And they said unto me, "The remnant of the captivity are there in the land in great misfortune and rebuke. The walls of Jerusalem are broken down, and the gates thereof are burnt with fire."

They are thy servants, and thy people whom thou hast delivered through thy great power and mighty hand.

and said unto the king, "If it please the king, let him give me letters to the captains beyond the water, that they may convey me over, till I come into Judah:

And I told them of the good hand of my God which was upon me; and the king's words that he had spoken unto me. And they said, "Then let us get up and build," and strengthened their hands to good.

But when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant of the Ammonites, and Geshem the Arabian heard it, they laughed us to scorn, and despised us, and said, "What is this that ye do? Will ye fall away again from the king?"

And Eliashib the high priest gat him up with his brethren the priests, and builded the Sheep-gate. They hallowed it, and set up the doors of it: even unto the tower of Meah hallowed they it, namely unto the tower of Hananel.

But the fishport did the children of Hassenaah build; they covered it and set on the doors, locks and bars of it.

Next unto him builded they of Tekoa. But their great men put not their necks to the service of their lord.

The old gate builded Jehoiada the son of Paseah, and Meshullam the son of Besodeiah; they covered it, and set on the doors, locks and bars of it.

Next unto him builded Uzziel the son of Harhaiah the goldsmith. Next unto him builded Hananiah the Apothecary's son, and they repaired Jerusalem unto the broad wall.

The valley gate builded Hanun, and the citizens of Zanoah. They builded it, and set on the doors, locks and bars thereof, and a thousand cubits on the wall, unto the Dung port.

As for the Nethinims, they dwelt in Ophel, unto the Watergate, toward the east and to the tower that lieth out.

After him builded they of Tekoa the other piece over against the great tower, that lieth outward, and unto the wall of Ophel.

and said before his brethren and the soldiers of Samaria, "What do these impotent Jews? Shall they be thus suffered? Shall they offer? Shall they perform it in one day? Shall they make the stones whole again that are brought to dust, and burnt?"

Cover not their wickedness, and let not their sin be put out from thy presence: for they have provoked the builders.

But when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and the Arabians, and Ammonites, and Ashdodites heard that the walls of Jerusalem were made up, and that they had begun to stop up the gaps, they were very wroth;

And our adversaries thought, "They shall not know, neither see, till we come in the midst among them, and slay them, and hinder the work."

But when the Jews that dwelt beside them came out of all the places where they dwelt about us, and told us - as good as ten times -

which builded on the wall, and bare burdens from those that laded them. With one hand did they the work, and with the other held they their weapon.

And everyone that builded, had his sword gird by his side, and so builded they. And the trumpeters stood beside me.

and said unto them, "We, after our ability, have bought our brethren the Jews, which were sold unto the Heathen. And will ye sell your brethren, whom we have bought unto us?" Then held they their peace, and could find nothing to answer.

Then said they, "We will restore them again and will require nothing of them and will do as thou hast spoken." And I called the priests, and took an oath of them, that they should do so.

Sanballat and Geshem sent unto me, saying, "Come and let us meet together in the villages upon the plain of the city Ono." Nevertheless, they thought to do me evil.

Howbeit they sent unto me as good as four times after the same manner. And I gave the same answer.

For they were all minded to make us afraid and thought, "They shall withdraw their hands from the work, that they shall not labour." Howbeit I strengthened my hand the more.

And I came unto the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah the son of Mehetabel, and he had shut himself within, and said, "Let us come together in to the house of God, even unto the midst of the temple, and shut the doors of the temple: for they will come to slay thee, yea even in the night will they come to put thee to death."

Therefore took he the money, that through fear I should do so, and sin: that they might have an evil report of me, to blaspheme me.

And when all our enemies heard thereof, all the Heathen that were about us were afraid, and their courage failed them: for they perceived, that this work came of God.

And they spake good of him before me, and told him my words; and Tobiah sent letters, to put me in fear.

and I said unto them, "Let not the gates of Jerusalem be opened until the sun be hot; and while they are yet standing in the watch, the doors shall be shut and barred." And there were certain citizens of Jerusalem appointed to be watchmen every one in his watch, and about his house.

