Category: Nehemiah

Introduction

The book of Nehemiah

may be divided into four parts: (1) The return of Nehemiah to Jerusalem, where he has been sent by the Persian emperor to govern Judah. (2) The rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem. (3) The solemn reading of the Law of God by Ezra and the people’s confession of sin. (4) Further activities of Nehemiah as governor of Judah.

A notable feature of the book is the record of Nehemiah’s deep dependence on God and his frequent prayers to him.

Outline of Contents

Nehemiah returns to Jerusalem (1.1—2.20)

The walls of Jerusalem are rebuilt (3.1—7.73)

The Law is read, and the covenant is renewed (8.1—10.39)

Further activities of Nehemiah (11.1—13.31)

1 This is the account of what Nehemiah son of Hacaliah accomplished.

Nehemiah’s Concern for Jerusalem

In the month of Kislev in the twentieth year that Artaxerxes was emperor of Persia, I, Nehemiah, was in Susa, the capital city.

2 Hanani, one of my brothers, arrived from Judah with another group, and I asked them about Jerusalem and about the other Jews who had returned from exile inBabylonia.

3 They told me that those who had survived and were back in the homelandwere in great difficulty and that the foreigners who lived nearby looked down on them. They also told me that the walls of Jerusalem were still broken down and that the gates had not been restored since the time they were burned.

4 When I heard all this, I sat down and wept.

For several days I mourned and did not eat. I prayed to God,

5 “LordGod of Heaven! You are great, and we stand in fear of you. You faithfully keep your covenant with those who love you and do what you command.

6 Look at me,Lord, and hear my prayer, as I pray day and night for your servants, the people of Israel. I confess that we, the people of Israel, have sinned. My ancestors and I have sinned.

7 We have acted wickedly against you and have not done what you commanded. We have not kept the laws which you gave us through Moses, your servant.

8 Remember now what you told Moses: ‘If you people of Israel are unfaithful to me, I will scatter you among the other nations.

9 But then if you turn back to me and do what I have commanded you, I will bring you back to the place where I have chosen to be worshiped, even though you are scattered to the ends of the earth.’

10 “Lord, these are your servants, your own people. You rescued them by your great power and strength.

11 Listen now to my prayer and to the prayers of all your other servants who want to honor you. Give me success today and make the emperor merciful to me.”

In those days I was the emperor’s wine steward.

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Nehemiah Goes to Jerusalem

1 One day four months later, when Emperor Artaxerxes was dining, I took the wine to him. He had never seen me look sad before,

2 so he asked, “Why are you looking so sad? You aren’t sick, so it must be that you’re unhappy.”

I was startled

3 and answered, “May Your Majesty live forever! How can I keep from looking sad when the city where my ancestors are buried is in ruins and its gates have been destroyed by fire?”

4 The emperor asked, “What is it that you want?”

I prayed to the God of Heaven,

5 and then I said to the emperor, “If Your Majesty is pleased with me and is willing to grant my request, let me go to the land of Judah, to the city where my ancestors are buried, so that I can rebuild the city.”

6 The emperor, with the empress sitting at his side, approved my request. He asked me how long I would be gone and when I would return, and I told him.

7 Then I asked him to grant me the favor of giving me letters to the governors of West-of-Euphrates Province,instructing them to let me travel to Judah.

8 I asked also for a letter to Asaph, keeper of the royal forests, instructing him to supply me with timber for the gates of the fort that guards the Temple, for the city walls, and for the house I was to live in. The emperor gave me all I asked for, because God was with me.

9 The emperor sent some army officers and a troop of cavalry with me, and I made the journey to West-of-Euphrates. There I gave the emperor’s letters to the governors.

10 But Sanballat, from the town of Beth Horon, and Tobiah, an official in the province of Ammon, heard that someone had come to work for the good of the people of Israel, and they were highly indignant.

