Nehemiah

Nehemiah served as cupbearer to Artaxerxes when news of Jerusalem's broken walls moved him to prayer and a request to rebuild. With prayerful resolve he led the people in restoring the walls amid opposition, exemplifying courageous leadership. His book also recounts the spiritual revival that followed as the community embraced God's law anew, advancing the redemptive purposes for Israel.

0:00

Auto Play

Books written: Nehemiah

Read Through Nehemiah's Writings

13 chapters total

Nehemiah

1 Nehemiah's Prayer 2 Nehemiah Inspects the Walls 3 Builders of the Wall 4 Opposition to the Work 5 Nehemiah Helps the Poor 6 The Wall Completed 7 List of Returned Exiles 8 Ezra Reads the Law 9 The People Confess Their Sins 10 The Covenant Renewed 11 Residents of Jerusalem 12 Dedication of the Wall 13 Nehemiah's Final Reforms

Key Passages

Nehemiah's Prayer

Nehemiah 1:4-11

A⁴nd it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven,

⁵ And said, I beseech thee, O LORD God of heaven, the great and terrible God, that keepeth covenant and mercy for them that love him and observe his commandments: ⁶ Let thine ear now be attentive, and thine eyes open, that thou mayest hear the prayer of thy servant, which I pray before thee now, day and night, for the children of Israel thy servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel, which we have sinned against thee: both I and my father’s house have sinned. ⁷ We have dealt very corruptly against thee, and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the judgments, which thou commandedst thy servant Moses. ⁸ Remember, I beseech thee, the word that thou commandedst thy servant Moses, saying, If ye transgress, I will scatter you abroad among the nations: ⁹ But if ye turn unto me, and keep my commandments, and do them; though there were of you cast out unto the uttermost part of the heaven, yet will I gather them from thence, and will bring them unto the place that I have chosen to set my name there. ¹⁰ Now these are thy servants and thy people, whom thou hast redeemed by thy great power, and by thy strong hand. ¹¹ O LORD, I beseech thee, let now thine ear be attentive to the prayer of thy servant, and to the prayer of thy servants, who desire to fear thy name: and prosper, I pray thee, thy servant this day, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man. For I was the king’s cupbearer.

The Joy of the Lord Is Your Strength

Nehemiah 8:9-10

A⁹nd Nehemiah, which is the Tirshatha, and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites that taught the people, said 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 said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our LORD: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength.