The Bible Part 95

7:21 And I, even I Artaxerxes the king, do make a decree to all the treasurers which are beyond the river, that whatsoever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the G.o.d of heaven, shall require of you, it be done speedily, 7:22 Unto an hundred talents of silver, and to an hundred measures of wheat, and to an hundred baths of wine, and to an hundred baths of oil, and salt without prescribing how much.

7:23 Whatsoever is commanded by the G.o.d of heaven, let it be diligently done for the house of the G.o.d of heaven: for why should there be wrath against the realm of the king and his sons? 7:24 Also we certify you, that touching any of the priests and Levites, singers, porters, Nethinims, or ministers of this house of G.o.d, it shall not be lawful to impose toll, tribute, or custom, upon them.

7:25 And thou, Ezra, after the wisdom of thy G.o.d, that is in thine hand, set magistrates and judges, which may judge all the people that are beyond the river, all such as know the laws of thy G.o.d; and teach ye them that know them not.

7:26 And whosoever will not do the law of thy G.o.d, and the law of the king, let judgment be executed speedily upon him, whether it be unto death, or to banishment, or to confiscation of goods, or to imprisonment.

7:27 Blessed be the LORD G.o.d of our fathers, which hath put such a thing as this in the king's heart, to beautify the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem: 7:28 And hath extended mercy unto me before the king, and his counsellors, and before all the king's mighty princes. And I was strengthened as the hand of the LORD my G.o.d was upon me, and I gathered together out of Israel chief men to go up with me.

8:1 These are now the chief of their fathers, and this is the genealogy of them that went up with me from Babylon, in the reign of Artaxerxes the king.

8:2 Of the sons of Phinehas; Gershom: of the sons of Ithamar; Daniel: of the sons of David; Hattush.

8:3 Of the sons of Shechaniah, of the sons of Pharosh; Zechariah: and with him were reckoned by genealogy of the males an hundred and fifty.

8:4 Of the sons of Pahathmoab; Elihoenai the son of Zerahiah, and with him two hundred males.

8:5 Of the sons of Shechaniah; the son of Jahaziel, and with him three hundred males.

8:6 Of the sons also of Adin; Ebed the son of Jonathan, and with him fifty males.

8:7 And of the sons of Elam; Jeshaiah the son of Athaliah, and with him seventy males.

8:8 And of the sons of Shephatiah; Zebadiah the son of Michael, and with him fourscore males.

8:9 Of the sons of Joab; Obadiah the son of Jehiel, and with him two hundred and eighteen males.

8:10 And of the sons of Shelomith; the son of Josiphiah, and with him an hundred and threescore males.

8:11 And of the sons of Bebai; Zechariah the son of Bebai, and with him twenty and eight males.

8:12 And of the sons of Azgad; Johanan the son of Hakkatan, and with him an hundred and ten males.

8:13 And of the last sons of Adonikam, whose names are these, Eliphelet, Jeiel, and Shemaiah, and with them threescore males.

8:14 Of the sons also of Bigvai; Uthai, and Zabbud, and with them seventy males.

8:15 And I gathered them together to the river that runneth to Ahava; and there abode we in tents three days: and I viewed the people, and the priests, and found there none of the sons of Levi.

8:16 Then sent I for Eliezer, for Ariel, for Shemaiah, and for Elnathan, and for Jarib, and for Elnathan, and for Nathan, and for Zechariah, and for Meshullam, chief men; also for Joiarib, and for Elnathan, men of understanding.

8:17 And I sent them with commandment unto Iddo the chief at the place Casiphia, and I told them what they should say unto Iddo, and to his brethren the Nethinims, at the place Casiphia, that they should bring unto us ministers for the house of our G.o.d.

8:18 And by the good hand of our G.o.d upon us they brought us a man of understanding, of the sons of Mahli, the son of Levi, the son of Israel; and Sherebiah, with his sons and his brethren, eighteen; 8:19 And Hashabiah, and with him Jeshaiah of the sons of Merari, his brethren and their sons, twenty; 8:20 Also of the Nethinims, whom David and the princes had appointed for the service of the Levites, two hundred and twenty Nethinims: all of them were expressed by name.

8:21 Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river of Ahava, that we might afflict ourselves before our G.o.d, to seek of him a right way for us, and for our little ones, and for all our substance.

8:22 For I was ashamed to require of the king a band of soldiers and hors.e.m.e.n to help us against the enemy in the way: because we had spoken unto the king, saying, The hand of our G.o.d is upon all them for good that seek him; but his power and his wrath is against all them that forsake him.

8:23 So we fasted and besought our G.o.d for this: and he was intreated of us.