11 I went on to Jerusalem, and for three days

12 I did not tell anyone what God had inspired me to do for Jerusalem. Then in the middle of the night I got up and went out, taking a few of my companions with me. The only animal we took was the donkey that I rode on.

13 It was still night as I left the city through the Valley Gate on the west and went south past Dragon’s Fountain to the Rubbish Gate. As I went, I inspected the broken walls of the city and the gates that had been destroyed by fire.

14 Then on the east side of the city I went north to the Fountain Gate and the King’s Pool. The donkey I was riding could not find any path through the rubble,

15 so I went down into Kidron Valley and rode along, looking at the wall. Then I returned the way I had come and went back into the city through the Valley Gate.

16 None of the local officials knew where I had gone or what I had been doing. So far I had not said anything to any of the other Jews—the priests, the leaders, the officials, or anyone else who would be taking part in the work.

17 But now I said to them, “See what trouble we are in because Jerusalem is in ruins and its gates are destroyed! Let’s rebuild the city walls and put an end to our disgrace.”

18 And I told them how God had been with me and helped me, and what the emperor had said to me.

They responded, “Let’s start rebuilding!” And they got ready to start the work.

19 When Sanballat, Tobiah, and an Arab named Geshem heard what we were planning to do, they laughed at us and said, “What do you think you’re doing? Are you going to rebel against the emperor?”

20 I answered, “The God of Heaven will give us success. We are his servants, and we are going to start building. But you have no right to any property in Jerusalem, and you have no share in its traditions.”

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/363/32k/NEH/2-0e3757a045cf0b5cfa447f01dfbc9194.mp3?version_id=68—

Rebuilding the Wall of Jerusalem

1 This is how the city wall was rebuilt.The High Priest Eliashib and his fellow priests rebuilt the Sheep Gate, dedicated it, and put the gates in place. They dedicated the wall as far as the Tower of the Hundred and the Tower of Hananel.

2 The men of Jericho built the next section.

Zaccur son of Imri built the next section.

3 The clan of Hassenaah built the Fish Gate. They put the beams and the gates in place, and put in the bolts and bars for locking the gate.

4 Meremoth, the son of Uriah and grandson of Hakkoz, built the next section.

Meshullam, the son of Berechiah and grandson of Meshezabel, built the next section.

Zadok son of Baana built the next section.

5 The men of Tekoa built the next section, but the leading men of the town refused to do the manual labor assigned them by the supervisors.

6 Joiada son of Paseah and Meshullam son of Besodeiah rebuilt Jeshanah Gate.They put the beams and the gates in place, and put in the bolts and bars for locking the gate.

7 Melatiah from Gibeon, Jadon from Meronoth, and the men of Gibeon and Mizpah built the next section, as far as the residence of the governor of West-of-Euphrates.

8 Uzziel son of Harhaiah, a goldsmith, built the next section.

Hananiah, a maker of perfumes, built the next section, as far as Broad Wall.

9 Rephaiah son of Hur, ruler of half of the Jerusalem District, built the next section.

10 Jedaiah son of Harumaph built the next section, which was near his own house.

Hattush son of Hashabneiah built the next section.

11 Malchijah son of Harim and Hasshub son of Pahath Moab built both the next section and the Tower of the Ovens.

12 Shallum son of Hallohesh, ruler of the other half of the Jerusalem District, built the next section. (His daughters helped with the work.)

13 Hanun and the inhabitants of the city of Zanoah rebuilt the Valley Gate. They put the gates in place, put in the bolts and the bars for locking the gate, and repaired the wall for fifteen hundred feet, as far as the Rubbish Gate.

14 Malchijah son of Rechab, ruler of the Beth Haccherem District, rebuilt the Rubbish Gate. He put the gates in place, and put in the bolts and the bars for locking the gate.

15 Shallum son of Colhozeh, ruler of the Mizpah District, rebuilt the Fountain Gate. He covered the gateway, put the gates in place, and put in the bolts and the bars. At the Pool of Shelah he built the wall next to the royal garden, as far as the stairs leading down from David’s City.

