Nehemiah 8-10

Complete Jewish Bible

8 all the people gathered with one accord in the open space in front of the Water Gate and asked ‘Ezra the Torah-teacher to bring the scroll of the Torah of Moshe, which Adonai had commanded Isra’el. ²‘Ezra the cohen brought the Torah before the assembly, which consisted of men, women and all children old enough to understand. It was the first day of the seventh month. ³Facing the open space in front of the Water Gate, he read from it to the men, the women and the children who could understand from early morning until noon; and all the people listened attentively to the scroll of the Torah. ⁴‘Ezra the Torah-teacher stood on a wood platform which they had made for the purpose; beside him on his right stood Mattityah, Shema, ‘Anayah, Uriyah, Hilkiyah and Ma‘aseiyah; while on his left were P’dayah, Misha’el, Malkiyah, Hashum, Hashbadanah, Z’kharyah and Meshulam. ⁵‘Ezra opened the scroll where all the people could see him, because he was higher than all the people; when he opened it, all the people rose to their feet. ⁶‘Ezra blessed Adonai, the great God; and all the people answered, “Amen! Amen!” as they lifted up their hands, bowed their heads and fell prostrate before Adonai with their faces to the ground. ⁷The L’vi’im Yeshua, Bani, Sherevyah, Yamin, ‘Akuv, Shabtai, Hodiyah, Ma‘aseiyah, K’lita, ‘Azaryah, Yozavad, Hanan and P’layah explained the Torah to the people, while the people remained in their places. ⁸They read clearly from the scroll, in the Torah of God, translated it, and enabled them to understand the sense of what was being read.

⁹Nechemyah the Tirshata, ‘Ezra the cohen and Torah-teacher and the L’vi’im who taught the people said to all the people, “Today is consecrated to Adonai your God; don’t be mournful, don’t weep.” For all the people had been weeping when they heard the words of the Torah. ¹⁰Then he said to them, “Go, eat rich food, drink sweet drinks, and send portions to those who can’t provide for themselves; for today is consecrated to our Lord. Don’t be sad, because the joy of Adonai is your strength.” ¹¹In this way the L’vi’im quieted the people, as they said, “Be quiet, for today is holy; don’t be sad.” ¹²Then the people went off to eat, drink, send portions and celebrate; because they had understood the words that had been proclaimed to them.

¹³On the second day, the heads of fathers’ clans of all the people assembled with the cohanim and L’vi’im before ‘Ezra the Torah-teacher to study the words of the Torah. ¹⁴They found written in the Torah that Adonai had ordered through Moshe that the people of Isra’el were to live in sukkot during the feast of the seventh month; ¹⁵and that they were to announce and pass the word in all their cities and in Yerushalayim, “Go out to the mountains, and collect branches of olives, wild olives, myrtles, palms, and other leafy trees to make sukkot, as prescribed.” ¹⁶So the people went out, brought them and made sukkot for themselves, each one on the roof of his house, also in their courtyards, in the courtyards of the house of God, in the open space by the Water Gate and in the open space by the Efrayim Gate. ¹⁷The entire community of those who had returned from the exile made sukkot and lived in the sukkot, for the people of Isra’el had not done this since the days of Yeshua the son of Nun. So there was very great joy. ¹⁸Also they read every day, from the first day until the last day, in the scroll of the Torah of God. They kept the feast for seven days; then on the eighth day there was a solemn assembly, according to the rule.

9 On the twenty-fourth day of this month the people of Isra’el, wearing sackcloth and with dirt on them, assembled for a fast. ²Those descended from Isra’el separated themselves from all foreigners; then they stood up and confessed their own sins and the iniquities of their ancestors. ³Standing where they were, they read in the scroll of the Torah of Adonai their God for one-quarter of the day. For another quarter they confessed and prostrated themselves before Adonai their God. ⁴On the platform of the L’vi’im stood Yeshua, Bani, Kadmi’el, Sh’vanyah, Buni, Sherevyah, Bani and K’nani; they cried out loudly to Adonai their God. ⁵Then the L’vi’im Yeshua, Kadmi’el, Bani, Hashavn’yah, Sherevyah, Hodiyah, Sh’vanyah and P’tachyah said, “Stand up, and bless Adonai your God from everlasting to everlasting; let them say:

“‘Blessed be your glorious name,
exalted above all blessing and praise!

