Nehemiah 3:6-11

Most of the people who built the wall were not skilled builders. They were normal people who had other jobs. Men who usually made *perfume or things of gold helped to build the walls.

Some people worked on the walls near their own houses. This was a good idea. They did not have far to travel and they could have their meals easily. They could also protect their families. Afterwards, they would see their work every day. This fact would encourage them to do good work.

Important men who ruled over some of the districts helped also. They did not think that they were too important to help. So they behaved as the priests did. They were not like the leaders from Tekoa, who refused to help.

Malkijah, the son of Harim, had married a foreign wife (Ezra 10:31), but God had told the *Jews not to marry foreigners. So Ezra was very angry with Malkijah. But now Malkijah helped to build the walls of Jerusalem.

Some women helped too. Shallum was another one of the leaders of the people. But he worked on the walls too and his daughters helped him.

v13 Hanun and the residents of Zanoah repaired the Valley Gate. They built it again and they put the doors in place. They fastened the locks and they put the bars into position. They also repaired about 450 metres of the wall as far as the Rubbish Gate. v14 Malkijah, the son of Rechab, repaired the Rubbish Gate. He built it again and he put the doors in place. He fastened the locks and he put the bars into position. Malkijah ruled the district called Beth Hakkerem. v15 Shallum, the son of Col-Hozeh, repaired the Fountain Gate. He built it again and he made a roof over it. He put the doors in place. He fastened the locks and he put the bars into position. Shallum also repaired the wall of the Pool called Siloam by the king’s garden. He repaired this wall as far as the steps that descended from David’s city. Shallum ruled the district called Mizpah. v16 Next to him, Nehemiah, the son of Azbuk, repaired the wall in front of the graves of king David’s family. He repaired the wall as far as the pool that some people had made. He repaired it as far as the House of the Heroes. Nehemiah ruled half of the district called Beth-Zur.