New King James Version (NKJV)

1 Then it was, when the wall was built and I hadhung the doors, when the gatekeepers, the singers, and the Levites had been appointed,

2 that I gave the charge of Jerusalem to my brotherHanani, and Hananiah the leaderof the citadel, for hewasa faithful man andfeared 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 standguard,let them shut and bar the doors; and appoint guards from among the inhabitants of Jerusalem, one at his watch station and another in front of his own house.”

The Captives Who Returned to Jerusalem

4 Now the citywaslarge and spacious, but the people in itwerefew, and the houseswerenot rebuilt.

5 Then my God put it into my heart to gather the nobles, the rulers, and the people, that they might be registered by genealogy. And I found a register of the genealogy of those who had come up in the firstreturn,and found written in it:

6 Thesearethe people of the province who came back from the captivity, of those who had been carried away, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away, and who returned to Jerusalem and Judah, everyone to his city.

7 Those who came withZerubbabelwereJeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, and Baanah.

The number of the men of the people of Israel:

8 the sons of Parosh, two thousand one hundred and seventy-two;

9 the sons of Shephatiah, three hundred and seventy-two;

10 the sons of Arah, six hundred and fifty-two;

11 the sons of Pahath-Moab, of the sons of Jeshua and Joab, two thousand eight hundred and eighteen;

12 the sons of Elam, one thousand two hundred and fifty-four;

13 the sons of Zattu, eight hundred and forty-five;

14 the sons of Zaccai, seven hundred and sixty;

15 the sons of Binnui, six hundred and forty-eight;

16 the sons of Bebai, six hundred and twenty-eight;

17 the sons of Azgad, two thousand three hundred and twenty-two;

18 the sons of Adonikam, six hundred and sixty-seven;

19 the sons of Bigvai, two thousand and sixty-seven;

20 the sons of Adin, six hundred and fifty-five;

21 the sons of Ater of Hezekiah, ninety-eight;

22 the sons of Hashum, three hundred and twenty-eight;

23 the sons of Bezai, three hundred and twenty-four;

24 the sons of Hariph, one hundred and twelve;

25 the sons of Gibeon, ninety-five;

26 the men of Bethlehem and Netophah, one hundred and eighty-eight;

27 the men of Anathoth, one hundred and twenty-eight;

28 the men of Beth Azmaveth, forty-two;

29 the men of Kirjath Jearim, Chephirah, and Beeroth, seven hundred and forty-three;

30 the men of Ramah and Geba, six hundred and twenty-one;

31 the men of Michmas, one hundred and twenty-two;

32 the men of Bethel and Ai, one hundred and twenty-three;

33 the men of the other Nebo, fifty-two;

34 the sons of the otherElam, one thousand two hundred and fifty-four;

35 the sons of Harim, three hundred and twenty;

36 the sons of Jericho, three hundred and forty-five;

37 the sons of Lod, Hadid, and Ono, seven hundred and twenty-one;

38 the sons of Senaah, three thousand nine hundred and thirty.

39 The priests: the sons ofJedaiah, of the house of Jeshua, nine hundred and seventy-three;

40 the sons ofImmer, one thousand and fifty-two;

41 the sons ofPashhur, one thousand two hundred and forty-seven;

42 the sons ofHarim, one thousand and seventeen.

43 The Levites: the sons of Jeshua, of Kadmiel,

andof the sons of Hodevah, seventy-four.

44 The singers: the sons of Asaph, one hundred and forty-eight.

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, one hundred and thirty-eight.

46 The Nethinim: the sons of Ziha,

the sons of Hasupha,

the sons 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 Salmai,

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 Paseah,

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,

and 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,

and the sons of Amon.

60 All the Nethinim, and the sons of Solomon’s servants,werethree hundred and ninety-two.

61 And thesewerethe ones who came up from Tel Melah, Tel Harsha, Cherub, Addon, and Immer, but they could not identify their father’s house nor their lineage, whether theywereof Israel:

62 the sons of Delaiah,

the sons of Tobiah,

the sons of Nekoda, six hundred and forty-two;

63 and of the priests: the sons of Habaiah,

the sons of Koz,

the sons of Barzillai, who took a wife of the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite, and was called by their name.

