Day 241 of 365

Neh 4:1–5:19

4:1 But it happened that when Sanballat heard that we were building the wall, he was angry, and took great indignation, and mocked the Jews.

4:2 He spoke before his brothers and the army of Samaria, and said, "What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they fortify themselves? Will they sacrifice? Will they finish in a day? Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of rubbish, since they are burned?"

4:3 Now Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, "What they are building, if a fox climbed up it, he would break down their stone wall."

4:4 "Hear, our God; for we are despised; and turn back their reproach on their own head, give them up for a spoil in a land of captivity;

4:5 do not cover their iniquity, and do not let their sin be blotted out from before you; for they have insulted the builders."

4:6 So we built the wall; and all the wall was joined together to half its height: for the people had a mind to work.

4:7 But it happened that when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabians, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites heard that the repairing of the walls of Jerusalem went forward, and that the breaches began to be filled, then they were very angry;

4:8 and they conspired all of them together to come and fight against Jerusalem, and to cause confusion therein.

4:9 But we made our prayer to our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them.

4:10 Judah said, "The strength of the bearers of burdens is fading, and there is much rubbish; so that we are not able to build the wall."

4:11 Our adversaries said, "They shall not know, neither see, until we come into their midst, and kill them, and cause the work to cease."

4:12 It happened that when the Jews who lived by them came, they said to us ten times from all places, "Wherever you turn, they will attack us."

4:13 Therefore set I in the lowest parts of the space behind the wall, in the open places, I set the people after their families with their swords, their spears, and their bows.

4:14 I looked, and rose up, and said to the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, "Do not be afraid of them! Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, and your daughters, your wives, and your houses."

4:15 It happened, when our enemies heard that it was known to us, and God had brought their counsel to nothing, that we returned all of us to the wall, everyone to his work.

4:16 It happened from that time forth, that half of my servants worked in the work, and half of them held the spears, the shields, and the bows, and the coats of mail; and the rulers were behind all the house of Judah.

4:17 They all built the wall and those who bore burdens loaded themselves; everyone with one of his hands worked in the work, and with the other held his weapon;

4:18 and the builders, everyone wore his sword at his side, and so built. He who sounded the trumpet was by me.

4:19 I said to the nobles, and to the rulers and to the rest of the people, "The work is great and large, and we are separated on the wall, one far from another.

4:20 Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally there to us. Our God will fight for us."

4:21 So we worked in the work: and half of them held the spears from the rising of the morning until the stars appeared.

4:22 Likewise at the same time said I to the people, "Let everyone with his servant lodge within Jerusalem, that in the night they may be a guard to us, and may labor in the day."

4:23 So neither I, nor my brothers, nor my servants, nor the men of the guard who followed me, none of us took off our clothes. Everyone took his weapon to the water.

5:1 Then there arose a great cry of the people and of their wives against their brothers the Jews.

5:2 For there were that said, "We, our sons and our daughters, are many. Let us get grain, that we may eat and live."

5:3 Some also there were that said, "We are mortgaging our fields, and our vineyards, and our houses. Let us get grain, because of the famine."

5:4 There were also some who said, "We have borrowed money for the king's tribute using our fields and our vineyards as collateral.

5:5 Yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our brothers, our children as their children. Behold, we bring into bondage our sons and our daughters to be servants, and some of our daughters have been brought into bondage. Neither is it in our power to help it; for other men have our fields and our vineyards."

5:6 I was very angry when I heard their cry and these words.

5:7 Then I consulted with myself, and contended with the nobles and the rulers, and said to them, "You exact usury, everyone of his brother." I held a great assembly against them.

5:8 I said to them, "We, after our ability, have redeemed our brothers the Jews that were sold to the nations; and would you even sell your brothers, and should they be sold to us?" Then they held their peace, and found never a word.

5:9 Also I said, "The thing that you do is not good. Ought you not to walk in the fear of our God, because of the reproach of the nations our enemies?

5:10 I likewise, my brothers and my servants, lend them money and grain. Please let us stop this usury.

5:11 Please restore to them, even this day, their fields, their vineyards, their olive groves, and their houses, also the hundredth part of the money, and of the grain, the new wine, and the oil, that you are charging them."

5:12 Then they said, "We will restore them, and will require nothing of them; so will we do, even as you say." Then I called the priests, and took an oath of them, that they would do according to this promise.

5:13 Also I shook out my lap, and said, "So may God shake out every man from his house, and from his labor, that doesn't perform this promise; even thus be he shaken out, and emptied." All the assembly said, "Amen," and praised the Lord. The people did according to this promise.

5:14 Moreover from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year even to the two and thirtieth year of Artaxerxes the king, that is, twelve years, I and my brothers have not eaten the bread of the governor.

5:15 But the former governors who were before me were supported by the people, and took bread and wine from them, besides forty shekels of silver; yes, even their servants ruled over the people: but I did not do so, because of the fear of God.

5:16 Yes, also I continued in the work of this wall, neither bought we any land: and all my servants were gathered there to the work.

5:17 Moreover there were at my table, of the Jews and the rulers, one hundred fifty men, besides those who came to us from among the nations that were around us.

5:18 Now that which was prepared for one day was one ox and six choice sheep; also fowls were prepared for me, and once in ten days store of all sorts of wine: yet for all this I did not demand the bread of the governor, because the bondage was heavy on this people.

5:19 Remember to me, my God, for good, all that I have done for this people.

Rom 3:15–31

15 "Their feet are swift to shed blood.

16 Destruction and misery are in their ways.

17 The way of peace, they have not known."

18 "There is no fear of God before their eyes."

19 Now we know that whatever things the law says, it speaks to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be closed, and all the world may be brought under the judgment of God.

20 Because by the works of the law, no flesh will be justified in his sight. For through the law comes the knowledge of sin.

21 But now apart from the law, a righteousness of God has been revealed, being testified by the Law and the Prophets;

22 even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ to all those who believe. For there is no distinction,

23 for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God;

24 being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus;

25 whom God set forth to be an atoning sacrifice, through faith in his blood, for a demonstration of his righteousness through the passing over of prior sins, in God's forbearance;

26 to demonstrate his righteousness at this present time; that he might himself be just, and the justifier of him who has faith in Jesus.

27 Where then is the boasting? It is excluded. By what manner of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith.

28 We maintain therefore that a man is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.

29 Or is God the God of Jews only? Is not he the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also,

30 since indeed there is one God who will justify the circumcised by faith, and the uncircumcised through faith.

31 Do we then nullify the law through faith? May it never be! No, we establish the law.

Ps 103:1–22

1 Praise the Lord, my soul! All that is within me, praise his holy name!

2 Praise the Lord, my soul, and do not forget all his benefits;

3 who forgives all your sins; who heals all your diseases;

4 who redeems your life from destruction; who crowns you with loving kindness and tender mercies;

5 who satisfies your desire with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

6 The Lord executes righteous acts, and justice for all who are oppressed.

7 He made known his ways to Moses, his deeds to the children of Israel.

8 The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness.

9 He will not always accuse; neither will he stay angry forever.

10 He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor repaid us for our iniquities.

11 For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is his loving kindness toward those who fear him.

12 As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

13 Like a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him.

14 For he knows how we are made. He remembers that we are dust.

15 As for man, his days are like grass. As a flower of the field, so he flourishes.

16 For the wind passes over it, and it is gone. Its place remembers it no more.

17 But the Lord's loving kindness is from everlasting to everlasting with those who fear him, his righteousness to children's children;

18 to those who keep his covenant, to those who remember to obey his precepts.

19 The Lord has established his throne in the heavens. His kingdom rules over all.

20 Praise the Lord, you angels of his, who are mighty in strength, who fulfill his word, obeying the voice of his word.

21 Praise the Lord, all you armies of his, you servants of his, who do his pleasure.

22 Praise the Lord, all you works of his, in all places of his dominion. Praise the Lord, my soul!