1 ¶ The words of aNehemiah the son of Hachaliah. Now it came to pass in the month Chisleu, in the btwentieth year, as I was in cShushan the palace,
2 that dHanani, one of my brethren came, he and some men of Judah. And I asked them concerning the Jews who had survived, who were left from the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem.
3 Then they said to me, “The remnant that is left from the captivity in the eprovince is in great distress and freproach. The gwall of Jerusalem is also hbroken down and its gates are burned with fire.”
4 ¶ Now it came to pass when I heard these words that I sat down and wept. And I mourned many days, and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven.
5 Then I said, “I beseech You, O iLORD God of heaven, the great and jawesome God, kwho keeps Your covenant and mercy for those who love Him and observe His commandments.
6 “Let Your ear now be attentive and lYour eyes open so that You may hear the prayer of your servant that I pray before You now day and night, for the children of Israel Your servants, and mconfess the sins of the children of Israel that we have sinned against You. Both I and my father’s house have sinned.
7 n“We have dealt very corruptly against You and have onot kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the judgments, that You commanded Your servant Moses.
8 “Remember, I beseech You, the word that You commanded Your servant Moses, saying, p‘If you transgress, I will scatter you abroad among the nations.
9 q‘But if you turn to Me and keep My commandments and do them, rthough your outcasts be in the uttermost part of the heavens, yet I will gather them from there and will bring them to the place that I have chosen to set My name.’
10 s“Now these are Your servants and Your people whom You have redeemed by Your great power and by Your strong hand.
11 “O Lord, I beseech You, tlet now Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant and to the prayer of Your servants who udesire to fear Your name. And make Your servant prosper today and grant him compassion before this man.” Now I was the king’s vcupbearer.
Chapter-1 References: a Ne 10:1 b Ne 2:1 c Et 1:1,2,5 d Ne 7:2 e Ne 7:6 f Ne 2:17 g Ne 2:17 h 2 Kg 25:10 i Dn 9:4 j Ne 4:17 k Ex 20:6; 34:6,7 l 2 Ch 6:40 m Dn 9:20 n Dn 9:5 o Dt 28:15 p Lv 26:33 q Dt 4:29-31; 30:2-5 r Dt 30:4 s Dt 9:29 t Ne 1:6 u Is 26:8 v Ne 2:1
1 ¶ Now it came to pass in the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of aArtaxerxes the king, when wine was before him, that bI took up the wine and gave it to the king. Now I had not been sad before in his presence.
2 Therefore, the king said to me, “Why is your countenance sad, seeing you are not sick? This is nothing else but csorrow of heart.” Then I was very afraid.
3 Then I said to the king, d“Let the king live forever. Why should not my countenance be sad when ethe city, the place of my fathers’ tombs, lies in ruins and its gates are consumed by ffire?”
4 Then the king said to me, “For what do you make request?” So I gprayed to the God of heaven.
5 Then I said to the king, “If it please the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers’ tombs so that I may build it.”
6 Then the king said to me, the queen sitting beside him, “For how long will your journey be? And when will you return?” So it pleased the king to send me. And I gave him ha time.
7 Furthermore, I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, let letters be given to me for the igovernors beyond the River so that they allow me to pass through until I come to Judah,
8 “and a letter to Asaph the keeper of the king’s forest so that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the palace that pertains jto the house, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I will occupy.” And the king granted me kaccording to the good hand of my God upon me.
9 ¶ Then I came to the governors beyond the River and gave them the king’s letters. Now the king had sent with me captains of the army and horsemen.
10 When lSanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the Ammonite official, heard about it, it grieved them exceedingly that there had come a man to seek the welfare of the children of Israel.
11 ¶ So I mcame to Jerusalem and was there three days.
12 Then I arose in the night, I and some men with me. I did not tell anyone what my God had put in my heart to do at Jerusalem. Neither was there any animal with me, except the animal upon which I rode.
13 Then I went out by night nby the Valley Gate, even before the Serpent Well, and to the Refuse Gate. And I viewed the walls of Jerusalem that were obroken down, and its gates that were burned by fire.
14 Then I went on to the pFountain Gate and to the qKing’s Pool. But there was no place for the animal that was under me to pass.
15 Then went I up in the night by the rvalley and viewed the wall. And I turned back and entered by the Valley Gate, and so returned.
16 Now the rulers did not know where I had gone or what I did. Neither had I as yet told it to the Jews, nor to the priests, nor to the nobles, nor to the rulers, nor to the rest who did the work.
17 ¶ Then I said to them, “You see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lies waste and its gates are burned with fire. Come and let us build up the wall of Jerusalem so that we no longer be a sreproach.”
18 Then I told them of the thand of my God that was good upon me, as well as the king’s words that he had spoken to me. And they said, “Let us rise up and build.” So they ustrengthened their hands for this good work.
19 But when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arabian, heard it, they mocked us to scorn and despised us. And they said, “What is this thing that you are doing? vWill you rebel against the king?”
20 Then I answered them and said to them, “The God of heaven, He will prosper us. Therefore we His servants will arise and build. wBut you have no heritage or right or memorial in Jerusalem.”
Chapter-2 References: a Er 7:1 b Ne 1:11 c Pv 15:13 d Dn 2:4; 5:10; 6:6,21 e 2 Ch 36:19 f Ne 1:3 g Ne 1:4 h Ne 5:14; 13:6 i Er 7:1; 8:36 j Ne 3:7 k Er 5:5; 7:6,9,28 l Ne 2:19; 4:1 m Er 8:32 n Ne 3:13 o Ne 1:3; 2:17 p Ne 3:15 q 2 Kg 20:20 r 2 Sm 15:23 s Ne 1:3 t Ne 2:8 u 2 Sm 2:7 v Ne 6:6 w Er 4:3
1 ¶ Then aEliashib the high priest rose up with his brethren the priests. And they bbuilt the Sheep Gate. They sanctified it and set up its doors. They sanctified it ceven to the Tower of Meah, even to the Tower of dHananeel.
2 And next to him the emen of Jericho built, and next to them Zaccur the son of Imri built.
3 ¶ Now the sons of Hassenaah built the fFish Gate. They also laid its beams and gset up its doors, the locks and the bars.
4 And next to them hMeremoth the son of Uriah, the son of Hakkoz made repairs. And next to him iMeshullam the son of Berechiah, the son of Meshezabel made repairs. And next to him Zadok, the son of Baana made repairs.
5 And next to them the Tekoites made repairs. But their nobles did not put their shoulders to jthe work of their Lord.
6 ¶ Furthermore, Joiada the son of Paseah, and Meshullam the son of Besodeiah, repaired the kOld Gate. They laid its beams and set up its doors and the locks and the bars.
7 And next to them Melatiah the Gibeonite and Jadon the Meronothite, the lmen of Gibeon and of Mizpah, also made repairs under the official authority of the governor beyond the River.
8 Next to him Uzziel the son of Harhaiah of the goldsmiths made repairs. Next to him also Hananiah the son of one of the perfumers, made repairs. And they fortified Jerusalem as far as the nBroad Wall.
9 And next to them Rephaiah the son of Hur, the ruler of half the district of Jerusalem, made repairs.
10 And next to them Jedaiah the son of Harumaph, made repairs opposite his house. And next to him Hattush the son of Hashabniah made repairs.
