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Nehemiah 12-13
New English Translation

The Priests and the Levites Who Returned to Jerusalem

12 These are the priests and Levites who returned[a] with Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Jeshua: Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra, 2 Amariah, Malluch, Hattush, 3 Shecaniah, Rehum, Meremoth, 4 Iddo, Ginnethon,[b] Abijah, 5 Mijamin, Moadiah, Bilgah, 6 Shemaiah, Joiarib, Jedaiah, 7 Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, and Jedaiah. These were the leaders[c] of the priests and their colleagues[d] in the days of Jeshua.

8 And the Levites: Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and Mattaniah, who together with his colleagues[e] was in charge of the songs of thanksgiving. 9 Bakbukiah and Unni,[f] their colleagues, stood opposite them in the services.

10 Jeshua was the father of[g] Joiakim, Joiakim was the father of Eliashib, Eliashib was the father of Joiada, 11 Joiada was the father of Jonathan, and Jonathan was the father of Jaddua.

12 In the days of Joiakim, these were the priests who were leaders of the families: of Seraiah, Meraiah; of Jeremiah, Hananiah; 13 of Ezra, Meshullam; of Amariah, Jehohanan; 14 of Malluch,[h] Jonathan; of Shecaniah,[i] Joseph; 15 of Harim, Adna; of Meremoth,[j] Helkai; 16 of Iddo,[k] Zechariah; of Ginnethon, Meshullam; 17 of Abijah, Zicri; of Miniamin and[l] of Moadiah, Piltai; 18 of Bilgah, Shammua; of Shemaiah, Jehonathan; 19 of Joiarib, Mattenai; of Jedaiah, Uzzi; 20 of Sallu,[m] Kallai; of Amok, Eber; 21 of Hilkiah, Hashabiah; of Jedaiah, Nethanel.

22 As for the Levites,[n] in the days of Eliashib, Joiada, Johanan and Jaddua the heads of families were recorded, as were the priests during the reign of Darius the Persian. 23 The descendants of Levi were recorded in the Book of the Chronicles[o] as heads of families up to the days of Johanan son of Eliashib. 24 And the leaders of the Levites were Hashabiah, Sherebiah, Jeshua son of Kadmiel, and their colleagues, who stood opposite them to offer praise and thanks, one contingent corresponding to the other, as specified by[p] David the man of God.

25 Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon, and Akkub were gatekeepers who were guarding the storerooms at the gates. 26 These all served in the days of Joiakim son of Jeshua, the son of Jozadak, and in the days of Nehemiah the governor and of Ezra the priestly scribe.[q]

The Wall of Jerusalem is Dedicated

27 At the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem, they sought out the Levites from all the places they lived[r] to bring them to Jerusalem to celebrate the dedication joyfully with songs of thanksgiving and songs accompanied by cymbals, harps, and lyres. 28 The singers[s] were also assembled from the district around Jerusalem and from the settlements of the Netophathites 29 and from Beth Gilgal and from the fields of Geba and Azmaveth, for the singers had built settlements for themselves around Jerusalem. 30 When the priests and Levites had purified themselves, they purified the people, the gates, and the wall.

31 I brought the leaders of Judah up on top of the wall, and I appointed two large choirs to give thanks. One was to proceed[t] on the top of the wall southward toward the Dung Gate. 32 Going after them were Hoshaiah, half the leaders of Judah, 33 Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam, 34 Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, Jeremiah, 35 some of the priests[u] with trumpets, Zechariah son of Jonathan, the son of Shemaiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Micaiah, the son of Zaccur, the son of Asaph, 36 and his colleagues—Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah, and Hanani—with musical instruments of[v] David the man of God. (Ezra the scribe led them.)[w] 37 They went over the Fountain Gate and continued directly up the steps of the City of David on the ascent to the wall. They passed the house of David and continued on to the Water Gate toward the east.

38 The second choir was proceeding[x] in the opposite direction. I followed them, along with half the people, on top of the wall, past the Tower of the Ovens to the Broad Wall, 39 over the Ephraim Gate, the Jeshanah Gate,[y] the Fish Gate, the Tower of Hananel, and the Tower of the Hundred, to the Sheep Gate. They stopped[z] at the Gate of the Guard.

40 Then the two choirs that gave thanks took their stations[aa] in the temple of God. I did also, along with half the officials with me, 41 and 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 loudly[ab] under the direction of Jezrahiah. 43 And on that day they offered great sacrifices and rejoiced, for God had given them great joy. The women and children also rejoiced. The rejoicing in Jerusalem could be heard from far away.

44 On that day men were appointed over the storerooms for the contributions, firstfruits, and tithes, to gather into them from[ac] the fields of the cities the portions prescribed by the law for the priests and the Levites, for the people of Judah[ad] took delight in the priests and Levites who were ministering.[ae] 45 They performed the service of their God and the service of purification, along with the singers and gatekeepers, according to the commandment of David and[af] his son Solomon. 46 For long ago, in the days of David and Asaph, there had been directors[ag] for the singers and for the songs of praise and thanks to God. 47 So in the days of Zerubbabel and in the days of Nehemiah, all Israel was contributing the portions for the singers and gatekeepers, according to the daily need.[ah] They also set aside[ai] the portion for the Levites, and the Levites set aside the portion for the descendants of Aaron.

