Nehemiah 9:38
The People Agree to Obey God’s Law
“So we are making a firm agreement. We’re writing it down. Our leaders are putting their official marks on it. And so are our Levites and priests.”
Nehemiah 10:1-39
Here are the names of those who put their official marks on the agreement.
Nehemiah, the son of Hakaliah
He was the governor.
Zedekiah, Seraiah, Azariah, Jeremiah,
Pashhur, Amariah, Malkijah,
Hattush, Shebaniah, Malluk,
Harim, Meremoth, Obadiah,
Daniel, Ginnethon, Baruch,
Meshullam, Abijah, Mijamin,
Maaziah, Bilgai, Shemaiah
They were the priests.
Here are the names of the Levites.
Jeshua, the son of Azaniah,
Binnui, one of the sons of Henadad,
Kadmiel
Here are the names of those who helped them.
Shebaniah, Hodiah, Kelita, Pelaiah, Hanan,
Mika, Rehob, Hashabiah,
Zakkur, Sherebiah, Shebaniah,
Hodiah, Bani, Beninu
Here are the names of the leaders of the people.
Parosh, Pahath-Moab, Elam, Zattu, Bani,
Bunni, Azgad, Bebai,
Adonijah, Bigvai, Adin,
Ater, Hezekiah, Azzur,
Hodiah, Hashum, Bezai,
Hariph, Anathoth, Nebai,
Magpiash, Meshullam, Hezir,
Meshezabel, Zadok, Jaddua,
Pelatiah, Hanan, Anaiah,
Hoshea, Hananiah, Hasshub,
Hallohesh, Pilha, Shobek,
Rehum, Hashabnah, Maaseiah,
Ahiah, Hanan, Anan,
Malluk, Harim, Baanah
The rest of the people gathered together. They included the priests, the Levites and the men who guarded the gates. They included the musicians and temple servants. They also included all the people who separated themselves from the surrounding nations to obey the Law of God. All these men brought their wives with them. And they brought all their sons and daughters who were old enough to understand what was being agreed to. All the men joined the nobles of their people. They made a firm agreement. They made a promise and said they would be cursed if they didn’t keep it. They promised to follow the Law of God. It had been given through Moses, the servant of God. They promised to obey carefully all the commands, rules and laws of the Lord our Lord.
Here is what the priests, Levites and people said. “We promise not to let our daughters marry men from the nations around us. And we promise not to let their daughters marry our sons.
“The people around us will bring goods and grain to sell on the Sabbath day. But we won’t buy anything from them on the Sabbath day. In fact, we won’t buy anything from them on any holy day. Every seventh year we won’t farm the land. And we’ll forgive people what they owe us.
“We will be accountable for carrying out the commands for serving in the house of our God. Each of us will give an eighth of an ounce of silver every year. It will pay for the holy bread that is placed on the table in the temple. It will pay for the regular grain offerings and burnt offerings. It will pay for the offerings on the Sabbath days. It will pay for the offerings at the New Moon feasts and at the appointed feasts. It will pay for the holy offerings. It will be used for sin offerings to pay for the sins of Israel. It will also pay for everything else that needs to be done at the house of our God.
“We are the priests, Levites and people. Each of our families should bring a gift of wood to the house of our God. We have cast lots to decide when they will do that. They will bring it at certain appointed times every year. The wood will be burned on the altar of the Lord our God. That’s what the Law requires.
“We will also be accountable for bringing the first share of our crops each year. And we’ll bring the first share of every fruit tree. We’ll bring them to the Lord’s house.
“Each of us will bring our oldest son to the priests who serve there. We’ll also bring the male animals that were born first to their mothers among our cattle, herds and flocks. We’ll bring them to the house of our God. That’s what the Law requires.
“We will also bring the first part of the meal we grind. We’ll bring the first of our grain offerings. We’ll bring the first share of fruit from all our trees. And we’ll bring the first share of our olive oil and fresh wine. We’ll give all those things to the priests. They’ll put them in the storerooms of the house of our God. And we’ll give a tenth of our crops to the Levites. They collect the tenth shares. They do it in all the towns where we work. A priest from Aaron’s family line must go with the Levites when they receive the tenth shares. And the Levites must bring a tenth of those shares up to the house of our God. They must put it in the rooms where the treasures are stored. The people of Israel, including the Levites, must bring their gifts. They must bring grain, olive oil and fresh wine. They must put them in the storerooms where the objects for the temple are kept. That’s also where the objects are kept for the priests serving at the temple, the musicians and the men who guard the gates.