11 Malchijah the son of Harim, and Hashub the son of Pahathmoab, repaired the other section and othe Tower of the Furnaces.
12 And next to him Shallum the son of Halohesh, the ruler of half the district of Jerusalem, he and his daughters, made repairs.
13 Hanun and the inhabitants of Zanoah repaired the pValley Gate. They built it and set up its doors, with its locks and bars, and a thousand cubits of the wall as far as the qRefuse Gate.
14 ¶ Now Malchijah the son of Rechab, the official of the district of rBeth Haccerem repaired the Refuse Gate. He built it and set up its doors and locks and bars.
15 ¶ Shallum the son of Colhozeh, the official of the district of Mizpah, repaired the sFountain Gate. He built it and covered it. And he set up its doors, locks and bars, and the wall of the tPool of Shelah by the uKing’s Garden, as far as the steps that go down from the city of David.
16 After him Nehemiah the son of Azbuk, official of half the district of Bethzur, made repairs as far as the place in front of the tombs of David, and to the vman-made pool, and as far as the House of the Mighty.
17 After him the Levites, under Rehum the son of Bani, made repairs. Next to him Hashabiah, the ruler of half the district of Keilah, made repairs for his district.
18 After him their brethren, Bavai the son of Henadad, the ruler of half the district of Keilah, made repairs.
19 And next to him Ezer the son of Jeshua, the ruler of Mizpah, repaired another section in front of the ascent to the armory at the wbuttress.
20 After him Baruch the son of Zabbai earnestly repaired the other section, from the buttress to the door of the house of Eliashib the high priest.
21 After him Meremoth the son of Urijah the son of Koz repaired another section from the door of the house of Eliashib to the end of the house of Eliashib.
22 And after him the priests, the men of the plain made repairs.
23 After him Benjamin and Hashub made repairs in front of their house. After him Azariah the son of Maaseiah the son of Ananiah made repairs by his house.
24 After him xBinnui the son of Henadad repaired another section from the house of Azariah to the ybuttress, even to the corner.
25 Palal the son of Uzai, made repairs opposite the buttress, and the tower that projects from the king’s upper house, that was by the zcourt of the prison. After him Pedaiah the son of Parosh made repairs.
26 Furthermore, the aNethinims dwelling in bOphel made repairs as far as the front of the cWater Gate toward the east and the projecting tower.
27 After them the Tekoites repaired another section opposite the great tower that projects out even to the wall of Ophel.
28 The priests made repairs from above the dHorse Gate, each one in front of his house.
29 After them Zadok the son of Immer made repairs in front of his house. After him also Shemaiah the son of Shechaniah, the keeper of the East Gate, made repairs.
30 After him Hananiah the son of Shelemiah, and Hanun the sixth son of Zalaph, repaired another section. After him Meshullam the son of Berechiah made repairs in front of his dwelling.
31 After him Malchiah the goldsmith’s son made repairs as far as the place of the Nethinims and of the merchants, in front of the Gate Miphkad and as far as the upper room at the corner.
32 And between the upper room of the corner to the eSheep Gate, the goldsmiths and the merchants made repairs.
Chapter-3 References: a Ne 3:20; 12:10; 13:4,7,28 b Jn 5:2 c Ne 12:39 d Jr 31:38 e Ne 7:36 f Zp 1:10 g Ne 6:1; 7:1 h Er 8:33 i Er 10:15 j Jg 5:23 k Ne 12:39 l Ne 7:25 m Ne 2:7-9 n Ne 12:38 o Ne 12:38 p Ne 2:13,15 q Ne 2:13 r Jr 6:1 s Ne 2:14 t Is 8:6 u 2 Kg 25:4 v 2 Kg 20:20 w 2 Ch 26:9 x Er 8:33 y Ne 3:19 z Jr 32:2; 33:1; 37:21 a Ne 11:21 b 2 Ch 27:3 c Ne 8:1,3; 12:37 d 2 Ch 23:15 e Ne 3:1; 12:39
1 ¶ But it came to pass awhen Sanballat heard that we were building the wall, he was furious and very angry and mocked the Jews.
2 Then he spoke before his brethren and the army of Samaria. And he said, “What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they fortify themselves? Will they sacrifice? Will they finish in a day? Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish that are burned?”
3 Now bTobiah the Ammonite was near him. And he said, “Even what they build, if a fox goes up on it he will break down their stone wall.”
4 ¶ cHear, O our God, for we are despised. dTurn their reproach upon their own head and give them up for plunder in the land of captivity.
5 eAnd do not cover their iniquity. And do not let their sin be blotted out from before You. For they have provoked You to anger before the builders.
6 ¶ So we built the wall. And all the wall was joined together unto half its height. For the people had a mind to work.
7 Now it came to pass fwhen Sanballat and Tobiah and the gArabians and the Ammonites and the Ashdodites, heard that the walls of Jerusalem were repaired and that the breaches began to be stopped, then they were very furious.
8 And all of them hconspired together to come and to fight against Jerusalem and to hinder it.
9 Nevertheless, iwe made our prayer to our God. And because of them we set a watch against them day and night.
10 ¶ And Judah said, “The strength of the laborers is failing. There is so much rubbish that we are not able to build the wall.”
11 And our adversaries said, “They will not know or see until we come into their midst and slay them and cause the work to cease.”
12 Now it came to pass when the Jews who dwelt by them came, they said to us ten times, “From whatever place you turn, they will be upon us.”
13 ¶ Therefore, I stationed men in the lower places behind the wall and on the higher places. I stationed the people after their families with their swords, their spears and their bows.
14 And I looked and rose up and said to the nobles and to the rulers and to the rest of the people, j“Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord who is kgreat and awesome, and lfight for your brothers, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your houses.”
15 ¶ Now it came to pass when our enemies heard that it was known to us, and mGod had brought their counsel to nothing, that all of us returned to the wall, each one to his work.
16 Then it came to pass from that time on that half of my servants carried on in the work and the other half held the spears, the shields and the bows and the breastplates. And the rulers were behind the whole house of Judah.
17 Those who built on the wall and those who carried burdens, loaded themselves, each one with one of his hands doing the work and with the other holding a weapon.
18 For every builder had his sword girded by his side, and so he built. And he who sounded the trumpet was by me.
19 ¶ And I said to the nobles and to the rulers and to the rest of the people, “The work is great and extensive, and we are separated upon the wall one far from another.
20 “In whatever place you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally to us there. nOur God will fight for us.”
21 ¶ So we labored in the work. Half of them held the spears from the dawn until the stars appeared.
22 At the same time I said to the people, “Let everyone with his servant spend the night inside Jerusalem so that they may be our guard by night and a working party by day.”
23 So neither I nor my brethren, nor my servants, nor the men of the guard who followed me, none of us put off our clothes, except that everyone put them off for washing.
Chapter-4 References: a Ne 2:10,19 b Ne 2:10,19 c Ps 123:3,4 d Ps 79:12 e Jr 18:23 f Ne 4:1 g Ne 2:19 h Ps 83:3-5 i Ps 50:15 j Dt 1:29 k Dt 10:17 l 2 Sm 10:12 m Jb 5:12 n Ex 14:14,25
1 ¶ And there was a great aoutcry from the people and their wives against their bbrethren the Jews.
