The Plots of the Adversaries

61 And it came to pass when Sanballat, and Tobijah, and Geshem the Arabian, and the rest of our enemies, heard that I had built the wall, and that there was no breach left in it (though at that time I had not set up the doors in the gates), 2 that Sanballat and Geshem sent to me, saying, Come, let us meet together in the villages in the plain of Ono. But they thought to do me mischief. 3 And I sent messengers to them, saying, I am doing a great work, and I cannot come down. Why should the work cease, whilst I leave it and come down to you? 4 And they sent to me four times after this sort; and I answered them in the same manner. 5 Then sent Sanballat his servant to me in this manner the fifth time, with an open letter in his hand, 6 in which was written: It is reported among the nations, and Gashmu says [it, that] thou and the Jews think to rebel, for which cause thou buildest the wall, and according to these words thou wilt become their king. 7 And thou hast also appointed prophets to proclaim concerning thee at Jerusalem saying, There is a king in Judah! And now it will be reported to the king according to these words. Come now therefore, and let us take counsel together. 8 And I sent to him, saying, There are no such things done as thou sayest, but thou feignest them out of thine own heart. 9 For they all would have made us afraid, saying, Their hands shall be slackened from the work, that it be not carried out.—Now therefore strengthen my hands!

10 And I came to the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah, the son of Mehetabeel, who had shut himself up. And he said, Let us meet together in the house of God, within the temple, and let us shut the doors of the temple; for they are coming to kill thee; even in the night are they coming to kill thee. 11 And I said, Should such a man as I flee? and who is there, that, being as I am, could go into the temple, and live? I will not go in. 12 And I perceived, and behold, God had not sent him; for he pronounced this prophecy against me; and Tobijah and Sanballat had hired him. 13 Therefore was he hired, that I should be afraid, and do so, and sin, and that they might have wherewith to spread an evil report, that they might reproach me. 14 My God, remember Tobijah and Sanballat according to these their works, and also the prophetess Noadiah, and the rest of the prophets who would have put me in fear.

15 So the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth of Elul, in fifty-two days. 16 And it came to pass that when all our enemies heard [of it], all the nations that were about us were afraid and were much cast down in their own eyes, and they perceived that this work was wrought by our God. 17 Moreover in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters to Tobijah, and those of Tobijah came to them. 18 For there were many in Judah sworn to him; for he was a son-in-law of Shechaniah the son of Arah; and his son Johanan had taken the daughter of Meshullam the son of Berechiah. 19 Also they spoke of his good deeds before me, and reported my words to him. [And] Tobijah sent letters to put me in fear.

Nehemiah Appoints Rulers for Jerusalem

71 And it came to pass when the wall was built, and I had set up the doors, that the doorkeepers and the singers and the Levites were appointed. 2 And I gave my brother Hanani, and Hananiah the ruler of the citadel, charge over Jerusalem; for he was a faithful man and feared God above many. 3 And I said to them that the gates of Jerusalem should not be opened until the sun was hot, and that they should shut the doors and bar them while they stood by; and that there should be appointed watches of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, every one in his watch, and every one over against his house. 4 Now the city was large and great; but the people in it were few, and no houses were built.

