Study Desk

But when Sanballat from Horon and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard about what had happened, they became very angry, because they didn't want anyone to help the people of Israel.

On the east side of the city, I headed north to Fountain Gate and King's Pool, but then the trail became too narrow for my donkey.

But when I got back, I said to them, "Jerusalem is truly in a mess! The gates have been torn down and burned, and everything is in ruins. We must rebuild the city wall so that we can again take pride in our city."

I answered, "We are servants of the God who rules from heaven, and he will make our work succeed. So we will start rebuilding Jerusalem, but you have no right to any of its property, because you have had no part in its history."

The next section was to be repaired by the men of Tekoa, but their town leaders refused to do the hard work they were assigned.

But I prayed, "Our God, these people hate us and have wished horrible things for us. Please answer our prayers and make their insults fall on them! Let them be the ones to be dragged away as prisoners of war.

But Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites, and the people from the city of Ashdod saw the walls going up and the holes being repaired. So they became angry

But we kept on praying to our God, and we also stationed guards day and night.

Our enemies found out that we knew about their plot against us, but God kept them from doing what they had planned. So we went back to work on the wall.

We are Jews just as they are, and our children are as good as theirs. But we still have to sell our children as slaves, and some of our daughters have already been raped. We are completely helpless; our fields and vineyards have even been taken from us."

by saying, "We have tried to buy back all of our people who were sold into exile. But here you are, selling more of them for us to buy back!" The officials and leaders did not say a word, because they knew this was true.

My relatives, my friends, and I are also lending money and grain, but we must no longer demand payment in return.

Each governor before me had been a burden to the people by making them pay for his food and wine and by demanding forty silver coins a day. Even their officials had been a burden to the people. But I respected God, and I didn't think it was right to be so hard on them.

They invited me four times, but each time I refused to go.

Our enemies were trying to frighten us and to keep us from our work. But I asked God to give me strength.

Suddenly I realized that God had not given Shemaiah this message. But Tobiah and Sanballat had paid him to trick me

The families of Hobaiah, Hakkoz, and Barzillai could not prove they were priests. The ancestor of the family of Barzillai had married the daughter of Barzillai from Gilead and had taken his wife's family name. But the records of these three families could not be found, and none of them were allowed to serve as priests.

You divided the deep sea, and your people walked through on dry land. But you tossed their enemies in, and they sank down like a heavy stone.

But, our God, you are merciful and quick to forgive; you are loving, kind, and very patient. So you never turned away from them—

So you handed them over to their enemies, who treated them terribly. But in their sufferings, they begged you to help. From heaven you listened to their prayers and because of your great mercy, you sent leaders to rescue them.