The Daily Audio Bible
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15 But, Shallun the son of Col-Hozeh, the ruler of one fourth of Mizpah, fortified the Gate of the Fountain. He built it and covered it and hung its doors, with its locks and bars. And he built the wall to the fish pool of Shelah by the king’s garden, and to the steps that go down from the City of David.
16 After him, Nehemiah the son of Azbuk, the ruler of half of Beth Zur, fortified until the other side, opposite the sepulchers of David, and to the fish pool that was repaired, and to the house of the mighty.
17 After him, the Levites fortified: Rehum, the son of Bani, and next to him was Hashabiah, the ruler of half of Keilah, in his quarter.
18 After him their brethren fortified: Bavai, the son of Henadad, the ruler of half of Keilah,
19 and next to him was Ezer, the son of Jeshua, the ruler of Mizpah, who fortified the other portion opposite the going up to the corner of the armor.
20 After him was earnest Baruch, the son of Zabbai, who fortified another portion from the corner to the door of the house of Eliashib, the High Priest.
21 After him, Meremoth the son of Urijah, the son of Koz, fortified another portion, from the door of the house of Eliashib, as long as the house of Eliashib extended.
22 After him, the priests (the men of the plain) also fortified.
23 After them, Benjamin and Hasshub fortified in front of their house. After them, Azariah the son of Maaseiah, the son of Ananiah, fortified by his house.
24 After him, Binnui, the son of Henadad, fortified another portion from the house of Azariah to the turning and to the corner.
25 Palal, the son of Uzai, fortified from opposite the corner, and the high tower that lies out from the king’s house, which is beside the court of the prison. After him, Pedaiah the son of Parosh fortified.
26 And the Nethinim dwelt in the fortress to the place in front of the water gate, eastward, and to the tower that lies out.
27 After him, the Tekoites fortified another portion in front of the great tower that lies out to the wall of the fortress.
28 The priests fortified from beyond the Horse Gate, each one in front of his house.
29 After them, Zadok, the son of Immer, fortified in front of his house. And after him, Shemaiah the son of Shechaniah, the keeper of the East Gate, fortified.
30 After him, Hananiah the son of Shelemiah, and Hanun, the son of Zalaph, (the sixth), fortified another portion. After him, Meshullam, the son of Berechiah, fortified in front of his chamber.
31 After him, Malchijah the goldsmith’s son fortified until the house of the Nethinim and of the Merchants, in front of the gate Miphkad, and to the chamber in the corner.
32 And the goldsmiths and the merchants fortified between the chamber of the corner to the Sheep Gate.
4 But when Sanballat heard that we built the wall, he was angry and very grieved and mocked the Jews
2 and spoke before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, “What are these weak Jews doing? Will they fortify themselves? Will they sacrifice? Will they finish it in a day? Will they make the stones whole again out of the heaps of dust, seeing they are burnt?”
3 And Tobiah the Ammonite was beside him, and said, “Although they build, even if a fox goes up on it, yet he shall break down their stony wall!”
4 Hear, O our God, for we are despised! And turn their shame upon their own heads and give them to a prey in the land of their captivity.
5 And do not cover their iniquity or let their sin be put out in Your presence. For they have provoked us before the builders.
6 So, we built the wall. And the whole wall was joined to its half. And the heart of the people was to work.
7 But when Sanballat and Tobiah and the Arabians and the Ammonite, and the Ashdodims heard that the walls of Jerusalem had been repaired (for the breaches began to be stopped), then they were very angry
8 and conspired together to come and to fight against Jerusalem, and to hinder them.
9 Then we prayed to our God. And because of them we set watchmen against them, day and night.
10 And Judah said, “The strength of the bearers has weakened. And there is much earth, so that we are not able to build the wall.”
11 Also, our adversaries had said, “They shall neither know nor see until we come into the midst of them, and kill them, and cause the work to cease.”
12 But when the Jews who dwelt beside them came, they told us ten times, “From all places where you shall return, they will be upon us.”
13 Therefore I stationed men in the lower places, behind the wall, upon the tops of the stones, and placed the people by their families, with their swords, their spears, and their bows.
14 Then I beheld, and rose up, and said to the princes and to the rulers and to the rest of the people, “Do not be afraid of them! Remember the great and fearful LORD! And fight for your brethren, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses!”
15 And when our enemies heard that it was known to us, then God brought their plans to nothing. And we all turned to the wall again, each one to his work.
16 And from that day, half of the young men did the labor, and the other half of them held the spears, and shields, and bows, and armor. And the rulers stood behind the whole House of Judah,
17 those who built on the wall and those who bore burdens. Those who loaded did the work with one hand and held the sword with the other.
18 For every one of the builders had his sword girded on his loins and built. And he who blew the trumpet was beside me.
19 Then I said to the princes and to the rulers and to the rest of the people, “The work is great and large! And we are separated upon the wall, one far from another!
20 “In whatever place you hear the sound of the trumpet, return from there to us! Our God shall fight for us!”
21 So we labored in the work. And half of them held the spears, from the appearance of the morning until the stars came forth.