Further Reforms by Nehemiah

13 On that day the book of Moses was read aloud in the hearing[aj] of the people. They found[ak] written in it that no Ammonite or Moabite may ever enter the assembly of God, 2 for they had not met the Israelites with food[al] and water, but instead had hired Balaam to curse them. (Our God, however, turned the curse into blessing.) 3 When they heard the law, they removed from Israel all who were of mixed ancestry.

4 But before this time, Eliashib the priest, a relative of Tobiah, had been appointed over the storerooms[am] of the temple of our God. 5 He made for himself a large storeroom where previously they had been keeping[an] the grain offering, the incense, and the vessels, along with the tithes of the grain, the new wine, and the olive oil as commanded for the Levites, the singers, the gatekeepers, and the offering for the priests.

6 During all this time I was not in Jerusalem, for in the thirty-second year of King Artaxerxes of Babylon, I had gone back to the king. After some time[ao] I had requested leave of the king, 7 and I returned to Jerusalem. Then I discovered the evil that Eliashib had done for Tobiah by supplying him with a storeroom in the courts of the temple of God. 8 I was very upset, and I threw all of Tobiah’s household possessions out of the storeroom. 9 Then I gave instructions that the storerooms should be purified, and I brought back the equipment[ap] of the temple of God, along with the grain offering and the incense.

10 I also discovered that the portions for the Levites had not been provided, and that as a result the Levites and the singers who performed this work had all gone off to their fields. 11 So I registered a complaint with the leaders, asking, “Why is the temple of God neglected?” Then I gathered them and reassigned them to their positions.[aq]

12 Then all of Judah brought the tithe of the grain, the new wine, and the olive oil to the storerooms. 13 I gave instructions[ar] that Shelemiah the priest, Zadok the scribe, and a certain Levite named Pedaiah be put in charge of[as] the storerooms, and that Hanan son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah, be their assistant,[at] for they were regarded as trustworthy. It was then their responsibility to oversee the distribution to their colleagues.[au]

14 Please remember me for this, O my God, and do not wipe out the kindness that I have done for the temple of my God and for its services!

15 In those days I saw people in Judah treading winepresses on the Sabbath, bringing in heaps of grain and loading them onto donkeys, along with wine, grapes, figs, and all kinds of loads, and bringing them to Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. So I warned them on the day that they sold these provisions. 16 The people from Tyre who lived there were bringing fish and all kinds of merchandise and were selling it on the Sabbath to the people of Judah—and in Jerusalem, of all places![av] 17 So I registered a complaint with the nobles of Judah, saying to them, “What is this evil thing that you are doing, profaning the Sabbath day? 18 Isn’t this the way your ancestors[aw] acted, causing our God to bring on them and on this city all this misfortune? And now you are causing even more wrath on Israel, profaning the Sabbath like this!”[ax]

19 When the evening shadows began to fall on[ay] the gates of Jerusalem before the Sabbath, I ordered[az] the doors to be closed. I further directed that they were not to be opened until after the Sabbath. I positioned[ba] some of my young men at the gates so that no load could enter on the Sabbath day. 20 The traders and sellers of all kinds of merchandise spent the night outside Jerusalem once or twice. 21 But I warned them and said,[bb] “Why do you spend the night by the wall? If you repeat this, I will forcibly remove you!”[bc] From that time on they did not show up on the Sabbath.[bd] 22 Then I directed the Levites to purify themselves and come and guard the gates in order to keep the Sabbath day holy.

For this please remember me, O my God, and have pity on me in keeping with your great love.

23 Also in those days I saw the men of Judah who had married women from Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab. 24 Half their children spoke the language of Ashdod (or the language of one of the other peoples mentioned[be]) and were unable to speak the language of Judah. 25 So I entered a complaint with them. I called down a curse on them, and I struck some of the men and pulled out their hair. I had them swear by God saying, “You will not marry off[bf] your daughters to their sons, and you will not take any of their daughters as wives for your sons or for yourselves. 26 Was it not because of things like these that King Solomon of Israel sinned? Among the many nations there was no king like him. He was loved by his God, and God made[bg] him king over all Israel. But the foreign wives made even him sin! 27 Should we then in your case hear that you do all this great evil, thereby being unfaithful to our God by marrying[bh] foreign wives?”

28 Now one of the sons of Joiada son of Eliashib the high priest was a son-in-law of Sanballat the Horonite. So I banished him from my sight.

29 Please remember them, O my God, because they have defiled the priesthood, the covenant of the priesthood,[bi] and the Levites.

30 So I purified them of everything foreign, and I assigned specific[bj] duties to the priests and the Levites. 31 I also provided for[bk] the wood offering at the appointed times and also for the firstfruits.

Please remember me for good, O my God.

