Nehemiah

Twentieth year of Artaxerxes, month of Chislev: Nehemiah in Shushan palace receives Hanani and men from Judah; inquires about Jewish remnant who survived captivity and about Jerusalem; learns survivors in great distress and reproach, wall broken down, gates burned with fire. Nehemiah responds with days of weeping, mourning, fasting, and prayer before God of heaven; confesses Israel's sins including his own and father's house, acknowledges corruption and failure to keep Moses' commandments, statutes, and ordinances given to servant Moses. Prayer recalls God's promise to Moses about scattering for unfaithfulness but gathering upon return and obedience, even from furthest places to His chosen dwelling; pleads for God to hear, grant mercy before the king, noting his position as king's cupbearer.

Month of Nisan, twentieth year of Artaxerxes: Nehemiah serves wine with unprecedented sadness; king notices, inquires about sorrow (not sickness but heart sorrow); Nehemiah fears greatly but explains grief over Jerusalem's desolation and ancestors' sepulchers. King asks what he requests; Nehemiah prays silently then requests permission to rebuild Judah and Jerusalem; king (with queen present) grants request, asks journey duration; Nehemiah sets time, requests letters for governors beyond River and for Asaph (keeper of king's forest) for timber; king grants all by God's good hand. Arrives with letters and royal cavalry escort; Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite servant grieved that someone seeks Israelites' welfare; after three days' rest, inspects walls secretly at night with few men, viewing destruction at Valley Gate, Dragon Spring, Refuse Gate, walls and burned gates; officials unaware of reconnaissance; challenges Jews, priests, nobles, officials to rebuild, testifying of God's hand and king's words; they respond "Let us rise up and build"; Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem the Arab mock and despise, questioning rebellion; Nehemiah declares God will prosper them while mockers have no portion, right, or memorial in Jerusalem.

High priest Eliashib with fellow priests build Sheep Gate, sanctify it with doors, bolts, bars, build wall to Tower of Hundred and Tower of Hananel; men of Jericho build next section, Zaccur son of Imri builds next. Detailed construction assignments: Sons of Hassenaah build Fish Gate; Meremoth repairs next to them; Meshullam, Zadok, Tekoites (whose nobles won't help), Jehoiada and Meshullam repair Old Gate; Gibeonites and Mizpah men repair to governor's throne; Uzziel (goldsmith), Hananiah (perfumer) fortify Jerusalem to Broad Wall. Continues listing builders by wall sections: Rephaiah rules half-district of Jerusalem; Jedaiah repairs opposite his house; Hattush, Malchijah (ruler of half-district of Beth Zur), Shallum with daughters, Valley Gate by Hanun and Zanoah inhabitants (1,000 cubits to Refuse Gate); Malchijah repairs Refuse Gate; Shallun does Fountain Gate with stairs from David's city. Levites under Rehum, then Hashabiah for his half-district, brothers for other half of Keilah; Ezer (Mizpah ruler) repairs opposite armory ascent; Baruch zealously repairs from corner to Eliashib's door; priests from plain, Benjamin and Hasshub opposite their house, Azariah by his house; Binnui repairs from Azariah's to corner buttress; Palal opposite buttress and projecting tower; Tekoites' second section; priests repair each opposite own house; ends with Shemaiah (East Gate keeper), Hananiah, Hanun, Meshullam, goldsmiths and merchants to upper room corner and Sheep Gate.

Sanballat, angry at wall building, mocks Jews before brethren and Samarian army, questions their ability to restore, sacrifice, complete in a day, revive burned stones from rubbish; Tobiah adds that a fox could break their stone wall. Nehemiah prays for their reproach to return on their heads as plunder in captivity, not covering iniquity because they provoked builders; building continues with wall joined to half height, people having mind to work. When Sanballat, Tobiah, Arabs, Ammonites, Ashdodites hear of progress and closing gaps, they conspire to attack and create confusion; Jews pray and set day/night watch; Judah grows weary from much rubbish, enemies plot surprise attack; Jews from near enemies repeatedly warn of attacks from all directions. Nehemiah positions people by families with swords, spears, bows behind lower wall parts and openings; encourages nobles, leaders, and people not to fear but remember the great, awesome Lord and fight for families; enemies' plot known, God brings counsel to nothing; workers return with new system: half work while half hold weapons, builders work with one hand and hold weapon with other, sword girded on each builder; trumpeter stays with Nehemiah for alarm signal since work spreads wide on wall; instructs gathering at trumpet sound where God will fight; work from dawn to stars, everyone lodges in Jerusalem for night guard and day work; none remove clothes except for washing.