16 Nehemiah son of Azbuk, ruler of half of the Bethzur District, built the next section, as far as David’s tomb, the pool, and the barracks.

Levites Who Worked on the Wall

17 The following Levites rebuilt the next several sections of the wall:

Rehum son of Bani built the next section;

Hashabiah, ruler of half of the Keilah District, built the next section on behalf of his district;

18 Bavvai son of Henadad, ruler of the other half of the Keilah District, built the next section;

19 Ezer son of Jeshua, ruler of Mizpah, built the next section in front of the armory, as far as the place where the wall turns;

20 Baruch son of Zabbai built the next section, as far as the entrance to the house of the High Priest Eliashib;

21 Meremoth, the son of Uriah and grandson of Hakkoz, built the next section, up to the far end of Eliashib’s house.

Priests Who Worked on the Wall

22 The following priests rebuilt the next several sections of the wall:

Priests from the area around Jerusalem built the next section;

23 Benjamin and Hasshub built the next section, which was in front of their houses;

Azariah, the son of Maaseiah and grandson of Ananiah, built the next section, which was in front of his house;

24 Binnui son of Henadad built the next section, from Azariah’s house to the corner of the wall;

25-26 Palal son of Uzai built the next section, beginning at the corner of the wall and the tower of the upper palace near the court of the guard;

Pedaiah son of Parosh built the next section, to a point on the east near the Water Gate and the tower guarding the Temple. (This was near that part of the city called Ophel, where the Temple workers lived.)

Other Builders

27 The men of Tekoa built the next section, their second one, from a point opposite the large tower guarding the Temple as far as the wall near Ophel.

28 A group of priests built the next section, going north from the Horse Gate, each one building in front of his own house.

29 Zadok son of Immer built the next section, which was in front of his house.

Shemaiah son of Shecaniah, keeper of the East Gate, built the next section.

30 Hananiah son of Shelemiah and Hanun, the sixth son of Zalaph, built the next section, their second one.

Meshullam son of Berechiah built the next section, which was in front of his house.

31 Malchijah, a goldsmith, built the next section, as far as the building used by the Temple workers and the merchants, which was by the MiphkadGate to the Temple, near the room on top of the northeast corner of the wall.

32 The goldsmiths and the merchants built the last section, from the room at the corner as far as the Sheep Gate.

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Nehemiah Overcomes Opposition to His Work

1 When Sanballat heard that we Jews had begun rebuilding the wall, he became furious and began to ridicule us.

2 In front of his companions and the Samaritan troops he said, “What do these miserable Jews think they’re doing? Do they intend to rebuild the city? Do they think that by offering sacrifices they can finish the work in one day? Can they make building stones out of heaps of burnt rubble?”

3 Tobiah was standing there beside him, and he added, “What kind of wall could they ever build? Even a fox could knock it down!”

4 I prayed, “Hear how they make fun of us, O God! Let their ridicule fall on their own heads. Let them be robbed of everything they have, and let them be taken as prisoners to a foreign land.

5 Don’t forgive the evil they do and don’t forget their sins, for they have insulted us who are building.”

6 So we went on rebuilding the wall, and soon it was half its full height, because the people were eager to work.

7 Sanballat, Tobiah, and the people of Arabia, Ammon, and Ashdod heard that we were making progress in rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem and that the gaps in the wall were being closed, and they became very angry.

8 So they all plotted together to come and attack Jerusalem and create confusion,

9 but we prayed to our God and kept men on guard against them day and night.

10 The people of Judah had a song they sang:

“We grow weak carrying burdens;

There’s so much rubble to take away.

How can we build the wall today?”

11 Our enemies thought we would not see them or know what was happening until they were already upon us, killing us and putting an end to our work.

12 But time after time Jews who were living among our enemies came to warn us of the plans our enemies were making against us.