Footnotes

  1. Nehemiah 12:1 tn Heb “who went up.”
  2. Nehemiah 12:4 tc Most Hebrew mss read “Ginnethoi”; the present translation follows a number of Hebrew mss and the Vulgate (cf. Neh 12:16 and NIV, NCV, NLT).
  3. Nehemiah 12:7 tn Heb “heads” (so also in v. 12).
  4. Nehemiah 12:7 tn Heb “brothers” (also in vv. 8, 9, 24, 36).
  5. Nehemiah 12:8 tn Heb “he and his brothers.”
  6. Nehemiah 12:9 tc The translation reads וְעֻנִּי (veʿunni) with the Qere rather than וְעֻנּוֹ (veʿunno) of the MT Kethib.
  7. Nehemiah 12:10 tn Heb “begat.”
  8. Nehemiah 12:14 tc The present translation reads with the LXX לְמַלּוּךְ (lemallukh) rather than לִמְלוּכִי (limlukhi) of the Kethib (by dittography) or לִמְלִיכוּ (limlikhu) of the Qere.
  9. Nehemiah 12:14 tc Most Hebrew mss read “Shebaniah” (cf. KJV, NAB, NASB, NRSV, CEV); the present translation follows the reading of some Hebrew mss, some LXX mss, and the Syriac (cf. Neh 12:3 and NIV, NCV, NLT).
  10. Nehemiah 12:15 tc The present translation reads with the Lucianic Greek recension and the Syriac Peshitta לִמְרֵמוֹת (limremot, cf. NAB, NIV, NCV, NLT “Meremoth”) rather than the MT reading לִמְרָיוֹת (limrayot, cf. KJV, NASB, NRSV, CEV “Meraioth”). Cf. v. 3.
  11. Nehemiah 12:16 tc The present translation (along with most English versions) reads with the Qere and the Syriac Peshitta לְעִדּוֹא (leʿiddoʾ, “Iddo”) rather than the MT reading לַעֲדָיָא (laʿadayaʾ) which probably arose through graphic confusion. Cf. v. 4.
  12. Nehemiah 12:17 tn Or “of Miniamin,…; of Moadiah, Piltai,” where the name of the leader of the family of Miniamin has dropped out of the text due to a problem in transmission.
  13. Nehemiah 12:20 tc The present translation reads סַלּוּ (sallu, cf. NAB, NIV, NCV, NLT “Sallu”) rather than the MT reading סַלַּי (sallai, cf. KJV, NASB, NRSV, CEV “Sallai”) . Cf. v. 7.
  14. Nehemiah 12:22 tn Some scholars delete these words, regarding them as a later scribal addition to the text.
  15. Nehemiah 12:23 tn Or “the Book of the Official Records”; NRSV “the Book of the Annals”; NLT “The Book of History.”
  16. Nehemiah 12:24 tn Heb “in [accord with] the commandment of.”
  17. Nehemiah 12:26 tn Heb “the priest, the scribe.”
  18. Nehemiah 12:27 tn Heb “from all their places.” The words “they lived” are implied.
  19. Nehemiah 12:28 tn Heb “the sons of the singers.”
  20. Nehemiah 12:31 tc The translation reads וְהָאַחַת הֹלֶכֶת (vehaʾakhat holekhet, “and one was proceeding”) rather than the MT reading וְתַהֲלֻכֹת (vetahalukhot, “and processions”).
  21. Nehemiah 12:35 tn Heb “some of the sons of the priests.”
  22. Nehemiah 12:36 tn Or “prescribed by” (NIV, NLT); TEV “of the kind played by.” The precise relationship of these musical instruments to David is not clear.
  23. Nehemiah 12:36 tn Heb “was before them.”
  24. Nehemiah 12:38 tc The translation reads הוֹלֶכֶת (holekhet, “was proceeding”) rather than the MT הַהוֹלֶכֶת (haholekhet, “the one proceeding”). The MT probably reflects dittography—accidental writing of ה (hey) twice instead of once.
  25. Nehemiah 12:39 tn Or “the Old Gate” (so KJV, NASB, NCV, NRSV).
  26. Nehemiah 12:39 tn Heb “they stood.”
  27. Nehemiah 12:40 tn Heb “stood.”
  28. Nehemiah 12:42 tn Heb “caused to hear.”
  29. Nehemiah 12:44 tc The translation reads מִשְּׂדֵי (missede, “from the fields”) rather than the MT reading לִשְׂדֵי (lisde, “to the fields”).
  30. Nehemiah 12:44 tn Heb “for Judah.” The words “the people of” have been supplied in the translation for clarity, since “Judah” is a proper name as well as a place name.
  31. Nehemiah 12:44 tn Heb “standing.”
  32. Nehemiah 12:45 tc With many medieval Hebrew mss and the ancient versions the translation reads the conjunction (“and”). It is absent in the Leningrad ms that forms the textual basis for BHS.
  33. Nehemiah 12:46 tn Heb “heads.” The translation reads with the Qere the plural רֹאשֵׁי (roʾshe, “heads”) rather than the Kethib singular רֹאשׁ (roʾsh, “head”) of the MT.
  34. Nehemiah 12:47 tn Heb “a thing of a day in its day.”
  35. Nehemiah 12:47 tn Heb “were sanctifying.”
  36. Nehemiah 13:1 tn Heb “ears.”
  37. Nehemiah 13:1 tn Heb “it was found.” The Hebrew verb is passive.
  38. Nehemiah 13:2 tn Heb “bread.” The Hebrew term is generic here, however, referring to more than bread alone.
  39. Nehemiah 13:4 tc The translation reads the plural rather than the singular of the MT.
  40. Nehemiah 13:5 tn Heb “giving.”
  41. Nehemiah 13:6 tn Heb “to the end of days.”
  42. Nehemiah 13:9 tn On the usage of this Hebrew word see HALOT 478-79 s.v. כְּלִי.
  43. Nehemiah 13:11 tn Heb “and I stood them on their standing.”
  44. Nehemiah 13:13 tc Probably one should read with the Lucianic Greek recension, the Syriac Peshitta, and the Vulgate וָאֲצַוֶּה (vaʾatsavveh, “and I commanded”) rather than the rare denominative verb וָאוֹצְרָה (vaʾotserah, “and I appointed over the storeroom”) of the MT.
  45. Nehemiah 13:13 tn Heb “be over”
  46. Nehemiah 13:13 tn Heb “on their hand.”
  47. Nehemiah 13:13 tn Heb “brothers.”
  48. Nehemiah 13:16 tn The words “of all places” are not in the Hebrew text but have been supplied in the translation to indicate the emphasis on Jerusalem.
  49. Nehemiah 13:18 tn Heb “your fathers.”
  50. Nehemiah 13:18 tn The words “like this” are not in the Hebrew text but have been supplied.
  51. Nehemiah 13:19 tn Heb “the gates of Jerusalem grew dark.”
  52. Nehemiah 13:19 tn Heb “said” (so also in v. 22).
  53. Nehemiah 13:19 tn Heb “caused to stand.”
  54. Nehemiah 13:21 tn The Hebrew text includes the words “to them,” but they have been excluded from the translation for stylistic reasons.
  55. Nehemiah 13:21 tn Heb “I will send a hand on you.”
  56. Nehemiah 13:21 sn This statement contains a great deal of restrained humor. The author clearly takes pleasure in the effectiveness of the measures that he had enacted.
  57. Nehemiah 13:24 tn Heb “people and people.”
  58. Nehemiah 13:25 tn Heb “give.”
  59. Nehemiah 13:26 tn Heb “gave.”
  60. Nehemiah 13:27 tn Heb “give a dwelling to.”
  61. Nehemiah 13:29 tc One medieval Hebrew ms, the Lucianic Greek recension, and the Syriac Peshitta read the plural הַכֹּהֲנִים (hakkohanim, “the priests”) rather than the singular reading of the MT, הַכְּהֻנָּה (hakkehunnah, “the priesthood”).
  62. Nehemiah 13:30 tn Heb “a man in his work.”
  63. Nehemiah 13:31 tn The words “I also provided for” are not included in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity.
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Nehemiah 12-13
New International Version

