Septuagint (Greek Old Testament)

But the people [is] numerous, and the season [is] stormy, and there is no power to stand without, and the work is more than enough for one day or for two; for we have greatly sinned in this matter.

Let now our rulers stand, and for all those in our cities who have taken strange wives, let them come at appointed times, and with them elders from every several city, and judges, to turn away the fierce wrath of our God from us concerning this matter.

Only Jonathan the son of Asael, and Jazias the son of Thecoe [were] with me concerning this; and Mesollam, and Sabbathai the Levite helped them.

And the children of the captivity did thus: and Esdras the priest, and heads of families according to [their] house were separated, and all by their names, for they returned in the first day of the tenth month to search out the matter.

And they made an end with all the men who had taken strange wives by the first day of the first month.

And there were found [some] of the sons of the priests who had taken strange wives: of the sons of Jesus the son of Josedec, and his brethren; Maasia, and Eliezer, and Jarib, and Gadalia.

And they pledged themselves to put away their wives, and [offered] a ram of the flock for a trespass-offering because of their trespass.

And of the sons of Emmer; Anani, and Zabdia.

And of the sons of Eram; Masael, and Elia, and Samaia, and Jeel, and Ozia.

And of the sons of Phasur; Elionai, Maasia, and Ismael, and Nathanael, and Jozabad, and Elasa.

And of the Levites; Jozabad, and Samu, and Colia (he [is] Colitas,) and Phetheia, and Judas, and Eliezer.

And of the singers; Elisab: and of the porters; Solmen, and Telmen, and Oduth.

Also of Israel: of the sons of Phoros; Ramia, and Azia, and Melchia, and Meamin, and Eleazar, and Asabia, and Banaia.

And of the sons of Helam; Matthania, and Zacharia, and Jaïel, and Abdia, and Jarimoth, and Elia.

And of the sons of Zathua; Elionai, Elisub, Matthanai, and Armoth, and Zabad, and Oziza.

And of the sons of Babei; Joanan, Anania, and Zabu, and Thali.

And of the sons of Banui; Mosollam, Maluch, Adaias, Jasub, and Saluia, and Remoth.

And of the sons of Phaath Moab; Edne, and Chalel, and Banaia, Maasia, Matthania, Beseleel, and Banui, and Manasse.

And of the sons of Eram; Eliezer, Jesia, Melchia, Samaias, Semeon,

Benjamin, Baluch, Samaria.

And of the sons of Asem; Metthania, Matthatha, Zadab, Eliphalet, Jerami, Manasse, Semei.

And of the sons of Bani; Moodia, Amram, Uel,

Banaia, Badaia, Chelkia,

Uvania, Marimoth, Eliasiph,

Matthania, Matthanai:

and [so] did the children of Banui, and the children of Semei,

and Selemia, and Nathan, and Adaia,

Machadnabu, Sesei, Sariu,

Ezriel, and Selemia, and Samaria,

and Sellum, Amaria, Joseph.

Of the sons of Nabu; Jael, Matthanias, Zabad, Zebennas, Jadai, and Joel, and Banaia.

All these had taken strange wives, and had begotten sons of them.

The words of Neemias the son of Chelcia. And it came to pass in the month Chaseleu, of the twentieth year, that I was in Susan the palace.

And Anani, one of my brethren, came, he and [some] men of Juda; and I asked them concerning those that had escaped, who had been left of the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem.

And they said to me, The remnant, [even] those that are left of the captivity, [are] there in the land, in great distress and reproach: and the walls of Jerusalem [are] thrown down, and its gates are burnt with fire.

And it came to pass, when I heard these words, [that] I sat down and wept, and mourned for [several] days, and continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven.

And I said, Nay, I pray thee, O Lord God of heaven, the mighty, the great and terrible, keeping thy covenant and mercy to them that love him, and to those that keep his commandments:

let now thine ear be attentive, and thine eyes open, that thou mayest hear the prayer of thy servant, which I pray before thee at this time, this day [both] day and night, for the children of Israel thy servants, and make confession for the sins of the children of Israel, which we have sinned against thee: both I and the house of my father have sinned.

We have altogether broken [covenant] with thee, and we have not kept the commandments, and the ordinances, and the judgments, which thou didst command thy servant Moses.

