1 The words of Nehemiah^(A) son of Hacaliah:

News from Jerusalem

During the month of Chislev^[a](B) in the twentieth year,^[b](C) when I was in the fortress city of Susa,^{(D) 2} Hanani,^(E) one of my brothers, arrived with men from Judah, and I questioned them about Jerusalem and the Jewish remnant^(F) that had survived the exile.^{(G) 3} They said to me, “The remnant in the province,^(H) who survived the exile, are in great trouble and disgrace. Jerusalem’s wall has been broken down, and its gates have been burned down.”^(I)

Nehemiah’s Prayer

⁴ When I heard these words, I sat down and wept. I mourned for a number of days, fasting and praying^(J) before the God of heaven.^{(K) 5} I said,^(L)

At the time, I was the king’s cupbearer.^(Y)

Nehemiah Sent to Jerusalem

2 During the month of Nisan^[f] in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes,^(Z) when wine was set before him, I took the wine and gave it to the king. I had never been sad in his presence, ² so the king said to me, “Why are you^[g] sad, when you aren’t sick? This is nothing but depression.”^[h](AA)

I was overwhelmed with fear ³ and replied to the king, “May the king live forever! Why should I^[i] not be sad when the city where my ancestors are buried lies in ruins and its gates have been destroyed by fire?”^(AB)

⁴ Then the king asked me, “What is your request?”

So I prayed to the God of heaven^{(AC) 5} and answered the king, “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor with you, send me to Judah and to the city where my ancestors are buried,^[j](AD) so that I may rebuild it.”^(AE)

⁶ The king, with the queen seated beside him, asked me, “How long will your journey take, and when will you return?” So I gave him a definite time,^(AF) and it pleased the king to send me.

⁷ I also said to the king: “If it pleases the king, let me have letters written to the governors of the region west of the Euphrates River,^(AG) so that they will grant me safe passage until I reach Judah.^{(AH) 8} And let me have a letter written to Asaph, keeper of the king’s forest, so that he will give me timber to rebuild the gates of the temple’s fortress,^(AI) the city wall, and the home where I will live.”^[k](AJ) The king granted my requests, for I was graciously strengthened by my God.^[l](AK)

⁹ I went to the governors of the region west of the Euphrates and gave them the king’s letters.^(AL) The king had also sent officers of the infantry and cavalry with me. ¹⁰ When Sanballat the Horonite^(AM) and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard that someone had come to seek the well-being of the Israelites, they were greatly displeased.^(AN)

Preparing to Rebuild the Walls

¹¹ After I arrived in Jerusalem and had been there three days,^{(AO) 12} I got up at night and took a few men with me. I didn’t tell anyone what my God had laid on my heart to do for Jerusalem. The only animal I took^[m] was the one I was riding. ¹³ I went out at night through the Valley Gate toward the Serpent’s^[n] Well and the Dung Gate,^(AP) and I inspected the walls of Jerusalem that had been broken down and its gates that had been destroyed by fire.^{(AQ) 14} I went on to the Fountain Gate^(AR) and the King’s Pool,^(AS) but farther down it became too narrow for my animal to go through. ¹⁵ So I went up at night by way of the valley and inspected the wall. Then heading back, I entered through the Valley Gate^(AT) and returned. ¹⁶ The officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing, for I had not yet told the Jews, priests, nobles, officials, or the rest of those who would be doing the work. ¹⁷ So I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in. Jerusalem lies in ruins and its gates have been burned down.^(AU) Come, let’s rebuild Jerusalem’s wall,^(AV) so that we will no longer be a disgrace.” ¹⁸ I told them how the gracious hand of my God had been on me,^(AW) and what the king had said to me.

They said, “Let’s start rebuilding,” and they were encouraged^[o] to do this good work.

¹⁹ When Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official,^(AX) and Geshem the Arab^(AY) heard about this, they mocked and despised us, and said, “What is this you’re doing? Are you rebelling against the king?”

²⁰ I gave them this reply, “The God of heaven is the One who will grant us success. We, His servants, will start building, but you have no share, right, or historic claim in Jerusalem.”^(AZ)

Progress in Spite of Opposition

4 ^[a]When Sanballat^(A) heard that we were rebuilding the wall,^(B) he became furious. He mocked the Jews^{(C) 2} before his colleagues and the powerful men^[b] of Samaria,^(D) and said, “What are these pathetic Jews doing? Can they restore it by themselves? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they ever finish it? Can they bring these burnt stones^(E) back to life from the mounds of rubble?”^{(F) 3} Then Tobiah the Ammonite,^(G) who was beside him, said, “Indeed, even if a fox^(H) climbed up what they are building, he would break down their stone wall!”

⁴ Listen, our God, for we are despised. Make their insults return on their own heads and let them be taken as plunder to a land of captivity. ⁵ Do not cover their guilt or let their sin be erased from Your sight, because they have provoked^[c] the builders.^(I)

⁶ So we rebuilt the wall until the entire wall was joined together up to half its height, for the people had the will to keep working.^(J)

^7 [d]When Sanballat, Tobiah, and the Arabs,^(K) Ammonites, and Ashdodites heard that the repair to the walls of Jerusalem was progressing and that the gaps were being closed,^(L) they became furious.^{(M) 8} They all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and throw it into confusion. ⁹ So we prayed to our God and stationed a guard because of them day and night.