22 And at the same time, I said to the people, “Let everyone lodge with his servant within Jerusalem, so that they may be a watch for us in the night and labor in the day.”
23 So, neither I nor my brethren nor my servants nor the men of the ward who followed me (none of us) took off our clothes, except when everyone took them off for washing.
5 Now there was a great cry from the people, and from their wives, against their brethren the Jews.
2 For there were those who said, “We, our sons and our daughters, are many. Therefore, let us get grain, so that we may eat and live.”
3 And there were those who said, “We must gage our lands and our vineyards and our houses, and get grain for the famine.”
4 There were also those who said, “We have borrowed money for the king’s tribute on our lands and our vineyards.
5 “And now, our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren, and our sons as their sons. And lo, we bring our sons and our daughters into subjection, as servants. And our daughters are now in subjection. And there is no power in our hands. For other men have our lands and our vineyards.”
6 Then I was very angry when I heard their cry and these words.
7 And I thought in my mind. And I rebuked the princes and the rulers and said to them, “Each of you lays burdens upon his brethren.” And I set a great assembly against them.
8 And I said to them, “We, according to our ability, have redeemed our brethren the Jews who were sold to the heathen. And will you sell your brethren back, or shall they be sold to us?” Then they held their peace and could not answer.
9 I also said, “That which you do is not good. Ought you not to walk in the fear of our God for the reproach of the heathen, our enemies?
10 “For even I, my brethren, and my servants, lend them money and grain. Please, let us stop this usury!
11 “Please restore to them this day their lands, their vineyards, their olives, and their houses, and one hundredth of the silver and of the grain, of the wine, and of the oil that you exacted from them!”
12 Then they said, “We will restore it and will not require it of them. We will do as you have said.” Then I called the priests and required an oath from them that they would do according to this promise.
13 So I shook my lap, and said, “So let God shake out every man from His House, and from His labor, who will not perform this promise. Thus let him be shaken out and emptied!” And all the Congregation said, “Amen!” and praised the LORD. And the people did according to this promise.
25 Now concerning virgins, I have no Commandment of the Lord. But I give my advice, as one who has obtained mercy from the Lord to be faithful.
26 Because of this present constraint, I assume that it is good, and that it is good for anyone to be so.
27 Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be free. Are you free from a wife? Do not seek a wife.
28 But if you take a wife, you do not sin. And if a virgin marries, she does not sin. Nevertheless, such shall have trouble in the flesh. But I am sparing you.
29 And this I say, brothers, because the time is short: that from now on those who have wives should be as though they had none,
30 and those who weep as though they did not weep, and those who rejoice as though they did not rejoice, and those who buy as though they did not possess,
31 and those who use this world as though they do not abuse it. For the appearance of this world is passing away.
32 And I would have you without cares. The unmarried cares for things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord.
33 But he who is married cares for the things of the world, how he may please his wife.
34 Also, there is difference between a virgin and a wife. The unmarried woman cares for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy, both in body and in spirit. But she who is married cares for the things of the world, how she may please her husband.
35 And this I speak for your own benefit. Not to tangle you in a snare, but that you may be respectable and serve the Lord without distraction.
36 But if any man thinks he is behaving less than optimally toward his virgin, if she has passed the flower of her age, and so requires, let him do what he will. He does not sin. Let her be married.
37 Nevertheless, he who stands firm in his heart, that he has no need, but has power over his own will, and has so decreed in his heart, that he will watch over his virgin, he does well.
38 So then, he who gives her to marriage, does well. But he who does not give her to marriage, does better.
39 The wife is bound by the law, as long as her husband lives. But if her husband is dead, she is free to marry whomever she wishes, only in the Lord.
40 But she is more blessed if she so remains, in my judgment. And I think that I also have the Spirit of God.
32 Blessed is he whose wickedness is forgiven; whose sin is covered.
2 Blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.
3 When I held my tongue (my bones being consumed when I roared all day,
4 for Your hand is heavy upon me day and night) and my moisture turned into the drought of Summer (Selah),
5 I acknowledged my sin to You and did not hide my iniquity. I thought, “I will confess to the LORD my wickedness against myself.” And You forgave the punishment of my sin. Selah.
6 Therefore, everyone who is godly shall make his prayer to You in a time when You may be found. Surely, in the flood of great waters they shall not come near him.
7 You are my Secret Place. You preserve me from trouble. You surround me with joyful deliverance. Selah.
8 “I will instruct you and teach you in the way that you shall go. I will guide you with My eye.
9 “Be not like a horse, or like a mule, which do not understand; whose mouths you bind with bit and bridle, lest they come near you.”
10 Many sorrows shall come to the wicked. But he who trusts in the LORD, mercy shall surround him.
11 Be glad, you righteous, and rejoice in the LORD; and be joyful, all you who are upright in heart!
5 The thoughts of the diligent surely bring abundance. But whoever is hasty surely comes to poverty.
6 The gathering of treasures by a deceitful tongue is vanity, tossed to and fro by those who seek death.
7 The robbery of the wicked shall destroy them. For they have refused to execute judgment.
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