Nehemiah's liberality. NEHEMIAH.-CHAP. VI., VII. Insidious conduct of Sanballat. B. C. 445. day, their lands, their vineyards, their olive- | 4. M. 3559. to the king according to these words. Come yards, and their houses, also the hundredth part of the money, and of the corn, the wine, and the oil, that ye exact of them. 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. 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. m 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. j2Ki.23.2,3. Ezr. 10.5. Je.34.8,9. 1 now therefore, and let us take counsel together. 8 Then I sent unto him, saying, There are no such things done as thou sayest, but thou Mat.10.14 feignest them out of thine own heart. Ac. 13.51. 18.6. empty, or, void. m De 27.15, &c. 2K13 o c. 13.6. plCo.9.4,15 q Pr. 16.6. 12.13. 2C11.9. ver.9. t FB.37.21, u P8.40.17. c. 13.22. v Mat. 25.40 Ma.9.41. 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. 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. 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. 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. 15 But the former governors that had been before me were chargeable unto the people, 13 Therefore I was he hired, that I should be and had taken of them bread and wine, be afraid, and do so, and m sin, and that they side forty shekels of silver; yea, even their a c.2.10,19. might have matter for an evil report, that they servants bare rule over the people: but so did not I, because of the fear of God. 4.1,7. b or, Gash mu. ver.6. e Pr.26.24, 25. 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. 17 Moreover there were at my table & hun-1 Ch.8.12 dred and fifty of the Jews and rulers, beside those that came unto us from among the hea-e P.37.12, then that are about us. 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 lays 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. 19 Think "upon me, my God, for good, according to all that I have done for this people. might reproach me. 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. 15 So the wall was finished in the twenty and fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty and two days. 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. 17 Moreover in those days the nobles of Judah P sent many letters unto Tobiah, and the letters of Tobiah came unto them. 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. 19 Also they reported his good deeds before me, and uttered my words to him. And Tobiah sent letters to put me in fear. 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 qor, matters. the inhabitants of Jerusalem, every one in his watch, and every one to be over against his house. a c.6.1. 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 b Ac.6.3,5. thou buildest the wall, that thou mayest be their king, according to these words. c Ex.18.21. врасев. 7 And thou hast also appointed prophets to a broad in preach of thee at Jerusalem, saying, There is a king in Judah: and now shall it be reported | • Eu.7.27. genealogy. And I found a register of the genealogy of them which came up at the first, - and found written therein, B. C. 445. f1 Ch.9.1, B. C. 536. These are the children of the province, that went up out of the captivity, of those that A. M. 3468. had been carried away, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away, and came again to Jerusalem and to Judah, every one unto his city; Who came with i Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Morlecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, Baanah. The number, I say, of the men of the people of Israel was this; 8 The children of Parosh, two thousand a hundred seventy and two. 9 The children of Shephatiah, three hundred seventy and two. 10 The children of Arah, six hundred fifty and two. 11 The children of Pahath-moab, of the children of Jeshua and Joab, two thousand and eight hundred and eighteen. 12 The children of Elam, a thousand two hundred fifty and four. 13 The children of Zattu, eight hundred forty and five. 14 The children of Zaccai, seven hundred and threescore. 15 The children of Binnui, six hundred forty and eight. 16 The children of Bebai, six hundred twenty and eight. 17 The children of Azgad, two thousand three hundred twenty and two. 18 The children of Adonikam, six hundred threescore and seven. 19 The children of Bigvai, two thousand threescore and seven. 20 The children of Adin, six hundred fifty and five. 21 The children of Ater of Hezekiah, ninety and eight. 22 The children of Hashum, three hundred twenty and eight. 23 The children of Bezai, three hundred twenty and four. 24 The children of Hariph, a hundred and twelve. 25 The children of Gibeon, ninety and five. 26 The men of Beth-lehem and Netophah, a hundred fourscore and eight. 27 The men of Anathoth, a hundred twenty and eight. g Ezr.2.1. b 2 KL.24.14 i Hag.1.1. jor, Seraiah. and register of their families of the house of Jeshua, nine hundred seventy and three. 40 The children of Immer, a thousand fifty and two. 41 The children of Pashur, a thousand two hundred forty and seven. 42 The children of Harim, a thousand and seventeen. 