Nehemiah

Nehemiah, a servant of the king, learned of the Jews' affliction and the broken wall of Jerusalem, prompting him to pray and seek God's mercy. He was granted permission by King Artaxerxes to travel to Judea and rebuild the city, and upon arriving, he secretly inspected the walls and rallied the Jews to join him in the rebuilding effort. Despite ridicule and opposition from Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem, the Jews worked diligently to rebuild the gates and walls of Jerusalem. Nehemiah also addressed the suffering of the people due to famine and poverty, and he rebuked the nobles for exacting usury and selling the people into slavery. The wall was completed in 52 days, and the surrounding nations were afraid when they heard of its completion. Nehemiah then gathered the people to enroll them and found a book of the census, and the people celebrated the holy day of the Lord by reading the law and making tabernacles. The Israelites made a covenant to follow God's laws and regulations, and they contributed financially to the upkeep of the temple. The book concludes with Nehemiah addressing issues of purity and obedience, including the separation of foreigners, the restoration of the house of God, and the observance of the Sabbath.