The Collection for the Lord’s People

8 And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian^(A) churches. ² In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity.^{(B) 3} For I testify that they gave as much as they were able,^(C) and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, ⁴ they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing^(D) in this service^(E) to the Lord’s people.^{(F) 5} And they exceeded our expectations: They gave themselves first of all to the Lord, and then by the will of God also to us. ⁶ So we urged^(G) Titus,^(H) just as he had earlier made a beginning, to bring also to completion^(I) this act of grace on your part. ⁷ But since you excel in everything^(J)—in faith, in speech, in knowledge,^(K) in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you^[a]—see that you also excel in this grace of giving.

⁸ I am not commanding you,^(L) but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others. ⁹ For you know the grace^(M) of our Lord Jesus Christ,^(N) that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor,^(O) so that you through his poverty might become rich.^(P)

¹⁰ And here is my judgment^(Q) about what is best for you in this matter. Last year you were the first not only to give but also to have the desire to do so.^{(R) 11} Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness^(S) to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means. ¹² For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has,^(T) not according to what one does not have.

¹³ Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. ¹⁴ At the present time your plenty will supply what they need,^(U) so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. The goal is equality, ¹⁵ as it is written: “The one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little.”^[b](V)

Titus Sent to Receive the Collection

¹⁶ Thanks be to God,^(W) who put into the heart^(X) of Titus^(Y) the same concern I have for you. ¹⁷ For Titus not only welcomed our appeal, but he is coming to you with much enthusiasm and on his own initiative.^{(Z) 18} And we are sending along with him the brother^(AA) who is praised by all the churches^(AB) for his service to the gospel.^{(AC) 19} What is more, he was chosen by the churches to accompany us^(AD) as we carry the offering, which we administer in order to honor the Lord himself and to show our eagerness to help.^{(AE) 20} We want to avoid any criticism of the way we administer this liberal gift. ²¹ For we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of man.^(AF)

²² In addition, we are sending with them our brother who has often proved to us in many ways that he is zealous, and now even more so because of his great confidence in you. ²³ As for Titus,^(AG) he is my partner^(AH) and co-worker^(AI) among you; as for our brothers,^(AJ) they are representatives of the churches and an honor to Christ. ²⁴ Therefore show these men the proof of your love and the reason for our pride in you,^(AK) so that the churches can see it.

9 There is no need^(AL) for me to write to you about this service^(AM) to the Lord’s people.^{(AN) 2} For I know your eagerness to help,^(AO) and I have been boasting^(AP) about it to the Macedonians, telling them that since last year^(AQ) you in Achaia^(AR) were ready to give; and your enthusiasm has stirred most of them to action. ³ But I am sending the brothers^(AS) in order that our boasting about you in this matter should not prove hollow, but that you may be ready, as I said you would be.^{(AT) 4} For if any Macedonians^(AU) come with me and find you unprepared, we—not to say anything about you—would be ashamed of having been so confident. ⁵ So I thought it necessary to urge the brothers^(AV) to visit you in advance and finish the arrangements for the generous gift you had promised. Then it will be ready as a generous gift,^(AW) not as one grudgingly given.^(AX)

Generosity Encouraged

⁶ Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.^{(AY) 7} Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give,^(AZ) not reluctantly or under compulsion,^(BA) for God loves a cheerful giver.^{(BB) 8} And God is able^(BC) to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need,^(BD) you will abound in every good work. ⁹ As it is written:

¹⁰ Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food^(BG) will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness.^{(BH) 11} You will be enriched^(BI) in every way so that you can be generous^(BJ) on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.^(BK)

¹² This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs^(BL) of the Lord’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God.^{(BM) 13} Because of the service^(BN) by which you have proved yourselves, others will praise God^(BO) for the obedience that accompanies your confession^(BP) of the gospel of Christ,^(BQ) and for your generosity^(BR) in sharing with them and with everyone else. ¹⁴ And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. ¹⁵ Thanks be to God^(BS) for his indescribable gift!^(BT)

Priests and Levites

12 These were the priests^(A) and Levites^(B) who returned with Zerubbabel^(C) son of Shealtiel^(D) and with Joshua:^(E)

These were the leaders of the priests and their associates in the days of Joshua.

⁸ The Levites were Jeshua,^(J) Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and also Mattaniah,^(K) who, together with his associates, was in charge of the songs of thanksgiving. ⁹ Bakbukiah and Unni, their associates, stood opposite them in the services.

¹⁰ Joshua was the father of Joiakim, Joiakim the father of Eliashib,^(L) Eliashib the father of Joiada, ¹¹ Joiada the father of Jonathan, and Jonathan the father of Jaddua.