8:24 Then I separated twelve of the chief of the priests, Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and ten of their brethren with them, 8:25 And weighed unto them the silver, and the gold, and the vessels, even the offering of the house of our G.o.d, which the king, and his counsellors, and his lords, and all Israel there present, had offered: 8:26 I even weighed unto their hand six hundred and fifty talents of silver, and silver vessels an hundred talents, and of gold an hundred talents; 8:27 Also twenty basons of gold, of a thousand drams; and two vessels of fine copper, precious as gold.

8:28 And I said unto them, Ye are holy unto the LORD; the vessels are holy also; and the silver and the gold are a freewill offering unto the LORD G.o.d of your fathers.

8:29 Watch ye, and keep them, until ye weigh them before the chief of the priests and the Levites, and chief of the fathers of Israel, at Jerusalem, in the chambers of the house of the LORD.

8:30 So took the priests and the Levites the weight of the silver, and the gold, and the vessels, to bring them to Jerusalem unto the house of our G.o.d.

8:31 Then we departed from the river of Ahava on the twelfth day of the first month, to go unto Jerusalem: and the hand of our G.o.d was upon us, and he delivered us from the hand of the enemy, and of such as lay in wait by the way.

8:32 And we came to Jerusalem, and abode there three days.

8:33 Now on the fourth day was the silver and the gold and the vessels weighed in the house of our G.o.d by the hand of Meremoth the son of Uriah the priest; and with him was Eleazar the son of Phinehas; and with them was Jozabad the son of Jeshua, and Noadiah the son of Binnui, Levites; 8:34 By number and by weight of every one: and all the weight was written at that time.

8:35 Also the children of those that had been carried away, which were come out of the captivity, offered burnt offerings unto the G.o.d of Israel, twelve bullocks for all Israel, ninety and six rams, seventy and seven lambs, twelve he goats for a sin offering: all this was a burnt offering unto the LORD.

8:36 And they delivered the king's commissions unto the king's lieutenants, and to the governors on this side the river: and they furthered the people, and the house of G.o.d.

9:1 Now when these things were done, the princes came to me, saying, The people of Israel, and the priests, and the Levites, have not separated themselves from the people of the lands, doing according to their abominations, even of the Canaanites, the Hitt.i.tes, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites.

9:2 For they have taken of their daughters for themselves, and for their sons: so that the holy seed have mingled themselves with the people of those lands: yea, the hand of the princes and rulers hath been chief in this trespa.s.s.

9:3 And when I heard this thing, I rent my garment and my mantle, and plucked off the hair of my head and of my beard, and sat down astonied.

9:4 Then were a.s.sembled unto me every one that trembled at the words of the G.o.d of Israel, because of the transgression of those that had been carried away; and I sat astonied until the evening sacrifice.

9:5 And at the evening sacrifice I arose up from my heaviness; and having rent my garment and my mantle, I fell upon my knees, and spread out my hands unto the LORD my G.o.d, 9:6 And said, O my G.o.d, I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee, my G.o.d: for our iniquities are increased over our head, and our trespa.s.s is grown up unto the heavens.

9:7 Since the days of our fathers have we been in a great trespa.s.s unto this day; and for our iniquities have we, our kings, and our priests, been delivered into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, and to a spoil, and to confusion of face, as it is this day.

9:8 And now for a little s.p.a.ce grace hath been shewed from the LORD our G.o.d, to leave us a remnant to escape, and to give us a nail in his holy place, that our G.o.d may lighten our eyes, and give us a little reviving in our bondage.

9:9 For we were bondmen; yet our G.o.d hath not forsaken us in our bondage, but hath extended mercy unto us in the sight of the kings of Persia, to give us a reviving, to set up the house of our G.o.d, and to repair the desolations thereof, and to give us a wall in Judah and in Jerusalem.

9:10 And now, O our G.o.d, what shall we say after this? for we have forsaken thy commandments, 9:11 Which thou hast commanded by thy servants the prophets, saying, The land, unto which ye go to possess it, is an unclean land with the filthiness of the people of the lands, with their abominations, which have filled it from one end to another with their uncleanness.

9:12 Now therefore give not your daughters unto their sons, neither take their daughters unto your sons, nor seek their peace or their wealth for ever: that ye may be strong, and eat the good of the land, and leave it for an inheritance to your children for ever.

9:13 And after all that is come upon us for our evil deeds, and for our great trespa.s.s, seeing that thou our G.o.d hast punished us less than our iniquities deserve, and hast given us such deliverance as this; 9:14 Should we again break thy commandments, and join in affinity with the people of these abominations? wouldest not thou be angry with us till thou hadst consumed us, so that there should be no remnant nor escaping? 9:15 O LORD G.o.d of Israel, thou art righteous: for we remain yet escaped, as it is this day: behold, we are before thee in our trespa.s.ses: for we cannot stand before thee because of this.

