The MacArthur Study Bible, NKJV
Page 230
4There were also those who said, “We have borrowed money for the king’s tax on our lands and vineyards.
5“Yet now cour flesh is as the flesh of our brethren, our children as their children; and indeed we dare forcing our sons and our daughters to be slaves, and some of our daughters have been brought into slavery. It is not in our power to redeem them, for other men have our lands and vineyards.”
6And I became very angry when I heard their outcry and these words.
7After serious thought, I rebuked the nobles and rulers, and said to them, e“Each of you is 1exacting usury from his brother.” So I 2called a great assembly against them.
8And I said to them, “According to our ability we have fredeemed our Jewish brethren who were sold to the nations. Now indeed, will you even sell your brethren? Or should they be sold to us?” Then they were silenced and found nothing to say.
9Then I said, “What you are doing is not good. Should you not walk gin the fear of our God hbecause of the reproach of the nations, our enemies?
10“I also, with my brethren and my servants, am lending them money and grain. Please, let us stop this 3usury!
11“Restore now to them, even this day, their lands, their vineyards, their olive groves, and their houses, also a hundredth of the money and the grain, the new wine and the oil, that you have charged them.”
12So they said, “We will restore it, and will require nothing from them; we will do as you say.” Then I called the priests, iand required an oath from them that they would do according to this promise.
13Then jI shook out 4the fold of my garment and said, “So may God shake out each man from his house, and from his property, who does not perform this promise. Even thus may he be shaken out and emptied.” And all the assembly said, “Amen!” and praised the LORD. kThen the people did according to this promise.
The Generosity of Nehemiah
14Moreover, from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year luntil the thirty-second year of King Artaxerxes, twelve years, neither I nor my brothers mate the governor’s provisions.
15But the former governors who were before me laid burdens on the people, and took from them bread and wine, besides forty shekels of silver. Yes, even their servants bore rule over the people, but nI did not do so, because of the ofear of God.
16Indeed, I also continued the pwork on this wall, and 5we did not buy any land. All my servants were gathered there for the work.
17And qat my table were one hundred and fifty Jews and rulers, besides those who came to us from the nations around us.
18Now that rwhich was prepared daily was one ox and six choice sheep. Also fowl were prepared for me, and once every ten days an abundance of all kinds of wine. Yet in spite of this sI did not demand the governor’s provisions, because the bondage was heavy on this people.
19tRemember me, my God, for good, according to all that I have done for this people.
Nehemiah 6
Conspiracy Against Nehemiah
1Now it happened awhen Sanballat, Tobiah, 1Geshem the Arab, and the rest of our enemies heard that I had rebuilt the wall, and that there were no breaks left in it b(though at that time I had not hung the doors in the gates),
2that Sanballat and 2Geshem csent to me, saying, “Come, let us meet together 3among the villages in the plain of dOno.” But they ethought to do me harm.
3So I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down. Why should the work cease while I leave it and go down to you?”
4But they sent me this message four times, and I answered them in the same manner.
5Then Sanballat sent his servant to me as before, the fifth time, with an open letter in his hand.
6In it was written:
It is reported among the nations, and 4Geshem says, that you and the Jews plan to rebel; therefore, according to these rumors, you are rebuilding the wall, fthat you may be their king.
7And you have also appointed prophets to proclaim concerning you at Jerusalem, saying, “There is a king in Judah!” Now these matters will be reported to the king. So come, therefore, and let us consult together.
8Then I sent to him, saying, “No such things as you say are being done, but you invent them in your own heart.”
9For they all were trying to make us afraid, saying, “Their hands will be weakened in the work, and it will not be done.”
Now therefore, O God, strengthen my hands.
10Afterward I came to the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah, the son of Mehetabel, who was a secret informer; and he said, “Let us meet together in the house of God, within the 5temple, and let us close the doors of the temple, for they are coming to kill you; indeed, at night they will come to kill you.”
11And I said, “Should such a man as I flee? And who is there such as I who would go into the temple to save his life? I will not go in!”
12Then I perceived that God had not sent him at all, but that ghe pronounced this prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.
13For this reason he was hired, that I should be afraid and act that way and sin, so that they might have cause for an evil report, that they might reproach me.
14hMy God, remember Tobiah and Sanballat, according to these their works, and the iprophetess Noadiah and the rest of the prophets who would have made me afraid.
The Wall Completed
15So the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of Elul, in fifty-two days.
16And it happened, jwhen all our enemies heard of it, and all the nations around us saw these things, that they were very disheartened in their own eyes; for kthey perceived that this work was done by our God.
17Also in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah, and the letters of Tobiah came to them.
18For many in Judah were pledged to him, because he was the lson-in-law of Shechaniah the son of Arah, and his son Jehohanan had married the daughter of mMeshullam the son of Berechiah.
19Also they reported his good deeds before me, and reported my 6words to him. Tobiah sent letters to frighten me.