2 For there were those who said, “We, our sons and our daughters, are many. Therefore, let us take grain so that we may eat and live.”
3 There were also some who said, “We have mortgaged our lands, vineyards and houses, so that we might buy grain, because of the famine.”
4 There were also those who said, “We have borrowed money for the king’s tax on our lands and vineyards.
5 “Yet now cour flesh is as the flesh of our brethren, our children as their children. And behold, dwe bring into bondage our sons and our daughters to be servants. And some of our daughters are already brought into bondage. Neither is it in our power to redeem them, for other men have our lands and vineyards.”
6 ¶ And I was very angry when I heard their outcry and these words.
7 After I consulted with myself, then I rebuked the nobles and the rulers. And I said to them, e“Each of you are exacting usury from your brethren.” And I held a great assembly against them.
8 Then I said to them, “After our ability we have fredeemed our brethren the Jews who were sold to the nations. And now will you sell your brothers? Or, will they be sold to us?” Then they held their peace and found nothing to answer.
9 Then I said, “It is not good what you do. Ought you not to walk gin the fear of our God hbecause of the reproach of the nations, our enemies?
10 “Likewise I, my brethren and my servants, might exact from them money and grain. Please let us stop this usury.
11 “Please, give back to them this very day their lands, their vineyards, their oliveyards and their houses, also the hundredth part of the money and of the grain, the wine and the oil that you are exacting from them.”
12 Then they said, “We will restore them and will require nothing from them. So we will do as you say.” Then I called the priests and itook an oath from them so that they should do according to this promise.
13 I also jshook out the front of my garment and said, “So God shake out every man from his house and from his labor, who does not perform this promise, even thus may he be shaken out and emptied.” And all the assembly said, “Amen!” And they praised the LORD. kThen the people did according to this promise.
14 ¶ Furthermore, from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year even to the lthirty-second year of Artaxerxes the king, that is, twelve years, I and my brethren have not meaten the bread of the governor.
15 But the former governors who had been before me laid burdens on the people, and had taken from them bread and wine, beside forty shekels of silver. Even their servants dominated over the people. nBut I did not because of the ofear of God.
16 I also continued in the pwork of this wall. We did not buy any land. And all my servants were gathered there to the work.
17 Furthermore, there were qat my table 150 of the Jews and rulers, besides those who came to us from among the nations that were around us.
18 Now rwhat was prepared for me daily was one ox and six choice sheep, also birds were prepared for me, and once in ten days all sorts of wine. Yet for all this sI did not require the bread of the governor because the bondage was heavy on this people.
19 ¶ tRemember me, my God, for good, according to all that I have done for this people.
Chapter-5 References: a Ne 5:7,8 b Dt 15:7 c Is 58:7 d Ex 21:7 e Ex 22:25 f Lv 25:48 g Lv 25:36 h 2 Sm 12:14 i Er 10:5 j At 13:51; 18:6 k 2 Kg 23:3 l Ne 2:1; 13:6 m 1 Co 9:4-15 n 2 Co 11:9; 12:13 o Ne 5:9 p Ne 4:1; 6:1 q 1 Kg 18:19 r 1 Kg 4:22 s Ne 5:14,15 t Ne 13:14,22,31
1 ¶ Now it came to pass awhen Sanballat, and Tobiah and Geshem the Arabian, and the rest of our enemies, heard that I had built the wall, and that there was no breach left in it, bthough at that time I had not set up the doors on the gates,
2 that Sanballat and Geshem csent to me, saying, “Come, let us meet together in one of the villages in the plain of dOno.” But they ethought to do harm to me.
3 And I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work so that I cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and come down to you?”
4 But they sent to me four times after this manner, and I answered them after the same manner.
5 Then Sanballat sent his servant to me in like manner the fifth time with an open letter in his hand.
6 In it was written, “It is reported among the nations, and Gashmu says, that you and the Jews are planning to rebel. Therefore, you are building the wall fso that you may be their king, according to these words.
7 “And you have also appointed prophets to preach in Jerusalem concerning you, saying, ‘There is a king in Judah.’ And now it will be reported to the king according to these words. Come now therefore, and let us take counsel together.”
8 Then I sent to him, saying, “There are no such things done as you say, but you are inventing them out of your own heart.”
9 For they all were trying to make us afraid, saying, “Their hands will be discouraged with the work and it will not be done.” Now therefore, O God, strengthen my hands.
10 ¶ Afterward, I came to the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah the son of Mehetabeel, who was a secret informer. And he said, “Let us meet together in the house of God, inside the temple, and let us shut the doors of the temple. For they are coming to slay you. Behold, in the night they are coming to slay you.”
11 And I said, “Should such a man as I flee? And who is there such as I who would go into the temple to save his life? I will not go in.”
12 And behold, I perceived that God had not sent him, but that ghe pronounced this prophecy against me. For Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.
13 Therefore he was hired so that I should be afraid, and do accordingly and sin, so that they might have an evil report against me and discredit me.
14 ¶ hMy God, remember Tobiah and Sanballat according to these their works, and on the iprophetess Noadiah, and the rest of the prophets, who would have made me afraid.
15 ¶ So the wall was finished in the twenty-fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty-two days.
16 Now it came to pass jwhen all our enemies heard of it, and all the nations that were around us saw these things, they were very disheartened in their own eyes. For kthey perceived that this work was done by our God.
17 ¶ Furthermore in those days, the nobles of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah, and letters of Tobiah came to them.
18 For there were many in Judah loyal to him because he was the lson-in-law of Shechaniah the son of Arah, and his son Johanan had taken the daughter of mMeshullam the son of Berechiah.
19 They also reported his good deeds before me and spoke my words to him. And Tobiah sent letters to make me afraid.
Chapter-6 References: a Ne 2:10,19; 4:1,7; 13:28 b Ne 3:1,3 c Pv 26:24,25 d 1 Ch 8:12 e Ps 37:12,32 f Ne 2:19 g Ez 13:22 h Ne 13:29 i Ez 13:17 j Ne 2:10,20; 4:1,7; 6:1 k Ps 126:2 l Ne 13:4,28 m Er 10:15
1 ¶ Now it came to pass when the wall was built, and I had aset up the doors, and the gatekeepers and the singers and the Levites were appointed,
2 that I gave my brother bHanani, and Hananiah the ruler cof the palace, charge over Jerusalem, for he was a faithful man and dfeared God more than many.
3 And I said to them, “Do not let the gates of Jerusalem be opened until the sun is hot; and while they stand guard, let them shut the doors and bar them. And appoint guards over the inhabitants of Jerusalem, each one at his post and each one to be in front of his house.
4 ¶ Now the city was large and great. But the people in it were efew, and the houses were not built.
