\NormalFont\ShortTitle{Ezra and Nehemiah}

{\MT Ezra and Nehemiah



\par }\ChapOne{1}{\PP \VerseOne{1}{\SC{Now}} in the first year of Cyrus king of the Persians, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of the Persians, and he issued a proclamation through all his kingdom, and that in writing, saying,


\par }{\PP \VS{2}Thus said Cyrus king of the Persians, The Lord God of heaven has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has given me a charge to build him a house in Jerusalem that is in Judea.

\VS{3}Who
{\ADD{is}} there among you of all his people? for his God shall be with him, and he shall go up to Jerusalem that is in Judea, and let him build the house of the God of Israel: he
{\ADD{is}} the God that is in Jerusalem.

\VS{4}And
{\ADD{let}} every
{\ADD{Jew}} that is left
{\ADD{go}} from every place where he sojourns, and the men of his place shall help him with silver, and gold, and goods, and cattle, together with the voluntary offering for the house of God that is in Jerusalem.


\par }{\PP \VS{5}Then the chiefs of the families of Judah and Benjamin arose, and the priests, and the Levites, all whose spirit the Lord stirred up to go up to build the house of the Lord that
{\ADD{is}} in Jerusalem.

\VS{6}And all that were round about strengthened their hands with vessels of silver, with gold, with goods, and with cattle, and with presents, besides the voluntary offerings.


\par }{\PP \VS{7}And King Cyrus brought out the vessels of the house of the Lord, which Nebuchadnezzar had brought from Jerusalem, and put in the house of his god.

\VS{8}And Cyrus king of the Persians brought them out by the hand of Mithredath the treasurer, and he numbered them to Sheshbazzar, the chief man of Judah.

\VS{9}And this
{\ADD{is}} their number: thirty gold basins, and a thousand silver basins, nine and twenty changes, thirty golden goblets,

\VS{10}and four hundred
{\ADD{and}} ten double silver
{\ADD{vessels}}, and a thousand other vessels.

\VS{11}All the gold and silver vessels were five thousand four hundred,
{\ADD{even}} all that went up with Sheshbazzar from the
{\ADD{place of}} transportation, from Babylon to Jerusalem.




\par }\Chap{2}{\PP \VerseOne{1}And these
{\ADD{are}} the people of the land that went up, of the number of prisoners who were removed, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon carried away to Babylon, and they returned to Judah and Jerusalem, every man to his city;

\VS{2}who came with Zerubbabel: Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum, Baanah. The number of the people of Israel:


\par }{\PP \VS{3}The children of Parosh, two thousand one hundred and seventy-two.


\par }{\PP \VS{4}The children of Shephatiah, three hundred and seventy-two.


\par }{\PP \VS{5}The children of Arah, seven hundred and seventy-five.


\par }{\PP \VS{6}The children of Pahath-moab, belonging to the sons of Jeshua
{\ADD{and}} Joab, two thousand eight hundred and twelve.


\par }{\PP \VS{7}The children of Elam, a thousand two hundred and fifty-four.


\par }{\PP \VS{8}The children of Zattu, nine hundred and forty-five.


\par }{\PP \VS{9}The children of Zaccai, seven hundred and sixty.


\par }{\PP \VS{10}The children of Bani, six hundred and forty-two.


\par }{\PP \VS{11}The children of Bebai, six hundred and twenty-three.


\par }{\PP \VS{12}The children of Azgad, a thousand two hundred and twenty-two.


\par }{\PP \VS{13}The children of Adonikam, six hundred and sixty-six.


\par }{\PP \VS{14}The children of Bigvai, two thousand and fifty-six.


\par }{\PP \VS{15}The children of Adin, four hundred and fifty-four.


\par }{\PP \VS{16}The children of Ater
{\ADD{the son}} of Hezekiah, ninety-eight.


\par }{\PP \VS{17}The children of Bezai, three hundred and twenty-three.


\par }{\PP \VS{18}The children of Jorah, a hundred and twelve.


\par }{\PP \VS{19}The children of Hashum, two hundred and twenty-three.


\par }{\PP \VS{20}The children of Gibbar, ninety-five.


\par }{\PP \VS{21}The children of Bethlehem, a hundred and twenty-three.


\par }{\PP \VS{22}The children of Netophah, fifty-six.


\par }{\PP \VS{23}The children of Anathoth, a hundred and twenty-eight.


\par }{\PP \VS{24}The children of Azmaveth, forty-three.


\par }{\PP \VS{25}The children of Kiriath-arim, Chephirah, and Beeroth, seven hundred and forty-three.


\par }{\PP \VS{26}The children of Ramah and Geba, six hundred and twenty-one.


\par }{\PP \VS{27}The men of Michmas, a hundred and twenty-two.


\par }{\PP \VS{28}The men of Bethel and Ai, four hundred and twenty-three.


\par }{\PP \VS{29}The children of Nebo, fifty-two.


\par }{\PP \VS{30}The children of Magbish, a hundred and fifty-six.


\par }{\PP \VS{31}The children of Elam-ar, a thousand two hundred and fifty-four.


\par }{\PP \VS{32}The children of Harim, three hundred and twenty.


\par }{\PP \VS{33}The children of Lod-hadid and Ono, seven hundred and twenty-five.


\par }{\PP \VS{34}The children of Jericho, three hundred and forty-five.


\par }{\PP \VS{35}The children of Senaah, three thousand six hundred and thirty.


\par }{\PP \VS{36}And the priests, the sons of Jedaiah,
{\ADD{belonging to}} the house of Jeshua,
{\ADD{were}} nine hundred and seventy-three.

\VS{37}The children of Immer, a thousand
{\ADD{and}} fifty-two.

\VS{38}The children of Pashhur, a thousand two hundred
{\ADD{and}} forty-seven.

\VS{39}The children of Harim, a thousand
{\ADD{and}} seven.


\par }{\PP \VS{40}And the Levites, the sons of Jeshua and Kadmiel, belonging to the sons of Hodaviah, seventy-four.


\par }{\PP \VS{41}The sons of Asaph, singers, a hundred
{\ADD{and}} twenty-eight.


\par }{\PP \VS{42}The children of the porters, the children of Shallum, the children of Ater, the children of Talmon, the children of Akkub, the children of Hatita, the children of Shobai,
{\ADD{in}} all a hundred
{\ADD{and}} thirty-nine.


\par }{\PP \VS{43}The Nathinim: the children of Ziha, the children of Hasupha, the children of Tabbaoth,

\VS{44}the sons of Keros, the children of Siaha, the children of Padon,

\VS{45}the children of Lebanah, the children of Hagabah, the sons of Akkub,

\VS{46}the children of Hagab, the children of Shamlai, the children of Hanan,

\VS{47}the children of Giddel, the children of Gahar, the children of Reaiah,

\VS{48}the children of Rezin, the children of Nekoda, the children of Gazzam,

\VS{49}the children of Uzza, the children of Paseah, the children of Besai,

\VS{50}the children of Asnah, the children of Meunim, the children of Nephisim,

\VS{51}the children of Bakbuk, the children of Hakupha, the children of Harhur,

\VS{52}the children of Bazluth, the children of Mehida, the children of Harsha,

\VS{53}the children of Barkos, the children of Sisera, the children of Temah,

\VS{54}the children of Neziah, the children of Hatipha.

\VS{55}The children of the servants of Solomon: the children of Sotai, the children of Hassophereth, the children of Peruda,

\VS{56}the children of Jaalah, the children of Darkon, the children of Giddel,

\VS{57}the children of Shephatiah, the children of Hattil, the children of Pochereth, the children of Hazzebaim, the children of Ami.

\VS{58}All the Nathinim, and the sons of Abdeselma
{\ADD{were}} three hundred and ninety-two.


\par }{\PP \VS{59}And these
{\ADD{are}} they that went up from Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Cherub, Addan, Immer: and they were not able to tell the house of their fathers, and their seed, whether they were of Israel:

\VS{60}the children of Delaiah, the children of Bua, the children of Tobiah, the children of Nekoda, six hundred
{\ADD{and}} fifty-two.

\VS{61}And of the children of the priests, the children of Habaiah, the children of Hakkoz, the children of Barzillai, who took a wife of the daughter of Barzillai the Gileadite, and was called by their name.

\VS{62}These sought their genealogy
{\ADD{as though}} they had been reckoned, but they were not found; and they were removed,
{\ADD{as polluted}}, from the priesthood.

\VS{63}And the Athersastha told them that they should not eat of the most holy things, until a priest should arise with Lights and Perfections.


\par }{\PP \VS{64}And all the congregation together
{\ADD{were}} about forty-two thousand three hundred and sixty;

\VS{65}besides their menservants and maidservants,
{\ADD{and}} these were seven thousand three hundred
{\ADD{and}} thirty-seven: and
{\ADD{among}} these were two hundred singing men and singing women.

\VS{66}Their horses
{\ADD{were}} seven hundred
{\ADD{and}} thirty-six, their mules, two hundred
{\ADD{and}} forty-five.

\VS{67}Their camels, four hundred
{\ADD{and}} thirty-five; their asses, six thousand seven hundred
{\ADD{and}} twenty.


\par }{\PP \VS{68}And
{\ADD{some}} of the chiefs of families, when they went into the house of the Lord that was in Jerusalem, offered willingly for the house of God, to establish it on its prepared place.

\VS{69}According to their power they gave into the treasury of the work pure gold sixty-one thousand pieces, and five thousand pounds of silver, and one hundred priests’ garments.


\par }{\PP \VS{70}So the priests, and the Levites, and some of the people, and the singers, and the porters, and the Nathinim, dwelt in their cities, and all Israel in their cities.




\par }\Chap{3}{\PP \VerseOne{1}And the seventh month came on, and the children of Israel
{\ADD{were}} in their cities, and the people assembled as one man at Jerusalem.

\VS{2}Then stood up Jeshua the
{\ADD{son}} of Jozadak, and his brethren the priests, and Zerubbabel the
{\ADD{son}} of Shealtiel, and his brethren, and they built the altar of the God of Israel, to offer upon it whole burnt offerings, according to the things that were written in the law of Moses the man of God.


\par }{\PP \VS{3}And they set up the altar on its place, for there was a terror upon them because of the people of the lands: and the whole burnt offering was offered up upon it to the Lord morning and evening.

\VS{4}And they kept the feast of tabernacles, according to that which was written, and
{\ADD{offered}} whole burnt offerings daily in number according to the ordinance, the exact daily rate.

\VS{5}And after this the perpetual whole burnt offering, and
{\ADD{offering}} for the season of new moon, and for all the hallowed feasts to the Lord, and for everyone that offered a freewill offering to the Lord.

\VS{6}On the first day of the seventh month they began to offer whole burnt offerings to the Lord: but the foundation of the house of the Lord was not laid.

\VS{7}And they gave money to the stone hewers and carpenters, and meat and drink, and oil, to the Sidonians, and Tyrians, to bring cedar trees from Lebanon to the Sea of Joppa, according to the grant of Cyrus king of the Persians to them.


\par }{\PP \VS{8}And in the second year of their coming to the house of God in Jerusalem, in the second month, began Zerubbabel the
{\ADD{son}} of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the
{\ADD{son}} of Jozadak, and the rest of their brethren the priests and the Levites, and all who came from the captivity to Jerusalem, and they appointed the Levites, from twenty years old and upward, over the workmen in the house of the Lord.

\VS{9}And Jeshua and his sons and his brethren stood, Kadmiel and his sons the sons of Judah, over them that wrought the works in the house of God: the sons of Henadad, their sons and their brethren the Levites.


\par }{\PP \VS{10}And they laid a foundation for building the house of the Lord: and the priests in their robes stood with trumpets and the Levites the sons of Asaph with cymbals, to praise the Lord, according to the order of David king of Israel.

\VS{11}And they answered
{\ADD{each other}} with praise and thanksgiving to the Lord,
{\ADD{saying}}, For
{\ADD{it is}} good, for his mercy to Israel
{\ADD{endures}} forever. And all the people shouted with a loud voice to praise the Lord at the laying the foundation of the house of the Lord.

\VS{12}But many of the priests and the Levites, and the elder men, heads of families, who had seen the former house on its foundation, and
{\ADD{who saw}} this house with their eyes, wept with a loud voice: but the multitude shouted with joy to raise a song.

\VS{13}And the people did not distinguish the voice of the glad shout from the voice of the weeping of the people: for the people shouted with a loud voice, and the voice was heard even from afar off.




