Nehemiah in the Bible

Meaning: consolation; repentance of the Lord

Exact Match

Who came with Zerubbabel: Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mizpar, Bigvai, Rehum, Baanah. The number of the men of the people of Israel:

Verse ConceptsGoing Together

The words of Nehemiah the son of Hacaliah. And it came to pass in the month Chislev, in the twentieth year, as I was in Shushan the citadel,

Verse ConceptsMonthMonth 9

After him repaired Nehemiah the son of Azbuk, the ruler of the half district of Beth-zur, unto the place opposite the sepulchers of David, and to the pool that was man made, and unto the house of the mighty men.

Verse ConceptsTombsHalf Of Districtsheroes

[And Nehemiah prayed] Hear, O our God, how we are despised! Return their taunts on their own heads. Give them up as prey in a land of captivity.

Verse ConceptsHeadsInferiorityCrying To GodLet Evil ReboundPay Attention O God!

Who came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, Baanah. The number, I say, of the men of the people of Israel was this;

Verse ConceptsGoing Together

And Nehemiah, which is the Tirshatha, and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites that taught the people, said unto all the people, This day is holy unto the LORD your God; mourn not, nor weep. For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law.

Verse ConceptsGovernorsScribesWeepingDo Not MournHoly Times

Now those that sealed were, Nehemiah, the Tirshatha, the son of Hachaliah, and Zidkijah,

Verse ConceptsGovernorsSealing Things

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

Verse ConceptsGovernorsScribesTimes Of People

And all Israel in the days of Zerubbabel, and in the days of Nehemiah, gave the portions of the singers and the porters, every day his portion: and they sanctified holy things unto the Levites; and the Levites sanctified them unto the children of Aaron.

Verse ConceptsGatekeepersChoirsPermitted To Eat OfferingsTimes Of People

Thematic Bible



After I heard these words I sat down on the ground and cried for days. I ate no food and offered prayer to the God of heaven.


When the streets of Jerusalem were getting dark before the Sabbath, I gave orders for the gate to be shut and not to be open again until after the Sabbath. I put some of my servants by the gate so that nothing might be taken in on the Sabbath day.


O Jehovah, let your ear take note of the prayer of your servant. Of the prayers of all your servants, who take delight in worshipping your name: give help, O Jehovah, to your servant this day, and let him have mercy in the eyes of this man. Now I was the king's wine-servant.

The king asked: What is your desire? So I made prayer to the God of heaven.

They hoped to put fear in us, saying: Their hands will become feeble and give up the work so that it may not get done. But now, O God, make my hands strong.


I replied: Am I the sort of man to go in flight? What man, in my position, would go into the Temple to keep safe? I will not go in.


After I heard these words I sat down on the ground and cried for days. I ate no food and offered prayer to the God of heaven.


Let your ear now take note and let your eyes be open. Please give ear to the prayer of your servant. At this time, day and night I pray for the children of Israel, your servants. I put before you the sins of the children of Israel that we have done against you: truly, my father's people and I are sinners. We have done great wrong against you. We have not obeyed the orders, the rules, and the decisions, which you gave to your servant Moses.


I replied: Am I the sort of man to go in flight? What man, in my position, would go into the Temple to keep safe? I will not go in.


And because of all this we are making an agreement in good faith, and putting it in writing. Our rulers, our Levites, and our priests are putting their names to it.


I replied: Am I the sort of man to go in flight? What man, in my position, would go into the Temple to keep safe? I will not go in.


After I heard these words I sat down on the ground and cried for days. I ate no food and offered prayer to the God of heaven.


Earlier rulers who came before me made the people responsible for their upkeep, and took from them bread and wine at the rate of forty shekels of silver. Even their servants were lords over the people. But I did not do so, out of reverence for God.


Sanballat and Geshem sent to me saying: Come; let us have a meeting in one of the little towns in the lowland of Ono. But their purpose was to do me evil. I sent men to them saying: I am doing a great work, so that it is not possible for me to come. Should the work to be stopped while I go away from it and come to you? They sent this to me four times. I sent them the same answer.

They were united with their brothers, their rulers, and put themselves under a curse and an oath, to keep their steps in the way of God's law, which was given by Moses, the servant of God, and to keep and do all the orders of the Jehovah, our Lord, and his decisions and his rules. That way we would not give our daughters to the peoples of the lands, or take their daughters for our sons; If the peoples of the lands come to do trade in goods or food on the Sabbath day, that we would do no trade with them on the Sabbath or on a holy day. In the seventh year we would take no payment from any debtor.