¹² In the days of Joiakim, these were the heads of the priestly families:

²² The family heads of the Levites in the days of Eliashib, Joiada, Johanan and Jaddua, as well as those of the priests, were recorded in the reign of Darius the Persian. ²³ The family heads among the descendants of Levi up to the time of Johanan son of Eliashib were recorded in the book of the annals. ²⁴ And the leaders of the Levites^(O) were Hashabiah, Sherebiah, Jeshua son of Kadmiel, and their associates, who stood opposite them to give praise and thanksgiving, one section responding to the other, as prescribed by David the man of God.^(P)

²⁵ Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon and Akkub were gatekeepers who guarded the storerooms at the gates. ²⁶ They served in the days of Joiakim son of Joshua, the son of Jozadak, and in the days of Nehemiah the governor and of Ezra the priest, the teacher of the Law.

Dedication of the Wall of Jerusalem

²⁷ At the dedication^(Q) of the wall of Jerusalem, the Levites were sought out from where they lived and were brought to Jerusalem to celebrate joyfully the dedication with songs of thanksgiving and with the music of cymbals,^(R) harps and lyres.^{(S) 28} The musicians also were brought together from the region around Jerusalem—from the villages of the Netophathites,^{(T) 29} from Beth Gilgal, and from the area of Geba and Azmaveth, for the musicians had built villages for themselves around Jerusalem. ³⁰ When the priests and Levites had purified themselves ceremonially, they purified the people,^(U) the gates and the wall.

³¹ I had the leaders of Judah go up on top of^[e] the wall. I also assigned two large choirs to give thanks. One was to proceed on top of^[f] the wall to the right, toward the Dung Gate.^{(V) 32} Hoshaiah and half the leaders of Judah followed them, ³³ along with Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam, ³⁴ Judah, Benjamin,^(W) Shemaiah, Jeremiah, ³⁵ as well as some priests with trumpets,^(X) and also Zechariah son of Jonathan, the son of Shemaiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Micaiah, the son of Zakkur, the son of Asaph, ³⁶ and his associates—Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah and Hanani—with musical instruments^(Y) prescribed by David the man of God.^(Z) Ezra^(AA) the teacher of the Law led the procession. ³⁷ At the Fountain Gate^(AB) they continued directly up the steps of the City of David on the ascent to the wall and passed above the site of David’s palace to the Water Gate^(AC) on the east.

³⁸ The second choir proceeded in the opposite direction. I followed them on top of^[g] the wall, together with half the people—past the Tower of the Ovens^(AD) to the Broad Wall,^{(AE) 39} over the Gate of Ephraim,^(AF) the Jeshanah^[h] Gate,^(AG) the Fish Gate,^(AH) the Tower of Hananel^(AI) and the Tower of the Hundred,^(AJ) as far as the Sheep Gate.^(AK) At the Gate of the Guard they stopped.

⁴⁰ The two choirs that gave thanks then took their places in the house of God; so did I, together with half the officials, ⁴¹ as well as the priests—Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah and Hananiah with their trumpets— ⁴² and also Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malkijah, Elam and Ezer. The choirs sang under the direction of Jezrahiah. ⁴³ And on that day they offered great sacrifices, rejoicing because God had given them great joy. The women and children also rejoiced. The sound of rejoicing in Jerusalem could be heard far away.

⁴⁴ At that time men were appointed to be in charge of the storerooms^(AL) for the contributions, firstfruits and tithes.^(AM) From the fields around the towns they were to bring into the storerooms the portions required by the Law for the priests and the Levites, for Judah was pleased with the ministering priests and Levites.^{(AN) 45} They performed the service of their God and the service of purification, as did also the musicians and gatekeepers, according to the commands of David^(AO) and his son Solomon.^{(AP) 46} For long ago, in the days of David and Asaph,^(AQ) there had been directors for the musicians and for the songs of praise^(AR) and thanksgiving to God. ⁴⁷ So in the days of Zerubbabel and of Nehemiah, all Israel contributed the daily portions for the musicians and the gatekeepers. They also set aside the portion for the other Levites, and the Levites set aside the portion for the descendants of Aaron.^(AS)

Nehemiah’s Final Reforms

13 On that day the Book of Moses was read aloud in the hearing of the people and there it was found written that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever be admitted into the assembly of God,^{(AT) 2} because they had not met the Israelites with food and water but had hired Balaam^(AU) to call a curse down on them.^(AV) (Our God, however, turned the curse into a blessing.)^{(AW) 3} When the people heard this law, they excluded from Israel all who were of foreign descent.^(AX)

⁴ Before this, Eliashib the priest had been put in charge of the storerooms^(AY) of the house of our God. He was closely associated with Tobiah,^{(AZ) 5} and he had provided him with a large room formerly used to store the grain offerings and incense and temple articles, and also the tithes^(BA) of grain, new wine and olive oil prescribed for the Levites, musicians and gatekeepers, as well as the contributions for the priests.

