Study Desk

are joining with their brothers, their leaders. They all promise and swear to walk in God's Law which was given through Moses, God's servant, and to keep and obey all the Words and Laws of God our Lord.

We also promise to give one-third part of a piece of silver each year for the work of the house of our God.

This will be for the holy bread, the grain and burnt gifts that must be given, for gifts on the Days of Rest, the new moon, and the special times, for the holy gifts, and for the sin gifts to pay for the sins of Israel, and for all the work of the house of our God.

We drew names among the religious leaders, the Levites and the people, by our family groups, for the wood to be brought to the house of our God at certain times each year. It is to be burned on the altar of the Lord our God as it is written in the Law.

We promise to bring to the house of our God the first-born of our sons, animals, cattle and flocks, as it is written in the Law, for the religious leaders who are working in the house of our God.

We will bring the first of our grain, our gifts, the fruit of every tree, the new wine and the oil to the religious leaders in the rooms of the house of our God. And we will bring a tenth part of what we get from our ground to the Levites. For the Levites are the ones who receive a tenth part from all the farming towns.

The religious leader, the son of Aaron, will be with the Levites when they receive a tenth part. And the Levites will bring up a tenth part of all the tenth parts to the rooms of the store-house of the house of our God.

For the sons of Israel and the sons of Levi will bring the gifts of grain, new wine and oil to the store-rooms where the tools of the holy place are kept. The religious leaders who serve, the gate-keepers, and the singers stay here. We will not forget to take care of the house of our God.

These are the leaders of the lands who lived in Jerusalem but in the cities of Judah every one lived on his own land there: Israel, the religious leaders, the Levites, the servants in the house of God, and the children of Solomon's servants.

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

and their brothers who did the work of the house of God, 822 men. And there was Adaiah the son of Jeroham, son of Pelaliah, son of Amzi, son of Zechariah, son of Pashhur, son of Malchijah,

and Shabbethai and Jozabad, from the leaders of the Levites. They watched over the outside work of the house of God.

But the servants of the house of God were living in Ophel. Ziha and Gishpa were over the servants of the house of God.

The one who watched over the Levites in Jerusalem was Uzzi the son of Bani, son of Hashabiah, son of Mattaniah, son of Mica, from the sons of Asaph, the singers for the work of the house of God.

The heads of the Levites were Hashabiah, Sherebiah, and Jeshua the son of Kadmiel, with their brothers beside them. Each group praised and gave thanks, as David the man of God had told them.

At the special time to praise God for the wall of Jerusalem, they looked for all the Levites in the places where they lived and brought them to Jerusalem so they might join them at this special time with happiness. They sang songs of thanks and other songs as timbrels and harps were played.

and his brothers, Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah, and Hanani, with the objects that David the man of God had made for playing music. And Ezra the writer went before them.

Then the two groups stood in the house of God. So did I and half of the leaders with me,

On that day they gave many good gifts and were glad because God had given them great joy. Even the women and children were filled with joy, so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard from far away.

They did the work of their God and the work of making everything clean from sin, together with the singers and the gate-keepers. They did as David and his son Solomon had told them.