⁶“‘You are Adonai, you alone.
You made heaven,
the heaven of heavens, with all their array,
the earth and all the things that are in it,
the seas and all that is in them;
and you preserve them all.
The army of heaven worships you.

⁷“‘You are Adonai, the God who chose Avram,
brought him out of Ur-Kasdim
and gave him the name of Avraham.
⁸Finding that he was faithful to you,
you made a covenant with him
to give the land of the Kena‘ani,
the Hitti, Emori and P’rizi,
the Y’vusi and the Girgashi,
to give it to his descendants;
and you have done what you promised,
because you are just.

⁹“‘You saw the distress of our ancestors in Egypt
and heard their cry by the Sea of Suf.
¹⁰You performed signs and wonders against Pharaoh,
against all his servants and the people of the land;
for you knew how arrogantly they treated them;
and you won yourself a name which is yours to this day.
¹¹You divided the sea ahead of them,
so that they could pass through the sea on dry land;
then you hurled their pursuers into the depths,
like a stone into turbulent waters.

¹²“‘In a column of cloud you led them by day,
and by night in a column of fire,
so that they would have light ahead of them
on the way that they were to go.

¹³“‘You descended on Mount Sinai
and spoke with them from heaven.
You gave them right rulings and true teachings,
good laws and mitzvot.
¹⁴You revealed to them your holy Shabbat
and gave them mitzvot, laws and the Torah
through Moshe your servant.

¹⁵“‘For their hunger you gave them bread from heaven;
for their thirst you brought forth for them water from the rock.
You ordered them to enter and possess the land
you had sworn with your hand to give them.

¹⁶“‘But they and our ancestors were arrogant;
they stiffened their necks and ignored your mitzvot;
¹⁷they refused to listen and paid no attention
to the wonders you had done among them.
No, they stiffened their necks, and in their rebellion
appointed a leader to return them to their slavery.
But because you are a God of forgiveness,
merciful, full of compassion,
slow to grow angry and full of grace,
you did not abandon them.
¹⁸Even when they cast themselves a metal calf,
saying of it, “This is your god
that brought you up from Egypt,”
and committing other gross provocations;
¹⁹still, you, in your great compassion,
did not abandon them in the desert.
The column of cloud did not leave them by day;
it kept leading them along the way.
By night the column of fire
kept showing them light and the path to take.
²⁰You also gave your good Spirit to teach them,
did not withhold man from their mouths
and provided them water to quench their thirst.
²¹Yes, forty years you sustained them in the desert;
they lacked nothing —
their clothes did not wear out;
their feet did not swell up.

²²“‘You gave them kingdoms and peoples;
you even gave them extra land,
so that they took possession of the land of Sichon,
also the land of the king of Heshbon
and the land of ‘Og king of Bashan.
²³You made their children as numerous
as the countless stars in the sky.

“‘Then you brought them into the land
about which you had said to their fathers
that they should go in and take possession of it.
²⁴So the children went in and possessed the land,
as you subdued ahead of them
the Kena‘ani living in the land,
and handed them over to them,
along with their kings and the peoples of the land,
for them to do with as they wished.
²⁵They took fortified cities and fertile land,
possessed houses full of all kinds of good things,
dug-out cisterns, vineyards, olive groves,
fruit trees in plenty;
so they ate their fill and grew robust,
luxuriating in your great goodness.

²⁶“‘Yet they disobeyed and rebelled against you,
throwing your Torah behind their backs.
They killed your prophets for warning them
that they should return to you
and committed other gross provocations.
²⁷So you handed them over to the power
of their adversaries, who oppressed them.
Yet in the time of their trouble,
when they cried out to you,
you heard from heaven, and in keeping
with your great compassion,
you gave them saviors to save them
from the power of their adversaries.
²⁸But as soon as they had gotten some relief,
they went back to do evil before you.
So you left them in the power of their enemies,
who came down hard on them.
Yet when they returned and cried out to you,
you heard from heaven many times
and saved them, according to your compassion.
²⁹You warned them, in order to bring them back
to your Torah; yet they were arrogant.
They paid no attention to your mitzvot,
but sinned against your rulings,
which, if a person does them,
he will have life through them.
However, they stubbornly turned their shoulders,
stiffened their necks and refused to hear.
³⁰Many years you extended them mercy
and warned them by your Spirit through your prophets;
yet they would not listen.
Therefore you handed them over
to the peoples of the lands.
³¹Even so, in your great compassion,
you didn’t completely destroy them;
nor did you abandon them,
for you are a compassionate and merciful God.

³²“‘Now therefore, our God,
great, mighty, fearsome God,
who keeps both covenant and grace:
let not all this suffering seem little to you
that has come on us, our kings, our leaders,
our cohanim, our prophets, our ancestors,
and on all your people,
from the times of the kings of Ashur
until this very day.
³³There is no question that you are just
in all that has come upon us;
for you have treated us fairly.
It is we who have acted wickedly.
³⁴Our kings, our leaders, our cohanim and ancestors
did not keep your Torah,
pay attention to your mitzvot
or heed the warnings you gave them.
³⁵Even when they ruled their own kingdom,
even when you prospered them greatly,
in the great, rich land you gave them,
they did not serve you;
nor did they turn from their wicked deeds.

³⁶“‘So here we are today, slaves.
Yes, in the land you gave our ancestors,
so that they could eat what it produces
and enjoy its good —
here we are in it, slaves!
³⁷Its rich yield now goes to the kings
you have set over us because of our sins;
they have power over our bodies,
they can do what they please to our livestock,
and we are in great distress!

10 ^(9:38)“‘In view of all this, we are making a binding covenant, putting it in writing and having it sealed by our leaders, our L’vi’im and our cohanim.’”

²⁽¹⁾On the sealed document were the names of: Nechemyah the Tirshata the son of Hakhalyah, Tzedekyah, ³⁽²⁾S’rayah, ‘Azaryah, Yirmeyah, ⁴⁽³⁾Pash’chur, Amaryah, Malkiyah, ⁵⁽⁴⁾Hatush, Sh’vanyah, Malukh, ⁶⁽⁵⁾Harim, M’remot, ‘Ovadyah, ⁷⁽⁶⁾Dani’el, Ginton, Barukh, ⁸⁽⁷⁾Meshulam, Aviyah, Miyamin, ⁹⁽⁸⁾Ma‘azyah, Bilgai and Sh’ma‘yah. These were the cohanim.

¹⁰⁽⁹⁾The L’vi’im were: Yeshua the son of Azanyah, Binui a descendant of Henadad, Kadmi’el, ¹¹⁽¹⁰⁾and their kinsmen Sh’vanyah, Hodiyah, K’lita, P’layah, Hanan, ¹²⁽¹¹⁾Mikha, Rechov, Hashavyah, ¹³⁽¹²⁾Zakur, Sherevyah, Sh’vanyah, ¹⁴⁽¹³⁾Hodiyah, Bani and B’ninu.