The List of Returning Exiles

5 And my God put into my heart to gather together the nobles, and the rulers, and the people, for registration by genealogy. And I found a genealogical register of those that had come up at the first, and I found written in it: 6 These are the children of the province that went up out of the captivity of those that had been carried away, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away, and who came again to Jerusalem and to Judah, every one to his city; 7 those who came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, Baanah. The number of the men of the people of Israel: 8 The children of Parosh, two thousand one hundred and seventy-two. 9 The children of Shephatiah, three hundred and seventy-two. 10 The children of Arah, six hundred and fifty-two. 11 The children of Pahath-Moab, of the children of Jeshua and Joab, two thousand eight hundred and eighteen. 12 The children of Elam, a thousand two hundred and fifty-four. 13 The children of Zattu, eight hundred and forty-five. 14 The children of Zaccai, seven hundred and sixty. 15 The children of Binnui, six hundred and forty-eight. 16 The children of Bebai, six hundred and twenty-eight. 17 The children of Azgad, two thousand three hundred and twenty-two. 18 The children of Adonikam, six hundred and sixty-seven. 19 The children of Bigvai, two thousand and sixty-seven. 20 The children of Adin, six hundred and fifty-five. 21 The children of Ater of [the family of] Hezekiah, ninety-eight. 22 The children of Hashum, three hundred and twenty-eight. 23 The children of Bezai, three hundred and twenty-four. 24 The children of Hariph, a hundred and twelve. 25 The children of Gibeon, ninety-five. 26 The men of Bethlehem and Netophah, a hundred and eighty-eight. 27 The men of Anathoth, a hundred and twenty-eight. 28 The men of Beth-azmaveth, forty-two. 29 The men of Kirjath-jearim, Chephirah, and Beeroth, seven hundred and forty-three. 30 The men of Ramah and Geba, six hundred and twenty-one. 31 The men of Michmas, a hundred and twenty-two. 32 The men of Bethel and Ai, a hundred and twenty-three. 33 The men of the other Nebo, fifty-two. 34 The children of the other Elam, a thousand two hundred and fifty-four. 35 The children of Harim, three hundred and twenty. 36 The children of Jericho, three hundred and forty-five. 37 The children of Lod, Hadid, and Ono, seven hundred and twenty-one. 38 The children of Senaah, three thousand nine hundred and thirty. 39 The priests: the children of Jedaiah, of the house of Jeshua, nine hundred and seventy-three. 40 The children of Immer, a thousand and fifty-two. 41 The children of Pashhur, a thousand two hundred and forty-seven. 42 The children of Harim, a thousand and seventeen. 43 The Levites: the children of Jeshua [and] of Kadmiel, of the children of Hodvah, seventy-four. 44 The singers: the children of Asaph, a hundred and forty-eight. 45 The doorkeepers: the children of Shallum, the children of Ater, the children of Talmon, the children of Akkub, the children of Hatita, the children of Shobai, a hundred and thirty-eight. 46 The Nethinim: the children of Ziha, the children of Hasupha, the children of Tabbaoth, 47 the children of Keros, the children of Sia, the children of Padon, 48 the children of Lebana, the children of Hagaba, the children of Salmai, 49 the children of Hanan, the children of Giddel, the children of Gahar, 50 the children of Reaiah, the children of Rezin, the children of Nekoda, 51 the children of Gazzam, the children of Uzza, the children of Phaseah, 52 the children of Besai, the children of Meunim, the children of Nephishesim, 53 the children of Bakbuk, the children of Hakupha, the children of Harhur, 54 the children of Bazlith, the children of Mehida, the children of Harsha, 55 the children of Barkos, the children of Sisera, the children of Thamah, 56 the children of Neziah, the children of Hatipha. 57 The children of Solomon's servants: the children of Sotai, the children of Sophereth, the children of Perida, 58 the children of Jaala, the children of Darkon, the children of Giddel, 59 the children of Shephatiah, the children of Hattil, the children of Pochereth-Hazzebaim, the children of Amon. 60 All the Nethinim, and the children of Solomon's servants, three hundred and ninety-two. 61 And these are they that went up from Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Cherub-Addon and Immer; but they could not shew their father's house, nor their seed, whether they were of Israel. 62 The children of Delaiah, the children of Tobijah, the children of Nekoda, six hundred and forty-two. 63 And of the priests: the children of Hobaiah, the children of Koz, the children of Barzillai, who took a wife of the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite and was called after their name. 64 These sought their genealogical register, but it was not found; therefore were they, as polluted, removed from the priesthood. 65 And the Tirshatha said to them that they should not eat of the most holy things, till there stood up the priest with Urim and Thummim. 66 The whole congregation together was forty-two thousand three hundred and sixty, 67 besides their servants and their maids, of whom there were seven thousand three hundred and thirty-seven; and they had two hundred and forty-five singing-men and singing-women. 68 Their horses were seven hundred and thirty-six; their mules, two hundred and forty-five; 69 the camels, four hundred and thirty-five; the asses, six thousand seven hundred and twenty. 70 And some of the chief fathers gave to the work. The Tirshatha gave to the treasure a thousand darics of gold, fifty basons, five hundred and thirty priests' coats. 71 And [some] of the chief fathers gave to the treasure of the work twenty thousand darics of gold, and two thousand two hundred pounds of silver. 72 And that which the rest of the people gave was twenty thousand darics of gold, and two thousand pounds of silver, and sixty-seven priests' coats. 73 And the priests, and the Levites, and the doorkeepers, and the singers, and [some] of the people, and the Nethinim, and all Israel, dwelt in their cities. And when the seventh month came, and the children of Israel were in their cities,