The Bible, King James version, Book 16: Nehemiah
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Unknown >> The Bible, King James version, Book 16: Nehemiah
This eBook was produced by David Widger [widger@cecomet.net]
with the help of Derek Andrew's text from January 1992
and the work of Bryan Taylor in November 2002.
Book 16 Nehemiah
16:001:001 The words of Nehemiah the son of Hachaliah. And it came to
pass in the month Chisleu, in the twentieth year, as I was in
Shushan the palace,
16:001:002 That Hanani, one of my brethren, came, he and certain men of
Judah; and I asked them concerning the Jews that had escaped,
which were left of the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem.
16:001:003 And they said unto me, The remnant that are left of the
captivity there in the province are in great affliction and
reproach: the wall of Jerusalem also is broken down, and the
gates thereof are burned with fire.
16:001:004 And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down
and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed
before the God of heaven,
16:001:005 And said, I beseech thee, O LORD God of heaven, the great and
terrible God, that keepeth covenant and mercy for them that
love him and observe his commandments:
16:001:006 Let thine ear now be attentive, and thine eyes open, that thou
mayest hear the prayer of thy servant, which I pray before
thee now, day and night, for the children of Israel thy
servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel,
which we have sinned against thee: both I and my father's
house have sinned.
16:001:007 We have dealt very corruptly against thee, and have not kept
the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the judgments, which
thou commandedst thy servant Moses.
16:001:008 Remember, I beseech thee, the word that thou commandedst thy
servant Moses, saying, If ye transgress, I will scatter you
abroad among the nations:
16:001:009 But if ye turn unto me, and keep my commandments, and do them;
though there were of you cast out unto the uttermost part of
the heaven, yet will I gather them from thence, and will bring
them unto the place that I have chosen to set my name there.
16:001:010 Now these are thy servants and thy people, whom thou hast
redeemed by thy great power, and by thy strong hand.
16:001:011 O LORD, I beseech thee, let now thine ear be attentive to the
prayer of thy servant, and to the prayer of thy servants, who
desire to fear thy name: and prosper, I pray thee, thy servant
this day, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man. For I
was the king's cupbearer.
16:002:001 And 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 unto the king. Now I had not been
beforetime sad in his presence.
16:002:002 Wherefore the king said unto me, Why is thy countenance sad,
seeing thou art not sick? this is nothing else but sorrow of
heart. Then I was very sore afraid,
16:002:003 And said unto the king, Let the king live for ever: why should
not my countenance be sad, when the city, the place of my
fathers' sepulchres, lieth waste, and the gates thereof are
consumed with fire?
16:002:004 Then the king said unto me, For what dost thou make request?
So I prayed to the God of heaven.
16:002:005 And I said unto the king, If it please the king, and if thy
servant have found favour in thy sight, that thou wouldest
send me unto Judah, unto the city of my fathers' sepulchres,
that I may build it.
16:002:006 And the king said unto me, (the queen also sitting by him,)
For how long shall thy journey be? and when wilt thou return?
So it pleased the king to send me; and I set him a time.
16:002:007 Moreover I said unto the king, If it please the king, let
letters be given me to the governors beyond the river, that
they may convey me over till I come into Judah;
16:002:008 And a letter unto Asaph the keeper of the king's forest, that
he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the
palace which appertained 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.
16:002:009 Then I came to the governors beyond the river, and gave them
the king's letters. Now the king had sent captains of the army
and horsemen with me.
16:002:010 When Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the
Ammonite, heard of it, it grieved them exceedingly that there
was come a man to seek the welfare of the children of Israel.
16:002:011 So I came to Jerusalem, and was there three days.
16:002:012 And I arose in the night, I and some few men with me; neither
told I any man what my God had put in my heart to do at
Jerusalem: neither was there any beast with me, save the beast
that I rode upon.
16:002:013 And I went out by night by the gate of the valley, even before
the dragon well, and to the dung port, and viewed the walls of
Jerusalem, which were broken down, and the gates thereof were
consumed with fire.
16:002:014 Then I went on to the gate of the fountain, and to the king's
pool: but there was no place for the beast that was under me
to pass.
16:002:015 Then went I up in the night by the brook, and viewed the wall,
and turned back, and entered by the gate of the valley, and so
returned.
16:002:016 And the rulers knew not whither I went, or what I did; neither
had I 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.
16:002:017 Then said I unto them, Ye see the distress that we are in, how
Jerusalem lieth waste, and the gates thereof are burned with
fire: come, and let us build up the wall of Jerusalem, that we
be no more a reproach.
16:002:018 Then I told them of the hand of my God which was good upon me;
as also the king's words that he had spoken unto me. And they
said, Let us rise up and build. So they strengthened their
hands for this good work.
