Study Desk

^[a]Now on the ^(a)sealed document were the names of: Nehemiah the ^[b]governor, the son of Hacaliah, and Zedekiah,

Seraiah, Azariah, Jeremiah,

Pashhur, Amariah, Malchijah,

Hattush, Shebaniah, Malluch,

Harim, Meremoth, Obadiah,

Daniel, Ginnethon, Baruch,

Meshullam, Abijah, Mijamin,

Maaziah, Bilgai, Shemaiah. These were the priests.

And the Levites: Jeshua the son of Azaniah, Binnui of the sons of Henadad, Kadmiel;

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

Mica, Rehob, Hashabiah,

Zaccur, Sherebiah, Shebaniah,

Hodiah, Bani, Beninu.

The leaders of the people: Parosh, Pahath-moab, Elam, Zattu, Bani,

Bunni, Azgad, Bebai,

Adonijah, Bigvai, Adin,

Ater, Hezekiah, Azzur,

Hodiah, Hashum, Bezai,

Hariph, Anathoth, Nebai,

Magpiash, Meshullam, Hezir,

Meshezabel, Zadok, Jaddua,

Pelatiah, Hanan, Anaiah,

Hoshea, Hananiah, Hasshub,

Hallohesh, Pilha, Shobek,

Rehum, Hashabnah, Maaseiah,

Ahiah, Hanan, Anan,

Malluch, Harim, Baanah.

Now ^(b)the rest of the people, the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, the temple servants and ^(c)all those who had separated themselves from the peoples of the lands to the law of God, their wives, their sons and their daughters, all those who had knowledge and understanding,

are joining with their ^[c]kinsmen, their nobles, and are ^[d](d)taking on themselves a curse and an oath to walk in God's law, which was given through Moses, God's servant, and to keep and to observe all the commandments of ^[e] God our Lord, and His ordinances and His statutes;

and ^(e)that we will not give our daughters to the peoples of the land or take their daughters for our sons.

As ^(f)for the peoples of the land who bring wares or any grain on the sabbath day to sell, we will not buy from them on the sabbath or a holy day; and we will forego the crops the ^(g)seventh year and the ^(h)exaction of every debt.

We also ^[f]placed ourselves under obligation to contribute yearly ⁽ⁱ⁾one third of a shekel for the service of the house of our God:

for the ^(j)showbread, for the continual grain offering, for the continual burnt offering, the sabbaths, the new moon, for the appointed times, for the holy things and for the sin offerings to make atonement for Israel, and all the work of the house of our God.

Likewise ^(k)we cast lots ^(l)for the supply of wood among the priests, the Levites and the people so that they might bring it to the house of our God, according to our fathers' households, at fixed times annually, to burn on the altar of the Lord our God, as it is written in the law;

and that they might bring the first fruits of our ground and ^(m)the first fruits of all the fruit of every tree to the house of the Lord annually,

and ⁽ⁿ⁾bring to the house of our God the firstborn of our sons and of our cattle, and the firstborn of our herds and our flocks as it is written in the law, for the priests who are ministering in the house of our God.

^(o)We will also bring the first of our ^[g]dough, our contributions, the fruit of every tree, the new wine and the oil ^(p)to the priests at the chambers of the house of our God, and the ^(q)tithe of our ground to the Levites, for the Levites are they who receive the tithes in all the rural towns.

^(r)The priest, the son of Aaron, shall be with the Levites when the Levites receive tithes, and the Levites shall bring up the tenth of the tithes to the house of our God, to the chambers of ^(s)the storehouse.

For the sons of Israel and the sons of Levi shall bring the ^(t)contribution of the grain, the new wine and the oil to the chambers; there are the utensils of the sanctuary, the priests who are ministering, the gatekeepers and the singers. Thus ^(u)we will not ^[h]neglect the house of our God.

Now ^(a)the leaders of the people lived in Jerusalem, but the rest of the people ^(b)cast lots to bring one out of ten to live in Jerusalem, ^(c)the holy city, while nine-tenths remained in the other cities.

And the people blessed all the men who ^(d)volunteered to live in Jerusalem.

^(e)Now these are the heads of the provinces who lived in Jerusalem, but in the cities of Judah ^(f)each lived on his own property in their cities—the ^[a]Israelites, the priests, the Levites, the ^[b](g)temple servants and the ^[c](h)descendants of Solomon's servants.

Some of the sons of Judah and some of the sons of Benjamin lived in Jerusalem. From the sons of Judah: Athaiah the son of Uzziah, the son of Zechariah, the son of Amariah, the son of Shephatiah, the son of Mahalalel, of the sons of Perez;

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

All the sons of Perez who lived in Jerusalem were 468 able men.

