The People Who Sealed the Covenant

10 Now those who placed their seal on the document were:

Nehemiah the ^[a]governor, ^(A)the son of Hacaliah, and Zedekiah, ^2 (B)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, and Shemaiah. These were the priests.

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

¹⁰ Their brethren: Shebaniah, Hodijah, Kelita, Pelaiah, Hanan, ¹¹ Micha, Rehob, Hashabiah, ¹² Zaccur, Sherebiah, Shebaniah, ¹³ Hodijah, Bani, and Beninu.

¹⁴ The leaders of the people: ^(C)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, and Baanah.

The Covenant That Was Sealed

^28 (D)Now the rest of the people—the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, the Nethinim, ^(E)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, ^(F)and entered into a curse and an oath ^(G)to walk in God’s Law, which was given by Moses the servant of God, and to observe and do all the commandments of the Lord our Lord, and His ordinances and His statutes: ³⁰ We would not give ^(H)our daughters as wives to the peoples of the land, nor take their daughters for our sons; ^31 (I)if the peoples of the land brought ^[b]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 the ^(J)seventh year’s produce and the ^(K)exacting^[c] of every debt.

³² Also we made ordinances for ourselves, to exact from ourselves yearly ^(L)one-third of a shekel for the service of the house of our God: ³³ for ^(M)the showbread, for the regular grain offering, for the ^(N)regular 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, ^(O)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 the Lord our God ^(P)as it is written in the Law.

³⁵ And we made ordinances ^(Q)to bring the firstfruits of our ground and the firstfruits of all fruit of all trees, year by year, to the house of the Lord; ³⁶ to bring the ^(R)firstborn of our sons and our cattle, as it is written 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 (S)to bring the firstfruits of our dough, our offerings, the fruit from all kinds of trees, the new wine and oil, to the priests, to the storerooms of the ^[d]house of our God; and to bring ^(T)the 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 Levites ^(U)when the Levites receive tithes; and the Levites shall bring up a tenth of the tithes to the house of our God, to ^(V)the rooms of the storehouse.

³⁹ For the children of Israel and the children of Levi ^(W)shall bring the offering of the grain, of the new wine and the oil, to the storerooms where the articles of the sanctuary are, where the priests who minister and the gatekeepers ^(X)and the singers are; and we will not ^(Y)neglect the house of our God.

The People Dwelling in Jerusalem

11 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, ^(Z)the holy city, and nine-tenths were to dwell in other cities. ² And the people blessed all the men who ^(AA)willingly offered themselves to dwell at Jerusalem.

^3 (AB)These are the 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, ^(AC)Nethinim, and ^(AD)descendants of Solomon’s servants.) ⁴ Also ^(AE)in Jerusalem dwelt some of 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 of ^(AF)Perez; 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 Jerusalem were four 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 Gabbai and Sallai, nine hundred and twenty-eight. ⁹ Joel the son of Zichri was their overseer, and Judah the son of ^[e]Senuah was second over the city.

^10 (AG)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, was the leader of the house of God. ¹² Their brethren who did the work of the house were eight 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, were two 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, were one hundred and twenty-eight. Their overseer was Zabdiel ^[f]the son of one of the 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 (AH)Shabbethai and ^(AI)Jozabad, of the heads of the Levites, had the oversight of ^(AJ)the business outside of the ^[g]house of God; ¹⁷ Mattaniah the son of ^[h]Micha, the son of Zabdi, the son of Asaph, the leader who began 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 in ^(AK)the holy city were two hundred and eighty-four.

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

²⁰ And the rest of Israel, of the priests and Levites, were in all the cities of Judah, everyone in his inheritance. ^21 (AL)But the Nethinim dwelt in Ophel. And Ziha and Gishpa were over the Nethinim.

²² Also the overseer of the Levites at Jerusalem was Uzzi 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 ^[i]service of the ^[j]house of God. ²³ For ^(AM)it was the king’s command concerning them that a ^[k]certain portion should be for the singers, a quota day by day. ²⁴ Pethahiah the son of Meshezabel, of the children of ^(AN)Zerah the son of Judah, was ^(AO)the^[l] king’s deputy in all matters concerning the people.

