Nehemiah 3:1–4:23
3 The high priest Eliashibn and his fellow priests began rebuilding the Sheep Gate.o They dedicated it and installed its doors. After building the wall to the Tower of the Hundred and the Tower of Hananel,p they dedicated it. 2 The men of Jerichoq built next to Eliashib,r and next to them Zaccur son of Imri built.
3 The sons of Hassenaah built the Fish Gate.s They built it with beams and installed its doors, bolts, and bars.t 4 Next to them Meremothu son of Uriah, son of Hakkoz, made repairs. Beside them Meshullamv son of Berechiah, son of Meshezabel, made repairs. Next to them Zadok son of Baana made repairs. 5 Beside them the Tekoitesw made repairs, but their nobles did not lift a finger to helpD their supervisors.
OLD GATE, BROAD WALL, AND TOWER OF THE OVENS
6 Joiada son of Paseah and Meshullam son of Besodeiah repaired the OldE Gate.x They built it with beams and installed its doors, bolts, and bars. 7 Next to them the repairs were done by Melatiah the Gibeonite, Jadon the Meronothite, and the men of Gibeony and Mizpah, who were under the authorityF,z of the governoraa of the region west of the Euphrates River.ab 8 After him Uzziel son of Harhaiah, the goldsmith,ac made repairs, and next to him Hananiah son of the perfumer made repairs. They restored Jerusalem as far as the Broad Wall.ad
9 Next to them Rephaiah son of Hur, ruler of half the district of Jerusalem, made repairs. 10 After them Jedaiah son of Harumaph made repairs across from his house.ae Next to him Hattush the son of Hashabneiah made repairs. 11 Malchijah son of Harim and Hasshub son of Pahath-moab made repairs to another section, as well as to the Tower of the Ovens.af 12 Beside him Shallum son of Hallohesh, ruler of half the district of Jerusalem, made repairs—he and his daughters.
VALLEY GATE, DUNG GATE, AND FOUNTAIN GATE
13 Hanun and the inhabitants of Zanoah repaired the Valley Gate. They rebuilt it and installed its doors, bolts, and bars, and repaired five hundred yardsG of the wall to the Dung Gate.ag 14 Malchijah son of Rechab, ruler of the district of Beth-haccherem,ah repaired the Dung Gate.ai He rebuilt it and installed its doors, bolts, and bars.
15 ShallunH son of Col-hozeh, ruler of the district of Mizpah, repaired the Fountain Gate.aj He rebuilt it and roofed it. Then he installed its doors, bolts, and bars. He also made repairs to the wall of the Pool of Shelaha near the king’s garden,b as far as the stairs that descend from the city of David.c
16 After him Nehemiah son of Azbuk, ruler of half the district of Beth-zur,d made repairs up to a point opposite the tombs of David,e as far as the artificial poolf and the House of the Warriors.g 17 Next to him the Levitesh made repairs under Rehum son of Bani. Beside him Hashabiah, ruler of half the district of Keilah,i made repairs for his district. 18 After him their fellow Levites made repairs under Binnui* son of Henadad, ruler of half the district of Keilah. 19 Next to him Ezer son of Jeshua, ruler of Mizpah, made repairs to another section opposite the ascent to the armory at the Angle.j
THE ANGLE, WATER GATE, AND TOWER ON OPHEL
20 After him Baruch son of Zabbai* diligently repaired another section, from the Angle to the door of the house of the high priest Eliashib.k 21 Beside him Meremothl son of Uriah, son of Hakkoz, made repairs to another section, from the door of Eliashib’sm house to the end of his house. 22 And next to him the priests from the surrounding area made repairs.