¹⁵⁽¹⁴⁾The leaders of the people: Par‘osh, Pachat-Mo’av, ‘Eilam, Zatu, Bani, ¹⁶⁽¹⁵⁾Buni, ‘Azgad, B’vai, ¹⁷⁽¹⁶⁾Adoniyah, Bigvai, ‘Adin, ¹⁸⁽¹⁷⁾Ater, Hizkiyah, ‘Azur, ¹⁹⁽¹⁸⁾Hodiyah, Hashum, Betzai, ²⁰⁽¹⁹⁾Harif, ‘Anatot, Neivai, ²¹⁽²⁰⁾Magpi‘ash, Meshulam, Hezir, ²²⁽²¹⁾Mesheizav’el, Tzadok, Yadua, ²³⁽²²⁾P’latyah, Hanan, ‘Anayah, ²⁴⁽²³⁾Hoshea, Hananyah, Hashuv, ²⁵⁽²⁴⁾HaLochesh, Pilcha, Shovek, ²⁶⁽²⁵⁾Rechum, Hashavnah, Ma‘aseiyah, ²⁷⁽²⁶⁾Achiyah, Hanan, ‘Anan, ²⁸⁽²⁷⁾Malukh, Harim and Ba‘anah.

²⁹⁽²⁸⁾The rest of the people, the cohanim, the L’vi’im, the gatekeepers, the singers, the temple servants and all who had separated themselves from the peoples of the lands to the Torah of God, along with their wives, sons and daughters, everyone capable of knowing and understanding, ³⁰⁽²⁹⁾joined their kinsmen and their leaders in swearing an oath, accompanied by a curse [in case of noncompliance], as follows:

“We will live by God’s Torah, given by Moshe the servant of God, and will perform and obey all the mitzvot, rulings and laws of Adonai our Lord.

³¹⁽³⁰⁾“We will not give our daughters as wives to the peoples of the land or take their daughters as wives for our sons.

³²⁽³¹⁾“If the peoples of the lands bring merchandise or food to sell on Shabbat, we will not buy from them on Shabbat or on a holy day.

“We will forego [planting and harvesting our fields] during the seventh year and collecting debts then.

³³⁽³²⁾“We will impose on ourselves a yearly tax of one-third of a shekel [one-seventh of an ounce of silver] for the service of the house of our God, ³⁴⁽³³⁾for the showbread, for the regular grain offering, for the regular burnt offering, for [the offerings] on Shabbat, on Rosh-Hodesh, at the designated times and at other holy times, for the sin offerings to make atonement for Isra’el, and for all the work connected with the house of our God.

³⁵⁽³⁴⁾“We, the cohanim, the L’vi’im and the people, will cast lots in connection with the wood offering, so that it will be brought to the house of our God according to our fathers’ clans, at specified times, year by year, and then be burned on the altar of Adonai our God, as prescribed in the Torah.

³⁶⁽³⁵⁾“Every year we will bring the firstfruits of our land and the firstfruits of all fruit from every kind of tree to the house of Adonai. ³⁷⁽³⁶⁾“We will also bring the firstborn of our sons and of our livestock, as prescribed in the Torah, and the firstborn of our herds and flocks, to the house of our God, to the cohanim ministering in the house of our God.

³⁸⁽³⁷⁾“We will bring the first of our dough, our contributions, the fruit of every kind of tree, wine and olive oil to the cohanim in the storerooms of the house of our God, along with the tenths from our land for the L’vi’im; since they, the L’vi’im, take the tenths in all the cities where we farm. ³⁹⁽³⁸⁾The cohen the descendant of Aharon is to be with the L’vi’im when the L’vi’im take tenths. The L’vi’im will bring the tenth of the tenth to the house of our God, to the storerooms for supplies. ⁴⁰⁽³⁹⁾For the people of Isra’el and the descendants of Levi are to bring the contribution of grain, wine and olive oil to the rooms where the equipment for the sanctuary, the ministering cohanim, the gatekeepers and the singers are. We will not abandon the house of our God.”

Nehemiah 8-10

New International Version

8 ¹all the people came together as one in the square before the Water Gate.^(A) They told Ezra the teacher of the Law to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses,^(B) which the Lord had commanded for Israel.

²So on the first day of the seventh month^(C) Ezra the priest brought the Law^(D) before the assembly, which was made up of men and women and all who were able to understand. ³He read it aloud from daybreak till noon as he faced the square before the Water Gate^(E) in the presence of the men, women and others who could understand. And all the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law.

⁴Ezra the teacher of the Law stood on a high wooden platform^(F) built for the occasion. Beside him on his right stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah and Maaseiah; and on his left were Pedaiah, Mishael, Malkijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah and Meshullam.

⁵Ezra opened the book. All the people could see him because he was standing^(G) above them; and as he opened it, the people all stood up. ⁶Ezra praised the Lord, the great God; and all the people lifted their hands^(H) and responded, “Amen! Amen!” Then they bowed down and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground.

⁷The Levites^(I)—Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan and Pelaiah—instructed^(J) the people in the Law while the people were standing there. ⁸They read from the Book of the Law of God, making it clear^[a] and giving the meaning so that the people understood what was being read.

⁹Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and teacher of the Law, and the Levites^(K) who were instructing the people said to them all, “This day is holy to the Lord your God. Do not mourn or weep.”^(L) For all the people had been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law.

¹⁰Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing^(M) prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy^(N) of the Lord is your strength.”

¹¹The Levites calmed all the people, saying, “Be still, for this is a holy day. Do not grieve.”

¹²Then all the people went away to eat and drink, to send portions of food and to celebrate with great joy,^(O) because they now understood the words that had been made known to them.

¹³On the second day of the month, the heads of all the families, along with the priests and the Levites, gathered around Ezra the teacher to give attention to the words of the Law. ¹⁴They found written in the Law, which the Lord had commanded through Moses, that the Israelites were to live in temporary shelters^(P) during the festival of the seventh month ¹⁵and that they should proclaim this word and spread it throughout their towns and in Jerusalem: “Go out into the hill country and bring back branches from olive and wild olive trees, and from myrtles, palms and shade trees, to make temporary shelters”—as it is written.^[b]

¹⁶So the people went out and brought back branches and built themselves temporary shelters on their own roofs, in their courtyards, in the courts of the house of God and in the square by the Water Gate^(Q) and the one by the Gate of Ephraim.^(R) ¹⁷The whole company that had returned from exile built temporary shelters and lived in them.^(S) From the days of Joshua son of Nun until that day, the Israelites had not celebrated^(T) it like this. And their joy was very great.

¹⁸Day after day, from the first day to the last, Ezra read^(U) from the Book of the Law^(V) of God. They celebrated the festival for seven days, and on the eighth day, in accordance with the regulation,^(W) there was an assembly.^(X)

The Israelites Confess Their Sins

9 On the twenty-fourth day of the same month, the Israelites gathered together, fasting and wearing sackcloth and putting dust on their heads.^(Y) ²Those of Israelite descent had separated themselves from all foreigners.^(Z) They stood in their places and confessed their sins and the sins of their ancestors.^(AA) ³They stood where they were and read from the Book of the Law of the Lord their God for a quarter of the day, and spent another quarter in confession and in worshiping the Lord their God. ⁴Standing on the stairs of the Levites^(AB) were Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani and Kenani. They cried out with loud voices to the Lord their God. ⁵And the Levites—Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah and Pethahiah—said: “Stand up and praise the Lord your God,^(AC) who is from everlasting to everlasting.^[c]”

“Blessed be your glorious name,^(AD) and may it be exalted above all blessing and praise. ⁶You alone are the Lord.^(AE) You made the heavens,^(AF) even the highest heavens, and all their starry host,^(AG) the earth^(AH) and all that is on it, the seas^(AI) and all that is in them.^(AJ) You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven^(AK) worship you.

