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Nehemiah 3 - Simple English

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Read Nehemiah Chapter 3

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1Then Eliashib the high priest stood up with his fellow priests, and they built the sheep gate. They set it apart as holy, and they put up its doors. They set it apart as holy as far as the tower of Meah, and as far as the tower of Hananeel.

2Next to him the men of Jericho built. Next to them Zaccur the son of Imri built.

3The sons of Hassenaah built the fish gate. They laid its beams, and put up its doors, its locks and its bars.

4Next to them Meremoth the son of Urijah, the son of Koz, made repairs. Next to them Meshullam the son of Berechiah, the son of Meshezabeel, made repairs. Next to them Zadok the son of Baana made repairs.

5Next to them the men of Tekoa made repairs. But their nobles would not put their necks to the work of their Lord.

6Jehoiada the son of Paseah and Meshullam the son of Besodeiah repaired the old gate. They laid its beams, and put up its doors, its locks and its bars.

7Next to them Melatiah the Gibeonite and Jadon the Meronothite made repairs, with the men of Gibeon and of Mizpah, as far as the seat of the governor of the land on this side of the river.

8Next to him Uzziel the son of Harhaiah, one of the goldsmiths, made repairs. Next to him Hananiah, the son of one of the perfume makers, made repairs. They strengthened Jerusalem as far as the broad wall.

9Next to them Rephaiah the son of Hur made repairs. He was the ruler of half of Jerusalem.

10Next to them Jedaiah the son of Harumaph made repairs, opposite his own house. Next to him Hattush the son of Hashabniah made repairs.

11Malchijah the son of Harim and Hashub the son of Pahathmoab repaired another length of wall, and the tower of the furnaces.

12Next to him Shallum the son of Halohesh made repairs. He was the ruler of half of Jerusalem, and he worked with his daughters.

13Hanun and the people who lived in Zanoah repaired the valley gate. They built it, and put up its doors, its locks and its bars. They also repaired a thousand cubits of the wall, as far as the dung gate.

14Malchiah the son of Rechab repaired the dung gate. He was the ruler of part of Bethhaccerem. He built it, and put up its doors, its locks and its bars.

15Shallun the son of Colhozeh repaired the gate of the fountain. He was the ruler of part of Mizpah. He built it, and roofed it, and put up its doors, its locks and its bars. He also repaired the wall of the pool of Siloah by the king's garden, as far as the stairs that go down from the city of David.

16After him Nehemiah the son of Azbuk made repairs. He was the ruler of half of Bethzur. He worked as far as the place opposite the tombs of David, and as far as the pool that was made, and as far as the house of the mighty men.

17After him the Levites made repairs, under Rehum the son of Bani. Next to him Hashabiah, the ruler of half of Keilah, made repairs for his own district.

18After him their brothers made repairs, under Bavai the son of Henadad, the ruler of the other half of Keilah.

19Next to him Ezer the son of Jeshua, the ruler of Mizpah, repaired another length of wall, opposite the way up to the armoury, at the turning of the wall.

20After him Baruch the son of Zabbai worked hard and repaired another length, from the turning of the wall to the door of the house of Eliashib the high priest.

21After him Meremoth the son of Urijah, the son of Koz, repaired another length, from the door of the house of Eliashib to the end of the house of Eliashib.

22After him the priests made repairs, the men of the plain around Jerusalem.

23After him Benjamin and Hashub made repairs opposite their house. After him Azariah the son of Maaseiah, the son of Ananiah, made repairs beside his house.

24After him Binnui the son of Henadad repaired another length, from the house of Azariah to the turning of the wall, and on to the corner.

25Palal the son of Uzai worked opposite the turning of the wall, and at the tower that stands out from the king's upper house, beside the court of the prison. After him came Pedaiah the son of Parosh.

26The Nethinims lived in Ophel, and they made repairs as far as the place opposite the water gate toward the east, and as far as the tower that stands out.

27After them the men of Tekoa repaired another length, opposite the great tower that stands out, as far as the wall of Ophel.

28Above the horse gate the priests made repairs, each one opposite his own house.

29After them Zadok the son of Immer made repairs opposite his house. After him Shemaiah the son of Shechaniah, the keeper of the east gate, made repairs.

30After him Hananiah the son of Shelemiah, and Hanun the sixth son of Zalaph, repaired another length. After him Meshullam the son of Berechiah made repairs opposite his room.

31After him Malchiah, the goldsmith's son, made repairs as far as the place of the Nethinims and of the merchants, opposite the gate Miphkad, and as far as the way up to the corner.

32Between the way up to the corner and the sheep gate, the goldsmiths and the merchants made repairs.

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Explanation

Nehemiah 3

In short

This chapter records how the people of Jerusalem rebuilt the city wall after exile, working section by section around the perimeter. The account names the specific groups, families, and leaders responsible for each gate and stretch of wall, showing how the entire community joined together in the work.

Context

Nehemiah has returned to Jerusalem to restore the broken wall. In chapter 2 he inspected the ruins. Now in chapter 3, the actual rebuilding begins. This is a straightforward record of who built what, moving systematically around the wall from gate to gate. The names and places recorded here serve as a permanent acknowledgment of each group's contribution to the city's defence.

What the text says

The high priest Eliashib and the priests start at the Sheep Gate, working toward the Tower of Hananeel (verse 1). Men from Jericho take the next section (verse 2), followed by the sons of Hassenaah rebuilding the Fish Gate with its doors, locks and bars (verse 3). The record continues around the wall, naming individuals and groups: priests, goldsmiths, perfumers, merchants, rulers of districts, Levites, and temple servants called Nethinims.

Most builders work on sections near their own homes or places of business (verses 10, 23, 28). One notable entry: "Shallum the son of Halohesh, the ruler of the half part of Jerusalem, he and his daughters" repaired their section (verse 12). The Tekoites' nobles notably "put not their necks to the work" (verse 5), a criticism of their refusal to help.

The work covers all the main gates around the wall: Fish Gate, Old Gate, Valley Gate, Dung Gate, Fountain Gate, Water Gate, Horse Gate and others, completing a full circuit and returning to the Sheep Gate by verse 32.

Takeaways

  • The wall's restoration required cooperation from every social class and profession in the community.
  • Each family's contribution to the public defence was recorded for remembrance.
  • Some residents refused to help, and this refusal was also noted for the record.

Explanation written with the help of AI. The Bible text above is not changed. Context and interpretation are flagged as such; always come back to the text itself.