43 The Levites: the children of Jeshua, of Kadmiel, and of the children of Hodevah, seventy and four. 44 The singers: the children of Asaph, a hun dred forty and eight. 45 The porters: the children of Shallum, the children of Ater, the children of Talmon, the kor, Bani. children of Akkub, the children of Hatita, the children of Shobai, a hundred thirty and eight 46 The Nethinims: the children of Ziha, the children of Hashupha, the children of Tabbaboth, 1 or, Jora. m or, Gib n or, Azma- o or, Kir. P ver.12 q1 Ch.24.7, r1 Ch.9.12. 53 The children of Bakbuk, the children of Hakupha, the children of Harhur, 54 The children of Bazlith, the children of Mehida, the children of Harsha, 55 The children of Barkos, the children of Sisera, the children of Tamalı, 56 The children of Neziah, the children of or, Hada Hatipha. vigh Ezr.2.40. or, Juda Ezr.3.9. 57 The children of Solomon's servants: the children of Sotai, the children of Sophereth, the children of Perida, 58 The children of Jaala, the children of u or, Sham- Darkon, the children of Giddel, lai. vor, Ne- w or, Baz- x or, Pe- y or, Ami. z Ezr. 2.59. 28 The men of " Beth-azmaveth, forty and two. 29 The men of Kirjath-jearim, Chephirah, and Beeroth, seven hundred forty and three. a or, Ad 30 The men of Ramah and Gaba, six hundred twenty and one. 31 The men of Michmas, a hundred and twenty and two. 32 The men of Beth-el and Ai, a hundred twenty and three. dan. ber, pedi gree. e28a. 17.27. 19.31..39. 1 KL.2.7. 59 The children of Shephatiah, the children of Hattil, the children of Pochereth of Zebaim, the children of Amon. 60 All the Nethinims, and the children of Solomon's servants, were three hundred ninety and two. 33 The men of the other Nebo, fifty and two. Ma 2211 called after their name. 34 The children of the other Elam, a thousand two hundred fifty and four. 35 The children of Harim, three hundred and twenty. 36 The children of Jericho, three hundred forty and five. 37 The children of Lod, Hadid, and Ono, seven hundred twenty and one. 3 71 And some of the chief of the fathers gave to the treasure of the work twenty thousand | drams of gold, and two thousand and two hundred pounds of silver. 72 And that which the rest of the people gave was twenty thousand drams of gold, and two thousand pounds of silver, and threescore and seven priests' garments. 73 So the priests, and the Levites, and the porters, and the singers, and some of the people, and the Nethinims, and all Israel, dwelt in their cities; and when the seventh month came, the children of Israel were in their cities. CHAPTER VIII. 1 The religious manner of reading and hearing the law. 9 They comfort the people. 13 The forwardness of them to hear and be instructed. 16 They keep the feast of tabernacles. A ND all the people gathered themselves together as one man into the street that was before the water-gate; and they spake unto Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded to Israel. 2 And Ezra the priest brought the law before the congregation both of men and women, and all that could hear with understanding, upon the first day of the seventh month. 3 And he read therein before the street that was before the water-gate from the & morning until mid-day, before the men and the women,| and those that could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive unto the book of the law. h 4 And Ezra the scribe stood upon a 1 pulpit of wood, which they had made for the purpose; and beside him stood Mattithiah, and Shema, and Anaiah, and Urijah, and Hilkiah, and Maaseiah, on his right hand; and on his left hand, Pedaiah, and Mishael, and Malchiah, and Hashum, and Hashbadana, Zechariah, and Meshullam. 5 And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people; (for he was above all the people ;) and when he opened it, all the people stood up: 6 And Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God. And all the people answered, Amen, Amen, with "lifting up their hands: and they bowed their heads, and worshipped the LORD with their faces to the ground. 7 Also Jeshua, and Bani, and Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodijah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites, P caused the people to understand the law: and the people stood in their place. c Ezr.7.6. d Ac.15.21. e under Le.23.24. light. h tower. i La.4.16, &c. J eyes. k Ju.3.20. n Ps.63.4. o Ex.12.27. W 11 So the Levites stilled all the people, saying, Hold your peace, for the day is holy : neither be ye grieved. 12 And all the people went their way to eat, and to drink, and to send portions, and to make great mirth, because they had understood the words that were declared unto them. 13 And on the second day were gathered together the chief of the fathers of all the people, the priests, and the Levites, unto Ezra the scribe, even to understand the words of the law. с 14 And they found written in the law which the LORD had commanded by Moses, that the children of Israel should dwell in booths d in the feast of the seventh month: 15 And that they should publish and proclaim in all their cities, and in Jerusalem, 2 Ch.20.18 saying, Go forth unto the mount, and fetch De 33.10 olive-branches, and pine-branches, and myrCh17tle-branches, and palm-branches, and branchIes of thick trees, to make booths, as it is L.2427, written. Mal.2.7. 