Study Desk

Later, I went to the house of Shemaiah son of Delaiah, the son of Mehetabel, who was confined to his house. He said: "Let us meet at the house of God inside the temple. Let us shut the temple doors because they are coming to kill you-by night they are coming to kill you!"

But I replied, "Should a man like me run away? Should one like me go into the temple to save his own life? I will not go!"

For many in Judah were bound by oath to him, since he was a son-in-law of Shecaniah son of Arah, and his son Jehohanan had married the daughter of Meshullam son of Berechiah.

These are the people of the province who came up from the captivity of the exiles carried away to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar its king. They returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his own town,

Ezra the scribe stood on a high wooden platform built for this occasion. At his right side stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah, and at his left were Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hash-baddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam.

You found his heart faithful before You, and made a covenant with him to give the land of the Canaanites and Hittites, of the Amorites and Perizzites, of the Jebusites and Girgashites, to give it to his descendants. You have kept Your promise, because You are righteous.

You performed signs and wonders against Pharaoh, all his officials, and all the people of his land, for You knew that they had acted with arrogance against our fathers. You made a name for Yourself that endures to this day.

So now, our God, the great and mighty and awesome God who keeps His gracious covenant, do not view lightly all the hardship that has come upon us, and upon our kings and leaders, our priests and prophets, our ancestors and all Your people, from the days of the kings of Assyria until today.

hereby join with their noble brothers and commit themselves with a sworn oath to follow the Law of God given through His servant Moses and to carefully obey all the commandments, ordinances, and statutes of the LORD our Lord.

These are the heads of the provinces who settled in Jerusalem (but in the villages of Judah each lived on his own property in their towns-the Israelites, priests, Levites, temple servants, and descendants of Solomon's servants-

and his followers Gabbai and Sallai-928 men.

and his associates, the leaders of families-242 men; and Amashai son of Azarel, the son of Ahzai, the son of Meshillemoth, the son of Immer;

and his associates-128 mighty warriors. Zabdiel son of Haggedolim was their overseer.

Mattaniah son of Mica, the son of Zabdi, the son of Asaph, who led in thanksgiving and prayer; Bakbukiah, second among his associates; and Abda son of Shammua, the son of Galal, the son of Jeduthun.

The rest of the Israelites, with the priests and Levites, were in all the villages of Judah, each on his own inheritance.

The Levites were Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and Mattaniah, who, with his associates, led the songs of thanksgiving.

and his associates-Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah, and Hanani-with the musical instruments prescribed by David the man of God. Ezra the scribe led the procession.

They performed the service of their God and the service of purification, along with the singers and gatekeepers, as David and his son Solomon had prescribed.

While all this was happening, I was not in Jerusalem, because I had returned to King Artaxerxes of Babylon in the thirty-second year of his reign. Some time later I obtained leave from the king

Did not your forefathers do the same things, so that our God brought all this disaster on us and on this city? And now you are rekindling His wrath against Israel by profaning the Sabbath!"