I appointed my brother Hanani, and Hananiah, the ruler of the tower, responsible for the government of Jerusalem. For he was a man of good faith, respecting God more than most.

Hanani, one of my brothers, came with men from Judah. This was in answer to my request for news about the Jews who had been prisoners and escaped from captivity and about Jerusalem.



Then it became clear to me that God had not sent him. He spoke prophecy against me. Tobiah and Sanballat paid him money to do so.


Some of the heads of families gave money for the work. The Tirshatha gave to the store a thousand darics of gold, fifty basins, and five hundred and thirty priests' robes.


And Shallun, the son of Col-hozeh, the ruler of the division of Mizpah, made good the doorway of the fountain, building it up and covering it and putting up its doors, with their locks and rods, with the wall of the pool of Shelah by the king's garden, as far as the steps which go down from the town of David.


Malluch, Harim, Baanah.


Then I made protests to the chiefs of Judah, and said to them: What is this evil you are doing, not keeping the Sabbath day holy?

I took up the cause against them, cursing them and giving blows to some of them and pulling out their hair. I made them take an oath by God, saying: You are not to give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons or for yourselves.

Then I made protests to the chiefs, and said: Why has the house of God been given up? I got them together and put them in their places.


I said: O Jehovah (YHWH), the God of heaven, the great God, greatly to be respected, keeping faith and mercy with those who have love for him and are true to his laws: Let your ear now take note and let your eyes be open. Please give ear to the prayer of your servant. At this time, day and night I pray for the children of Israel, your servants. I put before you the sins of the children of Israel that we have done against you: truly, my father's people and I are sinners. We have done great wrong against you. We have not obeyed the orders, the rules, and the decisions, which you gave to your servant Moses. read more.
Keep in mind, O Jehovah, the order you gave your servant Moses, saying: 'If you do wrong I will send you wandering among the peoples: If you come back to me and obey my orders, even if you have been forced out and are living in the farthest horizons, I will gather you from there, and bring you to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for my name.' These are your servants and your people, whom you have made yours by your great power and by your strong hand. O Jehovah, let your ear take note of the prayer of your servant. Of the prayers of all your servants, who take delight in worshipping your name: give help, O Jehovah, to your servant this day, and let him have mercy in the eyes of this man. Now I was the king's wine-servant.

Give ear, O our God, for we are ridiculed. Let their words of shame be turned back upon them, and let them be given up to plunder in a land where they are prisoners. Do not let their wrongdoing be covered or their sin be washed away from before you: for they have made you angry before the builders.

We prayed to God and stationed men on watch against them day and night.


Wherever you may be when the horn is sounded, come here to us. Our God will fight for us.

And I went to the house of Shemaiah, the son of Delaiah, the son of Mehetabel, who was confined in his house. He said: Let us have a meeting in the house of God, inside the Temple, and let the doors be closed for they will come to kill you. Truly, in the night they will come to kill you. I replied: Am I the sort of man to go in flight? What man, in my position, would go into the Temple to keep safe? I will not go in.


I sent men to them saying: I am doing a great work, so that it is not possible for me to come. Should the work to be stopped while I go away from it and come to you?

So we went on with the work. Half of them had spears in their hands from the dawn of the morning till the stars were seen. At the same time I said to the people: Let everyone with his servant come inside Jerusalem for the night. At night they may keep watch for us, and go on working by day. Not one of us, I or my brothers or my servants or the watchmen who were with me, changed clothes. Everyone went armed to the water.