Now these are the sons of Benjamin: Sallu the son of Meshullam, the son of Joed, the son of Pedaiah, the son of Kolaiah, the son of Maaseiah, the son of Ithiel, the son of Jeshaiah;

and after him Gabbai and Sallai, 928.

Joel the son of Zichri was their overseer, and Judah the son of Hassenuah was second ^[d]in command of the city.

From the priests: Jedaiah the son of Joiarib, Jachin,

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

and their ^[e]kinsmen who performed the work of the ^[f]temple, 822; and Adaiah the son of Jeroham, the son of Pelaliah, the son of Amzi, the son of Zechariah, the son of Pashhur, the son of Malchijah,

and his kinsmen, heads of fathers' households, 242; and Amashsai the son of Azarel, the son of Ahzai, the son of Meshillemoth, the son of Immer,

and their brothers, valiant warriors, 128. And their overseer was Zabdiel, the son of ^[g]Haggedolim.

Now from the Levites: Shemaiah the son of Hasshub, the son of Azrikam, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Bunni;

and Shabbethai and Jozabad, from the ^[h]leaders of the Levites, who were ^[i]in charge of ⁽ⁱ⁾the outside work of the house of God;

and Mattaniah the son of Mica, the son of ^[j]Zabdi, the son of Asaph, who was the ^[k]leader in beginning the thanksgiving at prayer, and Bakbukiah, the second among his brethren; and ^[l]Abda the son of ^[m]Shammua, the son of Galal, the son of Jeduthun.

All the Levites in ^(j)the holy city were 284.

Also the gatekeepers, Akkub, Talmon and their brethren who kept watch at the gates, were 172.

The rest of Israel, of the priests and of the Levites, were in all the cities of Judah, each ^(k)on his own inheritance.

But ^(l)the temple servants were living in Ophel, and Ziha and Gishpa were ^[n]in charge of the temple servants.

Now ^(m)the overseer of the Levites in Jerusalem was Uzzi the son of Bani, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Mica, from the sons of Asaph, who were the singers for the ^[o]service of the house of God.

⁽ⁿ⁾For there was a commandment from the king concerning them and a firm regulation for the song leaders ^(o)day by day.

Pethahiah the son of Meshezabel, of the sons ^(p)of Zerah the son of Judah, was the ^(q)king's ^[p]representative in all matters concerning the people.

Now as for the villages with their fields, some of the sons of Judah lived in ^(r)Kiriath-arba and its ^[q]towns, in ^(s)Dibon and its ^[r]towns, and in Jekabzeel and its villages,

and in Jeshua, in Moladah and Beth-pelet,

and in Hazar-shual, in Beersheba and its towns,

and in Ziklag, in Meconah and in its towns,

and in En-rimmon, in Zorah and in Jarmuth,

Zanoah, Adullam, and their villages, Lachish and its fields, Azekah and its towns. So they encamped from Beersheba as far as the valley of Hinnom.

The sons of Benjamin also lived from Geba onward, at Michmash and Aija, at Bethel and its towns,

at Anathoth, Nob, Ananiah,

Hazor, Ramah, Gittaim,

Hadid, Zeboim, Neballat,

Lod and Ono, the valley of craftsmen.

From the Levites, some divisions in Judah belonged to Benjamin.

Now these are ^(a)the priests and the Levites who came up with Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua: Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra,

Amariah, Malluch, Hattush,

Shecaniah, Rehum, Meremoth,

Iddo, Ginnethoi, Abijah,

Mijamin, Maadiah, Bilgah,

Shemaiah and Joiarib, Jedaiah,

Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah and Jedaiah. These were the heads of the priests and their ^[a]kinsmen in the days of Jeshua.

The Levites were Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and Mattaniah who was ^[b]in charge of the songs of thanksgiving, he and his brothers.

Also Bakbukiah and Unni, their brothers, stood opposite them ^(b)in their service divisions.

Jeshua ^[c]became the father of Joiakim, and Joiakim ^[d]became the father of Eliashib, and Eliashib ^[e]became the father of Joiada,

and Joiada became the father of Jonathan, and Jonathan became the father of Jaddua.

