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Nehemiah 6; Nehemiah 7
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Nehemiah 6
1
Now when Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab, and the rest of our enemies heard that I had rebuilt the wall and that there were no gaps left in it (although I hadn't yet hung the doors in the gates),
2
Sanballat and Geshem sent me this message: "Come, let's meet together in one of the villages in the plain of Ono." But they wanted to harm me,
3
so I sent messengers to tell them, "I'm doing important work, so I can't come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it to come down to you?"
4
They sent me a message like this four times, and every time I gave them a similar reply.
5
But the fifth time, Sanballat sent his servant to me in the same way, except that now he carried an open letter.
6
It stated: It is reported among the nations and confirmed by Geshem that you and the Jews intend to rebel. This is why you are rebuilding the wall. According to these reports, you intend to become their king.
7
You have also appointed prophets to make this announcement about you in Jerusalem: There is a king in Judah! Now, the king will hear of these reports, so come; let's talk together.
8
So I sent him this reply: "Nothing that you say has happened. You are simply inventing this."
9
All of them were trying to make us afraid, saying, "They will be discouraged, and the work won't get finished." But now, God, strengthen me!
10
Later I went to see Shemaiah, Delaiah's son and Mehetabel's grandson, who was confined to his house, and he said: "Let's meet together in God's house, inside the temple itself. Let's shut the doors of the temple, for they are coming to kill you; they are coming to kill you tonight!"
11
But I replied, "Should someone like me run away? Who like me would go into the temple to save his life? I won't go in!"
12
Then I realized that God hadn't sent him at all but that he spoke this prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.
13
He was hired to frighten me and to make me sin by acting in this way. Then they could give me a bad name and discredit me.
14
My God, remember these deeds of Tobiah and Sanballat! Also remember Noadiah the prophetess and the rest of the prophets who have been trying to frighten me.
15
So the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of the month of Elul. It took fifty-two days.
16
When our enemies heard about this, all of the nations around us were afraid and their confidence was greatly shaken. They knew that this work was completed with the help of our God.
17
In addition, in those days the officials of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah, and Tobiah's letters were coming to them.
18
Many in Judah were bound to him by solemn pledge because he was the son-in-law of Shecaniah, Arah's son, and his son Jehohanan had married the daughter of Meshullam, Berechiah's son.
19
They also kept talking about his good deeds in my presence and then reported back to him what I said. In addition, Tobiah sent letters to intimidate me.
Copyright © 2011 Common English Bible
Nehemiah 7
1
When the wall had been built and I had hung the doors, the gatekeepers, singers, and Levites were appointed.
2
Then I put my brother Hanani and Hananiah the commander of the fortress in charge of Jerusalem. Hananiah was a faithful man who revered God more than many.
3
I said to them, "The gates of Jerusalem aren't to be opened during the hottest time of the day. While the gatekeepers are still on duty, have them shut and bar the doors. Also, appoint guards from among those who live in Jerusalem. Station some at their watch posts and some in front of their own houses."
4
Now although the city was wide and large, only a few people were living within it, and no houses had been rebuilt.
5
My God then prompted me to assemble the officials, the officers, and the people so that they could be registered by families. I found the record of the families who were the first to return, and I found the following written in it:
6
These are the people of the province who returned from the captivity of those exiles whom Babylon's King Nebuchadnezzar had taken into exile. They all returned to Jerusalem and Judah, everyone to their own town.
7
They came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, and Baanah. The number of the people of Israel:
8
The family of Parosh 2,172
9
of Shephatiah 372
10
of Arah 652
11
of Pahath-moab, that is, of the descendants of Jeshua and Joab 2,818
12
of Elam 1,254
13
of Zattu 845
14
of Zaccai 760
15
of Binnui 648
16
of Bebai 628
17
of Azgad 2,322
18
of Adonikam 667
19
of Bigvai 2,067
20
of Adin 655
21
of Ater, that is, of the descendants of Hezekiah 98
22
of Hashum 328
23
of Bezai 324
24
of Hariph 112
25
of Gibeon 95
26
The people of Bethlehem and Netophah 188
27
of Anathoth 128
28
of Beth-azmaveth 42
29
of Kiriath-jearim, Chephirah, and Beeroth 743
30
of Ramah and Geba 621
31
of Michmas 122
32
of Bethel and Ai 123
33
of the other Nebo 52
34
the inhabitants of the other Elam 1,254
35
of Harim 320
36
of Jericho 345
37
of Lod, Hadid, and Ono 721
38
of Senaah 3,930
39
The priests: the descendants of Jedaiah, that is, of the house of Jeshua 973
40
of Immer 1,052
41
of Pashhur 1,247
42
of Harim 1,017
43
The Levites: the descendants of Jeshua, that is, of Kadmiel, of the descendants of Hodaviah 74
44
The singers: the descendants of Asaph 148
45
The descendants of gatekeepers: of Shallum, Ater, Talmon, Akkub, Hatita, and Shobai 138
46
The temple servants: the descendants of Ziha, Hasupha, Tabbaoth,
47
Keros, Sia, Padon,
48
Lebanah, Hagabah, Shalmai,
49
Hanan, Giddel, Gahar,
50
Reaiah, Rezin, Nekoda,
51
Gazzam, Uzza, Paseah,
52
Besai, Meunim, Nephushesim,
53
Bakbuk, Hakupha, Harhur,
54
Bazlith, Mehida, Harsha,
55
Barkos, Sisera, Temah,
56
Neziah, and Hatipha.
57
The descendants of Solomon's servants: Sotai, Sophereth, Perida,
58
Jaala, Darkon, Giddel,
59
Shephatiah, Hattil, Pochereth-hazzebaim, and Amon.
60
All of the temple servants and the descendants of Solomon's servants totaled 392.
61
The following came up from Tel-Melah, Tel-harsha, Cherub, Addon, and Immer, but were unable to prove that their family or their descent was from Israel:
62
the descendants of Delaiah, Tobiah, and Nekoda, 642.
63
And of the priests: the descendants of Hobaiah, Hakkoz, and Barzillai (who had married one of the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite and was called by his name)
64
looked for their entries in the genealogical records, but they weren't found there, so they were excluded from the priesthood as unclean.
65
The governor ordered that they shouldn't eat of the most holy food until a priest arose who could consult Urim and Thummim.
66
The whole assembly together totaled 42,360.
67
This number doesn't include their 7,337 male and female servants; they also had 245 male and female singers,
68
736 horses, 245 mules,
69
435 camels, and 6,720 donkeys.
70
Some of the heads of families made a donation for the work. The governor gave to the treasury 1,000 darics of gold, 50 bowls, and 530 priestly robes.
71
Some of the heads of families gave 20,000 darics of gold and 2,200 manehs of silver to the treasury for the work.
72
The rest of the people gave 20,000 darics of gold, 2,000 manehs of silver, and 67 priestly robes.
73
So the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, some of the people, the temple servants, and all Israel settled in their towns.
Copyright © 2011 Common English Bible