In those days, I saw in Judah some who were crushing grapes on the Sabbath, and harvesting grain and putting it on Asses; as well as wine and grapes and figs and all sorts of goods that they took into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. I gave witness against them on the day when they were marketing food. There were men of Tyre there. They came with fish and all sorts of goods, trading with the children of Judah and in Jerusalem on the Sabbath. Then I made protests to the chiefs of Judah, and said to them: What is this evil you are doing, not keeping the Sabbath day holy? read more.
Did not your fathers do the same, and did not our God send all this evil on us and on this town? You are causing more anger to come on Israel by not keeping the Sabbath holy. When the streets of Jerusalem were getting dark before the Sabbath, I gave orders for the gate to be shut and not to be open again until after the Sabbath. I put some of my servants by the gate so that nothing might be taken in on the Sabbath day. So the traders in all sorts of goods took their night's rest outside Jerusalem once or twice. Then I gave witness against them and said: Why are you waiting all night by the wall? If you do so again I will have you taken prisoners. From that time they did not come again on the Sabbath. I gave the Levites orders to make themselves clean and come and keep the gates and make the Sabbath holy. Keep this in mind to my credit, O my God, and have mercy on me, for great is your mercy. I saw the Jews who were married to women of Ashdod and Ammon and Moab: Their children were talking half in the language of Ashdod; they had no knowledge of the Jews' language, but made use of the language of the two peoples. I took up the cause against them, cursing them and giving blows to some of them and pulling out their hair. I made them take an oath by God, saying: You are not to give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons or for yourselves. Was it not in these things that Solomon, king of Israel, did wrong? Among a number of nations there was no king like him. He was dear to his God, and God made him king over all Israel. But even he was made to do evil by strange women. Are we then without protest to let you do all this great evil, sinning against our God by taking strange women for your wives? One of the sons of Joiada, the son of Eliashib, the chief priest, was son-in-law to Sanballat the Horonite, so I sent him away from me. Keep them in mind, O my God, because they have put shame on the priests' name and on the agreement of the priests and the Levites. I made them clean from all strange people. Regular watches were fixed for the priests and for the Levites, everyone in his work. And for the wood offering, at fixed times, and for the first fruits. Keep me in mind, O my God, for good.


And after looking, I got up and said to the great ones and to the chiefs and to the rest of the people, Have no fear of them. Keep in mind Jehovah who is great and greatly to be feared. Take up arms for your brothers, your sons, and your daughters, your wives and your houses.

I answered them: The God of heaven will be our help; so we, his servants, will go on with our building. But you have no part or right or any name in Jerusalem.



They came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, and Baanah. The number of the men of the people of Israel:

Who went with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum, Baanah, The number of the men of the people of Israel:

By his side was working Nehemiah, the son of Azbuk, ruler of half the division of Beth-zur, as far as the place opposite the last resting-places of David's family and as far as the pool that had been made and the house of the men of war.



So in the lowest part of the space at the back of the walls, in the open places, I put the people by families, with their swords, their spears, and their bows. And after looking, I got up and said to the great ones and to the chiefs and to the rest of the people, Have no fear of them. Keep in mind Jehovah who is great and greatly to be feared. Take up arms for your brothers, your sons, and your daughters, your wives and your houses. When our enemies heard that we had knowledge of their designs and that God had made their purpose come to nothing, we all went back to the wall, everyone to his work. read more.
From that time, half of my servants were doing their part of the work, and half kept the spears and body-covers and the bows and the metal wardresses. The leaders were in back of the men of Judah. Those who were building the wall and those who were moving material did their part. Everyone worked with one hand and with his spear in the other. Every builder was working with his sword at his side. By my side was a man for sounding the warning horn. I said to the leaders and the rest of the people: The work is extensive and widely spaced and we are far away from one another on the wall. Wherever you may be when the horn is sounded, come here to us. Our God will fight for us.


The history of Nehemiah, the son of Hacaliah. Now it came about, in the month of Chislev, in the twentieth year, when I was in Shushan, the castle, Hanani, one of my brothers, came with men from Judah. This was in answer to my request for news about the Jews who had been prisoners and escaped from captivity and about Jerusalem. They said to me: The small band of Jews now living there in the land is in deep trouble and shame. The wall of Jerusalem has been broken down, and its doorways burned with fire. read more.
After I heard these words I sat down on the ground and cried for days. I ate no food and offered prayer to the God of heaven.


O Jehovah, let your ear take note of the prayer of your servant. Of the prayers of all your servants, who take delight in worshipping your name: give help, O Jehovah, to your servant this day, and let him have mercy in the eyes of this man. Now I was the king's wine-servant.

In the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king, when wine was before him. I served the wine to the king. Never before had I been sad when the king was present.


