Lexicon :: Strong's H5971 - ʿam

Please remember what you commanded your servant Moses: “If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples.

They are your servants and your people. You redeemed them by your great power and strong hand.

So we rebuilt the wall until the entire wall was joined together up to half its height, for the people had the will to keep working.

So I stationed people behind the lowest sections of the wall, at the vulnerable areas. I stationed them by families with their swords, spears, and bows.

Then I said to the nobles, the officials, and the rest of the people, “The work is enormous and spread out, and we are separated far from one another along the wall.

At that time, I also said to the people, “Let everyone and his servant spend the night inside Jerusalem, so that they can stand guard by night and work by day.”

There was a widespread outcry from the people and their wives against their Jewish countrymen.

I also shook the folds of my robe and said, “May God likewise shake from his house and property everyone who doesn’t keep this promise. May he be shaken out and have nothing! ”

The whole assembly said, “Amen,” and they praised the LORD. Then the people did as they had promised.

The governors who preceded me had heavily burdened the people, taking from them food and wine as well as a pound[fn] of silver. Their subordinates also oppressed the people, but because of the fear of God, I didn’t do this.

Each[fn] day, one ox, six choice sheep, and some fowl were prepared for me. An abundance of all kinds of wine was provided every ten days. But I didn’t demand the food allotted to the governor, because the burden on the people was so heavy.

The city was large and spacious, but there were few people in it, and no houses had been built yet.

They came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, and Baanah.

The number of the Israelite men included[fn]

The rest of the people gave 20,000 gold coins, 2,000 silver minas, and 67 priestly garments.

all the people gathered together at the square in front of the Water Gate. They asked the scribe Ezra to bring the book of the law of Moses that the LORD had given Israel.

While he was facing the square in front of the Water Gate, he read out of it from daybreak until noon before the men, the women, and those who could understand. All the people listened attentively[fn] to the book of the law.

Ezra opened the book in full view of all the people, since he was elevated above everyone. As he opened it, all the people stood up.

Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who were instructing the people said to all of them, “This day is holy to the LORD your God. Do not mourn or weep.” For all the people were weeping as they heard the words of the law.

And the Levites quieted all the people, saying, “Be still, since today is holy. Don’t grieve.”

The people went out, brought back branches, and made shelters for themselves on each of their rooftops and courtyards, the court of the house of God, the square by the Water Gate, and the square by the Ephraim Gate.

You performed signs and wonders against Pharaoh,

all his officials, and all the people of his land,

for you knew how arrogantly they treated our ancestors.

You made a name for yourself

that endures to this day.

You gave them kingdoms and peoples

and established boundaries for them.

They took possession

of the land of King Sihon[fn] of Heshbon

and of the land of King Og of Bashan.

So their descendants went in and possessed the land:

You subdued the Canaanites who inhabited the land before them

and handed their kings and the surrounding peoples over to them,

to do as they pleased with them.

You were patient with them for many years,

and your Spirit warned them through your prophets,

but they would not listen.

Therefore, you handed them over to the surrounding peoples.

So now, our God ​— ​the great, mighty,

and awe-inspiring God who keeps his gracious covenant —

do not view lightly all the hardships that have afflicted us,

our kings and leaders,

our priests and prophets,

our ancestors and all your people,

from the days of the Assyrian kings until today.

The heads of the people were

Parosh, Pahath-moab, Elam, Zattu, Bani,

The rest of the people ​— ​the priests, Levites, gatekeepers, singers, and temple servants, along with their wives, sons, and daughters, everyone who is able to understand and who has separated themselves from the surrounding peoples to obey the law of God ​— ​

We will not give our daughters in marriage to the surrounding peoples and will not take their daughters as wives for our sons.

We have cast lots among the priests, Levites, and people for the donation of wood by our ancestral families[fn] at the appointed times each year. They are to bring the wood to our God’s house to burn on the altar of the LORD our God, as it is written in the law.

Now the leaders of the people stayed in Jerusalem, and the rest of the people cast lots for one out of ten to come and live in Jerusalem, the holy city, while the other nine-tenths remained in their towns.

Pethahiah son of Meshezabel, of the descendants of Zerah son of Judah, was the king’s agent[fn] in every matter concerning the people.

After the priests and Levites had purified themselves, they purified the people, the city gates, and the wall.

The second thanksgiving procession went to the left, and I followed it with half the people along the top of the wall, past the Tower of the Ovens to the Broad Wall,

At that time the book of Moses was read publicly to[fn] the people. The command was found written in it that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever enter the assembly of God,

Half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod or the language of one of the other peoples but could not speak Hebrew.[fn]