The treasures weighed to the priests. Chap. ix. Ezra's confeffion and prayer. vites, the weight of the filver, and the gold, and the veffels, to bring them to lerufalem unto the houfe of our God. 31 ¶ Then we departed from the river of Ahava, on the twelfth day of the first month, to go unto Jerufalem; and the band of our God was upon us, and he delivered us from the hand of the enemy, and of fuch as lay in wait by the way. 32 And we came to Jerufalem, and abode there three days. 33 Now on the fourth day was the filver and the gold and the veffels weighed in the house of our God, by the hand of Meremoth the fon of Uriah the priest, and with him was Eleazar the fon of Phinehas, and with them was Jozabad the fon of Jefhua, and Noadiah the fon of Binnui, Levites! 34 By number and by weight of every one: and all the weight was written at that time. 35 Alfo the children of thofe that had been carried away, which were come cut of the captivity, offered burnt-offerings unto the God of Ifrael, twelve bullocks for all Ifrael, ninety and fix rams, feventy and feven lambs, twelve he-goats for a fin-offering all this was a burnt-offering unto the LORD. 36 And they delivered the kings commiflions unto the kings lieutenants, and to the governors on this fide the river, and they furthered the people, and the houfe of God. CHAP. IX. 1 Ezra mourneth for the affinity of the people with frangers: 5 He prayeth unto God with confeffion of fins N Ow when there things were done, the princes came to me, faying, The people of Ifrael, and the priests, and the Levites have not feparated themfelves from the people of the lands, doing according to their abominations, even of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites,the Jebufites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites. 2 For they have taken of their daughters for themfelves, and for their fons: fo that the holy feed have mingled themfelves with the people of thofe lands: yea, the hand of the princes and rulers hath been chief in this trefpafs. 3 And when I heard this thing, Irent my garment and my niantle, and pluckt off the hair of my head, and of my beard, and fat down aftonied. 4 Then were affembled unto me every one that trembled at the words of the God of Ifrael, because of the tranf greffion of thofe that had been carried away, and I fat aftonied until the evening facrifice. 5 And at the evening facrifice, I arofe up from my heavinels, and having rent my garment and my mantle, I fell upon my knees, and fpread out my hands unto the LORD my God, 6 And faid, O my God, I am afhamed and blush to lift up my face to thee, my God: for our iniquities are increaled over our head, and our trefpafs is grown up unto the heavens. 7 Since the days of our fathers, have we been in a great trespass unto this day, and for our iniquities have we, our kings, and our priefts been delivered into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the fword, to captivity, and to a fpoil, and to confufion of face, as it i this day. 8 And now for a little space, grace hath been fhewed from the LORD our God, to leave us a remnant to escape, and to give us a nail in his holy place, that our God may lighten our eyes, and give us a little reviving in our bondage. 9 For we were bondmen, yet our God hath not forfaken us in our bondage, but hath extended mercy unto us in the fight of the kings of Perfia, to give us a reviving to fer up de houfe of our God, and to repair the defolations thereof, and to give us a wall in Judah and in Jerufalem. 10 And now, Oour God, what shall we fay after this? for we have forfaken thy commandments, 11 Which thou haft commanded by thy fervants the prophets, faying, The land unto which ye go to poffels it, is an unclean land with the filthi nefs of the people of the lands,with their abominations, which have filled it from one end to another, with their uncleannef. 12 Now thereforegive not your daughters unto their fons, neither take their daughters unto your fons, nor feek their peace, or their wealth for ever: chat ye may be ftrong, and eat the good of the land, and leave it for an inheritanceto your children for ever. 13 And after all that is come upon us for our evil deeds, and for our great trefpafs, feeing that thou our God haft punished us lefs than our iniquities de Jerve, and haft given us fuch deliverance as this: Eara's reformation. Ezta. The peoples amendment. 14 Should we again break thy com- the counfel of the princes and the el mandments, and join in affinity with the ders, all his fubftance fhould be forfeit people of thefe abominations? wouldfted, and himself separated from the con hot doube angry with us till thou hadft gregation of thofe that had been carried confumed us, fo that there should be no away. remnant nor efcaping? 15 O LORD God of Ifrael, thou art righteous, for we remain yet escaped, as it is this day: behold, we are before thee in our trefpaffes: for we cannot ftand before thee, because of this. CHA P. X. Shechaniah encourageth Ezra to reform the ftrange marriages. 