Nehemiah reforms usury. CHAP. V. Nehemiah's hospitality. that we returned all of us to the wall, said unto them, Ye exact usury, every one every one unto his work. of his brother. And I set a great assembly 16 And it came to pass from that time against them. forth, that the half of my servants wrought 8 And I said unto them, We, after our in the work, and the other half of them ability, have redeemed our brethren the held both the spears, the shields, and the Jews, which were sold unto the heathen; bows, and the habergeons; and the rulers and will ye even sell your brethren? or were behind all the house of Judah. shall they be sold unto us? Then held they 17 They which builded on the wall, and their peace, and found nothing to answer. they that bare burdens, with those that 9 Also I said, It is not good that ye do: laded, every one with one of his hands ought ye not to walk in the fear of our wrought in the work, and with the other God because of the reproach of the heather hand held a weapon. our enemies? 18 For the builders, every one had his 10 I likewise, and my brethren, and my 'sword girded by his side, and so builded. servants, might exact of them money and And he that sounded the trumpet was by corn: I pray you, let us leave off this me. usury. 19 T. And I said unto the nobles, and to 11 Restore, I pray you, to them, even the rulers, and to the rest of the people, this day, their lands, their vineyards, their The work is great and large, and we are oliveyards, and their houses, also the hunseparated upon the wall, one far from dredth part of the money, and of the corn, another. the wine, and the oil, that ye exact of them. 12 Then said they, We will restore them, and will require nothing of them so will we do as thou sayest. Then i called the priests, and took an oath of them, that they should do according to this promise. 20 In what place therefore ye hear the sound of the trumpet, resort ye thither unto us: our God shall fight for us. 21 So we laboured in the work and half of them held the spears from the rising of the morning till the stars appeared. 22 Likewise at the same time said I unto 13 Also I shook my lap, and said, So the people, Let every one with his servant God shake out every man from his house, lodge within Jerusalem, that in the night and from his labour, that performeth not they may be a guard to us, and labour on this promise, even thus be he shaken out, the day. and emptied. And all the congregation 23 So neither I, nor my brethren, nor said, Amen, and praised the LORD. And my servants, nor the men of the guard the people did according to this promise. which followed me, none of us put off our 14 Moreover, from the time that I clothes, saving that every one put them off was appointed to be their governor in the for washing. land of Judah, from the twentieth year even unto the two and thirtieth year of twelve years, ple and of their wives against their I and my brethren have not eaten the brethren the Jews. bread of the governor. CHAP. V. AND there was a great cry of the peo-Artaxerxes the king, that is, 2 For there were that said, We, our 15 But the former governors that had sons, and our daughters, are many there-been before me were chargeable unto the fore we take up corn for them, that we people, and had taken of them bread and may eat, and live. wine, besides forty shekels of silver; yea, 3 Some also there were that said, We even their servants bare rule over the peohave mortgaged our lands, vineyards, and ple: but so did not I, because of the fear houses, that we might buy corn, because of God. of the dearth. 4 There were also that said, We have borrowed money for the king's tribute, and that upon our lands and vineyards. 16 Yea, also I continued in the work of this wall, neither bought we any land: and all my servants were gathered thither unto the work. 5 Yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our 17 Moreover, there were at my table a brethren, our children as their children: hundred and fifty of the Jews and rulers, and lo, we bring into bondage our sons and besides those that came unto us from our daughters to be servants, and some of among the heathen that are about us. our daughters are brought into bondage 18 Now that which was prepared for already neither is it in our power to re-me daily was one ox and six choice sheep; deem them; for other men have our lands also fowls were prepared for me, and once and vineyards. in ten days store of all sorts of wine: yet 6 ¶ And I was very angry when I heard for all this required not I the bread of the their cry and these words. 