⁷“You are the Lord God, who chose Abram^(AL) and brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans^(AM) and named him Abraham.^(AN) ⁸You found his heart faithful to you, and you made a covenant with him to give to his descendants the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Jebusites and Girgashites.^(AO) You have kept your promise^(AP) because you are righteous.^(AQ)

⁹“You saw the suffering of our ancestors in Egypt;^(AR) you heard their cry at the Red Sea.^[d]^(AS) ¹⁰You sent signs^(AT) and wonders^(AU) against Pharaoh, against all his officials and all the people of his land, for you knew how arrogantly the Egyptians treated them. You made a name^(AV) for yourself,^(AW) which remains to this day. ¹¹You divided the sea before them,^(AX) so that they passed through it on dry ground, but you hurled their pursuers into the depths,^(AY) like a stone into mighty waters.^(AZ) ¹²By day^(BA) you led^(BB) them with a pillar of cloud,^(BC) and by night with a pillar of fire to give them light on the way they were to take.

¹³“You came down on Mount Sinai;^(BD) you spoke^(BE) to them from heaven.^(BF) You gave them regulations and laws that are just^(BG) and right, and decrees and commands that are good.^(BH) ¹⁴You made known to them your holy Sabbath^(BI) and gave them commands, decrees and laws through your servant Moses. ¹⁵In their hunger you gave them bread from heaven^(BJ) and in their thirst you brought them water from the rock;^(BK) you told them to go in and take possession of the land you had sworn with uplifted hand^(BL) to give them.^(BM)

¹⁶“But they, our ancestors, became arrogant and stiff-necked,^(BN) and they did not obey your commands.^(BO) ¹⁷They refused to listen and failed to remember^(BP) the miracles^(BQ) you performed among them. They became stiff-necked^(BR) and in their rebellion appointed a leader in order to return to their slavery.^(BS) But you are a forgiving God,^(BT) gracious and compassionate,^(BU) slow to anger^(BV) and abounding in love.^(BW) Therefore you did not desert them,^(BX) ¹⁸even when they cast for themselves an image of a calf^(BY) and said, ‘This is your god, who brought you up out of Egypt,’ or when they committed awful blasphemies.^(BZ)

¹⁹“Because of your great compassion you did not abandon^(CA) them in the wilderness. By day the pillar of cloud^(CB) did not fail to guide them on their path, nor the pillar of fire by night to shine on the way they were to take. ²⁰You gave your good Spirit^(CC) to instruct^(CD) them. You did not withhold your manna^(CE) from their mouths, and you gave them water^(CF) for their thirst. ²¹For forty years^(CG) you sustained them in the wilderness; they lacked nothing,^(CH) their clothes did not wear out nor did their feet become swollen.^(CI)

²²“You gave them kingdoms and nations, allotting to them even the remotest frontiers. They took over the country of Sihon^[e]^(CJ) king of Heshbon and the country of Og king of Bashan.^(CK) ²³You made their children as numerous as the stars in the sky,^(CL) and you brought them into the land that you told their parents to enter and possess. ²⁴Their children went in and took possession of the land.^(CM) You subdued^(CN) before them the Canaanites, who lived in the land; you gave the Canaanites into their hands, along with their kings and the peoples of the land, to deal with them as they pleased. ²⁵They captured fortified cities and fertile land;^(CO) they took possession of houses filled with all kinds of good things,^(CP) wells already dug, vineyards, olive groves and fruit trees in abundance. They ate to the full and were well-nourished;^(CQ) they reveled in your great goodness.^(CR)

²⁶“But they were disobedient and rebelled against you; they turned their backs on your law.^(CS) They killed^(CT) your prophets,^(CU) who had warned them in order to turn them back to you; they committed awful blasphemies.^(CV) ²⁷So you delivered them into the hands of their enemies,^(CW) who oppressed them. But when they were oppressed they cried out to you. From heaven you heard them, and in your great compassion^(CX) you gave them deliverers,^(CY) who rescued them from the hand of their enemies.

