When Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab, and the rest of our enemies heard that I had rebuilt the wall and no breach remained in it (even though up to that time I had not positioned doors in the gates),

The sum total of the descendants of Perez who were settling in Jerusalem was 468 exceptional men.

And the rest of the Israelites, with the priests and the Levites, were in all the cities of Judah, each on his own property.

all the people gathered together in the plaza which was in front of the Water Gate. They asked Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses which the LORD had commanded Israel.

All of them conspired together to move with armed forces against Jerusalem and to create a disturbance in it.

You are righteous with regard to all that has happened to us, for you have acted faithfully. It is we who have been in the wrong!

For forty years you sustained them. Even in the desert they never lacked anything. Their clothes did not wear out and their feet did not swell.

For long ago, in the days of David and Asaph, there had been directors for the singers and for the songs of praise and thanks to God.

Even when they were in their kingdom and benefiting from your incredible goodness that you had lavished on them in the spacious and fertile land you had set before them, they did not serve you, nor did they turn from their evil practices.

But I replied, “Should a man like me run away? Would someone like me flee to the temple in order to save his life? I will not go!”

In those days the aristocrats of Judah repeatedly sent letters to Tobiah, and responses from Tobiah were repeatedly coming to them.

In the days of Joiakim, these were the priests who were leaders of the families: of Seraiah, Meraiah; of Jeremiah, Hananiah;

Then the two choirs that gave thanks took their stations in the temple of God. I did also, along with half the officials with me,

They searched for their records in the genealogical materials, but none were found. They were therefore excluded from the priesthood.

Shabbethai and Jozabad, leaders of the Levites, were in charge of the external work for the temple of God;

“So today we are slaves! In the very land you gave to our ancestors to eat its fruit and to enjoy its good things – we are slaves!

Pethahiah son of Meshezabel, one of the descendants of Zerah son of Judah, was an adviser to the king in every matter pertaining to the people.

The descendants of Levi were recorded in the Book of the Chronicles as heads of families up to the days of Johanan son of Eliashib.

So I stationed people at the lower places behind the wall in the exposed places. I stationed the people by families, with their swords, spears, and bows.

“Due to your great compassion you did not abandon them in the desert. The pillar of cloud did not stop guiding them in the path by day, nor did the pillar of fire stop illuminating for them by night the path on which they should travel.