7 Then I consulted with myself, and upon this people. governor, because the bondage was heavy I rebuked the nobles, and the rulers, and 19 Think upon me, my God, for good, Insidious conduct of Sanballat. NEHEMIAH. The wall is finished. according to all that I have done for this and Sanballat, according to these their people: TOW CHAP. VI. works, and on the prophetess Noadiah, and the rest of the prophets, that would Now it came to pass, when Sanballat, have put me in fear. and Tobiah, and Geshem the Ara 15 T So the wall was finished in the bian, and the rest of our enemies, heard twenty and fifth day of the month Elul, in that I had builded the wall, and that there fifty and two days. was no breach left therein; (though at 16 And it came to pass, that when all that time I had not set up the doors upon our enemies heard thereof, and all the the gates ;) 2 That Sanballat and Geshem sent unto me, saying, Come. let us meet together in some one of the villages in the plain of Ono. But they thought to do me mischief. 3 And I sent messengers unto them, saying, I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you? heathen that were about us saw these things, they were much cast down in their own eyes: for they perceived that this work was wrought of our God. 17 ¶ Moreover, in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters unto Tobiah and the letters of Tobiah came unto them. 18 For there were many in Judab swom unto him, because he was the son-in-law of Shechaniah the son of Arah; and his 4 Yet they sent unto me four times after son Johanan had taken the daughter of this sort; and I answered them after the Meshullam the son of Berechiah. 19 Also they reported his good deeds same manner. 5 Then sent Sanballat his servant unto before me, and uttered my words to him. me in like manner the fifth time with an And Tobiah sent letters to put me in open letter in his hand; fear. CHAP. VII. 6 Wherein was written, It is reported among the heathen, and Gashmu saith it, NOW [OW it came to pass, when the wall that thou and the Jews think to rebel: for was built, and I had set up the which cause thou buildest the wall, that doors, and the porters, and the singers, and thou mayest be their king, according to the Levites were appointed, these words. 2 That I gave my brother Hanani, and 7 And thou hast also appointed pro- Hananiah the ruler of the palace, charge phets to preach of thee at Jerusalem, say-over Jerusalem: for he was a faithful man, ing, There is a king in Judah and now and feared God above many. shall it be reported to the king according 3 And I said unto them, Let not the to these words. Come now therefore, gates of Jerusalem be opened until the sun and let us take counsel together. be hot; and while they stand by, let them 8 Then I sent unto him, saying, There shut the doors, and bar them: and appoint are no such things done as thou sayest, but watches of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, thou feignest them out of thine own heart. every one in his watch, and every one to 9 For they all made us afraid, saying, be over against his house. Their hands shall be weakened from the 4 Now the city was large and great: work, that it be not done. Now there-but the people were few therein, and the fore, O God, strengthen my hands. houses were not builded. : 10 Afterward I came unto the house of 5 And my God put into my heart to Shemaiah the son of Delaiah, the son of gather together the nobles, and the rulers, Mehetabeel, who was shut up; and he and the people, that they might be reckonsaid, Let us meet together in the house of ed by genealogy. And I found a register God, within the temple, and let us shut of the genealogy of them which came up the doors of the temple for they will at the first, and found written therein, come to slay thee; yea, in the night will 6 These are the children of the prothey come to slay thee. vince, that went up out of the captivity, 11 And I said, Should such a man as I of those that had been carried away, whom flee? and who is there, that, being as I Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon bad am, would go into the temple to save his carried away, and came again to Jerusalife? I will not go in. lem and to Judah, every one unto his city; 12 And lo, perceived that God had 7 Who came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, not sent him; but that he pronounced this Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, prophecy against me: for Tobiah and Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Sanballat had hired him. Nehum, Baanah. The number, I say, of 13 Therefore was he hired,that I should the men of the people of Israel was this; be afraid, and do so, and sin, and that 8 The children of Parosh, two thouthey might have matter for an evil report, sand a hundred seventy and two. that they might reproach me. 9 The children of Shephatiah, three 14 My God, think thou upon Tobiah hundred seventy and two. |