Remember, I pray thee, the word wherewith thou didst charge thy servant Moses, saying, If ye break covenant [with me], I will disperse you among the nations.

But if ye turn again to me, and keep my commandments, and do them; if ye should be scattered under the utmost [bound] of heaven, thence will I gather them, and I will bring them into the place which I have chosen to cause my name to dwell there.

Now they [are] thy servants and thy people, whom thou hast redeemed with thy great power, and with thy strong hand.

[Turn] not [away], I pray thee, O Lord, but let 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 cause him to find mercy in the sight of this man. Now I was the king's cup-bearer.

And it came to pass in the month Nisan of the twentieth year of king Arthasastha, that the wine was before me: and I took the wine, and gave [it] to the king: and there was not another before him.

And the king said to me, Why is thy countenance sad, and dost thou not control thyself? and now this is nothing but sorrow of heart. Then I was very much alarmed,

and I said to the king, Let the king live for ever: why should not my countenance be sad, forasmuch as the city, even the home of the sepulchres of my fathers, has been laid waste, and her gates have been devoured with fire?

And the king said to me, For what dost thou ask thus? So I prayed to the God of heaven.

And I said to the king, If [it seem] good to the king, and if thy servant shall have found favour in thy sight, [I ask] that [thou] wouldest send him into Juda, to the city of the sepulchres of my fathers; then will I rebuild it.

And the king, and his concubine that sat next to him, said to me, For how long will thy journey be, and when wilt thou return? and [the proposal] was pleasing before the king, and he sent me away, and I appointed him a time.

And I said to the king, If [it seem] good to the king, let him give me letters to the governors beyond the river, so as to forward me till I come to Juda;

and a letter to Asaph the keeper of the garden which belongs to the king, that he may give me timber to cover the gates, and for the wall of the city, and for the house into which I shall enter. And the king gave to me, according as the good hand of God [was upon me].

And I came to the governors beyond the river, and I gave them the king's letters. (Now the king had sent with me captains of the army and horsemen.)

And Sanaballat the Aronite heard [it], and Tobia the servant, the Ammonite, and it was grievous to them that a man was come to seek good for the children of Israel.

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

And I rose up by night, I and a few men with me; and I told no man what God put into my heart to do with Israel; and there was no beast with me, except the beast which I rode upon.

And I went forth by the gate of the valley by night, and to the mouth of the well of fig trees, and to the dung-gate: and I mourned over the wall of Jerusalem which they were destroying, and her gates were devoured with fire.

And I passed on to the fountain gate, and to the king's pool; and there was no room for the beast to pass under me.

And I went up by the wall of the brook by night, and mourned over the wall, and passed through the gate of the valley, and returned.

And the sentinels knew not why I went, nor what I was doing; and until that time I told [it] not to the Jews, or to the priests, or to the nobles, or to the captains, or to the rest [of the men] who wrought the works.

Then I said to them, Ye see this evil, in which we are, how Jerusalem is desolate, and her gates have been set on fire: come, and let us build throughout the wall of Jerusalem, and we shall be no longer a reproach.

And I told them of the hand of God which was good upon me, also about the words of the king which he spoke to me: and I said, Let us arise and build. And their hands were strengthened for the good [work].

And Sanaballat the Aronite, and Tobia the servant, the Ammonite, and Gesam the Arabian, heard [it], and they laughed us to scorn, and came to us, and said, What [is] this thing that ye are doing? are ye revolting against the king?

And I answered them, and said to them, The God of heaven, he shall prosper us, and we his servants are pure, and we will build: but ye have no part, nor right, nor memorial, in Jerusalem.

Then Eliasub the high priest, and his brethren the priests, rose up, and built the sheep-gate; they sanctified it, and set up the doors of it; even to the tower of the hundred they sanctified [it], to the tower of Anameel.

And [they builded] by the side of the men of Jericho, and by the side of the sons of Zacchur, the son of Amari.

And the sons of Asana built the fish-gate; they roofed it, and covered in its doors, and bolts, and bars.

And next to them [the order] reached to Ramoth the son of Uria, the son of Accos, and next to them Mosollam son of Barachias the son of Mazebel took [his] place: and next to them Sadoc the son of Baana took [his] place.

And next to them the Thecoim took [their] place; but the Adorim applied not their neck to their service.

