The Daily Audio Bible
Today's audio is from the NET. Switch to the NET to read along with the audio.
Nehemiah Prays for His People
1 The words of Nehemiah son of Hacaliah. In the month of Chislev, in the twentieth year, while I was in the citadel of Susa,(A) 2 one of my brothers, Hanani, came with certain men from Judah, and I asked them about the Jews who escaped, those who had survived the captivity, and about Jerusalem. 3 They replied, “The remnant there in the province who escaped captivity are in great trouble and shame; the wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been destroyed by fire.”(B)
4 When I heard these words, I sat down and wept and mourned for days, fasting and praying before the God of heaven.(C) 5 I said, “O Lord God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments,(D) 6 let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer of your servant that I now pray before you day and night for your servants, the Israelites, confessing the sins of the Israelites, which we have sinned against you. Both I and my family have sinned.(E) 7 We have offended you deeply, failing to keep the commandments, the statutes, and the ordinances that you commanded Moses your servant.(F) 8 Remember the word that you commanded Moses your servant, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples,(G) 9 but if you return to me and keep my commandments and do them, though your outcasts are under the farthest skies, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place where I have chosen to establish my name.’(H) 10 They are your servants and your people whom you redeemed by your great power and your strong hand.(I) 11 O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name. Give success to your servant today, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man!”
At the time, I was cupbearer to the king.(J)
Nehemiah Sent to Judah
2 In the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was served him, I carried the wine and gave it to the king. Now, I had never been sad in his presence before.(K) 2 So the king said to me, “Why is your face sad, since you are not sick? This can only be sadness of the heart.” Then I was very much afraid.(L) 3 I said to the king, “May the king live forever! Why should my face not be sad, when the city, the place of my ancestors’ graves, lies waste and its gates have been destroyed by fire?”(M) 4 Then the king said to me, “What do you request?” So I prayed to the God of heaven.(N) 5 Then I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor with you, I ask that you send me to Judah, to the city of my ancestors’ graves, so that I may rebuild it.” 6 The king said to me (the queen also was sitting beside him), “How long will you be gone, and when will you return?” So it pleased the king to send me, and I set him a date.(O) 7 Then I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, let letters be given me to the governors of the province Beyond the River, that they may grant me passage until I arrive in Judah,(P) 8 and a letter to Asaph, the keeper of the king’s forest, directing him to give me timber to make beams for the gates of the temple fortress and for the wall of the city and for the house that I shall occupy.” And the king granted me what I asked, for the gracious hand of my God was upon me.(Q)
9 Then I came to the governors of the province Beyond the River and gave them the king’s letters. Now the king had sent officers of the army and cavalry with me.(R) 10 When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official[a] heard this, it displeased them greatly that someone had come to seek the welfare of the Israelites.(S)
Nehemiah’s Inspection of the Walls
11 So I came to Jerusalem and was there for three days. 12 Then I got up during the night, I and a few men with me; I told no one what my God had put into my heart to do for Jerusalem. The only animal I took was the animal I rode. 13 I went out by night by the Valley Gate past the Dragon’s Spring and to the Dung Gate, and I inspected the walls of Jerusalem that had been broken down and its gates that had been destroyed by fire.(T) 14 Then I went on to the Fountain Gate and to the King’s Pool, but there was no place for the animal I was riding to continue.(U) 15 So I went up by way of the valley by night and inspected the wall. Then I turned back and entered by the Valley Gate and so returned. 16 The officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing; I had not yet told the Jews, the priests, the nobles, the officials, and the rest who were to do the work.