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)

Seraiah,(F) Jeremiah, Ezra,

2 Amariah, Malluk, Hattush,

3 Shekaniah, Rehum, Meremoth,

4 Iddo,(G) Ginnethon,[a] Abijah,(H)

5 Mijamin,[b] Moadiah, Bilgah,

6 Shemaiah, Joiarib, Jedaiah,(I)

7 Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah and Jedaiah.

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:

of Seraiah’s family, Meraiah;

of Jeremiah’s, Hananiah;

13 of Ezra’s, Meshullam;

of Amariah’s, Jehohanan;

14 of Malluk’s, Jonathan;

of Shekaniah’s,[c] Joseph;

15 of Harim’s, Adna;

of Meremoth’s,[d] Helkai;

16 of Iddo’s,(M) Zechariah;

of Ginnethon’s, Meshullam;

17 of Abijah’s,(N) Zikri;

of Miniamin’s and of Moadiah’s, Piltai;

18 of Bilgah’s, Shammua;

of Shemaiah’s, Jehonathan;

19 of Joiarib’s, Mattenai;

of Jedaiah’s, Uzzi;

20 of Sallu’s, Kallai;

of Amok’s, Eber;

21 of Hilkiah’s, Hashabiah;

of Jedaiah’s, Nethanel.

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.

Footnotes

  1. Nehemiah 12:4 Many Hebrew manuscripts and Vulgate (see also verse 16); most Hebrew manuscripts Ginnethoi
  2. Nehemiah 12:5 A variant of Miniamin
  3. Nehemiah 12:14 Very many Hebrew manuscripts, some Septuagint manuscripts and Syriac (see also verse 3); most Hebrew manuscripts Shebaniah’s
  4. Nehemiah 12:15 Some Septuagint manuscripts (see also verse 3); Hebrew Meraioth’s
  5. Nehemiah 12:31 Or go alongside
  6. Nehemiah 12:31 Or proceed alongside
  7. Nehemiah 12:38 Or them alongside
  8. Nehemiah 12:39 Or Old
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Acts 16:1-24
New English Translation

Timothy Joins Paul and Silas

16 He also came to Derbe[a] and to Lystra.[b] A disciple[c] named Timothy was there, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer,[d] but whose father was a Greek.[e] 2 The brothers in Lystra and Iconium spoke well[f] of him.[g] 3 Paul wanted Timothy[h] to accompany him, and he took[i] him and circumcised[j] him because of the Jews who were in those places,[k] for they all knew that his father was Greek.[l] 4 As they went through the towns,[m] they passed on[n] the decrees that had been decided on by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem for the Gentile believers[o] to obey.[p] 5 So the churches were being strengthened in the faith and were increasing in number every day.[q]

Paul’s Vision of the Macedonian Man

6 They went through the region of Phrygia[r] and Galatia,[s] having been prevented[t] by the Holy Spirit from speaking the message[u] in the province of Asia.[v] 7 When they came to[w] Mysia,[x] they attempted to go into Bithynia,[y] but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow[z] them to do this,[aa] 8 so they passed through[ab] Mysia[ac] and went down to Troas.[ad] 9 A[ae] vision appeared to Paul during the night: A Macedonian man was standing there[af] urging him,[ag] “Come over[ah] to Macedonia[ai] and help us!” 10 After Paul[aj] saw the vision, we[ak] attempted[al] immediately to go over to Macedonia,[am] concluding that God had called[an] us to proclaim the good news to them.