64 These sought their listingamongthose who were registered by genealogy, but it was not found; therefore they were excluded from the priesthood as defiled.

65 And the governor said to them that they should not eat of the most holy things till a priest could consult with the Urim and Thummim.

66 Altogether the whole assemblywasforty-two thousand three hundred and sixty,

67 besides their male and female servants, of whomtherewereseven thousand three hundred and thirty-seven; and they had two hundred and forty-five men and women singers.

68 Their horses were seven hundred and thirty-six, their mules two hundred and forty-five,

69 theircamels four hundred and thirty-five,anddonkeys six thousand seven hundred and twenty.

70 And some of the heads of the fathers’housesgave to the work.The governor gave to the treasury one thousand gold drachmas, fifty basins, and five hundred and thirty priestly garments.

71 Some of the heads of the fathers’housesgave to the treasury of the worktwenty thousand gold drachmas, and two thousand two hundred silver minas.

72 And that which the rest of the people gavewastwenty thousand gold drachmas, two thousand silver minas, and sixty-seven priestly garments.

73 So the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers,someof the people, the Nethinim, and all Israel dwelt in their cities.

Ezra Reads the Law

# When the seventh month came, the children of Israelwerein their cities.

1 Now allthe people gathered together as one man in the open square thatwasin front of the Water Gate; and they told Ezra thescribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses, which theLordhad commanded Israel.

2 So Ezra the priest broughtthe Law before the assembly of men and women and all whocouldhear with understandingon the first day of the seventh month.

3 Then heread from it in the open square thatwasin front of the Water Gate from morning until midday, before the men and women and those who could understand; and the ears of all the peoplewereattentiveto the Book of the Law.

4 So Ezra the scribe stood on a platform of wood which they had made for the purpose; and beside him, at his right hand, stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Urijah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah; and at his left hand Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbadana, Zechariah,andMeshullam.

5 And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he wasstandingabove all the people; and when he opened it, all the peoplestood up.

6 And Ezra blessed theLord, the great God.

# Then all the peopleanswered, “Amen, Amen!” whilelifting up their hands. And theybowed their heads and worshiped theLordwiththeirfaces to the ground.

7 Also Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodijah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites,helped the people to understand the Law; and the peoplestoodin their place.

8 So they read distinctly from the book, in the Law of God; and they gave the sense, and helpedthemto understand the reading.

9 And Nehemiah, whowasthe governor, Ezra the priestandscribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people,“This dayisholy to theLordyour God;do 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, drink the sweet,and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; forthisdayisholy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of theLordis your strength.”

11 So the Levites quieted all the people, saying, “Be still, for the dayisholy; do not be grieved.”

12 And all the people went their way to eat and drink, tosend portions and rejoice greatly, because theyunderstood the words that were declared to them.

The Feast of Tabernacles

13 Now on the second day the heads of the fathers’housesof all the people, with the priests and Levites, were gathered to Ezra the scribe, in order to understand the words of the Law.

14 And they found written in the Law, which theLordhad commanded by Moses, that the children of Israel should dwell inbooths during the feast of the seventh month,

15 andthat they should announce and proclaim in all their cities andin Jerusalem, saying, “Go out to the mountain, andbring olive branches, branches of oil trees, myrtle branches, palm branches, and branches of leafy trees, to make booths, asitiswritten.”

16 Then the people went out and broughtthemand made themselves booths, each one on theroof of his house, or in their courtyards or the courts of the house of God, and in the open square of theWater Gateand in the open square of the Gate of Ephraim.

17 So the whole assembly of those who had returned from the captivity made booths and sat under the booths; for since the days of Joshua the son of Nun until that day the children of Israel had not done so. And there was verygreat gladness.

18 Alsoday by day, from the first day until the last day, he read from the Book of the Law of God. And they kept the feastseven days; and on theeighth daytherewasa sacred assembly, according to theprescribedmanner.

