Dedication of the wall.

NEHEMIAH, XIII. the dedication with gladness, both B. C. 445. m with thanksgivings, and with singing, with cymbals, psalteries, m 1Ch.25.6. and with harps.

2Ch.5.13.

n He.5.1,3.

28 And the sons of the singers gathered themselves together, both out of the plain country round about o ver.38,40. Jerusalem, and from the villages of p ch.3. 13. Netophathi; 29 Also from the house of Gilgal, 9 Nu. 10.2,8. and out of the fields of Geba and 1Ch.23.5. Azmaveth for the singers had s ch.3.15,&c. builded them villages round about t ver.31. Jerusalem. u ch.8.16. 2Ki. 14.13.

Offices of priests, &c.

and Eleazar, and Uzzi, and Jeho-
hanan, andMalchijah,and Elam, and
Ezer. And the singers 11 sang loud,
w with Jezrahiah their overseer.
43 Also that day they offered great
sacrifices, and rejoiced: for God had
made them rejoice with great joy :
the wives also and the children re-
joiced so that the joy of Jerusa-
lem was heard r even afar off.
44 And at that time were some
appointed over the chambers y for
the treasures, for the offerings, for
the first-fruits, and for the tithes,
to gather into them out of the fields
of the cities the portions 12 of the
law for the priests and Levites:
13 for Judah rejoiced for the priests

31 Then I brought up the princes of 11 made their and for the Levites that 14 waited.
Judah upon the wall, and appointed
two great companies of them that
gave thanks, whereof o one went on
the right hand upon the wall, to-
ward p the dung-gate:

voice to be heard.

45 And both the singers and the porters kept the ward of their God, and the ward of the purification, according to the commandment z of David, and of Solomon his son. 46 For in the days of David and a Asaph of old there were chief of the singers, and songs of praise and thanksgiving unto God.

32 And after them went Hoshaiah, and half of the princes of Judah, 33 And Azariah, Ezra, and Meshullam,

47 And all Israel, in the days of Zerubbabel, and in the days of Nehemiah, gave the portions of the singers and the porters every day his portion: b and they 15 sanctified holy things unto the Levites; and the Levites sanctified them unto the children of Aaron. CHAPTER XIII. Divers abuses reformed by Nehemiah.

ON that day 1 they read a in the

book the 2 audience of the people; and therein b was found written, that the Ammonite and the Moabite should not come into the congregation of God for ever;

2 Because c they met not the children of Israel with bread and with water, but hired d Baalam against them, that he should curse them: howbeit e our God turned the curse into a blessing.

3 Now it came to pass, when they had heard the law, that they separated f from Israel all the mixed multitude.

30 And the priests and the Levites purified themselves, and purified n the people, and the gates, and the wall.

v Je.32.2.

w Ps.81.1.

98.4-6.

Ezr.3.13. ych. 13. 12, 13. 12 i. e. appointed by

the law.

34 Judah, and Benjamin, and Shemaiah, and Jeremiah,

35 And certain of the priests' sons with trumpets; q namely, Zecha-14 stood. riah the son of Jonathan, the son of Shemaiah, the son of Mattaniah, z 1Ch.XXV.,

XXVI.
the son of Michaiah, the son of
Zaccur, the son of Asaph:
a 2Ch.29.30.
36 And his brethren, Shemaiah, b Nu. 18.21,
and Azarael, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai,
Nethaneel, and Judah, Hanani,
with the musical instruments r of
David the man of God, and Ezra
the scribe before them.

26.
15 i. e. set
apart.
(CHAP. 13.)
there was
read.

s

37 And at the fountain-gate, which was over against them, they went up by the stairs of the city of David, at the going up of the wall, above the house of David, even unto the water-gate eastward.

38 And the other t company of them that gave thanks went over against them, and I after them, and the half of the people upon the wall, from beyond the tower of the furnaces even unto the broad wall; 39 Andfrom above the gate ofu Ephraim, and above the old gate, and above the fish-gate, and the tower fch.9.2. of Hananeel,and the tower of Meah, 3 being set even unto the sheep-gate: and they stood still in the v prison-gate. 40 So stood the two companies of them that gave thanks in the house of God, and I, and the half of the rulers with me:

over.

41 And the priests; Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Michaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, and Hananiah, with h Nu. 18.21, trumpets;

24.

42 And Maaseiah, and Shemaiah,

13 for the joy
of Judah.

a ch.8.3,8.
De.31.11,12.

2Ki.23.2.

2 ears.

b De.23.3,4.
c Mat.25.40.
d Nu.22.5.
e Nu.24.10.

De.23.5.
Jos.24.9, 10.
Mi 6.5.

ch.12.44.

