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."

and said, "O LORD God of heaven, thou great and terrible God, thou that keepest covenant and mercy for them that love thee and observe thy commandments:

Let thine ears mark and thine eyes open, that thou mayest hear the prayer of thy servant, which I pray now before thee day and night for the children of Israel thy servants, and knowledge the sins of the children of Israel, which we have committed against thee. And I and my father's house have sinned also.

But if ye turn unto me, and keep my commandments and do them: though ye were cast out unto the uttermost part of heaven, yet will I gather you from thence, and will bring you from thence, even unto the place that I have chosen for my name to dwell there.'

O LORD, let thine ears mark the prayer of thy servant, and the prayer of thy servants, whose desire is to fear thy name; and let thy servant prosper this day, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man. For I was the king's butler."

Nevertheless I was sore afraid and said unto the king, "God save the king's life forever, should I not look sadly? The city of my fathers' burial lieth waste and the gates thereof are consumed with fire."

And letters unto Asaph the lord of the king's wood, that he may give me wood for beams to the gates of the palace, which are hard on the house and hard on the walls of the city, and for the house that I shall enter into." And the king gave me according to the good hand of God upon me.

I gat me up in the night season, and a few men with me: for I told no man what God had given me in my heart to do at Jerusalem. And there was not one beast with me, save it that I rode upon.

And I rode by night unto the valley port before the Dragon well, and to the Dung port, and considered the walls of Jerusalem that were broken down, and the ports thereof consumed with the fire.

And I went over unto the well port, and to the king's conduit; and there was no room for my beast, that it could go under me.

And the rulers knew not whither I went or what I did: for hitherto had I not told the Jews and the priests, the councilors and the rulers, and the others that laboured in the work.

And I said unto them, "Ye see the misery that we are in, how Jerusalem lieth waste, and how the gates thereof are burnt with fire. Come, let us build up the walls of Jerusalem, that we be no more a rebuke."

Then answered I them, and said, "The God of heaven, he it is that causeth us to prosper: and we be his servants. Let us get up and build. As for you: ye have no portion, nor right, nor remembrance in Jerusalem."

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

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

and looked, and gat me up, and said unto the chief men and rulers, and to the other people, "Be not ye afraid of them, but think rather upon the great LORD, which ought to be feared; and fight for your brethren, sons, daughters, wives, and houses."

And I said unto the principal men, and rulers, and to the other people, "The work is great and large, and we are separated upon the wall, one far from another.

Look in what place now ye hear the noise of the trumpet, resort ye thither unto us. Our God shall fight for us,

As for me and my brethren, and my servants, and the men of the watch behind me, we put never off our clothes, so much as to wash ourselves.

For there were some that said, "Our sons and daughters and we are too many, let us take corn for them to eat, that we may live."

But some said, "Let us borrow money of the king's tribute for our lands and vineyards.

Also I said, "It is not good, that ye do. Ought ye not to walk in the fear of God because of the rebuke of the Heathen our enemies?

I and my brethren, and my servants have lent them money and corn: but as for usury, let us leave it.

For the old captains that were before me, had been chargeable unto the people, and had taken of them bread and wine, and forty sicles of silver: yea and their servants had oppressed the people. But so did not I, and that because of the fear of God.

And there was prepared me daily an ox, and six chosen sheep, and birds, and once in every ten days a great sum of wine. Yet required not I the living of a captain for the bondage was grievous unto the people.

Think upon me my God unto the best, according to all that I have done for this people.

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

wherein was written, "It is told the Heathen, and Geshem hath said it, that thou and the Jews think to rebel: for the which cause thou buildest the wall, and wilt be their king in these matters;

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."

For I perceived that God had not sent him; Yet spake he prophecy upon me. Nevertheless, Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him for money.

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.

My God, think thou upon Tobiah and Sanballat according unto these their works, and of the Prophetess Noadiah and of the other Prophets, that would have put me in fear.

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.

For there were many in Judah that were sworn unto him, for he was the son-in-law of Shecaniah the son of Arah, and his son Johanan had the daughter of Meshullam the son of Barachiah.

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

And I commanded my brother Hanani, and Hananiah the ruler of the palace at Jerusalem: for he was a faithful man, and feared God more than did many others,

As for the city, it was large of room, and great, but the people were few therein, and the houses were not builded.

The children of Elam, a thousand two hundred and four and fifty;

The children of Bezai, three hundred and four and twenty;

The children of the other Elam, a thousand, two hundred and four and fifty;

The Levites: the children of Jeshua of Kadmiel, among the children of Hodevah, four and seventy.

four hundred and five and thirty Camels, and six thousand, seven hundred and twenty Asses.

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 Ezra opened the book before all the people, for he stood above all the people. And when he opened it, all the people stood up.

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.

Therefore said he unto them, "Go your way, and eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send part unto them also that have not prepared themselves: for this day is holy unto our LORD. Be not ye sorry therefore: for the joy of the LORD is your strength."

And the Levites stilled all the people, and said, "Hold your peace, for the day is holy: vex not ye yourselves."

And all the congregation of them that were come again out of the captivity, made booths, and dwelt therein. For since the time of Jeshua the son of Nun unto this day, had not the children of Israel done so, and there was very great gladness.

In the four and twentieth day of this month came the children of Israel together with fasting, and sackcloth, and earth upon them,

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 foundest his heart faithful before thee, and madest a covenant with him to give unto his seed the land of the Cananites, Hittites, Amorites, Perezites, Jebusites, and Girgashites - and hast made good thy words: for thou art righteous,

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

But for thy great mercies' sake thou hast not utterly consumed them, neither forsaken them: for thou art a gracious and merciful God.

Thou art righteous in all that thou hast brought upon us: for thou hast done right.

As for us: we have been ungodly, and our kings, princes, priests, and fathers have not done after thy law, nor regarded thy commandments, and thy earnest exhortations wherewith thou hast exhorted them,

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:

and that we would not give our daughters unto the people in the land, neither to take their daughters for our sons.

And if the people of the land brought wares on the Sabbath, and all manner of victuals to sell, that we would not take it of them on the Sabbath and on the holy days. And that we would let the seventh year be free concerning all manner of charge.

And we cast the lot among the priests, Levites and the people, for offering of the wood to be brought unto the house of our God from year to year, after the houses of our fathers that it might be burnt at times appointed, upon the altar of the LORD our God, as it is written in the law:

For the children of Israel and the children of Levi shall bring up the heave offerings of the corn, wine, and oil unto the chests. And there shall be the vessels of the sanctuary, and the priests that minister, and the porters, and singers, that we forsake not the house of our God.

All the children of Perez that dwelt at Jerusalem were four hundred and eight and threescore valiant men.

All the Levites in the holy city were two hundred and four and fourscore.

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

For it was the king's commandment concerning them, that the singers should deal faithfully every day as according was.

and from the house of Gilgal, and out of the fields of Geba and Azmaveth: for the singers had builded them villages about Jerusalem.

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,

for in the time of David and Asaph, were the chief singers founded, and the songs of praise and thanksgiving unto God.

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.

But in all this was not I at Jerusalem: for in the two and thirtieth year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon, came I unto the king, and after certain days obtained I license of the king

And I perceived that the portions of the Levites were not given them, for the which cause the Levites and singers were fled, everyone, to his land for to work.

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.

And I reproved them, and cursed them, and smote certain men of them, and plucked them up, and took an oath of them by God, "Ye shall not give your daughters unto their sons, neither shall ye take their daughters unto your sons, or for yourselves.

and to offer the wood at times appointed, and the firstfruits. Think thou upon me, O my God, for the best!