Study Desk

Those whose seals were on the document were: Nehemiah the governor,^(a) son of Hacaliah, and Zedekiah,

Seraiah,^(b) Azariah, Jeremiah,

Pashhur,^(c) Amariah, Malchijah,

Hattush, Shebaniah, Malluch,

Harim, Meremoth, Obadiah,

Daniel, Ginnethon, Baruch,

Meshullam, Abijah, Mijamin,

Maaziah, Bilgai, and Shemaiah. These were the priests.

The Levites^(d) were: Jeshua son of Azaniah, Binnui of the sons of Henadad, Kadmiel,

and their brothers Shebaniah, Hodiah, Kelita, Pelaiah, Hanan,

Mica, Rehob, Hashabiah,

Zaccur, Sherebiah, Shebaniah,

Hodiah, Bani, and Beninu.

The leaders of the people^(e) were: Parosh, Pahath-moab, Elam, Zattu, Bani,

Bunni, Azgad, Bebai,

Adonijah, Bigvai, Adin,^(f)

Ater, Hezekiah, Azzur,

Hodiah, Hashum, Bezai,

Hariph, Anathoth, Nebai,

Magpiash, Meshullam, Hezir,

Meshezabel, Zadok, Jaddua,

Pelatiah, Hanan, Anaiah,

Hoshea, Hananiah,^(g) Hasshub,

Hallohesh, Pilha, Shobek,

Rehum, Hashabnah, Maaseiah,

Ahijah, Hanan, Anan,

Malluch, Harim, Baanah.

The rest of the people—the priests, Levites, gatekeepers, singers, and temple servants, along with their wives, sons, and daughters, everyone who is able to understand^(h) and who has separated themselves from the surrounding peoples⁽ⁱ⁾ to obey the law of God—

join with their noble brothers and commit themselves with a sworn oath^[a](j) to follow the law of God given through God's servant Moses^(k) and to carefully obey all the commands, ordinances, and statutes of Yahweh our Lord.

We will not give our daughters in marriage to the surrounding peoples and will not take their daughters as wives for our sons.^(l)

When the surrounding peoples bring merchandise or any kind of grain to sell on the Sabbath day, we will not buy from them on the Sabbath or a holy day.^(m) We will also leave the land uncultivated in the seventh year⁽ⁿ⁾ and will cancel every debt.^(o)

We will impose the following commands on ourselves: To give an eighth of an ounce of silver^[b] yearly for the service of the house of our God:^(p)

the bread displayed before the Lord ,^[c](q) the daily grain offering, the regular burnt offering, the Sabbath and New Moon offerings,^(r) the appointed festivals, the holy things, the sin offerings to atone for Israel,^(s) and for all the work of the house of our God.

We have cast lots^(t) among the priests, Levites, and people for the donation of wood by our ancestral houses at the appointed times each year. They are to bring the wood to our God's house to burn on the altar of the Lord our God,^(u) as it is written in the law.

We will bring the firstfruits of our land and of every fruit tree to the Lord 's house year by year.^(v)

We will also bring the firstborn of our sons and our livestock, as prescribed by the law, and will bring the firstborn of our herds and flocks to the house of our God,^(w) to the priests who serve in our God's house.

We will bring a loaf from our first batch of dough^(x) to the priests at the storerooms of the house of our God. We will also bring the firstfruits of our grain offerings, of every fruit tree, and of the new wine and oil.^(y) A tenth of our land's produce belongs to the Levites, for the Levites are to collect the one-tenth offering in all our agricultural towns.^(z)

A priest of Aaronic descent must accompany the Levites when they collect the tenth,^(aa) and the Levites must take a tenth of this offering to the storerooms of the treasury in the house of our God.^(ab)

For the Israelites and the Levites are to bring the contributions of grain, new wine, and oil to the storerooms where the articles of the sanctuary are kept^(ac) and where the priests who minister are, along with the gatekeepers and singers. We will not neglect the house of our God.^(ad)

Now the leaders of the people stayed in Jerusalem,^(a) and the rest of the people cast lots^(b) for one out of ten to come and live in Jerusalem, the holy city,^(c) while the other nine-tenths remained in their towns.^(d)

The people praised all the men who volunteered^(e) to live in Jerusalem.

These are the heads of the province who stayed in Jerusalem^(f) (but in the villages of Judah each lived on his own property in their towns^(g)—the Israelites, priests, Levites, temple servants, and descendants of Solomon's servants^(h)—

while some of the descendants of Judah and Benjamin settled in Jerusalem): Judah's⁽ⁱ⁾ descendants: Athaiah son of Uzziah, son of Zechariah, son of Amariah, son of Shephatiah, son of Mahalalel, of Perez's descendants;

and Maaseiah son of Baruch, son of Col-hozeh, son of Hazaiah, son of Adaiah, son of Joiarib, son of Zechariah, a descendant of the Shilonite.

The total number of Perez's descendants, who settled in Jerusalem, was 468 capable men.

These were Benjamin's descendants: Sallu son of Meshullam, son of Joed, son of Pedaiah, son of Kolaiah, son of Maaseiah, son of Ithiel, son of Jeshaiah,

and after him Gabbai and Sallai: 928.

Joel son of Zichri was the officer over them, and Judah son of Hassenuah was second in command over the city.

The priests: Jedaiah son of Joiarib, Jachin, and

Seraiah son of Hilkiah, son of Meshullam, son of Zadok, son of Meraioth, son of Ahitub, the chief official of God's temple,

and their relatives who did the work at the temple: 822. Adaiah son of Jeroham, son of Pelaliah, son of Amzi, son of Zechariah, son of Pashhur, son of Malchijah

and his relatives, the leaders of families: 242. Amashsai son of Azarel, son of Ahzai, son of Meshillemoth, son of Immer,

and their relatives, capable men: 128. Zabdiel son of Haggedolim, was their chief.

The Levites: Shemaiah son of Hasshub, son of Azrikam, son of Hashabiah, son of Bunni;

and Shabbethai and Jozabad, from the leaders of the Levites, who supervised the work outside the house of God;

Mattaniah son of Mica, son of Zabdi, son of Asaph, the leader who began the thanksgiving in prayer;^(j) Bakbukiah, second among his relatives; and Abda son of Shammua, son of Galal, son of Jeduthun.^(k)

All the Levites in the holy city:^(l) 284.

The gatekeepers: Akkub, Talmon, and their relatives, who guarded the gates: 172.

The rest of Israel, the priests, and the Levites were in all the villages of Judah, each on his own inherited property.^(m)

The temple servants lived on Ophel;^[a](n) Ziha and Gishpa supervised the temple servants.

The leader of the Levites in Jerusalem was Uzzi son of Bani, son of Hashabiah, son of Mattaniah, son of Mica, of the descendants of Asaph, who were singers for the service of God's house.

There was, in fact, a command of the king regarding them, and an ordinance regulating^[b] the singers'^(o) daily tasks.

Pethahiah son of Meshezabel, of the descendants of Zerah^(p) son of Judah, was the king's^(q) agent^[c] in every matter concerning the people.

As for the farming settlements with their fields: Some of Judah's descendants lived in Kiriath-arba^(r) and its villages, Dibon^(s) and its villages, and Jekabzeel and its villages;

in Jeshua, Moladah,^(t) Beth-pelet,

Hazar-shual, and Beer-sheba^(u) and its villages;

in Ziklag^(v) and Meconah and its villages;

in En-rimmon, Zorah,^(w) Jarmuth,^(x) and

Zanoah^(y) and Adullam with their villages; in Lachish^(z) with its fields and Azekah^(aa) and its villages. So they settled from Beer-sheba^(ab) to the Valley of Hinnom.^(ac)

Benjamin's descendants: from Geba,^[d](ad) Michmash,^(ae) Aija, and Bethel^(af)—and its villages,

Anathoth,^(ag) Nob,^(ah) Ananiah,

Hazor,^(ai) Ramah,^(aj) Gittaim,^(ak)

Hadid, Zeboim,^(al) Neballat,

Lod, and Ono,^(am) the Valley of Craftsmen.

Some of the Judean divisions of Levites were in Benjamin.

lass="passage-text">

lass="passage-text">

lass="passage-text">

lass="passage-text">

lass="passage-text">

lass="passage-text">

lass="passage-text">

lass="passage-text">

lass="passage-text">

lass="passage-text">

lass="passage-text">

lass="passage-text">

lass="passage-text">

lass="passage-text">

lass="passage-text">

lass="passage-text">

lass="passage-text">

lass="passage-text">

lass="passage-text">

lass="passage-text">

lass="passage-text">

lass="passage-text">

lass="passage-text">

lass="passage-text">

lass="passage-text">

lass="passage-text">

lass="passage-text">

lass="passage-text">

lass="passage-text">

lass="passage-text">

lass="passage-text">

lass="passage-text">

lass="passage-text">

lass="passage-text">

lass="passage-text">

lass="passage-text">

lass="passage-text">

lass="passage-text">

lass="passage-text">

lass="passage-text">

lass="passage-text">

lass="passage-text">

lass="passage-text">

lass="passage-text">

lass="passage-text">

lass="passage-text">

At that time^(a) the book of Moses^(b) was read publicly to^[a] the people.^(c) The command was found written in it that no Ammonite or Moabite^(d) should ever enter the assembly of God,^(e)

because they did not meet the Israelites with food and water. Instead, they hired Balaam against them to curse them,^(f) but our God turned the curse into a blessing.^(g)

When they heard the law, they separated all those of mixed descent^(h) from Israel.