5 And my God put into my heart to gather together the nobles, and the rulers, and the people so that they might be registered by genealogy. And I found a register of the genealogy of those who came up at the first return, and found written therein:
6 fThese are the children of the province, who went up out of the captivity, of those who had been carried away, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away, and came again to Jerusalem and to Judah, every one to his city;
7 who came with gZerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, Baanah. The number of the men of the people of Israel was this:
8 the sons of Parosh, 2,172;
9 the sons of Shephatiah, 372;
10 the sons of Arah, 652;
11 the sons of Pahathmoab of the sons of Jeshua and Joab, 2,818;
12 the sons of Elam, 1,254;
13 the sons of Zattu, 845;
14 the sons of Zaccai, 760;
15 the sons of Binnui, 648;
16 the sons of Bebai, 628;
17 the sons of Azgad, 2,322;
18 the sons of Adonikam, 667;
19 the sons of Bigvai, 2,067;
20 the sons of Adin, 655;
21 the sons of Ater, of Hezekiah, 98;
22 the sons of Hashum, 328;
23 the sons of Bezai, 324;
24 the sons of Hariph, 112;
25 the sons of Gibeon, 95;
26 the men of Bethlehem and Netophah, 188;
27 the men of Anathoth, 128;
28 the men of Bethazmaveth, 42;
29 the men of Kiriath Jearim, Chephirah and Beeroth, 743;
30 the men of Ramah and Geba, 621;
31 the men of Michmas, 122;
32 the men of Bethel and Ai, 123;
33 the men of the other Nebo, 52;
34 the sons of the other hElam, 1,254;
35 the sons of Harim, 320;
36 the men of Jericho, 345;
37 the sons of Lod, Hadid and Ono, 721;
38 the sons of Senaah, 3,930.
39 ¶ The priests: the sons of iJedaiah of the house of Jeshua, 973;
40 the sons of jImmer, 1,052;
41 the sons of kPashhur, 1,247;
42 the sons of lHarim, 1,017.
43 ¶ The Levites: the sons of Jeshua, of Kadmiel, of the sons of Hodevah, 74.
44 The singers: the sons of Asaph, 148.
45 The gatekeepers: the sons of Shallum, the sons of Ater, the sons of Talmon, the sons of Akkub, the sons of Hatita, the sons of Shobai, 138.
46 ¶ The Nethinims: the sons of Ziha, the children of Hashupha, the children of Tabbaoth,
47 the sons of Keros, the sons of Sia, the sons of Padon,
48 the sons of Lebana, the sons of Hagaba, the sons of Shalmai,
49 the sons of Hanan, the sons of Giddel, the sons of Gahar,
50 the sons of Reaiah, the sons of Rezin, the sons of Nekoda,
51 the sons of Gazzam, the sons of Uzza, the sons of Phaseah,
52 the sons of Besai, the sons of Meunim, the sons of Nephishesim,
53 the sons of Bakbuk, the sons of Hakupha, the sons of Harhur,
54 the sons of Bazlith, the sons of Mehida, the sons of Harsha,
55 the sons of Barkos, the sons of Sisera, the sons of Tamah,
56 the sons of Neziah, the sons of Hatipha.
57 The sons of Solomon’s servants: the sons of Sotai, the sons of Sophereth, the sons of Perida,
58 the sons of Jaala, the sons of Darkon, the sons of Giddel,
59 the sons of Shephatiah, the sons of Hattil, the sons of Pochereth of Zebaim, the sons of Amon.
60 All the Nethinims, and the sons of Solomon’s servants, were 392.
61 ¶ And these were they who went up also from Telmelah, Telharesha, Cherub, Addon, and Immer. But they could not show their father’s house, nor their seed, whether they were of Israel.
62 The sons of Delaiah, the sons of Tobiah, the sons of Nekoda, 642.
63 And of the priests: the sons of Habaiah, the sons of Koz, the sons of Barzillai, who took one of the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite to wife, and was called after their name.
64 These sought their register among those who were reckoned by genealogy, but it was not found. Therefore they were considered unclean and excluded from the priesthood.
65 And the governor said to them that they should not eat of the most holy things until there arose a priest with the Urim and Thummim.
66 ¶ The whole assembly together was 42,360,
67 besides their manservants and their maidservants, of whom there were 7,337. And they had 245 singing men and singing women.
68 Their horses, 736; their mules, 245;
69 their camels, 435; their donkeys, 6,720.
70 ¶ And some of the leaders of the fathers gave to the work. mThe governor gave to the treasury 1,000 gold drachmas, 50 basins, 530 priests’ garments.
71 And some of the leaders of the fathers gave to the treasury of the work n20,000 gold drachmas and 2,200 silver minas.
72 And what the rest of the people gave was 20,000 gold drachmas and 2,000 silver minas and 67 priests’ garments.
73 So the priests and the Levites and the gatekeepers and the singers and some of the people and the Nethinims and all Israel dwelt in their cities. And owhen the seventh month came, the children of Israel were in their cities.
Chapter-7 References: a Ne 6:1,15 b Ne 1:2 c Ne 2:8; 10:23 d Ex 18:21 e Dt 4:27 f Er 2:1-70 g Er 5:2 h Ne 7:12 i 1 Ch 24:7 j 1 Ch 9:12 k Er 2:38; 10:22 l 1 Ch 24:8 m Ne 8:9 n Er 2:69 o Er 3:1
1 ¶ And all athe people gathered themselves together as one man into the street that was bbefore the Water Gate. And they spoke to Ezra the cscribe to bring the book of the law of Moses that the LORD had commanded to Israel.
2 And on the dfirst day of the seventh month Ezra the priest brought ethe law before the assembly of both men and women, and all who could hear with understanding.
3 And he fread from it before the street that was before the Water Gate from the morning until midday, before the men and the women, and those who could understand. And the ears of all the people were attentive to the book of the law.
4 And Ezra the scribe stood upon a platform of wood that they had made for the purpose. And beside him on his right hand stood Mattithiah and Shema and Anaiah and Urijah and Hilkiah and Maaseiah. And on his left hand stood Pedaiah and Mishael and Malchiah and Hashum and Hashbadana, Zechariah and Meshullam.
5 Then Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was above all the people. And when he opened it, all the people gstood up.
6 Then Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God. And all the people hanswered, “Amen, Amen!” while ilifting up their hands. And they jbowed their heads and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground.
7 Also Jeshua and Bani and Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodijah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites, kcaused the people to understand the law. And the people lstood in their place.
8 So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly. And they gave the sense and helped them to understand the reading.
9 ¶ mThen Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, n“This day is holy to the LORD your God. oDo not mourn nor weep.” For all the people wept when they heard the words of the law.
10 Then he said to them, “Go your way, eat the fat and drink the sweet, and psend portions to those for whom nothing is prepared, for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”
11 So the Levites calmed all the people, saying, “Hold your peace, for the day is holy. Do not be grieved.”
12 And all the people went their way to eat and to drink, and to qsend portions and to rejoice greatly because they had runderstood the words that were declared to them.
13 ¶ And on the second day the heads of the fathers of all the people were gathered together, the priests and the Levites, to Ezra the scribe, in order to understand the words of the law.
14 And they found written in the law that the LORD had commanded by Moses that the children of Israel should dwell in sbooths during the feast of the seventh month,
15 and tthat they should publish and proclaim in all their cities and uin Jerusalem, saying, “Go forth to the mountain and vbring olive branches and pine branches and myrtle branches and palm branches and branches of thick trees in order to make booths, as it is written.”
16 So the people went out and brought them. And they made themselves booths, each one on the wroof of his house and in their courtyards, and in the courtyard of the house of God, and in the street of the xWater Gate, and yin the street of the Gate of Ephraim.
17 And all the assembly of those who had returned from the captivity made booths. And they sat under the booths. Since the days of Joshua the son of Nun to that day the children of Israel had not done so. And there was zgreat rejoicing.
