Nehemiah 10-11

New International Version

10 ^[a]Those who sealed it were:

Nehemiah the governor, the son of Hakaliah.

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

³Pashhur,^(B) Amariah, Malkijah,

⁴Hattush, Shebaniah, Malluk,

⁵Harim,^(C) Meremoth, Obadiah,

⁶Daniel, Ginnethon, Baruch,

⁷Meshullam, Abijah, Mijamin,

⁸Maaziah, Bilgai and Shemaiah.

These were the priests.^(D)

⁹The Levites:^(E)

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,^(F)

¹⁷Ater, Hezekiah, Azzur,

¹⁸Hodiah, Hashum, Bezai,

¹⁹Hariph, Anathoth, Nebai,

²⁰Magpiash, Meshullam, Hezir,^(G)

²¹Meshezabel, Zadok, Jaddua,

²²Pelatiah, Hanan, Anaiah,

²³Hoshea, Hananiah,^(H) 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^(I) and all who separated themselves from the neighboring peoples^(J) 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^(K) 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.^(L)

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

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

³⁴“We—the priests, the Levites and the people—have cast lots^(S) 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^(T) 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^(U) of our crops and of every fruit tree.^(V)

³⁶“As it is also written in the Law, we will bring the firstborn^(W) 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.^(X)

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.^(Y) And we will bring a tithe^(Z) of our crops to the Levites,^(AA) for it is the Levites who collect the tithes in all the towns where we work.^(AB) 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^(AC) 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.”^(AD)

The New Residents of Jerusalem^(AE)

11 Now the leaders of the people settled in Jerusalem. The rest of the people cast lots to bring one out of every ten of them to live in Jerusalem,^(AF) the holy city,^(AG) while the remaining nine were to stay in their own towns.^(AH) ²The people commended all who volunteered to live in Jerusalem.

³These are the provincial leaders who settled in Jerusalem (now some Israelites, priests, Levites, temple servants and descendants of Solomon’s servants lived in the towns of Judah, each on their own property in the various towns,^(AI) ⁴while other people from both Judah and Benjamin^(AJ) lived in Jerusalem):^(AK)

From the descendants of Judah:

Athaiah son of Uzziah, the son of Zechariah, the son of Amariah, the son of Shephatiah, the son of Mahalalel, a descendant of Perez; ⁵and Maaseiah son of Baruch, the son of Kol-Hozeh, the son of Hazaiah, the son of Adaiah, the son of Joiarib, the son of Zechariah, a descendant of Shelah. ⁶The descendants of Perez who lived in Jerusalem totaled 468 men of standing.

⁷From the descendants of Benjamin:

Sallu 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, ⁸and his followers, Gabbai and Sallai—928 men. ⁹Joel son of Zikri was their chief officer, and Judah son of Hassenuah was over the New Quarter of the city.

¹⁰From the priests:

Jedaiah; the son of Joiarib; Jakin; ¹¹Seraiah^(AL) son of Hilkiah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Zadok, the son of Meraioth, the son of Ahitub,^(AM) the official in charge of the house of God, ¹²and their associates, who carried on work for the temple—822 men; Adaiah son of Jeroham, the son of Pelaliah, the son of Amzi, the son of Zechariah, the son of Pashhur, the son of Malkijah, ¹³and his associates, who were heads of families—242 men; Amashsai son of Azarel, the son of Ahzai, the son of Meshillemoth, the son of Immer, ¹⁴and his^[d] associates, who were men of standing—128. Their chief officer was Zabdiel son of Haggedolim.

¹⁵From the Levites:

Shemaiah son of Hasshub, the son of Azrikam, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Bunni; ¹⁶Shabbethai^(AN) and Jozabad,^(AO) two of the heads of the Levites, who had charge of the outside work of the house of God; ¹⁷Mattaniah^(AP) son of Mika, the son of Zabdi, the son of Asaph,^(AQ) the director who led in thanksgiving and prayer; Bakbukiah, second among his associates; and Abda son of Shammua, the son of Galal, the son of Jeduthun.^(AR) ¹⁸The Levites in the holy city^(AS) totaled 284.