Arrival at Philippi

11 We put out to sea[ao] from Troas[ap] and sailed a straight course[aq] to Samothrace,[ar] the next day to Neapolis,[as] 12 and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of that district[at] of Macedonia,[au] a Roman colony.[av] We stayed in this city for some days. 13 On the Sabbath day we went outside the city gate to the side of the river, where we thought there would be a place of prayer, and we sat down[aw] and began to speak[ax] to the women[ay] who had assembled there.[az] 14 A[ba] woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth[bb] from the city of Thyatira,[bc] a God-fearing woman, listened to us.[bd] The Lord opened her heart to respond[be] to what Paul was saying. 15 After she and her household were baptized, she urged us,[bf] “If[bg] you consider me to be a believer in the Lord,[bh] come and stay in my house.” And she persuaded[bi] us.

Paul and Silas Are Thrown Into Prison

16 Now[bj] as we were going to the place of prayer, a slave girl met us who had a spirit that enabled her to foretell the future by supernatural means.[bk] She[bl] brought her owners[bm] a great profit by fortune-telling.[bn] 17 She followed behind Paul and us and kept crying out,[bo] “These men are servants[bp] of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way[bq] of salvation.”[br] 18 She continued to do this for many days. But Paul became greatly annoyed,[bs] and turned[bt] and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ[bu] to come out of her!” And it came out of her at once.[bv] 19 But when her owners[bw] saw their hope of profit[bx] was gone, they seized[by] Paul and Silas and dragged[bz] them into the marketplace[ca] before the authorities. 20 When[cb] they had brought them[cc] before the magistrates, they said, “These men are throwing our city into confusion.[cd] They are[ce] Jews 21 and are advocating[cf] customs that are not lawful for us to accept[cg] or practice,[ch] since we are[ci] Romans.”

22 The crowd joined the attack[cj] against them, and the magistrates tore the clothes[ck] off Paul and Silas[cl] and ordered them to be beaten with rods.[cm] 23 After they had beaten them severely,[cn] they threw them into prison and commanded[co] the jailer to guard them securely. 24 Receiving such orders, he threw them in the inner cell[cp] and fastened their feet in the stocks.[cq]

