The Daily Audio Bible

The Generosity of Nehemiah

¹⁴ Moreover, from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year to the thirty-second year of King Artaxerxes, twelve years, neither I nor my brothers ate the food allowance of the governor.^{(A) 15} The former governors who were before me laid heavy burdens on the people and took food and wine from them, besides forty shekels of silver. Even their servants lorded it over the people. But I did not do so because of the fear of God.^{(B) 16} Indeed, I devoted myself to the work on this wall and acquired no land, and all my servants were gathered there for the work. ¹⁷ Moreover, there were at my table one hundred fifty people, Jews and officials, besides those who came to us from the nations around us.^{(C) 18} Now that which was prepared for one day was one ox and six choice sheep; also fowls were prepared for me, and every ten days skins of wine in abundance, yet with all this I did not demand the food allowance of the governor, because of the heavy burden of labor on the people.^{(D) 19} Remember for my good, O my God, all that I have done for this people.^(E)

Intrigues of Enemies Foiled

6 Now when it was reported to Sanballat and Tobiah and to Geshem the Arab and to the rest of our enemies that I had built the wall and that there was no gap left in it (though up to that time I had not set up the doors in the gates),^{(F) 2} Sanballat and Geshem sent to me, saying, “Come and let us meet together in one of the villages^[a] in the plain of Ono.” But they intended to do me harm.^{(G) 3} So I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work, and I cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it to come down to you?” ⁴ They sent to me four times in this way, and I answered them in the same manner. ⁵ In the same way Sanballat for the fifth time sent his servant to me with an open letter in his hand. ⁶ In it was written, “It is reported among the nations—and Geshem^[b] also says it—that you and the Jews intend to rebel; that is why you are building the wall; and according to this report you wish to become their king.^{(H) 7} You have also set up prophets to proclaim in Jerusalem concerning you, ‘There is a king in Judah!’ And now it will be reported to the king according to these words. So come, therefore, and let us confer together.” ⁸ Then I sent to him, saying, “No such things as you say have been done; you are inventing them out of your own mind,” ⁹ for they all wanted to frighten us, thinking, “Their hands will drop from the work, and it will not be done.” But now, strengthen my hands.

¹⁰ One day when I went into the house of Shemaiah son of Delaiah son of Mehetabel, who was confined to his house, he said, “Let us meet together in the house of God, within the temple, and let us close the doors of the temple, for they are coming to kill you; indeed, tonight they are coming to kill you.”^{(I) 11} But I said, “Should a man like me run away? Would a man like me go into the temple to save his life? I will not go in!” ¹² Then I perceived and saw that God had not sent him at all, but he had pronounced the prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.^{(J) 13} He was hired for this purpose, to intimidate me and make me sin by acting in this way, and so they could give me a bad name, in order to taunt me.^{(K) 14} Remember Tobiah and Sanballat, O my God, according to these things that they did, and also Noadiah the prophetess and the rest of the prophets who wanted to make me afraid.^(L)

The Wall Completed

¹⁵ So the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty-two days. ¹⁶ And when all our enemies heard of it, all the nations around us were afraid^[c] and fell greatly in their own esteem, for they perceived that this work had been accomplished with the help of our God.^{(M) 17} Moreover, in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah, and Tobiah’s letters came to them. ¹⁸ For many in Judah were bound by oath to him, because he was the son-in-law of Shecaniah son of Arah, and his son Jehohanan had married the daughter of Meshullam son of Berechiah. ¹⁹ Also they spoke of his good deeds in my presence and reported my words to him. And Tobiah sent letters to intimidate me.

7 Now when the wall had been built and I had set up the doors and the gatekeepers, the singers, and the Levites had been appointed,^{(N) 2} I gave my brother Hanani charge over Jerusalem, along with Hananiah the commander of the citadel, for he was a faithful man and feared God more than many.^{(O) 3} And I said to them, “The gates of Jerusalem are not to be opened while the sun is hot; while the gatekeepers^[d] are still standing guard, let them shut and bar the doors. Appoint guards from among the inhabitants of Jerusalem, some at their watch posts, and others before their own houses.” ⁴ The city was wide and large, but the people within it were few, and no houses had been built.

Lists of the Returned Exiles

⁵ Then my God put it into my mind to assemble the nobles and the officials and the people to be enrolled by genealogy. And I found the book of the genealogy of those who were the first to come back, and I found the following written in it:

⁶ These are the people of the province who came up out of the captivity of those exiles whom King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon had carried into exile; they returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his town.^{(P) 7} They came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, Baanah.

The number of the Israelite people:^{(Q) 8} the descendants of Parosh, two thousand one hundred seventy-two. ⁹ Of Shephatiah, three hundred seventy-two. ¹⁰ Of Arah, six hundred fifty-two. ¹¹ Of Pahath-moab, namely, the descendants of Jeshua and Joab, two thousand eight hundred eighteen. ¹² Of Elam, one thousand two hundred fifty-four.^{(R) 13} Of Zattu, eight hundred forty-five. ¹⁴ Of Zaccai, seven hundred sixty. ¹⁵ Of Binnui, six hundred forty-eight. ¹⁶ Of Bebai, six hundred twenty-eight. ¹⁷ Of Azgad, two thousand three hundred twenty-two.^{(S) 18} Of Adonikam, six hundred sixty-seven. ¹⁹ Of Bigvai, two thousand sixty-seven. ²⁰ Of Adin, six hundred fifty-five. ²¹ Of Ater, namely, of Hezekiah, ninety-eight. ²² Of Hashum, three hundred twenty-eight. ²³ Of Bezai, three hundred twenty-four.^{(T) 24} Of Hariph, one hundred twelve. ²⁵ Of Gibeon, ninety-five. ²⁶ The people of Bethlehem and Netophah, one hundred eighty-eight. ²⁷ Of Anathoth, one hundred twenty-eight.^{(U) 28} Of Beth-azmaveth, forty-two. ²⁹ Of Kiriath-jearim, Chephirah, and Beeroth, seven hundred forty-three. ³⁰ Of Ramah and Geba, six hundred twenty-one. ³¹ Of Michmas, one hundred twenty-two. ³² Of Bethel and Ai, one hundred twenty-three. ³³ Of the other Nebo, fifty-two. ³⁴ The descendants of the other Elam, one thousand two hundred fifty-four.^{(V) 35} Of Harim, three hundred twenty. ³⁶ Of Jericho, three hundred forty-five. ³⁷ Of Lod, Hadid, and Ono, seven hundred twenty-one. ³⁸ Of Senaah, three thousand nine hundred thirty.