\par }\Chap{4}{\PP \VerseOne{1}And they that afflicted Judah and Benjamin heard, that the children of the captivity were building a house to the Lord God of Israel.

\VS{2}And they drew near to Zerubbabel, and to the heads of families, and said to them, We will build with you; for as ye
{\ADD{do}}, we seek
{\ADD{to serve}} our God, and we do sacrifice to him from the days of Esarhaddon king of Assyria, who brought us hither.


\par }{\PP \VS{3}Then Zerubbabel, and Jeshua and the rest of the heads of the families of Israel said to them,
{\ADD{It is}} not for us and you to build a house to our God, for we ourselves will build together to the Lord our God, as Cyrus the king of the Persians commanded us.

\VS{4}And the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah, and hindered them in building,

\VS{5}and
{\ADD{continued}} hiring
{\ADD{persons}} against them, plotting to frustrate their counsel, all the days of Cyrus king of the Persians, and until the reign of Darius king of the Persians.


\par }{\PP \VS{6}And in the reign of Ahasuerus, even in the beginning of his reign, they wrote a letter against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.

\VS{7}And in the days of Artaxerxes, Tabeel wrote peaceably to Mithredath and to the rest of his fellow servants: the tribute gatherer wrote to Artaxerxes king of the Persians a writing in the Syrian tongue, and
{\ADD{the same}} interpreted.

\VS{8}Rehum the chancellor, and Shimshai the scribe wrote an epistle against Jerusalem to King Artaxerxes,
{\ADD{saying}},

\VS{9}Thus has judged Rehum the chancellor, and Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of our fellow servants, the Dinaeans, the Apharsachaeans, the Tarpelites, the Sipparites, the Erechites, the Babylonians, the Susanchites, Dehavites,

\VS{10}and the rest of the nations whom the great and noble Osnappar removed, and settled them in the cities of Samaria, and the rest
{\ADD{of them}} beyond the river.

\VS{11}This
{\ADD{is}} the purport of the letter, which they sent to him: Thy servants the men beyond the river to King Artaxerxes.


\par }{\PP \VS{12}Be it known to the king, that the Jews who came up from thee to us have come to Jerusalem the rebellious and wicked city, which they are building, and its walls are set in order, and they have established the foundations of it.

\VS{13}Now then be it known to the king, that if that city be built up, and its walls completed, thou shalt have no tribute, neither will they pay
{\ADD{anything}}, and this injures kings.

\VS{14}And it is not lawful for us to see the dishonor of the king: therefore have we sent and made known
{\ADD{the matter}} to the king;

\VS{15}that examination may be made in thy fathers’ book of record; and thou shalt find, and thou shalt know that that city
{\ADD{is}} rebellious, and does harm to kings and countries, and there are in the midst of it from very old time refuges for
{\ADD{runaway}} slaves: therefore this city has been made desolate.

\VS{16}We therefore declare to the king, that, if that city be built, and its walls be set up, thou shalt not have peace.


\par }{\PP \VS{17}Then the king sent to Rehum the chancellor, and Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their fellow servants who dwelt in Samaria, and the rest beyond the river,
{\ADD{saying}}, Peace; and he says,

\VS{18}The tribute gatherer whom ye sent to us, has been called before me.

\VS{19}And a decree has been made by me, and we have examined, and found that that city of old time exalts itself against kings, and that rebellions and desertions take place within it.

\VS{20}And there were powerful kings in Jerusalem, and they ruled over all the
{\ADD{country}} beyond the river, and abundant revenues and tribute were given to them.

\VS{21}Now therefore make a decree to stop the work of those men, and that city shall no more be built.

\VS{22}{\ADD{See}} that ye be careful of the decree,
{\ADD{not}} to be remiss concerning this matter, lest at any time destruction should abound to the harm of kings.


\par }{\PP \VS{23}Then the tribute gatherer of King Artaxerxes read
{\ADD{the letter}} before Rehum the chancellor, and Shimshai the scribe, and his fellow servants: and they went in haste to Jerusalem and through Judah, and caused them to cease with horses and an
{\ADD{armed}} force.

\VS{24}Then ceased the work of the house of God in Jerusalem, and it was at a stand until the second year of the reign of Darius king of the Persians.




\par }\Chap{5}{\PP \VerseOne{1}And Haggai the prophet, and Zechariah the
{\ADD{son}} of Iddo, prophesied a prophecy to the Jews in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel,
{\ADD{even}} to them.

\VS{2}Then rose up Zerubbabel the
{\ADD{son}} of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and began to build the house of God that was in Jerusalem: and with them
{\ADD{were}} the prophets of God assisting them.


\par }{\PP \VS{3}At the same time came there upon them Tattenai, the governor on this side the river, and Shethar-bozenai, and their fellow servants, and spoke thus to them, Who has ordained a decree for you to build this house, and to
{\ADD{provide}} this preparation?

\VS{4}Then they spoke thus to them, What are the names of the men that build this city?

\VS{5}But the eyes of God were upon the captivity of Judah, and they did not cause them to cease till the decree was brought to Darius; and then was sent by the tribute gatherer concerning this

\VS{6}the copy of a letter, which Tattenai, the governor of the part on this side the river, and Shethar-bozenai, and their fellow servants the Apharsachaeans who were on this side of the river, sent to King Darius.

\VS{7}They sent an account to him, and thus it was written in it:

\par }{\PP All peace to King Darius.

\VS{8}Be it known to the king, that we went into the land of Judea, to the house of the great God; and it is building with choice stones, and they are laying timbers in the walls, and that work is prospering, and goes on favorably in their hands.

\VS{9}Then we asked those elders, and thus we said to them, Who gave you the order to build this house, and to
{\ADD{provide}} this preparation?

\VS{10}And we asked them their names,
{\ADD{in order}} to declare
{\ADD{them}} to thee, so as to write to thee the names of their leading men.

\VS{11}And they answered us thus, saying, We
{\ADD{are}} the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and we
{\ADD{are}} building the house which had been built many years before this, and a great king of Israel built it, and established it for them.

\VS{12}But after that our fathers provoked the God of heaven, he gave them into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar the Chaldean, king of Babylon, and he destroyed this house, and carried the people captive to Babylon.

\VS{13}And in the first year of King Cyrus, Cyrus the king made a decree that this house of God should be built.

\VS{14}And the gold and silver vessels of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar brought out from the house that was in Jerusalem, and carried them into the temple of the king, them did King Cyrus bring out from the temple of the king, and gave them to Sheshbazzar the treasurer, who was over the treasure;

\VS{15}and said to him, Take all the vessels, and go, put them in the house that is in Jerusalem in their place.

\VS{16}Then that Sheshbazzar came, and laid the foundations of the house of God in Jerusalem: and from that time even until now it has been building, and has not been finished.

\VS{17}And now, if it
{\ADD{seem}} good to the king, let search be made in the treasure house of the king at Babylon, that thou mayest know
{\ADD{if it be}} that a decree was made by King Cyrus to build that house of God that was in Jerusalem, and let the king send to us when he has learned concerning this
{\ADD{matter}}.




\par }\Chap{6}{\PP \VerseOne{1}Then Darius the king made a decree, and caused a search to be made in the record offices, where the treasure is stored in Babylon.

\VS{2}And there was found in the city, in the palace, a volume, and this was the record written in it.


\par }{\PP \VS{3}In the first year of King Cyrus, Cyrus the king made a decree concerning the holy house of God that was in Jerusalem,
{\ADD{saying}}, Let the house be built, and the place where they sacrifice the sacrifices. (Also he appointed its elevation, in height sixty cubits; its breadth
{\ADD{was}} of sixty cubits.)

\VS{4}And
{\ADD{let there be}} three strong layers of stone, and one layer of timber; and the expense shall be paid out of the house of the king.

\VS{5}And the silver and the gold vessels of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar carried off from the house that was in Jerusalem, and carried to Babylon, let them even be given, and be carried to the temple that is in Jerusalem, and put in the place where they were set in the house of God.


\par }{\PP \VS{6}Now, ye rulers beyond the river, Shethar-bozenai, and their fellow servants the Apharsachaeans, who
{\ADD{are}} on the other side of the river, give
{\ADD{these things}}, keeping far from that place.

\VS{7}Now let alone the work of the house of God: let the rulers of the Jews and the elders of the Jews build that house of God on its place.

\VS{8}Also a decree has been made by me, if haply ye may do somewhat in concert with the elders of the Jews for the building of that house of God: to wit, out of the king’s property,
{\ADD{even}} the tributes beyond the river, let there be money to defray the expenses carefully granted to those men, so that they be not hindered.

\VS{9}And whatever need
{\ADD{there may be}}, ye shall give both the young of bulls and rams, and lambs for whole burnt offerings to the God of heaven, wheat, salt, wine, oil—let it be given them according to the word of the priests that are in Jerusalem, day by day whatsoever they shall ask;

\VS{10}that they may offer sweet savors to the God of heaven, and that they may pray for the life of the king and his sons.

\VS{11}And a decree has been made by me, that every man who shall alter this word, timber shall be pulled down from his house, and let him be lifted up and slain upon it, and his house shall be confiscated.

\VS{12}And may the God whose name dwells there, overthrow every king and people who shall stretch out his hand to alter or destroy the house of God which is in Jerusalem. I Darius have made a decree; let it be diligently
{\ADD{attended to}}.


\par }{\PP \VS{13}Then Tattenai the governor on this side beyond the river, Shethar-bozenai, and his fellow servants, according to that which King Darius sent, so they did diligently.

\VS{14}And the elders of the Jews and the Levites built, at the prophecy of Haggai the prophet, and Zechariah the son of Iddo: and they built up, and finished
{\ADD{it}}, by the decree of the God of Israel, and by the decree of Cyrus, and Darius, and Artaxerxes, kings of the Persians.


\par }{\PP \VS{15}And they finished this house by the third day of the month Adar, which is the sixth year of the reign of Darius the king.


\par }{\PP \VS{16}And the children of Israel, the priests, and the Levites, and the rest of the children of the captivity, kept the dedication of the house of God with gladness.

\VS{17}And they offered for the dedication of the house of God a hundred calves, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs, twelve kids of the goats for a sin offering for all Israel, according to the number of the tribes of Israel.

\VS{18}And they set the priests in their divisions, and the Levites in their separate orders, for the services of God in Jerusalem, according to the writing of the book of Moses.


\par }{\PP \VS{19}And the children of the captivity kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month.

\VS{20}For the priests and Levites were purified, all were clean to a man, and they slew the Passover for all the children of the captivity, and for their brethren the priests, and for themselves.

\VS{21}And the children of Israel ate the Passover,
{\ADD{even}} they that were of the captivity, and every one who separated himself to them from the uncleanness of the nations of the land, to seek the Lord God of Israel.

\VS{22}And they kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with gladness, because the Lord made them glad, and he turned the heart of the king of Assyria to them, to strengthen their hands in the works of the house of the God of Israel.




\par }\Chap{7}{\PP \VerseOne{1}Now after these things, in the reign of Artaxerxes king of the Persians, came up Ezra the son of Seraiah, the son of Azariah, the son of Hilkiah,

\VS{2}the son of Shallum, the son of Zadok, the son of Ahitub,

\VS{3}the son of Amariah, the son of Azariah, the son of Meraioth,

\VS{4}the son of Zerahiah, the son of Uzzi, the son of Bukki,

\VS{5}the son of Abishua, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the first priest.

\VS{6}This Ezra went up out of Babylon; and he was a ready scribe in the law of Moses, which the Lord God of Israel gave: and the king gave him
{\ADD{leave}}, for the hand of the Lord his God was upon him in all things which he sought.

\VS{7}And
{\ADD{some}} of the children of Israel went up, and
{\ADD{some}} of the priests, and of the Levites, and the singers, and the doorkeepers, and the Nathinim, to Jerusalem, in the seventh year of Artaxerxes the king.

\VS{8}And they came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, this
{\ADD{was}} the seventh year of the king.

\VS{9}For in the first
{\ADD{day}} of the first month he began the going up from Babylon, and in the first day of the fifth month they came to Jerusalem, for the good hand of his God was upon him.

\VS{10}For Ezra had determined in his heart to seek the law, and to do and teach the ordinances and judgments in Israel.


\par }{\PP \VS{11}And this
{\ADD{is}} the copy of the order which Artaxerxes gave to Ezra the priest, the scribe of the book of the words of the commandments of the Lord, and of his ordinances to Israel.