6 Ezra mourning, affembleth the people. 9 The people at the exhortation of Ezra, repent and promife amendment. 15 The care to perform it. 18 The names of those who had married ftrange wives. Ow when Ezra had prayed, and when he bad confefled, weeping and cafting himself down before the houfe of God, there affembled unto him out of Ifrael, a very great congregation of men, and women, and children: tor the people wept very fore. 2 And Shechaniah the fon of Jehiel, one of the fons of Elam, anfwered and faid unto Ezra, We have trefpaffed againft our God, and have taken ftrange wives, of the people of the land: yet now there is hope in Ifrael concerning this thing. 3 Now therefore let us make a covenant with our God, to put away all the wives, and fuch as are born of them, according to the counsel of my lord, and of thofe that tremble at the commandment of our God, and let it be done according to the law. 4 Arife: for this matter belongeth unto thee; we alfo will be with thee: be of good courage, and do it. 5 Then arofe Ezra, and made the chief priefts, the Levites, and all Ifrael to fwear, that they should do according to this word: And they fware. 6Then Ezra rofe up from before the houfe of God, and went into the chamber of Johanan the fon of Eliafhib: and when he came thither, he did eat no bread, nor drink water: for he mourned because of the tranfgreffion of them that had been carried away. 7 And they made proclamation throughout Judah and Jerufalem, unto all the children of the captivity, that they fhould gather themselves together unto Jerufalem.;. 8 And that whofoever would not come within three days, according to 3 9 Then all the men of Judah and Benjamin, gathered themselves together unto Jerufalem, within three days: it was the ninth month, and the twentieth day of the month, and all the people fat in the street of the house of God, trembling, because of this matter, and for the great rain. 10 And Ezra, the pricft ftood up, and faid unto them, Ye have tranfgreffed, and have taken ftrange wives to increase the trefpafs of Ifrael. 11 Now therefore make confeffion unto the LORD God of your fathers, and do his pleasure: And feparate your felves from the people of the land, and from the ftrange wives. 12 Then all the congregation answered and faid with a loud voice, As dou haft faid, fo muft we do. 13 But the people are many, and it is a time of much rain, and we are not able to ftand without, neither this a work of one day or two: for we are many that have tranfgreffed in this thing. 14 Let now our rulers of all the congregation ftand, and let all them which have taken strange wives in our cities, come at a pointed times, and with them the elders of every city, and the judges thereof, until the fierce wrath of our God for this matter be turned from us. 15 Only Jonathan the fon of Afahel, and Jahaziah the fon of Tikvah, were employed about this matter and Mefhullam, and Shabbethai the Levite helped them. 16 And the children of the captivity did fo: and Ezra the prieft, with cer tain chief of the fathers, after the houfe of their fathers, and all of them by their names were feparated, and fat down in the firft day of the tenth month to examine the matter. 17 And they made an end with all the men that had taken ftrange wives, by the first day of the first month. 18 And among the fons of the pricfts, there were found that had taken ftrange wives: namely, of the fons of lefhua the fon of Jozadak, and his brethren; Maafciah, and Eliezer, and Jarib, and Gedaliah. 19 And they gave their bands, that they would put away their wives; and being The names of thofe that had Chap. i. being guilty, they offered a ram of the flock for their trefpafs. 20 And of the fons of Immer; Hanani, and Zebadiah. 21 And of the fons of Harim; Maafeiah, and Elijah, and Shemaiah, and Jehiel, and Uzziah. 22 And of the fons of Pafhur; Elioenai, Maafeiah, Ishmael, Nethaneel, Jozabad, and Elafah. 23 Alfo of the Levites; Jozabad, and Shimei, and Kelaiah, (the fame is Kelita) Pethahiah, Judah, and Elie zer. 24 Of the fingers alfo; Eliahib: and of the porters; Shallum, and Telem, and Uri. 25 Moreover, of Ifrael: of the fons of Parofh; Ramiah, and Jeziah, and Malchiah, and Miamin, and Eleazar, and Malchijah, and Benaiah. 26 And of the fons of Elam; Mattaniah, Zechariah, and Jehiel, and Abdi, and Jeremoth, and Eliah. 27 And of the fons of Zattu; Elioenai, Eliafhib, Mattaniah, and Jeremoth, and Zabad, and Aziza. 28 Of the fons alfo of Bebai; Jehobanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Athlai. 29 And of the fons of Bani; Methul married ftrange wives. lam, Malluch, and Adaiah, Jashub, and Sheal, and Ramoth. 30 And of the fons of Pahath-moab; Adna, and Chelal, Benaiah, Maaleiah, Mattaniah, Bezaleel, and Binnui, and Manaffeh. 31 And of the fons of Harim; Eliezer, Ifhijah, Malchiah, Shemaiah, Shimeon, 32 Benjamin,Malluch, and Shemariah. 33 Of the fons of Haflum; Mattenai, Mattathah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manaffeh, and Shimei. 