Study Desk

"What is your request?" replied the king. So I prayed to the God of heaven

And may I have a letter to Asaph, keeper of the king's forest, so that he will give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel to the temple, for the city wall, and for the house I will occupy." And because the gracious hand of my God was upon me, the king granted my requests.

I set out at night with a few men. I did not tell anyone what my God had laid on my heart to do for Jerusalem. The only animal with me was the one on which I was riding.

I also told them about the gracious hand of my God upon me, and what the king had said to me. "Let us start rebuilding," they replied, and they set their hands to this good work.

So I answered them and said, "The God of heaven is the One who will grant us success. We, His servants, will start rebuilding, but you have no portion, right, or claim in Jerusalem."

Hear us, O God, for we are despised. Turn their scorn back upon their own heads, and let them be taken as plunder to a land of captivity.

So we prayed to our God and posted a guard against them day and night.

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

Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us!"

So I continued, "What you are doing is not right. Shouldn't you walk in the fear of our God to avoid the reproach of our foreign enemies?

I also shook out the folds of my robe and said, "May God likewise shake out of His house and possession every man who does not keep this promise. May such a man be shaken out and have nothing!" The whole assembly said, "Amen," and they praised the LORD. And the people did as they had promised.

The governors before me had heavily burdened the people, taking from them bread and wine plus forty shekels of silver. Their servants also oppressed the people, but I did not do this because of my fear of God.

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

For they were all trying to frighten us, saying, "Their hands will be weakened in the work, and it will never be finished." But now, my God, strengthen my hands.

Later, I went to the house of Shemaiah son of Delaiah, the son of Mehetabel, who was confined to his house. He said: "Let us meet at the house of God inside the temple. Let us shut the temple doors because they are coming to kill you-by night they are coming to kill you!"

I realized that God had not sent him, but that he had uttered this prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.

O my God, remember Tobiah and Sanballat for what they have done, and also Noadiah the prophetess and the other prophets who tried to intimidate me.

When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and disheartened, for they realized that this task had been accomplished by our God.

Then I put my brother Hanani in charge of Jerusalem, along with Hananiah the commander of the fortress, because he was a faithful man who feared God more than most.

Then my God put into my heart to assemble the nobles, the officials, and the people to be enrolled by genealogy. I found the genealogical register of those who had first returned, and I found the following written in it: