The One Year Bible TLB (171 page)
Read The One Year Bible TLB Online
Authors: Tyndale
Pride, lust, and evil actions
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are all sin.
August 12Shallum (son of Col-hozeh), the mayor of the Mizpah district, repaired the Fountain Gate. He rebuilt it, roofed it, hung its doors, and installed its locks and bars. Then he repaired the wall from the pool of Siloam to the king’s garden and the stairs that descend from the City of David section of Jerusalem.
16
Next to him was Nehemiah (son of Azbuk), the mayor of half the Beth-zur district; he built as far as the royal cemetery, the water reservoir, and the old Officers’ Club building.
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17
Next was a group of Levites working under the supervision of Rehum (son of Bani). Then came Hashabiah, the mayor of half the Keilah district, who supervised the building of the wall in his own district.
18
Next down the line were his clan brothers led by Bavvai (son of Henadad), the mayor of the other half of the Keilah district.
19
Next to them the workers were led by Ezer (son of Jeshua), the mayor of another part of Mizpah; they also worked on the section of wall across from the armory where the wall turns.
20
Next to him was Baruch (son of Zabbai), who built from the turn in the wall to the home of Eliashib the High Priest.
21
Meremoth (son of Uriah, son of Hakkoz) built a section of the wall extending from a point opposite the door of Eliashib’s house to the side of the house.
22
Then came the priests from the plains outside the city.
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23
Benjamin, Hasshub, and Azariah (son of Maaseiah, son of Ananiah) repaired the sections next to their own houses.
24
Next was Binnui (son of Henadad), who built the portion of the wall from Azariah’s house to the corner.
25
Palal (son of Uzai) carried on the work from the corner to the foundations of the upper tower of the king’s castle beside the prison yard. Next was Pedaiah (son of Parosh).
26
The Temple attendants living in Ophel repaired the wall as far as the East Water Gate and the Projecting Tower.
27
Then came the Tekoites, who repaired the section opposite the Castle Tower and over to the wall of Ophel.
28
The priests repaired the wall beyond the Horse Gate, each one doing the section immediately opposite his own house.
29
Zadok (son of Immer) also rebuilt the wall next to his own house, and beyond him was Shemaiah (son of Shecaniah), the gatekeeper of the East Gate.
30
Next was Hananiah (son of Shelemiah); Hanun (the sixth son of Zalaph); and Meshullam (son of Berechiah), who built next to his own house.
31
Malchijah, one of the goldsmiths, repaired as far as the Temple attendants’ and merchants’ Guild Hall, opposite the Muster Gate; then to the upper room at the corner.
32
The other goldsmiths and merchants completed the wall from that corner to the Sheep Gate.
4:
1-2
Sanballat was very angry when he learned that we were rebuilding the wall. He flew into a rage, and insulted and mocked us and laughed at us, and so did his friends and the Samaritan army officers. “What does this bunch of poor, feeble Jews think they are doing?” he scoffed. “Do they think they can build the wall in a day if they offer enough sacrifices? And look at those charred stones they are pulling out of the rubbish and using again!”
3
Tobiah, who was standing beside him, remarked, “If even a fox walked along the top of their wall, it would collapse!”
4
Then I prayed, “Hear us, O Lord God, for we are being mocked. May their scoffing fall back upon their own heads, and may they themselves become captives in a foreign land!
5
Do not ignore their sin. Do not blot it out, for they have despised you in despising us who are building your wall.”
6
At last the wall was completed to half its original height around the entire city—for the workers worked hard.
7
But when Sanballat and Tobiah and the Arabians, Ammonites, and Ashdodites heard that the work was going right ahead and that the breaks in the wall were being repaired, they became furious.
8
They plotted to lead an army against Jerusalem to bring about riots and confusion.
9
But we prayed to our God and guarded the city day and night to protect ourselves.
10
Then some of the leaders began complaining that the workmen were becoming tired; and there was so much rubble to be removed that we could never get it done by ourselves.
11
Meanwhile, our enemies were planning to swoop down upon us and kill us, thus ending our work.
12
And whenever the workers who lived in the nearby cities went home for a visit, our enemies tried to talk them out of returning to Jerusalem.
13
So I placed armed guards from each family in the cleared spaces behind the walls.
14
Then as I looked over the situation, I called together the leaders and the people and said to them, “Don’t be afraid! Remember the Lord who is great and glorious; fight for your friends, your families, and your homes!”
15
Our enemies learned that we knew of their plot, and that God had exposed and frustrated their plan. Now we all returned to our work on the wall;
16
but from then on, only half worked while the other half stood guard behind them.
17
And the masons and laborers worked with weapons within easy reach beside them
18
or with swords belted to their sides. The trumpeter stayed with me to sound the alarm.
19
“The work is so spread out,” I explained to them, “and we are separated so widely from each other, that when you hear the trumpet blow, you must rush to where I am; and God will fight for us.”
20-21
We worked early and late, from sunrise to sunset; and half the men were always on guard.
22
I told everyone living outside the walls to move into Jerusalem so that their servants could go on guard duty as well as work during the day.