34 Of the fons of Bani; Maadai, Amram, and Uel, 35 Benaiah, Bedeiah, Chelluh, 36 Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib, 37 Martaniah, Mattenai, and Jaafan, 38 And Bani, and Binnui, Shimei, 39 And Shelemiah, and Nathan, and Adaiah, 40 Machnadebai, Shafhai, Sharai, 41 Azareel, and Shelemiah, Shemariah, 42 Shallam, Amariah, and Jofeph. 43 Of the fons of Nebo; Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jadau, and Joel, Benaiah. 7 44 All thefe had taken ftrange wives: and fome of them had wives by whom they had children. The Book of NEHEMIAH. CHA P. I. I Nehemiah understanding by Hanani the mifery of Ferufalem, mourneth, fasteth and prayeth. 5 His prayer. T HE words of Nehemiah the fon of Hachaliah. And it came to pass in the month Chifleu, in the twentieth year, as I was in Shufhan the palace, 2 That Hanani, one of my brethren, came, he and certain men of Judah, and I asked them concerning the Jews that had efcaped, which were left of the captivity, and concerning Jerufalem. 3 And they faid unto me, The remnant that are left of the captivity there in the province, are in great affliction and reproach: the wall of Jerufalem alfo is broken down, and the gates thereof are burnt with fire. And it came to pass when I heard thefe words, that I fat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fafted, and prayed before the God heaven, of 5 And faid, I beseech thee, O LORD God of heaven, the great and terrible God, that keepeth covenant and mercy for them that love him and obferve his commandments: 6 Let thine ear now be attentive, and thine eyes open, that thou mayft hear the prayer of thy fervant, which I pray before thee now, day and night, for the children of Ifrael thy fervants, and confefs the fins of the children of Ifrael, which we have finned against thee: both I, and my fathers house have finned. We have dealt very corruptly against thee, and have not kept the commandments, nor the ftatutes, nor the judgments which thou commandedft thy fervant Moses. 8 Remember, I beseech thee, the word that thou commandedft thy fervant Mofes, faying, If ye tranfgrefs, I will fcatter you abroad among the na tions: 9 But if ye turn unto me, and keepi my commandments, and do them u the Nehemiahs commiffion : Nehemiah. though there were of you caft out unto the uttermoft part of the heaven, yet will I gather them from thence, and will bring them unto the place that I have chofen to fet my name there. 10 Now thefe are thy fervants, and thy people, whom thou haft redeemed by thy great power, and by thy ftrong hand. 11 OLORD, I beseech thee, let now thine car be attentive to the prayer of thy fervant, and to the prayer of thy fervants, who defire to fear thy name and profper, I pray thee, thy fervant this day, and grant him mercy in the fight of this man. For I was the kings cup-bearer. CHA P. II. Nd it came to pass in the month A Nifan, 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 fad in his prefence. 2 Wherefore the king faid unto me, Why is thy countenance fad, feeing thou art not fick? this is nothing else but forrow of heart. Then I was very fore afraid, 3 And faid unto the king, Let the king live for ever: why fhould not my countenance be fad, when the city, the place of my fathers fepulchres, lieth wafte, and the gates thereof are confumed with fire? 4 Then the king faid unto me, For what doft thou make requeft? So I prayed to the God of heaven. 5 And I faid unto the king, If it pleafe the king, and if thy fervant have found favour in thy fight, that thou wouldft fend me unto Judah unto the city of my fathers fepulchres, that I may build it. 6 And the king faid unto me, (the queen alfo fitting by him), For how long fhall thy journey be? and when wilt thou return? So it pleased the king to fend me, and I fet him a time. Moreover, I faid 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; He cometh to Jerufalem. houfe, and for the wall of the city, and 10 When Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the fervant the Ammonite, heard of it, it grieved them exceedingly that there was come a man to feek the we fare of the children of Ifrael. 11 So I came to Jerusalem, and was there three days. 12 And I arofe in the night, I and fome few men with me, neither told I any man what my God had put in my heart to do at Jerufalem: neither w there any beaft with me, fave the beaft that I rode upon. 13 And I went out by night, by the gate of the valley, even before the dra gon-well, and to the dung-port, and viewed the walls of Jerufalem, which were broken down, and the gates there of were confumed with fire. 14 Then I went on to the gate of the fountain, and to the kings pool: but there was no place for the beaft that was under me to pass. 15 Then went I up in the night by the brook, and viewed the wall, and turned back, and entred by the gate of the val ley, and fo returned. 