¹⁰ In Judah, it was said:^[e]

¹¹ And our enemies said, “They won’t know or see anything until we’re among them and can kill them and stop the work.” ¹² When the Jews who lived nearby arrived, they said to us time and again,^[f] “Everywhere you turn, they attack^[g] us.” ¹³ So I stationed people behind the lowest sections of the wall, at the vulnerable areas. I stationed them by families with their swords, spears, and bows. ¹⁴ After I made an inspection, I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials, and the rest of the people,^(N) “Don’t be afraid of them.^(O) Remember the great and awe-inspiring Lord, and fight for your countrymen, your sons and daughters, your wives and homes.”^(P)

Sword and Trowel

¹⁵ When our enemies heard that we knew their scheme and that God had frustrated it, every one of us returned to his own work on the wall. ¹⁶ From that day on, half of my men did the work while the other half held spears, shields, bows, and armor.^(Q) The officers supported all the people of Judah, ¹⁷ who were rebuilding the wall. The laborers who carried the loads worked with one hand and held a weapon with the other. ¹⁸ Each of the builders had his sword strapped around his waist while he was building, and the trumpeter was beside me. ¹⁹ Then I said to the nobles, the officials, and the rest of the people:^(R) “The work is enormous and spread out, and we are separated far from one another along the wall.^{(S) 20} Wherever you hear the trumpet sound, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us!”^{(T) 21} So we continued the work, while half of the men were holding spears from daybreak until the stars came out. ²² At that time, I also said to the people, “Let everyone and his servant spend the night inside Jerusalem, so that they can stand guard by night and work by day.” ²³ And I, my brothers, my men, and the guards with me never took off our clothes. Each carried his weapon, even when washing.^[h]

Attempts to Discourage the Builders

6 When Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab, and the rest of our enemies^(A) heard that I had rebuilt the wall and that no gap was left in it^(B)—though at that time I had not installed the doors in the gates^(C)— ² Sanballat and Geshem^(D) sent me a message: “Come, let’s meet together in the villages of^[a] the Ono Valley.”^(E) But they were planning to harm me.

³ So I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work and cannot come down. Why should the work cease while I leave it and go down to you?” ⁴ Four times they sent me the same proposal, and I gave them the same reply.

⁵ Sanballat^(F) sent me this same message a fifth time by his aide, who had an open letter in his hand. ⁶ In it was written:

⁸ Then I replied to him, “There is nothing to these rumors you are spreading; you are inventing them in your own mind.”^{(I) 9} For they were all trying to intimidate^(J) us, saying, “They will become discouraged^[c] in the work,^(K) and it will never be finished.”

But now, my God, strengthen me.^[d](L)

Attempts to Intimidate Nehemiah

¹⁰ I went to the house of Shemaiah son of Delaiah, son of Mehetabel, who was restricted to his house. He said:

¹¹ But I said, “Should a man like me run away? How can I enter the temple and live?^(M) I will not go.” ¹² I realized that God had not sent him, because of the prophecy he spoke against me. Tobiah and Sanballat^(N) had hired him. ¹³ He was hired, so that I would be intimidated,^(O) do as he suggested, sin, and get a bad reputation, in order that they could discredit me.

¹⁴ My God, remember^(P) Tobiah and Sanballat for what they have done, and also Noadiah the prophetess^(Q) and the other prophets who wanted to intimidate me.

The Wall Completed

¹⁵ The wall was completed^(R) in 52 days, on the twenty-fifth day of the month Elul.^{(S) 16} When all our enemies^(T) heard this, all the surrounding nations were intimidated^(U) and lost their confidence,^[f] for they realized that this task had been accomplished by our God.^(V)

¹⁷ During those days, the nobles of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah,^(W) and Tobiah’s letters came to them. ¹⁸ For many in Judah were bound by oath^(X) to him, since he was a son-in-law of Shecaniah son of Arah, and his son Jehohanan had married the daughter of Meshullam^(Y) son of Berechiah. ¹⁹ These nobles kept mentioning Tobiah’s good deeds to me, and they reported my words to him. And Tobiah sent letters to intimidate^(Z) me.

The Exiles Return

7 When the wall had been rebuilt and I had the doors installed,^(AA) the gatekeepers,^(AB) singers, and Levites were appointed. ² Then I put my brother Hanani^(AC) in charge of Jerusalem,^(AD) along with Hananiah,^(AE) commander of the fortress,^(AF) because he was a faithful man who feared God^(AG) more than most. ³ I said to them, “Do not open the gates of Jerusalem until the sun is hot, and let the doors be shut and securely fastened while the guards are on duty. Station the citizens of Jerusalem as guards, some at their posts and some at their homes.”^(AH)

⁴ The city was large and spacious, but there were few people in it, and no houses had been built yet.^{(AI) 5} Then my God put it into my mind^(AJ) to assemble the nobles, the officials, and the people to be registered by genealogy. I found the genealogical record of those who came back first, and I found the following written in it:^(AK)

⁶ These are the people of the province who went up among the captive exiles deported by King Nebuchadnezzar^(AL) of Babylon. Each of them returned to Jerusalem and Judah, to his own town.^{(AM) 7} They came with Zerubbabel,^(AN) Jeshua,^(AO) Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, and Baanah.