\par }{\PP \VS{12}Artaxerxes, king of kings, to Ezra, the scribe of the law of the Lord God of heaven, Let the order and the answer be accomplished.

\VS{13}A decree is made by me, that everyone who is willing in my kingdom of the people of Israel, and of the priests and Levites, to go to Jerusalem,
{\ADD{be permitted}} to go with thee.

\VS{14}{\ADD{One}} has been sent from the king and the seven counselors, to visit Judea and Jerusalem, according to the law of their God that is in thy hand.

\VS{15}And for the house of the Lord
{\ADD{there have been sent}} silver and gold, which the king and the counselors have freely given to the God of Israel, who dwells in Jerusalem.

\VS{16}And all the silver and gold, whatsoever thou shalt find in all the land of Babylon, with the freewill offering of the people, and the priests that offer freely for the house of God which is in Jerusalem.

\VS{17}And as for every one that arrives
{\ADD{there}}, speedily order him by this letter
{\ADD{to bring}} calves, rams, lambs, and their meat offerings, and their drink offerings; and thou shalt offer them on the altar of the house of your God which is in Jerusalem.

\VS{18}And whatever it shall seem good to thee and to thy brethren to do with the rest of the silver and the gold, do as it is pleasing to your God.

\VS{19}And deliver the vessels that are given thee for the service of the house of God, before God in Jerusalem.

\VS{20}And as to the rest of the need of the house of thy God, thou shalt give from the king’s treasure houses,

\VS{21}and from me, whatever it shall seem
{\ADD{good}} to thee to give.

\par }{\PP I King Artaxerxes have made a decree for all the treasuries that are in the
{\ADD{country}} beyond the river, that whatever Ezra the priest and scribe of the God of heaven may ask you, it shall be done speedily,

\VS{22}to
{\ADD{the amount of}} a hundred talents of silver, and a hundred measures of wheat, and a hundred baths of wine, and a hundred baths of oil, and salt without reckoning.

\VS{23}Let whatever is in the decree of the God of heaven, be done: take heed lest anyone make an attack on the house of the God of heaven, lest at any time there should be wrath against the realm of the king and his sons.

\VS{24}Also this has been declared to you, with respect to all the priests, and Levites, the singers, porters, Nathinim and ministers of the house of God, let no tribute be
{\ADD{paid}} to thee; thou shalt not have power to oppress them.

\VS{25}And thou, Ezra, as the wisdom of God
{\ADD{is}} in thy hand, appoint scribes and judges, that they may judge for all the people beyond the river, all that know the law of the Lord thy God; and ye shall make it known to him that knows not.


\par }{\PP \VS{26}And whosoever shall not do the law of God, and the law of the king readily, judgment shall be taken upon him, whether for death or for chastisement, or for a fine of his property, or casting into prison.


\par }{\PP \VS{27}Blessed
{\ADD{be}} the Lord God of our fathers, who has put it thus into the heart of the king, to glorify the house of the Lord which is in Jerusalem;

\VS{28}and has given me favor in the eyes of the king, and of his counselors, and all the rulers of the king, the exalted ones. And I was strengthened according to the good hand of God upon me, and I gathered chief men of Israel to go up with me.




\par }\Chap{8}{\PP \VerseOne{1}And these
{\ADD{are}} the heads of their families, the leaders that went up with me in the reign of Artaxerxes the king of Babylon.

\VS{2}Of the sons of Phinehas; Gershom: of the sons of Ithamar; Daniel: of the sons of David; Hattush.

\VS{3}Of the sons of Shecaniah, and of the sons of Parosh; Zechariah: and with him a company
{\ADD{of}} a hundred and fifty.

\VS{4}Of the sons of Pahath-moab; Eliehoenai the son of Zerahiah, and with him two hundred that were males.

\VS{5}And of the sons of Zattu; Shecaniah the son of Jahaziel, and with him three hundred males.

\VS{6}And of the sons of Adin; Ebed the son of Jonathan, and with him fifty males.

\VS{7}And of the sons of Elam; Jeshaiah the son of Athaliah, and with him seventy males.

\VS{8}And of the sons of Shephatiah; Zebadiah the son of Michael, and with him eighty males.

\VS{9}And of the sons of Joab; Obadiah the son of Jehiel, and with him two hundred and eighteen males.

\VS{10}And of the sons of Bani; Shelomith the son of Josiphiah, and with him a hundred and sixty males.

\VS{11}And of the sons of Bebai; Zechariah the son of Bebai, and with him twenty-eight males.

\VS{12}And of the sons of Azgad; Johanan the son of Hakkatan, and with him a hundred and ten males.

\VS{13}And of the sons of Adonikam
{\ADD{were the}} last, and these
{\ADD{were}} their names, Eliphelet, Jeuel, and Shemaiah, and with them sixty males.

\VS{14}And of the sons of Bigvai, Uthai, and Zaccur, and with him seventy males.


\par }{\PP \VS{15}And I gathered them to the river that comes to Ahava, and we encamped there three days: and I reviewed the people and the priests, and found none of the sons of Levi there.

\VS{16}And I sent men of understanding to Eleazar, to Ariel, to Shemaiah, and to Alonam, and to Jarib, and to Elnathan, and to Nathan, and to Zechariah, and to Meshullam, and to Joiarib, and to Elnathan.

\VS{17}And I forwarded them to the rulers with the money of the place, and I put words in their mouth to speak to their brethren the Nathinim with the money of the place, that they should bring us singers for the house of our God.

\VS{18}And they came to us, as the good hand of our God was upon us, even a man of understanding of the sons of Mahli, the son of Levi, the son of Israel, and at the commencement came his sons and his brethren, eighteen.

\VS{19}And Hashabiah, and Jeshaiah of the sons of Merari, his brethren and his sons, twenty.

\VS{20}And of the Nathinim, whom David and the princes had appointed for the service of the Levites
{\ADD{there were}} two hundred and twenty Nathinim; all were gathered by
{\ADD{their}} names.


\par }{\PP \VS{21}And I proclaimed there a fast, at the river Ahava, that
{\ADD{we}} should humble ourselves before our God, to seek of him a straight way for us, and for our children, and for all our property.

\VS{22}For I was ashamed to ask of the king a guard and horsemen to save us from the enemy in the way: for we had spoken to the king, saying, The hand of our God
{\ADD{is}} upon all that seek him, for good; but his power and his wrath
{\ADD{are}} upon all that forsake him.

\VS{23}So we fasted, and asked of our God concerning this; and he hearkened to us.


\par }{\PP \VS{24}And I gave charge to twelve of the chiefs of the priests, to Sherebiah, to Hashabiah, and ten of their brethren with them.

\VS{25}And I weighed to them the silver, and the gold, and the vessels of the firstfruits of the house of our God, which the king, and his counselors, and his princes, and all Israel that were found, had dedicated.

\VS{26}I even weighed into their hands six hundred and fifty talents of silver, and a hundred silver vessels, and a hundred talents of gold;

\VS{27}and twenty golden bowls,
{\ADD{weighing}} about a thousand drachmas, and superior vessels of fine shining brass,
{\ADD{precious}} as gold.

\VS{28}And I said to them, Ye
{\ADD{are}} holy to the Lord; and the vessels
{\ADD{are}} holy; and the silver and the gold are freewill offerings to the Lord God of our fathers.

\VS{29}Be watchful and keep them, until ye weigh
{\ADD{them}} before the chief priests and the Levites, and the chiefs of families in Jerusalem, at the chambers of the house of the Lord.

\VS{30}So the priests and the Levites took the weight of the silver, and the gold, and the vessels, to bring to Jerusalem into the house of our God.


\par }{\PP \VS{31}And we departed from the river of Ahava on the twelfth day of the first month, to come to Jerusalem: and the hand of our God was upon us, and delivered us from the hand of the enemy and adversary in the way.

\VS{32}And we came to Jerusalem, and abode there three days.

\VS{33}And it came to pass on the fourth day that we weighed the silver, and the gold, and the vessels, in the house of our God, into the hand of Meremoth the son of Uriah the priest; and with him
{\ADD{was}} Eleazar the son of Phinehas, and with them Jozabad the son of Jeshua, and Noadiah the son of Binnui, the Levites.

\VS{34}All things
{\ADD{were reckoned}} by number and weight, and the whole weight was written
{\ADD{down}}.


\par }{\PP \VS{35}At that time the children of the banishment that came from the captivity offered whole burnt offerings to the God of Israel, twelve calves for all Israel, ninety-six rams, seventy-seven lambs, twelve goats for a sin offering: all whole burnt offerings to the Lord.

\VS{36}And they gave the king’s mandate to the king’s lieutenants, and the governors beyond the river: and they honored the people and the house of God.




\par }\Chap{9}{\PP \VerseOne{1}And when these things were finished, the princes drew near to me, saying, The people of Israel, and the priests, and the Levites, have not separated themselves from the people of the lands in their abominations,
{\ADD{even}} the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Jebusite, the Ammonite, the Moabite, and the Mizraimite and the Amorite.

\VS{2}For they have taken of their daughters for themselves and their sons; and the holy seed has passed among the nations of the lands, and the hand of the rulers
{\ADD{has been}} first in this transgression.

\VS{3}And when I heard this thing, I rent my garments, and trembled, and plucked
{\ADD{some}} of the hairs of my head and of my beard, and sat down mourning.

\VS{4}Then there assembled to me all that followed the word of the God of Israel, on account of the transgression of the captivity; and I remained mourning until the evening sacrifice.


\par }{\PP \VS{5}And at the evening sacrifice I rose up from my humiliation; and when I had rent my garments, then I trembled, and I bow myself on my knees, and spread out my hands to the Lord God,

\VS{6}and I said, O Lord, I am ashamed and confounded, O my God, to lift up my face to thee: for our transgressions have abounded over our head, and our trespasses have increased even to heaven.

\VS{7}From the days of our fathers we have been in a great trespass until this day: and because of our iniquities we, and our kings, and our children, have been delivered into the hand of the kings of the Gentiles by the sword, and by captivity, and by spoil, and with shame of our face, as at this day.

\VS{8}And now our God has dealt mercifully with us, so as to leave us to escape, and to give us an establishment in the place of his sanctuary, to enlighten our eyes, and to give a little quickening in our servitude.

\VS{9}For we are slaves, yet in our servitude the Lord our God has not deserted us; and he has extended favor to us in the sight of the kings of the Persians, to give us a quickening, that they should raise up the house of our God, and restore the desolate places of it, and to give us a fence in Judah and Jerusalem.

\VS{10}What shall we say, our God, after this? for we have forsaken thy commandments,

\VS{11}which thou hast given us by the hand of thy servants the prophets, saying, The land, into which ye go to inherit it, is a land subject to disturbance by the removal of the people of the nations for their abominations, wherewith they have filled it from one end to the other by their uncleannesses.


\par }{\PP \VS{12}And now give not your daughters to their sons, and take not of their daughters for your sons, neither shall ye seek their peace or their good forever: that ye may be strong, and eat the good of the land, and transmit it as an inheritance to your children forever.

\VS{13}And after all that is come upon us because of our evil deeds, and our great trespass,
{\ADD{it is clear}} that there is none such as our God, for thou hast lightly visited our iniquities, and given us deliverance;

\VS{14}whereas we have repeatedly broken thy commandments, and intermarried with the people of the lands: be not very angry with us to
{\ADD{our}} utter destruction, so that there should be no remnant or escaping one.

\VS{15}O Lord God of Israel, thou
{\ADD{art}} righteous; for we remain
{\ADD{yet}} escaped, as at this day: behold, we
{\ADD{are}} before thee in our trespasses: for we cannot stand before thee on this account.




\par }\Chap{10}{\PP \VerseOne{1}So when Ezra
{\ADD{had}} prayed, and when he
{\ADD{had}} confessed, weeping and praying before the house of God, a very great assembly of Israel came together to him, men and women and youths; for the people wept, and wept aloud.

\VS{2}And Shecaniah the son of Jehiel, of the sons of Elam, answered and said to Ezra, We have broken covenant with our God, and have taken strange wives of the nations of the land: yet now there is patience
{\ADD{of hope}} to Israel concerning this thing.

\VS{3}Now then let us make a covenant with our God to put away all the wives, and their offspring, as thou shalt advise:

\VS{4}arise, and alarm them with the commands of our God; and let
{\ADD{it}} be done according to the law. Rise up, for the matter
{\ADD{is}} upon thee; and we
{\ADD{are}} with thee: be strong and do.


\par }{\PP \VS{5}Then Ezra arose, and caused the rulers, the priests, and Levites, and all Israel, to swear that they would do according to this word: and they swore.

\VS{6}And Ezra rose up from before the house of God, and went to the treasury of Jehohanan the son of Eliashib; he even went thither: he ate no bread, and drank no water; for he mourned over the unfaithfulness
{\ADD{of them}} of the captivity.

\VS{7}And they made proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem to all the children of the captivity, that they should assemble at Jerusalem,
{\ADD{saying}},

\VS{8}Every one who shall not arrive within three days, as
{\ADD{is}} the counsel of the rulers and the elders, all his substance shall be forfeited, and he shall be separated from the congregation of the captivity.


\par }{\PP \VS{9}So all the men of Judah and Benjamin assembled at Jerusalem within the three days. This
{\ADD{was}} the ninth month: on the twentieth day of the month all the people sat down in the street of the house of the Lord, because of their alarm concerning the word, and because of the storm.

\VS{10}And Ezra the priest arose, and said to them, Ye have broken covenant, and have taken strange wives, to add to the trespass of Israel.

\VS{11}Now therefore give praise to the Lord God of our fathers, and do that which is pleasing in his sight: and separate yourselves from the peoples of the land, and from the strange wives.


\par }{\PP \VS{12}Then all the congregation answered and said, This thy word
{\ADD{is}} powerful upon us to do it.

\VS{13}But the people
{\ADD{is}} numerous, and the season
{\ADD{is}} stormy, and there is no power to stand without, and the work is more than enough for one day or for two; for we have greatly sinned in this matter.

\VS{14}Let now our rulers stand, and for all those in our cities who have taken strange wives, let them come at appointed times, and with them elders from every several city, and judges, to turn away the fierce wrath of our God from us concerning this matter.

\VS{15}Only Jonathan the son of Asahel, and Jahzeiah the son of Tikvah
{\ADD{were}} with me concerning this; and Meshullam, and Shabbethai the Levite helped them.


\par }{\PP \VS{16}And the children of the captivity did thus: and Ezra the priest, and heads of families according to
{\ADD{their}} house were separated, and all by their names, for they returned in the first day of the tenth month to search out the matter.

\VS{17}And they made an end with all the men who had taken strange wives by the first day of the first month.


\par }{\PP \VS{18}And there were found
{\ADD{some}} of the sons of the priests who had taken strange wives: of the sons of Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and his brethren; Maaseiah, and Eliezer, and Jarib, and Gedaliah.

\VS{19}And they pledged themselves to put away their wives, and
{\ADD{offered}} a ram of the flock for a trespass offering because of their trespass.

\VS{20}And of the sons of Immer; Hanani, and Zebadiah.

\VS{21}And of the sons of Harim; Maaseiah, and Elijah, and Shemaiah, and Jehiel, and Uzziah.

\VS{22}And of the sons of Pashhur; Elioenai, Maaseiah, and Ishmael, and Nethanel, and Jozabad, and Elasah.

\VS{23}And of the Levites; Jozabad, and Shimei, and Kelaiah (he
{\ADD{is}} Kelita), and Pethahiah, and Judah, and Eliezer.

\VS{24}And of the singers; Eliashib: and of the porters; Shallum, and Telem, and Uri.

\VS{25}Also of Israel: of the sons of Parosh; Ramiah, and Izziah, and Malchijah, and Mijamin, and Eleazar, and Hashabiah, and Benaiah.

\VS{26}And of the sons of Elam; Mattaniah, and Zechariah, and Jehiel, and Abdi, and Jeremoth, and Elijah.

\VS{27}And of the sons of Zattu; Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, and Jeremoth, and Zabad, and Aziza.

\VS{28}And of the sons of Bebai; Jehohanan, Hananiah, and Zabbai, and Athlai.

\VS{29}And of the sons of Bani; Meshullam, Malluch, Adaiah, Jashub, and Sheal, and Jeremoth.

\VS{30}And of the sons of Pahath-moab; Adna, and Chelal, and Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, and Binnui, and Manasseh.

\VS{31}And of the sons of Harim; Eliezer, Isshijah, Malchijah, Shemaiah, Shimeon,

\VS{32}Benjamin, Malluch, Shemariah.

\VS{33}And of the sons of Hashum; Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, Shimei.

\VS{34}And of the sons of Bani; Maadai, Amram, Uel,

\VS{35}Benaiah, Bedeiah, Cheluhi,

\VS{36}Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib,

\VS{37}Mattaniah, Mattenai:

\VS{38}and
{\ADD{so}} did the children of Binnui, and the children of Shimei,

\VS{39}and Shelemiah, and Nathan, and Adaiah,

\VS{40}Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai,

\VS{41}Azarel, and Shelemiah, and Shemariah,

\VS{42}and Shallum, Amariah, Joseph.

\VS{43}Of the sons of Nebo; Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jaddai, and Joel, and Benaiah.


\par }{\PP \VS{44}All these had taken strange wives, and had begotten sons of them.




\par }\Chap{11}{\PP \VerseOne{1}{\SC{The}} words of Nehemiah the son of Hacaliah. And it came to pass in the month Chislev, of the twentieth year, that I was in Susa the palace.

\VS{2}And Hanani, one of my brethren, came, he and
{\ADD{some}} men of Judah; and I asked them concerning those that had escaped, who had been left of the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem.

\VS{3}And they said to me, The remnant,
{\ADD{even}} those that are left of the captivity,
{\ADD{are}} there in the land, in great distress and reproach: and the walls of Jerusalem
{\ADD{are}} thrown down, and its gates are burned with fire.


\par }{\PP \VS{4}And it came to pass, when I heard these words,
{\ADD{that}} I sat down and wept, and mourned for
{\ADD{several}} days, and continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven.

\VS{5}And I said, Nay, I pray thee, O Lord God of heaven, the mighty, the great and terrible, keeping thy covenant and mercy to them that love him, and to those that keep his commandments:

\VS{6}let now thine ear be attentive, and thine eyes open, that thou mayest hear the prayer of thy servant, which I pray before thee at this time, this day
{\ADD{both}} day and night, for the children of Israel thy servants, and make confession for the sins of the children of Israel, which we have sinned against thee: both I and the house of my father have sinned.

\VS{7}We have altogether broken
{\ADD{covenant}} with thee, and we have not kept the commandments, and the ordinances, and the judgments, which thou didst command thy servant Moses.

\VS{8}Remember, I pray thee, the word wherewith thou didst charge thy servant Moses, saying, If ye break covenant
{\ADD{with me}}, I will disperse you among the nations.

\VS{9}But if ye turn again to me, and keep my commandments, and do them; if ye should be scattered under the utmost
{\ADD{bound}} of heaven, thence will I gather them, and I will bring them into the place which I have chosen to cause my name to dwell there.

\VS{10}Now they
{\ADD{are}} thy servants and thy people, whom thou hast redeemed with thy great power, and with thy strong hand.


\par }{\PP \VS{11}{\ADD{Turn}} not
{\ADD{away}}, I pray thee, O Lord, but let thine ear be attentive to the prayer of thy servant, and to the prayer of thy servants, who desire to fear thy name: and prosper, I pray thee, thy servant this day, and cause him to find mercy in the sight of this man. Now I was the king’s cupbearer.




\par }\Chap{12}{\PP \VerseOne{1}And it came to pass in the month Nisan of the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, that the wine was before me: and I took the wine, and gave
{\ADD{it}} to the king: and there was not another before him.


\par }{\PP \VS{2}And the king said to me, Why is thy countenance sad, and dost thou not control thyself? and now this is nothing but sorrow of heart. Then I was very much alarmed,

\VS{3}and I said to the king, Let the king live forever: why should not my countenance be sad, forasmuch as the city, even the home of the sepulchers of my fathers, has been laid waste, and her gates have been devoured with fire?

\VS{4}And the king said to me, For what dost thou ask thus? So I prayed to the God of heaven.

\VS{5}And I said to the king, If
{\ADD{it seem}} good to the king, and if thy servant shall have found favor in thy sight,
{\ADD{I ask}} that
{\ADD{thou}} wouldest send him into Judah, to the city of the sepulchers of my fathers; then will I rebuild it.


\par }{\PP \VS{6}And the king, and his concubine that sat next to him, said to me, For how long will thy journey be, and when wilt thou return? and
{\ADD{the proposal}} was pleasing before the king, and he sent me away, and I appointed him a time.

\VS{7}And I said to the king, If
{\ADD{it seem}} good to the king, let him give me letters to the governors beyond the river, so as to forward me till I come to Judah;

\VS{8}and a letter to Asaph the keeper of the garden which belongs to the king, that he may give me timber to cover the gates, and for the wall of the city, and for the house into which I shall enter. And the king gave to me, according as the good hand of God
{\ADD{was upon me}}.


\par }{\PP \VS{9}And I came to the governors beyond the river, and I gave them the king’s letters. (Now the king had sent with me captains of the army and horsemen.)

\VS{10}And Sanballat the Horonite heard
{\ADD{it}}, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and it was grievous to them that a man was come to seek good for the children of Israel.


\par }{\PP \VS{11}So I came to Jerusalem, and was there three days.

\VS{12}And I rose up by night, I and a few men with me; and I told no man what God put into my heart to do with Israel; and there was no beast with me, except the beast which I rode upon.

\VS{13}And I went forth by the gate of the valley by night, and to the mouth of the well of fig trees, and to the Dung Gate: and I mourned over the wall of Jerusalem which they were destroying, and her gates were devoured with fire.

\VS{14}And I passed on to the fountain gate, and to the king’s pool; and there was no room for the beast to pass under me.

\VS{15}And I went up by the wall of the brook by night, and mourned over the wall, and passed through the gate of the valley, and returned.


\par }{\PP \VS{16}And the sentinels knew not why I went, nor what I was doing; and until that time I told
{\ADD{it}} not to the Jews, or to the priests, or to the nobles, or to the captains, or to the rest
{\ADD{of the men}} who wrought the works.

\VS{17}Then I said to them, Ye see this evil, in which we are, how Jerusalem is desolate, and her gates have been set on fire: come, and let us build throughout the wall of Jerusalem, and we shall be no longer a reproach.

\VS{18}And I told them of the hand of God which was good upon me, also about the words of the king which he spoke to me: and I said, Let us arise and build. And their hands were strengthened for the good
{\ADD{work}}.


\par }{\PP \VS{19}And Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian, heard
{\ADD{it}}, and they laughed us to scorn, and came to us, and said, What
{\ADD{is}} this thing that ye are doing? are ye revolting against the king?

\VS{20}And I answered them, and said to them, The God of heaven, he shall prosper us, and we his servants are pure, and we will build: but ye have no part, nor right, nor memorial, in Jerusalem.




\par }\Chap{13}{\PP \VerseOne{1}Then Eliashib the high priest, and his brethren the priests, rose up, and built the Sheep Gate; they sanctified it, and set up the doors of it; even to the tower of the hundred they sanctified
{\ADD{it}}, to the tower of Hananel.

\VS{2}And
{\ADD{they built}} by the side of the men of Jericho, and by the side of the sons of Zaccur, the son of Imri.


\par }{\PP \VS{3}And the sons of Hassenaah built the Fish Gate; they roofed it, and covered in its doors, and bolts, and bars.

\VS{4}And next to them
{\ADD{the order}} reached to Meremoth the son of Uriah, the son of Hakkoz, and next to them Meshullam son of Berechiah the son of Meshezabel took
{\ADD{his}} place: and next to them Zadok the son of Baana took
{\ADD{his}} place.

\VS{5}And next to them the Tekoites took
{\ADD{their}} place; but the Adorim applied not their neck to their service.


\par }{\PP \VS{6}And Joiada the son of Paseah, and Meshullam son of Besodeiah, repaired the old gate; they covered it in, and set up its doors, and its bolts, and its bars.

\VS{7}And next to them repaired Melatiah the Gibeonite, and Evaron the Meronothite, the men of Gibeon and Mizpah, to the throne of the governor on this side the river.

\VS{8}And next to him Uzziel the son of Harhaiah of the smiths, carried on the repairs: and next to them Ananias the son of one of the apothecaries repaired, and they finished Jerusalem to the broad wall.

\VS{9}And next to them repaired Rephaiah the son of Hur, the ruler of half the district round about Jerusalem.

\VS{10}And next to them repaired Jedaiah the son of Harumaph, and
{\ADD{that}} in front of his house: and next to him repaired Hattush son of Hashabneiah.

\VS{11}And next
{\ADD{to him}} repaired Malchijah son of Harim, and Hasshub son of Pahath-moab, even to the tower of the furnaces.

\VS{12}And next to him repaired Shallum the son of Hallohesh, the ruler of half the district round about Jerusalem, he and his daughters.


\par }{\PP \VS{13}Hanun and the inhabitants of Zanoah repaired the gate of the valley: they built it, and set up its doors, and its bolts, and its bars, and a thousand cubits of the wall as far as the Dung Gate.


\par }{\PP \VS{14}And Malchijah the son of Rechab, the ruler of the district round about Beth-haccherem, repaired the Dung Gate, he and his sons; and they covered it, and set up its doors, and its bolts, and its bars.


\par }{\PP \VS{15}But Shallum the son of Col-hozeh repaired the gate of the fountain, the ruler of part of Mizpeh; he built it, and covered it, and set up its doors and its bars, and the wall of the pool of the skins by the meadow of the king, and as far as the steps that lead down from the city of David.

\VS{16}After him repaired Nehemiah son of Azbuk, ruler of half the district round about Beth-zur, as far as the garden of David’s sepulcher, and as far as the artificial pool, and as far as the house of the mighty men.

\VS{17}After him repaired the Levites,
{\ADD{even}} Rehum the son of Bani: next to him repaired Hashabiah, ruler of half the district round about Keilah, in his district.

\VS{18}And after him repaired his brethren, Bavvai son of Henadad, ruler of half the district round about Keilah.

\VS{19}And next to him repaired Ezer the son of Jeshua, ruler of Mizpah, another portion of the tower of ascent, where it meets the corner.

\VS{20}After him repaired Baruch the son of Zabbai, a second portion, from the corner as far as the door of the house of Eliashib the high priest.

\VS{21}After him repaired Meremoth the son of Uriah the son of Hakkoz, a second part from the door of the house of Eliashib to the end of the house of Eliashib.

\VS{22}And after him repaired the priests, the men of Ecchechar.

\VS{23}And after him repaired Benjamin and Hasshub over against their house: and after him repaired Azariah son of Maaseiah the son of Ananiah,
{\ADD{the parts}} near to his house.

\VS{24}After him repaired Binnui the son of Henadad, another portion from the house of Azariah as far as the corner and to the turning,

\VS{25}of Palal the son of Uzai, opposite the corner, and
{\ADD{where is}} also the tower that projects from the king’s house, even the upper one of the prison house: and after him
{\ADD{repaired}} Pedaiah the son of Parosh.

\VS{26}And the Nathinim dwelt in Ophel, as far as the garden of the Water Gate eastward, and
{\ADD{there is}} the projecting tower.


\par }{\PP \VS{27}And after them the Tekoites repaired, another portion opposite the great projecting tower, even as far as the wall of Ophel.


\par }{\PP \VS{28}The priests repaired above the Horse Gate,
{\ADD{every}} man over against his own house.

\VS{29}And after him Zadok the son of Immer repaired opposite his own house: and after him repaired Shemaiah son of Shecaniah, guard of the East Gate.

\VS{30}After him repaired Hananiah son of Shelemiah, and Hanun, the sixth son of Zalaph, another portion: after him Meshullam the son of Berechiah repaired over against his treasury.

\VS{31}After him repaired Malchijah the son of Sarephi as far as the house of the Nathinim, and the chapmen over against the gate of Maphecad, and as far as the steps of the corner.

\VS{32}And between
{\ADD{that and}} the Sheep Gate the smiths and chapmen repaired.


\par }{\PP \VS{33}Now it came to pass, when Sanballat heard that we were building the wall, that it was grievous to him, and he was very angry, and railed against the Jews.

\VS{34}And he said before his brethren (that
{\ADD{is}} the army of the Samaritans),
{\ADD{Is it true}} that these Jews are building their city? do they indeed offer sacrifices? will they prevail? and will they this day restore the stones, after they have been burned and made a heap of rubbish?

\VS{35}And Tobiah the Ammonite came near to him, and said to them, Do they sacrifice or eat in their place? shall not a fox go up and pull down their wall of stones?


\par }{\PP \VS{36}Hear, O our God, for we have become a scorn; and return thou their reproach upon their head, and make them a scorn in a land of captivity,

\VS{37}and do not cover
{\ADD{their}} iniquity.




\par }\Chap{14}{\PP \VerseOne{1}But it came to pass, when Sanballat and Tobiah, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, heard that the building of the walls of Jerusalem was advancing,
{\ADD{and}} that the breaches began to be stopped, that it appeared very grievous to them.

\VS{2}And all of them assembled together, to come to fight against Jerusalem, and to destroy it utterly.

\VS{3}So we prayed to our God and set watchmen against them day and night, because of them.

\VS{4}And Judah said, The strength of the enemies is broken, yet
{\ADD{there is}} much rubbish, and we shall not be able to build the wall.

\VS{5}And they that afflicted us said, They shall not know, and they shall not see, until we come into the midst of them, and slay them, and cause the work to cease.


\par }{\PP \VS{6}And it came to pass, when the Jews who lived near them came, that they said to us, They are coming up against us from every quarter.

\VS{7}So I set
{\ADD{men}} in the lowest part of the place behind the wall in the lurking places, I even set the people according to their families, with their swords, their spears, and their bows.

\VS{8}And I looked, and arose, and said to the nobles, and to the captains, and to the rest of the people, Be not afraid of them: remember our great and terrible God, and fight for your brethren, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses.


\par }{\PP \VS{9}And it came to pass, when our enemies heard that it was made known to us, and God had frustrated their counsel, that we all returned to the wall,
{\ADD{every}} man to his work.

\VS{10}And it came to pass from that day
{\ADD{that}} half of them that had been driven forth, wrought the work, and half of them kept guard; and
{\ADD{there were}} spears, and shields, and bows, and breastplates, and rulers behind the whole house of Judah,

\VS{11}even of them that were building the wall—and those who carried the burdens
{\ADD{were}} under arms:
{\ADD{each}} with one hand wrought his work, and with the other held his dart.

\VS{12}And the builders
{\ADD{wrought}} each man having his sword girded upon his loins, and so they built: and the trumpeter with his trumpet next to him.

\VS{13}And I said to the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, The work
{\ADD{is}} great and abundant, and we are dispersed upon the wall, each at a great distance from his brother.

\VS{14}In whatsoever place ye shall hear the sound of the cornet, thither gather yourselves together to us; and our God shall fight for us.


\par }{\PP \VS{15}So we
{\ADD{continued}} laboring at the work: and half of them held the spears from the rising of the morning until the stars appeared.

\VS{16}And at that time I said to the people, Lodge ye every man with his servant in the midst of Jerusalem, and let the night be a watch time to you, and the day a work time.

\VS{17}And I was
{\ADD{there}}, and the watchmen behind me, and there was not a man of us that put off his garments.




\par }\Chap{15}{\PP \VerseOne{1}And the cry of the people and their wives
{\ADD{was}} great against their brethren the Jews.

\VS{2}And some said, We
{\ADD{are}} numerous with our sons and our daughters; so we will take corn, and eat, and live.

\VS{3}And some said,
{\ADD{As to}} our fields and vineyards and houses, let us pledge
{\ADD{them}}, and we will take corn, and eat.

\VS{4}And some said, We have borrowed money for the king’s tributes—our fields, and our vineyards, and houses
{\ADD{are pledged}}.

\VS{5}And now our flesh
{\ADD{is}} as the flesh of our brethren, our children
{\ADD{are}} as their children: yet, behold, we are reducing our sons and our daughters to slavery, and some of our daughters are enslaved: and there is no power of our hands, for our fields and our vineyards
{\ADD{belong}} to the nobles.


\par }{\PP \VS{6}And I was much grieved as I heard their cry and these words.

\VS{7}And my heart took counsel within me, and I contended against the nobles, and the princes, and I said to them, Should every man demand of his brother what ye demand? And I appointed against them a great assembly,

\VS{8}and I said to them, We of our free will have redeemed our brethren the Jews that were sold to the Gentiles; and do ye sell your brethren? and shall they be delivered to us? And they were silent, and found no answer.

\VS{9}And I said, The thing which ye do
{\ADD{is}} not good; ye will not so walk in the fear of our God because of the reproach of the Gentiles our enemies.

\VS{10}Both my brethren, and my acquaintances, and I, have lent them money and corn: let us now leave off this exaction.

\VS{11}Restore to them, I pray, as at this day, their fields, and their vineyards, and their olive yards, and their houses, and bring forth to them corn and wine and oil of the money.

\VS{12}And they said, We will restore, and we will not exact of them; we will do thus as thou sayest. Then I called the priests, and bound them by oath to do according to this word.


\par }{\PP \VS{13}And I shook out my garment, and said, So may God shake out every man who shall not keep to this word, from his house, and from his labors, he shall be even thus shaken out, as an outcast and empty. And all the congregation said, Amen, and they praised the Lord: and the people did this thing.


\par }{\PP \VS{14}From the day that he charged me to be their ruler in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year even to the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes, twelve years, I and my brethren ate not
{\ADD{provision}} extorted from them.

\VS{15}But as for the former acts of extortion wherein
{\ADD{those who were}} before me oppressed them, they even took of them their last money, forty didrachmas for bread and wine; and the
{\ADD{very}} outcasts of them exercised authority over the people: but I did not so, because of the fear of God.

\VS{16}Also in the work of the wall I treated them not with rigor, I bought not land: and all that were gathered together
{\ADD{came}} thither to the work.

\VS{17}And the Jews, to
{\ADD{the number of}} a hundred and fifty men, besides those coming to us from the nations round about,
{\ADD{were}} at my table.

\VS{18}And there came
{\ADD{to me}} for one day one calf, and I had six choice sheep and a goat; and every ten days wine in abundance of all sorts: yet with these I required not the bread of extortion, because the bondage was heavy upon this people.


\par }{\PP \VS{19}Remember me, O God, for good,
{\ADD{in}} all that I have done to this people.




\par }\Chap{16}{\PP \VerseOne{1}Now it came to pass, when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and Geshem the Arabian, and the rest of our enemies, heard that I had built the wall, and
{\ADD{that}} there was no opening left therein ({\ADD{but}} hitherto I had not set up the doors on the gates);

\VS{2}that Sanballat and Geshem sent to me, saying, Come and let us meet together in the villages in the plain of Ono. But they
{\ADD{were}} plotting to do me mischief.

\VS{3}So I sent messengers to them, saying, I am doing a great work, and I shall not be able to come down, lest the work should cease: as soon as I shall have finished it, I will come down to you.

\VS{4}And they sent to me
{\ADD{again}} to this effect; and I sent them
{\ADD{word}} accordingly.


\par }{\PP \VS{5}Then Sanballat sent his servant to me with an open letter in his hand.

\VS{6}And in it was written, It has been reported among the Gentiles that thou and the Jews are planning to revolt: therefore thou art building the wall, and thou wilt be a king to them.

\VS{7}And moreover thou hast appointed prophets to thyself, that thou mightest dwell in Jerusalem as a king over Judah: and now these words will be reported to the king. Now then, come, let us take counsel together.

\VS{8}And I sent to him, saying, It has not happened according to these words,
{\ADD{even}} as thou sayest, for thou framest them falsely out of thy heart.

\VS{9}For all were trying to alarm us, saying, Their hands shall be weakened from this work, and it shall not be done. Now therefore I have strengthened my hands.


\par }{\PP \VS{10}And I came into the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah the son of Mehetabel, and he was shut up; and he said, Let us assemble together in the house of God, in the midst of it, and let us shut the doors of it; for they are coming by night to slay thee.

\VS{11}And I said, Who is the man that shall enter into the house, that he may live?

\VS{12}And I observed, and, behold, God had not sent him, for the prophecy was a fable
{\ADD{devised}} against me:

\VS{13}and Tobiah and Sanballat had hired against me a multitude, that I might be frightened, and do this, and sin, and become to them an ill name, that they might reproach me.


\par }{\PP \VS{14}Remember, O God, Tobiah and Sanballat, according to these their deeds, and the prophetess Noadiah, and the rest of the prophets who tried to alarm me.


\par }{\PP \VS{15}So the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of the
{\ADD{month}} Elul, in fifty-two days.

\VS{16}And it came to pass, when all our enemies heard
{\ADD{of it}}, that all the nations round about us feared, and great alarm fell upon them, and they knew that it was of our God that this work should be finished.


\par }{\PP \VS{17}And in those days letters came to Tobiah from many nobles of Judah, and those of Tobiah came to them.

\VS{18}For many in Judah were bound to him by oath, because he was son-in-law of Shecaniah the son of Arah; and Jehohanan his son had taken the daughter of Meshullam the son of Berechiah to wife.

\VS{19}And they reported his words to me, and carried out my words to him: and Tobiah sent letters to terrify me.




\par }\Chap{17}{\PP \VerseOne{1}And it came to pass, when the wall was built, and I had set up the doors, and the porters and the singers and the Levites were appointed,

\VS{2}that I gave charge to Ananias my brother, and Ananias the ruler of the palace, over Jerusalem: for he was a true man, and one that feared God beyond many.

\VS{3}And I said to them, The gates of Jerusalem shall not be opened till sunrise; and while they are still watching, let the doors be shut, and bolted; and set watches of them that dwell in Jerusalem,
{\ADD{every}} man at his post, and
{\ADD{every}} man over against his house.


\par }{\PP \VS{4}Now the city
{\ADD{was}} wide and large; and the people
{\ADD{were}} few in it, and the houses were not built.

\VS{5}And God put
{\ADD{it}} into my heart, and I gathered the nobles, and the rulers, and the people, into companies: and I found a register of the company that came up first, and I found written in it as follows:


\par }{\PP \VS{6}Now these
{\ADD{are}} the children of the country, that came up from captivity, of the number which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon carried away, and they returned to Jerusalem and to Judah,
{\ADD{every}} man to his city;

\VS{7}with Zerubbabel, and Jeshua, and Nehemiah, Azariah, and Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Ezra, Bigvai, Nehum, Baanah, Masphar, men of the people of Israel.


\par }{\PP \VS{8}The children of Parosh, two thousand one hundred and seventy-two.


\par }{\PP \VS{9}The children of Shephatiah, three hundred and seventy-two.


\par }{\PP \VS{10}The children of Arah, six hundred and fifty-two.


\par }{\PP \VS{11}The children of Pahath-moab, with the children of Jeshua and Joab, two thousand six hundred and eighteen.


\par }{\PP \VS{12}The children of Elam, a thousand two hundred and fifty-four.


\par }{\PP \VS{13}The children of Zattu, eight hundred and forty-five.


\par }{\PP \VS{14}The children of Zaccai, seven hundred and sixty.


\par }{\PP \VS{15}The children of Binnui, six hundred and forty-eight.


\par }{\PP \VS{16}The children of Bebai, six hundred and twenty-eight.


\par }{\PP \VS{17}The children of Azgad, two thousand three hundred and twenty-two.


\par }{\PP \VS{18}The children of Adonikam, six hundred and sixty-seven.


\par }{\PP \VS{19}The children of Bigvai, two thousand and sixty-seven.


\par }{\PP \VS{20}The children of Adin, six hundred and fifty-five.


\par }{\PP \VS{21}The children of Ater,
{\ADD{the son}} of Hezekiah, ninety-eight.


\par }{\PP \VS{22}The children of Hashum, three hundred and twenty-eight.


\par }{\PP \VS{23}The children of Bezai, three hundred and twenty-four.


\par }{\PP \VS{24}The children of Hariph, a hundred and twelve: the children of Asen, two hundred and twenty-three.


\par }{\PP \VS{25}The children of Gibeon, ninety-five.


\par }{\PP \VS{26}The children of Bethlehem, a hundred and twenty-three: the children of Netophah, fifty-six.


\par }{\PP \VS{27}The children of Anathoth, a hundred and twenty-eight.


\par }{\PP \VS{28}The men of Beth-azmaveth, forty-two.


\par }{\PP \VS{29}The men of Kiriath-jearim, Chephirah, and Beeroth, seven hundred and forty-three.


\par }{\PP \VS{30}The men of Ramah and Geba, six hundred and twenty.


\par }{\PP \VS{31}The men of Michmas, a hundred and twenty-two.


\par }{\PP \VS{32}The men of Bethel and Ai, a hundred and twenty-three.


\par }{\PP \VS{33}The men of Nebo, a hundred and fifty-two.


\par }{\PP \VS{34}The men of Elam-ar, one thousand two hundred and fifty-two.


\par }{\PP \VS{35}The children of Harim, three hundred and twenty.


\par }{\PP \VS{36}The children of Jericho, three hundred and forty-five.


\par }{\PP \VS{37}The children of Lod-hadid and Ono, seven hundred and twenty-one.


\par }{\PP \VS{38}The children of Senaah, three thousand nine hundred and thirty.


\par }{\PP \VS{39}The priests; the sons of Jedaiah,
{\ADD{pertaining}} to the house of Jeshua, nine hundred and seventy-three.


\par }{\PP \VS{40}The children of Immer, one thousand and fifty-two.


\par }{\PP \VS{41}The children of Pashhur, one thousand two hundred and forty-seven.


\par }{\PP \VS{42}The children of Harim, a thousand and seventeen.


\par }{\PP \VS{43}The Levites; the children of Jeshua the son of Kadmiel, with the children of Hodevah, seventy-four.


\par }{\PP \VS{44}The singers; the children of Asaph, a hundred and forty-eight.


\par }{\PP \VS{45}The porters; the children of Shallum, the children of Ater, the children of Talmon, the children of Akkub, the children of Hatita, the children of Shobai, a hundred and thirty-eight.


\par }{\PP \VS{46}The Nathinim; the children of Ziha, the children of Hasupha, the children of Tabbaoth,

\VS{47}the children of Keros, the children of Sia, the children of Padon,

\VS{48}the children of Lebana, the children of Hagaba, the children of Shalmai,

\VS{49}the children of Hanan, the children of Giddel, the children of Gahar,

\VS{50}the children of Reaiah, the children of Rezin, the children of Nekoda,

\VS{51}the children of Gazzam, the children of Uzza, the children of Paseah,

\VS{52}the children of Besai, the children of Meunim, the children of Nephushesim,

\VS{53}the children of Bakbuk, the children of Hakupha, the children of Harhur,

\VS{54}the children of Bazlith, the children of Mehida, the children of Harsha,

\VS{55}the children of Barkos, the children of Sisera, the children of Temah,

\VS{56}the children of Neziah, the children of Hatipha.

\VS{57}The children of the servants of Solomon; the children of Sotai, the children of Sophereth, the children of Perida,

\VS{58}the children of Jaala, the children of Darkon, the children of Giddel,

\VS{59}the children of Shephatiah, the children of Hattil, the children of Pochereth, the children of Hazzebaim, the children of Amon.

\VS{60}All the Nathinim, and children of the servants of Solomon,
{\ADD{were}} three hundred and ninety-two.


\par }{\PP \VS{61}And these went up from Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Cherub, Addon, Immer: but they could not declare the houses of their families, or their seed, whether they were of Israel.

\VS{62}The children of Delaiah, the children of Tobiah, the children of Nekoda, six hundred and forty-two.


\par }{\PP \VS{63}And of the priests; the children of Hobaiah, the children of Hakkoz, the children of Barzillai, for they took wives of the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite, and they were called by their name.

\VS{64}These sought the pedigree of their company, and it was not found, and they were removed
{\ADD{as polluted}} from the priesthood.

\VS{65}And the Athersastha said, that they should not eat of the most holy things, until a priest should stand up to give light.


\par }{\PP \VS{66}And all the congregation was about forty-two thousand three hundred and sixty,

\VS{67}besides their menservants and their maidservants: these were seven thousand three hundred and thirty-seven: and the singing men and singing women, two hundred and forty-five.

\VS{69}Two thousand seven hundred asses.


\par }{\PP \VS{70}And part of the heads of families gave into the treasury to Nehemiah for the work a thousand pieces of gold, fifty bowls, and thirty priests’
{\ADD{garments}}.

\VS{71}And
{\ADD{some}} of the heads of families gave into the treasuries of the work, twenty thousand pieces of gold, and two thousand three hundred pounds of silver.

\VS{72}And the rest of the people gave twenty thousand pieces of gold, and two thousand two hundred pounds of silver, and sixty-seven priests’
{\ADD{garments}}.


\par }{\PP \VS{73}And the priests, and Levites, and porters, and singers, and
{\ADD{some}} of the people, and the Nathinim, and all Israel, dwelt in their cities.




\par }\Chap{18}{\PP \VerseOne{1}And the seventh month arrived, and the children of Israel
{\ADD{were settled}} in their cities; and all the people were gathered as one man to the broad place before the Water Gate, and they told Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the Lord commanded Israel.

\VS{2}So Ezra the priest brought the law before the congregation both of men and women, and everyone who had understanding
{\ADD{was present}} to hearken, on the first day of the seventh month.

\VS{3}And he read in it from the time of sunrise to the middle of the day, before the men and the women; and they understood
{\ADD{it}}, and the ears of all the people
{\ADD{were attentive}} to the book of the law.

\VS{4}And Ezra the scribe stood on a wooden stage, and there stood next to him Mattithiah, and Shema, and Ananiah, and Uriah, and Hilkiah, and Maaseiah, on his right hand; and on his left Pedaiah, and Mishael, and Malchijah, and Hashum, and Hashbaddanah, and Zechariah, and Meshullam.

\VS{5}And Ezra opened the book before all the people, for he was above the people; and it came to pass when he had opened it,
{\ADD{that}} all the people stood.

\VS{6}And Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God: and all the people answered, and said, Amen, lifting up their hands: and they bowed down and worshiped the Lord with their face to the ground.

\VS{7}And Jeshua and Bani and Sherebiah instructed the people in the law, and the people
{\ADD{stood}} in their place.

\VS{8}And they read in the book of the law of God, and Ezra taught, and instructed them distinctly in the knowledge of the Lord, and the people understood
{\ADD{the law}} in the reading.


\par }{\PP \VS{9}And Nehemiah, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites, and they that instructed the people, spoke and said to all the people, It is a holy day to the Lord our God; do not mourn, nor weep. For all the people wept when they heard the words of the law.

\VS{10}And
{\ADD{the governor}} said to them, Go, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions to them that have nothing; for the day is holy to our Lord: and faint not, for the Lord is our strength.

\VS{11}And the Levites caused all the people to be silent, saying, Be silent, for
{\ADD{it is}} a holy day, and despond not.

\VS{12}So all the people departed to eat, and to drink, and to send portions, and to make great mirth, for they understood the words which he made known to them.


\par }{\PP \VS{13}And on the second day the heads of families assembled with all the people,
{\ADD{also}} the priests and Levites, to Ezra the scribe, to attend to all the words of the law.

\VS{14}And they found written in the law which the Lord commanded Moses, that the children of Israel should dwell in booths, in the feast in the seventh month:

\VS{15}and that they should sound with trumpets in all their cities, and in Jerusalem. And Ezra said, Go forth to the mountain, and bring branches of olive, and branches of cypress trees, and branches of myrtle, and branches of palm trees, and branches of
{\ADD{every}} thick tree, to make booths, according to that which was written.

\VS{16}And the people went forth, and brought
{\ADD{them}}, and made booths for themselves, each one upon his roof, and in their courts, and in the courts of the house of God, and in the streets of the city, and as far as the gate of Ephraim.

\VS{17}And all the congregation who had returned from the captivity, made booths, and dwelt in booths: for the children of Israel
{\ADD{had}} not done so from the days of Jeshua the son of Nun until that day: and there was great joy.


\par }{\PP \VS{18}And
{\ADD{Ezra}} read in the book of the law of God daily, from the first day even to the last day: and they kept the feast seven days; and on the eighth day a solemn assembly, according to the ordinance.




\par }\Chap{19}{\PP \VerseOne{1}Now on the twenty-fourth day of this month the children of Israel assembled with fasting, and in sackcloth, and with ashes on their head.

\VS{2}And the children of Israel separated themselves from every stranger, and stood and confessed their sins, and the iniquities of their fathers.

\VS{3}And they stood in their place, and read in the book of the law of the Lord their God: and they confessed
{\ADD{their sins}} to the Lord, and worshiped the Lord their God.

\VS{4}{\ADD{And}} there stood upon the stairs, of the Levites, Jeshua, and the sons of Kadmiel, Shebaniah the son of Sherebiah, sons of Chenani; and they cried with a loud voice to the Lord their God.

\VS{5}And the Levites, Jeshua and Kadmiel, said, Rise up, bless the Lord our God forever and ever: and let them bless thy glorious name, and exalt it with all blessing and praise.


\par }{\PP \VS{6}And Ezra said, Thou art the only true Lord; thou madest the heaven, and the heaven of heavens, and all their array, the earth, and all things that are in it, the seas, and all things in them; and thou quickenest all things, and the hosts of heaven worship thee.


\par }{\PP \VS{7}Thou art the Lord God, thou didst choose Abram, and broughtest him out of the land of the Chaldeans, and gavest him the name of Abraham:

\VS{8}and thou foundest his heart faithful before thee, and didst make a covenant with him to give to him and to his seed the land of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and Amorites, and Perizzites, and Jebusites, and Girgashites; and thou hast confirmed thy words, for thou
{\ADD{art}} righteous.


\par }{\PP \VS{9}And thou sawest the affliction of our fathers in Egypt, and thou heardest their cry at the Red Sea.

\VS{10}And thou showedst signs and wonders in Egypt, on Pharaoh and all his servants, and on all the people of his land: for thou knowest that they behaved insolently against them: and thou madest thyself a name, as at this day.

\VS{11}And thou didst cleave the sea before them, and they passed through the midst of the sea on dry land; and thou didst cast into the deep them that were about to pursue them, as a stone in the mighty water.


\par }{\PP \VS{12}And thou guidedst them by day by a pillar of cloud, and by night by a pillar of fire, to enlighten for them the way wherein they should walk.

\VS{13}Also thou camest down upon Mount Sinai, and thou spokest to them out of heaven, and gavest them right judgments, and laws of truth, ordinances, and good commandments.

\VS{14}And thou didst make known to them thy holy Sabbath; thou didst enjoin upon them commandments, and ordinances, and a law, by the hand of thy servant Moses.

\VS{15}And thou gavest them bread from heaven for their food, and thou broughtest them forth water from a rock for their thirst; and thou badest them go in to inherit the land over which thou stretchedst out thy hand to give
{\ADD{it}} them.


\par }{\PP \VS{16}But they and our fathers behaved proudly, and hardened their neck, and did not hearken to thy commandments,

\VS{17}and refused to listen, and remembered not thy wonders which thou wroughtest with them; and they hardened their neck, and appointed a leader to return to their slavery in Egypt: but thou, O God,
{\ADD{art}} merciful and compassionate, long-suffering, and abundant in mercy, and thou didst not forsake them.

\VS{18}And still farther they even made to themselves a molten calf, and said, These
{\ADD{are}} the gods that brought us up out of Egypt: and they wrought great provocations.


\par }{\PP \VS{19}Yet thou in thy great compassions didst not forsake them in the wilderness: thou didst not turn away from them the pillar of the cloud by day, to guide them in the way, nor the pillar of fire by night, to enlighten for them the way wherein they should walk.

\VS{20}And thou gavest thy good Spirit to instruct them, and thou didst not withhold thy manna from their mouth, and gavest them water in their thirst.

\VS{21}And thou didst sustain them forty years in the wilderness; thou didst not allow anything to fail them: their garments did not wax old, and their feet were not bruised.


\par }{\PP \VS{22}Moreover thou gavest them kingdoms, and didst divide nations to them: and they inherited the land of Sihon king of Heshbon, and the land of Og king of Bashan.

\VS{23}And thou didst multiply their children as the stars of heaven, and broughtest them into the land of which thou spokest to their fathers;

\VS{24}and they inherited it: and thou didst destroy from before them the dwellers in the land of the Canaanites, and thou gavest into their hands them and their kings, and the nations of the land, to do unto them as it pleased them.

\VS{25}And they took lofty cities, and inherited houses full of all good things, wells dug, vineyards, and olive yards, and every fruit tree in abundance: so they ate, and were filled, and grew fat, and rioted in thy great goodness.


\par }{\PP \VS{26}But they turned, and revolted from thee, and cast thy law behind their backs; and they slew thy prophets, who testified against them to turn them back to thee, and they wrought great provocations.

\VS{27}Then thou gavest them into the hand of them that afflicted them, and they did afflict them: and they cried to thee in the time of their affliction, and thou didst hear them from thy heaven, and in thy great compassions gavest them deliverers, and didst save them from the hand of them that afflicted them.


\par }{\PP \VS{28}But when they rested, they did evil again before thee: so thou leftest them in the hands of their enemies, and they ruled over them: and they cried again to thee, and thou heardest
{\ADD{them}} from heaven, and didst deliver them in thy great compassions.

\VS{29}And thou didst testify against them, to bring them back to thy law: but they hearkened not, but sinned against thy commandments and thy judgments, which if a man do, he shall live in them; and they turned their back, and hardened their neck, and heard not.

\VS{30}Yet thou didst bear long with them many years, and didst testify to them by thy Spirit by the hand of thy prophets: but they hearkened not; so thou gavest them into the hand of the nations of the land.

\VS{31}But thou in thy many mercies didst not appoint them to destruction, and didst not forsake them; for thou art strong, and merciful, and pitiful.


\par }{\PP \VS{32}And now, O our God, the powerful, the great, the mighty, and the terrible, keeping thy covenant and thy mercy, let not all the trouble seem little in thy sight which has come upon us, and our kings, and our princes, and our priests, and our prophets, and our fathers, and upon all thy people, from the days of the kings of Assyria even to this day.

\VS{33}But thou
{\ADD{art}} righteous in all the things that come upon us; for thou hast wrought faithfully, but we have greatly sinned.

\VS{34}And our kings, and our princes, and our priests, and our fathers, have not performed thy law, and have not given heed to thy commandments, and
{\ADD{have not kept}} thy testimonies which thou didst testify to them.

\VS{35}And they did not serve thee in thy kingdom, and in thy great goodness which thou gavest to them, and in the large and fat land which thou didst furnish before them, and they turned not from their evil devices.

\VS{36}Behold, we are servants this day, and
{\ADD{as for}} the land which thou gavest to our fathers to eat the fruit of it and the good things of it, behold, we are servants upon it:

\VS{37}and its produce
{\ADD{is}} abundant for the kings whom thou didst appoint over us because of our sins; and they have dominion over our bodies, and over our cattle, as it pleases them, and we are in great affliction.




\par }\Chap{20}{\PP \VerseOne{1}And in regard to all these circumstances we make a covenant, and write
{\ADD{it}}, and our princes, our Levites,
{\ADD{and}} our priests, set their seal to
{\ADD{it}}.


\par }{\PP \VS{2}And over them that sealed were Nehemiah the Athersastha, son of Hacaliah, and Zedekiah,

\VS{3}the son of Seraiah, and Azariah, and Jeremiah,

\VS{4}Pashhur, Amariah, Malchijah,

\VS{5}Hattush, Shebaniah, Malluch,

\VS{6}Harim, Meremoth, Obadiah,

\VS{7}Daniel, Ginnethon, Baruch,

\VS{8}Meshullam, Abijah, Mijamin,

\VS{9}Maaziah, Bilgai, Shemaiah; these
{\ADD{were}} priests.


\par }{\PP \VS{10}And the Levites; Jeshua the son of Azaniah, Binnui of the sons of Henadad, Kadmiel

\VS{11}and his brethren, Shebaniah, Hodiah, Kelita, Pelaiah, Hanan,

\VS{12}Mica, Rehob, Hashabiah,

\VS{13}Zaccur, Sherebiah, Shebaniah,

\VS{14}Hodiah, the sons of Beninu.


\par }{\PP \VS{15}The heads of the people; Parosh, Pahath-moab, Elam, Zattu,

\VS{16}the sons of Bunni, Azgad, Bebai,

\VS{17}Adonijah, Bigvai, Adin,

\VS{18}Ater, Hezekiah, Azzur,

\VS{19}Hodiah, Hashum, Bezai,

\VS{20}Hariph, Anathoth, Nebai,

\VS{21}Magpiash, Meshullam, Hezir,

\VS{22}Meshezabel, Zadok, Jaddua,

\VS{23}Pelatiah, Hanan, Anaiah,

\VS{24}Hoshea, Hananiah, Hasshub,

\VS{25}Hallohesh, Pilha, Shobek,

\VS{26}Rehum, Hashabnah, Maaseiah,

\VS{27}and Ahiah, Hanan, Anan,

\VS{28}Malluch, Harim, Baanah.


\par }{\PP \VS{29}And the rest of the people, the priests, the Levites, the porters, the singers, the Nathinim, and everyone who drew off from the nations of the land to the law of God, their wives, their sons, their daughters, everyone who had knowledge and understanding,

\VS{30}were urgent with their brethren, and bound them under a curse, and entered into a curse, and into an oath, to walk in the law of God, which was given by the hand of Moses, the servant of God; to keep and to do all the commandments of the Lord, and his judgments, and his ordinances;

\VS{31}and that we will not,
{\ADD{they said}}, give our daughters to the people of the land, nor will we take their daughters to our sons.

\VS{32}And
{\ADD{as for}} the people of the land who bring wares and all
{\ADD{manner of}} merchandise to sell on the Sabbath day, we
{\ADD{will}} not buy of them on the Sabbath or on the holy day: and we will leave the seventh year, and the exaction of every debt.


\par }{\PP \VS{33}And we will impose ordinances upon ourselves, to levy on ourselves the third part of a didrachma yearly for the service of the house of our God;

\VS{34}the showbread, and the continual meat offering, and for the continual whole burnt offering, of the Sabbaths, of the new moon, for the feasts, and for the holy things, and the sin offerings, to make atonement for Israel, and for the works of the house of our God.


\par }{\PP \VS{35}And we cast lots for the office of wood bearing,
{\ADD{we}} the priests, and the Levites, and the people, to bring
{\ADD{wood}} into the house of our God, according to the house of our families, at certain set times, year by year, to burn on the altar of the Lord our God, as it is written in the law:

\VS{36}and to bring the firstfruits of our land, and the firstfruits of the fruit of every tree, year by year, into the house of the Lord:

\VS{37}the firstborn of our sons, and of our cattle, as it is written in the law, and the firstborn of our herds and of our flocks, to bring to the house of our God, for the priests that minister in the house of our God.

\VS{38}And the firstfruits of our corn, and the fruit of every tree, of wine, and of oil, will we bring to the priests to the treasury of the house of God; and a tithe of our land to the Levites: for the Levites themselves shall receive tithes in all the cities of the land we cultivate.

\VS{39}And the priest the son of Aaron shall be with the Levites in the tithe of the Levite: and the Levites shall bring up the tenth part of
{\ADD{their}} tithe to the house of our God, into the treasuries of the house of God.

\VS{40}For the children of Israel and the children of Levi shall bring into the treasuries the firstfruits of the corn, and wine, and oil; and there
{\ADD{are}} the holy vessels, and the priests, and the ministers, and the porters, and the singers: and we will not forsake the house of our God.




\par }\Chap{21}{\PP \VerseOne{1}And the chiefs of the people dwelt in Jerusalem: and the rest of the people cast lots, to bring one of
{\ADD{every}} ten to dwell in Jerusalem the holy city, and nine parts in the
{\ADD{other}} cities.

\VS{2}And the people blessed all the men that volunteered to dwell in Jerusalem.


\par }{\PP \VS{3}Now these
{\ADD{are}} the chiefs of the province who dwelt in Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah;
{\ADD{every}} man dwelt in his possession in their cities: Israel, the priests, and the Levites, and the Nathinim, and the children of the servants of Solomon.


\par }{\PP \VS{4}And there dwelt in Jerusalem
{\ADD{some}} of the children of Judah, and of the children of Benjamin. Of the children of Judah; Athaiah son of Uzziah, the son of Zechariah, the son of Amariah, the son of Shephatiah, the son of Mahalalel, and
{\ADD{some}} of the sons of Perez;

\VS{5}and Maaseiah son of Baruch, son of Col-hozeh, son of Hazaiah, son of Adaiah, son of Joiarib, son of Zechariah, son of Shiloh.

\VS{6}All the sons of Perez who dwelt in Jerusalem
{\ADD{were}} four hundred and sixty-eight men of might.

\VS{7}And these
{\ADD{were}} the children of Benjamin; Sallu son of Meshullam, son of Joed, son of Pedaiah, son of Kolaiah, son of Maaseiah, son of Ithiel, son of Jeshaiah.

\VS{8}And after him Gebe, Seli, nine hundred and twenty-eight.

\VS{9}And Joel son of Zichri
{\ADD{was}} overseer over them: and Judah son of Hassenuah was second in the city.


\par }{\PP \VS{10}Of the priests: both Jedaiah son of Joiarib, and Jachin.

\VS{11}Seraiah, son of Hilkiah, son of Meshullam, son of Zadok, son of Meraioth, son of Ahitub, was over the house of God.

\VS{12}And their brethren doing the work of the house were eight hundred and twenty-two: and Adaiah son of Jeroham, son of Pelaliah, son of Amzi, son of Zechariah, son of Pashhur, son of Malchijah,

\VS{13}and his brethren, chiefs of families, two hundred and forty-two: and Amashsai son of Azarel, son of Meshillemoth, son of Immer,

\VS{14}and his brethren, mighty men of war, a hundred and twenty-eight: and
{\ADD{their}} overseer
{\ADD{was}} Zabdiel son of
{\ADD{one of the}} great men.


\par }{\PP \VS{15}And of the Levites; Shemaiah, son of Azrikam,

\VS{17}Mattaniah son of Mica, and Jobeb son of Samui,

\VS{18}two hundred and eighty-four.


\par }{\PP \VS{19}And the porters; Akkub, Talmon, and their brethren, a hundred and seventy-two.


\par }{\PP \VS{22}And the overseer of the Levites
{\ADD{was}} the son of Bani, son of Uzzi, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Mica. Of the sons of Asaph the singers
{\ADD{some were}} over the house of God,

\VS{23}for so was the king’s commandment concerning them.


\par }{\PP \VS{24}And Pethahiah son of Meshezabel was in attendance on the king in every matter for the people,

\VS{25}and with regard to villages in their country district: and
{\ADD{some}} of the children of Judah dwelt in Kiriath-arba,

\VS{26}and in Jeshua,

\VS{27}and in Beersheba:

\VS{30}and their villages
{\ADD{were}} Lachish and her lands: and they pitched their tents in Beersheba.

\VS{31}And the children of Benjamin
{\ADD{dwelt}} from Geba
{\ADD{to}} Michmash.

\VS{36}And of the Levites there were divisions to Judah
{\ADD{and}} to Benjamin.




\par }\Chap{22}{\PP \VerseOne{1}Now these
{\ADD{are}} the priests and the Levites that went up with Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua: Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra,

\VS{2}Amariah, Malluch,

\VS{3}Shecaniah.

\VS{7}These
{\ADD{were}} the chiefs of the priests, and their brethren in the days of Jeshua.


\par }{\PP \VS{8}And the Levites
{\ADD{were}}, Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, Mattaniah: he
{\ADD{was}} over the bands, and his brethren

\VS{9}{\ADD{were appointed}} to the daily courses.


\par }{\PP \VS{10}And Jeshua begot Joiakim, and Joiakim begot Eliashib, and Eliashib
{\ADD{begot}} Joiada,

\VS{11}and Joiada begot Jonathan, and Jonathan begot Jaddua.

\VS{12}And in the days of Joiakim, his brethren the priests and the heads of families
{\ADD{were, belonging}} to Seraiah, Meraiah; to Jeremiah, Hananiah;

\VS{13}to Ezra, Meshullam; to Amariah, Jehohanan;

\VS{14}to Malluchi, Jonathan; to Shebaniah, Joseph;

\VS{15}to Harim, Adna; to Meraioth, Helkai;

\VS{16}to Iddo, Zechariah; to Ginnethon, Meshullam;

\VS{17}to Abijah, Zichri; to Miniamin, Maadiah; to Piltai,
{\ADD{one}};

\VS{18}to Bilgah, Shammua; to Shemaiah, Jehonathan;

\VS{19}to Joiarib, Mattenai; to Jedaiah, Uzzi;

\VS{20}to Sallai, Kallai; to Amok, Eber;

\VS{21}to Hilkiah, Hashabiah; to Jedaiah, Nethanel.


\par }{\PP \VS{22}The Levites in the days of Eliashib, Joiada, and Joa, and Johanan, and Jaddua,
{\ADD{were}} recorded heads of families: also the priests, in the reign of Darius the Persian.

\VS{23}And the sons of Levi, heads of families,
{\ADD{were}} written in the book of the chronicles, even to the days of Johanan son of Eliashib.

\VS{24}And the heads of the Levites
{\ADD{were}} Hashabiah, and Sherebiah, and Jeshua: and the sons of Kadmiel, and their brethren over against them, were to sing hymns of praise, according to the commandment of David the man of God, course by course.


\par }{\PP \VS{25}When I gathered the porters,

\VS{26}{\ADD{it was}} in the days of Joiakim son of Jeshua, son of Jozadak, and in the days of Nehemiah: and Ezra the priest
{\ADD{was}} scribe.


\par }{\PP \VS{27}And at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought the Levites in their places, to bring them to Jerusalem, to keep a feast of dedication and gladness with thanksgiving, and they sounded cymbals with songs, and
{\ADD{had}} psalteries and harps.

\VS{28}And the sons of the singers were assembled both from the neighborhood round about to Jerusalem, and from the villages,

\VS{29}and from the country: for the singers built themselves villages by Jerusalem.

\VS{30}And the priests and the Levites purified themselves, and they purified the people, and the porters, and the wall.


\par }{\PP \VS{31}And they brought up the princes of Judah on the wall, and they appointed two great
{\ADD{companies}} for thanksgiving, and they passed on the right hand on the wall of the Dung Gate.

\VS{32}And after them went Hoshaiah, and half the princes of Judah,

\VS{33}and Azariah, and Ezra, and Meshullam,

\VS{34}and Judah, and Benjamin, and Shemaiah and Jeremiah.

\VS{35}And
{\ADD{some}} of the sons of the priests with trumpets, Zechariah son of Jonathan, son of Shemaiah, son of Mattaniah, son of Micaiah, son of Zaccur, son of Asaph:

\VS{36}and his brethren, Shemaiah, and Azarel, Gilalai, Jama, Maai, Nethanel, and Judah, Hanani, to praise with the hymns of David the man of God;

\VS{37}and Ezra the scribe
{\ADD{was}} before them, at the gate, to praise before them, and they went up by the steps of the city of David, in the ascent of the wall, above the house of David, even to the Water Gate

\VS{39}of Ephraim, and to the Fish Gate, and by the tower of Hananel, and as far as the Sheep Gate.

\VS{42}And the singers were heard, and were numbered.

\VS{43}And in that day they offered great sacrifices, and rejoiced; for God had made them very joyful: and their wives and their children rejoiced: and the joy in Jerusalem was heard from afar off.


\par }{\PP \VS{44}And in that day they appointed men over the treasuries, for the treasures, the firstfruits, and the tithes, and
{\ADD{for}} the chiefs of the cities who were assembled among them,
{\ADD{to furnish}} portions for the priests and Levites: for
{\ADD{there was}} joy in Judah over the priests and over the Levites that waited.

\VS{45}And they kept the charges of their God, and the charges of the purification, and
{\ADD{ordered}} the singers and the porters, according to the commandments of David and his son Solomon.

\VS{46}For in the days of David Asaph was originally first of the singers, and
{\ADD{they sang}} hymns and praise to God.

\VS{47}And all Israel in the days of Zerubbabel, and in the days of Nehemiah, gave the portions of the singers and the porters, a daily rate: and consecrated them to the Levites: and the Levites consecrated them to the sons of Aaron.




\par }\Chap{23}{\PP \VerseOne{1}In that day they read in the book of Moses in the ears of the people; and it was found written in it, that the Ammonites and Moabites should not enter into the congregation of God forever;

\VS{2}because they met not the children of Israel with bread and water, but hired Balaam against them to curse them: but our God turned the curse into a blessing.

\VS{3}And it came to pass, when they heard the law, that they were separated,
{\ADD{even}} every alien in Israel.


\par }{\PP \VS{4}And before this time Eliashib the priest dwelt in the treasury of the house of our God, connected with Tobiah;

\VS{5}and he made himself a great treasury, and there they were formerly in the habit of bestowing the offerings, and the frankincense, and the vessels, and the tithe of the corn, and the wine, and the oil, the ordered portion of the Levites, and singers, and porters; and the firstfruits of the priests.

\VS{6}But in all this
{\ADD{time}} I was not in Jerusalem; for in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon I came to the king, and after a certain time I made my request of the king;

\VS{7}and I came to Jerusalem, and I understood the mischief which Eliashib had done in the case of Tobiah, in making for him a treasury in the court of the house of God.


\par }{\PP \VS{8}And it appeared very evil to me: so I cast forth all the furniture of the house of Tobiah from the treasury.

\VS{9}And I gave orders, and they purified the treasuries: and I restored thither the vessels of the house of God,
{\ADD{and}} the offerings, and the frankincense.


\par }{\PP \VS{10}And I understood that the portion of the Levites had not been given: and they had fled every one to his field, the Levites and the singers doing the work.

\VS{11}And I strove with the commanders, and said, Wherefore has the house of God been abandoned? and I assembled them, and set them in their place.

\VS{12}And all Judah brought a tithe of the wheat and the wine and the oil into the treasuries,

\VS{13}to the charge of Shelemiah the priest, and Zadok the scribe, and Pedaiah of the Levites: and next to them
{\ADD{was}} Hanan the son of Zaccur, son of Mattaniah; for they were accounted faithful:
{\ADD{it was}} their office to distribute to their brethren.


\par }{\PP \VS{14}Remember me, O God, in this, and let not my kindness be forgotten which I have wrought in
{\ADD{regard to}} the house of the Lord God.


\par }{\PP \VS{15}In those days I saw in Judah
{\ADD{men}} treading winepresses on the Sabbath, and carrying sheaves, and loading asses with both wine, and grapes, and figs, and every
{\ADD{kind of}} burden, and bringing them into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day:

\VS{16}and I testified in the day of their sale. Also there dwelt in it
{\ADD{men}} bringing fish, and selling every
{\ADD{kind of}} merchandise to the children of Judah and in Jerusalem on the Sabbath.

\VS{17}And I strove with the free children of Judah, and said to them, What
{\ADD{is}} this evil thing which ye do, and profane the Sabbath day?

\VS{18}Did not your fathers thus, and our God brought upon them and upon us and upon this city all these evils? and do ye bring additional wrath upon Israel by profaning the Sabbath?


\par }{\PP \VS{19}And it came to pass, when the gates were set up in Jerusalem, before the Sabbath, that I spoke, and they shut the gates; and I gave orders that they should not be opened till after the Sabbath: and I set
{\ADD{some}} of my servants at the gates, that none should bring
{\ADD{in}} burdens on the Sabbath day.

\VS{20}So all
{\ADD{the merchants}} lodged, and carried on traffic without Jerusalem once or twice.

\VS{21}Then I testified against them, and said to them, Why do ye lodge in front of the wall? if ye do so again, I will stretch out my hand upon you. From that time they came not on the Sabbath.

\VS{22}And I told the Levites who were purifying themselves, and came and kept the gates, that they should sanctify the Sabbath day.

\par }{\PP Remember me, O God, for these things, and spare me according to the abundance of thy mercy.


\par }{\PP \VS{23}And in those days I saw the Jews who had married women of Ashdod, of Ammon,
{\ADD{and}} of Moab:

\VS{24}and their children spoke half in the language of Ashdod, and did not know how to speak in the Jewish language.

\VS{25}And I strove with them and cursed them; and I smote some of them, and plucked off their hair, and made them swear by God,
{\ADD{saying}}, Ye shall not give your daughters to their sons, and ye shall not take of their daughters to your sons.

\VS{26}Did not Solomon king of Israel sin thus? though there was no king like him among many nations, and he was beloved of God, and God made him king over all Israel; yet strange women turned him aside.

\VS{27}So we will not hearken to you to do all this evil, to break covenant with our God—to marry strange wives.


\par }{\PP \VS{28}And Eliashib the high priest,
{\ADD{one}} of the sons of Jehoiada,
{\ADD{being}} son-in-law of Sanballat the Horonite, I chased him away from me.

\VS{29}Remember them, O God, for their
{\ADD{false}} connection with the priesthood, and
{\ADD{the breaking}} the covenant of the priesthood, and
{\ADD{for defiling}} the Levites.


\par }{\PP \VS{30}So I purged them from all foreign connection, and established courses for the priests and the Levites,
{\ADD{every}} man according to his work.

\VS{31}And the offering of the wood bearers
{\ADD{was}} at certain set times, and in the
{\ADD{times of the}} firstfruits. Remember me, O our God, for good.


\par }