The Daily Audio Bible
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15 Shallun son of Col-hozeh, the ruler of the district of Mizpah, repaired the Fountain Gate. He built it, covered it, and set up its doors, its bolts, and its bars. He also repaired the wall of the Pool of Shelah by the King’s Garden, as far as the stairs going down from the City of David. 16 Beyond him Nehemiah son of Azbuk, the ruler of half the district of Beth-zur, made repairs as far as the tombs of David and the artificial pool and the House of the Warriors.
17 After him, the Levites made repairs under Rehum son of Bani, and beside him, Hashabiah, the ruler of half the district of Keilah, made repairs for his district. 18 After him repairs were made by their brothers under Bavvai son of Henadad, the ruler of half the district of Keilah. 19 Adjacent to him Ezer son of Jeshua, the ruler of Mizpah, repaired another section opposite the ascent to the armory at the corner buttress. 20 After him Baruch son of Zaccai zealously repaired another section from the corner buttress up to the door of the house of Eliashib, the kohen gadol. 21 After him Meremoth son of Uriah, son of Hakkoz, repaired another section from the door of the house of Eliashib to the end of the house of Eliashib.
22 And after him the kohanim worked, men from the surrounding district. 23 After them Benjamin and Hasshub made repairs in front of their house. After them Azariah son of Maaseiah, son of Ananiah, worked beside his house. 24 Beyond him Binnui son of Henadad repaired another section from the house of Azariah up to the inner buttress and the corner. 25 Palal son of Uzai made repairs opposite the inner buttress and the tower coming out from the upper palace, which is by the court of the guard. After him Pedaiah son of Parosh 26 and the Temple servants living on the Ophel made repairs up to the area opposite the Water Gate toward the east and the projecting tower. 27 After him the men of Tekoa repaired another section from opposite the great projecting tower to the wall of the Ophel.
28 Above the Horse Gate the kohanim worked, each in front of his own house. 29 After them Zadok son of Immer made repairs opposite his house and after him Shemaiah son of Shecaniah, the guard of the East Gate, made repairs. 30 After him Hananiah, son of Shelemiah, and Hanun, the sixth son of Zalaph, repaired another portion. After him Meshullam son of Berechiah made repairs in front of his living quarters. 31 After him Malchijah, one of the goldsmiths, made repairs up to the house of the Temple servants, and the merchants opposite the Inspection Gate and as far as the room above the corner. 32 Between the room above the corner and the Sheep Gate, the goldsmiths and the merchants worked.
Opposition Mocks the Rebuilding
33 Now when Sanballat heard that we were building the wall, he became very angry and was greatly enraged. He mocked the Jews 34 in the presence of his colleagues and the army of Samaria, saying:
“What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they fortify themselves? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they finish in a day? Can they revive the stones from the heaps of rubble that are burnt?”
35 Then Tobiah the Ammonite, who was beside him, said: “Even if a fox climbed on what they are building, it would break down their stone wall!”
36 Hear, our God, for we are despised. Turn their insult back on their own head! Give them up as plunder in a land of captivity. 37 Do not cover their guilt or blot out their sin from before You, for they have provoked You to anger before the builders.
38 So we rebuilt the wall, and the entire wall was joined together up to half its height, for the people had a heart to work.
4 Now when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabians, the Ammonites, and the people of Ashdod heard that restoration of the walls of Jerusalem was proceeding and that the breaches had begun to be closed, they became extremely angry. 2 They all conspired together to come and fight against Jerusalem, and to stir up trouble against it. 3 But we prayed to our God and stationed a guard against them day and night.
4 Meanwhile the people of Judah said, “The strength of the laborers is failing. There is so much rubble that we are unable to rebuild the wall.”
5 Our adversaries also said, “They will not know or perceive anything, until we come among them and kill them, and put an end to the work!”
6 So it happened that the Jews living near them came and told us ten times over, “Wherever you turn, they will attack us!”
Working and Watching
7 So I stationed people in the lower places behind the wall in the exposed places. I stationed the people by families with their swords, spears and bows. 8 When I looked things over, I rose up and said to the nobles, the rulers and the rest of the people, “Do not be afraid of them. Remember the great and awesome Lord, and fight on behalf of your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes.”
9 Now when our enemies heard that their plan was known to us, and that God had frustrated it, we all returned to the wall, each to his work. 10 From that day on, half of my men were doing the work, while half of them took hold of the spears, shields, bows and breastplates, and the leaders were behind the entire house of Judah. 11 Those building the wall and those bearing heavy burdens kept one hand on the work and the other holding a weapon. 12 So each of the builders had his sword strapped to his side while they were building, and the shofar blower was beside me.
13 Then I said to the nobles, the rulers and the rest of the people, “The work is extensive and spread out, and we are widely separated from one another on the wall. 14 Wherever you hear the sound of the shofar, join us there. Our God will fight for us!”
15 So we continued the work with half the men holding spears, from dawn until the stars came out. 16 Also at that time I said to the people, “Let every man and his helper lodge inside Jerusalem, so they can be guards for us by night and workers by day.” 17 So neither I, nor my brothers, nor my workers, nor the guards who were with me took off our clothes; each man even had his weapon at the water.