The People Confess Their Sins

1 Now on the twenty-fourth day ofthis month the children of Israel were assembled with fasting, in sackcloth,and with dust on their heads.

2 Thenthose of Israelite lineage separated themselves from all foreigners; and they stood andconfessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers.

3 And they stood up in their place andread from the Book of the Law of theLordtheir Godforone–fourth of the day; andforanotherfourth they confessed and worshiped theLordtheir God.

4 Then Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani,andChenani stood on the stairs of the Levites and cried out with a loud voice to theLordtheir God.

5 And the Levites, Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabniah, Sherebiah, Hodijah, Shebaniah,andPethahiah, said:

“Stand upandbless theLordyour God

Forever and ever!

# “Blessed beYour glorious name,

Which is exalted above all blessing and praise!

6 You alonearetheLord;

# You have made heaven,

# The heaven of heavens, withall their host,

The earth and everything on it,

The seas and all that is in them,

# And Youpreserve them all.

The host of heaven worships You.

7 “YouaretheLordGod,

# Who choseAbram,

And brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans,

# And gave him the nameAbraham;

8 You found his heartfaithful before You,

# And made acovenant with him

To give the land of the Canaanites,

The Hittites, the Amorites,

The Perizzites, the Jebusites,

And the Girgashites—

To giveitto his descendants.

# Youhave performed Your words,

For Youarerighteous.

9 “Yousaw the affliction of our fathers in Egypt,

# Andheard their cry by the Red Sea.

10 Youshowed signs and wonders against Pharaoh,

Against all his servants,

And against all the people of his land.

# For You knew that theyacted proudly against them.

# So Youmade a name for Yourself, asitisthis day.

11 And You divided the sea before them,

So that they went through the midst of the sea on the dry land;

And their persecutors You threw into the deep,

# As a stone into the mighty waters.

12 Moreover Youled them by day with a cloudy pillar,

And by night with a pillar of fire,

To give them light on the road

Which they should travel.

13 “Youcame down also on Mount Sinai,

And spoke with them from heaven,

# And gave themjust ordinances and true laws,

Good statutes and commandments.

14 You made known to them Yourholy Sabbath,

And commanded them precepts, statutes and laws,

By the hand of Moses Your servant.

15 Yougave them bread from heaven for their hunger,

# Andbrought them water out of the rock for their thirst,

# And told them togo in to possess the land

Which You had sworn to give them.

16 “Butthey and our fathers acted proudly,

# Hardened their necks,

And did not heed Your commandments.

17 They refused to obey,

# Andthey were not mindful of Your wonders

That You did among them.

But they hardened their necks,

And in their rebellion

# They appointeda leader

To return to their bondage.

But YouareGod,

Ready to pardon,

# Gracious and merciful,

Slow to anger,

Abundant in kindness,

And did not forsake them.

18 “Evenwhen they made a molded calf for themselves,

And said, ‘Thisisyour god

That brought you up out of Egypt,’

And worked great provocations,

19 Yet in Yourmanifold mercies

You did not forsake them in the wilderness.

# Thepillar of the cloud did not depart from them by day,

To lead them on the road;

Nor the pillar of fire by night,

To show them light,

And the way they should go.

20 You also gave Yourgood Spirit to instruct them,

# And did not withhold Yourmanna from their mouth,

# And gave themwater for their thirst.

21 Forty years You sustained them in the wilderness;

They lacked nothing;

# Theirclothes did not wear out

And their feet did not swell.

22 “Moreover You gave them kingdoms and nations,

And divided them into districts.

# So they took possession of the land ofSihon,

The land of the king of Heshbon,

And the land of Og king of Bashan.

23 You also multipliedtheir children as the stars of heaven,

And brought them into the land

Which You had told their fathers

To go in and possess.

24 Sothe people went in

And possessed the land;

# You subdued before them the inhabitants of the land,

The Canaanites,

And gave them into their hands,

With their kings

And the people of the land,

That they might do with them as they wished.

