Nehemiah 6; Nehemiah 7

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Nehemiah 6

1 When Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab, and the rest of our enemies heard that I had rebuilt the wall and that no gap was left in it-though at that time I had not installed the doors in the gates-

2 Sanballat and Geshem sent me a message: "Come, let's meet together in the villages of the Ono Valley." But they were planning to harm me.

3 So I sent messengers to them, saying, "I am doing a great work and cannot come down. Why should the work cease while I leave it and go down to you?"

4 Four times they sent me the same proposal, and I gave them the same reply.

5 Sanballat sent me this same message a fifth time by his aide, who had an open letter in his hand.

6 In it was written: It is reported among the nations-and Geshem agrees-that you and the Jews plan to rebel. This is the reason you are building the wall. According to these reports, you are to become their king

7 and have even set up the prophets in Jerusalem to proclaim on your behalf: "There is a king in Judah." These rumors will be heard by the king. So come, let's confer together.

8 Then I replied to him, "There is nothing to these rumors you are spreading; you are inventing them in your own mind."

9 For they were all trying to intimidate us, saying, "They will become discouraged in the work, and it will never be finished." But now, [my God,] strengthen me.

10 I went to the house of Shemaiah son of Delaiah, son of Mehetabel, who was restricted [to his house]. He said: Let us meet at the house of God inside the temple. Let us shut the temple doors because they are coming to kill you. They are coming to kill you tonight!

11 But I said, "Should a man like me run away? How can I enter the temple and live? I will not go."

12 I realized that God had not sent him, because of the prophecy he spoke against me. Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.

13 He was hired, so that I would be intimidated, do as he suggested, sin, and get a bad reputation, in order that they could discredit me.

14 My God, remember Tobiah and Sanballat for what they have done, and also Noadiah the prophetess and the other prophets who wanted to intimidate me.

15 The wall was completed in 52 days, on the twenty-fifth day of the month Elul.

16 When all our enemies heard this, all the surrounding nations were intimidated and lost their confidence, for they realized that this task had been accomplished by our God.

17 During those days, the nobles of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah, and Tobiah's [letters] came to them.

18 For many in Judah were bound by oath to him, since he was a son-in-law of Shecaniah son of Arah, and his son Jehohanan had married the daughter of Meshullam son of Berechiah.

19 These nobles kept mentioning Tobiah's good deeds to me, and they reported my words to him. And Tobiah sent letters to intimidate me.

Nehemiah 7

1 When the wall had been rebuilt and I had the doors installed, the gatekeepers, singers, and Levites were appointed.

2 Then I put my brother Hanani in charge of Jerusalem, along with Hananiah, commander of the fortress, because he was a faithful man who feared God more than most.

3 I said to them, "Do not open the gates of Jerusalem until the sun is hot, and let the doors be shut and securely fastened while the guards are on duty. Station the citizens of Jerusalem as guards, some at their posts and some at their homes."

4 The city was large and spacious, but there were few people in it, and no houses had been built yet.

5 Then my God put it into my mind to assemble the nobles, the officials, and the people to be registered by genealogy. I found the genealogical record of those who came back first, and I found [the following] written in it:

6 These are the people of the province who went up from among the captive exiles deported by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. Each of them returned to his own town in Jerusalem and Judah.

7 They came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, and Baanah. The number of the Israelite men [included]:

8 Parosh's descendants 2,172

9 Shephatiah's descendants 372

10 Arah's descendants 652

11 Pahath-moab's descendants: Jeshua's and Joab's descendants 2,818

12 Elam's descendants 1,254

13 Zattu's descendants 845

14 Zaccai's descendants 760

15 Binnui's descendants 648

16 Bebai's descendants 628

17 Azgad's descendants 2,322

18 Adonikam's descendants 667

19 Bigvai's descendants 2,067

20 Adin's descendants 655

21 Ater's descendants: of Hezekiah 98

22 Hashum's descendants 328

23 Bezai's descendants 324

24 Hariph's descendants 112

25 Gibeon's descendants 95

26 Bethlehem's and Netophah's men 188

27 Anathoth's men 128

28 Beth-azmaveth's men 42

29 Kiriath-jearim's, Chephirah's, and Beeroth's men 743

30 Ramah's and Geba's men 621

31 Michmas's men 122

32 Bethel's and Ai's men 123

33 the other Nebo's men 52

34 the other Elam's people 1,254

35 Harim's people 320

36 Jericho's people 345

37 Lod's, Hadid's, and Ono's people 721

38 Senaah's people 3,930

39 The priests [included]: Jedaiah's descendants of the house of Jeshua 973

40 Immer's descendants 1,052

41 Pashhur's descendants 1,247

42 Harim's descendants 1,017

43 The Levites [included]: Jeshua's descendants: of Kadmiel Hodevah's descendants 74

44 The singers [included]: Asaph's descendants 148

45 The gatekeepers [included]: Shallum's descendants, Ater's descendants, Talmon's descendants, Akkub's descendants, Hatita's descendants, Shobai's descendants 138

46 The temple servants [included]: Ziha's descendants, Hasupha's descendants, Tabbaoth's descendants,

47 Keros's descendants, Sia's descendants, Padon's descendants,

48 Lebana's descendants, Hagaba's descendants, Shalmai's descendants,

49 Hanan's descendants, Giddel's descendants, Gahar's descendants,

50 Reaiah's descendants, Rezin's descendants, Nekoda's descendants,

51 Gazzam's descendants, Uzza's descendants, Paseah's descendants,

52 Besai's descendants, Meunim's descendants, Nephishesim's descendants,

53 Bakbuk's descendants, Hakupha's descendants, Harhur's descendants,

54 Bazlith's descendants, Mehida's descendants, Harsha's descendants,

55 Barkos's descendants, Sisera's descendants, Temah's descendants,

56 Neziah's descendants, Hatipha's descendants.

57 The descendants of Solomon's servants [included]: Sotai's descendants, Sophereth's descendants, Perida's descendants,

58 Jaala's descendants, Darkon's descendants, Giddel's descendants,

59 Shephatiah's descendants, Hattil's descendants, Pochereth-hazzebaim's descendants, Amon's descendants.

60 All the temple servants and the descendants of Solomon's servants 392

61 The following are those who came from Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Cherub, Addon, and Immer, but were unable to prove that their families and ancestry were Israelite:

62 Delaiah's descendants, Tobiah's descendants, and Nekoda's descendants 642

63 and from the priests: the descendants of Hobaiah, the descendants of Hakkoz, and the descendants of Barzillai-who had taken a wife from the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite and was called by their name.

64 These searched for their entries in the genealogical records, but they could not be found, so they were disqualified from the priesthood.

65 The governor ordered them not to eat the most holy things until there was a priest who could consult the Urim and Thummim.

66 The whole combined assembly numbered 42,360

67 not including their 7,337 male and female slaves, as well as their 245 male and female singers.

68 They had 736 horses, 245 mules,

69 435 camels, and 6,720 donkeys.

70 Some of the family leaders gave to the project. The governor gave 1,000 gold drachmas, 50 bowls, and 530 priestly garments to the treasury.

71 Some of the family leaders gave 20,000 gold drachmas and 2,200 silver minas to the treasury for the project.

72 The rest of the people gave 20,000 gold drachmas, 2,000 silver minas, and 67 priestly garments.

73 So the priests, Levites, gatekeepers, temple singers, some of the people, temple servants, and all Israel settled in their towns.

Nehemiah 6; Nehemiah 7

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Nehemiah 6

Nehemiah 7