13 So I armed the people with swords, spears, and bows, and stationed them by clans behind the wall, wherever it was still unfinished.

14 I saw that the people were worried, so I said to them and to their leaders and officials, “Don’t be afraid of our enemies. Remember how great and terrifying the Lord is, and fight for your relatives, your children, your wives, and your homes.”

15 Our enemies heard that we had found out what they were plotting, and they realized that God had defeated their plans. Then all of us went back to rebuilding the wall.

16 From then on half of my men worked and half stood guard, wearing coats of armor and armed with spears, shields, and bows. And our leaders gave their full support to the people

17 who were rebuilding the wall. Even those who carried building materials worked with one hand and kept a weapon in the other,

18 and everyone who was building kept a sword strapped to their waist. The man who was to sound the alarm on the bugle stayed with me.

19 I told the people and their officials and leaders, “The work is spread out over such a distance that we are widely separated from one another on the wall.

20 If you hear the bugle, gather around me. Our God will fight for us.”

21 So every day, from dawn until the stars came out at night, half of us worked on the wall, while the other half stood guard with spears.

22 During this time I told the men in charge that they and all their helpers had to stay in Jerusalem at night, so that we could guard the city at night as well as work in the daytime.

23 I didn’t take off my clothes even at night, neither did any of my companions nor my servants nor my bodyguards. And we all kept our weapons at hand.

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Oppression of the Poor

1 Some time later many of the people, both men and women, began to complain against the other Jews.

2 Some said, “We have large families, we need grain to keep us alive.”

3 Others said, “We have had to mortgage our fields and vineyards and houses to get enough grain to keep us from starving.”

4 Still others said, “We had to borrow money to pay the royal tax on our fields and vineyards.

5 We are of the same race as the other Jews. Aren’t our children just as good as theirs? But we have to make slaves of our children. Some of our daughters have already been sold as slaves. We are helpless because our fields and vineyards have been taken away from us.”

6 When I heard their complaints, I grew angry

7 and decided to act. I denounced the leaders and officials of the people and told them, “You are oppressing your own relatives!”

I called a public assembly to deal with the problem

8 and said, “As far as we have been able, we have been buying back our Jewish relatives who had to sell themselves to foreigners. Now you are forcing your own relatives to sell themselves to you, their own people!” The leaders were silent and could find nothing to say.

9 Then I said, “What you are doing is wrong! You ought to obey God and do what’s right. Then you would not give our enemies, the Gentiles, any reason to ridicule us.

10 I have let the people borrow money and grain from me, and so have my companions and those who work for me. Now let’s give up all our claims to repayment.

11 Cancel all the debtsthey owe you—money or grain or wine or olive oil. And give them back their fields, vineyards, olive groves, and houses right now!”

12 The leaders replied, “We’ll do as you say. We’ll give the property back and not try to collect the debts.”

I called in the priests and made the leaders swear in front of them to keep the promise they had just made.

13 Then I took off the sashI was wearing around my waist and shook it out. “This is how God will shake any of you who don’t keep your promise,” I said. “God will take away your houses and everything you own, and will leave you with nothing.”

Everyone who was present said, “Amen!” and praised theLord. And the leaders kept their promise.

Nehemiah’s Unselfishness

14 During all the twelve years that I was governor of the land of Judah, from the twentieth year that Artaxerxes was emperor until his thirty-second year, neither my relatives nor I ate the food I was entitled to have as governor.

15 Every governor who had been in office before me had been a burden to the people and had demanded forty silver coins a dayfor food and wine. Even their servants had oppressed the people. But I acted differently, because I honored God.

16 I put all my energy into rebuilding the wall and did not acquire any property. Everyone who worked for me joined in the rebuilding.

17 I regularly fed at my table a hundred and fifty of the Jewish people and their leaders, besides all the people who came to me from the surrounding nations.

18 Every day I served one beef, six of the best sheep, and many chickens, and every ten days I provided a fresh supply of wine. But I knew what heavy burdens the people had to bear, and so I did not claim the allowance that the governor is entitled to.

