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Now when it was reported to Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab, and to the rest of our enemies that I had rebuilt the wall, and that no breach was left in it, ^(C1)although at that time I had not installed the doors in the gates,

Sanballat and Geshem sent a message to me, saying, "Come, let's meet together ^(F1)at Chephirim in the plain of ^(C1)Ono." But they were plotting to ^(F2)harm me.

So I sent messengers to them, saying, "I am doing a great work and am unable to come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and come down to you?"

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

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

In it was written: "It is reported among the nations, and ^(F1)Gashmu says, that ^(C1)you and the Jews intend to rebel; for that reason you are rebuilding the wall. And you are to be their king, according to these reports.

"You have also appointed prophets to proclaim in Jerusalem concerning ^(F1)you, 'A king is in Judah!' And now it will be reported to the king according to these reports. So come now, let's consult together."

Then I sent a message to him saying, "Nothing like these things that you are saying has been done, but you are ^(C1)inventing them ^(F1)in your own mind."

For all of them were trying to frighten us, ^(F1)thinking, "^(F2)They will become discouraged with the work and it will not be done." But now, ^(C1)God, strengthen my hands.

When I entered the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah, son of Mehetabel, ^(C1)who was confined at home, he said, "Let's meet together in the house of God, within the temple, and let's close the doors of the temple, for they are coming to kill you, and they are coming to kill you at night."

But I said, "^(C1)Should a man like me flee? And who is there like me who would go into the temple ^(F1)to save his own life? I will not go in."

Then I realized ^(F1)that God certainly had not sent him, but he uttered his prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.

He was hired for this reason, ^(C1)that I would become frightened and act accordingly and sin, so that they might have an evil report in order that they could taunt me.

^(C1)Remember, my God, Tobiah and Sanballat in accordance with these works of theirs, and also Noadiah ^(C2)the prophetess and the rest of the prophets, who were trying to frighten me.

So ^(C1)the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of the month Elul, in fifty-two days.

^(C1)When all our enemies heard about it, and all the nations surrounding us saw it, they ^(F1)lost their confidence; for ^(C2)they realized that this work had been accomplished ^(F2)with the help of our God.

Also in those days many letters went from the nobles of Judah to Tobiah, and ^(F1)Tobiah's letters came to them.

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

Moreover, they were speaking about his good deeds in my presence, and were reporting my words to him. Then Tobiah sent letters to frighten me.

Now when ^(C1)the wall was rebuilt and I had installed the doors, and the gatekeepers, the singers, and the Levites were appointed,

then I put ^(C1)Hanani my brother, and ^(C2)Hananiah the commander of ^(C3)the citadel, in charge of Jerusalem, for he was ^(C4)a faithful man and feared God more than many.

Then I said to them, "The gates of Jerusalem are not to be opened until the sun is hot, and while they are standing guard, the gatekeepers are to ^(F1)keep the doors shut and bolted. Also appoint guards from the inhabitants of Jerusalem, each at his post, and each in front of his own house."

Now the city was large and spacious, but the people in it were few and the houses were not built.

^(C1)Then my God put it into my heart to assemble the nobles, the officials, and the other people to be enrolled by genealogies. Then I found the book of the genealogy of those who came up first, ^(F1)in which I found the following record:

^(C1)These are the ^(F1)people of the province who came up from the captivity of the exiles whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had taken into exile, and who returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his city,

who came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, ^(F1)Azariah, ^(F2)Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, ^(F3)Mispereth, Bigvai, ^(F4)Nehum, and Baanah. The number of men of the people of Israel:

Footnotes:  

Cross References:  

the sons of Parosh, 2,172;

the sons of Shephatiah, 372;

the sons of Arah, 652;

the sons of Pahath-moab of the sons of Jeshua and Joab, 2,818;

the sons of Elam, 1,254;

the sons of Zattu, 845;

the sons of Zaccai, 760;

the sons of ^(F1)Binnui, 648;

the sons of Bebai, 628;

the sons of Azgad, 2,322;

the sons of Adonikam, 667;

the sons of Bigvai, 2,067;

the sons of Adin, 655;

the sons of Ater, of Hezekiah, 98;

the sons of Hashum, 328;

the sons of Bezai, 324;

the sons of ^(F1)Hariph, 112;

the sons of ^(F1)Gibeon, 95;

the men of Bethlehem and Netophah, 188;

the men of Anathoth, 128;

the men of ^(F1)Beth-azmaveth, 42;

the men of ^(F1)Kiriath-jearim, Chephirah, and Beeroth, 743;

the men of Ramah and Geba, 621;

the men of Michmas, 122;

the men of Bethel and Ai, 123;

the men of the other Nebo, 52;

the sons of the other Elam, 1,254;

the sons of Harim, 320;

the ^(F1)men of Jericho, 345;

the sons of Lod, Hadid, and Ono, 721;

the sons of Senaah, 3,930.