23 After them Benjamin and Hasshub made repairs opposite their house. Beside them Azariah son of Maaseiah, son of Ananiah, made repairs beside his house. 24 After him Binnuin son of Henadad made repairs to another section, from the house of Azariah to the Angle and the corner. 25 Palal son of Uzai made repairs opposite the Angle and tower that juts out from the king’s upper palace,C,o by the courtyard of the guard.p Beside him Pedaiah son of Parosh 26 and the temple servantsq living on Ophelr made repairs opposite the Water Gates toward the east and the tower that juts out. 27 Next to him the Tekoitest made repairs to another section from a point opposite the great tower that juts out, as far as the wall of Ophel.u
HORSE GATE, INSPECTION GATE, AND SHEEP GATE
28 Each of the priests made repairs above the Horse Gate,v each opposite his own house. 29 After them Zadok son of Immer made repairs opposite his house. And beside him Shemaiah son of Shecaniah, guard of the East Gate, made repairs. 30 Next to him Hananiah son of Shelemiah and Hanun the sixth son of Zalaph made repairs to another section.
After them Meshullam son of Berechiah made repairs opposite his room. 31 Next to him Malchijah, one of the goldsmiths,w made repairs to the house of the temple servantsx and the merchants, opposite the InspectionD Gate, and as far as the upstairs room on the corner. 32 The goldsmithsy and merchants made repairs between the upstairs room on the corner and the Sheep Gate.z
PROGRESS IN SPITE OF OPPOSITION
4 When Sanballataa heard that we were rebuilding the wall,ab he became furious. He mocked the Jewsac 2 before his colleagues and the powerful menE of Samariaad and said, “What are these pathetic Jews doing? Can they restore it by themselves? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they ever finish it? Can they bring these burnt stonesae back to life from the mounds of rubble?”af 3 Then Tobiah the Ammonite,ag who was beside him, said, “Indeed, even if a foxah climbed up what they are building, he would break down their stone wall!”
4 Listen, our God, for we are despised. Make their insults return on their own heads and let them be taken as plunder to a land of captivity. 5 Do not cover their guilt or let their sin be erased from your sight, because they have angeredF the builders.ai
6 So we rebuilt the wall until the entire wall was joined together up to half its height, for the people had the will to keep working.aj
7 When Sanballat, Tobiah, and the Arabs,ak Ammonites, and Ashdodites heard that the repair to the walls of Jerusalem was progressing and that the gaps were being closed,al they became furious.am 8 They all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and throw it into confusion. 9 So we prayed to our God and stationed a guard because of them day and night.
10 In Judah, it was said:G
The strength of the laborer fails,
since there is so much rubble.
We will never be able
to rebuild the wall.
11 And our enemies said, “They won’t realize itA until we’re among them and can kill them and stop the work.” 12 When the Jews who lived nearby arrived, they said to us time and again,B “Everywhere you turn, they attackC us.” 13 So I stationed people behind the lowest sections of the wall, at the vulnerable areas. I stationed them by families with their swords, spears, and bows. 14 After I made an inspection, I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials, and the rest of the people,a “Don’t be afraid of them.b Remember the great and awe-inspiring Lord, and fight for your countrymen, your sons and daughters, your wives and homes.”c
15 When our enemies heard that we knew their scheme and that God had frustrated it, every one of us returned to his own work on the wall. 16 From that day on, half of my men did the work while the other half held spears, shields, bows, and armor.d The officers supported all the people of Judah, 17 who were rebuilding the wall. The laborers who carried the loads worked with one hand and held a weapon with the other. 18 Each of the builders had his sword strapped around his waist while he was building, and the one who sounded the trumpet was beside me. 19 Then I said to the nobles, the officials, and the rest of the people,e “The work is enormous and spread out, and we are separated far from one another along the wall.f 20 Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us!”g 21 So we continued the work, while half of the men were holding spears from daybreak until the stars came out. 22 At that time, I also said to the people, “Let everyone and his servant spend the night inside Jerusalem, so that they can stand guard by night and work by day.” 23 And I, my brothers, my servants, and the men of the guard with me never took off our clothes. Each carried his weapon, even when washing.D