1 Or, laid

2 Or, at the rate of

3 Or, lorded

over

4 Heb. held fast to.

have not eaten the bread of the governor. But 15 the former governors that were before me 'were burdens upon chargeable unto the people, and took of them bread and wine, 'beside forty shekels of silver; Or, afterward yea, even their servants 'bare rule over the people but so did not I, because of the fear of God. Yea, also I continued in the work of 16 this wall, neither bought we any land: and all my servants were gathered thither unto the work. Moreover there were at my table of the 17 Or, deputies Jews and the rulers an hundred and fifty men, beside those that came unto us from among the heathen that were round about us. Now 18 that which was prepared for one day 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 I demanded not the bread of the governor, because the bondage was heavy upon this people. Re- 19 member unto me, O my God, for good, all that I have done for this people.

Now it came to pass, when it was reported 1 6 to Sanballat and Tobiah, and to Geshem the Arabian, and unto the rest of our enemies, that I had builded the wall, and that there was no breach left therein; (though even unto that time I had not set up the doors in the gates ;) that Sanballat and Geshem sent unto me, say- 2 ing, Come, let us meet together in one of the villages in the plain of Ono. But they thought to do me mischief. And I sent messengers 3 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? And they sent unto me four times after 4 this sort; and I answered them after the same manner. Then sent Sanballat his servant unto 5 me in like manner the fifth time with an open

6 letter in his hand; wherein was written, It is
reported among the nations, and 'Gashmu saith
it, that thou and the Jews think to rebel; for
which cause thou buildest the wall: and thou
wouldest be their king, according to these words.
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,
8 and let us take counsel together. Then I sent
unto him, saying, There are no such things done
as thou sayest, but thou feignest them out of
9 thine own heart. For they all would have
made us afraid, saying, Their hands shall be
weakened from the work, that it be not done.
But now, O God, strengthen thou hands.
my
ΙΟ And I went unto the house of Shemaiah the
son of Delaiah the son of Mehetabel, 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
I slay thee. And I said, Should such a man as
I flee? and who is there, that, being such as I,
3 would go into the temple to save his life? I
12 will not go in. And I discerned, and, lo, God
had not sent him: but he pronounced this
prophecy against me: and Tobiah and Sanballat
13 had hired him. For this cause was he hired,
that I should be afraid, and do so, and sin,
and that they might have matter for an evil
14 report, that they might reproach me. Remem-

15

ber, O my God, Tobiah and Sanballat according to these their works, and also the prophetess Noadiah, and the rest of the prophets, that would have put me in fear.

So the wall was finished in the twenty and fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty and two days.

1 According to another

reading, saw.

And it came to pass, when all our enemies 16
heard thereof, that all the heathen that were
about us 'feared, and were much cast down
in their own eyes: for they perceived that
this work was wrought of our God. More- 17
over in those days the nobles of Judah sent
many letters unto Tobiah, and the letters of
Tobiah came unto them. For there were 18
many in Judah sworn unto 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
to wife. Also they spake of his good deeds 19
before me, and reported my words to him.
And Tobiah sent letters to put me in fear.

Now it came to pass, when the wall was built, 1 7
and I had set up the doors, and the porters and
the singers and the Levites were appointed,
that I gave my brother Hanani, and Hananiah 2
the governor of the castle, charge over Jeru-
salem: for he was a faithful man, and feared
God above many. And I said unto them, Let 3
not the gates of Jerusalem be opened until the
sun be hot; and while they stand on guard,
let them shut the doors, and bar ye them and
appoint watches of the inhabitants of Jerusalem,
every one in his watch, and every one to be
over against his house. Now the city was wide 4
and large but the people were few therein, and
the houses were not builded. And my God 5

put into my heart to gather together the nobles,

2 Or, deputies and the 'rulers, and the people, that they might be reckoned by genealogy. And I found the book of the genealogy of them which came up See Ezra ii. at the first, and I found written therein: "These 6 are the children of the province, that went up out of the captivity of those that had been carried away, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of

1, &c.

Babylon had carried away, and that returned unto Jerusalem and to Judah, every one unto 7 his city; who came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, Baanah. The number of the men of the people 8 of Israel: the children of Parosh, two thousand 9 an hundred and seventy and two. The children of Shephatiah, three hundred seventy and two. 10 The children of Arah, six hundred fifty and The children of Pahath-moab, of the children of Jeshua and Joab, two thousand and 12 eight hundred and eighteen. The children of

II two.

Elam, a thousand two hundred fifty and four. 13 The children of Zattu, eight hundred forty and 14 five. The children of Zaccai, seven hundred 15 and threescore. The children of Binnui, six 16 hundred forty and eight. The children of 17 Bebai, six hundred twenty and eight. The

children of Azgad, two thousand three hundred 18 twenty and two. The children of Adonikam, 19 six hundred threescore and seven. The children

of Bigvai, two thousand threescore and seven. 20 The children of Adin, six hundred fifty and 21 five. The children of Ater, of Hezekiah, ninety 22 and eight. The children of Hashum, three 23 hundred twenty and eight. The children of 24 Bezai, three hundred twenty and four. The

children of Hariph, an hundred and twelve. 25, 26 The children of Gibeon, ninety and five. The

men of Beth-lehem and Netophah, an hundred 27 fourscore and eight. The men of Anathoth, an 28 hundred twenty and eight. The men of Beth29 azmaveth, forty and two. The men of Kiriath

jearim, Chephirah, and Beeroth, seven hundred 30 forty and three. The men of Ramah and Geba, 31 six hundred twenty and one. The men of

Michmas, an hundred and twenty and two.

1 Another

reading is,
Hodeiah.

2 Another

reading is,
Nephishesim.

The men of Beth-el and Ai, an hundred twenty 32
and three. The men of the other Nebo, fifty 33
and two. The children of the other Elam, a 34
thousand two hundred fifty and four.
The 35
children of Harim, three hundred and twenty.
The children of Jericho, three hundred forty 36
and five. The children of Lod, Hadid, and 37
Ono, seven hundred twenty and one.
The 38
children of Senaah, three thousand nine hund-
red and thirty. The priests: the children of 39
Jedaiah, of the house of Jeshua, nine hundred
seventy and three. The children of Immer, a 40
thousand fifty and two. The children of Pash- 41
hur, a thousand two hundred forty and seven.
The children of Harim, a thousand and seven- 42
teen. The Levites: the children of Jeshua, 43
of Kadmiel, of the children of 'Hodevah, seventy
and four. The singers: the children of Asaph, 44
an hundred forty and eight. The porters: the 45
children of Shallum, the children of Ater, the
children of Talmon, the children of Akkub, the
children of Hatita, the children of Shobai, an
hundred thirty and eight. The Nethinim: the 46
children of Ziha, the children of Hasupha, the
children of Tabbaoth; the children of Keros, 47
the children of Sia, the children of Padon; the 48
children of Lebana, the children of Hagaba,
the children of Salmai; the children of Hanan, 49
the children of Giddel, the children of Gahar;
the children of Reaiah, the children of Rezin, 50
the children of Nekoda; the children of Gazzam, 51
the children of Uzza, the children of Paseah;
the children of Besai, the children of Meunim, 52
the children of 'Nephushesim; the children of 53
Bakbuk, the children of Hakupha, the children
of Harhur; the children of Bazlith, the children 54
of Mehida, the children of Harsha; the children 55
of Barkos, the children of Sisera, the children