They begin to build the wall
1The high priest Eliashib and his brothers, the priests, were entrusted with the building of the Sheep Gate. They built it, set its doors and continued as far as the Tower of Hananel. 2The people of Jericho worked at their side, and farther on, Zaccur, son of Imri. 3The Fish Gate was assigned to the sons of Hassenaah. They set up and fixed its doors, bolts and bars.
4Next to them, Meremoth, son of Uriah, son of Hakkoz, and Meshullam, son of Berechiah, son of Meshezabel built the next section and at their side, Zadok, son of Baana, repaired another section. 5At their side, the inhabitants of Tekoa worked, but their nobles wanted not to labor in the service of their Lord.
6The Old Gate was repaired by Joiada, son of Paseah, and Meshullam, son of Besodeiah. They set up and fixed the gate with its bolts and bars.
7Next to them worked Malatiah of Gibeon and Yadan of Meronot with the people of Gibeon and Mizpah, beside the house of the provincial governor. 8Next to them worked Uzziel, of the jewellers’ guild. Next were Hananiah, of the perfumers’ guild: they strengthened Jerusalem as far as the Wall of the Square. 9Next to them repairs were carried out by Rephaiah son of Hur, ruler of half the district of Jerusalem. 10Next to them Jedaiah son of Harumaph worked opposite his own house; next to him repairs were carried out by Hattush son of Hashabneiah. 11Malchijah son of Harim and Hasshub son of Pahath-moab repaired the next section as far as the Tower of the Furnaces. 12Next to them worked Shallum son of Hallohesh, ruler of half the district of Jerusalem, he and his daughters. 13Hanun and the inhabitants of Zanoah repaired the Valley Gate; they restored it, constructed its framework and set its doors, bolts and bars in place, and repaired a thousand cubits of wall up to the Dung Gate. 14Malchijah son of Rechab, ruler of the district of Bethhaccherem, repaired the Dung Gate, he and his sons: he set its doors, bolts and bars in place. 15Shallum, son of Colhozeh, ruler of the district of Mizpah, worked at the Fountain Gate; he built it, covered it, and set its doors, bolts and bars in place. He also rebuilt the wall of the conduit cistern, adjoining the king’s garden, as far as the steps coming down from the Citadel of David. 16Next to him, Nehemiah son of Azbuk, ruler of half the district of Beth-zur, worked up to a point opposite the tombs of David, the artificial pool and the House of Heroes. 17Next to him worked the Levites: Rehum son of Bani and next to him Hashabiah, ruler of half the district of Keilah, for his own district. 18Next to them worked their brothers: Binnui son of Henadad, ruler of half the district of Keilah; 19next to him, Ezer son of Jeshua, ruler of Mizpah, opposite the slope up to the Armory, towards the Angle.
20Next to him Baruch son of Zabbai worked from the Angle as far as the door of the house of Eliashib the high priest. 21Next to him Meremoth son of Uriah, son of Hakkoz from the door of Eliashib’s house to its farther end. 22Next to him worked the priests who lived there. 23Next to them worked Benjamin and Hasshub, opposite their own houses. Next to them Azariah son of Maaseiah, son of Ananiah, beside his own house. 24Next to him Binnui son of Henadad from the house of Azariah up to the Angle. 25Next to him Palal son of Uzai worked opposite the corner of the tower jutting out over the upper palace of the king near the prison courtyard. Next to him Pedaiah son of Parosh worked 26as far as the Water Gate, in an easterly direction and up to a point opposite the projecting tower. 27Next to him the men of Tekoa worked opposite the great tower as far as the wall of Ophel.
28From the Horse Gate onwards repairs were carried out by the priests, each opposite his own house. 29Next to them worked Zadok son of Immer opposite his own house. Next to him Shemaiah son of Shecaniah, keeper of the East Gate. 30Next to him Hananiah son of Shelemiah and Hanun sixth son of Zalaph. Next to him Meshullam son of Berechiah worked opposite where he lived. 31Next to him Malchijah, of the goldsmiths’ guild, repaired as far as the quarters of the helpers and the merchants, opposite the Watch Gate as far as the high chamber of the corner. 32And between the high chamber of the corner and the Sheep Gate repairs were carried out by the goldsmiths and the merchants.
The enemies try to discourage Ne hemiah
33 ① When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became angry. He ridiculed the Jews 34and said before his brothers and the lords of Samaria, “What are those miserable Jews trying to do? Are they perhaps going to rebuild, finish and celebrate the inauguration in a single day? Do they think they can make stones out of heaps of ruins?”
35Tobiah the Ammonite who was by him said, “Let them build, for if any fox goes up on their wall, it will surely collapse.”
36Listen, O our God, for we are despised! May their insult fall back upon their own heads; give them up to contempt in a land where they shall be exiled! 37Do not cover their guilt nor let their sin be blotted out in your presence, for they have offended those who built. 38The people worked with all their hearts and we finished half the wall’s height.
- Ne 3,33 Later, Nehemiah's work arouses jealousy and suspicion. Nothing unusual in that. The firmness of this man alone was enough to inspire everyone. At that very moment, building the Jerusalem walls was the specific task which, if not done, would have stopped sacred history. Had the Jewish people given in and delayed, they would have lost the means to their independence and the meaning of their mission. Similarly today, although the mission of the Church is mostly spiritual, our fidelity to the Lord depends upon our attitude in the face of violations and betrayals of the truth in very specific aspects of social life.
