| New Living Translation | Berean Study Bible |
| 1 The document was ratified and sealed with the following names: The governor: Nehemiah son of Hacaliah, and also Zedekiah. | 1Now these were the ones who sealed the document: Nehemiah the governor, son of Hacaliah, and also Zedekiah, |
| 2The following priests: Seraiah, Azariah, Jeremiah, | 2Seraiah, Azariah, Jeremiah, |
| 3Pashhur, Amariah, Malkijah, | 3Pashhur, Amariah, Malchijah, |
| 4Hattush, Shebaniah, Malluch, | 4Hattush, Shebaniah, Malluch, |
| 5Harim, Meremoth, Obadiah, | 5Harim, Meremoth, Obadiah, |
| 6Daniel, Ginnethon, Baruch, | 6Daniel, Ginnethon, Baruch, |
| 7Meshullam, Abijah, Mijamin, | 7Meshullam, Abijah, Mijamin, |
| 8Maaziah, Bilgai, and Shemaiah. These were the priests. | 8Maaziah, Bilgai, and Shemaiah. These were the priests. |
| 9The following Levites: Jeshua son of Azaniah, Binnui from the family of Henadad, Kadmiel, | 9The Levites: Jeshua son of Azaniah, Binnui of the sons of Henadad, Kadmiel, |
| 10and their fellow Levites: Shebaniah, Hodiah, Kelita, Pelaiah, Hanan, | 10and their associates: Shebaniah, Hodiah, Kelita, Pelaiah, Hanan, |
| 11Mica, Rehob, Hashabiah, | 11Mica, Rehob, Hashabiah, |
| 12Zaccur, Sherebiah, Shebaniah, | 12Zaccur, Sherebiah, Shebaniah, |
| 13Hodiah, Bani, and Beninu. | 13Hodiah, Bani, and Beninu. |
| 14The following leaders: Parosh, Pahath-moab, Elam, Zattu, Bani, | 14And the leaders of the people: Parosh, Pahath-moab, Elam, Zattu, Bani, |
| 15Bunni, Azgad, Bebai, | 15Bunni, Azgad, Bebai, |
| 16Adonijah, Bigvai, Adin, | 16Adonijah, Bigvai, Adin, |
| 17Ater, Hezekiah, Azzur, | 17Ater, Hezekiah, Azzur, |
| 18Hodiah, Hashum, Bezai, | 18Hodiah, Hashum, Bezai, |
| 19Hariph, Anathoth, Nebai, | 19Hariph, Anathoth, Nebai, |
| 20Magpiash, Meshullam, Hezir, | 20Magpiash, Meshullam, Hezir, |
| 21Meshezabel, Zadok, Jaddua, | 21Meshezabel, Zadok, Jaddua, |
| 22Pelatiah, Hanan, Anaiah, | 22Pelatiah, Hanan, Anaiah, |
| 23Hoshea, Hananiah, Hasshub, | 23Hoshea, Hananiah, Hasshub, |
| 24Hallohesh, Pilha, Shobek, | 24Hallohesh, Pilha, Shobek, |
| 25Rehum, Hashabnah, Maaseiah, | 25Rehum, Hashabnah, Maaseiah, |
| 26Ahiah, Hanan, Anan, | 26Ahijah, Hanan, Anan, |
| 27Malluch, Harim, and Baanah. The Vow of the People | 27Malluch, Harim, and Baanah. |
| 28Then the rest of the people—the priests, Levites, gatekeepers, singers, Temple servants, and all who had separated themselves from the pagan people of the land in order to obey the Law of God, together with their wives, sons, daughters, and all who were old enough to understand— | 28“The rest of the people—the priests, Levites, gatekeepers, singers, temple servants, and all who had separated themselves from the people of the land to obey the Law of God—along with their wives and all their sons and daughters who are able to understand, |
| 29joined their leaders and bound themselves with an oath. They swore a curse on themselves if they failed to obey the Law of God as issued by his servant Moses. They solemnly promised to carefully follow all the commands, regulations, and decrees of the LORD our Lord: | 29hereby join with their noble brothers and commit themselves with a sworn oath to follow the Law of God given through His servant Moses and to carefully obey all the commandments, ordinances, and statutes of the LORD our Lord. |
| 30“We promise not to let our daughters marry the pagan people of the land, and not to let our sons marry their daughters. | 30We will not give our daughters in marriage to the people of the land, and we will not take their daughters for our sons. |
| 31“We also promise that if the people of the land should bring any merchandise or grain to be sold on the Sabbath or on any other holy day, we will refuse to buy it. Every seventh year we will let our land rest, and we will cancel all debts owed to us. | 31When the people of the land bring merchandise or any kind of grain to sell on the Sabbath day, we will not buy from them on a Sabbath or holy day. Every seventh year we will let the fields lie fallow, and will cancel every debt. |
