The King James Version of the Bible
Part 162
2253 words | Chapter 162
e gate repaired the priests, every one over
against his house.
3:29 After them repaired Zadok the son of Immer over against his
house.
After him repaired also Shemaiah the son of Shechaniah, the keeper of
the east gate.
3:30 After him repaired Hananiah the son of Shelemiah, and Hanun the
sixth son of Zalaph, another piece. After him repaired Meshullam the
son of Berechiah over against his chamber.
3:31 After him repaired Malchiah the goldsmith’s son unto the place of
the Nethinims, and of the merchants, over against the gate Miphkad,
and to the going up of the corner.
3:32 And between the going up of the corner unto the sheep gate
repaired the goldsmiths and the merchants.
4:1 But it came to pass, that when Sanballat heard that we builded the
wall, he was wroth, and took great indignation, and mocked the Jews.
4:2 And he spake before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and
said, What do these feeble Jews? will they fortify themselves? will
they sacrifice? will they make an end in a day? will they revive the
stones out of the heaps of the rubbish which are burned? 4:3 Now
Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, Even that which they
build, if a fox go up, he shall even break down their stone wall.
4:4 Hear, O our God; for we are despised: and turn their reproach upon
their own head, and give them for a prey in the land of captivity: 4:5
And cover not their iniquity, and let not their sin be blotted out
from before thee: for they have provoked thee to anger before the
builders.
4:6 So built we the wall; and all the wall was joined together unto
the half thereof: for the people had a mind to work.
4:7 But it came to pass, that when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and the
Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites, heard that the walls
of Jerusalem were made up, and that the breaches began to be stopped,
then they were very wroth, 4:8 And conspired all of them together to
come and to fight against Jerusalem, and to hinder it.
4:9 Nevertheless we made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch
against them day and night, because of them.
4:10 And Judah said, The strength of the bearers of burdens is
decayed, and there is much rubbish; so that we are not able to build
the wall.
4:11 And our adversaries said, They shall not know, neither see, till
we come in the midst among them, and slay them, and cause the work to
cease.
4:12 And it came to pass, that when the Jews which dwelt by them came,
they said unto us ten times, From all places whence ye shall return
unto us they will be upon you.
4:13 Therefore set I in the lower places behind the wall, and on the
higher places, I even set the people after their families with their
swords, their spears, and their bows.
4:14 And I looked, and rose up, and said unto the nobles, and to the
rulers, and to the rest of the people, Be not ye afraid of them:
remember the LORD, which is great and terrible, and fight for your
brethren, your sons, and your daughters, your wives, and your houses.
4:15 And it came to pass, when our enemies heard that it was known
unto us, and God had brought their counsel to nought, that we returned
all of us to the wall, every one unto his work.
4:16 And it came to pass from that time forth, that the half of my
servants wrought in the work, and the other half of them held both the
spears, the shields, and the bows, and the habergeons; and the rulers
were behind all the house of Judah.
4:17 They which builded on the wall, and they that bare burdens, with
those that laded, every one with one of his hands wrought in the work,
and with the other hand held a weapon.
4:18 For the builders, every one had his sword girded by his side, and
so builded. And he that sounded the trumpet was by me.
4:19 And I said unto the nobles, 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.
4:20 In what place therefore ye hear the sound of the trumpet, resort
ye thither unto us: our God shall fight for us.
4:21 So we laboured in the work: and half of them held the spears from
the rising of the morning till the stars appeared.
4:22 Likewise at the same time said I unto the people, Let every one
with his servant lodge within Jerusalem, that in the night they may be
a guard to us, and labour on the day.
4:23 So neither I, nor my brethren, nor my servants, nor the men of
the guard which followed me, none of us put off our clothes, saving
that every one put them off for washing.
5:1 And there was a great cry of the people and of their wives against
their brethren the Jews.
5:2 For there were that said, We, our sons, and our daughters, are
many: therefore we take up corn for them, that we may eat, and live.
5:3 Some also there were that said, We have mortgaged our lands,
vineyards, and houses, that we might buy corn, because of the dearth.
5:4 There were also that said, We have borrowed money for the king’s
tribute, and that upon our lands and vineyards.
5:5 Yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren, our children as
their children: and, lo, we bring into bondage our sons and our
daughters to be servants, and some of our daughters are brought unto
bondage already: neither is it in our power to redeem them; for other
men have our lands and vineyards.
5:6 And I was very angry when I heard their cry and these words.
5:7 Then I consulted with myself, and I rebuked the nobles, and the
rulers, and said unto them, Ye exact usury, every one of his brother.
And I set a great assembly against them.
5:8 And I said unto them, We after our ability have redeemed our
brethren the Jews, which were sold unto the heathen; and will ye even
sell your brethren? or shall they be sold unto us? Then held they
their peace, and found nothing to answer.
5:9 Also I said, It is not good that ye do: ought ye not to walk in
the fear of our God because of the reproach of the heathen our
enemies? 5:10 I likewise, and my brethren, and my servants, might
exact of them money and corn: I pray you, let us leave off this usury.