19 I pray you, O God, remember to my credit everything that I have done for this people.

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Plots against Nehemiah

1 Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem, and the rest of our enemies heard that we had finished building the wall and that there were no gaps left in it, although we still had not set up the gates in the gateways.

2 So Sanballat and Geshem sent me a message, suggesting that I meet with them in one of the villages in the Plain of Ono. This was a trick of theirs to try to harm me.

3 I sent messengers to say to them, “I am doing important work and can’t go down there. I am not going to let the work stop just to go and see you.”

4 They sent me the same message four times, and each time I sent them the same reply.

5 Then Sanballat sent one of his servants to me with a fifth message, this one in the form of an unsealed letter.

6 It read:

“Geshem tells me that a rumor is going around among the neighboring peoples that you and the Jewish people intend to revolt and that this is why you are rebuilding the wall. He also says you plan to make yourself king

7 and that you have arranged for some prophets to proclaim in Jerusalem that you are the king of Judah. His Majesty is certain to hear about this, so I suggest that you and I meet to talk the situation over.”

8 I sent a reply to him: “Nothing of what you are saying is true. You have made it all up yourself.”

9 They were trying to frighten us into stopping work. I prayed, “But now, God, make me strong!”

10 About this time I went to visit Shemaiah, the son of Delaiah and grandson of Mehetabel, who was unable to leave his house. He said to me, “You and I must go and hide together in the Holy Place of the Temple and lock the doors, because they are coming to kill you. Any night now they will come to kill you.”

11 I answered, “I’m not the kind of person that runs and hides. Do you think I would try to save my life by hiding in the Temple? I won’t do it.”

12 When I thought it over, I realized that God had not spoken to Shemaiah, but that Tobiah and Sanballat had bribed him to give me this warning.

13 They hired him to frighten me into sinning, so that they could ruin my reputation and humiliate me.

14 I prayed, “God, remember what Tobiah and Sanballat have done and punish them. Remember that woman Noadiah and all the other prophets who tried to frighten me.”

The Conclusion of the Work

15 After fifty-two days of work the entire wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of the month of Elul.

16 When our enemies in the surrounding nations heard this, they realized that they had lost face, since everyone knew that the work had been done with God’s help.

17 During all this time the Jewish leaders had been in correspondence with Tobiah.

18 Many people in Judah were on his side because of his Jewish father-in-law, Shecaniah son of Arah. In addition, his son Jehohanan had married the daughter of Meshullam son of Berechiah.

19 People would talk in front of me about all the good deeds Tobiah had done and would tell him everything I said. And he kept sending me letters to try to frighten me.

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1 And now the wall had been rebuilt, the gates had all been put in place, and the Temple guards, the members of the sacred choir, and the other Levites had been assigned their work.

2 I put two men in charge of governing the city of Jerusalem: my brother Hanani and Hananiah, commanding officer of the fortress. Hananiah was a reliable and God-fearing man without equal.

3 I told them not to have the gates of Jerusalem opened in the morning until well after sunrise and to have them closed and barred before the guards went off duty at sunset. I also told them to appoint guards from among the people who lived in Jerusalem and to assign some of them to specific posts and others to patrol the area around their own houses.

The List of Those Who Returned from Exile

4 Jerusalem was a large city, but not many people were living in it, and not many houses had been built yet.

5 God inspired me to assemble the people and their leaders and officials and to check their family records. I located the records of those who had first returned from captivity, and this is the information I found:

6 Many of the exiles left the province of Babylon and returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his own hometown. Their families had been living in exile in Babylonia ever since King Nebuchadnezzar had taken them there as prisoners.