Decision to Restore the Walls
17 Then I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in, how Jerusalem lies in ruins with its gates burned. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, so that we may no longer suffer disgrace.”(V) 18 I told them that the hand of my God had been gracious upon me and also the words that the king had spoken to me. Then they said, “Let us start building!” So they committed themselves to the common good.(W) 19 But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official[b] and Geshem the Arab heard of it, they mocked and ridiculed us, saying, “What is this that you are doing? Are you rebelling against the king?”(X) 20 Then I replied to them, “The God of heaven is the one who will give us success, and we his servants are going to start building, but you have no share or claim or memorial in Jerusalem.”(Y)
Organization of the Work
3 Then the high priest Eliashib set to work with his fellow priests and rebuilt the Sheep Gate. They consecrated it and set up its doors; they consecrated it as far as the Tower of the Hundred and as far as the Tower of Hananel.(Z) 2 And the men of Jericho built next to him. And next to them[c] Zaccur son of Imri built.(AA)
3 The sons of Hassenaah built the Fish Gate; they laid its beams and set up its doors, its bolts, and its bars.(AB) 4 Next to them Meremoth son of Uriah son of Hakkoz made repairs. Next to them Meshullam son of Berechiah son of Meshezabel made repairs. Next to them Zadok son of Baana made repairs. 5 Next to them the Tekoites made repairs, but their nobles would not put their shoulders to the work of their Lord.[d]
6 Joiada son of Paseah and Meshullam son of Besodeiah repaired the Old Gate; they laid its beams and set up its doors, its bolts, and its bars.(AC) 7 Next to them repairs were made by Melatiah the Gibeonite and Jadon the Meronothite—the men of Gibeon and of Mizpah—who were under the jurisdiction of[e] the governor of the province Beyond the River.(AD) 8 Next to them Uzziel son of Harhaiah, one of the goldsmiths, made repairs. Next to him Hananiah, one of the perfumers, made repairs, and they restored Jerusalem as far as the Broad Wall.(AE) 9 Next to them Rephaiah son of Hur, ruler of half the district of[f] Jerusalem, made repairs.(AF) 10 Next to them Jedaiah son of Harumaph made repairs opposite his house, and next to him Hattush son of Hashabneiah made repairs. 11 Malchijah son of Harim and Hasshub son of Pahath-moab repaired another section and the Tower of the Ovens.(AG) 12 Next to him Shallum son of Hallohesh, ruler of half the district of[g] Jerusalem, made repairs, he and his daughters.(AH)
13 Hanun and the inhabitants of Zanoah repaired the Valley Gate; they rebuilt it and set up its doors, its bolts, and its bars and repaired a thousand cubits of the wall, as far as the Dung Gate.(AI)
14 Malchijah son of Rechab, ruler of the district of[h] Beth-haccherem, repaired the Dung Gate; he rebuilt it and set up its doors, its bolts, and its bars.
Directions concerning Marriage
7 Now concerning the matters about which you wrote: “It is good for a man not to touch a woman.” 2 But because of cases of sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband. 3 The husband should give to his wife what is due her and likewise the wife to her husband.(A) 4 For the wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does; likewise, the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. 5 Do not deprive one another except perhaps by agreement for a set time, to devote yourselves to prayer,[a] and then come together again, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.(B) 6 This I say by way of concession, not of command.(C) 7 I wish that all were as I myself am. But each has a particular gift from God, one having one kind and another a different kind.(D)
8 To the unmarried and the widows I say that it is good for them to remain unmarried as I am.(E) 9 But if they are not practicing self-control, they should marry. For it is better to marry than to be aflame with passion.(F)
10 To the married I give this command—not I but the Lord—that the wife should not separate from her husband(G) 11 (but if she does separate, let her remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband) and that the husband should not divorce his wife.
12 To the rest I say—I and not the Lord—that if any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever and she consents to live with him, he should not divorce her.(H) 13 And if any woman has a husband who is an unbeliever and he consents to live with her, she should not divorce the husband. 14 For the unbelieving husband is made holy through his wife, and the unbelieving wife is made holy through the brother.[b] Otherwise, your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy.(I) 15 But if the unbelieving partner separates, let it be so; in such a case the brother or sister is not bound. It is to peace that God has called us.[c](J) 16 Wife, for all you know, you might save your husband. Husband, for all you know, you might save your wife.(K)
The Life that the Lord Has Assigned
17 However that may be, let each of you lead the life that the Lord has assigned, to which God called you. This is my rule in all the churches.(L) 18 Was anyone at the time of his call already circumcised? Let him not seek to remove the marks of circumcision. Was anyone at the time of his call uncircumcised? Let him not seek circumcision.(M) 19 Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but obeying the commandments of God is everything.(N) 20 Let each of you remain in the condition in which you were called.(O)
21 Were you a slave when called? Do not be concerned about it. Even if you can gain your freedom, make the most of it.[d] 22 For whoever was called in the Lord as a slave is a freed person belonging to the Lord, just as whoever was free when called is a slave belonging to Christ.(P) 23 You were bought with a price; do not become slaves of humans.(Q) 24 In whatever condition you were called, brothers and sisters, there remain with God.
19 O how abundant is your goodness
that you have laid up for those who fear you
and accomplished for those who take refuge in you,
in the sight of everyone!(A)
20 In the shelter of your presence you hide them
from human plots;
you hold them safe under your shelter
from contentious tongues.(B)
4 Haughty eyes and a proud heart—
the lamp of the wicked—are sin.(A)
New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.