The priests: the sons of Jedaiah of the house of Jeshua, 973;

the sons of Immer, 1,052;

the sons of Pashhur, 1,247;

the sons of Harim, 1,017.

The Levites: the sons of Jeshua, of Kadmiel, of the sons of ^(F1)Hodevah, 74.

The singers: the sons of Asaph, 148.

The gatekeepers: the sons of Shallum, the sons of Ater, the sons of Talmon, the sons of Akkub, the sons of Hatita, the sons of Shobai, 138.

The temple servants: the sons of Ziha, the sons of Hasupha, the sons of Tabbaoth,

the sons of Keros, the sons of ^(F1)Sia, the sons of Padon,

the sons of Lebana, the sons of Hagaba, the sons of Shalmai,

the sons of Hanan, the sons of Giddel, the sons of Gahar,

the sons of Reaiah, the sons of Rezin, the sons of Nekoda,

the sons of Gazzam, the sons of Uzza, the sons of Paseah,

the sons of Besai, the sons of Meunim, the sons of ^(F1)Nephushesim,

the sons of Bakbuk, the sons of Hakupha, the sons of Harhur,

the sons of ^(F1)Bazlith, the sons of Mehida, the sons of Harsha,

the sons of Barkos, the sons of Sisera, the sons of Temah,

the sons of Neziah, the sons of Hatipha.

The sons of Solomon's servants: the sons of Sotai, the sons of ^(F1)Sophereth, the sons of ^(F2)Perida,

the sons of Jaala, the sons of Darkon, the sons of Giddel,

the sons of Shephatiah, the sons of Hattil, the sons of Pochereth-hazzebaim, and the sons of ^(F1)Amon.

All the temple servants and the sons of Solomon's servants totaled 392.

These were the ones who came up from Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Cherub, ^(F1)Addon, and Immer; but they could not provide evidence for their fathers' households or their ^(F2)descendants, whether they were of Israel:

the sons of Delaiah, the sons of Tobiah, the sons of Nekoda, 642.

And of the priests: the sons of Hobaiah, the sons of Hakkoz, the sons of Barzillai, who took a wife of the daughters of Barzillai, the Gileadite, and was named after them.

These searched among their ancestral registration, but it could not be located; therefore they were considered unclean and disqualified from the priesthood.

And ^(C1)the ^(F1)governor said to them that they were not to eat from the most holy things until a priest arose with ^(C2)Urim and Thummim.

The whole assembly together totaled 42,360,

besides their male slaves and their female slaves, ^(F1)of whom there were 7,337; and they had 245 male and female singers.

^(F1)(C1)Their horses were 736; their mules, 245;

their camels, 435; their donkeys, 6,720.

Some of the heads of fathers' households gave to the work. The ^(F1)(C1)governor gave to the treasury a thousand gold drachmas, fifty basins, and 530 priests' garments.

And some of the heads of fathers' households gave to the treasury for the work twenty thousand gold drachmas and 2,200 silver minas.

What the rest of the people gave was twenty thousand gold drachmas, two thousand silver minas, and sixty-seven priests' garments.

Now ^(C1)the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, some of the people, the temple servants, and all Israel lived in their cities. ^(C2)And when the seventh month came, the sons of Israel were in their cities.

Footnotes:  

Cross References:  

And all the people gathered as one person at the public square which was in front of ^(C1)the Water Gate, and they ^(F1)asked ^(C2)Ezra the scribe to bring ^(C3)the Book of the Law of Moses which the LORD had ^(F2)given to Israel.

Then ^(C1)Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly of men, women, and all who could listen with understanding, on ^(C2)the first day of the seventh month.

And he read from it before the public square which was in front of ^(C1)the Water Gate, from ^(F1)early morning until midday, in the presence of men and women, those who could understand; and ^(F2)all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law.

Ezra the scribe stood at a wooden podium which they had made for the purpose. And beside him stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah on his right; and Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam on his left.

Then Ezra opened ^(C1)the book in the sight of all the people, for he was standing above all the people; and when he opened it, all the people ^(C2)stood up.

Then Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God. And all the people answered, "^(C1)Amen, Amen!" with the raising of their hands; then ^(C2)they kneeled down and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground.

Also Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites explained the Law to the people while the people remained in their place.

They read from the book, from the Law of God, ^(F1)translating to give the sense so that they understood the reading.