7 Their leaders were Zerubbabel, Joshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, and Baanah.

8-25 This is the list of the clans of Israel, with the number of those from each clan who returned from exile:

Parosh – 2,172

Shephatiah – 372

Arah – 652

Pahath Moab (descendants of Jeshua and Joab) – 2,818

Elam – 1,254

Zattu – 845

Zaccai – 760

Binnui – 648

Bebai – 628

Azgad – 2,322

Adonikam – 667

Bigvai – 2,067

Adin – 655

Ater (also called Hezekiah) – 98

Hashum – 328

Bezai – 324

Hariph – 112

Gibeon – 95

26-38 People whose ancestors had lived in the following towns also returned:

Bethlehem and Netophah – 188

Anathoth – 128

Beth Azmaveth – 42

Kiriath Jearim, Chephirah, and Beeroth – 743

Ramah and Geba – 621

Michmash – 122

Bethel and Ai – 123

The other Nebo – 52

The other Elam – 1,254

Harim – 320

Jericho – 345

Lod, Hadid, and Ono – 721

Senaah – 3,930

39-42 This is the list of the priestly clans that returned from exile:

Jedaiah (descendants of Jeshua) – 973

Immer – 1,052

Pashhur – 1,247

Harim – 1,017

43-45 Clans of Levites who returned from exile:

Jeshua and Kadmiel (descendants of Hodaviah) – 74

Temple musicians (descendants of Asaph) – 148

Temple guards (descendants of Shallum, Ater, Talmon, Akkub, Hatita, and Shobai) – 138

46-56 Clans of Temple workers who returned from exile:

Ziha, Hasupha, Tabbaoth,

Keros, Sia, Padon,

Lebana, Hagaba, Shalmai,

Hanan, Giddel, Gahar,

Reaiah, Rezin, Nekoda,

Gazzam, Uzza, Paseah,

Besai, Meunim, Nephushesim,

Bakbuk, Hakupha, Harhur,

Bazlith, Mehida, Harsha,

Barkos, Sisera, Temah,

Neziah, and Hatipha.

57-59 Clans of Solomon’s servants who returned from exile:

Sotai, Sophereth, Perida,

Jaalah, Darkon, Giddel,

Shephatiah, Hattil, Pochereth Hazzebaim, and Amon.

60 The total number of descendants of the Temple workers and of Solomon’s servants who returned from exile was 392.

61-62 There were 642 belonging to the clans of Delaiah, Tobiah, and Nekoda who returned from the towns of Tel Melah, Tel Harsha, Cherub, Addon, and Immer; but they could not prove that they were descendants of Israelites.

63-64 The following priestly clans could find no record to prove their ancestry: Hobaiah, Hakkoz, and Barzillai. (The ancestor of the priestly clan of Barzillai had married a woman from the clan of Barzillai of Gilead and taken the name of his father-in-law’s clan.) Since they were unable to prove who their ancestors were, they were not accepted as priests.

65 The Jewish governor told them that they could not eat the food offered to God until there was a priest who could use the Urim and Thummim.

66-69 Total number of exiles who returned – 42,360.

Their male and female servants – 7,337

Male and female musicians – 245

Horses – 736

Mules – 245

Camels – 435

Donkeys – 6,720

70-72 Many of the people contributed to help pay the cost of restoring the Temple:

The governor 270 ounces of gold
50 ceremonial bowls
530 robes for priests
Heads of clans 337 pounds of gold
3,215 pounds of silver
The rest of the people 337 pounds of gold
2,923 pounds of silver
67 robes for priests

73 The priests, the Levites, the Temple guards, the musicians, many of the ordinary people, the Temple workers—all the people of Israel—settled in the towns and cities of Judah.

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Ezra Reads the Law to the People

1 By the seventh month the people of Israel were all settled in their towns. On the first day of that month they all assembled in Jerusalem, in the square just inside the Water Gate. They asked Ezra, the priest and scholar of the Law which theLordhad given Israel through Moses, to get the book of the Law.

2 So Ezra brought it to the place where the people had gathered—men, women, and the children who were old enough to understand.