Considering the Poor
5 Then there was a great outcry from the people and their wives to their fellow Jews. 2 There were those who said, “We and our sons and our daughters are numerous. We must take grain, so we may eat and live.”
3 There were others who said, “We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards and our houses in order to obtain grain during the famine.”
4 Still others were saying, “We have borrowed money to pay the king’s tax on our fields and vineyards. 5 And now, though we share the same flesh as our brothers, and our children are just like their children, still we subject our sons and our daughters to slavery. Some of our daughters have already been enslaved but our hands are tied since our fields and vineyards belong to others.”
6 I was very angry when I heard their outcry and these words. 7 I pondered them in my heart and then I opposed the nobles and the officials, saying to them, “Usury! Each of you is putting his brother in debt!”
So I convened a great assembly to deal with them. 8 I said to them, “As much as possible, we have bought back our fellow Jews who had been sold to the nations. Now you also are selling your brothers so that they will be sold back to us?” Then they became silent and could not find anything to say.
9 Then I said, “The thing that you are doing is not good! Shouldn’t you walk in the fear of our God, in order to avoid the reproach of our Gentile enemies? 10 Even I, my brothers, and my servants are lending them money and grain. Let this usury stop, now! 11 Now, return to them this very day, their fields, their vineyards, their olive groves and their houses, as well as the hundredth that you have extracted from them on the money, the grain, the new wine, and the fresh oil.”
12 Then they said, “We will restore these and require nothing from them. We will do just as you say.”
Then I summoned the kohanim and I made them swear to do according to this promise. 13 Also I shook out my garment, and said, “In this way may God shake out from His house and from His property every one that does not keep this promise. In this way may he be shaken out and emptied!”
And all the assembly replied, “Amen!” and they praised Adonai. So the people did according to this promise.
25 Now concerning virgins I have no command from the Lord, but I give an opinion as one who by the Lord’s mercy is trustworthy. 26 I think then, because of the present distress, that it is good for a man to remain as he is. 27 Are you bound to a wife? Don’t seek a divorce. Are you free from a wife? Don’t seek a wife. 28 But if you marry, you have not sinned; and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. Yet such people will have trouble in this fleshly life, and I am trying to spare you. 29 But this I say, brothers and sisters—the time is short. From now on those who have wives should be as though they had none; 30 and those who weep, as though not weeping; and those who rejoice, as though not rejoicing; and those who buy, as though not possessing; 31 and those who use the world, as though not using it to the fullest. For the present form of this world is passing away.
32 But I want you to be free from cares. An unmarried man cares about the things of the Lord—how he may please the Lord; 33 but the married man cares about the things of the world—how he may please his wife— 34 and he is divided. The unmarried woman, as well as the virgin, cares about the things of the Lord, so that she may be holy both in body and in spirit. But the married woman cares about the things of the world—how she may please her husband. 35 Now I say this for your own benefit—not to put a restraint on you, but to promote proper and constant service to the Lord without distraction.
36 But if any man thinks that he is behaving inappropriately toward his virgin, if the time is ripe and it is meant to be, let him do what he decides. He does not sin. Let them marry. 37 But he who stands firm in his heart—who has no pressure, but has power over his own will and has so determined in his own heart to keep her a virgin—he will do well. 38 So then both he who marries the virgin does well, and he who doesn’t marry her does better.
39 A wife is bound to her husband as long as he lives; but if her husband dies, she is free to be married to anyone she wishes—only in the Lord. [a] 40 But in my judgment she is happier if she stays as she is—and I also think that I have the Ruach Elohim.
Confess, Return and Learn
Psalm 32
1 Of David, a contemplative song.
Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven,
whose sin is pardoned.
2 Blessed is the one whose guilt Adonai does not count,
and in whose spirit there is no deceit.[a]
3 When I kept silent,
my bones became brittle
through my groaning all day long.
4 For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me.
My strength was drained as in the droughts of summer.
Selah
5 Then I acknowledged my sin to You
and did not hide my iniquity. I said:
“I confess my transgressions to Adonai,”
and You forgave the guilt of my sin.[b]
Selah
6 So let everyone who is godly pray to You
in a time when You may be found.
When great floodwaters rise,
they will not reach him.
7 You are my hiding place—
You will protect me from distress.
You surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah
8 “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go.
I will give counsel—My eye is on you.
9 Do not be like the horse or the mule,
which have no understanding,
and must be held in with bit and bridle
or they will not come to you.”
10 Many are the sorrows of the wicked,
but lovingkindness surrounds the one who trusts in Adonai.
11 Be glad in Adonai and rejoice,
you righteous, and shout for joy,
all who are upright in heart.
5 Plans of the diligent surely lead to gain,
but all who are hasty come only to loss.
6 Getting treasures by a lying tongue
is like a fleeting vapor for those who seek death.
Violence and Ruin of the Wicked
7 The violence of the wicked sweeps them away,
because they refuse to act justly.
Tree of Life (TLV) Translation of the Bible. Copyright © 2015 by The Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society.