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Footnotes

  1. Acts 16:1 sn Derbe was a city in Lycaonia about 35 mi (60 km) southeast of Lystra. It was about 90 mi (145 km) from Tarsus.
  2. Acts 16:1 sn Lystra was a city in Lycaonia about 18 mi (30 km) south of Iconium.
  3. Acts 16:1 tn Grk “And behold, a disciple.” Here ἰδού (idou) has not been translated.
  4. Acts 16:1 tn L&N 31.103 translates this phrase “the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer.”
  5. Acts 16:1 sn His father was a Greek. Timothy was the offspring of a mixed marriage between a Jewish woman (see 2 Tim 1:5) and a Gentile man. On mixed marriages in Judaism, see Neh 13:23-27; Ezra 9:1-10:44; Mal 2:10-16; Jub. 30:7-17; m. Qiddushin 3.12; m. Yevamot 7.5.
  6. Acts 16:2 tn For this sense of μαρτυρέω (martureō), see BDAG 618 s.v. 2.b.
  7. Acts 16:2 tn Grk “who was well spoken of by the brothers in Lystra and Iconium.” Because of the awkwardness in English of having two relative clauses follow one another (“who was a believer…who was well spoken of”) and the awkwardness of the passive verb (“was well spoken of”), the relative pronoun at the beginning of 16:2 (“who”) has been translated as a pronoun (“him”) and the construction converted from passive to active at the same time a new sentence was started in the translation.
  8. Acts 16:3 tn Grk “this one”; the referent (Timothy) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  9. Acts 16:3 tn Grk “and taking him he circumcised him.” The participle λαβών (labōn) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. Paul’s cultural sensitivity showed in his action here. He did not want Timothy’s lack of circumcision to become an issue (1 Cor 9:15-23).
  10. Acts 16:3 tn The verb περιέτεμεν (perietemen) here may be understood as causative (cf. ExSyn 411-12) if Paul did not personally perform the circumcision.
  11. Acts 16:3 tn Or “who lived in the area.”
  12. Acts 16:3 tn The anarthrous predicate nominative has been translated as qualitative (“Greek”) rather than indefinite (“a Greek”).sn His father was Greek. Under Jewish law at least as early as the 2nd century, a person was considered Jewish if his or her mother was Jewish. It is not certain whether such a law was in effect in the 1st century, but even if it was, Timothy would not have been accepted as fully Jewish because he was not circumcised.
  13. Acts 16:4 tn Or “cities.”
  14. Acts 16:4 tn BDAG 762-63 s.v. παραδίδωμι 3 has “they handed down to them the decisions to observe Ac 16:4.”
  15. Acts 16:4 tn Grk “for them”; the referent (Gentile believers) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  16. Acts 16:4 tn Or “observe” or “follow.”
  17. Acts 16:5 tn BDAG 437 s.v. ἡμέρα 2.c has “every day” for this phrase.
  18. Acts 16:6 sn Phrygia was a district in central Asia Minor west of Pisidia.
  19. Acts 16:6 sn Galatia refers to either (1) the region of the old kingdom of Galatia in the central part of Asia Minor (North Galatia), or (2) the Roman province of Galatia, whose principal cities in the 1st century were Ancyra and Pisidian Antioch (South Galatia). The exact extent and meaning of this area has been a subject of considerable controversy in modern NT studies.
  20. Acts 16:6 tn Or “forbidden.”
  21. Acts 16:6 tn Or “word.”
  22. Acts 16:6 tn Grk “Asia”; in the NT this always refers to the Roman province of Asia. The Roman province of Asia made up about one-third of modern Asia Minor and was on the western side of it. Asia lay to the west of the region of Phrygia and Galatia. The words “the province of” are supplied to indicate to the modern reader that this does not refer to the continent of Asia.
  23. Acts 16:7 tn BDAG 511 s.v. κατά B.1.b has “to Mysia” here.
  24. Acts 16:7 sn Mysia was a province in northwest Asia Minor.
  25. Acts 16:7 sn Bithynia was a province in northern Asia Minor northeast of Mysia.
  26. Acts 16:7 tn Or “permit”; see BDAG 269 s.v. ἐάω 1.
  27. Acts 16:7 tn The words “do this” are not in the Greek text, but are supplied for stylistic reasons, since English handles ellipses differently than Greek.
  28. Acts 16:8 tn Although the normal meaning for παρέρχομαι (parerchomai) is “pass by, go by,” it would be difficult to get to Troas from where Paul and his companions were without going through rather than around Mysia. BDAG 776 s.v. παρέρχομαι 6 list some nonbiblical examples of the meaning “go through, pass through,” and give that meaning for the usage here.
  29. Acts 16:8 sn Mysia was a province in northwest Asia Minor.
  30. Acts 16:8 sn Troas was a port city (and surrounding region) on the northwest coast of Asia Minor, near ancient Troy.
  31. Acts 16:9 tn Grk “And a.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.
  32. Acts 16:9 tn The word “there” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.
  33. Acts 16:9 tn The participle λέγων (legōn) is redundant and has not been translated.
  34. Acts 16:9 tn Grk “Coming over.” The participle διαβάς (diabas) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
  35. Acts 16:9 sn Macedonia was the Roman province of Macedonia in Greece.
  36. Acts 16:10 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  37. Acts 16:10 sn This marks the beginning of one of the “we” sections in Acts (16:10-17; 20:5-15; 21:1-18; 27:1-28:16). These have been traditionally understood to mean that the author was in the company of Paul for this part of the journey.
  38. Acts 16:10 tn Grk “sought.”
  39. Acts 16:10 sn Macedonia was the Roman province of Macedonia in Greece.
  40. Acts 16:10 tn Or “summoned.”
  41. Acts 16:11 tn BDAG 62 s.v. ἀνάγω 4, “as a nautical t.t. (ἀ. τὴν ναῦν put a ship to sea), mid. or pass. ἀνάγεσθαι to begin to go by boat, put out to sea.”
  42. Acts 16:11 sn Troas was a port city (and surrounding region) on the northwest coast of Asia Minor. See v. 8.
  43. Acts 16:11 tn BDAG 406 s.v. εὐθυδρομέω has “of a ship run a straight course” here; L&N 54.3 has “to sail a straight course, sail straight to.”
  44. Acts 16:11 sn Samothrace is an island in the northern part of the Aegean Sea.
  45. Acts 16:11 sn Neapolis was a seaport on the southern coast of Macedonia. It was 10 mi (16 km) from Philippi.
  46. Acts 16:12 tc ‡ Or perhaps, “a city in the first district” (there are a number of textual variants). L&N 1.85 follow the text of UBS5 and NA28 here: “In Ac 16:12…the Greek New Testament published by the United Bible Societies has adopted a conjectural emendation, since the more traditional text, πρώτη τῆς μερίδος, literally ‘first of the district,’ is not only misleading in meaning but does not reflect the historical fact that Philippi was a city in one of the four districts of Macedonia but was not a capital city.” The Ausgangstext probably read πρώτη τῆς μερίδος (prōtē tēs meridos, “first of that district”) as found in P74 א A C Ψ 33vid 36 81 323 945 1175 1891. This has traditionally been translated to give the impression that Philippi was the capital city of the district, but it does not necessarily have to be translated this way. The translation of the article before μερίδος as “that” acknowledges that there were other districts in the province of Macedonia.
  47. Acts 16:12 sn Macedonia was the Roman province of Macedonia in Greece.
  48. Acts 16:12 sn A Roman colony was a city whose residents were regarded as Roman citizens, since such cities were originally colonized by citizens of Rome. From Troas to Philippi was 130 mi (208 km).
  49. Acts 16:13 tn Grk “and sitting down we began to speak.” The participle καθίσαντες (kathisantes) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
  50. Acts 16:13 tn The imperfect verb ἐλαλοῦμεν (elaloumen) has been translated as an ingressive imperfect.
  51. Acts 16:13 sn To the women. Apparently there were not enough Jews present in Philippi to have a synagogue (ten men would have been required to have one).
  52. Acts 16:13 tn The word “there” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.
  53. Acts 16:14 tn Grk “And a.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.
  54. Acts 16:14 tn On the term translated “a dealer in purple cloth” see BDAG 855 s.v. πορφυρόπωλις.
  55. Acts 16:14 sn Thyatira was a city in western Asia Minor.
  56. Acts 16:14 tn The words “to us” are not in the Greek text, but are implied. Direct objects in Greek were often omitted when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.
  57. Acts 16:14 tn Although BDAG 880 s.v. προσέχω 2.b gives the meaning “pay attention to” here, this could be misunderstood by the modern English reader to mean merely listening intently. The following context, however, indicates that Lydia responded positively to Paul’s message, so the verb here was translated “to respond.”sn Lydia is one of several significant women in Acts (see 17:4, 12, 34; 18:20).