3 There in the square by the gate he read the Law to them from dawn until noon, and they all listened attentively.

4 Ezra was standing on a wooden platform that had been built for the occasion. The following men stood at his right: Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah; and the following stood at his left: Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam.

5 As Ezra stood there on the platform high above the people, they all kept their eyes fixed on him. As soon as he opened the book, they all stood up.

6 Ezra said, “Praise theLord, the great God!”

All the people raised their arms in the air and answered, “Amen! Amen!” They knelt in worship, with their faces to the ground.

7 Then they rose and stood in their places, and the following Levites explained the Law to them: Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, and Pelaiah.

8 They gave an oral translationof God’s Law and explainedit so that the people could understand it.

9 When the people heard what the Law required, they were so moved that they began to cry. So Nehemiah, who was the governor, Ezra, the priest and scholar of the Law, and the Levites who were explaining the Law told all the people, “This day is holy to theLordyour God, so you are not to mourn or cry.

10 Now go home and have a feast. Share your food and wine with those who don’t have enough. Today is holy to our Lord, so don’t be sad. The joy that theLordgives you will make you strong.”

11 The Levites went around calming the people and telling them not to be sad on such a holy day.

12 So all the people went home and ate and drank joyfully and shared what they had with others, because they understood what had been read to them.

The Festival of Shelters

13 The next day the heads of the clans, together with the priests and the Levites, went to Ezra to study the teachings of the Law.

14 They discovered that the Law, which theLordgave through Moses, ordered the people of Israel to live in temporary shelters during the Festival of Shelters.

15 So they gave the following instructions and sent themall through Jerusalem and the other cities and towns: “Go out to the hills and get branches from pines, olives, myrtles, palms, and other trees to make shelters according to the instructions written in the Law.”

16 So the people got branches and built shelters on the flat roofs of their houses, in their yards, in the Temple courtyard, and in the public squares by the Water Gate and by the Ephraim Gate.

17 All the people who had come back from captivity built shelters and lived in them. This was the first time it had been done since the days of Joshua son of Nun, and everybody was excited and happy.

18 From the first day of the festival to the last they read a part of God’s Law every day. They celebrated for seven days, and on the eighth day there was a closing ceremony, as required in the Law.

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/363/32k/NEH/8-1a0962a584d7ca4c2f7ac3972466de77.mp3?version_id=68—

The People Confess Their Sins

1-2 On the twenty-fourth day of the same month the people of Israel gathered to fast in order to show sorrow for their sins. They had already separated themselves from all foreigners. They wore sackcloth and put dust on their heads as signs of grief. Then they stood and began to confess the sins that they and their ancestors had committed.

3 For about three hours the Law of theLordtheir God was read to them, and for the next three hours they confessed their sins and worshiped theLordtheir God.

4 There was a platform for the Levites, and on it stood Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Chenani. They prayed aloud to theLordtheir God.

5 The following Levites gave a call to worship: Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah. They said:

“Stand up and praise theLordyour God;

praise him forever and ever!

Let everyone praise his glorious name,

although no human praise is great enough.”

The Prayer of Confession

6 And then the people of Israel prayed this prayer:

“You,Lord, you alone areLord;

you made the heavens and the stars of the sky.

You made land and sea and everything in them;

you gave life to all.

The heavenly powers bow down and worship you.

7 You,LordGod, chose Abram

and led him out of Ur in Babylonia;

you changed his name to Abraham.

8 You found that he was faithful to you,

and you made a covenant with him.

You promised to give him the land of the Canaanites,

the land of the Hittites and the Amorites,

the land of the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Girgashites,

to be a land where his descendants would live.

You kept your promise, because you are faithful.

9 “You saw how our ancestors suffered in Egypt;

you heard their call for help at the Red Sea.

10 You worked amazing miracles against the king,

against his officials and the people of his land,

because you knew how they oppressed your people.

You won then the fame you still have today.

11 Through the sea you made a path for your people

and led them through on dry ground.

