Nehemia 1:2-3

1:2 Hanani, who was one of my relatives, ¹  along with some of the men from Judah, came to me, ²  and I asked them about the Jews who had escaped and had survived the exile, and about Jerusalem. ³ 

1:3 They said to me, “The remnant that remains from the exile there in the province are experiencing considerable ⁴  adversity and reproach. The wall of Jerusalem lies breached, and its gates have been burned down!” ⁵ 

Nehemia 2:18

2:18 Then I related to them how the good hand of my God was on me and what ⁶  the king had said to me. Then they replied, “Let’s begin rebuilding right away!” ⁷  So they readied themselves ⁸  for this good project.

Nehemia 2:20

2:20 I responded to them by saying, “The God of heaven will prosper us. We his servants will start the rebuilding. ⁹  But you have no just or ancient right in Jerusalem.” ¹⁰ 

Nehemia 5:8

5:8 I said to them, “To the extent possible we have bought back our fellow Jews ¹¹  who had been sold to the Gentiles. But now you yourselves want to sell your own countrymen, ¹²  so that we can then buy them back!” They were utterly silent, and could find nothing to say.

Nehemia 6:6

6:6 Written in it were the following words:

“Among the nations it is rumored ¹³  (and Geshem ¹⁴  has substantiated ¹⁵  this) that you and the Jews have intentions of revolting, and for this reason you are building the wall. Furthermore, according to these rumors ¹⁶  you are going to become their king.

Nehemia 7:73

7:73 The priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, some of the people, the temple servants, and all the rest of Israel lived in their cities.

The People Respond to the Reading of the Law

When the seventh month arrived and the Israelites ¹⁷  were settled in their cities, ¹⁸ 

Nehemia 9:19

9:19 “Due to your great compassion you did not abandon them in the desert. The pillar of cloud did not stop guiding them in the path by day, ¹⁹  nor did the pillar of fire stop illuminating for them by night the path on which they should travel.

[1:2]  ¹ tn Heb “brothers.”

[1:2]  ² tn The Hebrew text does not include the words “to me”; these words were supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity.

[1:2]  ³ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[1:3]  ⁴ tn Heb “great.”

[1:3]  ⁵ tn Heb “have been burned with fire” (so also in Neh 2:17). The expression “burned with fire” is redundant in contemporary English; the translation uses “burned down” for stylistic reasons.

[2:18]  ⁶ tn Heb “the words of the king which he had spoken to me.”

[2:18]  ⁷ tn Heb “Arise! Let us rebuild!”

[2:18]  ⁸ tn Heb “strengthened their hands.”

[2:20]  ⁹ tn Heb “will arise and build.” The idiom “arise and…” means to begin the action described by the second verb.

[2:20]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “portion or right or remembrance.” The expression is probably a hendiatris: The first two nouns retain their full nominal function, while the third noun functions adjectivally (“right or remembrance” = “ancient right”).

[5:8]  ¹¹ tn Heb “our brothers, the Jews.”

[5:8]  ¹² tn Heb “your brothers.”

[6:6]  ¹³ tn Heb “heard.”

[6:6]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “Gashmu”; in Neh 2:19 this name appears as Geshem. Since it is important for the modern reader to recognize that this is the same individual, the form of the name used here in the translation is the same as that in v. 19.

[6:6]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “is saying.”

[6:6]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “words.” So also in v. 7.

[7:73]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “the sons of Israel.” So also in vv. 14, 17; 9:1.

[7:73]  ¹⁸ tn The traditional understanding of the chapter and verse division here is probably incorrect. The final part of v. 73 is best understood as belonging with 8:1.

[9:19]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “did not turn from them by day to guide them in the path.”