| 32“In addition, we promise to obey the command to pay the annual Temple tax of one-eighth of an ounce of silver for the care of the Temple of our God. | 32We also place ourselves under the obligation to contribute a third of a shekel yearly for the service of the house of our God: |
| 33This will provide for the Bread of the Presence; for the regular grain offerings and burnt offerings; for the offerings on the Sabbaths, the new moon celebrations, and the annual festivals; for the holy offerings; and for the sin offerings to make atonement for Israel. It will provide for everything necessary for the work of the Temple of our God. | 33for the showbread, for the regular grain offerings and burnt offerings, for the Sabbath offerings, for the New Moons and appointed feasts, for the holy offerings, for the sin offerings to make atonement for Israel, and for all the duties of the house of our God. |
| 34“We have cast sacred lots to determine when—at regular times each year—the families of the priests, Levites, and the common people should bring wood to God’s Temple to be burned on the altar of the LORD our God, as is written in the Law. | 34We have cast lots among the priests, Levites, and people for the donation of wood by our families at the appointed times each year. They are to bring it to the house of our God to burn on the altar of the LORD our God, as it is written in the Law. |
| 35“We promise to bring the first part of every harvest to the LORD’s Temple year after year—whether it be a crop from the soil or from our fruit trees. | 35We will also bring the firstfruits of our land and of every fruit tree to the house of the LORD year by year. |
| 36We agree to give God our oldest sons and the firstborn of all our herds and flocks, as prescribed in the Law. We will present them to the priests who minister in the Temple of our God. | 36And we will bring the firstborn of our sons and our livestock, as it is written in the Law, and will bring the firstborn of our herds and flocks to the house of our God, to the priests who minister in the house of our God. |
| 37We will store the produce in the storerooms of the Temple of our God. We will bring the best of our flour and other grain offerings, the best of our fruit, and the best of our new wine and olive oil. And we promise to bring to the Levites a tenth of everything our land produces, for it is the Levites who collect the tithes in all our rural towns. | 37Moreover, we will bring to the priests at the storerooms of the house of our God the firstfruits of our dough, of our grain offerings, of the fruit of all our trees, and of our new wine and oil. A tenth of our produce belongs to the Levites, so that they shall receive tithes in all the towns where we labor. |
| 38“A priest—a descendant of Aaron—will be with the Levites as they receive these tithes. And a tenth of all that is collected as tithes will be delivered by the Levites to the Temple of our God and placed in the storerooms. | 38A priest of Aaron’s line is to accompany the Levites when they collect the tenth, and the Levites are to bring a tenth of these tithes to the storerooms of the treasury in the house of our God. |
| 39The people and the Levites must bring these offerings of grain, new wine, and olive oil to the storerooms and place them in the sacred containers near the ministering priests, the gatekeepers, and the singers. “We promise together not to neglect the Temple of our God.” | 39For the Israelites and the Levites are to bring the contributions of grain, new wine, and oil to the storerooms where the articles of the sanctuary are kept and where the ministering priests, the gatekeepers, and the singers stay. Thus we will not neglect the house of our God.” |
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