Great outcry from people and wives against Jewish brothers: some with many sons and daughters need grain to eat and live; others mortgage fields, vineyards, houses for grain during famine; others borrow money for king's tax on properties. Complainants note their flesh equals their brothers', their children equal theirs, yet they must subject children to bondage with some daughters already enslaved, powerless because others possess their fields and vineyards. Nehemiah becomes very angry, considers carefully, then rebukes nobles and rulers for exacting usury from brothers; calls great assembly against them, points out they redeemed Jewish brothers sold to nations only to have them sold again by their own people; guilty silence follows. Condemns their actions as not good, lacking fear of God, inviting nations' reproach; reveals he, his brothers, and servants also lent money and grain but will stop charging interest; demands immediate restoration of fields, vineyards, olive groves, houses, plus hundredth part of money, grain, wine, oil charged as interest; they agree and promise; Nehemiah makes them swear before priests; shakes out his lap as symbolic curse on oath-breakers; assembly says "Amen," praises God, people perform promise. During twelve years as governor, Nehemiah refuses governor's food allowance, feeds many daily without burdening people, asks God to remember his good.

Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem plot to harm Nehemiah via meetings; he refuses four times, citing great work. Fifth, open letter accuses plans for rebellion and kingship; Nehemiah denies, prays for strength. Prophet Shemaiah, hired by enemies, urges temple hiding; Nehemiah discerns false prophecy, refuses to sin. Prays against Tobiah, Sanballat, prophetess Noadiah. Wall finished in 52 days; surrounding nations fear recognizing God’s work. Nobles of Judah exchange letters with Tobiah, who sends intimidation.

After wall completion, Nehemiah sets gatekeepers, singers, Levites; appoints Hanani and Hananiah over Jerusalem; gates opened late and guarded. City spacious but underpopulated; God prompts census; Nehemiah finds exiles' genealogical register matching Ezra 2, describing families, totals, servants, offerings, and settlement.

Seventh month: people gather at Water Gate; Ezra reads Law from morning to noon; Levites explain; people weep, but leaders declare day holy, instruct rejoicing and gift-giving. Next day leaders study Law, discover Feast of Booths; proclamation made; people gather branches, build booths, great joy; daily Law reading entire feast; sacred assembly eighth day.

Twenty-fourth day: Israelites fast in sackcloth, separate from foreigners, read Law quarter day, confess quarter day. Levites lead long prayer recounting God’s creation, covenant with Abraham, exodus, wilderness provision, conquest, repeated rebellions, prophetic warnings, exile; acknowledge current servitude under foreign kings; because of all, make written covenant sealed by leaders.

Sealed covenant signers listed (Nehemiah, priests, Levites, leaders). People swear to follow Law: no intermarriage with surrounding peoples, keep Sabbath and sabbatical year, annual third-shekel for temple service, wood offering by lot, firstfruits and firstborn dedication, tithes to Levites who bring tithe of tithes to temple treasuries; vow not to neglect God’s house.

Lots cast: one-tenth of population to dwell in Jerusalem, rest in towns; people bless volunteers. List of Jerusalem inhabitants: leaders, Judah and Benjamin families, priests, Levites, gatekeepers, and Nethinim. Lists towns and villages of Judah and Benjamin where others settle.

Priests and Levites who returned with Zerubbabel listed; later heads in Joiakim’s day recorded. Wall dedication: Levites gathered with music, two thanksgiving processions circle wall in opposite directions led by Ezra and Nehemiah, meeting at temple, offering great sacrifices and rejoicing; provisions appointed for priests and Levites, singers, gatekeepers as in David’s days.

Later, law read: mixed multitude separated. Nehemiah returns, finds priest Eliashib giving Tobiah a temple room; Nehemiah throws out goods, purifies rooms, restores offerings. Finds Levites deprived, rectifies tithes and storehouses. Confronts nobles for Sabbath commerce, orders gates shut, stations guards. Rebukes intermarriage with foreign women, cites Solomon, curses offenders; expels Eliashib’s grandson married to Sanballat’s daughter. Cleanses priesthood, assigns duties, arranges wood and firstfruits. Prays: “Remember me, O my God, for good.”