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Nehemiah as Governor
14 Moreover, from the day that I was put in command to be their governor in the land of Judah, from (A)the twentieth year to the (B)thirty-second year of King Artaxerxes, for twelve years, neither I nor my [a]relatives have eaten the governor’s food allowance. 15 But the former governors who were before me [b]laid heavy burdens on the people and took from them bread and wine besides forty [c]shekels of silver; even their young men exerted their power over the people. But I did not do so (C)because of the fear of God. 16 I also took hold of the work on this wall; we did not buy any land, and all my young men were gathered there for the work. 17 Moreover, (D)there were at my table 150 Jews and officials, besides those who came to us from the nations that were around us. 18 Now (E)that which was prepared for each day was one ox and six choice sheep, also birds were prepared for me; and once in ten days all sorts of wine were furnished in abundance. Yet for all this (F)I did not require the governor’s food allowance, because the slavery was heavy on this people. 19 (G)Remember me, O my God, for good, according to all that I have done for this people.
Enemies Try to Make Nehemiah Fearful
6 Now it happened when it was heard by Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab, and the rest of our enemies that I had rebuilt the wall, and that no breach remained in it, (H)although at that time I had not made the doors to stand in the gates, 2 that Sanballat and Geshem sent a message to me, saying, “Come, let us meet together at [d]Chephirim in the plain of (I)Ono.” But they were planning to [e]do me harm. 3 So I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work and I cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and come down to you?” 4 And they sent messages to me four times in this manner, and I responded to them in the same manner. 5 Then Sanballat sent his young man to me in the same manner a fifth time with an open letter in his hand. 6 In it was written,
“It is heard among the nations, and [f]Gashmu says, that (J)you and the Jews are planning to rebel; therefore you are rebuilding the wall. And you are to be their king, according to these words.
7 You have also [g]set up prophets to call out in Jerusalem concerning [h]you, ‘A king is in Judah!’ So now it will be heard by the king according to these words. So now, come, let us take counsel together.”
8 Then I sent a message to him, saying,
“Such words as you are saying have not been done, but you are (K)devising them in your own heart.”
9 For all of them were trying to frighten us, [i]thinking, “Their hands will [j]become limp in doing the work, and it will not be done.” But now, (L)O God, strengthen my hands.
10 Now I entered the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah, son of Mehetabel, (M)who was [k]confined at home, and he said, “Let us meet together in the house of God, within the temple, and let us close the doors of the temple, for they are coming to kill you, and they are coming to kill you at night.” 11 But I said, “(N)Should a man like me flee? And could one such as I go into the temple just to live? I will not go in.” 12 Then I recognized [l]that surely God had not sent him, but he spoke his prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. 13 He was hired for this reason, (O)that I might become afraid and act accordingly and sin, so that they could give me a bad name in order that they could reproach me. 14 (P)Remember, O my God, Tobiah and Sanballat according to these works of theirs, and also Noadiah (Q)the prophetess and the rest of the prophets who were trying to make me afraid.
The Wall Is Finished
15 So (R)the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth of the month Elul, in fifty-two days. 16 (S)Now it happened that when all our enemies heard of it, and all the nations surrounding us saw it, [m]their confidence fell. And (T)they knew that it was from our God that this work had been accomplished. 17 Also in those days many letters went from the nobles of Judah to Tobiah, and Tobiah’s letters came to them. 18 For many in Judah were sworn by oath to him because he was the son-in-law of Shecaniah the son of Arah, and his son Jehohanan had taken the daughter of Meshullam the son of Berechiah as a wife. 19 Moreover, they were speaking about his good deeds in my presence and bringing my words to him. Then Tobiah sent letters to make me afraid.
Census of First Returned Exiles
7 Now it happened when (U)the wall was rebuilt and I had made the doors to stand, and the gatekeepers and the singers and the Levites were appointed, 2 that I commanded (V)Hanani my brother and (W)Hananiah the commander of (X)the fortress, to be over Jerusalem, for he was (Y)a faithful man and feared God more than many. 3 Then I said to them, “The gates of Jerusalem must not be opened until the sun is hot; and until they are there standing guard, they must shut and bolt the doors. Also have guards from the inhabitants of Jerusalem stand, each at his post, and each in front of his own house.” 4 Now the city was large and spacious, but the people in it were few and the houses were not rebuilt.
