1Now those who affixed their seal (to the aforementioned document) were: Nehemiah, the Tirshatha, son of Hacaliah; Zedekiah; 2Seraiah; Azariah; Jeremiah; 3Pashhur; Amariah; Malchijah; 4Hattush; Shebaniah; Malluch; 5Harim; Meremoth; Obadiah; 6Daniel; Ginnethon; Baruch; 7Meshullam; Abijah; Mijamin; 8Maaziah; Bilgai; Shemaiah. These were the priests. 9And of the Levites: both Jeshua, son of Azaniah; Binnui, of the sons of Henadad; Kadmiel; 10And their brothers, Shebaniah; Hodiah; Kelita; Pelaiah; Hanan; 11Micha; Rehob; Hashabiah; 12Zaccur; Sherebiah; Shebaniah; 13Hodiah; Bani; and Beninu. 14The leaders of the people were: Parosh, Pahath-moab, Elam, Zattu, Bani, 15Bunni, Azgad, Bebai, 16Adonijah, Bigvai, Adin, 17Ater, Hezekiah, Azzur, 18Hodiah, Hashum, Bezai, 19Hariph, Anathoth, Nobai, 20Magpiash, Meshullam, Hezir, 21Meshezabel, Zadok, Jaddua, 22Pelatiah, Hanan, Anaiah, 23Hoshea, Hananiah, Hashub, 24Hallohesh, Pilha, Shobek, 25Rehum, Hashabnah, Maaseiah, 26Ahijah, Hanan, Anan, 27Malluch, Harim, and Baanah. 28And the rest of the people, the priests, Levites, gatekeepers, singers, the Nethinim (temple servants), and all they who had separated themselves from the peoples of the lands to the law of God, their wives, sons, and daughters, all those having knowledge, and understanding; 29All these now join with their fellow Israelites, their nobles, and bind themselves with a curse, and an oath, to walk in God's law, which was given by Moses, the servant of God, to keep and observe all the commandments of our LORD, and His ordinances and statutes; 30And that we would not give our daughters (as wives) to the people of the land, nor take their daughters (as wives) for our sons. 31And 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 a holy day; and that we would forego raising crops during the seventh year, and forego the exaction of interest on debts. 32Also we made ordinances for us, to contribute yearly with a third of a shekel for the service (expenses) of the Temple of our God, 33For the showbread, for the continual meal offering, for the continual burnt offering, of the Sabbaths, of the new moons, for the set feasts, and for the holy things, for the sin offerings to make an atonement for Israel, and for all the work of the Temple of our God. 34And we also cast lots among the priests, the Levites, and the people, for contributing the wood offering, to bring it into the house of our God, according to the households of our fathers, at set times year by year, to burn upon the altar of the LORD, our God, as it is written in the law; 35And to bring the first fruits of our ground, and the first fruits of all fruit of all trees, year by year, unto the Temple of the LORD. 36Also, as it is written in the law, to bring the first-born of our sons, and of our cattle, and the firstborn of our herds and of our flocks, to the Temple of our God, to the priests who minister in the Temple of our God; 37And that we should bring the first fruits of our dough, our offerings, and the fruit of all manner of trees, of wine and of oil, to the priests, to the chambers of the Temple of our God; and the tithes of our ground to the Levites, that the same Levites might have the tithes in all the cities of our tillage. 38And the priest, son of Aaron, shall be with the Levites, when the Levites take tithes; and the Levites shall bring up the tithe of the tithes unto the Temple of our God, to the chambers, into the treasure house. 39For the descendants of Israel and the descendants of Levi shall bring the offering of the grain, of the new wine, and the oil, to the chambers, where are the vessels of the sanctuary, and the priests who minister, and the gatekeepers, and the singers; and we will not forsake the house of our God. Reader-Friendly Bible: Purple Letter Edition © 2024 by Jim Musser. Used by Permission. All rights Reserved. Bible Hub |