Study Desk

and the priest, son of Aaron, hath been with the Levites in the tithing of the Levites, and the Levites bring up the tithe of the tithe to the house of our God unto the chambers, to the treasure-house;

for unto the chambers do they bring in -- the sons of Israel and the sons of Levi -- the heave-offering of the corn, the new wine, and the oil, and there [are] vessels of the sanctuary, and the priests, those ministering, and the gatekeepers, and the singers, and we do not forsake the house of our God.

Seraiah son of Hilkiah, son of Meshullam, son of Zadok, son of Meraioth, son of Ahitub, leader of the house of God,

and Shabbethai, and Jozabad, [are] over the outward work of the house of God, of the heads of the Levites,

And the overseer of the Levites in Jerusalem [is] Uzzi son of Bani, son of Hashabiah, son of Mattaniah, son of Micha: of the sons of Asaph, the singers [are] over-against the work of the house of God,

and heads of the Levites: Hashabiah, Sherebiah, and Jeshua son of Kadmiel, and their brethren, [are] over-against them, to give praise, to give thanks, by command of David the man of God, charge over-against charge.

and his brethren Shemaiah, and Azarael, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethaneel, and Judah, Hanani, with instruments of song of David the man of God, and Ezra the scribe [is] before them;

And the two thanksgiving companies stand in the house of God, and I and half of the prefects with me,

and they sacrifice on that day great sacrifices and rejoice, for God hath made them rejoice [with] great joy, and also, the women and the children have rejoiced, and the joy of Jerusalem is heard -- unto a distance.

And the singers and the gatekeepers keep the charge of their God, even the charge of the cleansing -- according to the command of David [and] Solomon his son,

for in the days of David and Asaph of old [were] heads of the singers, and a song of praise and thanksgiving to God.

On that day there was read in the book of Moses, in the ears of the people, and it hath been found written in it that an Ammonite and Moabite doth not come into the assembly of God -- unto the age,

because they have not come before the sons of Israel with bread and with water, and hire against them Balaam to revile them, and our God turneth the reviling into a blessing.

And before this Eliashib the priest, appointed over chambers of the house of our God, [is] a relation of Tobiah,

and I come in to Jerusalem, and understand concerning the evil that Eliashib hath done for Tobiah, to make to him a chamber in the courts of the house of God,

and I speak, and they cleanse the chambers, and I bring back thither the vessels of the house of God with the present and the frankincense.

And I strive with the prefects, and say, `Wherefore hath the house of God been forsaken?' and I gather them, and set them on their station;

Be mindful of me, O my God, for this, and do not blot out my kind acts that I have done, for the house of my God, and for its charges.

Thus did not your fathers do? and our God bringeth in on us all this evil, and on this city, and ye are adding fierceness on Israel, to pollute the sabbath.'

And I say to the Levites, that they be cleansed, and, coming in, keeping the gates, to sanctify the sabbath-day. Also, this, remember for me, O my God, and have pity on me, according to the abundance of Thy kindness.