16:002:019 But when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the
Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian, heard it, they laughed us to
scorn, and despised us, and said, What is this thing that ye
do? will ye rebel against the king?
16:002:020 Then answered I them, and said unto them, The God of heaven,
he will prosper us; therefore we his servants will arise and
build: but ye have no portion, nor right, nor memorial, in
Jerusalem.
16:003:001 Then Eliashib the high priest rose up with his brethren the
priests, and they builded the sheep gate; they sanctified it,
and set up the doors of it; even unto the tower of Meah they
sanctified it, unto the tower of Hananeel.
16:003:002 And next unto him builded the men of Jericho. And next to them
builded Zaccur the son of Imri.
16:003:003 But the fish gate did the sons of Hassenaah build, who also
laid the beams thereof, and set up the doors thereof, the
locks thereof, and the bars thereof.
16:003:004 And next unto them repaired Meremoth the son of Urijah, the
son of Koz. And next unto them repaired Meshullam the son of
Berechiah, the son of Meshezabeel. And next unto them repaired
Zadok the son of Baana.
16:003:005 And next unto them the Tekoites repaired; but their nobles put
not their necks to the work of their LORD.
16:003:006 Moreover the old gate repaired Jehoiada the son of Paseah, and
Meshullam the son of Besodeiah; they laid the beams thereof,
and set up the doors thereof, and the locks thereof, and the
bars thereof.
16:003:007 And next unto them repaired Melatiah the Gibeonite, and Jadon
the Meronothite, the men of Gibeon, and of Mizpah, unto the
throne of the governor on this side the river.
16:003:008 Next unto him repaired Uzziel the son of Harhaiah, of the
goldsmiths. Next unto him also repaired Hananiah the son of
one of the apothecaries, and they fortified Jerusalem unto the
broad wall.
16:003:009 And next unto them repaired Rephaiah the son of Hur, the ruler
of the half part of Jerusalem.
16:003:010 And next unto them repaired Jedaiah the son of Harumaph, even
over against his house. And next unto him repaired Hattush the
son of Hashabniah.
16:003:011 Malchijah the son of Harim, and Hashub the son of Pahathmoab,
repaired the other piece, and the tower of the furnaces.
16:003:012 And next unto him repaired Shallum the son of Halohesh, the
ruler of the half part of Jerusalem, he and his daughters.
16:003:013 The valley gate repaired Hanun, and the inhabitants of Zanoah;
they built it, and set up the doors thereof, the locks
thereof, and the bars thereof, and a thousand cubits on the
wall unto the dung gate.
16:003:014 But the dung gate repaired Malchiah the son of Rechab, the
ruler of part of Bethhaccerem; he built it, and set up the
doors thereof, the locks thereof, and the bars thereof.
16:003:015 But the gate of the fountain repaired Shallun the son of
Colhozeh, the ruler of part of Mizpah; he built it, and
covered it, and set up the doors thereof, the locks thereof,
and the bars thereof, and the wall of the pool of Siloah by
the king's garden, and unto the stairs that go down from the
city of David.
16:003:016 After him repaired Nehemiah the son of Azbuk, the ruler of the
half part of Bethzur, unto the place over against the
sepulchres of David, and to the pool that was made, and unto
the house of the mighty.
16:003:017 After him repaired the Levites, Rehum the son of Bani. Next
unto him repaired Hashabiah, the ruler of the half part of
Keilah, in his part.
16:003:018 After him repaired their brethren, Bavai the son of Henadad,
the ruler of the half part of Keilah.
16:003:019 And next to him repaired Ezer the son of Jeshua, the ruler of
Mizpah, another piece over against the going up to the armoury
at the turning of the wall.
16:003:020 After him Baruch the son of Zabbai earnestly repaired the
other piece, from the turning of the wall unto the door of the
house of Eliashib the high priest.
16:003:021 After him repaired Meremoth the son of Urijah the son of Koz
another piece, from the door of the house of Eliashib even to
the end of the house of Eliashib.
16:003:022 And after him repaired the priests, the men of the plain.
16:003:023 After him repaired Benjamin and Hashub over against their
house. After him repaired Azariah the son of Maaseiah the son
of Ananiah by his house.
16:003:024 After him repaired Binnui the son of Henadad another piece,
from the house of Azariah unto the turning of the wall, even
unto the corner.
16:003:025 Palal the son of Uzai, over against the turning of the wall,
and the tower which lieth out from the king's high house, that
was by the court of the prison. After him Pedaiah the son of
Parosh.
16:003:026 Moreover the Nethinims dwelt in Ophel, unto the place over
against the water gate toward the east, and the tower that
lieth out.
16:003:027 After them the Tekoites repaired another piece, over against
the great tower that lieth out, even unto the wall of Ophel.
16:003:028 From above the horse gate repaired the priests, every one over
against his house.
