Then aEliashib the high priest arose with his brothers the priests and built bthe Sheep Gate; they set it apart as holy and cmade its doors stand. And they set apart as holy 1the wall to dthe Tower of the Hundred and ethe Tower of Hananel. 2 Next to him athe men of Jericho built, and next to 1them Zaccur the son of Imri built. 3 Now the sons of Hassenaah built athe Fish Gate; they laid its beams and made its doors stand with its bolts and bars. 4 Next to them Meremoth the son of Uriah the son of Hakkoz made repairs. And next to them Meshullam the son of Berechiah the son of Meshezabel made repairs. And next to them Zadok the son of Baana also made repairs. 5 Moreover, next to them the Tekoites made repairs, but their nobles did not 1support the service of their masters. 6 Joiada the son of Paseah and Meshullam the son of Besodeiah repaired athe Old Gate; they laid its beams and made its doors stand with its bolts and its bars. 7 Next to them Melatiah the Gibeonite and Jadon the Meronothite, the men of Gibeon and of Mizpah, 1also made repairs for the official seat of the agovernor of the province beyond the River. 8 Next to him Uzziel the son of Harhaiah of the agoldsmiths made repairs. And next to him Hananiah, one of the perfumers, made repairs, and they restored Jerusalem as far as bthe Broad Wall. 9 Next to them Rephaiah the son of Hur, athe official of half the district of Jerusalem, made repairs. 10 Next to them Jedaiah the son of Harumaph made repairs opposite his house. And next to him Hattush the son of Hashabneiah made repairs. 11 Malchijah the son of Harim and Hasshub the son of Pahath-moab repaired 1another section and athe Tower of Furnaces. 12 Next to him Shallum the son of Hallohesh, athe official of half the district of Jerusalem, made repairs, he and his daughters. 13 Hanun and the inhabitants of Zanoah repaired athe Valley Gate. They built it and made its doors stand with its bolts and its bars, and 1one thousand cubits of the wall to the 2Dung Gate. 14 Malchijah the son of Rechab, the official of the district of aBeth-haccherem, repaired the 1bDung Gate. He built it and made its doors stand with its bolts and its bars. 15 Shallum the son of Col-hozeh, the official of the district of Mizpah, arepaired the Spring Gate. He built it, covered it and made its doors stand with its bolts and its bars, and the wall of the Pool of Shelah at bthe king’s garden as far as cthe steps that descend from the city of David. 16 After him Nehemiah the son of Azbuk, aofficial of half the district of Beth-zur, made repairs as far as a point opposite the tombs of David, and as far as bthe artificial pool and the house of the mighty men. 17 After him the Levites made repairs under Rehum the son of Bani. Next to him Hashabiah, the official of half the district of Keilah, made repairs for his district. 18 After him their brothers made repairs under Bavvai the son of Henadad, the official of the other half of the district of Keilah. 19 Next to him Ezer the son of Jeshua, athe official of Mizpah, repaired another section in front of the ascent of the armory bat the Angle. 20 After him Baruch the son of Zabbai zealously repaired another section, from the Angle to the doorway of the house of aEliashib the high priest. 21 After him Meremoth the son of Uriah the son of Hakkoz repaired another section, from the doorway of Eliashib’s house even as far as the end of Eliashib’s house. 22 After him the priests, athe men of the 1valley, made repairs. 23 After 1them Benjamin and Hasshub made repairs in front of their house. After 1them Azariah the son of Maaseiah, son of Ananiah, made repairs beside his house. 24 After him Binnui the son of Henadad repaired another section, from the house of Azariah as far as athe Angle and as far as the corner. 25 Palal the son of Uzai made repairs in front of the Angle and the tower projecting from the upper house of the king, which is by athe court of the guard. After him Pedaiah the son of Parosh made repairs.26 aThe temple servants living in bOphel made repairs as far as the front of cthe Water Gate toward the east and the projecting tower. 27 After 1them athe Tekoites repaired another section in front of the great projecting tower and as far as the wall of Ophel. 28 Above athe Horse Gate the priests made repairs, each in front of his house. 29 After 1them Zadok the son of Immer made repairs in front of his house. And after him Shemaiah the son of Shecaniah, the keeper of the East Gate, made repairs. 30 After him Hananiah the son of Shelemiah, and Hanun the sixth son of Zalaph, repaired another section. After him Meshullam the son of Berechiah made repairs in front of his own 1quarters. 31 After him Malchijah, 1one of athe goldsmiths, made repairs as far as the house of the temple servants and of the merchants, in front of the 2Inspection Gate, and as far as the upper room of the corner. 32 Between the upper room of the corner and athe Sheep Gate, the goldsmiths and the merchants made repairs.
Sanballat and Tobiah Mock the Jews’ Work
1Now it happened that when aSanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became angry and very vexed and mocked the Jews. 2 He spoke in the presence of his brothers and athe 1wealthy men of Samaria and said, “What are these feeble Jews doing? Are they going to restore it for themselves? Can they offer sacrifices? Can they complete it in a day? Can they bring the stones to life from the 2bdusty rubble, though they are burned?” 3 Now Tobiah the Ammonite was near him and he said, “Even what they are building—aif a fox should 1jump on it, he would break their stone wall down!” 4 aHear, O our God, for we are despised! bReturn their reproach on their own heads and give them up for plunder in a land of captivity. 5 Do not 1aforgive their iniquity and let not their sin be blotted out before You, for they have 2vexed the builders. 6 So we built the wall and the whole wall was joined together to half its height, and the people had a heart to work. 7 1Now it happened that when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites heard that the 2repair of the walls of Jerusalem went on, and that the places broken down began to be closed, they were very angry. 8 All of them ajoined together to come and fight against Jerusalem and to cause a disturbance in it. 9 But we prayed to our God, and because of them we astood a guard against them day and night. 10 Then Judah said,
“The 1strength of the burden bearers is failing,
Yet there is much 2rubbish;
And we ourselves are unable
To rebuild the wall.”
11 Our adversaries said, “They will not know or see until we come among them, kill them, and put a stop to the work.” 12 Now it happened when the Jews who lived near them came and said to us ten times, “1They will come up against us from every place where you may turn,” 13 that I had men stand in the lowest parts of the space behind the wall, the 1exposed places, and I ahad the people stand by families with their swords, spears, and bows. 14 Then I saw their fear. And I arose and said to the nobles, the officials, and the rest of the people: “aDo not fear them; remember the Lord who is great and fearsome, and bfight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses.”
Doing the Work and Holding a Weapon
15 Now it happened that when our enemies heard that it was known to us, and that aGod had thwarted their counsel, then all of us returned to the wall, each one to his work. 16 And it happened that from that day on, half of my young men carried on the work while half of them took hold of the spears, the shields, the bows, and the breastplates; and the commanders were behind the whole house of Judah. 17 Those who were rebuilding the wall and those who carried burdens took their load with one hand doing the work and the other holding a weapon. 18 As for the builders, each wore his sword girded at his side as he built, while 1the trumpeter stood near me. 19 I said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, “The work is great and extensive, and we are separated on the wall far from one another. 20 At whatever place you hear the sound of the trumpet, there gather together to us. aOur God will fight for us.” 21 So we kept doing the work with half of them holding spears from 1dawn until the stars came out. 22 At that time I also said to the people, “Let each man with his young man spend the night within Jerusalem so that they may be a guard for us by night and a worker by day.” 23 So neither I, my brothers, my young men, nor the men of the guard who followed me, none of us removed our clothes, each took his weapon even to the water.