The People Dwelling Outside Jerusalem

²⁵ And as for the villages with their fields, some of the children of Judah dwelt in ^(AP)Kirjath 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 Geba dwelt in 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, and ^(AQ)the Valley of Craftsmen. ³⁶ Some of the Judean divisions of Levites were in Benjamin.

The Value of a Good Name

Paul’s Ministry on Malta

28 Now when they had escaped, they then found out that ^(A)the island was called Malta. ² And the ^(B)natives^[a] showed us unusual kindness; for they kindled a fire and made us all welcome, because of the rain that was falling and because of the cold. ³ But when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat, and fastened on his hand. ⁴ So when the natives saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said to one another, “No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he has escaped the sea, yet justice does not allow to live.” ⁵ But he shook off the creature into the fire and ^(C)suffered no harm. ⁶ However, they were expecting that he would swell up or suddenly fall down dead. But after they had looked for a long time and saw no harm come to him, they changed their minds and ^(D)said that he was a god.

⁷ In that region there was an estate of the ^[b]leading citizen of the island, whose name was Publius, who received us and entertained us courteously for three days. ⁸ And it happened that the father of Publius lay sick of a fever and dysentery. Paul went in to him and ^(E)prayed, and ^(F)he laid his hands on him and healed him. ⁹ So when this was done, the rest of those on the island who had diseases also came and were healed. ¹⁰ They also honored us in many ^(G)ways; and when we departed, they provided such things as were ^(H)necessary.

Arrival at Rome

¹¹ After three months we sailed in ^(I)an Alexandrian ship whose figurehead was the ^[c]Twin Brothers, which had wintered at the island. ¹² And landing at Syracuse, we stayed three days. ¹³ From there we circled round and reached Rhegium. And after one day the south wind blew; and the next day we came to Puteoli, ¹⁴ where we found ^(J)brethren, and were invited to stay with them seven days. And so we went toward Rome. ¹⁵ And from there, when the brethren heard about us, they came to meet us as far as Appii Forum and Three Inns. When Paul saw them, he thanked God and took courage.

¹⁶ Now when we came to Rome, the centurion delivered the prisoners to the captain of the guard; but ^(K)Paul was permitted to dwell by himself with the soldier who guarded him.

Paul’s Ministry at Rome

¹⁷ And it came to pass after three days that Paul called the leaders of the Jews together. So when they had come together, he said to them: “Men and brethren, ^(L)though I have done nothing against our people or the customs of our fathers, yet ^(M)I was delivered as a prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans, ¹⁸ who, ^(N)when they had examined me, wanted to let me go, because there was no cause for putting me to death. ¹⁹ But when the ^[d]Jews spoke against it, ^(O)I was compelled to appeal to Caesar, not that I had anything of which to accuse my nation. ²⁰ For this reason therefore I have called for you, to see you and speak with you, because ^(P)for the hope of Israel I am bound with ^(Q)this chain.”

²¹ Then they said to him, “We neither received letters from Judea concerning you, nor have any of the brethren who came reported or spoken any evil of you. ²² But we desire to hear from you what you think; for concerning this sect, we know that ^(R)it is spoken against everywhere.”

²³ So when they had appointed him a day, many came to him at his lodging, ^(S)to whom he explained and solemnly testified of the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus ^(T)from both the Law of Moses and the Prophets, from morning till evening. ²⁴ And ^(U)some were persuaded by the things which were spoken, and some disbelieved. ²⁵ So when they did not agree among themselves, they departed after Paul had said one word: “The Holy Spirit spoke rightly through Isaiah the prophet to ^[e]our fathers, ²⁶ saying,

²⁸ “Therefore let it be known to you that the salvation of God has been sent ^(W)to the Gentiles, and they will hear it!” ^29 [f]And when he had said these words, the Jews departed and had a great dispute among themselves.

³⁰ Then Paul dwelt two whole years in his own rented house, and received all who came to him, ^31 (X)preaching the kingdom of God and teaching the things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence, no one forbidding him.