16:003:029 After them repaired Zadok the son of Immer over against his
house. After him repaired also Shemaiah the son of Shechaniah,
the keeper of the east gate.
16:003:030 After him repaired Hananiah the son of Shelemiah, and Hanun
the sixth son of Zalaph, another piece. After him repaired
Meshullam the son of Berechiah over against his chamber.
16:003:031 After him repaired Malchiah the goldsmith's son unto the place
of the Nethinims, and of the merchants, over against the gate
Miphkad, and to the going up of the corner.
16:003:032 And between the going up of the corner unto the sheep gate
repaired the goldsmiths and the merchants.
16:004:001 But it came to pass, that when Sanballat heard that we builded
the wall, he was wroth, and took great indignation, and mocked
the Jews.
16:004:002 And he spake before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and
said, What do these feeble Jews? will they fortify themselves?
will they sacrifice? will they make an end in a day? will they
revive the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish which are
burned?
16:004:003 Now Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, Even that
which they build, if a fox go up, he shall even break down
their stone wall.
16:004:004 Hear, O our God; for we are despised: and turn their reproach
upon their own head, and give them for a prey in the land of
captivity:
16:004:005 And cover not their iniquity, and let not their sin be blotted
out from before thee: for they have provoked thee to anger
before the builders.
16:004:006 So built we the wall; and all the wall was joined together
unto the half thereof: for the people had a mind to work.
16:004:007 But it came to pass, that when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and the
Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites, heard that
the walls of Jerusalem were made up, and that the breaches
began to be stopped, then they were very wroth,
16:004:008 And conspired all of them together to come and to fight
against Jerusalem, and to hinder it.
16:004:009 Nevertheless we made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch
against them day and night, because of them.
16:004:010 And Judah said, The strength of the bearers of burdens is
decayed, and there is much rubbish; so that we are not able to
build the wall.
16:004:011 And our adversaries said, They shall not know, neither see,
till we come in the midst among them, and slay them, and cause
the work to cease.
16:004:012 And it came to pass, that when the Jews which dwelt by them
came, they said unto us ten times, From all places whence ye
shall return unto us they will be upon you.
16:004:013 Therefore set I in the lower places behind the wall, and on
the higher places, I even set the people after their families
with their swords, their spears, and their bows.
16:004:014 And I looked, and rose up, and said unto the nobles, and to
the rulers, and to the rest of the people, Be not ye afraid of
them: remember the LORD, which is great and terrible, and
fight for your brethren, your sons, and your daughters, your
wives, and your houses.
16:004:015 And it came to pass, when our enemies heard that it was known
unto us, and God had brought their counsel to nought, that we
returned all of us to the wall, every one unto his work.
16:004:016 And it came to pass from that time forth, that the half of my
servants wrought in the work, and the other half of them held
both the spears, the shields, and the bows, and the
habergeons; and the rulers were behind all the house of Judah.
16:004:017 They which builded on the wall, and they that bare burdens,
with those that laded, every one with one of his hands wrought
in the work, and with the other hand held a weapon.
16:004:018 For the builders, every one had his sword girded by his side,
and so builded. And he that sounded the trumpet was by me.
16:004:019 And I said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest
of the people, The work is great and large, and we are
separated upon the wall, one far from another.
16:004:020 In what place therefore ye hear the sound of the trumpet,
resort ye thither unto us: our God shall fight for us.
16:004:021 So we laboured in the work: and half of them held the spears
from the rising of the morning till the stars appeared.
16:004:022 Likewise at the same time said I unto the people, Let every
one with his servant lodge within Jerusalem, that in the night
they may be a guard to us, and labour on the day.
16:004:023 So neither I, nor my brethren, nor my servants, nor the men of
the guard which followed me, none of us put off our clothes,
saving that every one put them off for washing.
16:005:001 And there was a great cry of the people and of their wives
against their brethren the Jews.
16:005:002 For there were that said, We, our sons, and our daughters, are
many: therefore we take up corn for them, that we may eat, and
live.
16:005:003 Some also there were that said, We have mortgaged our lands,
vineyards, and houses, that we might buy corn, because of the
dearth.
16:005:004 There were also that said, We have borrowed money for the
king's tribute, and that upon our lands and vineyards.
16:005:005 Yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren, our
children as their children: and, lo, we bring into bondage our
sons and our daughters to be servants, and some of our
daughters are brought unto bondage already: neither is it in
our power to redeem them; for other men have our lands and
vineyards.
16:005:006 And I was very angry when I heard their cry and these words.
16:005:007 Then I consulted with myself, and I rebuked the nobles, and
the rulers, and said unto them, Ye exact usury, every one of
his brother. And I set a great assembly against them.
