Daily Text and Bible Reading: Saturday, June 1 [Press play below]

1.1 The words of Nehemiah the son of Hacaliah: Now in the month of Chislev, in the 20th year, I was in Shushan the citadel.
1.2 At that time Hanani, one of my brothers, arrived with other men from Judah, and I asked them about the remaining Jews who had escaped the captivity, and also about Jerusalem.
1.3 They replied: “Those remaining there in the province who have survived the captivity are in a terrible situation and in disgrace. The walls of Jerusalem are broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire.”
1.4 As soon as I heard these words, I sat down and began to weep and mourn for days, and I kept fasting and praying before the God of the heavens.
1.5 I said: “O Jehovah, the God of the heavens, the great and awe-inspiring God who keeps his covenant and shows loyal love to those who love him and keep his commandments,
1.6 please, let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to listen to the prayer of your servant that I am praying to you today, day and night, concerning your servants the Israelites, all the while confessing the sins that the people of Israel have committed against you. We have sinned, both I and the house of my father.
1.7 We have certainly acted corruptly against you by not keeping the commandments, regulations, and judicial decisions that you gave to your servant Moses.
1.8 “Remember, please, the word that you commanded your servant Moses: ‘If you act unfaithfully, I will scatter you among the peoples.
1.9 But if you return to me and observe my commandments and obey them, though your dispersed people should be at the end of the heavens, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place that I have chosen to have my name reside.’
1.10 They are your servants and your people, whom you redeemed by your great power and by your mighty hand.
1.11 O Jehovah, please, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant and to the prayer of your servants who take delight in fearing your name, and please, grant success to your servant today, and may this man show me compassion.” Now I was cupbearer to the king.

2.1 In the month of Nisan, in the 20th year of King Artaxerxes, wine was set before him, and as usual I took up the wine and gave it to the king. But I had never been gloomy in his presence.
2.2 So the king said to me: “Why do you look so gloomy when you are not sick? This can be nothing but gloominess of heart.” At this I became very frightened.
2.3 Then I said to the king: “Long live the king! Why should I not look gloomy when the city, the place where my forefathers are buried, lies in ruins, and its gates have been consumed by fire?”
2.4 The king then said to me: “What is it that you are seeking?” At once I prayed to the God of the heavens.
2.5 I then said to the king: “If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favor with you, send me to Judah, to the city where my forefathers are buried, so that I may rebuild it.”
2.6 Then the king, with his royal consort sitting beside him, said to me: “How long will your journey be, and when will you return?” So it pleased the king to send me, and I gave him a set time.
2.7 Then I said to the king: “If it pleases the king, let letters be given me for the governors of the region Beyond the River, granting me safe passage until I reach Judah,
2.8 as well as a letter to Asaph the keeper of the Royal Park, so that he may give me timber for beams for the gates of the Fortress of the House and for the walls of the city and for the house where I will go.” So the king gave them to me, for the good hand of my God was upon me.
2.9 Eventually I came to the governors of the region Beyond the River and gave them the king’s letters. The king also sent with me army chiefs and horsemen.
2.10 When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard about it, they were very displeased that someone had come to do something good for the people of Israel.
2.11 At length I came to Jerusalem, and I stayed there for three days.
2.12 I rose up by night, I and a few men with me, and I did not tell anyone what my God had put into my heart to do for Jerusalem, and there was no animal with me except the one I was riding.
2.13 And I went out at night through the Valley Gate, passing in front of the Fountain of the Big Snake to the Gate of the Ash Heaps, and I inspected the walls of Jerusalem that were broken down and its gates that had been consumed by fire.
2.14 And I passed along to the Fountain Gate and to the King’s Pool, and there was not enough space for the animal I was riding to pass.
2.15 But I continued up the valley by night, and I kept inspecting the wall, after which I came back and entered through the Valley Gate, and then I returned.
2.16 The deputy rulers did not know where I had gone and what I was doing, for I had not yet said anything to the Jews, the priests, the nobles, the deputy rulers, and the rest of the workers.
2.17 Finally I said to them: “You can see what a terrible situation we are in, how Jerusalem lies in ruins and its gates have been burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, so that this disgrace will not continue.”
2.18 Then I told them of how the good hand of my God was upon me and also of the words that the king had spoken to me. At this they said: “Let us get up and build.” So they strengthened themselves for the good work.
2.19 Now when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arabian heard of it, they began to mock us and show us their contempt and say: “What are you doing? Are you rebelling against the king?”
2.20 However, I replied: “The God of the heavens is the One who will grant us success, and we his servants will get up and build; but you have neither share nor claim nor memorial in Jerusalem.”