  58. Acts 16:15 tn Grk “urged us, saying.” The participle λέγουσα (legousa) is redundant in English and has not been translated.
  59. Acts 16:15 tn This is a first class condition in Greek, with the statement presented as real or true for the sake of the argument.
  60. Acts 16:15 tn Or “faithful to the Lord.” BDAG 821 s.v. πίστος 2 states concerning this verse, “Of one who confesses the Christian faith believing or a believer in the Lord, in Christ, in God πιστ. τῷ κυρίῳ Ac 16:15.” L&N 11.17 has “one who is included among the faithful followers of Christ—‘believer, Christian, follower.’”
  61. Acts 16:15 tn Although BDAG 759 s.v. παραβιάζομαι has “urge strongly, prevail upon,” in contemporary English “persuade” is a more frequently used synonym for “prevail upon.”
  62. Acts 16:16 tn Grk “Now it happened that.” The introductory phrase ἐγένετο (egeneto, “it happened that”), common in Luke (69 times) and Acts (54 times), is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
  63. Acts 16:16 tn Or “who had a spirit of divination”; Grk “who had a spirit of Python.” According to BDAG 896-97 s.v. πύθων, originally Πύθων (Puthōn) was the name of the serpent or dragon that guarded the Delphic oracle. According to Greek mythology, it lived at the foot of Mount Parnassus and was killed by Apollo. From this, the word came to designate a person who was thought to have a spirit of divination. Pagan generals, for example, might consult someone like this. So her presence here suggests a supernatural encounter involving Paul and her “spirit.” W. Foerster, TDNT 6:920, connects the term with ventriloquism but states: “We must assume, however, that for this girl, as for those mentioned by Origen…, the art of ventriloquism was inseparably connected with a (supposed or authentic) gift of soothsaying.” It should also be noted that if the girl in question here were only a ventriloquist, the exorcism performed by Paul in v. 18 would not have been effective.
  64. Acts 16:16 tn Grk “who.” Because of the awkwardness in English of having two relative clauses follow one another (“who had a spirit…who brought her owners a great profit”) the relative pronoun here (“who”) has been translated as a pronoun (“she”) and a new sentence begun in the translation.
  65. Acts 16:16 tn Or “masters.”
  66. Acts 16:16 tn On this term see BDAG 616 s.v. μαντεύομαι. It was used of those who gave oracles.
  67. Acts 16:17 tn Grk “crying out, saying”; the participle λέγουσα (legousa) is redundant in English and has not been translated. The imperfect verb ἔκραζεν (ekrazen) has been translated as a progressive imperfect.
  68. Acts 16:17 tn Grk “slaves.” See the note on the word “servants” in 2:18. The translation “servants” was used here because in this context there appears to be more emphasis on the activity of Paul and his companions (“proclaiming to you the way of salvation”) than on their status as “slaves of the Most High God.”
  69. Acts 16:17 tn Or “a way.” The grammar of this phrase is a bit ambiguous. The phrase in Greek is ὁδὸν σωτηρίας (hodon sōtērias). Neither the head noun nor the genitive noun has the article; this is in keeping with Apollonius’ Canon (see ExSyn 239-40). Since both nouns are anarthrous, this construction also fits Apollonius’ Corollary (see ExSyn 250-54); since the genitive noun is abstract it is most naturally qualitative, so the head noun could either be definite or indefinite without being unusual as far as the grammar is concerned. Luke’s usage of ὁδός elsewhere is indecisive as far as this passage is concerned. However, when one looks at the historical background it is clear that (1) the woman is shut up (via exorcism) not because her testimony is false but because of its source (analogous to Jesus’ treatment of demons perhaps), and (b) “the way” is a par excellence description of the new faith throughout Acts. It thus seems that at least in Luke’s presentation “the way of salvation” is the preferred translation.
  70. Acts 16:17 sn Proclaiming to you the way of salvation. The remarks were an ironic recognition of Paul’s authority, but he did not desire such a witness, possibly for fear of confusion. Her expression the Most High God might have been understood as Zeus by the audience.
  71. Acts 16:18 tn Grk “becoming greatly annoyed.” The participle διαπονηθείς (diaponētheis) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. The aorist has been translated as an ingressive aorist (entry into a state or condition). See BDAG 235 s.v. διαπονέομαι.
  72. Acts 16:18 tn Grk “and turning.” The participle ἐπιστρέψας (epistrepsas) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
  73. Acts 16:18 tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”
  74. Acts 16:18 tn BDAG 1102-3 s.v. ὥρα 2.c has “at that very time, at once, instantly” for the usage in this verse.
  75. Acts 16:19 tn Or “masters.”
  76. Acts 16:19 tn On this use of ἐργασία (ergasia), see BDAG 390 s.v. 4. It is often the case that destructive practices and commerce are closely tied together.
  77. Acts 16:19 tn Grk “was gone, seizing.” The participle ἐπιλαβόμενοι (epilabomenoi) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
  78. Acts 16:19 tn On the term ἕλκω (helkō) see BDAG 318 s.v. 1.
  79. Acts 16:19 sn The marketplace (Greek agora) was not only a place of trade and commerce in the first century Greco-Roman world. It was a place of discussion and dialogue (the “public square”), a place of judgment (courts held session there), a place for idle people and those seeking work, and a place for children to play.
  80. Acts 16:20 tn Grk “And when.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.
  81. Acts 16:20 tn Grk “having brought them.” The participle ἐπιλαβόμενοι (epilabomenoi) has been taken temporally. It is also possible in English to translate this participle as a finite verb: “they brought them before the magistrates and said.”
  82. Acts 16:20 tn BDAG 309 s.v. ἐκταράσσω has “agitate, cause trouble to, throw into confusion” for the meaning of this verb.
  83. Acts 16:20 tn Grk “being Jews, and they are proclaiming.” The participle ὑπάρχοντες (huparchontes) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
  84. Acts 16:21 tn Grk “proclaiming,” but in relation to customs, “advocating” is a closer approximation to the meaning.
  85. Acts 16:21 tn Or “acknowledge.”
  86. Acts 16:21 sn Customs that are not lawful for us to accept or practice. Ironically, the charges are similar to those made against Jesus in Luke 23:2, where Jews argued he was “twisting” their customs. The charge has three elements: (1) a racial element (Jewish); (2) a social element (unlawful); and (3) a traditional element (not their customs).
  87. Acts 16:21 tn Grk “we being Romans.” The participle οὖσιν (ousin) has been translated as a causal adverbial participle.
  88. Acts 16:22 tn L&N 39.50 has “the crowd joined the attack against them” for συνεπέστη (sunepestē) in this verse.
  89. Acts 16:22 tn Grk “tearing the clothes off them, the magistrates ordered.” The participle περιρήξαντες (perirēxantes) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. Although it may be possible to understand the aorist active participle περιρήξαντες in a causative sense (“the magistrates caused the clothes to be torn off Paul and Silas”) in the mob scene that was taking place, it is also possible that the magistrates themselves actively participated. This act was done to prepare them for a public flogging (2 Cor 11:25; 1 Thess 2:2).
  90. Acts 16:22 tn Grk “off them”; the referents (Paul and Silas) have been specified in the translation for clarity.
  91. Acts 16:22 tn The infinitive ῥαβδίζειν (rhabdizein) means “to beat with rods or sticks” (as opposed to fists, BDAG 902 s.v. ῥαβδίζω).
  92. Acts 16:23 tn Grk “Having inflicted many blows on them.” The participle ἐπιθέντες (epithentes) has been taken temporally. BDAG 384 s.v. ἐπιτίθημι 1.a.β has “inflict blows upon someone” for this expression, but in this context it is simpler to translate in English as “they had beaten them severely.”
  93. Acts 16:23 tn Grk “commanding.” The participle παραγγείλαντες (parangeilantes) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
  94. Acts 16:24 tn Or “prison.”
  95. Acts 16:24 tn L&N 6.21 has “stocks” for εἰς τὸ ξύλον (eis to xulon) here, as does BDAG 685 s.v. ξύλον 2.b. However, it is also possible (as mentioned in L&N 18.12) that this does not mean “stocks” but a block of wood (a log or wooden column) in the prison to which prisoners’ feet were chained or tied. Such a possibility is suggested by v. 26, where the “bonds” (“chains”?) of the prisoners loosened.
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Acts 16:1-24
New International Version

