Jerusalem began to be
dark before the Sabbath, I commanded that the doors should be shut,
and commanded that they should not be opened till after the Sabbath:
and some of my servants set I over the gates, that there should no
burden be brought in on the Sabbath day. So the merchants and sellers
of all kind of ware lodged without Jerusalem once or twice.

"Then I testified against them, and said to them, 'Why lodge ye about
the wall? if ye do so again, I will lay hands on you.'

"From that time forth came they no more on the Sabbath. And I
commanded the Levites that they should {234} purify themselves, and
that they should come and keep the gates, to sanctify the Sabbath day.

"Remember unto me, O my God, this also, and spare me according to the
greatness of thy mercy."

(The story of Nehemiah's life, told by himself, breaks off abruptly,
but we know that he lived and died in high honor. Josephus, the Jewish
historian, says of him, "He was a man of good and righteous character,
and very ambitious to make his nation happy; and he hath left the
walls of Jerusalem as an eternal monument of himself.")

{235}

THE STORY OF A DIVIDED KINGDOM

{236}

THE KINGS OF ISRAEL AND JUDAH

SAUL, 1037 B. C. 20 years

DAVID, 40 years

SOLOMON, 40 years

JUDAH 937 B. C. ISRAEL

King Length of Reign King Length of Reign Prophet

REHOBOAM, 17 years JEROBOAM, 22 years

ABIJAH, 3 years

ASA, 41 years

NADAB, 2 years

BAASHA, 24 years

ELAH, 2 years

ZIMRI, 7 days

OMRI, 12 years

AHAB, 22 years ELIJAH

JEHOSHAPHAT, 25 years

AHAZIAH, 2 years

JORAM, 11 years

JEHORAM, 8 years

AHAZIAH, 1 year

ATHALIAH, 7 years JEHU, 28 years ELISHA

JOASH, 40 years

JEHOAHAZ, 17 years

JOASH, 16 years

AMAZIAH, 29 years

UZZIAH, 52 years JEROBOAM II., 41 years AMOS