Nehemiah 7
List of Returning Exiles
1Then it was, when the wall was built and I had ahung the doors, when the gatekeepers, the singers, and the Levites had been appointed,
2that I gave the charge of Jerusalem to my brother bHanani, and Hananiah the leader cof the 1citadel, for he was a faithful man and dfeared God more than many.
3And I said to them, “Do not let the gates of Jerusalem be opened until the sun is hot; and while they stand guard, let them shut and bar the doors; and appoint guards from among the inhabitants of Jerusalem, one at his watch station and another in front of his own house.”
The Captives Who Returned to Jerusalem
(Ezra 2:1–70)
4Now the city was large and spacious, but the people in it were efew, and the houses were not rebuilt.
5Then my God put it into my heart to gather the nobles, the rulers, and the people, that they might be registered by genealogy. And I found a register of the genealogy of those who had come up in the first return, and found written in it:
6fThese are the people of the province who came back from the captivity, of those who had been carried away, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away, and who returned to Jerusalem and Judah, everyone to his city.
7Those who came with gZerubbabel were Jeshua, Nehemiah, 2Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, 3Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, and Baanah.
The number of the men of the people of Israel:
8the sons of Parosh, two thousand one hundred and seventy-two;
9the sons of Shephatiah, three hundred and seventy-two;
10the sons of Arah, six hundred and fifty-two;
11the sons of Pahath-Moab, of the sons of Jeshua and Joab, two thousand eight hundred and eighteen;
12the sons of Elam, one thousand two hundred and fifty-four;
13the sons of Zattu, eight hundred and forty-five;
14the sons of Zaccai, seven hundred and sixty;
15the sons of 4Binnui, six hundred and forty-eight;
16the sons of Bebai, six hundred and twenty-eight;
17the sons of Azgad, two thousand three hundred and twenty-two;
18the sons of Adonikam, six hundred and sixty-seven;
19the sons of Bigvai, two thousand and sixty-seven;
20the sons of Adin, six hundred and fifty-five;
21the sons of Ater of Hezekiah, ninety-eight;
22the sons of Hashum, three hundred and twenty-eight;
23the sons of Bezai, three hundred and twenty-four;
24the sons of 5Hariph, one hundred and twelve;
25the sons of 6Gibeon, ninety-five;
26the men of Bethlehem and Netophah, one hundred and eighty-eight;
27the men of Anathoth, one hundred and twenty-eight;
28the men of 7Beth Azmaveth, forty-two;
29the men of 8Kirjath Jearim, Chephirah, and Beeroth, seven hundred and forty-three;
30the men of Ramah and Geba, six hundred and twenty-one;
31the men of Michmas, one hundred and twenty-two;
32the men of Bethel and Ai, one hundred and twenty-three;
33the men of the other Nebo, fifty-two;
34the sons of the other hElam, one thousand two hundred and fifty-four;
35the sons of Harim, three hundred and twenty;
36the sons of Jericho, three hundred and forty-five;
37the sons of Lod, Hadid, and Ono, seven hundred and twenty-one;
38the sons of Senaah, three thousand nine hundred and thirty.
39The priests: the sons of iJedaiah, of the house of Jeshua, nine hundred and seventy-three;
40the sons of jImmer, one thousand and fifty-two;
41the sons of kPashhur, one thousand two hundred and forty-seven;
42the sons of lHarim, one thousand and seventeen.
43The Levites: the sons of Jeshua, of Kadmiel, and of the sons of 9Hodevah, seventy-four.
44The singers: the sons of Asaph, one hundred and forty-eight.
45The 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, one hundred and thirty-eight.
46The Nethinim: the sons of Ziha, the sons of Hasupha, the sons of Tabbaoth,
47the sons of Keros, the sons of 10Sia, the sons of Padon,
48the sons of 11Lebana, the sons of 12Hagaba, the sons of 13Salmai,
49the sons of Hanan, the sons of Giddel, the sons of Gahar,
50the sons of Reaiah, the sons of Rezin, the sons of Nekoda,
51the sons of Gazzam, the sons of Uzza, the sons of Paseah,
52the sons of Besai, the sons of Meunim, the sons of 14Nephishesim,
53the sons of Bakbuk, the sons of Hakupha, the sons of Harhur,
54the sons of 15Bazlith, the sons of Mehida, the sons of Harsha,
55the sons of Barkos, the sons of Sisera, the sons of Tamah,
56the sons of Neziah, and the sons of Hatipha.
57The sons of Solomon’s servants: the sons of Sotai, the sons of Sophereth, the sons of 16Perida,
58the sons of Jaala, the sons of Darkon, the sons of Giddel,
59the sons of Shephatiah, the sons of Hattil, the sons of Pochereth of Zebaim, and the sons of 17Amon.
60All the Nethinim, and the sons of Solomon’s servants, were three hundred and ninety-two.