16 So the people went forth, and brought them, and made themselves booths, every one upon the roof of his house, and in their courts, and in the courts of the house of God, and in the street of the water-gate, and in the street of the gate of Ephraim. 17 And all the congregation of them that were come again out of the captivity made booths, and sat under the booths: for since the days of Jeshua the son of Nun unto that day had not the children of Israel done so. And there was very great gladness. 18 Also day by day, from the first day unto the last day, he read in the book of the law of God. And they kept the feast seven days; and on the eighth day was a i solemn assembly, according unto the manner. CHAPTER IX. 1 A solemn fast, and repentance of the people. 4 The Levites make a religious confession of God's goodness, and their wickedness. NOW in the twenty and fourth day of this month the children of Israel were assemthey might bled with fasting, and with sackclothes, and earth upon them. instruct in. by the hand of. 2 And the seed of Israel separated themselves b from all strangers, and stood and confessed their sins, and the iniquities of their fathers. 3 And they stood up in their place, and read 1237,39d in the book of the law of the LORD their God Ch.30.21. one fourth part of the day; and another fourth part they confessed, and worshipped the LORD their God. h De.31.10.. restraint a 1 Sa.4.12. 4 ¶ Then stood up upon the stairs, of the Levites, Jeshua, and Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Chenani, and cried with a loud voice unto the LORD their God. 5 Then the Levites, Jeshua, and Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabniah, Sherebiah, Hodijah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah, said, Stand up and P.135.1,2 bless the LORD your God for ever and ever: and blessed be thy glorious name, which is exalted above i all blessing and praise. h1Ch.29.13. i Ps. 16.2. The Levites make B. C. 445. G.1.1. Ex.20.11. 22 Moreover thou gavest them kingdoms and nations, and didst divide them into corners: so they possessed the land of Sihon, and the land of the king of Heshbon, and the land of Og king of Bashan. NEHEMIAH.-CHAP. IX. 6 Thou, even thou, art LORD alone; thou | 4. M. 3559, hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth, and all things that are therein, the seas, and all that is therein, and thou preservest them all; and the host of heaven worshippeth thee. 7 Thou art the LORD the God, who didst choose Abram, and broughtest him forth out of Ur of the Chaldees, and gavest him thep Ge.17.5. name P of Abraham; m 8 And foundest his heart faithful before thee, and madest a covenant with him to give the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Jebusites, and the Girgashites, to give it, I say, to his seed, and hast performed thy words; for thou art righteous: 9 And didst see the affliction of our fathers in Egypt, and heardest their cry by "the Red sea; 10 And showedst signs and wonders upon Pharaoh, and on all his servants, and on all the people of his land: for thou knewest that they dealt proudly w against them. So didst thou get thee a name, as it is this day. W m Pe 36.6. Re.5.11.. 13. o Ge. 121. q Ge.15.6,18 8 Jos.23.14. 23 Their children also multipliedst thou as the stars of heaven, and broughtest them into the land, concerning which thou hadst promised to their fathers, that they should go in to possess it. 24 So the children P went in and possessed the land, and 9 thou subduedst before them the u Ex.14.10. inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, and gavest them into their hands, with their kings, and the people of the land, that they might do with them as they would. v Ex.c.7.. w Ex.18.11. x Is.63.12.. yEx.c.14,15 22. a Ex. 20,&c c Ex.16.14, Nu.20.7.. 11 And thou didst divide the sea before Ex.17.6. them, so that they went through the midst of the sea on the dry land; and their persecu-e lift up tors thou threwest into the deeps, as a stone into the mighty waters. thy hand. f De.31.27. P6.5,15 i of par- Ex.32.4. Is 44.21. m De.2.7. o Nu.21.21, Jos.21.43, 45. 15 And gavest them bread from heaven for their hunger, and broughtest forth water d for p Nu.14.31. them out of the rock for their thirst, and promisedst them that they should go in to possess the land which thou hadst sworn to give them. 16 But they and our fathers dealt proudly, and hardened their necks, and hearkened not to thy commandments, P44.2,3 to their s or, cia 28 But after they had rest, they did evil again before thee: therefore leftest thou them in the hand of their enemies, so that they had the dominion over them: yet when they returned, and cried unto thee, thou heardest them from heaven; and many times didst thou deliver them according to thy mercies; 29 And testifiedst against them, that thou mightest bring them again unto thy law: yet they dealt proudly, and hearkened not unto thy commandments, but sinned against thy judgments, (which if a man do, he shall live in them;) and withdrew the shoulder, and hardened their neck, and would not hear. 30 Yet many years didst thou forbear them, and testifiedst against them by thy spirit din J.211.12 thy prophets: yet would they not give ear: therefore gavest thou them into the hand o. the people of the lands. t trees of u De.32 15. Eze.20.21 w Ps. 50.17. 