2Ch.31.11.

the com-
mandment

of the
Levites.

4 T And before this, Eliashib the priest, 3 having the oversight of the chamber of the house of our God, was allied unto Tobiah:

5 And he had prepared for him a great chamber, where g aforetime they laid the meat-offerings, the frankincense, and the vessels, and the tithes of the corn, the new wine, and the oil, which was 4 commandedh to be given to the Levites, and the singers, and the porters; and the offerings of the priests.

The violation of

6 But in all this time was not I at B. C. 445. Jerusalem: for i in the two and thirtieth year of Artaxerxes kingi ch.5.14. of Babylon came I unto the king, 5 at the end and 5 after certain days 6 obtained of days. I leave of the king.

NEHEMIAH, XIII.

6 or, I ear-
nestly
requested.

8 or, store

7 And I came to Jerusalem and understood of the evil that Eliashib did for Tobiah, in preparing him a cham-standing. ber in the courts of the house of God. .8 And it grieved me sore: therefore I cast forth all the householdstuff of Tobiah out of the chamber. 9 Then I commanded, and they cleansed the chambers: and thither brought I again the vessels of the house of God, with the meat-offering and the frankincense.

k ver.5.

ch. 12.44.
9 at their
hand.

l Ac.6.3.
1Ti.3.10.

10 And I perceived that the por-10 it was
tions of the Levites had not been
given them for the Levites and the

singers, that did the work, were
fled every one to his field.
11 Then contended I with the
rulers, and said, Why is the house
of God forsaken? And I gathered
them together, and set them in
their 7 place.

14 Remember m me, O my God, concerning this, and wipe not out my 11 good deeds that I have done for the house of my God, and for the 12 offices thereof.

houses,
Mal.3.10.

upon them.

m Ps. 122.6-9.

He.6.10.

11 kindnesses.
12 or, obser-
vations.

n Ex.20.10. o ch.10.31.

23 In those days also saw I Jews that had 15 married wives u of Ashdod, of Ammon and of Moab :

12 Then brought all Judah the tithe of the corn and the new wine and the oil unto the 8 treasuries.

p ver. 11.
Pr.28.4.

24 And their children spake half in the speech of Ashdod, and 16

13 And I made treasurers over the 9 Je.17.21-23. could not speak in the Jews' language, but according to the language of 17 each people.

treasuries, k Shelemiah the priest, and Zadok the scribe, and of the r Le.23.32. Levites. Pedaiah: and 9 next to them was Hanan the son of Zaccur, 13 before. the son of Mattaniah: for they were s ch. 12.30. counted faithful, land 10 their officet ver. 14,31. was to distribute unto their breth-14 or, multi-your daughters unto their sons, nor

25 And v I contended with them, and 18 cursed them, and smote certain of them, and plucked off their hair, and made them swear w by God, saying, Ye shall not give

ren.

tude.

take their daughters unto your sons,
or for yourselves.

15 made to
dwell with
them.
u Ezr.9.2.

26 Did not Solomon a king of Israel sin bythese things? yet y among many nations was there no king like him, who was beloved z of his God, and God made him king over all Israel: nevertheless even him did outlandish women cause to sin.

27 Shall we then hearken unto you to do all this great evil, to transgress against our God in marrying strange wives?

the son of Eliashib the high priest, 28 And one of the sons of Joiada, a

was son-in-law to Sanballat the Horonite: therefore I chased him from me.

29 Remember b them, O my God, 19 because they have defiled the priesthood, and the covenant c of the priesthood, and of the Levites. 30 Thus cleansed I them from all strangers, and appointed the wards d of the priests and the Levites, every one in his business:

31 And for the wood-offering, at times appointed, and for the firstfruits. Remember e me, O my God, for good.

16 they dis-
cerned not
to speak.

17 people and

people.

15 In those days saw I in Judah Some treading wine-presses on the n sabbath, and bringing in sheaves, and lading asses; as also wine, grapes, and figs, and all manner of burdens, which o they brought into Jerusalem on the sabbath-day: and I testified against them in the day wherein they sold victuals.

x 1Ki.11.1,

16 There dwelt men of Tyre also therein, which brought fish, and all manner of ware, and sold on the sabbath unto the children of Judah, and in Jerusalem. 17 Then p I contended with the 2 28a.12.24. nobles of Judah, and said unto a ch.12.10,22. them, What evil thing is this that b ch.6.14. ye do, and profane the sabbath-day? 19 for the 18 Did not your fathers thus, q and defilings. did not our God bring all this evil c Mal.2.4, 10. upon us, and upon this city? yet ye bring more wrath upon Israel by d ch. 10.34. profaning the sabbath.

e Ps.26.8,9.

