Study Desk

After them Zadok son of Immer made repairs opposite his house. And beside him Shemaiah son of Shecaniah, guard of the East Gate, made repairs.

before his colleagues and the powerful men of Samaria, and said, “What are these pathetic Jews doing? Can they restore it by themselves? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they ever finish it? Can they bring these burnt stones back to life from the mounds of rubble?”

When our enemies heard that we knew their scheme and that God had frustrated it, every one of us returned to his own work on the wall.

Each of the builders had his sword strapped around his waist while he was building, and the trumpeter was beside me.

At that time, I also said to the people, “Let everyone and his servant spend the night inside Jerusalem, so that they can stand guard by night and work by day.”

And I, my brothers, my servants, and the men of the guard with me never took off our clothes. Each carried his weapon, even when washing.

After seriously considering the matter, I accused the nobles and officials, saying to them, “Each of you is charging his countrymen interest.” So I called a large assembly against them

I also shook the folds of my robe and said, “May God likewise shake from his house and property everyone who doesn’t keep this promise. May he be shaken out and have nothing!”

Furthermore, from the day King Artaxerxes appointed me to be their governor in the land of Judah—from the twentieth year until his thirty-second year, twelve years—I and my associates never ate from the food allotted to the governor.

Sanballat sent me this same message a fifth time by his aide, who had an open letter in his hand.

I went to the house of Shemaiah son of Delaiah, son of Mehetabel, who was restricted to his house. He said:

For many in Judah were bound by oath to him, since he was a son-in-law of Shecaniah son of Arah, and his son Jehohanan had married the daughter of Meshullam son of Berechiah.

These are the people of the province who went up among the captive exiles deported by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. Each of them returned to Jerusalem and Judah, to his own town.

The scribe Ezra stood on a high wooden platform made for this purpose. Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah stood beside him on his right; to his left were Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hash-baddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam.

You, the Lord,are the God who chose Abramand brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans,and changed his name to Abraham.

You found his heart faithful in your sight,and made a covenant with himto give the land of the Canaanites,Hethites, Amorites, Perizzites,Jebusites, and Girgashites—to give it to his descendants.You have fulfilled your promise,for you are righteous.

You performed signs and wonders against Pharaoh,all his officials, and all the people of his land,for you knew how arrogantly they treated our ancestors.You made a name for yourselfthat endures to this day.

So now, our God—the great, mighty,and awe-inspiring God who keeps his gracious covenant—do not view lightly all the hardships that have afflicted us,our kings and leaders,our priests and prophets,our ancestors and all your people,from the days of the Assyrian kings until today.

These are the heads of the province who stayed in Jerusalem (but in the villages of Judah each lived on his own property in their towns—the Israelites, priests, Levites, temple servants, and descendants of Solomon’s servants—

and his relatives, the heads of families: 242. Amashsai son of Azarel, son of Ahzai, son of Meshillemoth, son of Immer,