Emily: welcome to immerse: the daily bible reading experience.
Day 300 and 53
Sand Baat, Tobiah, Geshe, the Arab and the rest of our enemies found out that
I had finished rebuilding the wall and that no gaps remained, though we had
not yet set up the doors in the gates.
So sand baat and Gsem sent a message asking me to meet them at one of the
villages in the plain of Ono, but I realized they were plotting to harm me.
So I replied by sending this message to them.
I'm engaged in a great work, so I can't come.
Why should I stop working to come and meet with you four times?
They sent the same message and each time I gave the same reply.
The fifth time sand ballads servant came with an open letter in his
hand, and this is what it said.
There is a rumor among the surrounding nations, and Geshe tells me it
is true that you and the Jews are planning to rebel, and that is
why you are building the wall.
According to his reports, you plan to be their king.
He also reports that you have appointed prophets in
Jerusalem to proclaim about you.
Look, there is a king in Judah.
You can be very sure that this report will get back to the King.
I, so I suggest that you come and talk it over with me.
I replied, there is no truth in any part of your story.
You are making up the whole thing.
They were just trying to intimidate us, imagining that they could
discourage us and stop the work.
So I continued the work with even greater determination.
Later, I went to visit Shama son of tle and grandson of Mabel,
who was confined to his home.
He said, let us meet together inside the temple of God, and both the doors shut.
Your enemies are coming to kill you tonight.
But I replied, should someone in my position run from danger?
Should someone in my position enter the temple to save his life?
No, I won't do it.
I realized that God had not spoken to him, but that he had uttered
this prophecy against me because Tobiah and San Ballad had hired him.
They were hoping to intimidate me and make me sin.
Then they would be able to accuse and discredit me.
Remember, oh my God.
All the evil things that Tobiah and San Ballot have done.
And remember, Noah Diah, the prophet and all the prophets like her
who have tried to intimidate me.
So on October 2nd, the wall was finished just 52 days after we had begun.
When our enemies and the surrounding nations heard about it, they
were frightened and humiliated.
They realized this work had been done with the help of our God.
During those 52 days, many letters went back and forth between
Tobiah and the Nobles of Judah.
For many in Judah had sworn allegiance to him because his father-in-law was
Shanaya, son of Ara and his son Jijo.
Hanan, was married to the daughter of Ms.
Shula, son of Barak, Kaya.
They kept telling me about Tobiah's good deeds, and then they told him
everything I said, and Tobiah kept sending threatening letters to intimidate me.
After the wall was finished and I had set up the doors in the
gates, the gatekeepers, singers and Levites were appointed.
I gave the responsibility of governing Jerusalem to my brother HeNe nai.
Along with Hananiah, the commander of the fortress, for he was a faithful
man who feared God more than most.
I said to them, do not leave the gates open during the hottest part of the day.
And even while the gatekeepers are on duty, have them shut and bar the doors.
Appoint the residents of Jerusalem to act as guards.
Everyone on a regular watch.
Some will serve at century posts and some in front of their own homes.
At that time, the city was large and spacious, but the population was small
and none of the houses had been rebuilt.
So my God gave me the idea to call together all the nobles and
leaders of the city, along with the ordinary citizens for registration.
I had found the genealogical record of those who had first returned to Judah.
This is what was written there.
Here is the list of the Jewish exiles of the provinces who
returned from their captivity.
King Nebuchadnezzar had deported them to Babylon, but now they returned
to Jerusalem and the other towns in Judah where they originally lived,
their leaders were Sable Je Nehemiah Serayah, AYA Ne Mordecai, bill Han, Ms.
Par, big vii.
Re.
This is the number of the men of Israel who returned from exile, the family
of PRA 2,172, the family of Chef Atta 372, the family of ARA 652, the family
of payoff, Moab, descendants of JE and Joab 2,818, the family of Elam 1,254.
The family of Ztu 845, the family of Zac High 760, the family of BE
NAI 648, the family of Beba 628.
The family of as GAD 2,322, the family of Nycu 667, the family of Big VI 2067.
The family of Aiden 655.
The family of aor, descendants of Hezekiah 98, the family of Hasham 328,
the family of Beza 324, the family of Jora 112, the family of Gibbard 95, the
people of Bethlehem and Na Tofa 188.
The people of Anth 128, the people of Beth Asthma, Beth 42, the people
of Keath, JIRA, Keira and Biro.
743, the people of RMA and GIBA 621, the people of Mik Mash 122,
the people of Bethel and ai 123.
The people of West Nebo 52, the citizens of West Elam 1,254, the citizens of
Harem 320, the citizens of Jericho 345, the citizens of lad, hayed and
Ono 721, the citizens of Aya 3,930.
These are the priests who returned from exile.
The family of Judea through the line of JE 973, the family of Immer
1052, the family of Pash, her 1,247, the family of Haram, the 1017.
