Part 5

16:006:006 Wherein was written, It is reported among the heathen, and Gashmu saith it, that thou and the Jews think to rebel: for which cause thou buildest the wall, that thou mayest be their king, according to these words.

16:006:007 And thou hast also appointed prophets to preach of thee at Jerusalem, saying, There is a king in Judah: and now shall it be reported to the king according to these words. Come now therefore, and let us take counsel together.

16:006:008 Then I sent unto him, saying, There are no such things done as thou sayest, but thou feignest them out of thine own heart.

16:006:009 For they all made us afraid, saying, Their hands shall be weakened from the work, that it be not done. Now therefore, O God, strengthen my hands.

16:006:010 Afterward I came unto the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah the son of Mehetabeel, who was shut 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 will come to slay thee; yea, in the night will they come to slay thee.

16:006:011 And I said, Should such a man as I flee? and who is there, that, being as I am, would go into the temple to save his life? I will not go in.

16:006:012 And, lo, I perceived that God had not sent him; but that he pronounced this prophecy against me: for Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.

16:006:013 Therefore was he hired, that I should be afraid, and do so, and sin, and that they might have matter for an evil report, that they might reproach me.

16:006:014 My God, think thou upon Tobiah and Sanballat according to these their works, and on the prophetess Noadiah, and the rest of the prophets, that would have put me in fear.

16:006:015 So the wall was finished in the twenty and fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty and two days.

16:006:016 And it came to pass, that when all our enemies heard thereof, and all the heathen that were about us saw these things, they were much cast down in their own eyes: for they perceived that this work was wrought of our God.

16:006:017 Moreover in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters unto Tobiah, and the letters of Tobiah came unto them.

16:006:018 For there were many in Judah sworn unto him, because he was the son in law of Shechaniah the son of Arah; and his son Johanan had taken the daughter of Meshullam the son of Berechiah.

16:006:019 Also they reported his good deeds before me, and uttered my words to him. And Tobiah sent letters to put me in fear.

16:007:001 Now it came to pass, when the wall was built, and I had set up the doors, and the porters and the singers and the Levites were appointed,

16:007:002 That I gave my brother Hanani, and Hananiah the ruler of the palace, charge over Jerusalem: for he was a faithful man, and feared God above many.

16:007:003 And I said unto them, Let not the gates of Jerusalem be opened until the sun be hot; and while they stand by, let them shut the doors, and bar them: and appoint watches of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, every one in his watch, and every one to be over against his house.

16:007:004 Now the city was large and great: but the people were few therein, and the houses were not builded.

16:007:005 And my God put into mine heart to gather together the nobles, and the rulers, and the people, that they might be reckoned by genealogy. And I found a register of the genealogy of them which came up at the first, and found written therein,

16:007:006 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 came again to Jerusalem and to Judah, every one unto his city;

16:007:007 Who came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, Baanah. The number, I say, of the men of the people of Israel was this;

16:007:008 The children of Parosh, two thousand an hundred seventy and two.

16:007:009 The children of Shephatiah, three hundred seventy and two.

16:007:010 The children of Arah, six hundred fifty and two.

16:007:011 The children of Pahathmoab, of the children of Jeshua and Joab, two thousand and eight hundred and eighteen.

16:007:012 The children of Elam, a thousand two hundred fifty and four.

16:007:013 The children of Zattu, eight hundred forty and five.

16:007:014 The children of Zaccai, seven hundred and threescore.