Nehemiah 4-6The Wall Defended Against Enemies4 But it so happened, when Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, that he was furious and very indignant, and mocked the Jews. 2 And he spoke before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, “What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they fortify themselves? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they complete it in a day? Will they revive the s...  Read More

Nehemiah 1-3Nehemiah Prays for His People1 The words of Nehemiah the son of Hachaliah.It came to pass in the month of Chislev, in the twentieth year, as I was in Shushan[a] the [b]citadel, 2 that Hanani one of my brethren came with men from Judah; and I asked them concerning the Jews who had escaped, who had survived the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem. 3 And they said to me, “The survivors wh...  Read More

Ezra 9-10Intermarriage with Pagans9 When these things were done, the leaders came to me, saying, “The people of Israel and the priests and the Levites have not separated themselves from the peoples of the lands, with respect to the abominations of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites. 2 For they have taken some of...  Read More

Ezra 6-8The Decree of Darius6 Then King Darius issued a decree, and a search was made in the [a]archives, where the treasures were stored in Babylon. 2 And at [b]Achmetha, in the palace that is in the province of Media, a scroll was found, and in it a record was written thus:3 In the first year of King Cyrus, King Cyrus issued a decree concerning the house of God at Jerusalem: “Let the house be re...  Read More

Ezra 3-5Worship Restored at Jerusalem3 And when the seventh month had come, and the children of Israel were in the cities, the people gathered together as one man to Jerusalem. 2 Then [a]Jeshua the son of Jozadak[b] and his brethren the priests, and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and his brethren, arose and built the altar of the God of Israel, to offer burnt offerings on it, as it is written in ...  Read More

Ezra 1-2End of the Babylonian Captivity1 Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying,2 Thus says Cyrus king of Persia:All the kingdoms of the earth the Lord God of heaven has g...  Read More