These are the Levites who returned from exile, the families of JE
and cao, descendants of HO DVA 74.
The singers of the family of Asaf 148, the gatekeepers of the families of Shalom,
AER Talman, ACA Hatta, and Chaba 138.
The descendants of the following temple servants returned from Exile Zha hafa.
Tab Kiro Payden, Lena Haba.
Hanan.
Gidel Gahar,
Kota
Za
hafa ba meida harsha barass cura Tema niah and hat.
The descendants of these servants of King Solomon returned from exile.
Sota has Pera Jayla, Dahan, Gidel, Sheta hat, hazeem, and Amai in all the
temple servants and the descendants of Solomon servants numbered 392.
Another group returned at this time from the towns of Tila, tell
Harsha, Krab, Adden, and Immer.
However, they could not prove that they or their families were descendants of Israel.
This group included the families of Deleah, Tobiah, and Nakota.
A total of 642 people, three families of priests, HOA, Haas,
and Barzilai also returned.
This Barzilai had married a woman who was a descendant of Barzilai of Gilead,
and he had taken her family name.
They searched for their names in the genealogical records, but
they were not found so they were disqualified from serving as priests.
The governor told them not to eat the priest's share of food from the
sacrifices until a priest could consult the Lord about the matter by using
the rum and th him the sacred lots.
So a total of 42,360 people returned to Judah in addition to 7,337 servants
and 245 singers, both men and women.
They took with them 736 horses, 245 mules, 435 camels, and 6,720 donkeys.
Some of the family leaders gave gifts for the work.
The governor gave to the treasury 1000 gold coins, 50 gold basins,
and 530 robes for the priests the other leaders gave to the treasury.
A total of 20,000 gold coins and some 2,750 pounds of silver for the work.
The rest of the people gave 20,000 gold coins, about 2,500 pounds of
silver and 67 robes for the priests.
So the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, the temple
servants, and some of the common people settled near Jerusalem.
The rest of the people returned to their own towns throughout Israel.
In October when the Israelites had settled in their towns, all the people
assembled with a unified purpose at the square, just inside the Watergate.
They asked Ezra, the scribe to bring out the book of the law of Moses, which
the Lord had given for Israel to obey.
So on October 8th, Ezra, the priest brought the book of the law
before the assembly, which included the men and women and all the
children old enough to understand.
He faced the square just inside the Watergate from early morning
until noon and read aloud to everyone who could understand.
All the people listened closely to the book of the law.
Ezra the scribe, stood on a high wooden platform that had been
made for the occasion to his right stood Matia Shima, Anaya, Uriah,
and Meia to his left stood pad.
Michel Malka Haitham, hash Batina.
Zacharia, and Ms.
Ezra stood on the platform in full view of all the people.
When they saw him open the book, they all rose to their feet.
Then Ezra praised the Lord the great God, and all the people chanted.
Amen.
As they lifted their hands, then they bowed down and worshiped the
Lord with their faces to the ground.
The Levites Joshua, be Nai Shi.
Jamon, ACA, Saathi, Hoda meia, kata, azariah, Zeba, Hanan, and paella.
Then instructed the people in the law while everyone remained in their places.
They read from the book of the Law of God and clearly explained the meaning
of what was being read, helping the people understand each passage.
Then Nehemiah the governor.
Ezra, the priest and scribe and the Levites who were interpreting
for the people, said to them, don't mourn or weep on such a day as this.
For today is a sacred day before the Lord your God, for the people had all
been weeping as they listened to the words of the law, and Nehemiah continued.
Go and celebrate with a feast of rich foods and sweet drinks,
and share gifts of food with people who have nothing prepared.
This is a sacred day before our Lord.
Don't be dejected and sad for the joy of the Lord is your strength.
And the Levites too quieted the people telling them, hush, don't
weep for this is a sacred day.
So the people went away to eat and drink at a festive meal, to share
gifts of food and to celebrate with great joy because they had heard
God's words and understood them.
On October 9th, the family leaders of all the people together with the priests
and Levites met with Ezra, the scribe, to go over the law in greater detail.
As they studied the law, they discovered that the Lord had commanded through Moses.
That the Israelites should live in shelters during the
festival to be held that month.
He had said that a proclamation should be made throughout their
towns and in Jerusalem, telling the people to go to the hills to get
branches from olive, wild olive, myrtle, palm, and other leafy trees.
They were to use these branches to make shelters in which they would live during
the festival as prescribed in the law.
So the people went out and cut branches.
And use them to build shelters on the roofs of their houses in their
courtyards, in the courtyards of God's temple, or in the squares just inside
the Watergate and the Raim gate.
So everyone who had returned from captivity lived in these shelters
during the festival, and they were all filled with great joy.
The Israelites had not celebrated like this since the days of Joshua son of none.
Ezra read from the book of the Law of God on each of the seven days of the festival.
Then on the eighth day, they held a solemn assembly as was required by law.