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1. Upon the death of Darius, Xerxes his son took the kingdom,
who, as he inherited his father's kingdom, so did he inherit his
piety towards God, and honor of him; for he did all things
suitably to his father relating to Divine worship, and he was
exceeding friendly to the Jews. Now about this time a son of
Jeshua, whose name was Joacim, was the high priest. Moreover,
there was now in Babylon a righteous man, and one that enjoyed a
great reputation among the multitude. He was the principal priest
of the people, and his name was Esdras. He was very skillful in
the laws of Moses, and was well acquainted with king Xerxes. He
had determined to go up to Jerusalem, and to take with him some
of those Jews that were in Babylon; and he desired that the king
would give him an epistle to the governors of Syria, by which
they might know who he was. Accordingly, the king wrote the
following epistle to those governors: "Xerxes, king of kings, to
Esdras the priest, and reader of the Divine law, greeting. I
think it agreeable to that love which I bear to mankind, to
permit those of the Jewish nation that are so disposed, as well
as those of the priests and Levites that are in our kingdom, to
go together to Jerusalem. Accordingly, I have given command for
that purpose; and let every one that hath a mind go, according as
it hath seemed good to me, and to my seven counselors, and this
in order to their review of the affairs of Judea, to see whether
they be agreeable to the law of God. Let them also take with them
those presents which I and my friends have vowed, with all that
silver and gold that is found in the country of the Babylonians,
as dedicated to God, and let all this be carried to Jerusalem to
God for sacrifices. Let it also be lawful for thee and thy
brethren to make as many vessels of silver and gold as thou
pleasest. Thou shalt also dedicate those holy vessels which have
been given thee, and as many more as thou hast a mind to make,
and shall take the expenses out of the king's treasury. I have,
moreover, written to the treasurers of Syria and Phoenicia, that
they take care of those affairs that Esdras the priest, and
reader of the laws of God, is sent about. And that God may not be
at all angry with me, or with my children, I grant all that is
necessary for sacrifices to God, according to the law, as far as
a hundred cori of wheat. And I enjoin you not to lay any
treacherous imposition, or any tributes, upon their priests or
Levites, or. sacred singers, or porters, or sacred servants, or
scribes of the temple. And do thou, O Esdras, appoint judges
according to the wisdom [given thee] of God, and those such as
understand the law, that they may judge in all Syria and
Phoenicia; and do thou instruct those also which are ignorant of
it, that if any one of thy countrymen transgress the law of God,
or that of the king, he may be punished, as not transgressing it
out of ignorance, but as one that knows it indeed, but boldly
despises and contemns it; and such may be punished by death, or
by paying fines. Farewell."
2. When Esdras had received this epistle, he was very joyful, and
began to worship God, and confessed that he had been the cause of
the king's great favor to him, and that for the same reason he
gave all the thanks to God. So he read the epistle at Babylon to
those Jews that were there; but he kept the epistle itself, and
sent a copy of it to all those of his own nation that were in
Media. And when these Jews had understood what piety the king had
towards God, and what kindness he had for Esdras, they were all
greatly pleased; nay, many of them took their effects with them,
and came to Babylon, as very desirous of going down to Jerusalem;
but then the entire body of the people of Israel remained in that
country; wherefore there are but two tribes in Asia and Europe
subject to the Iomans, while the ten tribes are beyond Euphrates
till now, and are an immense multitude, and not to be estimated
by numbers. Now there came a great number of priests, and
Levites, and porters, and sacred singers, and sacred servants to
Esdras. So he gathered those that were in the captivity together
beyond Euphrates, and staid there three days, and ordained a fast
for them, that they might make their prayers to God for their
preservation, that they might suffer no misfortunes by the way,
either from their enemies, or from any other ill accident; for
Esdras had said beforehand that he had told the king how God
would preserve them, and so he had not thought fit to request
that he would send horsemen to conduct them. So when they had
finished their prayers, they removed from Euphrates on the
twelfth day of the first month of the seventh year of the reign
of Xerxes, and they came to Jerusalem on the fifth month of the
same year. Now Esdras presented the sacred money to the
treasurers, who were of the family of the priests, of silver six
hundred and fifty talents, vessels of silver one hundred talents,
vessels of gold twenty talents, vessels of brass, that was more
precious than gold, twelve talents by weight; for these
Presents had been made by the king and his counselors, and by all
the Israelites that staid at Babylon. So when Esdras had
delivered these things to the priests, he gave to God, as the
appointed sacrifices of whole burnt-offerings, twelve bulls on
account of the common preservation of the people, ninety rams,
seventy-two lambs, and twelve kids of the goats, for the
remission of sins. He also delivered the king's epistle to the
king's officers, and to the governors of Celesyria and Phoenicia;
and as they were under a necessity of doing what was enjoined by
him, they honored our nation, and were assistant to them in all
their necessities.