3.1 Eliashib the high priest and his brothers the priests got up to build the Sheep Gate. They sanctified it and set up its doors; they sanctified it as far as the Tower of Meah, as far as the Tower of Hananel.
3.2 And next to them the men of Jericho were building; and next to them Zaccur the son of Imri was building.
3.3 The sons of Hassenaah built the Fish Gate; they timbered it and then set up its doors, its bolts, and its bars.
3.4 And next to them Meremoth the son of Urijah the son of Hakkoz did repair work, and next to them Meshullam the son of Berechiah the son of Meshezabel did repair work, and next to them Zadok the son of Baana did repair work.
3.5 And next to them the Tekoites did repair work, but their prominent men would not lower themselves to share in the service of their masters.
3.6 Joiada the son of Paseah and Meshullam the son of Besodeiah repaired the Gate of the Old City; they timbered it and then set up its doors, its bolts, and its bars.
3.7 Next to them Melatiah the Gibeonite and Jadon the Meronothite did repair work, men of Gibeon and Mizpah who were under the authority of the governor of the region Beyond the River.
3.8 Next to them Uzziel the son of Harhaiah, one of the goldsmiths, did repair work, and next to him Hananiah, one of the ointment mixers, did repair work; and they paved Jerusalem as far as the Broad Wall.
3.9 And next to them Rephaiah the son of Hur, a prince of half the district of Jerusalem, did repair work.
3.10 And next to them Jedaiah the son of Harumaph did repair work in front of his own house, and next to him Hattush the son of Hashabneiah did repair work.
3.11 Malchijah the son of Harim and Hasshub the son of Pahath-moab repaired another section, as well as the Tower of the Ovens.
3.12 And next to them Shallum the son of Hallohesh, a prince of half the district of Jerusalem, did repair work, along with his daughters.
3.13 Hanun and the inhabitants of Zanoah repaired the Valley Gate; they built it and then set up its doors, its bolts, and its bars, and they repaired 1,000 cubits of the wall as far as the Gate of the Ash Heaps.
3.14 Malchijah the son of Rechab, a prince of the district of Beth-haccherem, repaired the Gate of the Ash Heaps; he built it and set up its doors, its bolts, and its bars.
3.15 Shallun the son of Colhozeh, a prince of the district of Mizpah, repaired the Fountain Gate; he built it and its roof, set up its doors, its bolts, and its bars, and also repaired the wall of the Pool of the Canal to the King’s Garden and as far as the Stairway that goes down from the City of David.
3.16 After him Nehemiah the son of Azbuk, a prince of half the district of Beth-zur, did repair work from in front of the Burial Places of David as far as the pool that had been built and as far as the House of the Mighty Ones.
3.17 After him the Levites did repair work: Rehum the son of Bani; and next to him Hashabiah, a prince of half the district of Keilah, did repair work for his district.
3.18 After him their brothers did repair work: Bavvai the son of Henadad, a prince of half the district of Keilah.
3.19 And next to him Ezer the son of Jeshua, a prince of Mizpah, was repairing another section in front of the ascent to the Armory at the Buttress.
3.20 After him Baruch the son of Zabbai worked with fervor and repaired another section, from the Buttress as far as the entrance of the house of Eliashib the high priest.
3.21 After him Meremoth the son of Urijah the son of Hakkoz repaired another section, from the entrance of the house of Eliashib as far as the end of Eliashib’s house.
3.22 And after him the priests, men of the district of the Jordan, did repair work.
3.23 After them Benjamin and Hasshub did repair work in front of their own house. After them Azariah the son of Maaseiah the son of Ananiah did repair work near his own house.
3.24 After him Binnui the son of Henadad repaired another section, from the house of Azariah as far as the Buttress and as far as the corner.
3.25 After him Palal the son of Uzai did repair work in front of the Buttress and the tower that goes out from the King’s House, the upper one that belongs to the Courtyard of the Guard. After him there was Pedaiah the son of Parosh.
3.26 And the temple servants who lived in Ophel did repair work as far as in front of the Water Gate on the east and the protruding tower.
3.27 After them the Tekoites repaired another section, from in front of the great protruding tower as far as the wall of Ophel.
3.28 The priests did repair work above the Horse Gate, each in front of his own house.
3.29 After them Zadok the son of Immer did repair work in front of his own house. And after him Shemaiah the son of Shecaniah, the keeper of the East Gate, did repair work.
3.30 After him Hananiah the son of Shelemiah and Hanun the sixth son of Zalaph repaired another section. After him Meshullam the son of Berechiah did repair work in front of his own hall.
3.31 After him Malchijah, a member of the goldsmith guild, did repair work as far as the house of the temple servants and the traders, in front of the Inspection Gate and as far as the roof chamber of the corner.
3.32 And between the roof chamber of the corner and the Sheep Gate, the goldsmiths and the traders did repair work.