5:11 Restore, I pray you, to them, even this day, their lands, their
vineyards, their oliveyards, and their houses, also the hundredth part
of the money, and of the corn, the wine, and the oil, that ye exact of
them.
5:12 Then said they, We will restore them, and will require nothing of
them; so will we do as thou sayest. Then I called the priests, and
took an oath of them, that they should do according to this promise.
5:13 Also I shook my lap, and said, So God shake out every man from
his house, and from his labour, that performeth not this promise, even
thus be he shaken out, and emptied. And all the congregation said,
Amen, and praised the LORD. And the people did according to this
promise.
5:14 Moreover from the time that I was appointed to be their governor
in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year even unto the two and
thirtieth year of Artaxerxes the king, that is, twelve years, I and my
brethren have not eaten the bread of the governor.
5:15 But the former governors that had been before me were chargeable
unto the people, and had taken of them bread and wine, beside forty
shekels of silver; yea, even their servants bare rule over the people:
but so did not I, because of the fear of God.
5:16 Yea, also I continued in the work of this wall, neither bought we
any land: and all my servants were gathered thither unto the work.
5:17 Moreover there were at my table an hundred and fifty of the Jews
and rulers, beside those that came unto us from among the heathen that
are about us.
5:18 Now that which was prepared for me daily was one ox and six
choice sheep; also fowls were prepared for me, and once in ten days
store of all sorts of wine: yet for all this required not I the bread
of the governor, because the bondage was heavy upon this people.
5:19 Think upon me, my God, for good, according to all that I have
done for this people.
6:1 Now it came to pass when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and Geshem the
Arabian, and the rest of our enemies, heard that I had builded the
wall, and that there was no breach left therein; (though at that time
I had not set up the doors upon the gates;) 6:2 That Sanballat and
Geshem sent unto me, saying, Come, let us meet together in some one of
the villages in the plain of Ono. But they thought to do me mischief.
6:3 And I sent messengers unto them, saying, I am doing a great work,
so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave
it, and come down to you? 6:4 Yet they sent unto me four times after
this sort; and I answered them after the same manner.
6:5 Then sent Sanballat his servant unto me in like manner the fifth
time with an open letter in his hand; 6:6 Wherein was written, It is
reported among the heathen, and Gashmu saith it, that thou and the
Jews think to rebel: for which cause thou buildest the wall, that thou
mayest be their king, according to these words.
6:7 And thou hast also appointed prophets to preach of thee at
Jerusalem, saying, There is a king in Judah: and now shall it be
reported to the king according to these words. Come now therefore, and
let us take counsel together.
6:8 Then I sent unto him, saying, There are no such things done as
thou sayest, but thou feignest them out of thine own heart.
6:9 For they all made us afraid, saying, Their hands shall be weakened
from the work, that it be not done. Now therefore, O God, strengthen
my hands.
6:10 Afterward I came unto the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah
the son of Mehetabeel, who was shut up; and he said, Let us meet
together in the house of God, within the temple, and let us shut the
doors of the temple: for they will come to slay thee; yea, in the
night will they come to slay thee.
6:11 And I said, Should such a man as I flee? and who is there, that,
being as I am, would go into the temple to save his life? I will not
go in.
6:12 And, lo, I perceived that God had not sent him; but that he
pronounced this prophecy against me: for Tobiah and Sanballat had
hired him.
6:13 Therefore was he hired, that I should be afraid, and do so, and
sin, and that they might have matter for an evil report, that they
might reproach me.
6:14 My God, think thou upon Tobiah and Sanballat according to these
their works, and on the prophetess Noadiah, and the rest of the
prophets, that would have put me in fear.
6:15 So the wall was finished in the twenty and fifth day of the month
Elul, in fifty and two days.
6:16 And it came to pass, that when all our enemies heard thereof, and
all the heathen that were about us saw these things, they were much
cast down in their own eyes: for they perceived that this work was
wrought of our God.
6:17 Moreover in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters unto
Tobiah, and the letters of Tobiah came unto them.
6:18 For there were many in Judah sworn unto him, because he was the
son in law of Shechaniah the son of Arah; and his son Johanan had
taken the daughter of Meshullam the son of Berechiah.
6:19 Also they reported his good deeds before me, and uttered my words
to him. And Tobiah sent letters to put me in fear.
7:1 Now it came to pass, when the wall was built, and I had set up the
doors, and the porters and the singers and the Levites were appointed,
7:2 That I gave my brother Hanani, and Hananiah the ruler of the
palace, charge over Jerusalem: for he was a faithful man, and feared
God above many.
7:3 And I said unto them, Let not the gates of Jerusalem be opened
until the sun be hot; and while they stand by, let them shut the
doors, and bar them: and appoint watches of the inhabitants of
Jerusalem, every one in his watch, and every one to be over against
his house.
7:4 Now the city was large and great:
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