25 And they took strong cities and arich land,

# And possessedhouses full of all goods,

Cisternsalreadydug, vineyards, olive groves,

And fruit trees in abundance.

# So they ate and were filled andgrew fat,

# And delighted themselves in Your greatgoodness.

26 “Nevertheless theywere disobedient

And rebelled against You,

# Cast Your law behind their backs

# And killed Yourprophets, who testified against them

To turn them to Yourself;

And they worked great provocations.

27 Therefore You delivered them into the hand of their enemies,

Who oppressed them;

And in the time of their trouble,

When they cried to You,

# Youheard from heaven;

And according to Your abundant mercies

# You gave them deliverers who saved them

From the hand of their enemies.

28 “But after they had rest,

# They again did evil 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 from heaven;

# Andmany times You delivered them according to Your mercies,

29 And testified against them,

That You might bring them back to Your law.

Yet they acted proudly,

And did not heed Your commandments,

But sinned against Your judgments,

# ‘Which if a man does, he shall live by them.’

And they shrugged their shoulders,

Stiffened their necks,

And would not hear.

30 Yet for many years You had patience with them,

# And testifiedagainst them by Your Spiritin Your prophets.

Yet they would not listen;

# Therefore You gave them into the hand of the peoples of the lands.

31 Nevertheless in Your great mercy

# You did not utterly consume them nor forsake them;

For YouareGod, gracious and merciful.

32 “Now therefore, our God,

# The great, themighty, and awesome God,

Who keeps covenant and mercy:

Do not let all the trouble seem small before You

That has come upon us,

Our kings and our princes,

Our priests and our prophets,

Our fathers and on all Your people,

# From the days of the kings of Assyria until this day.

33 HoweverYouarejust in all that has befallen us;

For You have dealt faithfully,

# Butwe have done wickedly.

34 Neither our kings nor our princes,

Our priests nor our fathers,

Have kept Your law,

Nor heeded Your commandments and Your testimonies,

With which You testified against them.

35 For they havenot served You in their kingdom,

Or in the many goodthingsthat You gave them,

Or in the large and rich land which You set before them;

Nor did they turn from their wicked works.

36 “Hereweare,servants today!

And the land that You gave to our fathers,

To eat its fruit and its bounty,

Here weare,servants in it!

37 Andit yields much increase to the kings

You have set over us,

Because of our sins;

# Also they havedominion over our bodies and our cattle

At their pleasure;

And wearein great distress.

38 “And because of all this,

# Wemake a surecovenantand writeit;

# Our leaders, our Levites,andour priestssealit.”

The People Who Sealed the Covenant

1 Now those who placedtheirseal onthedocumentwere:

# Nehemiah the governor,the son of Hacaliah, and Zedekiah,

2 Seraiah, Azariah, Jeremiah,

3 Pashhur, Amariah, Malchijah,

4 Hattush, Shebaniah, Malluch,

5 Harim, Meremoth, Obadiah,

6 Daniel, Ginnethon, Baruch,

7 Meshullam, Abijah, Mijamin,

8 Maaziah, Bilgai,andShemaiah. Thesewerethe priests.

9 The Levites: Jeshua the son of Azaniah, Binnui of the sons of Henadad,andKadmiel.

10 Their brethren: Shebaniah, Hodijah, Kelita, Pelaiah, Hanan,

11 Micha, Rehob, Hashabiah,

12 Zaccur, Sherebiah, Shebaniah,

13 Hodijah, Bani,andBeninu.

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

15 Bunni, Azgad, Bebai,

16 Adonijah, Bigvai, Adin,

17 Ater, Hezekiah, Azzur,

18 Hodijah, Hashum, Bezai,

19 Hariph, Anathoth, Nebai,

20 Magpiash, Meshullam, Hezir,

21 Meshezabel, Zadok, Jaddua,

22 Pelatiah, Hanan, Anaiah,

23 Hoshea, Hananiah, Hasshub,

24 Hallohesh, Pilha, Shobek,

25 Rehum, Hashabnah, Maaseiah,

26 Ahijah, Hanan, Anan,

27 Malluch, Harim,andBaanah.

The Covenant That Was Sealed

28 Now the rest of the people—the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, the Nethinim,and all those who had separated themselves from the peoples of the lands to the Law of God, their wives, their sons, and their daughters, everyone who had knowledge and understanding—

29 these joined with their brethren, their nobles,and entered into a curse and an oathto walk in God’s Law, which was given by Moses the servant of God, and to observe and do all the commandments of theLordour Lord, and His ordinances and His statutes:

30 We would not giveour daughters as wives to the peoples of the land, nor take their daughters for our sons;

31 ifthe peoples of the land brought wares or any grain to sell on the Sabbath day, we would not buy it from them on the Sabbath, or on a holy day; and we would forego theseventh year’sproduceand theexacting of every debt.

32 Also we made ordinances for ourselves, to exact from ourselves yearlyone-third of a shekel for the service of the house of our God:

33 forthe showbread, for the regular grain offering, for theregular burnt offering of the Sabbaths, the New Moons, and the set feasts; for the holy things, for the sin offerings to make atonement for Israel, and all the work of the house of our God.

34 We cast lots among the priests, the Levites, and the people,for bringing the wood offering into the house of our God, according to our fathers’ houses, at the appointed times year by year, to burn on the altar of theLordour Godasitiswritten in the Law.

35 Andwemadeordinancesto bring the firstfruits of our ground and the firstfruits of all fruit of all trees, year by year, to the house of theLord;

36 to bring thefirstborn of our sons and our cattle, asitiswritten in the Law, and the firstborn of our herds and our flocks, to the house of our God, to the priests who minister in the house of our God;

37 to bring the firstfruits of our dough, our offerings, the fruit from all kinds of trees,thenew wine and oil, to the priests, to the storerooms of the house of our God; and to bringthe tithes of our land to the Levites, for the Levites should receive the tithes in all our farming communities.

38 And the priest, the descendant of Aaron, shall be with the Leviteswhen the Levites receive tithes; and the Levites shall bring up a tenth of the tithes to the house of our God, tothe rooms of the storehouse.

39 For the children of Israel and the children of Levishall bring the offering of the grain, of the new wine and the oil, to the storerooms where the articles of the sanctuaryare, wherethe priests who minister and the gatekeepersand the singersare;and we will notneglect the house of our God.

The People Dwelling in Jerusalem

1 Now the leaders of the people dwelt at Jerusalem; the rest of the people cast lots to bring one out of ten to dwell in Jerusalem,the holy city, and nine-tenthsweretodwellinothercities.

2 And the people blessed all the men whowillingly offered themselves to dwell at Jerusalem.

3 Thesearethe heads of the province who dwelt in Jerusalem. (But in the cities of Judah everyone dwelt in his own possession in their cities—Israelites, priests, Levites,Nethinim, anddescendants of Solomon’s servants.)

4 Alsoin Jerusalem dweltsomeof the children of Judah and of the children of Benjamin.

# The children of Judah: Athaiah the son of Uzziah, the son of Zechariah, the son of Amariah, the son of Shephatiah, the son of Mahalalel, of the children ofPerez;

5 and Maaseiah the son of Baruch, the son of Col-Hozeh, the son of Hazaiah, the son of Adaiah, the son of Joiarib, the son of Zechariah, the son of Shiloni.

6 All the sons of Perez who dwelt at Jerusalemwerefour hundred and sixty-eight 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 Jeshaiah;

8 and after him GabbaiandSallai, nine hundred and twenty-eight.

9 Joel the son of Zichriwastheir overseer, and Judah the son of Senuahwassecond over the city.

10 Of the priests: Jedaiah the son of Joiarib, and Jachin;

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

12 Their brethren who did the work of the housewereeight hundred and twenty-two; and Adaiah the son of Jeroham, the son of Pelaliah, the son of Amzi, the son of Zechariah, the son of Pashhur, the son of Malchijah,

13 and his brethren, heads of the fathers’houses, weretwo hundred and forty-two; and Amashai the son of Azarel, the son of Ahzai, the son of Meshillemoth, the son of Immer,

14 and their brethren, mighty men of valor,wereone hundred and twenty-eight. Their overseerwasZabdiel the son ofoneofthe great men.