Now in the days of Joiakim, the priests, the heads of fathers' households were: of Seraiah, Meraiah; of Jeremiah, Hananiah;

of Ezra, Meshullam; of Amariah, Jehohanan;

of ^[f]Malluchi, Jonathan; of Shebaniah, Joseph;

of Harim, Adna; of Meraioth, Helkai;

of Iddo, Zechariah; of Ginnethon, Meshullam;

of Abijah, Zichri; of Miniamin, of Moadiah, Piltai;

of Bilgah, Shammua; of Shemaiah, Jehonathan;

of Joiarib, Mattenai; of Jedaiah, Uzzi;

of Sallai, Kallai; of Amok, Eber;

of Hilkiah, Hashabiah; of Jedaiah, Nethanel.

As for the Levites, the heads of fathers' households were registered in the days of Eliashib, Joiada, and Johanan and Jaddua; so were the priests in the reign of Darius the Persian.

The sons of Levi, the heads of fathers' households, were registered in the Book of the Chronicles up to the days of Johanan the son of Eliashib.

The heads of the Levites were Hashabiah, Sherebiah and Jeshua the son of Kadmiel, with their brothers opposite them, ^(c)to praise and give thanks, ^[g]as prescribed by David the man of God, ^(d)division corresponding to division.

Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon and Akkub were gatekeepers keeping watch at ^(e)the storehouses of the gates.

These served in the days of Joiakim the son of Jeshua, the son of Jozadak, and in the days of ^(f)Nehemiah the governor and of Ezra the priest and scribe.

Now at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought out the Levites from all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem so that they might celebrate the dedication with gladness, with hymns of thanksgiving and with songs ^(g)to the accompaniment of cymbals, harps and lyres.

So the sons of the singers were assembled from the district around Jerusalem, and from ^(h)the villages of the Netophathites,

from Beth-gilgal and from their fields in Geba and Azmaveth, for the singers had built themselves villages around Jerusalem.

The priests and the Levites ⁽ⁱ⁾purified themselves; they also purified the people, the gates and the wall.

Then I had the leaders of Judah come up on top of the wall, and I appointed two great ^[h]choirs, ^[i](j)the first proceeding to the right on top of the wall toward ^(k)the Refuse Gate.

Hoshaiah and half of the leaders of Judah followed them,

with Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam,

Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, Jeremiah,

and some of the sons of the priests with trumpets; and Zechariah the son of Jonathan, the son of Shemaiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Micaiah, the son of Zaccur, the son of Asaph,

and his ^[j]kinsmen, Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah and Hanani, ^(l)with the musical instruments of David the man of God. And Ezra the scribe went before them.

At ^(m)the Fountain Gate they went directly up ⁽ⁿ⁾the steps of the city of David by the stairway of the wall above the house of David to ^(o)the Water Gate on the east.

^(p)The second ^[k]choir proceeded to the ^[l]left, while I followed them with half of the people on the wall, ^(q)above the Tower of Furnaces, to ^(r)the Broad Wall,

and above ^(s)the Gate of Ephraim, by ^(t)the Old Gate, by the ^(u)Fish Gate, ^(v)the Tower of Hananel and the Tower of the Hundred, as far as the Sheep Gate; and they stopped at ^(w)the Gate of the Guard.

Then the two choirs took their stand in the house of God. So did I and half of the officials with me;

and the priests, Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah and Hananiah, with the trumpets;

and Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malchijah, Elam and Ezer. And the singers ^[m]sang, with Jezrahiah their leader,

and on that day they offered great sacrifices and rejoiced because ^(x)God had given them great joy, even the women and children rejoiced, so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard from afar.

On that day ^(y)men were also appointed over the chambers for the stores, the contributions, the first fruits and the tithes, to gather into them from the fields of the cities the portions required by the law for the priests and Levites; for Judah rejoiced over the priests and Levites who ^[n]served.

For they performed the ^[o]worship of their God and the service of purification, together with the singers and the gatekeepers ^(z)in accordance with the command of David and of his son Solomon.

For in the days of David and ^(aa)Asaph, in ancient times, there were ^[p](ab)leaders of the singers, songs of praise and hymns of thanksgiving to God.

So all Israel in the days of Zerubbabel and Nehemiah gave the portions due the singers and the gatekeepers ^(ac)as each day required, and ^(ad)set apart the consecrated portion for the Levites, and the Levites set apart the consecrated portion for the sons of Aaron.

On that day ^(a)they read aloud from the book of Moses in the hearing of the people; and there was found written in it that ^(b)no Ammonite or Moabite should ever enter the assembly of God,

because they did not meet the sons of Israel with bread and water, but ^(c)hired Balaam against them to curse them. However, ^(d)our God turned the curse into a blessing.

So when they heard the law, ^(e)they excluded ^(f)all foreigners from Israel.

