let the king live for ever! Why should not my countenance be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers' sepulchres, lies waste, and its gates are consumed with fire? ^2:4And the king said to me, For what dost thou make request? So I prayed to the God of the heavens. ^2:5And I said to the king, If it please the king, and if thy servant have found favour in thy sight, that thou wouldest send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers' sepulchres, that I may build it. ^2:6And the king said to me the queen also sitting by him, For how long shall thy journey be, and when wilt thou return? And it pleased the king to send me; and I set him a time. ^2:7And I said to the king, If it please the king, let letters be given me to the governors beyond the river, that they may set me forward till I come into Judah; ^2:8and a letter to Asaph the keeper of the king's forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the palace which [appertains] to the house, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall enter into. And the king granted me, according to the good hand of my God upon me. ^2:9And I came to the governors beyond the river, and gave them the king's letters. Now the king had sent captains of a force and horsemen with me. ^2:10And when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobijah the servant, the Ammonite, heard [of it], it grieved them exceedingly that there had come a man to seek the welfare of the children of Israel. ^2:11And I came to Jerusalem, and was there three days. ^2:12And I arose in the night, I and some few men with me but I told no man what my God had put in my heart to do for Jerusalem and there was no beast with me, except the beast that I rode upon. ^2:13And I went out by night by the valley-gate, even toward the jackal-fountain, and to the dung-gate; and I viewed the walls of Jerusalem, which were in ruins, and its gates were consumed with fire. ^2:14And I went on to the fountain-gate, and to the king's pool; and there was no place for the beast under me to pass. ^2:15And I went up in the night through the valley, and viewed the wall, and turned back, and entered by the valley-gate and returned. ^2:16And the rulers did not know whither I went or what I did, for I had not as yet told it to the Jews, nor to the priests, nor to the nobles, nor to the rulers, nor to the rest that did the work. ^2:17And I said to them, Ye see the distress that we are in, that Jerusalem lies waste, and its gates are burned with fire. Come, and let us build up the wall of Jerusalem, that we be no more a reproach. ^2:18And I told them of the hand of my God which had been good upon me; as also of the king's words which he had said unto me. And they said, Let us rise up and build. And they strengthened their hands for the good [work]. ^2:19And Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobijah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian, heard it; and they mocked us and despised us, and said, What is this thing which ye do? will ye rebel against the king? ^2:20And I answered them, and said to them, The God of the heavens, he will prosper us, and we his servants will arise and build; but ye have no portion, nor right, nor memorial in Jerusalem.

^3:1And Eliashib the high priest rose up with his brethren the priests, and they built the sheep-gate. They hallowed it, and set up its doors; and they hallowed it even to the tower of Meah, to the tower of Hananeel. ^3:2And next to them built the men of Jericho. And next to them built Zaccur the son of Imri. ^3:3And the fish-gate did the sons of Senaah build: they laid its beams, and set up its doors, its locks and its bars. ^3:4And next to them repaired Meremoth the son of Urijah, the son of Koz. And next to them repaired Meshullam the son of Berechiah, the son of Meshezabeel. And next to them repaired Zadok the son of Baana. ^3:5And next to them the Tekoites repaired; but their nobles put not their necks to the work of their Lord. ^3:6And the gate of the old [wall] repaired Jehoiada the son of Paseah, and Meshullam the son of Besodiah; they laid its beams, and set up its doors, and its locks, and its bars. ^3:7And next to them repaired Melatiah the Gibeonite, and Jadon the Meronothite, the men of Gibeon and of Mizpah, to the seat of the governor on this side the river. ^3:8Next to them repaired Uzziel the son of Harhaiah, of the goldsmiths; and next to him repaired Hananiah of the perfumers, and they left Jerusalem [in its state] as far as the broad wall. ^3:9And next to them repaired Rephaiah the son of Hur, the ruler of the half part of Jerusalem. ^3:10And next to them repaired Jedaiah the son of Harumaph, even over against his house. And next to him repaired Hattush the son of Hashabniah. ^3:11Malchijah the son of Harim and Hasshub the son of Pahath-Moab repaired a second piece, and the tower of the furnaces. ^3:12And next to them repaired Shallum the son of Hallohesh, the ruler of the half part of Jerusalem, he and his daughters. ^3:13The valley-gate repaired Hanun, and the inhabitants of Zanoah; they built it, and set up its doors, its locks and its bars, and a thousand cubits of the wall as far as the dung-gate. ^3:14And the dung-gate repaired Malchijah the son of Rechab, the chief of the district of Beth-haccerem; he built it, and set up its doors, its locks and its bars. ^3:15And the fountain-gate repaired Shallun the son of Colhozeh, the chief of the district 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. ^3:16After him repaired Nehemiah the son of Azbuk, the chief of the half district of Beth-zur, even over against the sepulchres of David, and to the pool that was made, and to the house of the mighty [men]. ^3:17After him repaired the Levites, Rehum the