16:005:008 And I said unto them, We after our ability have redeemed our
brethren the Jews, which were sold unto the heathen; and will
ye even sell your brethren? or shall they be sold unto us?
Then held they their peace, and found nothing to answer.
16:005:009 Also I said, It is not good that ye do: ought ye not to walk
in the fear of our God because of the reproach of the heathen
our enemies?
16:005:010 I likewise, and my brethren, and my servants, might exact of
them money and corn: I pray you, let us leave off this usury.
16:005:011 Restore, I pray you, to them, even this day, their lands,
their vineyards, their oliveyards, and their houses, also the
hundredth part of the money, and of the corn, the wine, and
the oil, that ye exact of them.
16:005:012 Then said they, We will restore them, and will require nothing
of them; so will we do as thou sayest. Then I called the
priests, and took an oath of them, that they should do
according to this promise.
16:005:013 Also I shook my lap, and said, So God shake out every man from
his house, and from his labour, that performeth not this
promise, even thus be he shaken out, and emptied. And all the
congregation said, Amen, and praised the LORD. And the people
did according to this promise.
16:005:014 Moreover from the time that I was appointed to be their
governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year even
unto the two and thirtieth year of Artaxerxes the king, that
is, twelve years, I and my brethren have not eaten the bread
of the governor.
16:005:015 But the former governors that had been before me were
chargeable unto the people, and had taken of them bread and
wine, beside forty shekels of silver; yea, even their servants
bare rule over the people: but so did not I, because of the
fear of God.
16:005:016 Yea, also I continued in the work of this wall, neither bought
we any land: and all my servants were gathered thither unto
the work.
16:005:017 Moreover there were at my table an hundred and fifty of the
Jews and rulers, beside those that came unto us from among the
heathen that are about us.
16:005:018 Now that which was prepared for me daily was one ox and six
choice sheep; also fowls were prepared for me, and once in ten
days store of all sorts of wine: yet for all this required not
I the bread of the governor, because the bondage was heavy
upon this people.
16:005:019 Think upon me, my God, for good, according to all that I have
done for this people.
16:006:001 Now it came to pass when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and Geshem the
Arabian, and the rest of our enemies, heard that I had builded
the wall, and that there was no breach left therein; (though
at that time I had not set up the doors upon the gates;)
16:006:002 That Sanballat and Geshem sent unto me, saying, Come, let us
meet together in some one of the villages in the plain of Ono.
But they thought to do me mischief.
16:006:003 And I sent messengers unto them, saying, I am doing a great
work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease,
whilst I leave it, and come down to you?
16:006:004 Yet they sent unto me four times after this sort; and I
answered them after the same manner.
16:006:005 Then sent Sanballat his servant unto me in like manner the
fifth time with an open letter in his hand;
16:006:006 Wherein was written, It is reported among the heathen, and
Gashmu saith it, that thou and the Jews think to rebel: for
which cause thou buildest the wall, that thou mayest be their
king, according to these words.
16:006:007 And thou hast also appointed prophets to preach of thee at
Jerusalem, saying, There is a king in Judah: and now shall it
be reported to the king according to these words. Come now
therefore, and let us take counsel together.
16:006:008 Then I sent unto him, saying, There are no such things done as
thou sayest, but thou feignest them out of thine own heart.
16:006:009 For they all made us afraid, saying, Their hands shall be
weakened from the work, that it be not done. Now therefore, O
God, strengthen my hands.
16:006:010 Afterward I came unto the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah
the son of Mehetabeel, who was shut up; and he said, Let us
meet together in the house of God, within the temple, and let
us shut the doors of the temple: for they will come to slay
thee; yea, in the night will they come to slay thee.
16:006:011 And I said, Should such a man as I flee? and who is there,
that, being as I am, would go into the temple to save his
life? I will not go in.
16:006:012 And, lo, I perceived that God had not sent him; but that he
pronounced this prophecy against me: for Tobiah and Sanballat
had hired him.
16:006:013 Therefore was he hired, that I should be afraid, and do so,
and sin, and that they might have matter for an evil report,
that they might reproach me.
16:006:014 My God, think thou upon Tobiah and Sanballat according to
these their works, and on the prophetess Noadiah, and the rest
of the prophets, that would have put me in fear.
16:006:015 So the wall was finished in the twenty and fifth day of the
month Elul, in fifty and two days.
16:006:016 And it came to pass, that when all our enemies heard thereof,
and all the heathen that were about us saw these things, they
were much cast down in their own eyes: for they perceived that
this work was wrought of our God.
16:006:017 Moreover in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters
unto Tobiah, and the letters of Tobiah came unto them.
16:006:018 For there were many in Judah sworn unto him, because he was
the son in law of Shechaniah the son of Arah; and his son
Johanan had taken the daughter of Meshullam the son of
Berechiah.