10:1 Now when Ezra had prayed, and when he had confessed, weeping and casting himself down before the house of G.o.d, there a.s.sembled unto him out of Israel a very great congregation of men and women and children: for the people wept very sore.

10:2 And Shechaniah the son of Jehiel, one of the sons of Elam, answered and said unto Ezra, We have trespa.s.sed against our G.o.d, and have taken strange wives of the people of the land: yet now there is hope in Israel concerning this thing.

10:3 Now therefore let us make a covenant with our G.o.d to put away all the wives, and such as are born of them, according to the counsel of my lord, and of those that tremble at the commandment of our G.o.d; and let it be done according to the law.

10:4 Arise; for this matter belongeth unto thee: we also will be with thee: be of good courage, and do it.

10:5 Then arose Ezra, and made the chief priests, the Levites, and all Israel, to swear that they should do according to this word. And they sware.

10:6 Then Ezra rose up from before the house of G.o.d, and went into the chamber of Johanan the son of Eliashib: and when he came thither, he did eat no bread, nor drink water: for he mourned because of the transgression of them that had been carried away.

10:7 And they made proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem unto all the children of the captivity, that they should gather themselves together unto Jerusalem; 10:8 And that whosoever would not come within three days, according to the counsel of the princes and the elders, all his substance should be forfeited, and himself separated from the congregation of those that had been carried away.

10:9 Then all the men of Judah and Benjamin gathered themselves together unto Jerusalem within three days. It was the ninth month, on the twentieth day of the month; and all the people sat in the street of the house of G.o.d, trembling because of this matter, and for the great rain.

10:10 And Ezra the priest stood up, and said unto them, Ye have transgressed, and have taken strange wives, to increase the trespa.s.s of Israel.

10:11 Now therefore make confession unto the LORD G.o.d of your fathers, and do his pleasure: and separate yourselves from the people of the land, and from the strange wives.

10:12 Then all the congregation answered and said with a loud voice, As thou hast said, so must we do.

10:13 But the people are many, and it is a time of much rain, and we are not able to stand without, neither is this a work of one day or two: for we are many that have transgressed in this thing.

10:14 Let now our rulers of all the congregation stand, and let all them which have taken strange wives in our cities come at appointed times, and with them the elders of every city, and the judges thereof, until the fierce wrath of our G.o.d for this matter be turned from us.

10:15 Only Jonathan the son of Asahel and Jahaziah the son of Tikvah were employed about this matter: and Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite helped them.

10:16 And the children of the captivity did so. And Ezra the priest, with certain chief of the fathers, after the house of their fathers, and all of them by their names, were separated, and sat down in the first day of the tenth month to examine the matter.

10:17 And they made an end with all the men that had taken strange wives by the first day of the first month.

10:18 And among the sons of the priests there were found that had taken strange wives: namely, of the sons of Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and his brethren; Maaseiah, and Eliezer, and Jarib, and Gedaliah.

10:19 And they gave their hands that they would put away their wives; and being guilty, they offered a ram of the flock for their trespa.s.s.

10:20 And of the sons of Immer; Hanani, and Zebadiah.

10:21 And of the sons of Harim; Maaseiah, and Elijah, and Shemaiah, and Jehiel, and Uzziah.

10:22 And of the sons of Pashur; Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethaneel, Jozabad, and Elasah.

10:23 Also of the Levites; Jozabad, and Shimei, and Kelaiah, (the same is Kelita,) Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer.

10:24 Of the singers also; Eliashib: and of the porters; Shallum, and Telem, and Uri.

10:25 Moreover of Israel: of the sons of Parosh; Ramiah, and Jeziah, and Malchiah, and Miamin, and Eleazar, and Malchijah, and Benaiah.

10:26 And of the sons of Elam; Mattaniah, Zechariah, and Jehiel, and Abdi, and Jeremoth, and Eliah.

10:27 And of the sons of Zattu; Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, and Jeremoth, and Zabad, and Aziza.

10:28 Of the sons also of Bebai; Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Athlai.

10:29 And of the sons of Bani; Meshullam, Malluch, and Adaiah, Jashub, and Sheal, and Ramoth.

10:30 And of the sons of Pahathmoab; Adna, and Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezaleel, and Binnui, and Mana.s.seh.

10:31 And of the sons of Harim; Eliezer, Ishijah, Malchiah, Shemaiah, Shimeon, 10:32 Benjamin, Malluch, and Shemariah.

10:33 Of the sons of Hashum; Mattenai, Mattathah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Mana.s.seh, and Shimei.