son of Bani. Next to him repaired Hashabiah, the chief of the half district of Keilah, for his district. ^3:18After him repaired their brethren, Bavvai the son of Henadad, the chief of the half district of Keilah. ^3:19And next to him repaired Ezer the son of Jeshua, the ruler of Mizpah, a second piece over against the going up to the armoury at the angle. ^3:20After him Baruch the son of Zabbai earnestly repaired another piece, from the angle to the entry of the house of Eliashib the high priest. ^3:21After him repaired Meremoth the son of Urijah, the son of Koz, another piece, from the door of the house of Eliashib as far as the end of the house of Eliashib. ^3:22And after him repaired the priests, the men of the plain [of Jordan]. ^3:23After them repaired Benjamin and Hasshub over against their house. After them repaired Azariah the son of Maaseiah, the son of Ananiah, by his house. ^3:24After him repaired Binnui the son of Henadad another piece, from the house of Azariah to the angle, as far as the corner. ^3:25Palal the son of Uzai, over against the angle, and the high tower that lies out from the king's house, which was by the court of the prison. After him, Pedaiah the son of Parosh. ^3:26(Now the Nethinim dwelt in Ophel, even over against the water-gate toward the east, and the tower which lies out.) ^3:27After him the Tekoites repaired a second piece, over against the great tower which lies out, as far as the wall of Ophel. ^3:28From above the horse-gate repaired the priests, every one over against his house. ^3:29After them repaired Zadok the son of Immer over against his house. And after him repaired also Shemaiah the son of Shechaniah, the keeper of the east gate. ^3:30After him repaired Hananiah the son of Shelemiah, and Hanun the sixth son of Zalaph, a second piece. After them repaired Meshullam the son of Berechiah over against his chamber. ^3:31After him repaired Malchijah of the goldsmiths to the place of the Nethinim and of the dealers, over against the gate Miphkad, and to the ascent of the corner. ^3:32And between the ascent of the corner and the sheep-gate repaired the goldsmiths and the dealers.

^4:1And it came to pass that when Sanballat heard that we built the wall, he was angry and very indignant, and mocked the Jews. ^4:2And he spoke before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, What do these feeble Jews? shall they be permitted to go on? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they finish in a day? Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of rubbish, when they are burned? ^4:3And Tobijah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, Even that which they build, if a fox went up, it would break down their stone wall. ^4:4Hear, our God, for we are despised, and turn their reproach upon their own head, and give them for a prey in a land of captivity! ^4:5And cover not their iniquity, and let not their sin be blotted out from before thee; for they have provoked the builders. ^4:6But we built the wall; and all the wall was joined together to the half thereof; for the people had a mind to work. ^4:7And it came to pass, when Sanballat, and Tobijah, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites heard that the walls of Jerusalem were being repaired, that the breaches began to be stopped, then they were very wroth, ^4:8and conspired all of them together to come to fight against Jerusalem, and to hinder it. ^4:9Then we prayed to our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them. ^4:10And Judah said, The strength of the bearers of burdens faileth, and there is much rubbish; so that we are not able to build at the wall. ^4:11And our adversaries said, They shall not know, neither see, till we come into the midst of them and kill them, and put an end to the work. ^4:12And it came to pass that when the Jews that dwelt by them came and told us so ten times, from all the places whence they returned to us, ^4:13I set in the lower places behind the wall in exposed places, I even set the people, according to their families, with their swords, their spears and their bows. ^4:14And I looked, and rose up, and said to the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, Be not afraid of them: remember the Lord who is great and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your houses. ^4:15And it came to pass that when our enemies heard that it was known to us, and that God had defeated their counsel, we returned all of us to the wall, every one to his work. ^4:16And from that time forth the half of my servants wrought in the work, and the other half of them held the spears, and the shields, and the bows, and the corslets; and the captains were behind all the house of Judah. ^4:17They that built on the wall, and they that bore burdens, with those that loaded, wrought in the work with one hand, and with the other they held a weapon. ^4:18And the builders had every one his sword girded by his side, and built. And he that sounded the trumpet was by me. ^4:19And I said to the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, The work is great and extended, and we are scattered upon the wall, one far from another: ^4:20in what place ye hear the sound of the trumpet, thither shall ye assemble to us; our God will fight for us. ^4:21And we laboured in the work; and half of them held the spears from the rising of the dawn till the stars appeared. ^4:22Likewise at the same time I said to the people, Let every one with his servant lodge within Jerusalem, that in the night they may be a guard to us, and [be for] labour in the day. ^4:23And neither I, nor my brethren, nor my servants, nor the men of the guard that followed me, none of us put off our garments: every one had his weapon on his right side.

^5:1And there was a great cry of the people and of their wives against their brethren the Jews. ^5:2And there were that said, We, our sons and our daughters, are many, and we must procure corn that we may eat and live. ^5:3And there were that said, We have had to pledge our fields, and our vineyards, and our houses, that we might procure corn in the dearth. ^5:4And there were that said, We have borrowed money for the king's tribute upon our fields and vineyards; ^5:5yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren, our children as their children; and behold, we must bring into bondage our sons and our daughters to be servants, and some of our daughters are brought into bondage [already]; neither is it in the power of our hand [to redeem them], for other men have our fields and our vineyards. ^5:6And I was very angry when I heard their cry and these words. ^5:7And I consulted with myself; and I remonstrated with the nobles and the rulers, and said to them, Ye exact usury, every one of his brother! And I set a great assembly against them. ^5:8And I said to them, We, according to our ability, have redeemed our brethren the Jews, who were sold to the nations; and will ye even sell your brethren? or shall they be sold unto us? And they were silent and found no answer. ^5:9And I said, The thing that ye do is not good. Ought ye not to walk in the fear of our God, so as not to be the reproach of the nations our enemies? ^5:10I also, my brethren and my servants, we might exact usury of them, money and corn. I pray you, let us leave off this usury. ^5:11Restore, I pray you, to them this very day their fields, their vineyards, their olive-gardens, and their houses, also the hundredth [part] of the money, and of the corn, the wine and the oil, that ye have exacted of them. ^5:12And they said, We will restore [them], and will require nothing of them; so will we do, as thou hast said. And I called the priests, and took an oath of them, that they should do according to this promise. ^5:13Also I shook my lap, and said, So God shake out every man from his house and from his earnings, that performeth not this promise: even thus be he shaken out and emptied! And all the congregation said, Amen! And they praised Jehovah. And the people did according to this promise. ^5:14Moreover from the time that I was appointed 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 brethren have not eaten the bread of the governor. ^5:15But the former governors that were before me had been chargeable to the people, and had taken of them bread and wine, besides forty shekels of silver: even their servants bore rule over the people. But I did not so, because of the fear of God. ^5:16Yea, also I applied myself to this work of the wall, and we bought no fields; and all my servants were gathered thither for the work. ^5:17And there were at my table a hundred and fifty of the Jews and the rulers, besides those that came to us from among the nations that were about us. ^5:18And that which was prepared daily was one ox [and] six choice sheep; also fowls were prepared for me, and once in ten days all sorts of wine in abundance. Yet for all this I demanded not the bread of the governor; for the service was heavy upon this people. ^5:19Remember for me, my God, for good, all that I have done for this people.

^6:1And it came to pass when Sanballat, and Tobijah, and Geshem the Arabian, and the rest of our enemies, heard that I had built the wall, and that there was no breach left in it (though at that time I had not set up the doors in the gates), ^6:2that 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 me mischief. ^6:3And I sent messengers to them, saying, I am doing a great work, and I cannot come down. Why should the work cease, whilst I leave it and come down to you? ^6:4And they sent to me four times after this sort; and I answered them in the same manner. ^6:5Then sent Sanballat his servant to me in this manner the fifth time, with an open letter in his hand, ^6:6in which was written: It is reported among the nations, and Gashmu says [it, that] thou and the Jews think to rebel, for which cause thou buildest the wall, and according to these words thou wilt become their king. ^6:7And thou hast also appointed prophets to proclaim concerning thee at Jerusalem saying, There is a king in Judah! And now it will be reported to the king according to these words. Come now therefore, and let us take counsel together. ^6:8And I sent to him, saying, There are no such things done as thou sayest, but thou feignest them out of thine own heart. ^6:9For they all would have made us afraid, saying, Their hands shall be slackened from the work, that it be not carried out. Now therefore strengthen my hands! ^6:10And I came to the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah, the son of Mehetabeel, who had shut himself up. And he said, Let us meet together in the house of God, within the temple, and let us shut the doors of the temple; for they are coming to kill thee; even in the night are they coming to kill thee. ^6:11And I said, Should such a man as I flee? and who is there, that, being as I am, could go into the temple, and live? I will not go in. ^6:12And I perceived, and behold, God had not sent him; for he pronounced this prophecy against me; and Tobijah and Sanballat had hired him. ^6:13Therefore was he hired, that I should be afraid, and do so, and sin, and that they might have wherewith to spread an evil report, that they might reproach me. ^6:14My God, remember Tobijah and Sanballat according to these their works, and also the prophetess Noadiah, and the rest of the prophets who would have put me in fear. ^6:15So the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth of Elul, in fifty-two days. ^6:16And it came to pass that when all our enemies heard [of it], all the nations that were about us were afraid and were much cast down in their own eyes, and they perceived that this work was wrought by our God. ^6:17Moreover in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters to Tobijah, and those of Tobijah came to them. ^6:18For there were many in Judah sworn to him; for he was a son-in-law of Shechaniah the son of Arah; and his son Johanan had taken the daughter of Meshullam the son of Berechiah. ^6:19Also they spoke of his good deeds before me, and reported my words to him. [And] Tobijah sent letters to put me in fear.