²⁸“But as soon as they were at rest, they again did what was evil in your sight.^(CZ) Then you abandoned them to the hand of their enemies so that they ruled over them. And when they cried out to you again, you heard from heaven, and in your compassion^(DA) you delivered them^(DB) time after time.

²⁹“You warned^(DC) them in order to turn them back to your law, but they became arrogant^(DD) and disobeyed your commands. They sinned against your ordinances, of which you said, ‘The person who obeys them will live by them.’^(DE) Stubbornly they turned their backs^(DF) on you, became stiff-necked^(DG) and refused to listen.^(DH) ³⁰For many years you were patient with them. By your Spirit you warned them through your prophets.^(DI) Yet they paid no attention, so you gave them into the hands of the neighboring peoples.^(DJ) ³¹But in your great mercy you did not put an end^(DK) to them or abandon them, for you are a gracious and merciful^(DL) God.

³²“Now therefore, our God, the great God, mighty^(DM) and awesome,^(DN) who keeps his covenant of love,^(DO) do not let all this hardship seem trifling in your eyes—the hardship^(DP) that has come on us, on our kings and leaders, on our priests and prophets, on our ancestors and all your people, from the days of the kings of Assyria until today. ³³In all that has happened to us, you have remained righteous;^(DQ) you have acted faithfully, while we acted wickedly.^(DR) ³⁴Our kings,^(DS) our leaders, our priests and our ancestors^(DT) did not follow your law; they did not pay attention to your commands or the statutes you warned them to keep. ³⁵Even while they were in their kingdom, enjoying your great goodness^(DU) to them in the spacious and fertile land you gave them, they did not serve you^(DV) or turn from their evil ways.

³⁶“But see, we are slaves^(DW) today, slaves in the land you gave our ancestors so they could eat its fruit and the other good things it produces. ³⁷Because of our sins, its abundant harvest goes to the kings you have placed over us. They rule over our bodies and our cattle as they please. We are in great distress.^(DX)

The Agreement of the People

³⁸“In view of all this, we are making a binding agreement,^(DY) putting it in writing,^(DZ) and our leaders, our Levites and our priests are affixing their seals to it.”^[f]

10 ^[g]Those who sealed it were:

Nehemiah the governor, the son of Hakaliah.

Zedekiah, ²Seraiah,^(EA) Azariah, Jeremiah,

³Pashhur,^(EB) Amariah, Malkijah,

⁴Hattush, Shebaniah, Malluk,

⁵Harim,^(EC) Meremoth, Obadiah,

⁶Daniel, Ginnethon, Baruch,

⁷Meshullam, Abijah, Mijamin,

⁸Maaziah, Bilgai and Shemaiah.

These were the priests.^(ED)

⁹The Levites:^(EE)

Jeshua son of Azaniah, Binnui of the sons of Henadad, Kadmiel,

¹⁰and their associates: Shebaniah,

Hodiah, Kelita, Pelaiah, Hanan,

¹¹Mika, Rehob, Hashabiah,

¹²Zakkur, Sherebiah, Shebaniah,

¹³Hodiah, Bani and Beninu.

¹⁴The leaders of the people:

Parosh, Pahath-Moab, Elam, Zattu, Bani,

¹⁵Bunni, Azgad, Bebai,

¹⁶Adonijah, Bigvai, Adin,^(EF)

¹⁷Ater, Hezekiah, Azzur,

¹⁸Hodiah, Hashum, Bezai,

¹⁹Hariph, Anathoth, Nebai,

²⁰Magpiash, Meshullam, Hezir,^(EG)

²¹Meshezabel, Zadok, Jaddua,

²²Pelatiah, Hanan, Anaiah,

²³Hoshea, Hananiah,^(EH) Hasshub,

²⁴Hallohesh, Pilha, Shobek,

²⁵Rehum, Hashabnah, Maaseiah,

²⁶Ahiah, Hanan, Anan,

²⁷Malluk, Harim and Baanah.