⁶ But while all this was going on, I was not in Jerusalem, for in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes^(BB) king of Babylon I had returned to the king. Some time later I asked his permission ⁷ and came back to Jerusalem. Here I learned about the evil thing Eliashib^(BC) had done in providing Tobiah^(BD) a room in the courts of the house of God. ⁸ I was greatly displeased and threw all Tobiah’s household goods out of the room.^{(BE) 9} I gave orders to purify the rooms,^(BF) and then I put back into them the equipment of the house of God, with the grain offerings and the incense.^(BG)

¹⁰ I also learned that the portions assigned to the Levites had not been given to them,^(BH) and that all the Levites and musicians responsible for the service had gone back to their own fields.^{(BI) 11} So I rebuked the officials and asked them, “Why is the house of God neglected?”^(BJ) Then I called them together and stationed them at their posts.

¹² All Judah brought the tithes^(BK) of grain, new wine and olive oil into the storerooms.^{(BL) 13} I put Shelemiah the priest, Zadok the scribe, and a Levite named Pedaiah in charge of the storerooms and made Hanan son of Zakkur, the son of Mattaniah, their assistant, because they were considered trustworthy. They were made responsible for distributing the supplies to their fellow Levites.^(BM)

¹⁴ Remember^(BN) me for this, my God, and do not blot out what I have so faithfully done for the house of my God and its services.

¹⁵ In those days I saw people in Judah treading winepresses on the Sabbath and bringing in grain and loading it on donkeys, together with wine, grapes, figs and all other kinds of loads. And they were bringing all this into Jerusalem on the Sabbath.^(BO) Therefore I warned them against selling food on that day. ¹⁶ People from Tyre who lived in Jerusalem were bringing in fish and all kinds of merchandise and selling them in Jerusalem on the Sabbath^(BP) to the people of Judah. ¹⁷ I rebuked the nobles of Judah and said to them, “What is this wicked thing you are doing—desecrating the Sabbath day? ¹⁸ Didn’t your ancestors do the same things, so that our God brought all this calamity on us and on this city?^(BQ) Now you are stirring up more wrath against Israel by desecrating the Sabbath.”^(BR)

¹⁹ When evening shadows fell on the gates of Jerusalem before the Sabbath,^(BS) I ordered the doors to be shut and not opened until the Sabbath was over. I stationed some of my own men at the gates so that no load could be brought in on the Sabbath day. ²⁰ Once or twice the merchants and sellers of all kinds of goods spent the night outside Jerusalem. ²¹ But I warned them and said, “Why do you spend the night by the wall? If you do this again, I will arrest you.” From that time on they no longer came on the Sabbath. ²² Then I commanded the Levites to purify themselves and go and guard the gates in order to keep the Sabbath day holy.

Remember^(BT) me for this also, my God, and show mercy to me according to your great love.

²³ Moreover, in those days I saw men of Judah who had married^(BU) women from Ashdod, Ammon and Moab.^{(BV) 24} Half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod or the language of one of the other peoples, and did not know how to speak the language^(BW) of Judah. ²⁵ I rebuked them and called curses down on them. I beat some of the men and pulled out their hair. I made them take an oath^(BX) in God’s name and said: “You are not to give your daughters in marriage to their sons, nor are you to take their daughters in marriage for your sons or for yourselves.^{(BY) 26} Was it not because of marriages like these that Solomon king of Israel sinned? Among the many nations there was no king like him.^(BZ) He was loved by his God,^(CA) and God made him king over all Israel, but even he was led into sin by foreign women.^{(CB) 27} Must we hear now that you too are doing all this terrible wickedness and are being unfaithful to our God by marrying^(CC) foreign women?”

²⁸ One of the sons of Joiada son of Eliashib^(CD) the high priest was son-in-law to Sanballat^(CE) the Horonite. And I drove him away from me.

²⁹ Remember^(CF) them, my God, because they defiled the priestly office and the covenant of the priesthood and of the Levites.^(CG)

³⁰ So I purified the priests and the Levites of everything foreign,^(CH) and assigned them duties, each to his own task. ³¹ I also made provision for contributions of wood^(CI) at designated times, and for the firstfruits.^(CJ)

Remember^(CK) me with favor, my God.