61And these were the ones who came up from Tel Melah, Tel Harsha, Cherub, 18Addon, and Immer, but they could not identify their father’s house nor their lineage, whether they were of Israel:
62the sons of Delaiah, the sons of Tobiah, the sons of Nekoda, six hundred and forty-two;
63and of the priests: the sons of Habaiah, the sons of 19Koz, the sons of Barzillai, who took a wife of the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite, and was called by their name.
64These sought their listing among those who were registered by genealogy, but it was not found; therefore they were excluded from the priesthood as defiled.
65And the 20governor said to them that they should not eat of the most holy things till a priest could consult with the Urim and Thummim.
66Altogether the whole assembly was forty-two thousand three hundred and sixty,
67besides their male and female servants, of whom there were seven thousand three hundred and thirty-seven; and they had two hundred and forty-five men and women singers.
68Their horses were seven hundred and thirty-six, their mules two hundred and forty-five,
69their camels four hundred and thirty-five, and donkeys six thousand seven hundred and twenty.
70And some of the heads of the fathers’ houses gave to the work. mThe 21governor gave to the treasury one thousand gold drachmas, fifty basins, and five hundred and thirty priestly garments.
71Some of the heads of the fathers’ houses gave to the treasury of the work ntwenty thousand gold drachmas, and two thousand two hundred silver minas.
72And that which the rest of the people gave was twenty thousand gold drachmas, two thousand silver minas, and sixty-seven priestly garments.
73So the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, some of the people, the Nethinim, and all Israel dwelt in their cities.
Ezra Reads the Law
oWhen the seventh month came, the children of Israel were in their cities.
Nehemiah 8
Ezra Reads and Explains the Law
1Now all athe people gathered together as one man in the open square that was bin front of the Water Gate; and they told Ezra the cscribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded Israel.
2So Ezra the priest brought dthe Law before the assembly of men and women and all who could hear with understanding eon the first day of the seventh month.
3Then he fread from it in the open square that was in front of the Water Gate 1from morning until midday, before the men and women and those who could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law.
4So Ezra the scribe stood on a platform of wood which they had made for the purpose; and beside him, at his right hand, stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Urijah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah; and at his left hand Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbadana, Zechariah, and Meshullam.
5And Ezra opened 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 gstood up.
6And Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God. Then all the people hanswered, “Amen, Amen!” while ilifting up their hands. And they jbowed their heads and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground.
7Also Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodijah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites, khelped the people to understand the Law; and the people lstood in their place.
8So they read distinctly from the book, in the Law of God; and they gave the sense, and helped them to understand the reading.
9mAnd Nehemiah, who was the 2governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, n“This day is holy to the LORD your God; odo not mourn nor weep.” For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the Law.
10Then he said to them, “Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, pand send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”
11So the Levites quieted all the people, saying, “Be still, for the day is holy; do not be grieved.”
12And all the people went their way to eat and drink, to qsend portions and rejoice greatly, because they runderstood the words that were declared to them.
The Feast of Tabernacles
(cf. Lev. 23:33–43)
13Now on the second day the heads of the fathers’ houses of all the people, with the priests and Levites, were gathered to Ezra the scribe, in orde
r to understand the words of the Law.
14And they found written in the Law, which the LORD had commanded by Moses, that the children of Israel should dwell in sbooths3 during the feast of the seventh month,
15and tthat they should announce and proclaim in all their cities and uin Jerusalem, saying, “Go out to the mountain, and vbring olive branches, branches of oil trees, myrtle branches, palm branches, and branches of leafy trees, to make booths, as it is written.”
16Then the people went out and brought them and made themselves booths, each one on the wroof of his house, or in their courtyards or the courts of the house of God, and in the open square of the xWater Gate yand in the open square of the Gate of Ephraim.
17So the whole assembly of those who had returned from the captivity made 4booths and sat under the booths; for since the days of Joshua the son of Nun until that day the children of Israel had not done so. And there was very zgreat gladness.
18Also aday by day, from the first day until the last day, he read from the Book of the Law of God. And they kept the feast bseven days; and on the ceighth day there was a sacred assembly, according to the prescribed manner.
Nehemiah 9
The People Confess Their Sins
1Now on the twenty-fourth day of athis month the children of Israel were assembled with fasting, in sackcloth, band with 1dust on their heads.
2Then cthose of Israelite lineage separated themselves from all foreigners; and they stood and dconfessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers.
3And they stood up in their place and eread from the Book of the Law of the LORD their God for one-fourth of the day; and for another fourth they confessed and worshiped the LORD their God.
4Then Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Chenani stood on the 2stairs of the Levites and cried out with a loud voice to the LORD their God.
5And the Levites, Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabniah, Sherebiah, Hodijah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah, said:
“Stand up and bless the LORD your God
Forever and ever!
“Blessed be fYour glorious name,
Which is exalted above all blessing and praise!