Timothy Joins Paul and Silas

16 Paul came to Derbe and then to Lystra,(A) where a disciple named Timothy(B) lived, whose mother was Jewish and a believer(C) but whose father was a Greek. 2 The believers(D) at Lystra and Iconium(E) spoke well of him. 3 Paul wanted to take him along on the journey, so he circumcised him because of the Jews who lived in that area, for they all knew that his father was a Greek.(F) 4 As they traveled from town to town, they delivered the decisions reached by the apostles and elders(G) in Jerusalem(H) for the people to obey.(I) 5 So the churches were strengthened(J) in the faith and grew daily in numbers.(K)

Paul’s Vision of the Man of Macedonia

6 Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia(L) and Galatia,(M) having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia.(N) 7 When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus(O) would not allow them to. 8 So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas.(P) 9 During the night Paul had a vision(Q) of a man of Macedonia(R) standing and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10 After Paul had seen the vision, we(S) got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel(T) to them.

Lydia’s Conversion in Philippi

11 From Troas(U) we put out to sea and sailed straight for Samothrace, and the next day we went on to Neapolis. 12 From there we traveled to Philippi,(V) a Roman colony and the leading city of that district[a] of Macedonia.(W) And we stayed there several days.

13 On the Sabbath(X) we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there. 14 One of those listening was a woman from the city of Thyatira(Y) named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth. She was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart(Z) to respond to Paul’s message. 15 When she and the members of her household(AA) were baptized,(AB) she invited us to her home. “If you consider me a believer in the Lord,” she said, “come and stay at my house.” And she persuaded us.

Paul and Silas in Prison

16 Once when we were going to the place of prayer,(AC) we were met by a female slave who had a spirit(AD) by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. 17 She followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God,(AE) who are telling you the way to be saved.” 18 She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so annoyed that he turned around and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” At that moment the spirit left her.(AF)

19 When her owners realized that their hope of making money(AG) was gone, they seized Paul and Silas(AH) and dragged(AI) them into the marketplace to face the authorities. 20 They brought them before the magistrates and said, “These men are Jews, and are throwing our city into an uproar(AJ) 21 by advocating customs unlawful for us Romans(AK) to accept or practice.”(AL)

22 The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten with rods.(AM) 23 After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer(AN) was commanded to guard them carefully. 24 When he received these orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.(AO)

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Footnotes

  1. Acts 16:12 The text and meaning of the Greek for the leading city of that district are uncertain.
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