5 (Z)Then my God put it into my heart, and I gathered the nobles, the officials, and the people to be recorded by genealogies. Then I found the book of the genealogy of those who came up first, and in it I found written:
6 (AA)These are the [n]people of the province who came up out of the captivity of the exiles whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had taken away into exile, and who returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his city, 7 who came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, [o]Azariah, [p]Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, [q]Mispereth, Bigvai, [r]Nehum, Baanah.
The number of men of the people of Israel:
8 the sons of Parosh, 2,172;
9 the sons of Shephatiah, 372;
10 the sons of Arah, 652;
11 the sons of Pahath-moab of the sons of Jeshua and Joab, 2,818;
12 the sons of Elam, 1,254;
13 the sons of Zattu, 845;
14 the sons of Zaccai, 760;
15 the sons of [s]Binnui, 648;
16 the sons of Bebai, 628;
17 the sons of Azgad, 2,322;
18 the sons of Adonikam, 667;
19 the sons of Bigvai, 2,067;
20 the sons of Adin, 655;
21 the sons of Ater, of Hezekiah, 98;
22 the sons of Hashum, 328;
23 the sons of Bezai, 324;
24 the sons of [t]Hariph, 112;
25 the sons of [u]Gibeon, 95;
26 the men of Bethlehem and Netophah, 188;
27 the men of Anathoth, 128;
28 the men of [v]Beth-azmaveth, 42;
29 the men of [w]Kiriath-jearim, Chephirah, and Beeroth, 743;
30 the men of Ramah and Geba, 621;
31 the men of Michmas, 122;
32 the men of Bethel and Ai, 123;
33 the men of the other Nebo, 52;
34 the sons of the other Elam, 1,254;
35 the sons of Harim, 320;
36 the [x]men of Jericho, 345;
37 the sons of Lod, Hadid and Ono, 721;
38 the sons of Senaah, 3,930.
39 The priests:
the sons of Jedaiah of the house of Jeshua, 973;
40 the sons of Immer, 1,052;
41 the sons of Pashhur, 1,247;
42 the sons of Harim, 1,017.
43 The Levites:
the sons of Jeshua, of Kadmiel, of the sons of [y]Hodevah, 74.
44 The singers:
the sons of Asaph, 148.
45 The gatekeepers:
the sons of Shallum, the sons of Ater, the sons of Talmon, the sons of Akkub, the sons of Hatita, the sons of Shobai, 138.
46 The temple servants:
the sons of Ziha, the sons of Hasupha, the sons of Tabbaoth,
47 the sons of Keros, the sons of [z]Sia, the sons of Padon,
48 the sons of Lebana, the sons of Hagaba, the sons of Shalmai,
49 the sons of Hanan, the sons of Giddel, the sons of Gahar,
50 the sons of Reaiah, the sons of Rezin, the sons of Nekoda,
51 the sons of Gazzam, the sons of Uzza, the sons of Paseah,
52 the sons of Besai, the sons of Meunim, the sons of [aa]Nephushesim,
53 the sons of Bakbuk, the sons of Hakupha, the sons of Harhur,
54 the sons of [ab]Bazlith, the sons of Mehida, the sons of Harsha,
55 the sons of Barkos, the sons of Sisera, the sons of Temah,
56 the sons of Neziah, the sons of Hatipha.
57 The sons of Solomon’s servants:
the sons of Sotai, the sons of [ac]Sophereth, the sons of [ad]Perida,
58 the sons of Jaala, the sons of Darkon, the sons of Giddel,
59 the sons of Shephatiah, the sons of Hattil, the sons of Pochereth-hazzebaim, the sons of [ae]Amon.
60 All the temple servants and the sons of Solomon’s servants were 392.
61 Now these were those who came up from Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Cherub, [af]Addon, and Immer; but they were not able to declare their fathers’ houses or their fathers’ seed, whether they were of Israel:
62 the sons of Delaiah, the sons of Tobiah, the sons of Nekoda, 642.