²⁸“The rest of the people—priests, Levites, gatekeepers, musicians, temple servants^(EI) and all who separated themselves from the neighboring peoples^(EJ) for the sake of the Law of God, together with their wives and all their sons and daughters who are able to understand— ²⁹all these now join their fellow Israelites the nobles, and bind themselves with a curse and an oath^(EK) to follow the Law of God given through Moses the servant of God and to obey carefully all the commands, regulations and decrees of the Lord our Lord.

³⁰“We promise not to give our daughters in marriage to the peoples around us or take their daughters for our sons.^(EL)

³¹“When the neighboring peoples bring merchandise or grain to sell on the Sabbath,^(EM) we will not buy from them on the Sabbath or on any holy day. Every seventh year we will forgo working the land^(EN) and will cancel all debts.^(EO)

³²“We assume the responsibility for carrying out the commands to give a third of a shekel^[h] each year for the service of the house of our God: ³³for the bread set out on the table;^(EP) for the regular grain offerings and burnt offerings; for the offerings on the Sabbaths, at the New Moon^(EQ) feasts and at the appointed festivals; for the holy offerings; for sin offerings^[i] to make atonement for Israel; and for all the duties of the house of our God.^(ER)

³⁴“We—the priests, the Levites and the people—have cast lots^(ES) to determine when each of our families is to bring to the house of our God at set times each year a contribution of wood^(ET) to burn on the altar of the Lord our God, as it is written in the Law.

³⁵“We also assume responsibility for bringing to the house of the Lord each year the firstfruits^(EU) of our crops and of every fruit tree.^(EV)

³⁶“As it is also written in the Law, we will bring the firstborn^(EW) of our sons and of our cattle, of our herds and of our flocks to the house of our God, to the priests ministering there.^(EX)

³⁷“Moreover, we will bring to the storerooms of the house of our God, to the priests, the first of our ground meal, of our grain offerings, of the fruit of all our trees and of our new wine and olive oil.^(EY) And we will bring a tithe^(EZ) of our crops to the Levites,^(FA) for it is the Levites who collect the tithes in all the towns where we work.^(FB) ³⁸A priest descended from Aaron is to accompany the Levites when they receive the tithes, and the Levites are to bring a tenth of the tithes^(FC) up to the house of our God, to the storerooms of the treasury. ³⁹The people of Israel, including the Levites, are to bring their contributions of grain, new wine and olive oil to the storerooms, where the articles for the sanctuary and for the ministering priests, the gatekeepers and the musicians are also kept.

“We will not neglect the house of our God.”^(FD)

Footnotes

Nehemiah 8:8 Or God, translating it
Nehemiah 8:15 See Lev. 23:37-40.
Nehemiah 9:5 Or God for ever and ever
Nehemiah 9:9 Or the Sea of Reeds
Nehemiah 9:22 One Hebrew manuscript and Septuagint; most Hebrew manuscripts Sihon, that is, the country of the
Nehemiah 9:38 In Hebrew texts this verse (9:38) is numbered 10:1.
Nehemiah 10:1 In Hebrew texts 10:1-39 is numbered 10:2-40.
Nehemiah 10:32 That is, about 1/8 ounce or about 4 grams
Nehemiah 10:33 Or purification offerings

Complete Jewish Bible (CJB)

New International Version (NIV)

Nehemiah 8-10

Complete Jewish Bible

Nehemiah 8-10

New International Version

The Israelites Confess Their Sins

The Agreement of the People

Footnotes

Cross references

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Nehemiah 8-10 Complete Jewish Bible

Nehemiah 8-10 New International Version

The Israelites Confess Their Sins

The Agreement of the People

Footnotes

Cross references

More on the NIV

Nehemiah 8-10

Complete Jewish Bible

Nehemiah 8-10

New International Version