18 Also aday by day, from the first day to the last day, he read in the book of the law of God. And they kept the feast bseven days. And on the ceighth day was a solemn assembly according to the established manner.
Chapter-8 References: a Er 3:1 b Ne 3:26 c Er 7:6 d Lv 23:24 e Dt 31:11,12 f 2 Kg 23:2 g Jg 3:20 h Ne 5:13 i Ps 28:2 j 2 Ch 20:18 k Ml 2:7 l Ne 9:3 m Ne 7:65,70; 10:1 n Nm 29:1 o Dt 16:14 p Rv 11:10 q Ne 8:10 r Ne 8:7,8 s Lv 23:34,40,42 t Lv 23:4 u Dt 16:16 v Lv 23:40 w Dt 22:8 x Ne 12:37 y 2 Kg 14:13 z 2 Ch 30:1 a Dt 31:11 b Lv 23:36 c Nm 29:35
1 ¶ Now in the twenty-fourth day of athis month the children of Israel were assembled with fasting and with sackcloth and bdust on them.
2 And the cseed of Israel separated themselves from all foreigners and stood and dconfessed their sins, and the iniquities of their fathers.
3 And they stood up in their place and eread in the book of the law of the LORD their God one-fourth of the day, and another fourth they confessed and worshiped the LORD their God.
4 Then Jeshua and Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani and Chenani, stood on the stairs of the Levites and cried out with a loud voice to the LORD their God.
5 ¶ Then the Levites, Jeshua and Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabniah, Sherebiah, Hodijah, Shebaniah and Pethahiah, said, “Stand up and bless the LORD your God forever and ever. Blessed be fYour glorious name that is exalted above all blessing and praise.
6 gYou, even You, are LORD alone. hYou have made heaven, ithe heaven of heavens, with jall their host, the earth and all things that are in it, the seas and all that is in them. And You kpreserve them all. And the host of heaven worship You.
7 “You are the LORD, the God who chose lAbram and brought him out of Ur of the Chaldees and gave him the name of mAbraham.
8 “And You found his heart nfaithful before You and made a ocovenant with him to give the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites and the Perizzites and the Jebusites and the Girgashites, to his seed. And pYou have performed Your words, for You are righteous.
9 ¶ “And qYou saw the affliction of our fathers in Egypt and rheard their cry by the Red Sea.
10 “And You sshowed signs and wonders against Pharaoh and against all his servants, and against all the people of his land. For You knew that they tacted proudly against them. So You umade a name for Yourself as it is this day.
11 vAnd You divided the sea before them so that they went through the middle of the sea on the dry land. And You threw their persecutors into the deep, was a stone into the mighty waters.
12 “Furthermore, You xled them in the day by a pillar of cloud and in the night by a pillar of fire, to give them light in the way in which they were to go.
13 yYou came down also on Mount Sinai and spoke with them from heaven. And You gave them zright judgments and true laws, good statutes and commandments.
14 “And You made known to them Your aholy Sabbath, and commanded them precepts, statutes and laws by the hand of Moses Your servant.
15 “And You bgave them bread from heaven for their hunger, and cbrought forth water for them out of the rock for their thirst. And You promised them that they should dgo in to possess the land that You had sworn to give them.
16 ¶ “But ethey and our fathers acted proudly and fhardened their necks, and did not hearken to Your commandments.
17 “And they refused to obey, neither gwere they mindful of Your wonders that You did among them. But they hardened their necks, and in their rebellion appointed ha captain to return to their bondage. But You are a God ready to pardon, igracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness. And You did not forsake them.
18 “Even jwhen they had made for themselves a molten calf, and said, ‘This is your god who brought you up out of Egypt,’ and had committed great blasphemies,
19 “yet You in Your kmanifold mercies did not forsake them in the wilderness. The lpillar of the cloud did not depart from them by day, to lead them in the way, neither the pillar of fire by night, to show them light and the way in which they should go.
20 “You also gave Your mgood Spirit to instruct them. And You did not withhold Your nmanna from their mouth, and gave them owater for their thirst.
21 “Yes, for pforty years You sustained them in the wilderness so that they lacked nothing. Their qclothes did not become old and their feet did not swell.
22 ¶ “Furthermore, You gave them kingdoms and nations, and divided them into districts. So they possessed the land of rSihon and the land of the king of Heshbon, and the land of Og king of Bashan.
23 sTheir children also You multiplied as the stars of heaven, and brought them into the land, concerning which You had promised to their fathers that they should go in to possess it.
24 “So tthe children went in and possessed the land. And uYou subdued before them the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites. And You gave them into their hands, with their kings and the people of the land, so that they might do with them as they desired.
25 “And they took strong cities and a vrich land, and possessed houses full of all goods, cisterns already dug, vineyards and oliveyards and fruit trees in abundance. So they ate and were filled. And they xbecame fat and delighted themselves in Your great ygoodness.
26 ¶ “Nevertheless, they zwere disobedient and rebelled against You. And they acast Your law behind their backs and slew Your bprophets who testified against them to turn them to You. And they worked great provocations.
27 cTherefore, You delivered them into the hand of their enemies who vexed them. But in the time of their trouble when they cried out to You, You dheard them from heaven. And according to Your manifold mercies eYou gave them saviors who saved them out of the hand of their enemies.
28 “But after they had rest, fthey did evil again before You. Therefore, You left them in the hand of their enemies so that they had dominion over them. Yet when they returned, and cried out to You, You heard them from heaven. And many times gYou delivered them according to Your mercies.
29 “And You testified against them so that You might bring them again to Your law. Yet they dealt proudly and did not hearken to Your commandments. But they sinned against Your judgments, hthat if a man do, he will live in them. And they turned a stubborn shoulder and stiffened their neck and would not listen.
30 “Yet You bore with them for many years and testified iagainst them by Your Spirit jin Your prophets. However, they would not give ear. kTherefore, You gave them into the hand of the people of the lands.
31 “Nevertheless for Your great mercies’ sake lYou did not utterly consume them, nor forsake them, for You are a gracious and merciful God.
32 ¶ “Now therefore, our God, the great, the mmighty, and the terrible God, who keeps covenant and mercy, do not let all the trouble seem little before You that has come upon us, on our kings, on our princes and on our priests and on our prophets and on our fathers and on all Your people, nsince the time of the kings of Assyria to this day.
33 “Howbeit, oYou are just in all that is brought upon us, for You have done right, but pwe have done wickedly.
34 “Neither have our kings, our princes, our priests, nor our fathers, kept Your law, nor hearkened to Your commandments and Your testimonies, by which You testified against them.
35 “For they have qnot served You in their kingdom, and in Your great goodness that You gave them. And in the large and fat land that You gave before them, they did not turn from their wicked works.
36 “Behold, rwe are servants this day, and for the land that You gave to our fathers to eat its fruit and its bounty, behold, we are servants in it.
37 Its sabundant produce is for the kings whom You have set over us because of our sins. Also, they have tdominion as they please over our bodies and over our livestock. So we are in great distress.
38 ¶ “And because of all this uwe make a sure covenant, and write it. And our leaders, Levites and priests, vseal it.”
Chapter-9 References: a Ne 8:2 b 1 Sm 4:12 c Ne 13:3,30 d Ne 1:6 e Ne 8:7,8 f 1 Ch 29:13 g 2 Kg 19:15,19 h Rv 14:7 i Dt 10:14 j Gn 2:1 k Ps 36:6 l Gn 11:31 m Gn 17:5 n Gn 15:6; 22:1-3 o Gn 15:18 p Ja 23:14 q Ex 2:25; 3:7 r Ex 14:10 s Ex 7–14 t Ex 18:11 u Jr 32:20 v Ex 14:20-28 w Ex 15:1,5 x Ex 13:21,22 y Ex 20:1-18 z Rm 7:12 a Gn 2:3 b Ex 16:14-17 c Ex 17:6 d Dt 1:8 e Ps 106:6 f Dt 1:26-33; 31:27 g Ps 78:11,42-45 h Nm 14:4 i Jl 2:13 j Ex 32:4-8,31 k Ps 106:45 l 1 Co 10:1 m Nm 11:17 n Ex 16:14-16 o Ex 17:6 p Dt 2:7 q Dt 8:4; 29:5 r Nm 21:21-35 s Gn 15:5; 22:17 t Ja 1:2-4 u Ps 44:2,3 v Nm 13:27 w Dt 6:11 x Dt 32:15 y Hs 3:5 z Jg 2:11 a 1 Kg 14:9 b 1 Kg 18:4; 19:10 c Jg 2:14 d Ps 106:44 e Jg 2:18 f Jg 3:12 g Ps 106:43 h Lv 18:5 i Jr 7:25 j At 7:51 k Is 5:5 l Jr 4:27 m Ex 34:6,7 n 2 Kg 15:19; 17:3-6 o Dn 9:14 p Dn 9:5,6,8 q Dt 28:47 r Dt 28:48 s Dt 28:33,51 t Dt 28:48 u 2 Kg 23:3 v Ne 10:1
1 ¶ Now those who sealed it were Nehemiah, the Tirshatha, the ason of Hachaliah, and Zidkijah,
2 bSeraiah, Azariah, Jeremiah,
3 Pashur, Amariah, Malchijah,
4 Hattush, Shebaniah, Malluch,
5 Harim, Meremoth, Obadiah,
6 Daniel, Ginnethon, Baruch,
7 Meshullam, Abijah, Mijamin,
8 Maaziah, Bilgai, Shemaiah: these were the priests.
9 And the Levites: both Jeshua the son of Azaniah, Binnui of the sons of Henadad, Kadmiel;
10 and their brethren, Shebaniah, Hodijah, Kelita, Pelaiah, Hanan,
11 Micha, Rehob, Hashabiah,
12 Zaccur, Sherebiah, Shebaniah,
13 Hodijah, Bani, Beninu.
14 The leaders of the people: cParosh, Pahathmoab, Elam, Zatthu, Bani,
15 Bunni, Azgad, Bebai,
16 Adonijah, Bigvai, Adin,
17 Ater, Hizkijah, Azzur,
18 Hodijah, Hashum, Bezai,
19 Hariph, Anathoth, Nebai,
20 Magpiash, Meshullam, Hezir,
21 Meshezabeel, Zadok, Jaddua,
22 Pelatiah, Hanan, Anaiah,
23 Hoshea, Hananiah, Hashub,
24 Hallohesh, Pileha, Shobek,
25 Rehum, Hashabnah, Maaseiah,
26 And Ahijah, Hanan, Anan,
27 Malluch, Harim, Baanah.
28 ¶ dAnd the rest of the people, the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, the Nethinims, and eall those who had separated themselves from the people of the lands to the law of God, their wives, their sons and their daughters, everyone who had knowledge and understanding,
29 are joining to their brethren, their nobles, and are ftaking on themselves a curse and an oath, gto walk in God’s law that was given by Moses the servant of God, and to observe and do all the commandments of the LORD our Lord and His judgments and His statutes;
30 and that we not give hour daughters to the people of the land, nor take their daughters for our sons.
31 iAnd if the people of the land bring merchandise or any grain on the Sabbath day to sell, that we would not buy it from them on the Sabbath, or on the holy day; and that we would forego the crops the jseventh year and the kexacting of every debt.
32 ¶ We also made ordinances for ourselves to contribute yearly lone-third of a shekel for the service of the house of our God:
33 for the mshowbread and for the continual grain offering and for the ncontinual burnt offering of the Sabbaths, the new moons, the set feasts; and for the holy things, and for the sin offerings to make an atonement for Israel, and for all the work of the house of our God.
34 And we cast the lots among the priests, the Levites, and the people, ofor the wood offering, to bring it into the house of our God according to the houses of our fathers, at times appointed year by year, to burn upon the altar of the LORD our God pas it is written in the law;
35 and qto bring the firstfruits of our ground, and the firstfruits of all fruit of all trees, year by year, to the house of the LORD;
36 also the rfirstborn of our sons, and of our cattle, as it is written in the law, and the firstborn of our herds and of our flocks, to bring to the house of our God, to the priests who minister in the house of our God.
37 sAnd that we should bring the firstfruits of our dough, and our offerings, and the fruit of all kinds of trees, of wine and of oil, to the priests, to the storerooms of the house of our God, and tthe tithes of our ground to the Levites in order that the same Levites might have the tithes in all the cities of our rural towns.
38 And the priest, the son of Aaron, will be with the Levites uwhen the Levites take tithes. And the Levites will bring up the tithe of the tithes to the house of our God, to vthe rooms, into the treasure house.
39 For the children of Israel and the children of Levi wwill bring the offering of the grain, of the new wine and the oil, to the storerooms, where are the vessels of the sanctuary and the priests who minister and the gatekeepers and xthe singers. And we will not yneglect the house of our God.
Chapter-10 References: a Ne 1:1 b Ne 12:1-21 c Er 2:3 d Er 2:36-43 e Ne 13:3 f Dt 29:12 g 2 Kg 23:3 h Ex 34:16 i Ex 20:10 j Lv 25:4 k Dt 15:1,2 l Mt 17:24 m Lv 24:5 n Nm 28; 29 o Ne 13:31 p Lv 6:12 q Ex 23:19; 34:26 r Ex 13:3,12,13 s Lv 23:17 t Lv 27:30 u Nm 18:26 v 1 Ch 9:26 w Dt 12:6,11 x Ne 13:10,11 y Hb 10:25
1 ¶ Now the leaders of the people dwelt at Jerusalem. The rest of the people also cast lots in order to bring one of ten to dwell in Jerusalem the aholy city, and nine parts to dwell in other cities.
2 And the people blessed all the men who bwillingly offered themselves to dwell at Jerusalem.
3 ¶ cNow these are the heads of the provinces who dwelt in Jerusalem, but in the cities of Judah dwelt each one in his possession in their cities—the Israelites, the priests, the Levites, the dtemple servants and the edescendants of Solomon’s servants.
4 Now some of the children of Judah, and of the children of Benjamin lived fin Jerusalem. Of the children of Judah: Athaiah the son of Uzziah, the son of Zechariah, the son of Amariah, the son of Shephatiah, the son of Mahalaleel, of the children of gPerez;
5 and Maaseiah the son of Baruch, the son of Colhozeh, the son of Hazaiah, the son of Adaiah, the son of Joiarib, the son of Zechariah, the son of Shiloni.
6 All the sons of Perez who dwelt at Jerusalem were 468 valiant men.
7 ¶ And 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 Jesaiah.