19 And it came to pass, that when

v ver. 11,17.
18 or, reviled,
Ps. 15.4.

wch.10.29,30.

Ezr. 10.5.

the Sabbath. the gates of Jerusalem began to be dark before r the sabbath, I commanded that the gates should be shut, and charged that they should not be opened till after the sabbath: and some of my servants set I at the gates, that there should no burden be brought in on the sabbath-day. 20 So the merchants and sellers of all kind of ware lodged without Jerusalem once or twice.

&c. y IK.3. 13. 2Ch.9.22.

21 Then I testified against them, and said unto them, Why lodge ye 13 about the wall? if ye do so again I will lay hands on you. From that time forth came they no more on the sabbath.

22 And I commanded the Levites that they s should cleanse themselves, and that they should come and keep the gates, to sanctify the sabbath-day. Remember t me, O my God, concerning this also, and spare me according to the 14 greatness of thy mercy.

The Book of ESTHER.

From the Creation, 3483.....From the Deluge, 1846....From the foundation of the Temple, 489....From the division of Judah and Israel, 453....From the Captivity of Israel, 200....From the destruction of the Temple, 67.

CHAPTER I.

1 Ahasuerus maketh royal feasts. 10 Vashti sent for.

TOW it came to pass in the days

1 B. C. 521. man, Biztha, Harbona, i Bigtha, and Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcas, the seven 6 chamberlains that served in the presence of Ahasuerus the king,

11 To bring Vashti the queen before the king, with the crown royal, to show the people and the princes her beauty for she was 7 fair to look on.

6 Where were white, green, and 2 blue hangings, fastened with cords of fine linen and purple to silver rings and pillars of marble: the beds e were of gold and silver, upon a pavement 3 of red, and blue, and white, and black marble.

a Ezr.4.6.
Da.9.1.

rus which reigned from India even unto Ethiopia, over b an hundred and seven and twenty provinces:) 2 That in those days, when the king Ahasuerus sat on the throne of his kingdom, which was in Shushan c the palace,

3 In the third year in his reign, he made a feast d'unto all his princes and his servants; the power of Persia and Media, the nobles and princes of the provinces, being before him:

4 When he showed the riches of his glorious kingdom and the honour of his excellent majesty many days, even an hundred and fourscore days.

5 hand.

5 And when three days were ex-4 pired, the king made a feast unto all the people that were 1 present in Shushan the palace, both unto great and small, seven days, in the f Hab.2.15. court of the garden of the king's g 2Sa. 13.28. palace;

h Ec. 10. 19.

7 And they gave them drink in vessels of gold, (the vessels being diverse one from another.) and 4 royal wine in abundance, according to the 5 state of the king.

b ch.8.9.
Da.6.1.

c Ne. 1.1.
d ch.2.18.

Ge.40.20.
Mar.6.21.

12 But the queen Vashti refused to come at the king's commandment 8 by his chamberlains: therefore was the king very wroth, and his anger burned in him.

13 Then the king said to the wise k men which knew the times, (for so was the king's manner toward all that knew law and judgment:

14 And the next unto him was Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memocan, the seven m princes of Persia and Media, which n saw the king's face, and which sat the first in the kingdom;)

15 9 What shall we do unto the queen Vashti according to law, because she hath not performed the commandment of the king Ahasuewww.rus by the chamberlains?

1

found.
2 or, violet,

ch.8.15.

e Eze.23.41.
Am.6.4.

3 or, of por,
phyre, and
marble.and
ain baster,
and stone
of blue
colour.

wine of the
kingdom.

8 And the drinking was according to the law; none did compel: ƒ for so the king had appointed to all the officers of his house, that they should do according to every man's pleasure.

I 1Ch.12.32.

m Ezr.7.14.
n 2Ki.25.19.

9

9 Also Vashti the queen made a feast for the women in the royal house which belonged to king Ahasuerus.

What to do. 10 be good with.

10 On the seventh day, when 11 from bethe g heart of the king was merry h with wine, he commanded Mehu

fore him.

16 And Memucan answered before the king and the princes, Vashti the queen hath not done wrong to the king only, but also to all the princes, and to all the people that are in all the provinces of the king Ahasuerus.

17 For this deed of the queen shall come abroad unto all women, so that they shall despise their husbands in their eyes, when it shall be reported, The king Ahasuerus commanded Vashti the queen to be brought in before him, but she came not.

18 Likewise shall the ladies of Persia and Media say this day unto all the king's princes, which have heard of the deed of the queen. Thus shall there arise too much con tempt and wrath.

19 If it 10 please the king, let there go a royal commandment 11 from