Study Desk

They pledged themselves to send away their wives, and their guilt offering was a ram of the flock for their guilt.

When I heard these words I sat down and wept, and mourned for days, fasting and praying before the God of heaven.

let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer of your servant that I now pray before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel, confessing the sins of the people of Israel, which we have sinned against you. Both I and my family have sinned.

and a letter to Asaph, the keeper of the king's forest, directing him to give me timber to make beams for the gates of the temple fortress, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall occupy." And the king granted me what I asked, for the gracious hand of my God was upon me.

So I came to Jerusalem and was there for three days.

Then I got up during the night, I and a few men with me; I told no one what my God had put into my heart to do for Jerusalem. The only animal I took was the animal I rode.

Then I went on to the Fountain Gate and to the King's Pool; but there was no place for the animal I was riding to continue.

After him the Levites made repairs: Rehum son of Bani; next to him Hashabiah, ruler of half the district of Keilah, made repairs for his district.

Hear, O our God, for we are despised; turn their taunt back on their own heads, and give them over as plunder in a land of captivity.

Do not cover their guilt, and do not let their sin be blotted out from your sight; for they have hurled insults in the face of the builders.

So we rebuilt the wall, and all the wall was joined together to half its height; for the people had a mind to work.

After I looked these things over, I stood up and said to the nobles and the officials and the rest of the people, "Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord , who is great and awesome, and fight for your kin, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes."

Rally to us wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet. Our God will fight for us."

I also said to the people at that time, "Let every man and his servant pass the night inside Jerusalem, so that they may be a guard for us by night and may labor by day."

For there were those who said, "With our sons and our daughters, we are many; we must get grain, so that we may eat and stay alive."

Indeed, I devoted myself to the work on this wall, and acquired no land; and all my servants were gathered there for the work.

Now that which was prepared for one day was one ox and six choice sheep; also fowls were prepared for me, and every ten days skins of wine in abundance; yet with all this I did not demand the food allowance of the governor, because of the heavy burden of labor on the people.

Remember for my good, O my God, all that I have done for this people.

In the same way Sanballat for the fifth time sent his servant to me with an open letter in his hand.

—for they all wanted to frighten us, thinking, "Their hands will drop from the work, and it will not be done." But now, O God, strengthen my hands.