so the king said to me, “Why do you look so sad, when you aren’t sick? This is nothing but sadness of heart.”

I was overwhelmed with fear

and replied to the king, “May the king live forever! Why should I[fn] not be sad when the city where my ancestors are buried lies in ruins and its gates have been destroyed by fire? ”

I got up at night and took a few men with me. I didn’t tell anyone what my God had laid on my heart to do for Jerusalem. The only animal I took[fn] was the one I was riding.

I went on to the Fountain Gate and the King’s Pool, but farther down it became too narrow for my animal to go through.

The officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing, for I had not yet told the Jews, priests, nobles, officials, or the rest of those who would be doing the work.

So I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in. Jerusalem lies in ruins and its gates have been burned. Come, let’s rebuild Jerusalem’s wall, so that we will no longer be a disgrace.”

I gave them this reply, “The God of the heavens is the one who will grant us success. We, his servants, will start building, but you have no share, right, or historic claim in Jerusalem.”

In Judah, it was said:[fn]

The strength of the laborer fails,

since there is so much rubble.

We will never be able

to rebuild the wall.

And our enemies said, “They won’t realize it[fn] until we’re among them and can kill them and stop the work.”

And I, my brothers, my servants, and the men of the guard with me never took off our clothes. Each carried his weapon, even when washing.[fn]

and said, “We have done our best to buy back our Jewish countrymen who were sold to foreigners, but now you sell your own countrymen, and we have to buy them back.” They remained silent and could not say a word.

Then I said, “What you are doing isn’t right. Shouldn’t you walk in the fear of our God and not invite the reproach of our foreign enemies?

They responded, “We will return these things and require nothing more from them. We will do as you say.”

So I summoned the priests and made everyone take an oath to do this.

I also shook the folds of my robe and said, “May God likewise shake from his house and property everyone who doesn’t keep this promise. May he be shaken out and have nothing! ”

The whole assembly said, “Amen,” and they praised the LORD. Then the people did as they had promised.

Furthermore, from the day King Artaxerxes appointed me to be their governor in the land of Judah ​— ​from the twentieth year until his thirty-second year, twelve years ​— ​I and my associates never ate from the food allotted to the governor.

The governors who preceded me had heavily burdened the people, taking from them food and wine as well as a pound[fn] of silver. Their subordinates also oppressed the people, but because of the fear of God, I didn’t do this.

Instead, I devoted myself to the construction of this wall, and all my subordinates were gathered there for the work. We didn’t buy any land.

Each[fn] day, one ox, six choice sheep, and some fowl were prepared for me. An abundance of all kinds of wine was provided every ten days. But I didn’t demand the food allotted to the governor, because the burden on the people was so heavy.

So I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing important work and cannot come down. Why should the work cease while I leave it and go down to you? ”

Then I replied to him, “There is nothing to these rumors you are spreading; you are inventing them in your own mind.”

For they were all trying to intimidate us, saying, “They will drop their hands from[fn] the work, and it will never be finished.”

But now, my God, strengthen my hands.

I realized that God had not sent him, because of the prophecy he spoke against me. Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.

The city was large and spacious, but there were few people in it, and no houses had been built yet.

The following are those who came from Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Cherub, Addon, and Immer, but were unable to prove that their ancestral families[fn] and their lineage were Israelite:

These searched for their entries in the genealogical records, but they could not be found, so they were disqualified from the priesthood.

They refused to listen

and did not remember your wonders

you performed among them.

They became stiff-necked and appointed a leader

to return to their slavery in Egypt.[fn]

But you are a forgiving God,

gracious and compassionate,

slow to anger and abounding in faithful love,

and you did not abandon them.

you did not abandon them in the wilderness

because of your great compassion.

During the day the pillar of cloud

never turned away from them,

guiding them on their journey.

And during the night the pillar of fire

illuminated the way they should go.

You sent your good Spirit to instruct them.

You did not withhold your manna from their mouths,

and you gave them water for their thirst.

You provided for them in the wilderness forty years,

and they lacked nothing.

Their clothes did not wear out,

and their feet did not swell.

You warned them to turn back to your law,

but they acted arrogantly

and would not obey your commands.

They sinned against your ordinances,

which a person will live by if he does them.

They stubbornly resisted,[fn]

stiffened their necks, and would not obey.

You were patient with them for many years,

and your Spirit warned them through your prophets,

but they would not listen.

Therefore, you handed them over to the surrounding peoples.

However, in your abundant compassion,

you did not destroy them or abandon them,

for you are a gracious and compassionate God.

Our kings, leaders, priests, and ancestors

did not obey your law

or listen to your commands

and warnings you gave them.

When they were in their kingdom,

with your abundant goodness that you gave them,

and in the spacious and fertile land you set before them,

they would not serve you or turn from their wicked ways.

When the surrounding peoples bring merchandise or any kind of grain to sell on the Sabbath day, we will not buy from them on the Sabbath or a holy day. We will also leave the land uncultivated in the seventh year and will cancel every debt.

For the Israelites and the Levites are to bring the contributions of grain, new wine, and fresh oil to the storerooms where the articles of the sanctuary are kept and where the priests who minister are, along with the gatekeepers and singers. We will not neglect the house of our God.

While all this was happening, I was not in Jerusalem, because I had returned to King Artaxerxes of Babylon in the thirty-second year of his reign. It was only later that I asked the king for a leave of absence

I also found out that because the portions for the Levites had not been given, each of the Levites and the singers performing the service had gone back to his own field.

“Didn’t your ancestors do the same, so that our God brought all this disaster on us and on this city? And now you are rekindling his anger against Israel by profaning the Sabbath! ”