¹⁹The gatekeepers:

Akkub, Talmon and their associates, who kept watch at the gates—172 men.

²⁰The rest of the Israelites, with the priests and Levites, were in all the towns of Judah, each on their ancestral property.

²¹The temple servants^(AT) lived on the hill of Ophel, and Ziha and Gishpa were in charge of them.

²²The chief officer of the Levites in Jerusalem was Uzzi son of Bani, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Mattaniah,^(AU) the son of Mika. Uzzi was one of Asaph’s descendants, who were the musicians responsible for the service of the house of God. ²³The musicians^(AV) were under the king’s orders, which regulated their daily activity.

²⁴Pethahiah son of Meshezabel, one of the descendants of Zerah^(AW) son of Judah, was the king’s agent in all affairs relating to the people.

²⁵As for the villages with their fields, some of the people of Judah lived in Kiriath Arba^(AX) and its surrounding settlements, in Dibon^(AY) and its settlements, in Jekabzeel and its villages, ²⁶in Jeshua, in Moladah,^(AZ) in Beth Pelet,^(BA) ²⁷in Hazar Shual,^(BB) in Beersheba^(BC) and its settlements, ²⁸in Ziklag,^(BD) in Mekonah and its settlements, ²⁹in En Rimmon, in Zorah,^(BE) in Jarmuth,^(BF) ³⁰Zanoah,^(BG) Adullam^(BH) and their villages, in Lachish^(BI) and its fields, and in Azekah^(BJ) and its settlements. So they were living all the way from Beersheba^(BK) to the Valley of Hinnom.

³¹The descendants of the Benjamites from Geba^(BL) lived in Mikmash,^(BM) Aija, Bethel^(BN) and its settlements, ³²in Anathoth,^(BO) Nob^(BP) and Ananiah, ³³in Hazor,^(BQ) Ramah^(BR) and Gittaim,^(BS) ³⁴in Hadid, Zeboim^(BT) and Neballat, ³⁵in Lod and Ono,^(BU) and in Ge Harashim.

³⁶Some of the divisions of the Levites of Judah settled in Benjamin.

Footnotes

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
Nehemiah 11:14 Most Septuagint manuscripts; Hebrew their

Psalm 89:19-29

New International Version

¹⁹Once you spoke in a vision,
    to your faithful people you said:
“I have bestowed strength on a warrior;
    I have raised up a young man from among the people.
²⁰I have found David^(A) my servant;^(B)
    with my sacred oil^(C) I have anointed^(D) him.
²¹My hand will sustain him;
    surely my arm will strengthen him.^(E)
²²The enemy will not get the better of him;^(F)
    the wicked will not oppress^(G) him.
²³I will crush his foes before him^(H)
    and strike down his adversaries.^(I)
²⁴My faithful love will be with him,^(J)
    and through my name his horn^[a] will be exalted.
²⁵I will set his hand over the sea,
    his right hand over the rivers.^(K)
²⁶He will call out to me, ‘You are my Father,^(L)
    my God, the Rock^(M) my Savior.’^(N)
²⁷And I will appoint him to be my firstborn,^(O)
    the most exalted^(P) of the kings^(Q) of the earth.
²⁸I will maintain my love to him forever,
    and my covenant with him will never fail.^(R)
²⁹I will establish his line forever,
    his throne as long as the heavens endure.^(S)

Read full chapter

Footnotes

Psalm 89:24 Horn here symbolizes strength.