And these went up also, Telmelah, Telharsha, Cherub, Addon, and Immer: but they could not show their father's house, nor their seed, whether they were of Israel.

These sought the register of their generation, and when they found it not, they were put from the priesthood.

And Hathirsatha said unto them that they should not eat of the most holy, till there came up a Priest with light and perfectness.

Beside their servants and maidens, of whom there were seven thousand, three hundred and seven and thirty. And they had two hundred and seven and forty singing men and women,

And Ezra the scribe stood upon a high pulpit of wood, which they had made for the preaching, and beside him stood Mattithiah, Shema, Ananiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah, on his righthand: and on his left hand stood Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchiah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam.

And they read in the book of the law of God distinctly and plainly, so that men understood the thing that was read.

And Nehemiah - which is Hathirsatha - and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites that caused the people to take heed, said unto all the people, "This day is holy unto the LORD your God: be not ye sorry therefore, and weep not." For all the people wept when they heard the words of the law.

And all the people went their way to eat and to drink, and to send part unto others, and to make great mirth, because they had understood the words that were declared unto them.

And they found written in the law, how that the LORD had commanded by Moses that the children of Israel should dwell in booths in the feast of the seventh month.

And so they caused it be declared and proclaimed in all their cities, and at Jerusalem, saying, "Go up unto the mount and fetch Olive branches, and Pine branches, Myrtle branches, Palm branches, and branches of thick trees, to make booths, as it is written."

And every day from the first day unto the last, read he in the book of the law of God. And seven days held they the feast, and on the eighth day they gathered together, according unto the manner.

and they stood up in their place, and read in the book of the law of the LORD their God four times on the day; and they acknowledged, and worshipped the LORD their God four times on the day.

and showed tokens and wonders upon Pharaoh, and on all his servants, and on all the people of his land: for thou knewest that they were presumptuous and cruel against them; and so madest thou thee a name as it is this day.

And the reed sea didst thou divide in sunder before them, so that they went through the midst of the sea dry-shoed: and their persecutors threwest thou into the deep as a stone, in the mighty waters;

and leddest them in the daytime in a cloudy pillar; and on the night season in a pillar of fire, to show them light in the way that they went.

and gavest them bread from heaven when they were hungry, and broughtest forth water for them out of the rock when they were thirsty: and promised them, that they should go in, and take possession of the land, over which thou hadst lift up thine hand for to give them.

But our fathers were proud, and hard necked, so that they followed not thy commandments,

and refused to hear, and were not mindful of the wonders that thou didst for them: but became obstinate and heady insomuch that they turned back to their bondage in their disobedience. But thou, my God, forgavest, and wast gracious, merciful, patient, and of great goodness, and forsookest them not.

And though they made a molten calf, and said 'This is thy God, that brought thee out of the land of Egypt,' and did great blasphemies,

yet thou forsookest them not in the wilderness, according to thy great mercy. And the cloudy pillar departed not from them in the daytime to lead them the way, neither the pillar of fire in the night season, to show them light in the way that they went.

And thou gavest them thy good spirit to inform them, and withheldest not thy manna from their mouth, and gavest them water when they were thirsty.

Forty years long madest thou provision for them in the wilderness, so that they lacked nothing: their clothes waxed not old, and their feet swelled not.

And thou gavest them kingdoms and nations, and partest them according to their portions, so that they possessed the land of Sihon king of Heshbon, and the land of Og the king of Bashan.

And their children multipliedest thou as the stars of heaven, and broughtest them into the land whereof thou hadst spoken unto their fathers, that they should go in to it, and have it in possession.

And the children went in, and possessed the land, and thou subduedest before them the inhabiters of the land, even the Cananites, and gavest them into their hand, and their kings and the people of the land, that they might do with them what they would.

And they won their strong cities, and a fat land, and took possession of houses that were full of all manner goods, wells digged out, vineyards, olive gardens, and many fruitful trees: and they ate and were filled, and became fat, and lived in wealth through thy great goodness.

Nevertheless they were disobedient, and rebelled against thee, and cast thy law behind their backs, and slew thy prophets, which exhorted them so earnestly, that they should convert unto thee, and did great blasphemies.

Therefore gavest thou them over into the hand of their enemies that vexed them. And in the time of their trouble they cried unto thee, and thou heardest them from heaven and through thy great mercy thou gavest them saviours, which helped them out of the hand of their enemies.