Now prior to this, Eliashib the priest, ^(g)who was appointed over the chambers of the house of our God, being ^[a]related to ^(h)Tobiah,

had prepared a large ^[b]room for him, where formerly they put the grain offerings, the frankincense, the utensils and the tithes of grain, wine and oil ⁽ⁱ⁾prescribed for the Levites, the singers and the gatekeepers, and the ^[c]contributions for the priests.

But during all this time I was not in Jerusalem, for in ^(j)the thirty-second year of ^(k)Artaxerxes king of Babylon I had gone to the king. After some time, however, I asked leave from the king,

and I came to Jerusalem and ^[d]learned about the evil that Eliashib had done for Tobiah, ^(l)by preparing a ^[e]room for him in the courts of the house of God.

It was very displeasing to me, so I ^(m)threw all of Tobiah's household goods out of the room.

Then I gave an order and ⁽ⁿ⁾they cleansed the rooms; and I returned there the utensils of the house of God with the grain offerings and the frankincense.

I also ^[f]discovered that ^(o)the portions of the Levites had not been given them, so that the Levites and the singers who performed the service had ^[g]gone away, ^(p)each to his own field.

So I ^[h](q)reprimanded the officials and said, "^(r)Why is the house of God forsaken?" Then I gathered them together and restored them to their posts.

All Judah then brought ^(s)the tithe of the grain, wine and oil into the storehouses.

In charge of the storehouses I appointed Shelemiah the priest, Zadok the scribe, and Pedaiah of the Levites, and in addition to them was Hanan the son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah; for ^(t)they were considered reliable, and it was ^[i]their task to distribute to their ^[j]kinsmen.

^(u)Remember me for this, O my God, and do not blot out my loyal deeds which I have performed for the house of my God and its services.

In those days I saw in Judah some who were treading wine presses ^(v)on the sabbath, and bringing in sacks of grain and loading them on donkeys, as well as wine, grapes, figs and all kinds of loads, ^(w)and they brought them into Jerusalem on the sabbath day. So ^(x)I admonished them on the day they sold food.

Also men of Tyre were living ^[k]there who imported fish and all kinds of merchandise, and sold them to the sons of Judah on the sabbath, even in Jerusalem.

Then ^(y)I ^[l]reprimanded the nobles of Judah and said to them, "What is this evil thing you are doing, ^[m]by profaning the sabbath day?

^(z)Did not your fathers do the same, so that our God brought on us and on this city all this trouble? Yet you are adding to the wrath on Israel by profaning the sabbath."

^(aa)It came about that just as it grew dark at the gates of Jerusalem before the sabbath, I commanded that the doors should be shut ^[n]and that they should not open them until after the sabbath. Then I stationed some of my servants at the gates so that no load would enter on the sabbath day.

Once or twice the traders and merchants of every kind of merchandise spent the night outside Jerusalem.

Then ^(ab)I ^[o]warned them and said to them, "Why do you spend the night in front of the wall? If you do so again, I will ^[p]use force against you." From that time on they did not come on the sabbath.

And I commanded the Levites that ^(ac)they should purify themselves and come as gatekeepers to sanctify the sabbath day. For this also ^(ad)remember me, O my God, and have compassion on me according to the greatness of Your lovingkindness.

In those days I also saw that the Jews had ^[q](ae)married women from ^(af)Ashdod, ^(ag)Ammon and Moab.

As for their children, half spoke in the language of Ashdod, and none of them was able to speak the language of Judah, but ^[r]the language of his own people.

So ^(ah)I contended with them and cursed them and ^(ai)struck some of them and pulled out their hair, and ^(aj)made them swear by God, "You shall not give your daughters to their sons, nor take of their daughters for your sons or for yourselves.

^(ak)Did not Solomon king of Israel sin regarding these things? ^(al)Yet among the many nations there was no king like him, and ^(am)he was loved by his God, and God made him king over all Israel; nevertheless the foreign women caused even him to sin.

^[s]Do we then hear about you that you have committed all this great evil ^(an)by acting unfaithfully against our God by ^[t]marrying foreign women?"

Even one of the sons of Joiada, the son of Eliashib the high priest, was a son-in-law of ^(ao)Sanballat the Horonite, so I drove him away from me.

^(ap)Remember them, O my God, ^[u]because they have defiled the priesthood and the ^(aq)covenant of the priesthood and the Levites.

^(ar)Thus I purified them from everything foreign and appointed duties for the priests and the Levites, each in his task,

and I arranged ^(as)for the supply of wood at appointed times and for the first fruits. ^(at)Remember me, O my God, for good.