³⁹ The priests: the descendants of Jedaiah, namely, the house of Jeshua, nine hundred seventy-three.^{(W) 40} Of Immer, one thousand fifty-two. ⁴¹ Of Pashhur, one thousand two hundred forty-seven. ⁴² Of Harim, one thousand seventeen.

⁴³ The Levites: the descendants of Jeshua, namely, of Kadmiel of the descendants of Hodevah, seventy-four.^{(X) 44} The singers: the descendants of Asaph, one hundred forty-eight. ⁴⁵ The gatekeepers: the descendants of Shallum, of Ater, of Talmon, of Akkub, of Hatita, of Shobai, one hundred thirty-eight.

⁴⁶ The temple servants: the descendants of Ziha, of Hasupha, of Tabbaoth,^{(Y) 47} of Keros, of Sia, of Padon, ⁴⁸ of Lebana, of Hagaba, of Shalmai, ⁴⁹ of Hanan, of Giddel, of Gahar, ⁵⁰ of Reaiah, of Rezin, of Nekoda, ⁵¹ of Gazzam, of Uzza, of Paseah, ⁵² of Besai, of Meunim, of Nephushesim, ⁵³ of Bakbuk, of Hakupha, of Harhur, ⁵⁴ of Bazlith, of Mehida, of Harsha, ⁵⁵ of Barkos, of Sisera, of Temah, ⁵⁶ of Neziah, of Hatipha.

⁵⁷ The descendants of Solomon’s servants: of Sotai, of Sophereth, of Perida,^{(Z) 58} of Jaala, of Darkon, of Giddel, ⁵⁹ of Shephatiah, of Hattil, of Pochereth-hazzebaim, of Amon.

⁶⁰ All the temple servants and the descendants of Solomon’s servants were three hundred ninety-two.^(AA)

⁶¹ The following were those who came up from Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Cherub, Addon, and Immer, but they could not prove their ancestral houses or their descent, whether they belonged to Israel: ⁶² the descendants of Delaiah, of Tobiah, of Nekoda, six hundred forty-two. ⁶³ Also, of the priests: the descendants of Hobaiah, of Hakkoz, of Barzillai (who had married one of the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite and was called by their name).^{(AB) 64} These sought their registration among those enrolled in the genealogies, but it was not found there, so they were excluded from the priesthood as unclean; ⁶⁵ the governor told them that they were not to partake of the most holy food until a priest with Urim and Thummim should come.^(AC)

⁶⁶ The whole assembly together was forty-two thousand three hundred sixty, ⁶⁷ besides their male and female slaves, of whom there were seven thousand three hundred thirty-seven, and they had two hundred forty-five singers, male and female. ⁶⁸ They had seven hundred thirty-six horses, two hundred forty-five mules,^{[e] 69 [f]}four hundred thirty-five camels, and six thousand seven hundred twenty donkeys.

⁷⁰ Now some of the heads of ancestral houses contributed to the work. The governor gave to the treasury one thousand darics of gold, fifty basins, and five hundred thirty priestly robes.^{(AD) 71} And some of the heads of ancestral houses gave into the building fund twenty thousand darics of gold and two thousand two hundred minas of silver.^{(AE) 72} And what the rest of the people gave was twenty thousand darics of gold, two thousand minas of silver, and sixty-seven priestly robes.

⁷³ So the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, some of the people, the temple servants, and all Israel settled in their towns.

Ezra Summons the People to Obey the Law

When the seventh month came, the Israelites being settled in their towns,^(AF)

Food Offered to Idols

8 Now concerning food sacrificed to idols: we know that “all of us possess knowledge.” Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.^{(A) 2} Anyone who claims to know something does not yet have the necessary knowledge,^{(B) 3} but anyone who loves God is known by him.^(C)

⁴ Hence, as to the eating of food offered to idols, we know that “no idol in the world really exists” and that “there is no God but one.”^{(D) 5} Indeed, even though there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth—as in fact there are many gods and many lords— ⁶ yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.^(E)

⁷ It is not everyone, however, who has this knowledge. Since some have become so accustomed to idols until now, they still think of the food they eat as food offered to an idol, and their conscience, being weak, is defiled.^{(F) 8} “Food will not bring us close to God.”^[a] We are no worse off if we do not eat and no better off if we do.^{(G) 9} But take care that this liberty of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak.^{(H) 10} For if others see you, who possess knowledge, eating in the temple of an idol, might they not, since their conscience is weak, be encouraged to the point of eating food sacrificed to idols? ¹¹ So by your knowledge the weak brother or sister for whom Christ died is destroyed.^{(I) 12} But when you thus sin against brothers and sisters and wound their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. ¹³ Therefore, if food is a cause of their falling, I will never again eat meat, so that I may not cause one of them to fall.^(J)

Psalm 33

The Greatness and Goodness of God