23
During this period none of us—I, nor my brothers, nor the servants, nor the guards who were with me—ever took off our clothes except for washing.
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And we carried our weapons with us at all times.
5:
1
About this time there was a great outcry of protest from parents against some of the rich Jews who were profiteering on them.
2-4
What was happening was that families who ran out of money for food had to sell their children or mortgage their fields, vineyards, and homes to these rich men; and some couldn’t even do that, for they already had borrowed to the limit to pay their taxes.
5
“We are their brothers, and our children are just like theirs,” the people protested. “Yet we must sell our children into slavery to get enough money to live. We have already sold some of our daughters, and we are helpless to redeem them, for our fields, too, are mortgaged to these men.”
6
I was very angry when I heard this;
7
so after thinking about it I spoke out against these rich government officials.
“What is this you are doing?” I demanded. “How dare you demand a mortgage as a condition for helping another Israelite!”
Then I called a public trial to deal with them.
8
At the trial I shouted at them, “The rest of us are doing all we can to
help
our Jewish brothers who have returned from exile as slaves in distant lands, but you are forcing them right back into slavery again. How often must we redeem them?”
And they had nothing to say in their own defense.
9
Then I pressed further. “What you are doing is very evil,” I exclaimed. “Should you not walk in the fear of our God? Don’t we have enough enemies among the nations around us who are trying to destroy us?
10
The rest of us are lending money and grain to our fellow Jews without any interest. I beg you, gentlemen, stop this business of usury.
11
Restore their fields, vineyards, olive yards, and homes to them this very day and drop your claims against them.”
12
So they agreed to do it and said that they would assist their brothers without requiring them to mortgage their lands and sell them their children. Then I summoned the priests and made these men formally vow to carry out their promises.
13
And I invoked the curse of God upon any of them who refused.
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“May God destroy your homes and livelihood if you fail to keep this promise,” I declared.
And all the people shouted, “Amen,” and praised the Lord. And the rich men did as they had promised.
Now I will try to answer your other question. What about girls who are not yet married? Should they be permitted to do so? In answer to this question, I have no special command for them from the Lord. But the Lord in his kindness has given me wisdom that can be trusted, and I will be glad to tell you what I think.
26
Here is the problem: We Christians are facing great dangers to our lives at present. In times like these I think it is best for a person to remain unmarried.
27
Of course, if you already are married, don’t separate because of this. But if you aren’t, don’t rush into it at this time.
28
But if you men decide to go ahead anyway and get married now, it is all right; and if a girl gets married in times like these, it is no sin. However, marriage will bring extra problems that I wish you didn’t have to face right now.
29
The important thing to remember is that our remaining time is very short, and so are our opportunities for doing the Lord’s work.
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For that reason those who have wives should stay as free as possible for the Lord;
30
happiness or sadness or wealth should not keep anyone from doing God’s work.
31
Those in frequent contact with the exciting things the world offers should make good use of their opportunities without stopping to enjoy them; for the world in its present form will soon be gone.
32
In all you do, I want you to be free from worry. An unmarried man can spend his time doing the Lord’s work and thinking how to please him.
33
But a married man can’t do that so well; he has to think about his earthly responsibilities and how to please his wife.
34
His interests are divided. It is the same with a girl who marries. She faces the same problem. A girl who is not married is anxious to please the Lord in all she is and does.
*
But a married woman must consider other things such as housekeeping and the likes and dislikes of her husband.
35
I am saying this to help you, not to try to keep you from marrying. I want you to do whatever will help you serve the Lord best, with as few other things as possible to distract your attention from him.
36
But if anyone feels he ought to marry because he has trouble controlling his passions, it is all right; it is not a sin; let him marry.
37
But if a man has the willpower not to marry and decides that he doesn’t need to and won’t, he has made a wise decision.
38
So the person who marries does well, and the person who doesn’t marry does even better.
39
The wife is part of her husband as long as he lives; if her husband dies, then she may marry again, but only if she marries a Christian.
40
But in my opinion she will be happier if she doesn’t marry again; and I think I am giving you counsel from God’s Spirit when I say this.
What happiness for those whose guilt has been forgiven! What joys when sins are covered over! What relief for those who have confessed their sins and God has cleared their record.
3
There was a time when I wouldn’t admit what a sinner I was.
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But my dishonesty made me miserable and filled my days with frustration.
4
All day and all night your hand was heavy on me. My strength evaporated like water on a sunny day
5
until I finally admitted all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide them. I said to myself, “I will confess them to the Lord.” And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone.
6
Now I say that each believer should confess his sins to God when he is aware of them, while there is time to be forgiven. Judgment will not touch him
*
if he does.
7
You are my hiding place from every storm of life; you even keep me from getting into trouble! You surround me with songs of victory.
8
I will instruct you (says the Lord) and guide you along the best pathway for your life; I will advise you and watch your progress.
9
Don’t be like a senseless horse or mule that has to have a bit in its mouth to keep it in line!
10
Many sorrows come to the wicked, but abiding love surrounds those who trust in the Lord.
11
So rejoice in him, all those who are his,
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and shout for joy, all those who try to obey him.