3. Now these things were truly done under the conduct of Esdras;
and he succeeded in them, because God esteemed him worthy of the
success of his conduct, on account of his goodness and
righteousness. But some time afterward there came some persons to
him, and brought an accusation against certain of the multitude,
and of the priests and Levites, who had transgressed their
settlement, and dissolved the laws of their country, by marrying
strange wives, and had brought the family of the priests into
confusion. These persons desired him to support the laws, lest
God should take up a general anger against them all, and reduce
them to a calamitous condition again. Hereupon he rent his
garment immediately, out of grief, and pulled off the hair of his
head and beard, and cast himself upon the ground, because this
crime had reached the principal men among the people; and
considering that if he should enjoin them to cast out their
wives, and the children they had by them, he should not be
hearkener to, he continued lying upon the ground. However, all
the better sort came running to him, who also themselves wept,
and partook of the grief he was under for what had been done. So
Esdras rose up from the ground, and stretched out his hands
towards heaven, and said that he was ashamed to look towards it,
because of the sins which the people had committed, while they
had cast out of their memories what their fathers had undergone
on account of their wickedness; and he besought God, who had
saved a seed and a remnant out of the calamity and captivity they
had been in, and had restored them again to Jerusalem, and to
their own land, and had obliged the kings of Persia to have
compassion on them, that he would also forgive them their sins
they had now committed, which, though they deserved death, yet,
was it agreeable to the mercy of God, to remit even to these the
punishment due to them.
4. After Esdras had said this, he left off praying; and when all
those that came to him with their wives and children were under
lamentation, one whose name was Jechonias, a principal man in
Jerusalem, came to him, and said that they had sinned in marrying
strange wives; and he persuaded him to adjure them all to cast
those wives out, and the children born of them, and that those
should be punished who would not obey the law. So Esdras
hearkened to this advice, and made the heads of the priests, and
of the Levites, and of the Israelites, swear that they would put
away those wives and children, according to the advice of
Jechonias. And when he had received their oaths, he went in haste
out of the temple into the chamber of Johanan, the son of
Eliasib, and as he had hitherto tasted nothing at all for grief,
so he abode there that day. And when proclamation was made, that
all those of the captivity should gather themselves together to
Jerusalem, and those that did not meet there in two or three days
should be banished from the multitude, and that their substance
should b appropriated to the uses of the temple, according to the
sentence of the elders, those that were of the tribes of Judah
and Benjamin came together in three days, viz. on the twentieth
day of the ninth month, which, according to the Hebrews, is
called Tebeth, and according to the Macedonians, Apelleius. Now
as they were sitting in the upper room of the temple, where the
elders also were present, but were uneasy because of the cold,
Esdras stood up and accused them, and told them that they had
sinned in marrying wives that were not of their own nation; but
that now they would do a thing both pleasing to God, and
advantageous to themselves, if they would put those wives away.
Accordingly, they all cried out that they would do so. That,
however, the multitude was great, and that the season of the year
was winter, and that this work would require more than one or two
days. "Let their rulers, therefore, [said they,] and those that
have married strange wives, come hither at a proper time, while
the elders of every place, that are in common to estimate the
number of those that have thus married, are to be there also."