15 Also of the Levites: Shemaiah the son of Hasshub, the son of Azrikam, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Bunni;

16 Shabbethai andJozabad, of the heads of the Levites,hadthe oversight ofthe business outside of the house of God;

17 Mattaniah the son of Micha, the son of Zabdi, the son of Asaph, the leaderwhobegan the thanksgiving with prayer; Bakbukiah, the second among his brethren; and Abda the son of Shammua, the son of Galal, the son of Jeduthun.

18 All the Levites inthe holy cityweretwo hundred and eighty-four.

19 Moreover the gatekeepers, Akkub, Talmon, and their brethren who kept the gates,wereone hundred and seventy-two.

20 And the rest of Israel, of the priestsandLevites,werein all the cities of Judah, everyone in his inheritance.

21 But the Nethinim dwelt in Ophel. And Ziha and Gishpawereover the Nethinim.

22 Also the overseer of the Levites at JerusalemwasUzzi the son of Bani, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Micha, of the sons of Asaph, the singers in charge of the service of the house of God.

23 Foritwasthe king’s command concerning them that a certain portion should be for the singers, a quota day by day.

24 Pethahiah the son of Meshezabel, of the children ofZerah the son of Judah,wasthe king’s deputy in all matters concerning the people.

The People Dwelling Outside Jerusalem

25 And as for the villages with their fields,someof the children of Judah dwelt inKirjath Arba and its villages, Dibon and its villages, Jekabzeel and its villages;

26 in Jeshua, Moladah, Beth Pelet,

27 Hazar Shual, and Beersheba and its villages;

28 in Ziklag and Meconah and its villages;

29 in En Rimmon, Zorah, Jarmuth,

30 Zanoah, Adullam, and their villages; in Lachish and its fields; in Azekah and its villages. They dwelt from Beersheba to the Valley of Hinnom.

31 Also the children of Benjamin from Gebadweltin Michmash, Aija, and Bethel, and their villages;

32 in Anathoth, Nob, Ananiah;

33 in Hazor, Ramah, Gittaim;

34 in Hadid, Zeboim, Neballat;

35 in Lod, Ono,andthe Valley of Craftsmen.

36 Some of the Judean divisions of Leviteswerein Benjamin.

The Priests and Levites

1 Now thesearethepriests and the Levites who came up withZerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua:Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra,

2 Amariah, Malluch, Hattush,

3 Shechaniah, Rehum, Meremoth,

4 Iddo, Ginnethoi,Abijah,

5 Mijamin, Maadiah, Bilgah,

6 Shemaiah, Joiarib, Jedaiah,

7 Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah,andJedaiah.

# Thesewerethe heads of the priests and their brethren in the days ofJeshua.

8 Moreover the LeviteswereJeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah,andMattaniahwholedthe thanksgivingpsalms,he and his brethren.

9 Also Bakbukiah and Unni, their brethren,stoodacross from them intheirduties.

10 Jeshua begot Joiakim, Joiakim begot Eliashib, Eliashib begot Joiada,

11 Joiada begot Jonathan, and Jonathan begot Jaddua.

12 Now in the days of Joiakim, the priests, theheads of the fathers’houseswere:of Seraiah, Meraiah; of Jeremiah, Hananiah;

13 of Ezra, Meshullam; of Amariah, Jehohanan;

14 of Melichu, Jonathan; of Shebaniah, Joseph;

15 of Harim, Adna; of Meraioth, Helkai;

16 of Iddo, Zechariah; of Ginnethon, Meshullam;

17 of Abijah, Zichri;thesonof Minjamin; of Moadiah, Piltai;

18 of Bilgah, Shammua; of Shemaiah, Jehonathan;

19 of Joiarib, Mattenai; of Jedaiah, Uzzi;

20 of Sallai, Kallai; of Amok, Eber;

21 of Hilkiah, Hashabiah;andof Jedaiah, Nethanel.

22 During the reign of Darius the Persian, a recordwasalsokeptof the Levites and priestswhohadbeenheads of their fathers’housesin the days of Eliashib, Joiada, Johanan, and Jaddua.

23 The sons of Levi, the heads of the fathers’housesuntil the days of Johanan the son of Eliashib,werewritten in the book of thechronicles.

24 And the heads of the LeviteswereHashabiah, Sherebiah, and Jeshua the son of Kadmiel, with their brothers across from them, topraiseandgive thanks,group alternating with group,according to the command of David the man of God.

25 Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon, and Akkubweregatekeepers keeping the watch at the storerooms of the gates.

26 Theselivedin the days of Joiakim the son of Jeshua, the son of Jozadak, and in the days of Nehemiahthe governor, and of Ezra the priest,the scribe.

Nehemiah Dedicates the Wall

27 Now atthe dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought out the Levites in all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem to celebrate the dedication with gladness,both with thanksgivings and singing,withcymbals and stringed instruments and harps.

28 And the sons of the singers gathered together from the countryside around Jerusalem, from thevillages of the Netophathites,

29 from the house of Gilgal, and from the fields of Geba and Azmaveth; for the singers had built themselves villages all around Jerusalem.

30 Then the priests and Levitespurified themselves, and purified the people, the gates, and the wall.

31 So I brought the leaders of Judah up on the wall, and appointed two large thanksgiving choirs.Onewent to the right hand on the walltoward the Refuse Gate.

32 After them went Hoshaiah and half of the leaders of Judah,

33 and Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam,

34 Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, Jeremiah,

35 and some of the priests’ sonswith trumpets—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, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah,andHanani, withthe musicalinstruments of David the man of God. Ezra the scribewentbefore them.

37 By the Fountain Gate, in front of them, they went upthe stairs of theCity of David, on the stairway of the wall, beyond the house of David, as far asthe Water Gate eastward.

38 The other thanksgiving choir went the oppositeway,and Iwasbehind them with half of the people on the wall, going past theTower of the Ovens as far asthe Broad Wall,

39 and above the Gate of Ephraim, abovethe Old Gate, abovethe Fish Gate,the Tower of Hananel, the Tower of the Hundred, as far asthe Sheep Gate; and they stopped bythe Gate of the Prison.

40 So the two thanksgiving choirs stood in the house of God, likewise I and the half of the rulers with me;

41 and the priests, Eliakim, Maaseiah, Minjamin, Michaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah,andHananiah, with trumpets;

42 also Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malchijah, Elam, and Ezer. The singers sang loudly with Jezrahiah the director.

43 Also that day they offered great sacrifices, and rejoiced, for God had made them rejoice with great joy; the women and the children also rejoiced, so that the joy of Jerusalem was heardafar off.

Temple Responsibilities

44 And at the same time some were appointed over the rooms of the storehouse for the offerings, the firstfruits, and thetithes, to gather into them from the fields of the cities the portions specified by the Law for the priests and Levites; for Judah rejoiced over the priests and Levites who ministered.

45 Both the singers and the gatekeepers kept the charge of their God and the charge of the purification,according to the command of DavidandSolomon his son.

46 For in the days of Davidand Asaph of oldtherewerechiefs of the singers, and songs of praise and thanksgiving to God.

47 In the days of Zerubbabel and in the days of Nehemiah all Israel gave the portions for the singers and the gatekeepers, a portion foreach day.They also consecratedholythingsfor the Levites,and the Levites consecratedthemfor the children of Aaron.

Principles of Separation

1 On that daythey read from the Book of Moses in the hearing of the people, and in it was found writtenthat no Ammonite or Moabite should ever come into the assembly of God,

2 because they had not met the children of Israel with bread and water, buthired Balaam against them to curse them.However, our God turned the curse into a blessing.