These are the priests and the Levites who went up with Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua: Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra, Amariah, Malluch, Hattush, Shecaniah, Rehum, Meremoth, read more.
Iddo, Ginnethoi, Abijah, Mijamin, Maadiah, Bilgah, Shemaiah, and Joiarib, Jedaiah, Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, Jedaiah. These were the chiefs of the priests and of their brothers in the days of Jeshua. The Levites: Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and Mattaniah, who was over the music-makers, he and his brothers. Bakbukiah and Unno, their brothers, were opposite them in their watches. Jeshua was the father of Joiakim, and Joiakim was the father of Eliashib, and Eliashib was the father of Joiada, And Joiada was the father of Jonathan, and Jonathan was the father of Jaddua. In the days of Joiakim there were priests, heads of families: of Seraiah, Meraiah; of Jeremiah, Hananiah; Of Ezra, Meshullam; of Amariah, Jehohanan; Of Malluchi, Jonathan; of Shebaniah, Joseph; Of Harim, Adna; of Meraioth, Helkai; Of Iddo, Zechariah; of Ginnethon, Meshullam; Of Abijah, Zichri; of Miniamin, of Moadiah, Piltai; Of Bilgah, Shammua; of Shemaiah, Jehonathan; And of Joiarib, Mattenai; of Jedaiah, Uzzi; Of Sallai, Kallai; of Amok, Eber; Of Hilkiah, Hashabiah; of Jedaiah, Nethanel. The Levites in the days of Eliashib, Joiada, and Johanan, and Jaddua, were listed as heads of families; and the priests, when Darius the Persian was king.


In the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king, when wine was before him. I served the wine to the king. Never before had I been sad when the king was present. The king said to me: Why is your face sad, seeing that you are not ill? This is nothing but sorrow of heart. Then I was full of fear. I said to the king: May the king live a very long time. My face should look sad for the town where my fathers are buried is devastated. It has been destroyed by fire. read more.
The king asked: What is your desire? So I made prayer to the God of heaven. I said to the king: If it is the king's will, and if your servant has your approval, send me to Judah, to the town where the bodies of my fathers are buried, so that I may rebuild it. The queen sat by him when the king said: How long will your journey take? When will you come back? So the king was pleased to send me, and I gave him a fixed time. Further, I said to the king: If it is the king's pleasure, let letters be given to me for the rulers across the river so that they may let me go through till I come to Judah. I need a letter to Asaph, the keeper of the king's park, so that he may give me wood to make boards for the doors of the tower of the house, and for the wall of the town, and for the house which is to be mine. The king gave me this, for the hand of my God was on me.


The history of Nehemiah, the son of Hacaliah. Now it came about, in the month of Chislev, in the twentieth year, when I was in Shushan, the castle,




I said to the king: May the king live a very long time. My face should look sad for the town where my fathers are buried is devastated. It has been destroyed by fire.

Hanani, one of my brothers, came with men from Judah. This was in answer to my request for news about the Jews who had been prisoners and escaped from captivity and about Jerusalem.

After I heard these words I sat down on the ground and cried for days. I ate no food and offered prayer to the God of heaven. I said: O Jehovah (YHWH), the God of heaven, the great God, greatly to be respected, keeping faith and mercy with those who have love for him and are true to his laws: Let your ear now take note and let your eyes be open. Please give ear to the prayer of your servant. At this time, day and night I pray for the children of Israel, your servants. I put before you the sins of the children of Israel that we have done against you: truly, my father's people and I are sinners. read more.
We have done great wrong against you. We have not obeyed the orders, the rules, and the decisions, which you gave to your servant Moses. Keep in mind, O Jehovah, the order you gave your servant Moses, saying: 'If you do wrong I will send you wandering among the peoples: If you come back to me and obey my orders, even if you have been forced out and are living in the farthest horizons, I will gather you from there, and bring you to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for my name.' These are your servants and your people, whom you have made yours by your great power and by your strong hand. O Jehovah, let your ear take note of the prayer of your servant. Of the prayers of all your servants, who take delight in worshipping your name: give help, O Jehovah, to your servant this day, and let him have mercy in the eyes of this man. Now I was the king's wine-servant.


Then it became clear to me that God had not sent him. He spoke prophecy against me. Tobiah and Sanballat paid him money to do so.


The king asked: What is your desire? So I made prayer to the God of heaven.


We prayed to God and stationed men on watch against them day and night.

When our enemies heard that we had knowledge of their designs and that God had made their purpose come to nothing, we all went back to the wall, everyone to his work.


