red
because of their weakness became jealous. There was a certain
Sanballat, governor of Samaria, who wanted to keep Jerusalem helpless
so that Samaria might always be the chief city in the land. They were
willing that the poor people of Jerusalem should go on suffering from
the attacks of cruel bandits if only they themselves could keep on
growing richer. He and others did all in their power to stop the work.
They organized a force of men and planned to attack and kill the
builders. But Nehemiah had his workers carry their swords as they
worked, and arranged for signals at which all should rush to the help
of any part of the wall which might be attacked. He also kept the
people working at top speed from early morning every day "until the
stars appeared," and cheered them on when they were tired and
discouraged.

Their enemies tried all kinds of tricks; they threatened to report to
the king of Persia that Nehemiah was organizing a rebellion; they
plotted to seize Nehemiah himself. But the man was too clever for
them. The walls kept steadily going up and up. The gates were set in
place and locked; and at last, fifty-two days, or just a little more
than seven weeks after the first stone was laid on the old
foundations, the work was done.

Once more they could lie down in peace behind protecting walls, and
not tremble at the thought that fierce robbers might swoop down upon
them before the morning light to plunder, burn, and murder. Once more
they could begin to live their lives in peace and plan for the future.
Traders could bring their goods into the city without fear of losing
everything. Men could buy and sell and prosper.

NEHEMIAH'S REFORMS

But security from outward foes is not enough to bring happiness to a
people. Even before the walls were finished some of the poor people
among the Jews came to Nehemiah with a bitter complaint against their
rich neighbors. "We are starving," they said. Others said: "We have
mortgaged our fields in order to borrow money that we may buy food for
our children. And now because we cannot pay these men take our fields
from us, and even sell our sons and daughters into slavery." It was
the old story of greed and oppression. Those who were stronger and
more fortunate used their advantage to oppress their brothers and
extort from them all that they could pay. So a few men were able to
live in luxury, even in those troubled days, while the great majority
suffered in poverty and mis