“We won’t forget to take care of the house of our God.”
Nehemiah 11:1-21
People Are Chosen to Live in Jerusalem
The leaders of the people made their homes in Jerusalem. The rest of the people cast lots. They did it to choose one person out of every ten of them. That person was chosen to live in the holy city of Jerusalem. The other nine had to stay in their own towns. The people thanked everyone who agreed to live in Jerusalem.
Here are the leaders from different parts of the country who made their homes in Jerusalem. Some Israelites, priests and Levites lived in the towns of Judah. So did some temple servants and some members of the family lines of Solomon’s servants. All of them lived on their own property in the towns of Judah. At the same time, other people from the tribes of Judah and Benjamin lived in Jerusalem.
Here are the leaders from the family line of Judah.
There was Athaiah. He was the son of Uzziah. Uzziah was the son of Zechariah. Zechariah was the son of Amariah. Amariah was the son of Shephatiah. Shephatiah was the son of Mahalalel. Mahalalel belonged to the family line of Perez.
There was also Maaseiah. He was the son of Baruch. Baruch was the son of Kol-Hozeh. Kol-Hozeh was the son of Hazaiah. Hazaiah was the son of Adaiah. Adaiah was the son of Joiarib. Joiarib was the son of Zechariah. Zechariah belonged to the family line of Shelah.
Many important men who belonged to the family line of Perez lived in Jerusalem. The total number of them was 468.
Here are the leaders from the family line of Benjamin.
There was Sallu. He was the son of Meshullam. Meshullam was the son of Joed. Joed was the son of Pedaiah. Pedaiah was the son of Kolaiah. Kolaiah was the son of Maaseiah. Maaseiah was the son of Ithiel. Ithiel was the son of Jeshaiah. There were also Gabbai and Sallai. They were Sallu’s followers. The total number of men was 928.
Joel was their chief officer. He was the son of Zikri. A man named Judah was in charge of the New Quarter of Jerusalem. He was the son of Hassenuah.
Here are the leaders from among the priests.
There were Jedaiah, Jakin and the son of Joiarib.
There was also Seraiah. He was the son of Hilkiah. Hilkiah was the son of Meshullam. Meshullam was the son of Zadok. Zadok was the son of Meraioth. Meraioth was the son of Ahitub. Ahitub was the official in charge of God’s house. There were also people who helped them. They carried out the work for the temple. The total number of men was 822.
There was also Adaiah. He was the son of Jeroham. Jeroham was the son of Pelaliah. Pelaliah was the son of Amzi. Amzi was the son of Zechariah. Zechariah was the son of Pashhur. Pashhur was the son of Malkijah. There were also people who helped Adaiah. They were family leaders. The total number of men was 242.
There was also Amashsai. He was the son of Azarel. Azarel was the son of Ahzai. Ahzai was the son of Meshillemoth. Meshillemoth was the son of Immer. There were also people who helped Amashsai. They were important men. The total number of them was 128.
Their chief officer was Zabdiel. He was the son of Haggedolim.
Here are the leaders from among the Levites.
There was Shemaiah. He was the son of Hasshub. Hasshub was the son of Azrikam. Azrikam was the son of Hashabiah. Hashabiah was the son of Bunni.
There were also Shabbethai and Jozabad. They were two of the leaders of the Levites. They were in charge of the work that was done outside God’s house.
There was also Mattaniah. He led in prayer and in giving thanks. He was the son of Mika. Mika was the son of Zabdi. Zabdi was the son of Asaph.
There was also Bakbukiah. He was second among those who helped Mattaniah.
And there was Abda. He was the son of Shammua. Shammua was the son of Galal. Galal was the son of Jeduthun.
The total number of Levites in the holy city was 284.
Here are the leaders from among the men who guarded the gates.
There were Akkub, Talmon and those who helped them. They stood guard at the gates. The total number of men was 172.
The rest of the Israelites were in all the towns of Judah. The priests and Levites were with them. All of them lived on their own family property.
The temple servants lived on the hill of Ophel. Ziha and Gishpa were in charge of them.