Proverbs 22:1-2

New International Version

22 A good name is more desirable than great riches;
to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.^(A)

²Rich and poor have this in common:
The Lord is the Maker of them all.^(B)

Read full chapter

Acts 28

New International Version

Paul Ashore on Malta

28 Once safely on shore, we^(A) found out that the island^(B) was called Malta. ²The islanders showed us unusual kindness. They built a fire and welcomed us all because it was raining and cold. ³Paul gathered a pile of brushwood and, as he put it on the fire, a viper, driven out by the heat, fastened itself on his hand. ⁴When the islanders saw the snake hanging from his hand,^(C) they said to each other, “This man must be a murderer; for though he escaped from the sea, the goddess Justice has not allowed him to live.”^(D) ⁵But Paul shook the snake off into the fire and suffered no ill effects.^(E) ⁶The people expected him to swell up or suddenly fall dead; but after waiting a long time and seeing nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and said he was a god.^(F)

⁷There was an estate nearby that belonged to Publius, the chief official of the island. He welcomed us to his home and showed us generous hospitality for three days. ⁸His father was sick in bed, suffering from fever and dysentery. Paul went in to see him and, after prayer,^(G) placed his hands on him^(H) and healed him.^(I) ⁹When this had happened, the rest of the sick on the island came and were cured. ¹⁰They honored us^(J) in many ways; and when we were ready to sail, they furnished us with the supplies we needed.

Paul’s Arrival at Rome

¹¹After three months we put out to sea in a ship that had wintered in the island—it was an Alexandrian ship^(K) with the figurehead of the twin gods Castor and Pollux. ¹²We put in at Syracuse and stayed there three days. ¹³From there we set sail and arrived at Rhegium. The next day the south wind came up, and on the following day we reached Puteoli. ¹⁴There we found some brothers and sisters^(L) who invited us to spend a week with them. And so we came to Rome. ¹⁵The brothers and sisters^(M) there had heard that we were coming, and they traveled as far as the Forum of Appius and the Three Taverns to meet us. At the sight of these people Paul thanked God and was encouraged. ¹⁶When we got to Rome, Paul was allowed to live by himself, with a soldier to guard him.^(N)

Paul Preaches at Rome Under Guard

¹⁷Three days later he called together the local Jewish leaders.^(O) When they had assembled, Paul said to them: “My brothers,^(P) although I have done nothing against our people^(Q) or against the customs of our ancestors,^(R) I was arrested in Jerusalem and handed over to the Romans. ¹⁸They examined me^(S) and wanted to release me,^(T) because I was not guilty of any crime deserving death.^(U) ¹⁹The Jews objected, so I was compelled to make an appeal to Caesar.^(V) I certainly did not intend to bring any charge against my own people. ²⁰For this reason I have asked to see you and talk with you. It is because of the hope of Israel^(W) that I am bound with this chain.”^(X)

²¹They replied, “We have not received any letters from Judea concerning you, and none of our people^(Y) who have come from there has reported or said anything bad about you. ²²But we want to hear what your views are, for we know that people everywhere are talking against this sect.”^(Z)

²³They arranged to meet Paul on a certain day, and came in even larger numbers to the place where he was staying. He witnessed to them from morning till evening, explaining about the kingdom of God,^(AA) and from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets^(AB) he tried to persuade them about Jesus.^(AC) ²⁴Some were convinced by what he said, but others would not believe.^(AD) ²⁵They disagreed among themselves and began to leave after Paul had made this final statement: “The Holy Spirit spoke the truth to your ancestors when he said^(AE) through Isaiah the prophet:

²⁶“‘Go to this people and say,
“You will be ever hearing but never understanding;
    you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.”
²⁷For this people’s heart has become calloused;^(AF)
    they hardly hear with their ears,
    and they have closed their eyes.
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
    hear with their ears,
    understand with their hearts
and turn, and I would heal them.’^[a]^(AG)

²⁸“Therefore I want you to know that God’s salvation^(AH) has been sent to the Gentiles,^(AI) and they will listen!” ^[29]^[b]

³⁰For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him. ³¹He proclaimed the kingdom of God^(AJ) and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ—with all boldness^(AK) and without hindrance!

Footnotes

Acts 28:27 Isaiah 6:9,10 (see Septuagint)
Acts 28:29 Some manuscripts include here After he said this, the Jews left, arguing vigorously among themselves.

New International Version (NIV)