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17 Moreover, there were at my Table an hundred and fifty of the Jews and Rulers, befides thofe that came unto us, from among the Heathen that are about us.

18 Now that which was prepared for me daily, was one Ox, and fix choice Sheep; alfo Fowls were prepared for me, and once in ten Days, Store of all forts of Wine: yet for all this required not I the Bread of the Governor, because the BONDAGE was heavy upon this PEOPLE.

19 THINK upon me, my GOD for GooD, according to all that I have done for this People.

CHAP. VI.

1 Sanballat practiseth by Craft, by Rumours, by hired Prophefies, to terrify Nehemiah. 15 The Work is finifbed to the Terror of the Enemies. 17 Secret Intelligence passeth between the Enemies, and the Nobles of Judah.

Ver. 10

FTERWARD I came unto the House of Shemaiah who was fhut up; and he faid, Let us meet together in the Houfe of GOD, within the Temple, and let us fhut the Doors of the Temple; for they will come to flay thee in the Night.

11 And I faid, Should SUCH A MAN as I FLEE? and who is there that being as I am, would go into the Temple to fave his Life? I will not go in.

12 And lo, I perceived that God had not sent him, but that he pronounced this Prophecy against me, for Tobiah and Sanballat had HIRED him.

13 Therefore was he hired, that I fhould be AFRAID, and do fo, and SIN, and that they might have Matter for an evil Report, that they might REPROACH ME.

14 My GoD, think thou upon Tobiah and Sanballat, according to these their Works, and on the PROPHETESS Noadiah, and the reft of the PROPHETS, that would have put me in FEAR.

16 And it came to pafs, when all our Enemies heard thereof, and all the Heathen that were about us faw thefe Things, they were much cast down in their own Eyes: for they perceived that this Work was wrought of our GOD.

CHAP.

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■ Nehemiah committetb the Charge of Jerufalem to Hanani and Hananiah. 5 A Register of the Genealogy of them which came at the first out of Babylon. 8 Of the People, 39 Of the Priests, 43 Of the Levites, 46 Of the Nethinims, 57 Of Solomon's Servants, 63 And of the Priests which could not find their Pedigree. 66 The whole Number of them being 42360 their Subftance. 70 Their Oblatians.

CHAP. VIII.

9

The Religious Manner of reading and hearing the Law. They comfort the People. 13 The Forwardness of them to hear, and be inftructed. 16 They keep the Feast of Tabernacles.

Ver. 1

AND all the People gathered themfelves together,

and they spake unto Ezra the Scribe, to bring the Book of the LAW of Mofes, which the LORD had commanded to Ifrael.

2 And Ezra the Priest brought the Law before the Congregation'

3 And he read therein, from the Morning until Mid-day, before the Men and the Women, and those that could understand, and the Ears of all the People were attentive unto the Book of the LAW.

4 And Ezra ftood upon a Pulpit of Wood, which they had made for the Purpose.

5 And Ezra opened the Book, and all the People stood up: 6 And Ezra BLESSED the LORD the GREAT GOD: and all the People answered AMEN, Amen, with LIFTING up their Hands: and they BOWED their Heads, and wORSHIPPED the LORD with their Faces to the Ground.

7 Alfo Jefhua, and others, and the Levites caufed the People to understand the Law: and the People stood in their Place.

8 So they read in the Book, in the Law of GOD DISTINCTLY, and gave the SENSE, and caufed them to UNDERSTAND the Reading.

9 And Nehemiah, which is the Tirfhatha, and Ezra the Prieft, the Scribe, and the Levites that taught the People, faid unto all the People, This Day is HOLY unto the LORD

your GOD, mourn not, nor weep, for all the People wept, when they heard the WORDS of the Law.

10 Then he faid unto them, Go your Way, eat the Fat, and drink the Sweet, and fend Portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this Day is HOLY unto our LORD: neither be you forry, for the Joy of the LORD is your STRENGTH.

11 So the Levites ftilled all the People, faying, Hold your Peace, for the Day is HOLY, neither be ye grieved.

12 And all the People went their Way to eat and to drink, and to fend Portions, and to make great Mirth, because they had UNDERSTOOD the Words that were declared unto them.

13 And on the fecond Day were gathered together the chief of the Fathers of all the People, the Priests and the Levites, unto Ezra, even to understand the Words of the LAW.

14 And they found written in the LAW which the LORD had commanded by Mofes, that the Children of Ifrael should dwell in Booths, in the Feaft of the feventh Month:

15 And that they should publifh and proclaim, in all their Cities and in Jerufalem, faying, Go forth unto the Mount, and fetch Olive, Pine, and Myrtle, and Palm-branches, and Branches of thick Trees, to make Booths, as it is written.

16 So the People went forth and brought them, and made themselves Booths, every one upon the Roof of his House, and in their Courts, and in the Courts of the House of GOD.