63 Of the priests:
the sons of [ag]Hobaiah, the sons of Hakkoz, the sons of Barzillai, who took a wife of the daughters of Barzillai, the Gileadite, and he was called by their name.
64 These searched in their genealogical records, but it could not be found; therefore they were considered unclean and excluded from the priesthood. 65 (AB)And the [ah]governor said to them that they should not eat from the most holy things until a priest stood with [ai](AC)Urim and Thummim.
The Assembly and Their Gifts
66 The whole assembly together was 42,360,
67 besides their male and their female slaves, [aj]of whom there were 7,337;
and they had 245 male and female singers.
68 [ak](AD)Their horses were 736; their mules, 245;
69 their camels, 435; their donkeys, 6,720.
70 Some from among the heads of fathers’ households gave to the work. The [al](AE)governor gave to the treasury 1,000 gold [am]drachmas, 50 bowls, 530 priests’ tunics. 71 Some of the heads of fathers’ households gave into the treasury of the work 20,000 gold drachmas and 2,200 silver [an]minas. 72 That which the rest of the people gave was 20,000 gold drachmas and 2,000 silver minas and 67 priests’ tunics.
73 So (AF)the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, some of the people, the temple servants, and all Israel lived in their cities.
(AG)Then the seventh month came, and the sons of Israel were in their cities.
Take Care with Your Liberty
8 Now concerning (A)things sacrificed to idols, we know that we all have (B)knowledge. Knowledge (C)puffs up, but love (D)builds up. 2 (E)If anyone thinks that he has known anything, he has not yet (F)known as he ought to know; 3 but if anyone loves God, he (G)has been known by Him.
4 Therefore, concerning the eating of (H)things sacrificed to idols, we know that [a]an idol is (I)nothing in the world, and that (J)there is no God but one. 5 For even if (K)there are so-called gods whether in heaven or on earth, as indeed there are many gods and many lords, 6 yet for us (L)there is one God, (M)the Father, (N)from whom are all things and we exist for Him, and (O)one Lord, Jesus Christ, (P)by whom are all things, and we exist through Him.
7 However, not all men (Q)have this knowledge; but (R)some, being accustomed to the idol until now, eat food as if it were sacrificed to an idol; and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. 8 But (S)food will not [b]commend us to God. We neither lack if we do not eat, nor abound if we do eat. 9 But (T)see to it that this [c]authority of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the (U)weak. 10 For if someone sees you, who have (V)knowledge, dining in an idol’s temple, will not his conscience, if he is weak, be built up to eat (W)things sacrificed to idols? 11 For through (X)your knowledge he who is weak (Y)is ruined, the brother for whose sake Christ died. 12 (Z)And in that way, by sinning against the brothers and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin (AA)against Christ. 13 Therefore, (AB)if food causes my brother to stumble, I will never eat meat again—ever, so that I will not cause my brother to stumble.
Yahweh Is Our Help and Our Shield
33 (A)Sing for joy in Yahweh, O righteous ones;
Praise is (B)becoming to the upright.
2 Give thanks to Yahweh with the (C)lyre;
Sing praises to Him with a (D)harp of ten strings.
3 Sing to Him a (E)new song;
Play skillfully with (F)a loud shout.
4 For the word of Yahweh (G)is upright,
And all His work is done (H)in faithfulness.
5 He (I)loves righteousness and justice;
The (J)earth is full of the lovingkindness of Yahweh.
6 By the (K)word of Yahweh the heavens were made,
And (L)by the breath of His mouth (M)all their host.
7 He gathers the (N)waters of the sea [a]as a heap;
He lays up the deeps in storehouses.
8 Let (O)all the earth fear Yahweh;
Let all the inhabitants of the world (P)stand in awe of Him.
9 For (Q)He spoke, and it was;
He commanded, and it [b]stood.
10 Yahweh (R)nullifies the counsel of the nations;
He frustrates the thoughts of the peoples.
11 The (S)counsel of Yahweh stands forever,
The (T)thoughts of His heart from generation to generation.
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