Now before this, Eliashib the priest⁽ⁱ⁾ had been put in charge of the storerooms of the house of our God.^(j) He was a relative^[b] of Tobiah^(k)

and had prepared a large room for him where they had previously stored the grain offerings, the frankincense, the articles, and the tenths of grain, new wine, and oil^(l) prescribed for the Levites, singers, and gatekeepers, along with the contributions for the priests.^(m)

While all this was happening, I was not in Jerusalem, because I had returned to King Artaxerxes⁽ⁿ⁾ of Babylon^(o) in the thirty-second year of his reign.^(p) It was only later that I asked the king for a leave of absence^(q)

so I could return to Jerusalem. Then I discovered the evil that Eliashib had done on behalf of Tobiah by providing him a room in the courts of God's house.

I was greatly displeased and threw all of Tobiah's household possessions out of the room.

I ordered that the rooms be purified,^(r) and I had the articles of the house of God restored there, along with the grain offering and frankincense.^(s)

I also found out that because the portions for the Levites had not been given,^(t) each of the Levites and the singers performing the service had gone back to his own field.^(u)

Therefore, I rebuked the officials, saying, "Why has the house of God been neglected?"^(v) I gathered the Levites and singers together and stationed them at their posts.^(w)

Then all Judah brought a tenth of the grain, new wine, and oil into the storehouses.^(x)

I appointed as treasurers over the storehouses Shelemiah the priest, Zadok the scribe, and Pedaiah of the Levites, with Hanan son of Zaccur, son of Mattaniah to assist them, because they were considered trustworthy.^(y) They were responsible for the distribution to their colleagues.^(z)

Remember me for this, my God, and don't erase the deeds of faithful love I have done for the house of my God and for its services.^(aa)

At that time I saw people in Judah treading wine presses on the Sabbath. They were also bringing in stores of grain and loading them on donkeys, along with wine, grapes, and figs. All kinds of goods were being brought to Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. So I warned them against selling food on that day.^(ab)

The Tyrians living there were importing fish and all kinds of merchandise and selling them on the Sabbath to the people of Judah in Jerusalem.^(ac)

I rebuked the nobles of Judah and said to them: "What is this evil you are doing—profaning the Sabbath day?^(ad)

Didn't your ancestors do the same, so that our God brought all this disaster on us and on this city?^(ae) And now you are rekindling His anger against Israel by profaning the Sabbath!"

When shadows began to fall on the gates of Jerusalem just before the Sabbath, I gave orders that the gates be closed and not opened until after the Sabbath.^(af) I posted some of my men at the gates, so that no goods could enter during the Sabbath day.^(ag)

Once or twice the merchants and those who sell all kinds of goods camped outside Jerusalem,

but I warned them, "Why are you camping in front of the wall? If you do it again, I'll use force^[c] against you." After that they did not come again on the Sabbath.

Then I instructed the Levites to purify themselves^(ah) and guard the gates in order to keep the Sabbath day holy.^(ai) Remember me for this also, my God,^(aj) and look on me with compassion in keeping with Your abundant, faithful love.^(ak)

In those days I also saw Jews who had married women from Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab.^(al)

Half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod or the language of one of the other peoples but could not speak Hebrew.^[d](am)

I rebuked them, cursed them, beat some of their men, and pulled out their hair.^(an) I forced them to take an oath^(ao) before God and said: "You must not give your daughters in marriage to their sons or take their daughters as wives for your sons or yourselves!^(ap)

Didn't King Solomon of Israel sin in matters like this? There was not a king like him among many nations. He was loved by his God and God made him king over all Israel, yet foreign women drew him into sin.^(aq)

Why then should we hear about you doing all this terrible evil and acting unfaithfully against our God by marrying foreign women?"^(ar)

Even one of the sons of Jehoiada, son of Eliashib the high priest,^(as) had become a son-in-law to Sanballat the Horonite.^(at) So I drove him away from me.^(au)

Remember them, my God, for defiling the priesthood as well as the covenant of the priesthood and the Levites.^(av)

So I purified them from everything foreign^(aw) and assigned specific duties to each of the priests and Levites.^(ax)

I also arranged for the donation of wood at the appointed times and for the firstfruits.^(ay) Remember me, my God, with favor.^(az)