Study Desk

And the rulers of the Levites were Hashabiah, Sherebiah, and Jeshua the son of Kadmiel, with their brothers next to them, to praise, to give thanks according to the command of David the man of God, watch by watch.

and his brothers, Shemaiah, and Azareel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethaneel, and Judah, Hanani, with the musical instruments of David the man of God. And Ezra the scribe was before them.

So the two thanksgiving choirs stood in the house of God, and I, and half of the rulers with me.

And that day they offered great sacrifices, and rejoiced. For God had made them rejoice with great joy. And the wives, and the children rejoiced so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard even at a distance.

And both the singers and the gatekeepers kept the watch of their God, and the watch of the cleansing, according to the command of David, of his son Solomon.

For in the past days of David and Asaph, there were heads of the singers, and songs of praise and thanksgiving to God.

On that day they read in the Book of Moses in the ears of the people. And it was found written in it that the Ammonite and the Moabite should not come into the congregation of God forever,

because they did not meet the sons of Israel with bread and water, but hired Balaam against them to curse them. But our God turned the curse to a blessing.

And before this, Eliashib the priest, who was set over the rooms of the house of our God, who was related to Tobiah,

And I came to Jerusalem, and understood the evil which Eliashib did for Tobiah, in preparing a room for him in the courts of the house of God.

Then I commanded, and they purified the rooms. And I returned there the vessels of the house of God, with the food offering and the frankincense.

Then I contended with the rulers, and said, Why is the house of God forsaken? And I gathered them and set them in their place.

Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and do not wipe out my good deeds which I have done for the house of my God, and in its keeping.

Did not your fathers do this, and did not our God bring all this evil on us and on this city? Yet you bring more wrath on Israel by defiling the Sabbath.

And I said to the Levites that they should be cleansing themselves, and they should come guarding the gates, to sanctify the Sabbath day. O my God, remember me for this also and spare me according to the greatness of Your mercy.

And I contended with them, and put a curse on them, and struck some of them, and I plucked their hair. And I made them swear by the name of God, saying, You shall not give your daughter totheir sons, nor take their daughters to yoursons, or for yourselves.

Did not Solomon king of Israel sin by these things? Yet among many nations there was no king like him, who was beloved by his God; and God made him king over Israel. But women from other lands caused even him to sin.

Shall we then listen to you, to do this great evil, to sin against our God in living with foreign women?

Remember them, O my God, because they have defiled the priesthood, and the covenant of the priesthood and of the Levites.

and for the wood offering, at appointed times, and for the firstfruits. Remember me, O my God, for good!