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 nobles, nor to the rulers, not to the reft that did the work. 17¶Then faid I unto them, Ye fee the diftrefs that we are in, how Jerufalem lieth wafte, and the gates thereof are burnt with fire: come and let us build up the wall of Jerusalem, that we be no more a reproach. 18 Then I told them of the hand of my God which was good upon me; as alío the kings words that he had spoken unto me. And they faid, Let us rife up and build. So they ftrengthned their hands for this good work. 19 But when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the fervant the Ammonite, and Gefhem the Arabian heard it, they Jaughed us to fcorn, and defpifed us, 8 And a letter unto Afaph the keeper and faid, What is this thing that ye do? of the kings foreft, that he may give will ye rebel against the king? me timber to make beams for the gates 20 Then answered I them,and faid unof the palace which appertained to the to them, The God of heaven, he will pro per The names of them Chap. iii. per us; therefore we his fervants will arife and build: but you have no portion, nor right, nor memorial in Jerufalem. CHA P. III. The names and order of them that builded the wall. T Hen Eliafhib the high priest rose up with his brethren the priests, and they built the fheep-gate, they fanctified it, and fet up the doors of it; even unto the tower of Meah they fanctified it, unto the tower of Hananeel. 2 And next unto him builded the men of Jericho: and next to them builded Zaccur the fon of Imri. 3 But the fish-gate did the fons of Haffenaah build, who also laid the beams thereof, and fet up the doors thereof, the locks thereof, and the bars thereof. 4 And next unto them repaired Me remoth the fon of Ultijah, the fon of Koz: and next unto them repaired Mefhullam the fon of Berechiah, the fon of Mcfhezabeel: and next unto them repaired Zadok the fon of Baana. 5 And next unto them the Tekoites repaired; but their nobles put not their necks to the work of their Lord. that builded the wall. 13 The valley-gate repaired Hanon, and the inhabitants of Zanoah; they built it, and fet up the doors thereof, the locks thereof, and the bars thereof, and a thousand cubits on the wall unto the dung-gate 14 But the dung-gate repaired Malchiah the fon of Rechab, the ruler of part of Beth-baccerem : he built it and fet up the doors thereof, the locks thereof, and the bars thereof. 15 But the gate of the fountain repaired Shallun the fon of Col-hozeh, the ruler of part of Mizpah: he built it, and covered it, and fer up the doors thereof, the locks thereof, and the bars thereof, and the wall of the pool of Siloah by the kings garden, and unto the ftairs that go down from the city of David. 16 After him repaired Nehemiah the fon of Azbuk the ruler of the half part of Beth-zur, unto the place over againft the fepulchres of David, and to the pool that was made, and unto the house of the mighty. 17 After him repaired the Levites, Rehum the fon of Bani: next unto him Je-repaired Hafhabiah the ruler of the half part of Keilah, in his part. 6 Moreover, the old gate repaired hoiada the fon of Pafeah, and Mefhullam the fon of Befodeiah; they laid the beams thereof, and fet up the doors thereof, and the locks thereof, and the bars thereof. 7 And next unto them repaired Melatiah the Gibeonite, and Jadon the Meronothite, the men of Gibeon, and of Mizpah. unto the throne of the governor on this fide the river. 8 Next unto him repaired Uzziel the fon of Harhaiah, of the goldfmiths: next unto him alfo repaired Hananiah the fon of one of the apothecaries, and they fortified Jerufalem unto the broad wall. 9 And next unto them repaired Rephaiah the fon of Hur, the ruler of the half part of Jerufalem. 10 And next unto them repaired Je daiah the fon of Harumaph, even over againft his houfe: and next unto him repaired Hattufh the son of Hafhabhiah. 11 Malchijah the fon of Harim, and Hafhub the fon of Pahath-moab, repaired the other piece, and the tower of the Furnaces. 12 And next unto him repaired Shallum the fon of Halohefh, the ruler of the half part of Jerufalem, he and his daughters. 18 After him repaired their brethren, Eavai the fen of Henadad, the ruler of the half part of Keilah. 19 And next to him repaired Ezer the fon of Jethua, the ruler of Mizpah, another piece over against the going up to the armoury at the turning of the wall. 20 After him Baruch the fon of Zabbai, carneftly repaired the other piece, from the turning of the wall unto the door of the houfe of Eliashib the high priest. 21 After him repaired Meremoth the fon of Urijah, the fon of Koz, another picce, from the door of the houfe of Eliashib, even to the end of the houfe of Eliafhib. 22 And after him repaired the pricfts, the men of the plain. 23 After him repaired Benjamin, and Hafhub, over againft their houfe: after himrepaired Azariah the fon of Maafeiah, the fon of Ananiah, by his houfe. 24 After him repaired Binnui the for of Henadad, another piece, from the houfe of Azariah, unto the turning of the wall, even unto the corner. 25 Palal the fon of Uzai, over agaioft the turning of the wall, and the tower which lieth out from the kings |