Nehemiah 4–5

Chapter 4

Work Is Ridiculed

1 1Now it came about that when aSanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became furious and very angry and mocked the Jews.

2 He spoke in the presence of his brothers and athe 1wealthy men of Samaria and said, “What are these feeble Jews doing? Are they going to restore it for themselves? Can they offer sacrifices? Can they finish in a day? Can they revive the stones from the 2bdusty rubble even the burned ones?”

3 Now Tobiah the Ammonite was near him and he said, “Even what they are building—aif a fox should 1jump on it, he would break their stone wall down!”

4 aHear, O our God, how we are despised! bReturn their reproach on their own heads and give them up for plunder in a land of captivity.

5 Do not 1aforgive their iniquity and let not their sin be blotted out before You, for they have 2demoralized the builders.

6 So we built the wall and the whole wall was joined together to half its height, for the people had a 1mind to work.

7 1Now when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites and the Ashdodites heard that the 2repair of the walls of Jerusalem went on, and that the breaches began to be closed, they were very angry.

8 All of them aconspired together to come and fight against Jerusalem and to cause a disturbance in it.

Discouragement Overcome

9 But we prayed to our God, and because of them we aset up a guard against them day and night.

10 Thus 1in Judah it was said,

“The strength of the burden bearers is failing,

Yet there is much 2rubbish;

And we ourselves are unable

To rebuild the wall.”

11 Our enemies said, “They will not know or see until we come among them, kill them and put a stop to the work.”

12 When the Jews who lived near them came and told us ten times, “1They will come up against us from every place where you may turn,”

13 then I stationed men in the lowest parts of the space behind the wall, the 1exposed places, and I astationed the people in families with their swords, spears and bows.

14 When I saw their fear, I rose and spoke to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people: “aDo not be afraid of them; remember the Lord who is great and awesome, and bfight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives and your houses.”

15 When our enemies heard that it was known to us, and that aGod had frustrated their plan, then all of us returned to the wall, each one to his work.

16 From that day on, half of my servants carried on the work while half of them held the spears, the shields, the bows and the breastplates; and the captains were behind the whole house of Judah.

17 Those who were rebuilding the wall and those who carried burdens took their load with one hand doing the work and the other holding a weapon.

18 As for the builders, each wore his sword girded at his side as he built, while 1the trumpeter stood near me.

19 I said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, “The work is great and extensive, and we are separated on the wall far from one another.

20 “At whatever place you hear the sound of the trumpet, 1rally to us there. aOur God will fight for us.”

21 So we carried on the work with half of them holding spears from 1dawn until the stars 2appeared.

22 At that time I also said to the people, “Let each man with his servant spend the night within Jerusalem so that they may be a guard for us by night and a laborer by day.”

23 So neither I, my brothers, my servants, nor the men of the guard who followed me, none of us removed our clothes, each took his weapon even to the water.

Chapter 5

Usury Abolished

1 Now athere was a great outcry of the people and of their wives against their bJewish brothers.

2 For there were those who said, “We, our sons and our daughters are many; therefore let us aget grain that we may eat and live.”

3 There were others who said, “We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards and our houses that we might get grain because of the famine.”

4 Also there were those who said, “We have borrowed money afor the king’s tax on our fields and our vineyards.

5 “Now aour flesh is like the flesh of our brothers, our children like their children. Yet behold, bwe are forcing our sons and our daughters to be slaves, and some of our daughters are forced into bondage already, and 1we are helpless because our fields and vineyards belong to others.”

6 Then I was very aangry when I had heard their outcry and these words.

7 I consulted with myself and contended with the nobles and the rulers and said to them, “aYou are exacting usury, each from his brother!” Therefore, I held a great assembly against them.

8 I said to them, “We according to our ability ahave 1redeemed our Jewish brothers who were sold to the nations; now would you even sell your brothers that they may be sold to us?” Then they were silent and could not find a word to say.

9 Again I said, “The thing which you are doing is not good; should you not walk in the fear of our God because of athe reproach of the nations, our enemies?

10 “And likewise I, my brothers and my servants are lending them money and grain. Please, let us leave off this usury.

11 “Please, give back to them this very day their fields, their vineyards, their olive groves and their houses, also the hundredth part of the money and of the grain, the new wine and the oil that you are exacting from them.”

12 Then they said, “We awill give it back and bwill require nothing from them; we will do exactly as you say.” So I called the priests and ctook an oath from them that they would do according to this 1promise.

13 I aalso shook out the 1front of my garment and said, “Thus may God shake out every man from his house and from his possessions who does not fulfill this 2promise; even thus may he be shaken out and emptied.” And ball the assembly said, “Amen!” And they praised the Lord. Then the people did according to this 2promise.

Nehemiah’s Example

14 Moreover, from the day that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from athe twentieth year to the bthirty-second year of King Artaxerxes, for twelve years, neither I nor my 1kinsmen have eaten the governor’s food allowance.

15 But the former governors who were before me 1laid burdens on the people and took from them bread and wine besides forty shekels of silver; even their servants domineered the people. But I did not do so abecause of the fear of God.

16 I also 1applied myself to the work on this wall; we did not buy any land, and all my servants were gathered there for the work.

17 Moreover, athere were at my table one hundred and fifty Jews and officials, besides those who came to us from the nations that were around us.

18 Now athat which was prepared for each day was one ox and six choice sheep, also birds were prepared for me; and once in ten days all sorts of wine were furnished in abundance. Yet for all this bI did not demand the governor’s food allowance, because the servitude was heavy on this people.

19 aRemember me, O my God, for good, according to all that I have done for this people.