But when they came to rest, they turned back again to do evil before thee: therefore leftest thou them in the hand of their enemies, so that they had the dominion over them. So they converted, and cried unto thee, and thou heardest them from heaven; and many times hast thou delivered them according to thy great mercy,

and testified unto them, that they should turn again unto thy law. Notwithstanding, they were proud, and hearkened not unto thy commandments, but sinned in thy laws, which a man should do and live in them, and turned the shoulder away, and were stiff-necked, and would not hear.

And many years didst thou forbear them, and testified unto them through thy spirit, even by the office of thy prophets, and yet would they not hear. Therefore gavest thou them into the hand of the nations in the lands.

And great is the increase of it unto the kings, whom thou hast set over us because of our sins, and they have dominion over our bodies, and cattle, and we are in great trouble.

And the other people, the priests, Levites, Porters, singers, Nethinims, and all they that had separated themselves from the people in the lands unto the law of God, with their wives, sons and daughters, as many as could understand it,

and their lords that had rule of them, received it for their brethren. And they came to sware, and to bind themselves with an oath to walk in God's law, which was given by Moses the servant of God, that they would observe and do according unto all the commandments, judgments, and statutes of the LORD our God:

As for the residue of Israel, the priests, and Levites: they were in all the cities of Judah, every one in his inheritance.

The Levites were these: Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and Mattaniah, over the office of thanksgiving, they and their brethren:

And in the dedication of the wall at Jerusalem, were the Levites sought out of all their places, that they might be brought to Jerusalem, to keep the dedication and gladness, with thanksgivings, with singing, with cymbals, Psalteries, and harps.

toward the Wellgate, and they went up over against them upon the steps of the city of David at the going up of the wall to the house of David, unto the Watergate Eastward.

and to the port of Ephraim, and to the Oldgate, and to the Fishgate, and to the tower of Hananel, and to the tower of Meah, until the Sheepgate. And in the prison gate they stood still,

And the same day were there great sacrifices offered, and they rejoiced: for God had given them great gladness, so that both the wives and children were joyful, and the mirth of Jerusalem was heard afar off.

At the same time were there men appointed over the treasure chests - wherein were the Heave offerings, the firstlings and the tithes - that they should gather them out of the fields about the cities, to distribute them unto the priests and Levites according to the law: for Judah was glad of the priests, and Levites,

that they stood and waited upon the office of their God, and the office of the purification. And the singers and porters stood after the commandment of David and of Solomon his son:

In the time of Zerubbabel, and Nehemiah, did all Israel give portions unto the singers and porters, every day his portion, and they gave things hallowed unto the Levites, and the Levites gave things that were sanctified, unto the children of Aaron.

because they met not the children of Israel with bread and water, and hired Balaam against them, that he should curse them: nevertheless our God turned the curse into a blessing.

Now when they heard the Law, they separated from Israel everyone that had mixed himself therein.

for he had made him a great chest, and there had they afore time laid the meat offerings, frankincense, vessel, and the tithes of corn, wine and oil - according to the commandment given to the Levites, singers and porters - and the heave offerings of the priests.

And I made treasurers over the treasure, even Shelemiah the priest, and Zadok the scribe, and of the Levites, Pedaiah, and under their hand Hanan the son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah: for they were counted faithful, and their office was to distribute unto their brethren.

At the same time saw I some treading wine presses on the Sabbath and bringing in clusters, and asses laden with wine, grapes, figs, and bringing all manner of burdens unto Jerusalem, upon the Sabbath day. And I rebuked them earnestly the same day that they sold the victuals.

And it fortuned, that when the ports of Jerusalem began to be dark in the evening before the Sabbath, I commanded to shut the gates, and charged that they should not be opened till after the Sabbath: and some of my servants set I at the gates, that there should no burden be brought in on the Sabbath day.

Then reproved I them sore, and said unto them, "Why tarry ye all night about the wall? If ye do it once again, I will lay hands upon you." From that time forth came they no more on the Sabbath.

And I said unto the Levites which were clean, that they should come and keep the gates, to hallow the Sabbath day. Think upon me, O my God, concerning this also, and spare me according to thy great mercy!