Those who pursued them drowned in deep water,

as a stone sinks in the raging sea.

12 With a cloud you led them in daytime,

and at night you lighted their way with fire.

13 At Mount Sinai you came down from heaven;

you spoke to your people

and gave them good laws and sound teachings.

14 You taught them to keep your Sabbaths holy,

and through your servant Moses you gave them your laws.

15 “When they were hungry, you gave them bread from heaven,

and water from a rock when they were thirsty.

You told them to take control of the land

which you had promised to give them.

16 But our ancestors grew proud and stubborn

and refused to obey your commands.

17 They refused to obey; they forgot all you did;

they forgot the miracles you had performed.

In their pride they chose a leader

to take them back to slavery in Egypt.

But you are a God who forgives;

you are gracious and loving, slow to be angry.

Your mercy is great; you did not forsake them.

18 They made an idol in the shape of a bull-calf

and said it was the god who led them from Egypt!

How much they insulted you,Lord!

19 But you did not abandon them there in the desert,

for your mercy is great.

You did not take away the cloud or the fire

that showed them the path by day and night.

20 In your goodness you told them what they should do;

you fed them manna and gave them water to drink.

21 Through forty years in the desert

you provided all that they needed;

their clothing never wore out,

and their feet were not swollen with pain.

22 “You let them conquer nations and kingdoms,

lands that bordered their own.

They conquered the land of Heshbon, where Sihon ruled,

and the land of Bashan, where Og was king.

23 You gave them as many children as there are stars in the sky,

and let them conquer and live in the land

that you had promised their ancestors to give them.

24 They conquered the land of Canaan;

you overcame the people living there.

You gave your people the power to do as they pleased

with the people and kings of Canaan.

25 Your people captured fortified cities,

fertile land, houses full of wealth,

cisterns already dug,

olive trees, fruit trees, and vineyards.

They ate all they wanted and grew fat;

they enjoyed all the good things you gave them.

26 “But your people rebelled and disobeyed you;

they turned their backs on your Law.

They killed the prophets who warned them,

who told them to turn back to you.

They insulted you time after time,

27 so you let their enemies conquer and rule them.

In their trouble they called to you for help,

and you answered them from heaven.

In your great mercy you sent them leaders

who rescued them from their foes.

28 When peace returned, they sinned again,

and again you let their enemies conquer them.

Yet when they repented and asked you to save them,

in heaven you heard, and time after time

you rescued them in your great mercy.

29 You warned them to obey your teachings,

but in pride they rejected your laws,

although keeping your Law is the way to life.

Hard-headed and stubborn, they refused to obey.

30 Year after year you patiently warned them.

You inspired your prophets to speak,

but your people were deaf,

so you let them be conquered by other nations.

31 And yet, because your mercy is great,

you did not forsake or destroy them.

You are a gracious and merciful God!

32 “O God, our God, how great you are!

How terrifying, how powerful!

You faithfully keep your covenant promises.

From the time when Assyrian kings oppressed us,

even till now, how much we have suffered!

Our kings, our leaders, our priests and prophets,

our ancestors, and all our people have suffered.

Remember how much we have suffered!

33 You have done right to punish us;

you have been faithful, even though we have sinned.

34 Our ancestors, our kings, leaders, and priests

have not kept your Law.

They did not listen to your commands and warnings.

35 With your blessing, kings ruled your people

when they lived in the broad, fertile land you gave them;

but they failed to turn from sin and serve you.

36 And now we are slaves in the land that you gave us,

this fertile land which gives us food.

37 What the land produces goes to the kings

that you put over us because we sinned.

They do as they please with us and our livestock,

and we are in deep distress!”

The People Sign an Agreement

38 Because of all that has happened, we, the people of Israel, hereby make a solemn written agreement, and our leaders, our Levites, and our priests put their seals to it.

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/363/32k/NEH/9-ad944486251feb992b54d88b80a5c43c.mp3?version_id=68—