Nehemiah Rebuilds the Walls

In our last story we learned how Nehemiah asked permission of the king to go to Jerusalem to rebuild the walls, and how some of the people laughed at them, and hated them, and accused them of wanting to rebel against the king.

And so many men from different places came together, stood side by side, and began to rebuild the walls, but one of the men who had laughed at them became very angry, and mocked them. And he tried to gather people together to stop the Jews from rebuilding the walls. But the Jews prayed to God, and set men to watch day and night, and continued their work. The men who were watching were armed with their swords, their spears, and their bows, and Nehemiah told them "Do not be afraid of them: remember the Lord, which is great, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses." And it came to pass that God brought the enemies plans to nothing, and work continued on the wall.

From that time on half of the Jews worked on the wall, and the other half were armed. And another held a trumpet and stood by Nehemiah, and Nehemiah told them "The work is great and we are separated upon the wall far from each other, therefore in what place you hear the sound of the trumpet, hurry to us, our God shall fight for us." So they continued with their work.

And when the wall was built, the people gathered themselves together and Ezra the priest brought the book of the law before the congregation of men and women and opened the book in the sight of all the people. 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. And those who read in the book read the law of God clearly, and so the people understand the reading, and they wept when they heard the words of the law.

And Nehemiah said to all the people "This day is holy unto the LORD our God; mourn not, nor weep....for the joy of the LORD is your strength."

Memory Verse: Nehemiah 8:10 "this day is holy unto our LORD neither be sorry, for the joy of the LORD is your strength."