The number of the Israelite men included:

³⁹ The priests included:

⁴³ The Levites^(AZ) included:

⁴⁴ The singers^(BA) included:

⁴⁵ The gatekeepers^(BB) included:

⁴⁶ The temple servants^(BC) included:

⁵⁷ The descendants of Solomon’s servants^(BD) included:

⁶¹ The following^(BF) are those who came from Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Cherub, Addon, and Immer, but were unable to prove that their families and ancestors were Israelite:

⁶³ and from the priests: the descendants of Hobaiah, the descendants of Hakkoz, and the descendants of Barzillai—who had taken a wife from the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite and was called by their name. ⁶⁴ These searched for their entries in the genealogical records, but they could not be found, so they were disqualified from the priesthood. ⁶⁵ The governor^(BG) ordered them not to eat the most holy things until there was a priest who could consult the Urim and Thummim.^(BH)

⁷⁰ Some of the family leaders gave to the project. The governor gave 1,000 gold coins,^[j] 50 bowls, and 530 priestly garments to the treasury. ⁷¹ Some of the family leaders gave 20,000 gold coins and 2,200 silver minas^[k] to the treasury for the project. ⁷² The rest of the people gave 20,000 gold coins, 2,000 silver minas, and 67 priestly garments. ⁷³ So the priests, Levites, gatekeepers, temple singers, some of the people, temple servants, and all Israel settled in their towns.^[l](BJ)

Public Reading of the Law

When the seventh month^(BK) came and the Israelites had settled in their towns, 8 ¹ all the people gathered together^(BL) at the square in front of the Water Gate.^(BM) They asked Ezra the scribe^(BN) to bring the book of the law of Moses^(BO) that the Lord had given Israel. ² On the first day of the seventh month,^(BP) Ezra the priest^(BQ) brought the law^(BR) before the assembly of men, women, and all who could listen with understanding. ³ While he was facing the square in front of the Water Gate,^(BS) he read out of it from daybreak until noon before the men, the women, and those who could understand. All the people listened attentively^[m] to the book of the law.^{(BT) 4} Ezra the scribe stood on a high wooden platform^(BU) made for this purpose. Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah stood beside him on his right; to his left were Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hash-baddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam. ⁵ Ezra opened the book in full view of all the people, since he was elevated above everyone. As he opened it, all the people stood up. ⁶ Ezra praised the Lord, the great God, and with their hands uplifted^(BV) all the people said, “Amen, Amen!”^(BW) Then they bowed down and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground.^(BX)

⁷ Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, and Pelaiah,^(BY) who were Levites,^[n](BZ) explained the law^(CA) to the people as they stood in their places. ⁸ They read out of the book of the law of God, translating and giving the meaning so that the people could understand what was read. ⁹ Nehemiah the governor,^(CB) Ezra the priest and scribe,^(CC) and the Levites who were instructing the people said to all of them, “This day^(CD) is holy to the Lord your God. Do not mourn or weep.”^(CE) For all the people were weeping as they heard the words of the law. ¹⁰ Then he said to them, “Go and eat what is rich, drink what is sweet, and send portions to those who have nothing prepared,^(CF) since today^(CG) is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, because the joy of the Lord is your stronghold.”^{(CH) 11} And the Levites quieted all the people, saying, “Be still,^(CI) since today^(CJ) is holy. Do not grieve.” ¹² Then all the people began to eat and drink, send portions, and have a great celebration,^(CK) because they had understood the words that were explained to them.

Festival of Booths Observed

¹³ On the second day, the family leaders of all the people, along with the priests and Levites,^(CL) assembled before Ezra the scribe^(CM) to study the words of the law. ¹⁴ They found written in the law how the Lord had commanded through Moses that the Israelites should dwell in booths during the festival of the seventh month.^{(CN) 15} So they proclaimed and spread this news throughout their towns and in Jerusalem, saying, “Go out to the hill country and bring back branches of olive, wild olive, myrtle, palm, and other leafy trees to make booths, just as it is written.”^{(CO) 16} The people went out, brought back branches, and made booths for themselves on each of their rooftops,^(CP) and courtyards, the court of the house of God, the square by the Water Gate,^(CQ) and the square by the Gate of Ephraim.^{(CR) 17} The whole community that had returned from exile^(CS) made booths and lived in them. They had not celebrated like this from the days of Joshua son of Nun until that day.^(CT) And there was tremendous joy.^{(CU) 18} Ezra^[o] read out of the book of the law of God^(CV) every day, from the first day to the last. The Israelites celebrated the festival for seven days, and on the eighth day there was an assembly, according to the ordinance.^(CW)