Accordingly, this was resolved on by them, and they began the
inquiry after those that had married strange wives on the first
day of the tenth month, and continued the inquiry to the first
day of the next month, and found a great many of the posterity of
Jeshua the high priest, and of the priests and Levites, and
Israelites, who had a greater regard to the observation of the
law than to their natural affection, and immediately cast out
their wives, and the children which were born of them. And in
order to appease God, they offered sacrifices, and slew rams, as
oblations to him; but it does not seem to me to be necessary to
set down the names of these men. So when Esdras had reformed this
sin about the marriages of the forementioned persons, he reduced
that practice to purity, so that it continued in that state for
the time to come.
5. Now when they kept the feast of tabernacles in the seventh
month and almost all the people were come together to it,
they went up to the open part of the temple, to the gate which
looked eastward, and desired of Esdras that the laws of Moses
might be read to them. Accordingly, he stood in the midst of the
multitude and read them; and this he did from morning to noon.
Now, by hearing the laws read to them, they were instructed to be
righteous men for the present and for the future; but as for
their past offenses, they were displeased at themselves, and
proceeded to shed tears on their account, as considering with
themselves that if they had kept the law, they had endured none
of these miseries which they had experienced. But when Esdras saw
them in that disposition, he bade them go home, and not weep, for
that it was a festival, and that they ought not to weep thereon,
for that it was not lawful so to do. He exhorted them rather
to proceed immediately to feasting, and to do what was suitable
to a feast, and what was agreeable to a day of joy; but to let
their repentance and sorrow for their former sins be a security
and a guard to them, that they fell no more into the like
offenses. So upon Esdras's exhortation they began to feast; and
when they had so done for eight days, in their tabernacles, they
departed to their own homes, singing hymns to God, and returning
thanks to Esdras for his reformation of what corruptions had been
introduced into their settlement. So it came to pass, that after
he had obtained this reputation among the people, he died an old
man, and was buried in a magnificent manner at Jerusalem. About
the same time it happened also that Joacim, the high priest,
died; and his son Eliasib succeeded in the high priesthood.
6. Now there was one of those Jews that had been carried captive
who was cup-bearer to king Xerxes; his name was Nehemiah. As this
man was walking before Susa, the metropolis of the Persians, he
heard some strangers that were entering the city, after a long
journey, speaking to one another in the Hebrew tongue; so he went
to them, and asked them whence they came. And when their answer
was, that they came from Judea, he began to inquire of them again
in what state the multitude was, and in what condition Jerusalem
was; and when they replied that they were in a bad state for
that their walls were thrown down to the ground, and that the
neighboring nations did a great deal of mischief to the Jews,
while in the day time they overran the country, and pillaged it,
and in the night did them mischief, insomuch that not a few were
led away captive out of the country, and out of Jerusalem itself,
and that the roads were in the day time found full of dead men.
Hereupon Nehemiah shed tears, out of commiseration of the
calamities of his countrymen; and, looking up to heaven, he said,
"How long, O Lord, wilt thou overlook our nation, while it
suffers so great miseries, and while we are made the prey and
spoil of all men?" And while he staid at the gate, and lamented
thus, one told him that the king was going to sit down to supper;
so he made haste, and went as he was, without wishing himself, to
minister to the king in his office of cup-bearer. But as the king
was very pleasant after supper, and more cheerful than usual, he
cast his eyes on Nehemiah, and seeing him look sad, he asked him
why he was sad. Whereupon he prayed to God to give him favor, and
afford him the power of persuading by his words, and said, "How
can I, O king, appear otherwise than thus, and not be in trouble,
while I hear that the walls of Jerusalem, the city where are the
sepulchers of my fathers, are thrown down to the ground, and that
its gates are consumed by fire? But do thou grant me the favor to
go and build its wall, and to finish the building of the temple."
Accordingly, the king gave him a signal that he freely granted
him what he asked; and told him that he should carry an epistle
to the governors, that they might pay him due honor, and afford
him whatsoever assistance he wanted, and as he pleased. "Leave
off thy sorrow then," said the king, "and be cheerful in the
performance of thy office hereafter." So Nehemiah worshipped God,
and gave the king thanks for his promise, and cleared up his sad
and cloudy countenance, by the pleasure he had from the king's
promises. Accordingly, the king called for him the next day, and
gave him an epistle to be carried to Adeus, the governor of
Syria, and Phoenicia, and Samaria; wherein he sent to him to pay
due honor to Nehemiah, and to supply him with what he wanted for
his building.
7. Now when he was come to Babylon, and had taken with him many
of his countrymen, who voluntarily followed him, he came to
Jerusalem in the twenty and fifth year of the reign of Xerxes.
And when he had shown the epistles to God he gave them to
Adeus, and to the other governors. He also called together all
the people to Jerusalem, and stood in the midst of the temple,
and made the following speech to them: "You know, O Jews, that
God hath kept our fathers, Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in mind
continually, and for the sake of their righteousness hath not
left off the care of you. Indeed he hath assisted me in gaining
this authority of the king to raise up our wall, and finish what
is wanting of the temple. I desire you, therefore who well know
the ill-will our neighboring nations bear to us, and that when
once they are made sensible that we are in earnest about
building, they will come upon us, and contrive many ways of
obstructing our works, that you will, in the first place, put
your trust in God, as in him that will assist us against their
hatred, and to intermit building neither night nor day, but to
use all diligence, and to hasten on the work, now we have this
especial opportunity for it." When he had said this, he gave
order that the rulers should measure the wall, and part the work
of it among the people, according to their villages and cities,
as every one's ability should require. And when he had added this
promise, that he himself, with his servants, would assist them,
he dissolved the assembly. So the Jews prepared for the work:
that is the name they are called by from the day that they came
up from Babylon, which is taken from the tribe of Judah,. which
came first to these places, and thence both they and the country
gained that appellation.
8. But now when the Ammonites, and Moabites, and Samaritans, and
all that inhabited Celesyria, heard that the building went on
apace, they took it heinously, and proceeded to lay snares for
them, and to hinder their intentions. They also slew many of the
Jews, and sought how they might destroy Nehemiah himself, by
hiring some of the foreigners to kill him. They also put the Jews
in fear, and disturbed them, and spread abroad rumors, as if many
nations were ready to make an expedition against them, by which
means they were harassed, and had almost left off the building.
But none of these things could deter Nehemiah from being diligent
about the work; he only set a number of men about him as a guard
to his body, and so unweariedly persevered therein, and was
insensible of any trouble, out of his desire to perfect this
work. And thus did he attentively, and with great forecast, take
care of his own safety; not that he feared death, but of this
persuasion, that if he were dead, the walls for his citizens
would never be raised. He also gave orders that the builders
should keep their ranks, and have their armor on while they were
building. Accordingly, the mason had his sword on, as well as he
that brought the materials for building. He also appointed that
their shields should lie very near them; and he placed trumpeters
at every five hundred feet, and charged them, that if their
enemies appeared, they should give notice of it to the people,
that they might fight in their armor, and their enemies might not
fall upon them naked. He also went about the compass of the city
by night, being never discouraged, neither about the work itself,
nor about his own diet and sleep, for he made no use of those
things for his pleasure, but out of necessity. And this trouble
he underwent for two years and four months; for in so long a
time was the wall built, in the twenty-eighth year of the reign
of Xerxes, in the ninth month. Now when the walls were finished,
Nehemiah and the multitude offered sacrifices to God for the
building of them, and they continued in feasting eight days.
However, when the nations which dwelt in Syria heard that the
building of the wall was finished, they had indignation at it.
But when Nehemiah saw that the city was thin of people, he
exhorted the priests and the Levites that they would leave the
country, and remove themselves to the city, and there continue;
and he built them houses at his own expenses; and he commanded
that part of the people which were employed in cultivating the
land to bring the tithes of their fruits to Jerusalem, that the
priests and Levites having whereof they might live perpetually,
might not leave the Divine worship; who willingly hearkened to
the constitutions of Nehemiah, by which means the city Jerusalem
came to be fuller of people than it was before. So when Nehemiah
had done many other excellent things, and things worthy of
commendation, in a glorious manner, he came to a great age, and
then died. He was a man of a good and righteous disposition, and
very ambitious to make his own nation happy; and he hath left the
walls of Jerusalem as an eternal monument for himself. Now this
was done in the days of Xerxes.
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