The Daily Audio Bible
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15 And the gate of the fountain Sellum the son of Cholhoza built, lord of the street of Maspha: he built it, and covered it, and set up the doors thereof, and the locks, and the bare, and the walls of the pool of Siloe unto the king's guard, and unto the steps that go down from the city of David.
16 After him built Nehemias the son of Azboc, lord of half the street of Bethsur, as far as over against the sepulchre of David, and to the pool, that was built with great labour, and to the house of the mighty.
17 After him built the Levites, Rehum the son of Benni. After him built Hasebias, lord of half the street of Ceila in his own street.
18 After him built their brethren Bavai the son of Enadad, lord of half Ceila.
19 And next to him Aser the son of Josue, lord of Maspha, built another measure, over against the going up of the strong corner.
20 After him in the mount Baruch the son of Zachai built another measure, from the corner to the door of the house of Eliasib the high priest.
21 After him Merimuth the son of Urias the son of Haccus, built another measure, from the door of the house of Eliasib, to the end of the house of Eliasib.
22 And after him built the priests, the men of the plains of the Jordan.
23 After him built Benjamin and Hasub, over against their own house: and after him built Azarias the son of Maasias the son of Ananias over against his house.
24 After him built Bennui the son of Hanadad another measure, from the house of Azarias unto the bending, and unto the corner.
25 Phalel, the son of Ozi, over against the bending and the tower, which lieth out from the king's high house, that is, in the court of the prison: after him Phadaia the son of Pharos.
26 And the Nathinites dwelt in Ophel, as far as over against the water gate toward the east, and the tower that stood out.
27 After him the Thecuites built another measure over against, from the great tower that standeth out unto the wall of the temple.
28 And upward from the horse gate the priests built, every man over against his house.
29 After them built Sadoc the son of Emmer over against his house. And after him built Semaia the son of Sechenias, keeper of the east gate.
30 After him built Hanania the son of Selemia, and Hanun the sixth son of Seleph, another measure: after him built Mosollam the son of Barachias over against his treasury. After him Melcias the goldsmith's son built unto the house of the Nathinites, and of the sellers of small wares, over against the judgment gate, and unto the chamber of the corner.
31 And within the chamber of the corner of the flock gate, the goldsmiths and the merchants built.
4 And it came to pass, that when Sanaballat heard that we were building the wall he was angry: and being moved exceedingly he scoffed at the Jews.
2 And said before his brethren, and the multitude of the Samaritans: What are the silly Jews doing? Will the Gentiles let them alone? will they sacrifice and make an end in a day? are they able to raise stones out of the heaps of the rubbish, which are burnt?
3 Tobias also the Ammonite who was by him said: Let them build: if a fox go up, he will leap over their stone wall.
4 Hear thou our God, for we are despised: turn their reproach upon their own head, and give them to be despised in a land of captivity.
5 Cover not their iniquity, and let not their sin be blotted out from before thy face, because they have mocked thy builders.
6 So we built the wall, and joined it all together unto the half thereof: and the heart of the people was excited to work.
7 And it came to pass, when Sanaballat, and Tobias, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Azotians heard that the walls of Jerusalem were made up, and the breaches began to be closed, that they were exceedingly angry.
8 And they all assembled themselves together, to come, and to fight against Jerusalem, and to prepare ambushes.
9 And we prayed to our God, and set watchmen upon the wall day and night against them.
10 And Juda said: The strength of the bearer of burdens is decayed, and the rubbish is very much, and we shall not be able to build the wall.
11 And our enemies said: Let them not know, nor understand, till we come in the midst of them, and kill them, and cause the work to cease.
12 And it came to pass, that when the Jews that dwelt by them came and told us ten times, out of all the places from whence they came to us,
13 I set the people in the place behind the wall round about in order, with their swords, and spears, and bows.
14 And I looked and rose up: and I said to the chief men and the magistrates, and to the rest of the common people: be not afraid of them. Remember the Lord who is great and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons, and your daughters, and your wives, and your houses.
15 And it came to pass, when our enemies heard that the thing had been told us, that God defeated their counsel. And we returned all of us to the walls, every man to his work.
16 And it came to pass from that day forward, that half of their young men did the work, and half were ready for to fight, with spears, and shields, and bows, and coats of mail, and the rulers were behind them in all the house of Juda.
17 Of them that built on the wall and that carried burdens, and that laded: with one of his hands he did the work, and with the other he held a sword.
18 For every one of the builders was girded with a sword about his reins. And they built, and sounded with a trumpet by me.
19 And I said to the nobles, and to the magistrates, and to the rest of the common people: The work is great and wide, and we are separated on the wall one far from another:
20 In what place soever you shall hear the sound of the trumpet, run all thither unto us: our God will fight for us.
21 And let us do the work: and let one half of us hold our spears from the rising of the morning, till the stars appear.
22 At that time also I said to the people: Let every one with his servant stay in the midst of Jerusalem, and let us take our turns in the night, and by day, to work.
23 Now I and my brethren, and my servants, and the watchmen that followed me, did not put off our clothes: only every man stripped himself when he was to be washed.
5 Now there was a great cry of the people, and of their wives against their brethren the Jews.
2 And there were some that said: Our sons and our daughters are very many: Yet us take up corn for the price of them, and let us eat and live.
3 And there were some that said: Let us mortgage our lands, and our vineyards, and our houses, and let us take corn because of the famine.
4 And others said: Let us borrow money for the king's tribute, and let us give up our fields and vineyards:
5 And now our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren: and our children as their children. Behold we bring into bondage our sons and our daughters, and some of our daughters are bondwomen already, neither have we wherewith to redeem them, and our fields and our vineyards other men possess.
6 And I was exceedingly angry when I heard their cry according to these words.
7 And my heart thought with myself: and I rebuked the nobles and magistrates, and said to them: Do you every one exact usury of your brethren? And I gathered together a great assembly against them,
8 And I said to them: We, as you know, have redeemed according to our ability our brethren the Jews, that were sold to the Gentiles: and will you then sell your brethren, for us to redeem them? And they held their peace, and found not what to answer.
9 And I said to them: The thing you do is not good: why walk you not in the fear of our God, that we be not exposed to the reproaches of the Gentiles our enemies?
10 Both I and my brethren, and my servants, have lent money and corn to many: let us all agree not to call for it again; let us forgive the debt that is owing to us.
11 Restore ye to them this day their fields, and their vineyards, and their oliveyards, and their houses: and the hundredth part of the money, and of the corn, the wine, and the oil, which you mere wont to exact of them, give it rather for them.
12 And they said: We will restore, and we will require nothing of them: and we will do as thou sayest. And I called the priests and took an oath of them, to do according to what I had said.
13 Moreover I shook my lap, and said: So may God shake every man that shall not accomplish this word, out of his house, and out of his labours, thus may he be shaken out, and become empty. And all the multitude said: Amen. And they praised God. And the people did according to what was said.
25 Now concerning virgins, I have no commandment of the Lord; but I give counsel, as having obtained mercy of the Lord, to be faithful.
26 I think therefore that this is good for the present necessity, that it is good for a man so to be.
27 Art thou bound to a wife? seek not to be loosed. Art thou loosed from a wife? seek not a wife.
28 But if thou take a wife, thou hast not sinned. And if a virgin marry, she hath not sinned: nevertheless, such shall have tribulation of the flesh. But I spare you.
29 This therefore I say, brethren; the time is short; it remaineth, that they also who have wives, be as if they had none;
30 And they that weep, as though they wept not; and they that rejoice, as if they rejoiced not; and they that buy, as though they possessed not;
31 And they that use this world, as if they used it not: for the fashion of this world passeth away.
32 But I would have you to be without solicitude. He that is without a wife, is solicitous for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please God.
33 But he that is with a wife, is solicitous for the things of the world, how he may please his wife: and he is divided.
34 And the unmarried woman and the virgin thinketh on the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit. But she that is married thinketh on the things of the world, how she may please her husband.
35 And this I speak for your profit: not to cast a snare upon you; but for that which is decent, and which may give you power to attend upon the Lord, without impediment.
36 But if any man think that he seemeth dishonoured, with regard to his virgin, for that she is above the age, and it must so be: let him do what he will; he sinneth not, if she marry.
37 For he that hath determined being steadfast in his heart, having no necessity, but having power of his own will; and hath judged this in his heart, to keep his virgin, doth well.
38 Therefore, both he that giveth his virgin in marriage, doth well; and he that giveth her not, doth better.
39 A woman is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth; but if her husband die, she is at liberty: let her marry to whom she will; only in the Lord.
40 But more blessed shall she be, if she so remain, according to my counsel; and I think that I also have the spirit of God.
32 A psalm for David. Rejoice in the Lord, O ye just: praise becometh the upright.
2 Give praise to the Lord on the harp; sing to him with the psaltery, the instrument of ten strings.
3 Sing to him a new canticle, sing well unto him with a loud noise.
4 For the word of the Lord is right, and all his works are done with faithfulness.
5 He loveth mercy and judgment; the earth is full of the mercy of the Lord.
6 By the word of the Lord the heavens were established; and all the power of them by the spirit of his mouth:
7 Gathering together the waters of the sea, as in a vessel; laying up the depths in storehouses.
8 Let all the earth fear the Lord, and let all the inhabitants of the world be in awe of him.
9 For he spoke and they were made: he commanded and they were created.
10 The Lord bringeth to naught the counsels of nations; and he rejecteth the devices of people, and casteth away the counsels of princes.
11 But the counsel of the Lord standeth for ever: the thoughts of his heart to all generations.
12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord: the people whom he hath chosen for his inheritance.
13 The Lord hath looked from heaven: he hath beheld all the sons of men.
14 From his habitation which he hath prepared, he hath looked upon all that dwell on the earth.
15 He who hath made the hearts of every one of them: who understandeth all their works.
16 The king is not saved by a great army: nor shall the giant be saved by his own great strength.
17 Vain is the horse for safety: neither shall he be saved by the abundance of his strength.
18 Behold the eyes of the Lord are on them that fear him: and on them that hope in his mercy.
19 To deliver their souls from death; and feed them in famine.
20 Our soul waiteth for the Lord: for he is our helper and protector.
21 For in him our heart shall rejoice: and in his holy name we have trusted.
22 Let thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us, as we have hoped in thee.
5 The thoughts of the industrious always bring forth abundance: but every sluggard is always in want.
6 He that gathereth treasures by a lying tongue, is vain and foolish, and shall stumble upon the snares of death.
7 The robberies of the wicked shall be their downfall, because they would not do judgment.
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