3 So it was, when they had heard the Law,that they separated all the mixed multitude from Israel.

The Reforms of Nehemiah

4 Now before this,Eliashib the priest, having authority over the storerooms of the house of our God,wasallied withTobiah.

5 And he had prepared for him a large room,where previously they had stored the grain offerings, the frankincense, the articles, the tithes of grain, the new wine and oil,which were commandedtobegivento the Levites and singers and gatekeepers, and the offerings for the priests.

6 But during all this I was not in Jerusalem,for in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon I had returned to the king. Then after certain days I obtained leave from the king,

7 and I came to Jerusalem and discovered the evil that Eliashib had done for Tobiah, inpreparing a room for him in the courts of the house of God.

8 And it grieved me bitterly; therefore I threw all the household goods of Tobiah out of the room.

9 Then I commanded them tocleanse the rooms; and I brought back into them the articles of the house of God, with the grain offering and the frankincense.

10 I also realized that the portions for the Levites hadnot been giventhem;for each of the Levites and the singers who did the work had gone back tohis field.

11 SoI contended with the rulers, and said,“Why is the house of God forsaken?” And I gathered them together and set them in their place.

12 Then all Judah brought the tithe of the grain and the new wine and the oil to the storehouse.

13 And I appointed as treasurers over the storehouse Shelemiah the priest and Zadok the scribe, and of the Levites, Pedaiah; and next to themwasHanan the son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah; for they were consideredfaithful, and their taskwasto distribute to their brethren.

14 Remember 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 services!

15 In those days I sawpeoplein Judah treading wine presseson the Sabbath, and bringing in sheaves, and loading donkeys with wine, grapes, figs, and allkindsofburdens,which they brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. And I warnedthemabout the day on which they were selling provisions.

16 Men of Tyre dwelt there also, who brought in fish and all kinds of goods, and soldthemon the Sabbath to the children of Judah, and in Jerusalem.

17 Then I contended with the nobles of Judah, and said to them, “What evil thingisthis that you do, by which you profane the Sabbath day?

18 Did not your fathers do thus, and did not our God bring all this disaster on us and on this city? Yet you bring added wrath on Israel by profaning the Sabbath.”

19 So it was, at the gates of Jerusalem, as itbegan to be dark before the Sabbath, that I commanded the gates to be shut, and charged that they must not be opened till after the Sabbath.Then I postedsomeof my servants at the gates,sothatno burdens would be brought in on the Sabbath day.

20 Now the merchants and sellers of all kinds of wares lodged outside Jerusalem once or twice.

21 Then I warned them, and said to them, “Why do you spend the night around the wall? If you dosoagain, I will lay hands on you!” From that time on they came nomoreon the Sabbath.

22 And I commanded the Levites thatthey should cleanse themselves, and that they should go and guard the gates, to sanctify the Sabbath day.

Remember me, O my God,concerningthis also, and spare me according to the greatness of Your mercy!

23 In those days I also saw Jewswhohad married women ofAshdod, Ammon,andMoab.

24 And half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod, and could not speak the language of Judah, but spoke according to the language of one or the other people.

25 So Icontended with them and cursed them, struck some of them and pulled out their hair, and made themswear by God,saying,“You shall not give your daughters as wives to their sons, nor take their daughters for your sons or yourselves.

26 Did not Solomon king of Israel sin by these things? Yet among many nations there was no king like him,who was beloved of his God; and God made him king over all Israel.Nevertheless pagan women caused even him to sin.

27 Should we then hear of your doing all this great evil,transgressing against our God by marrying pagan women?”

28 Andoneof the sonsof Joiada, the son of Eliashib the high priest,wasa son-in-law ofSanballat the Horonite; therefore I drove him from me.

29 Remember them, O my God, because they have defiled the priesthood andthe covenant of the priesthood and the Levites.

30 Thus I cleansed them of everything pagan. I alsoassigned duties to the priests and the Levites, each to his service,

31 andtobringingthe wood offering and the firstfruits at appointed times.

# Remember me, O my God, for good!