10:34 Of the sons of Bani; Maadai, Amram, and Uel, 10:35 Benaiah, Bedeiah, Ch.e.l.luh, 10:36 Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib, 10:37 Mattaniah, Mattenai, and Jaasau, 10:38 And Bani, and Binnui, Shimei, 10:39 And Shelemiah, and Nathan, and Adaiah, 10:40 Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai, 10:41 Azareel, and Shelemiah, Shemariah, 10:42 Shallum, Amariah, and Joseph.

10:43 Of the sons of Nebo; Jeiel, Matt.i.thiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jadau, and Joel, Benaiah.

10:44 All these had taken strange wives: and some of them had wives by whom they had children.

The Book of Nehemiah 1:1 The words of Nehemiah the son of Hachaliah. And it came to pa.s.s in the month Chisleu, in the twentieth year, as I was in Shushan the palace, 1:2 That Hanani, one of my brethren, came, he and certain men of Judah; and I asked them concerning the Jews that had escaped, which were left of the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem.

1:3 And they said unto me, The remnant that are left of the captivity there in the province are in great affliction and reproach: the wall of Jerusalem also is broken down, and the gates thereof are burned with fire.

1:4 And it came to pa.s.s, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the G.o.d of heaven, 1:5 And said, I beseech thee, O LORD G.o.d of heaven, the great and terrible G.o.d, that keepeth covenant and mercy for them that love him and observe his commandments: 1:6 Let thine ear now be attentive, and thine eyes open, that thou mayest hear the prayer of thy servant, which I pray before thee now, day and night, for the children of Israel thy servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel, which we have sinned against thee: both I and my father's house have sinned.

1:7 We have dealt very corruptly against thee, and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the judgments, which thou commandedst thy servant Moses.

1:8 Remember, I beseech thee, the word that thou commandedst thy servant Moses, saying, If ye transgress, I will scatter you abroad among the nations: 1:9 But if ye turn unto me, and keep my commandments, and do them; though there were of you cast out unto the uttermost part of the heaven, yet will I gather them from thence, and will bring them unto the place that I have chosen to set my name there.

1:10 Now these are thy servants and thy people, whom thou hast redeemed by thy great power, and by thy strong hand.

1:11 O LORD, I beseech thee, let now 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 grant him mercy in the sight of this man. For I was the king's cupbearer.

2:1 And it came to pa.s.s in the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king, that wine was before him: and I took up the wine, and gave it unto the king. Now I had not been beforetime sad in his presence.

2:2 Wherefore the king said unto me, Why is thy countenance sad, seeing thou art not sick? this is nothing else but sorrow of heart. Then I was very sore afraid, 2:3 And said unto the king, Let the king live for ever: why should not my countenance be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers' sepulchres, lieth waste, and the gates thereof are consumed with fire? 2:4 Then the king said unto me, For what dost thou make request? So I prayed to the G.o.d of heaven.

2:5 And I said unto the king, If it please the king, and if thy servant have found favour in thy sight, that thou wouldest send me unto Judah, unto the city of my fathers' sepulchres, that I may build it.

2:6 And the king said unto me, (the queen also sitting by him,) For how long shall thy journey be? and when wilt thou return? So it pleased the king to send me; and I set him a time.

2:7 Moreover I said unto the king, If it please the king, let letters be given me to the governors beyond the river, that they may convey me over till I come into Judah; 2:8 And a letter unto Asaph the keeper of the king's forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the palace which appertained to the house, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall enter into. And the king granted me, according to the good hand of my G.o.d upon me.

2:9 Then I came to the governors beyond the river, and gave them the king's letters. Now the king had sent captains of the army and hors.e.m.e.n with me.

2:10 When Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, heard of it, it grieved them exceedingly that there was come a man to seek the welfare of the children of Israel.

2:11 So I came to Jerusalem, and was there three days.

2:12 And I arose in the night, I and some few men with me; neither told I any man what my G.o.d had put in my heart to do at Jerusalem: neither was there any beast with me, save the beast that I rode upon.

2:13 And I went out by night by the gate of the valley, even before the dragon well, and to the dung port, and viewed the walls of Jerusalem, which were broken down, and the gates thereof were consumed with fire.

2:14 Then I went on to the gate of the fountain, and to the king's pool: but there was no place for the beast that was under me to pa.s.s.

2:15 Then went I up in the night by the brook, and viewed the wall, and turned back, and entered by the gate of the valley, and so returned.

2:16 And the rulers knew not whither I went, or what I did; neither had I as yet told it to the Jews, nor to the priests, nor to the n.o.bles, nor to the rulers, nor to the rest that did the work.