17 And refused to obey, neither were mindful of thy wonders that thou didst among them; but hardened their necks, and in their rebellion appointed a captain to return to their bondage: but thou art a God i ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, y Pa. 106.41. and of great kindness, and forsookest them not. 18 Yea, when they had made them a molten calf, and said, This is thy God that brought thee up out of Egypt, and had wrought great provocations; с 31 Nevertheless for thy great mercies' sake thou didst not utterly consume them, nor forsake them; for thou art a gracious and merciful God. 32 Now therefore, our God, the great, the mighty, and the terrible God, who keepest covenant and mercy, let not all the trouble seem little before thee, that hath come upon us, on our kings, on our princes, and on our priests, and on our prophets, and on our fathers, and on all thy people, since the time of the kings of Assyria unto this day. 33 Howbeit thou art just in all that is brought upon us; for thou hast done right, but we have done wickedly: 34 Neither have our kings, our princes, our priests, nor our fathers, kept thy law, nor hearkened unto thy commandments and thy testimonies, wherewith thou didst testify 2KL.17.13. * against them. i Pa.106.6. k De.31.21. 1 De.28.47. 35 For they have not served thee in their Sealing of the covenant. B. C. 445. Renewal of sacred rites. ourselves yearly with the third part of a shekel for the service of the house of our God; NEHEMIAH.-CHAP. X., XI. kingdom, and in thy great goodness that thou | AM gavest them, and in the large and fat m land which thou gavest before them, neither turned they from their wicked works. 36 Behold, we are servants "this day, and for the land that thou gavest unto our fathers to eat the fruit thereof and the good thereof, behold, we are servants in it: m De.31.21. n Ezr.9.9. o De.28.33. ch10 2Ch.29.10 c. 10.29. qare at the sealing, at the sealings. 37 And it yieldeth much increase unto the • kings whom thou hast set over us because of our sins: also they have dominion over our bodies, and over our cattle, at their plea-bor, gosure, and we are in great distress. vernor. 0.8.9. c c.1.1. 33 For the shew-bread, and for the continual 'meat-offering, and for the continual burntoffering, of the sabbaths, of the new moons, for the set feasts, and for the holy things, and for the sin-offerings to make an atonement for Israel and for all the work of the house of our God. 34 And we cast the lots among the priests, the Levites, and the people, for the "wood-offering, to bring it into the house of our God, after the houses of our fathers, at times appointed year by year, to burn upon the altar 38 And because of all this we make P a sure covenant, and write it; and our princes, Le- dc. 121,&c. of the LORD our God, as it is written in the vites, and priests, seal unto it. law: CHAPTER X. I The names of them that sealed the covenant. 29 The points of the covenant. a NOW those that sealed were, Nehemiah, 2 d Seraiah, Azariah, Jeremiah, с e Ezr.2.3, f Ez.2.36. g Le. 20.24. c.9.2; 13.3 i c.82. j De.29.12, c. 5. 12,13. 35 And to bring the first-fruits of our ground, and the first-fruits of all fruit of all trees, year by year, unto the house of the LORD: 36 Also the first-born of our sons, and of our cattle, as it is written in the law, and the firstlings of our herds and of our flocks, to bring to the house of our God, unto the priests that minister in the house of our God: 37 And that we should bring the first-fruits of our dough, and our offerings, and the a 8 Maaziah, Bilgai, Shemaiah: these were the k 2Ch.34.31 fruit of all manner of trees, of wine and of priests. 29 They clave to their brethren, their nobles, and entered into a curse, and into an oath, to walk in God's law, which was given by Moses the servant of God, and to observe and do all the commandments of the LORD d De. 12.6, jamin. Of the children of Judah; Athaiah the 2Ch.31. 11. e c.13.10.. our Lord, and his judgments and his statutes; 31 And if the people of the land bring ware or any victuals on the "sabbath day to sell, that we would not buy it of them on the sabbath, or on the holy day: and that we would leave the seventh year, and the exaction P of every debt. 32 Also we made ordinances for us, to charge 4 And at Jerusalem dwelt certain of the children of Judah, and of the children of Ben son of Uzziah, the son of Zechariah, the son of Amariah, the son of Shephatiah, the son of Mahalaleel, of the children of Perez; 5 And Maaseiah the son of Baruch, the son of Col-hozeh, the son of Hazaiah, the son of Adaiah, the son of Joiarib, the son of Zechariah, the son of Shiloni. 6 All the sons of Perez that dwelt at Jerusalem were four hundred threescore and eight valiant men. 7 And these are the sons of Benjamin; Sallu |