8 And after him Gabbai, Sallai.
9 And Joel the son of Zichri was their overseer, and Judah the son of Senuah was second over the city.
10 ¶ hOf the priests: Jedaiah the son of Joiarib, Jachin.
11 Seraiah the son of Hilkiah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Zadok, the son of Meraioth, the son of Ahitub, was the ruler of the house of God.
12 And their brethren who did the work of the house were 822; and Adaiah the son of Jeroham, the son of Pelaliah, the son of Amzi, the son of Zechariah, the son of Pashur, the son of Malchiah,
13 and his brethren, heads of the fathers, 242; and Amashai the son of Azareel, the son of Ahasai, the son of Meshillemoth, the son of Immer,
14 and their brethren, mighty men of valor, 128. And their overseer was Zabdiel, the son of one of the great men.
15 ¶ Also of the Levites: Shemaiah the son of Hashub, the son of Azrikam, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Bunni;
16 and iShabbethai and jJozabad, of the leaders of the Levites, had the oversight of the koutside work of the house of God.
17 And Mattaniah the son of Micha, the son of Zabdi, the son of Asaph, was the principal to begin the thanksgiving in prayer, and Bakbukiah the second among his brethren, and Abda the son of Shammua, the son of Galal, the son of Jeduthun.
18 All the Levites in the lholy city were 284.
19 ¶ Furthermore, the gatekeepers, Akkub, Talmon, and their brethren who kept the gates, were 172.
20 And the rest of Israel, of the priests and the Levites, were in all the cities of Judah, each one in his inheritance.
21 mBut the Nethinims dwelt in Ophel, and Ziha and Gispa were over the Nethinims.
22 The overseer also of the Levites at Jerusalem was Uzzi the son of Bani, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Micha. Of the sons of Asaph, the singers were over the business of the house of God.
23 For nit was the king’s commandment concerning them that a certain portion should be for the singers, a quota for every day.
24 And Pethahiah the son of Meshezabeel, of the sons of oZerah the son of Judah, was pthe king’s deputy in all matters concerning the people.
25 ¶ And for the villages, with their fields, some of the sons of Judah dwelt at qKirjath Arba, and in its villages; and at Dibon, and in its villages; and at Jekabzeel, and in its villages;
26 and at Jeshua, and at Moladah, and at Bethphelet,
27 and at Hazarshual, and at Beersheba, and in its villages;
28 and at Ziklag, and at Mekonah, and in its villages;
29 and at Enrimmon, and at Zareah, and at Jarmuth,
Zanoah, Adullam, and in its villages; at Lachish, and its fields; at Azekah, and in its villages. And they dwelt from Beersheba to the valley of Hinnom.
31 ¶ The sons also of Benjamin from Geba dwelt at Michmash, and Aija, and Bethel, and in their villages;
32 and at Anathoth, Nob, Ananiah,
33 Hazor, Ramah, Gittaim,
34 Hadid, Zeboim, Neballat,
35 Lod, and Ono, the rValley of Craftsmen.
36 And of the Levites were divisions in Judah and in Benjamin.
Chapter-11 References: a Mt 4:5; 5:35; 27:53 b Jg 5:9 c 1 Ch 9:2,3 d Er 2:43 e Er 2:55 f 1 Ch 9:3 g Gn 38:29 h 1 Ch 9:10 i Er 10:15 j Er 8:33 k 1 Ch 26:29 l Ne 11:1 m Ne 3:26 n Er 6:8,9; 7:20 o Gn 38:30 p 1 Ch 18:17 q Ja 14:15 r 1 Ch 4:14
1 ¶ Now these are the apriests and the Levites who went up with bZerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua: cSeraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra,
2 Amariah, Malluch, Hattush,
3 Shechaniah, Rehum, Meremoth,
4 Iddo, Ginnetho, dAbijah,
5 Miamin, Maadiah, Bilgah,
6 Shemaiah, and Joiarib, Jedaiah,
7 Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, Jedaiah. These were the leaders of the priests and of their brethren in the days of eJeshua.
8 Furthermore, the Levites: Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah and Mattaniah, fwho was over the thanksgiving, he and his brethren.
9 ¶ Also Bakbukiah and Unni, their brethren, were opposite them in the watches.
10 ¶ And Jeshua begot Joiakim, Joiakim also begot Eliashib, and Eliashib begot Joiada,
11 and Joiada begot Jonathan, and Jonathan begot Jaddua.
12 ¶ And in the days of Joiakim were priests, the gheads of the fathers: of Seraiah, Meraiah; of Jeremiah, Hananiah;
13 of Ezra, Meshullam; of Amariah, Jehohanan;
14 of Melicu, Jonathan; of Shebaniah, Joseph;
15 of Harim, Adna; of Meraioth, Helkai;
16 of Iddo, Zechariah; of Ginnethon, Meshullam;
17 of Abijah, Zichri; of Miniamin, of Moadiah, Piltai;
18 of Bilgah, Shammua; of Shemaiah, Jehonathan;
19 and of Joiarib, Mattenai; of Jedaiah, Uzzi;
20 of Sallai, Kallai; of Amok, Eber;
21 of Hilkiah, Hashabiah; of Jedaiah, Nethaneel.
22 ¶ The Levites in the days of Eliashib, Joiada and Johanan and Jaddua were recorded hheads of the fathers; also the priests, to the reign of Darius the Persian.
23 The sons of Levi, the heads of the fathers, were written in the book of the ichronicles, even until the days of Johanan the son of Eliashib.
24 And the heads of the Levites: Hashabiah, Sherebiah, and Jeshua the son of Kadmiel, with their brethren opposite them, jto praise and to give thanks kaccording to the commandment of David the man of God, ldivision alternating with division.
25 Mattaniah and Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon, and Akkub were gatekeepers keeping the watch at the storehouses of the gates.
26 These were in the days of Joiakim the son of Jeshua, the son of Jozadak, and in the days of Nehemiah the mgovernor, and of Ezra the priest and the nscribe.
27 ¶ And at the odedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought the Levites out in all their places in order to bring them to Jerusalem to keep the dedication with joy, pboth with thanksgivings and with singing, with cymbals, psalteries and with harps.
28 And the sons of the singers gathered themselves together, both out of the countryside around Jerusalem and from the qvillages of the Netophathites,
29 also from the house of Gilgal and out of the fields of Geba and Azmaveth, for the singers had built themselves villages around Jerusalem.
30 And the priests and the Levites rpurified themselves, and purified the people and the gates and the wall.
31 ¶ Then I brought up the leaders of Judah upon the wall and appointed two great companies of them who gave thanks. sOne went on the right hand upon the wall ttoward the Refuse Gate.
32 And after them went Hoshaiah, and half of the leaders of Judah,
33 and Azariah, Ezra and Meshullam,
34 Judah and Benjamin and Shemaiah and Jeremiah,
35 and some of the priests’ sons uwith trumpets; and Zechariah the son of Jonathan, the son of Shemaiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Michaiah, the son of Zaccur, the son of Asaph;
36 and his brethren, Shemaiah and Azarael, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethaneel and Judah, Hanani, with the vmusical instruments of David the man of God, and Ezra the scribe before them.
37 xAnd at the Fountain Gate that was opposite them, they went up by the ystairs of the zcity of David, by the stairway of the wall above the house of David, even to the aWater Gate on the east.