17 And all the Congregation made Booths, and fat under the Booths: for fince the Days of Jofhua the Son of Nun, unto that Day, had not the Children of Ifrael done fo: and there was very great Gladness.

18 Alfo Day by Day, from the first Day, unto the last Day, he read in the Book of the LAW of GOD: and they kept the Feaft feven Days, and on the eighth Day was a folemn Affembly, according unto the Manner.

CHAP. IX.

A folemn Fat and Repentance of the People. 4 The Levites make a Religious Confeffion of God's Goodness, and their Wickedness.

Ver. A

Ver. 1 TOW in the twenty and fourth Day of this Month, the Children of Ifrael were affembled with FASTING, and with Sackcloths, and Earth upon them. 2 And the Seed of Ifrael feparated themselves from all STRANGERS, and ftood and confeffed their SINS, and the INIQUITIES of their FATHERS.

3 And they stood up in their Place, and READ in the Book of the LAW of the LORD their GOD, one fourth part of the Day, and another fourth Part they CONFESSED, and WORSHIPPED the LORD their GOD,

4 Then ftood upon the Stairs of the Levites, Jeshua, and Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Chenani, and cried with a loud Voice unto the LORD their GOD.

5 And faid, Stand up and BLESS the LORD your God for ever and ever; and bleffed be thy GLORIOUS NAME, which is EXALTED above all BLESSING and PRAISE.

6 Thou, even thou art LORD ALONE, thou haft MADE HEAVEN, the HEAVEN of HEAVENS with all their Host, the EARTH and all Things that are therein, the SEAS and all that is therein, and thou PRESERVEST them all, and the HOST of HEAVEN WORSHIPPETH thee.

7 Thou art the LORD the GOD, who didft choose Abraham, and broughteft him forth out of Ur of the Chaldees, and gaveft him the Name of Abraham:

8 And foundeft his Heart faithful before thee, and madeft a COVENANT with him, to give the Land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Jebufites, and the Girgafhites, to give it, I fay, to his Seed, and haft PERFORMED thy WORDS, for thou art RIGHTEOUS.

9 And didft fee the Affliction of our Fathers in Egypt, and heardest their Cry by the red Sea:

10 And fhewedft SIGNS and WONDERS, upon Pharaoh, and on all his Servants, and on all the People of his Land: for thou knoweft that they dealt proudly against them: fo didft thou get thee a Name, as it is at this Day.

II And thou didst divide the Sea before them, fo that they went through the midst of the Sea on the dry Land, and their PERSECUTORS thou threweft into the Deeps, as a Stone into the mighty Waters.

12 Moreover, thou LEDDEST them in the Day by a

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CLOUDY

CLOUDY PILLAR; and in the Night by a PILLAR of FIRE, to give them Light in the Way wherein they should go.

13 Thou cameft down alfo upon Mount SINAI, and SPAKEST with them from Heaven, and gaveft them RIGHT Judgments, and true Laws, good STATUTES and Coм

MANDMENTS:

14 And madest known unto them thy HOLY SABBATH, and commandeft them Precepts, Statutes, and Laws, by the Hand of Mofes thy Servant.

15 And gaveft them BREAD from HEAVEN, for their Hunger, and broughteft forth Water for them out of the Rock, for their Thirst, and promifedft them that they fhould go in to poffefs the Land, which thou hadft fworn to give them.

16 But they and our Fathers dealt PROUDLY, and HARDNED their Necks, and HEARKNED not to thy COMMAND

MENTS.

17 And REFUSED to OBEY, neither were MINDFUL OF thy WONDERS that thou didst among them: but HARDNED their NECKS, and in their REBELLION appointed a Captain to return to their BONDAGE: but thou art a God ready to PARDON, gracious and merciful, flow to Anger, and of great Kindness, and FORSOOKEST them not.

18 Yea, when they had made them a molten CALF, and faid, This is thy God that brought thee up out of Egypt, and had wrought great PROVOCATIONS:

19 Yet thou in thy MANIFOLD MERCIES FORSOOKEST them not in the Wilderness: the PILLAR of the CLOUD departed not from them by Day, to lead them in the Way; neither the PILLAR of FIRE by Night to fhew them LIGHT, and the Way wherein they fhould go.

20 Thou gavest alfo thy GOOD SPIRIT to INSTRUCT them, and withheldeft not thy MANNA from their Mouth, and gaveft them Water for their THIRST.

21 Yea, forty Years didst thou fuftain them in the Wildernefs, fo that they lacked nothing; their CLOTHS waxed not Old, and their FEET SWELLED not.

zz Moreover, thou gavest them KINGDOMS and NATIONS, and didft divide them into Corners: fo they poffeffed the Land of Sihon, and the Land of the King of Hefhbon, and the Land of Og King of Bashan.

23 Their Children alfo MULTIPLIEDST thou as the STARS of Heaven, and broughteft them into the Land, con

cerning

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