After I heard these words I sat down on the ground and cried for days. I ate no food and offered prayer to the God of heaven. I said: O Jehovah (YHWH), the God of heaven, the great God, greatly to be respected, keeping faith and mercy with those who have love for him and are true to his laws: Let your ear now take note and let your eyes be open. Please give ear to the prayer of your servant. At this time, day and night I pray for the children of Israel, your servants. I put before you the sins of the children of Israel that we have done against you: truly, my father's people and I are sinners. read more.
We have done great wrong against you. We have not obeyed the orders, the rules, and the decisions, which you gave to your servant Moses. Keep in mind, O Jehovah, the order you gave your servant Moses, saying: 'If you do wrong I will send you wandering among the peoples: If you come back to me and obey my orders, even if you have been forced out and are living in the farthest horizons, I will gather you from there, and bring you to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for my name.' These are your servants and your people, whom you have made yours by your great power and by your strong hand. O Jehovah, let your ear take note of the prayer of your servant. Of the prayers of all your servants, who take delight in worshipping your name: give help, O Jehovah, to your servant this day, and let him have mercy in the eyes of this man. Now I was the king's wine-servant.


The king asked: What is your desire? So I made prayer to the God of heaven.


When the streets of Jerusalem were getting dark before the Sabbath, I gave orders for the gate to be shut and not to be open again until after the Sabbath. I put some of my servants by the gate so that nothing might be taken in on the Sabbath day.


When the streets of Jerusalem were getting dark before the Sabbath, I gave orders for the gate to be shut and not to be open again until after the Sabbath. I put some of my servants by the gate so that nothing might be taken in on the Sabbath day.


Do not let their wrongdoing be covered or their sin be washed away from before you: for they have made you angry before the builders.

I went to Jerusalem. It was clear to me what evil Eliashib had done for Tobiah by making ready for him a room in the buildings of the house of God. It was evil in my eyes so I had all Tobiah's things removed from the room. Then I gave orders, and they made the rooms clean. I put the vessels of the House of God, along with the meal offerings and the perfume, back in the rooms.

In those days, I saw in Judah some who were crushing grapes on the Sabbath, and harvesting grain and putting it on Asses; as well as wine and grapes and figs and all sorts of goods that they took into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. I gave witness against them on the day when they were marketing food. There were men of Tyre there. They came with fish and all sorts of goods, trading with the children of Judah and in Jerusalem on the Sabbath. Then I made protests to the chiefs of Judah, and said to them: What is this evil you are doing, not keeping the Sabbath day holy? read more.
Did not your fathers do the same, and did not our God send all this evil on us and on this town? You are causing more anger to come on Israel by not keeping the Sabbath holy. When the streets of Jerusalem were getting dark before the Sabbath, I gave orders for the gate to be shut and not to be open again until after the Sabbath. I put some of my servants by the gate so that nothing might be taken in on the Sabbath day. So the traders in all sorts of goods took their night's rest outside Jerusalem once or twice. Then I gave witness against them and said: Why are you waiting all night by the wall? If you do so again I will have you taken prisoners. From that time they did not come again on the Sabbath. I gave the Levites orders to make themselves clean and come and keep the gates and make the Sabbath holy. Keep this in mind to my credit, O my God, and have mercy on me, for great is your mercy. I saw the Jews who were married to women of Ashdod and Ammon and Moab: Their children were talking half in the language of Ashdod; they had no knowledge of the Jews' language, but made use of the language of the two peoples. I took up the cause against them, cursing them and giving blows to some of them and pulling out their hair. I made them take an oath by God, saying: You are not to give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons or for yourselves. Was it not in these things that Solomon, king of Israel, did wrong? Among a number of nations there was no king like him. He was dear to his God, and God made him king over all Israel. But even he was made to do evil by strange women. Are we then without protest to let you do all this great evil, sinning against our God by taking strange women for your wives? One of the sons of Joiada, the son of Eliashib, the chief priest, was son-in-law to Sanballat the Horonite, so I sent him away from me.



Then it became clear to me that God had not sent him. He spoke prophecy against me. Tobiah and Sanballat paid him money to do so.


From the time when I was made ruler of the people in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year till the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes the king, for twelve years, my servants and I have never taken the food that was the right of the ruler. Earlier rulers who came before me made the people responsible for their upkeep, and took from them bread and wine at the rate of forty shekels of silver. Even their servants were lords over the people. But I did not do so, out of reverence for God. I kept on with the work of this wall. We got no land for ourselves. All my servants helped with the work. read more.
There is more, a hundred and fifty of the Jews and the rulers were guests at my table, in addition to those who came to us from the nations nearby. The food for one day included: one bull and six fat sheep, as well as fowls; and once in ten days a store of all sorts of wine. All the same, I did not take the food to which the ruler had a right, because the people were crushed under a hard yoke.