And Joida the son of Phasec, and Mesulam son of Basodia, repaired the old gate; they covered it in, and set up its doors, and its bolts, and its bars.

And next to him Oziel the son of Arachias of the smiths, carried on the repairs: and next to them Ananias the son of one of the apothecaries repaired, and they finished Jerusalem to the broad wall.

And next to them repaired Raphæa the son of Sur, the ruler of half the district round about Jerusalem.

And next to them repaired Jedaia the son of Eromaph, and [that] in front of his house: and next to him repaired Attuth son of Asabania.

And next [to him] repaired Melchias son of Heram, and Asub son of Phaat Moab, even to the tower of the furnaces.

And next to him repaired Sallum the son of Alloes, the ruler of half the district round about Jerusalem, he and his daughters.

Anun and the inhabitants of Zano repaired the gate of the valley: they built it, and set up its doors, and its bolts, and its bars, and a thousand cubits of the wall as far as the dung-gate.

And Melchia the son of Rechab, the ruler of the district round about Bethaccharim, repaired the dung-gate, he and his sons; and they covered it, and set up its doors, and its bolts, and its bars.

But Solomon the son of Choleze repaired the gate of the fountain, the ruler of part of Maspha; he built it, and covered it, and set up its doors and its bars, and the wall of the pool of the skins by the meadow of the king, and as far as the steps that lead down from the city of David.

After him repaired Neemias son of Azabuch, ruler of half the district round about Bethsur, as far as the garden of David's sepulchre, and as far as the artificial pool, and as far as the house of the mighty men.

After him repaired the Levites, [even] Raum the son of Bani: next to him repaired Asabia, ruler of half the district round about Keila, in his district.

And after him repaired his brethren, Benei son of Enadad, ruler of half the district round about Keila.

And next to him repaired Azur the son of Joshua, ruler of Masphai, another portion of the tower of ascent, where it meets the corner.

After him repaired Baruch the son of Zabu, a second portion, from the corner as far as the door of the house of Eliasub the high priest.

After him repaired Meramoth the son of Uria the son of Accos, a second part from the door of the house of Eliasub to the end of the house of Eliasub.

And after him repaired the priests, the men of Ecchechar.

And after him repaired Benjamin and Asub over against their house: and after him repaired Azarias son of Maasias the son of Ananias, [the parts] near to his house.

After him repaired Bani the son of Adad, another portion from the house of Azaria as far as the corner and to the turning,

of Phalach the son of Uzai, opposite the corner, and [where is] also the tower that projects from the king's house, even the upper one of the prison-house: and after him [repaired] Phadæa the son of Phoros.

And the Nathinim dwelt in Ophal, as far as the garden of the water-gate eastward, and [there is] the projecting tower.

And after them the Thecoim repaired, another portion opposite the great projecting tower, even as far as the wall of Ophla.

The priests repaired above the horse-gate, [every] man over against his own house.

And after him Sadduc the son of Emmer repaired opposite his own house: and after him repaired Samæa son of Sechenia, guard of the east-gate.

After him repaired Anania son of Selemia, and Anom, the sixth son of Seleph, another portion: after him Mesulam the son of Barachia repaired over against his treasury.

After him repaired Melchia the son of Sarephi as far as the house of the Nathinim, and the chapmen over against the gate of Maphecad, and as far as the steps of the corner.

And between [that and] the sheep-gate the smiths and chapmen repaired.

Now it came to pass, when Sanaballat heard that we were building the wall, that it was grievous to him, and he was very angry, and railed against the Jews.

And he said before his brethren (that [is] the army of the Samaritans) [Is it true] that these Jews are building their city? do they indeed offer sacrifices? will they prevail? and will they this day restore the stones, after they have been burnt and made a heap of rubbish?

And Tobias the Ammanite came near to him, and said to them, Do they sacrifice or eat in their place? shall not a fox go up and pull down their wall of stones?

Hear, O our God, for we have become a scorn; and return thou their reproach upon their head, and make them a scorn in a land of captivity,

and do not cover [their] iniquity.

But it came to pass, when Sanaballat and Tobia, and the Arabians, and the Ammanites, heard that the building of the walls of Jerusalem was advancing, [and] that the breaches began to be stopped, that it appeared very grievous to them.