Study Desk

And I told them how the hand of my God had been favorable to me and also about the king's words which he had spoken to me. Then they said, "Let's arise and build." So they put their hands to the good work.

But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab heard about it, they mocked us and despised us, and said, "What is this thing that you are doing? Are you rebelling against the king?"

Then Eliashib the high priest arose with his brothers the priests and built the Sheep Gate; they consecrated it and installed its doors. They consecrated the wall to the Tower of the Hundred and the Tower of Hananel.

Now the sons of Hassenaah built the Fish Gate; they laid its beams and installed its doors with its bolts and bars.

Now Joiada the son of Paseah and Meshullam the son of Besodeiah repaired the Ancient Gate; they laid its beams and installed its doors with its bolts and its bars.

Next to him Uzziel the son of Harhaiah of the goldsmiths made repairs. And next to him Hananiah, one of the perfumers, made repairs, and they restored Jerusalem as far as the Broad Wall.

Hanun and the inhabitants of Zanoah repaired the Valley Gate. They built it and installed its doors with its bolts and its bars, and a thousand cubits of the wall to the Dung Gate.

And he spoke in the presence of his brothers and the wealthy people of Samaria and said, "What are these feeble Jews doing? Are they going to restore the temple for themselves? Can they offer sacrifices? Can they finish it in a day? Can they revive the stones from the heaps of rubble, even the burned ones?"

Now Tobiah the Ammonite was near him, and he said, "Even what they are building—if a fox were to jump on it, it would break their stone wall down!"

Do not forgive their guilt and do not let their sin be wiped out before You, for they have demoralized the builders.

Now when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites heard that the repair of the walls of Jerusalem went on, and that the breaches began to be closed, they were very angry.

And our enemies said, "They will not know or see until we come among them, kill them, and put a stop to the work."

When the Jews who lived near them came and told us ten times, "They will come up against us from every place where you may turn,"

At that time I also said to the people, "Each man with his servant shall spend the night within Jerusalem, so that they may be a guard for us by night and a laborer by day."

And I said to them, "We, according to our ability, have redeemed our Jewish brothers who were sold to the nations; now would you even sell your brothers that they may be sold to us?" Then they were silent and could not find a word to say.

Then they said, "We will give it back and will require nothing from them; we will do exactly as you say." So I called the priests and made them take an oath to act in accordance with this promise.

I also shook out the front of my garment and said, "So may God shake out every person from his house and from his possessions who does not keep this promise; just so may he be shaken out and emptied." And all the assembly said, "Amen!" And they praised the LORD. Then the people acted in accordance with this promise.

Sanballat and Geshem sent a message to me, saying, "Come, let's meet together at Chephirim in the plain of Ono." But they were plotting to harm me.

Then they sent messages to me four times worded in this way, and I answered them with the same wording.

For all of them were trying to frighten us, thinking, "They will become discouraged with the work and it will not be done." But now, God, strengthen my hands.