<p class="bodytext">I brought the leaders of Judah up on top of the wall, and I appointed two large choirs to give thanks. One was to proceed<n id="1" /> on the top of the wall southward toward the Dung Gate.

So I registered a complaint with the nobles of Judah, saying to them, &#8220;What is this evil thing that you are doing, profaning the Sabbath day?

Should we then in your case hear that you do all this great evil, thereby being unfaithful to our God by marrying<n id="1" /> foreign wives?&#8221;p>

Please,<n id="1" /> O Lord, listen attentively<n id="2" /> to the prayer of your servant and to the prayer of your servants who take pleasure in showing respect<n id="3" /> to your name. Grant your servant success today and show compassion to me<n id="4" /> in the presence of this man.&#8221;p> <p class="bodytext">Now<n id="5" /> I was cupbearer for the king.p>

and a letter for Asaph the keeper of the king&#8217;s nature preserve,<n id="1" /> so that he will give me timber for beams for the gates of the fortress adjacent to the temple and for the city wall<n id="2" /> and for the house to which I go.&#8221; So the king granted me these requests,<n id="3" /> for the good hand of my God was on me.

Then I said to them, &#8220;You see the problem that we have: Jerusalem is desolate and its gates are burned. Come on! Let&#8217;s rebuild the wall of Jerusalem so that this reproach will not continue.&#8221;

Then I related to them how the good hand of my God was on me and what<n id="1" /> the king had said to me. Then they replied, &#8220;Let&#8217;s begin rebuilding right away!&#8221;<n id="2" /> So they readied themselves<n id="3" /> for this good project.

I responded to them by saying, &#8220;The God of heaven will prosper us. We his servants will start the rebuilding.<n id="1" /> But you have no just or ancient right in Jerusalem.&#8221;<n id="2" />p>

<t /><p class="bodytext">Then Eliashib the high priest and his priestly colleagues<n id="1" /> arose and built the Sheep Gate. They dedicated<n id="2" /> it and erected its doors, working as far as the Tower of the Hundred<n id="3" /> and<n id="4" /> the Tower of Hananel.

<p class="bodytext">Hanun and the residents of Zanoah worked on the Valley Gate. They rebuilt it and positioned its doors, its bolts, and its bars, in addition to working on fifteen hundred feet<n id="1" /> of the wall as far as the Dung Gate.p>

and in the presence of his colleagues<n id="1" /> and the army of Samaria<n id="2" /> he said, &#8220;What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they be left to themselves?<n id="3" /> Will they again offer sacrifice? Will they finish this in a day? Can they bring these burnt stones to life again from piles of dust?&#8221;p>

When I had made an inspection,<n id="1" /> I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials, and the rest of the people, &#8220;Don&#8217;t be afraid of them. Remember the great and awesome Lord,<n id="2" /> and fight on behalf of your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your families!&#8221;<n id="3" />p>

<p class="bodytext">It so happened that when our adversaries heard that we were aware of these matters,<n id="1" /> God frustrated their intentions. Then all of us returned to the wall, each to his own work.

<p class="bodytext">From the day that I was appointed<n id="1" /> governor<n id="2" /> in the land of Judah, that is, from the twentieth year until the thirty-second year of King Artaxerxes &#8211; twelve years in all &#8211; neither I nor my relatives<n id="3" /> ate the food allotted to the governor.<n id="4" />

<t /><p class="bodytext">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),

For many in Judah had sworn allegiance to him,<n id="1" /> because he was the son-in-law of Shecaniah son of Arah. His son Jonathan had married the daughter of Meshullam son of Berechiah.

all the people gathered together<n id="1" /> in the plaza which was in front of the Water Gate. They asked<n id="2" /> Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses which the <sc>LORDsc> had commanded Israel.

<p class="bodytext">Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, and Pelaiah &#8211; all of whom were Levites<n id="1" /> &#8211; were teaching the people the law, as the people remained standing.

The Levites &#8211; Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah &#8211; said, &#8220;Stand up and bless the <sc>LORDsc> your God!&#8221;p> <p class="bodytext">&#8220;May you be blessed, O <sc>LORDsc> our God, from age to age.<n id="1" /> May your glorious name<n id="2" /> be blessed; may it be lifted up above all blessing and praise.

They refused to obey and did not recall your miracles that you had performed among them. Instead, they rebelled and appointed a leader to return to their bondage in Egypt.<n id="1" /> But you are a God of forgiveness, merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and unfailing in your loyal love.<n id="2" /> You did not abandon them,