Chapter 3
List of Builders.[a] 1 Eliashib the high priest then set to work with his fellow priests and rebuilt the Sheep Gate. They laid its beams and put the doors in place, after which they consecrated it as far as the Tower of the Hundred and the Tower of Hananel. 2 The men of Jericho worked next to Eliashib, and Zaccur, the son of Imri, built next to them.
3 The sons of Hassenaah built the Fish Gate. They laid its beams and set up its doors, its bolts, and its bars. 4 Meremoth, the son of Uriah, son of Hakkoz, carried out the necessary repairs next to them. Meshullam, the son of Berechiah, son of Meshezabel, was next to him, followed by Zadok, son of Baana.
5 Next to Zadok the Tekoites carried out the necessary repairs, although their nobles refused to demean themselves by helping their masters. 6 Joiada, the son of Paseah, and Meshullam, the son of Besodeiah, repaired the Old Gate, laying its beams and setting up its doors, its bolts, and its bars.
7 At their side were Melatiah the Gibeonite, Jadon the Meronothite, and the men of Gibeon and Mizpah who did the repairs under the jurisdiction of the governor of West-of-Euphrates. 8 Next to them the repair work was carried out by Uzziel, the son of Harhaiah, a member of the goldsmiths’ guild, and at his side was Hananiah, a member of the perfumers’ guild. They renovated the wall of Jerusalem as far as the Broad Wall of the public square.
9 Next to them the repairs were carried out by Rephaiah, the son of Hur, who was the ruler of half the district of Jerusalem. 10 At his side was Jedaiah, the son of Harumaph, who made the repairs opposite his own house. Next to him the repairs were carried out by Hattush, the son of Hashabneiah.
11 Malchijah, the son of Harim, and Hasshub, the son of Pahath-moab, repaired another section and the Tower of the Ovens. 12 Next to them, Shallum, the son of Hallohesh and ruler of the other half of the district of Jerusalem, carried out repairs with the help of his daughters.[b]
13 Hanun and the inhabitants of Zanoah repaired the Valley Gate. They rebuilt it and put its doors, its bolts, and its bars in place, and they also repaired a thousand cubits of the wall, as far as the Dung Gate. 14 The Dung Gate itself was repaired by Malchijah, the son of Rechab, the ruler of the district of Beth-haccherem; he rebuilt it and put the doors in place with their bolts and bars.
15 The Fountain Gate was repaired by Shallum, the son of Colhozeh, the ruler of the district of Mizpah; he rebuilt it, placed a roof over it, and put its doors in place with their bolts and their bars. He also built the wall of the Pool of Shelah that adjoined the king’s garden, as far as the steps descending from the City of David. 16 After him, Nehemiah, the son of Azbuk, ruler of half the district of Beth-zur, made the repairs from a point opposite the tomb of David as far as the artificial pool and the House of the Heroes.
17 After him, repairs were carried out by the Levites under the direction of Rehum, the son of Bani. Next to him, Hashabiah, the leader of half the district of Keilah, carried out the repairs for his own district. 18 After him, their kinsmen took charge of the repairs, headed by Binnui, the son of Henadad, leader of half the district of Keilah.
19 Next to him was Ezer, the son of Jeshua, leader of Mizpah, who repaired the adjoining section opposite the ascent to the armory at the Angle. 20 After him, Baruch, the son of Zabbai, repaired another section from the Angle to the door of the house of the high priest Eliashib.
21 After him, Meremoth, the son of Uriah, son of Hakkoz, repaired another section, from the door of the house of Eliashib to the end of the house. 22 After him, repairs were carried out by the priests who lived in the district.
23 After them, Benjamin and Hasshub carried out the repairs opposite their house, and after them Azariah, son of Maaseiah, son of Ananiah, did the repairs beside his own house. 24 After him, Binnui, the son of Henadad, repaired the adjoining sector from the house of Azariah to the Angle and the Corner.
25 After him, Palal, the son of Uzai, carried out repairs in front of the Angle and the tower projecting from the Upper Palace of the king to the court of the guard. Next to him, Pedaiah, the son of Parosh, carried out the repairs 26 to a point opposite the Water Gate on the east and the projecting tower. 27 After him the Tekoites repaired the adjoining section opposite the great projecting tower as far as the wall of Ophel.
28 Above the Horse Gate the priests carried out repairs, each one opposite his own house.[c] 29 After them, Zadok, the son of Immer, carried out the repairs opposite his own house, and after him Shemaiah, the son of Shecaniah, the keeper of the East Gate, did the necessary repairs.
30 After him, Hananiah, the son of Shelamiah, and Hanun, the sixth son of Zalaph, repaired a second section. After him, Meshullam, the son of Berechiah, made the necessary repairs opposite his living quarters. 31 After him, Malchijah, a goldsmith, made the needed repairs as far as the house of the temple servants and of the merchants opposite the Inspection Gate and as far as the upper room at the Corner. 32 And between the upper room at the Corner and the Sheep Gate the goldsmiths and the merchants carried out all the needed repairs.
33 Opposition from Judah’s Foes. When Sanballat was informed that we were rebuilding the wall, his anger was aroused, and he was greatly enraged. He ridiculed the Jews, 34 and in the presence of his companions and the army of Samaria he said: “What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they restore what has been damaged beyond repair? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they be able to complete their work in a single day? Will they manage to refurbish the stones that have been damaged and reduced to ashes?” 35 And Tobiah the Ammonite, who was standing beside Sanballat, added: “If a fox were to climb on top of the stone wall they are building, it would crumble before them.”
36 Then we prayed: “Listen to us, O our God, for we are despised. Turn their insults back upon their own heads. Let them become objects of contempt in a land of captivity. 37 Do not pardon their wickedness or allow their sins to be blotted out from your sight, for they have insulted the builders to their face.”
38 Meanwhile we continued to rebuild the wall, which was soon completed all the way around up to half its height, while the people put their hearts into their work.
Footnotes
- Nehemiah 3:1 It was necessary in a city as large as Jerusalem to have many gates for both military and trade reasons.
- Nehemiah 3:12 All the people of Jerusalem were involved in rebuilding the city walls, notwithstanding the women (i.e., Shallum’s daughters).
- Nehemiah 3:28 Nehemiah’s plan was masterful in that everyone willing and able could participate. Here we read that each priest worked on the portion opposite their house ensuring good work being done without traveling a distance.