38 ¶ bAnd the second choir proceeded to the left, while I followed them with half of the people on the wall, above the cTower of Furnaces, to the dBroad Wall,
39 eand from above the Gate of Ephraim, and above the fOld Gate, and above the gFish Gate, and the hTower of Hananeel, and the Tower of Meah, even to the iSheep Gate. And they stood still in the jPrison Gate.
40 So the two choirs took their stand in the house of God, likewise I and half of the officials with me;
41 and the priests, Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Michaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, and Hananiah, with trumpets;
42 and Maaseiah and Shemaiah and Eleazar and Uzzi and Jehohanan and Malchijah and Elam and Ezer. And the singers sang loud with Jezrahiah their director.
43 Also that day they offered great sacrifices and rejoiced, for God had made them rejoice with great joy. The wives also and the children rejoiced so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard kafar off.
44 ¶ lAnd at that time some were appointed over the rooms of the storehouse for the offerings, for the firstfruits and for the mtithes, to gather into them out of the fields of the cities the portions specified by the law for the priests and Levites; for Judah rejoiced for the priests and for the Levites who served.
45 And both the singers and the gatekeepers kept the charge of their God, and the charge of the purification naccording to the commandment of David and of Solomon his son.
46 For in the days of David and oAsaph of old there were leaders of the singers and songs of praise and thanksgiving to God.
47 And all Israel in the days of Zerubbabel and in the days of Nehemiah gave the portions of the singers and the gatekeepers as peach day required. qAnd they sanctified holy things to rthe Levites and the Levites sanctified them to the children of Aaron.
Chapter-12 References: a Er 2:1,2; 7:7 b Ne 7:7 c Ne 10:2-8 d Lk 1:5 e Zc 3:1 f Ne 11:17 g Ne 7:70,71; 8:13; 11:13 h 1 Ch 24:6 i 1 Ch 9:14-22 j Ne 11:17 k 1 Ch 23–26 l Er 3:11 m Ne 8:9 n Er 7:6,11 o Dt 20:5 p 1 Ch 25:6 q 1 Ch 9:16 r Ne 13:22,30 s Ne 12:38 t Ne 2:13; 3:13 u Nm 10:2,8 v 1 Ch 23:5 w 2 Ch 29:26,27 x Ne 2:14; 3:15 y Ne 3:15 z 2 Sm 5:7-9 a Ne 3:26; 8:1,3,16 b Ne 12:31 c Ne 3:11 d Ne 3:8 e 2 Kg 14:13 f Ne 3:6 g Ne 3:3 h Ne 3:1 i Ne 3:32 j Jr 32:2 k Er 3:13 l Ne 13:5,12,13 m Ne 10:37-39 n 1 Ch 25, 26 o 2 Ch 29:30 p Ne 11:23 q Nm 18:21,24 r Nm 18:26
1 ¶ On that day athey read in the book of Moses in the hearing of the people. And therein was found written bthat no Ammonite or Moabite should come into the assembly of God forever,
2 because they did not meet the children of Israel with bread and with water, but chired Balaam against them so that he should curse them. dHowever, our God turned the curse into a blessing.
3 Now it came to pass when they had heard the law ethat they excluded all aliens from Israel.
4 ¶ And before this, fEliashib the priest, having the oversight of the storeroom of the house of our God, was related to gTobiah.
5 And he had prepared for him a great room, hwhere formerly they laid the grain offerings, the frankincense and the vessels, and the tithes of the grain, the new wine and the oil, ithat was commanded to be given to the Levites and the singers and the gatekeepers, and the offerings for the priests.
6 But in all this time I was not at Jerusalem, jfor in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon I had gone to the king. After some time, however, I asked leave from the king.
7 And I came to Jerusalem and discovered the evil that Eliashib did for Tobiah in kpreparing him a room in the courts of the house of God.
8 And it sorely grieved me. Therefore I cast out all the household goods of Tobiah from the room.
9 Then I commanded and they lcleansed the rooms. And I brought there again the vessels of the house of God, with the grain offering and the frankincense.
10 ¶ And I perceived that the portions of the Levites mhad not been given to them, for the Levites and the singers who did the work, each had returned to nhis field.
11 Then oI contended with the rulers. And I said, p“Why is the house of God forsaken?” And I gathered them together and restored them to their posts.
12 qThen I brought all Judah the tithe of the grain and the new wine and the oil to the storehouse.
13 rAnd I made treasurers over the storehouse, Shelemiah the priest and Zadok the scribe, and of the Levites, Pedaiah. And next to them was Hanan the son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah, for they were counted sfaithful and their office was to distribute to their brethren.
14 ¶ tRemember me, O my God, concerning this, and do not wipe out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God and for its offices.
15 ¶ In those days I saw in Judah some treading wine presses uon the Sabbath, and bringing in sheaves and loading donkeys with wine, grapes and figs and all kinds of burdens, vthat they brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. And I warned them on the day they sold provisions.
16 There dwelt men of Tyre there also, who brought fish and all kinds of merchandise and sold on the Sabbath to the children of Judah, and in Jerusalem.
17 Then I contended with the nobles of Judah. And I said to them, “What evil thing is this that you do and profane the Sabbath day?
18 w“Did not your fathers do the same, and did not our God bring all this evil on us, and on this city? Yet you bring more wrath on Israel by profaning the Sabbath.”
19 ¶ Now it came to pass just as it xgrew dark at the gates of Jerusalem before the Sabbath, I commanded that the gates should be shut. And I charged that they should not be opened until after the Sabbath. yAnd I set some of my servants at the gates so that no burdens should be brought in on the Sabbath day.
20 So the merchants and sellers of all kinds of merchandise lodged outside Jerusalem once or twice.
21 Then I warned them. And I said to them, “Why do you lodge about the wall? If you do so again, I will lay hands on you.” From that time forth they came no more on the Sabbath.
22 And I commanded the Levites that zthey should cleanse themselves and that they should come and keep the gates, to sanctify the Sabbath day. Remember me, O my God, concerning this also. And spare me according to the greatness of Your mercy.
23 ¶ In those days also I saw Jews who ahad married wives of bAshdod, of Ammon and of Moab.
24 And their children spoke half in the speech of Ashdod, and could not speak in the Jews’ language, but according to the language of one or the other people.
25 And I ccontended with them and cursed them. And I struck some of them and plucked off their hair. And I made them dswear by God, saying, “You will not give your daughters to their sons, nor take their daughters to your sons, or for yourselves.
26 e“Did not Solomon king of Israel sin by these things? Yet among many nations was there no king like him fwho was beloved by his God, and God made him king over all Israel. gNevertheless, even him did foreign women cause to sin.
27 “Will we then hhearken to you to do all this great evil, to transgress against our God in marrying foreign women?”
28 ¶ And one of the sons of iJoiada, the son of Eliashib the high priest, was son-in-law to jSanballat the Horonite. So I chased him from me.
29 ¶ kRemember them, O my God, because they have defiled the priesthood and the lcovenant of the priesthood and of the Levites.
30 ¶ mThus I cleansed them from all aliens and nappointed the duties to the priests and the Levites, each one in his service,
31 and for bringing the owood offering at the appointed times, and for the firstfruits. pRemember me, O my God, for good.