10 Those whose seals were on the document were:

Nehemiah the governor,(A) son of Hacaliah, and Zedekiah,
Seraiah,(B) Azariah, Jeremiah,
Pashhur,(C) Amariah, Malchijah,
Hattush, Shebaniah, Malluch,
Harim, Meremoth, Obadiah,
Daniel, Ginnethon, Baruch,
Meshullam, Abijah, Mijamin,
Maaziah, Bilgai, and Shemaiah.
These were the priests.

The Levites(D) were:
Jeshua son of Azaniah,
Binnui of the sons of Henadad, Kadmiel,
10 and their brothers
Shebaniah, Hodiah, Kelita, Pelaiah, Hanan,
11 Mica, Rehob, Hashabiah,
12 Zaccur, Sherebiah, Shebaniah,
13 Hodiah, Bani, and Beninu.

14 The leaders of the people(E) were:
Parosh, Pahath-moab, Elam, Zattu, Bani,
15 Bunni, Azgad, Bebai,
16 Adonijah, Bigvai, Adin,(F)
17 Ater, Hezekiah, Azzur,
18 Hodiah, Hashum, Bezai,
19 Hariph, Anathoth, Nebai,
20 Magpiash, Meshullam, Hezir,
21 Meshezabel, Zadok, Jaddua,
22 Pelatiah, Hanan, Anaiah,
23 Hoshea, Hananiah,(G) Hasshub,
24 Hallohesh, Pilha, Shobek,
25 Rehum, Hashabnah, Maaseiah,
26 Ahijah, Hanan, Anan,
27 Malluch, Harim, Baanah.

28 The rest of the people—the priests, Levites, gatekeepers, singers, and temple servants, along with their wives, sons, and daughters, everyone who is able to understand(H) and who has separated themselves from the surrounding peoples(I) to obey the law of God— 29 join with their noble brothers and commit themselves with a sworn oath[a](J) to follow the law of God given through God’s servant Moses(K) and to carefully obey all the commands, ordinances, and statutes of Yahweh our Lord.

Details of the Vow

30 We will not give our daughters in marriage to the surrounding peoples and will not take their daughters as wives for our sons.(L)

31 When the surrounding peoples bring merchandise or any kind of grain to sell on the Sabbath day, we will not buy from them on the Sabbath or a holy day.(M) We will also leave the land uncultivated in the seventh year(N) and will cancel every debt.(O)

32 We will impose the following commands on ourselves:

To give an eighth of an ounce of silver[b] yearly for the service of the house of our God:(P) 33 the bread displayed before the Lord,[c](Q) the daily grain offering, the regular burnt offering, the Sabbath and New Moon offerings,(R) the appointed festivals, the holy things, the sin offerings to atone for Israel,(S) and for all the work of the house of our God.

34 We have cast lots(T) among the priests, Levites, and people for the donation of wood by our ancestral houses at the appointed times each year. They are to bring the wood to our God’s house to burn on the altar of the Lord our God,(U) as it is written in the law.

35 We will bring the firstfruits of our land and of every fruit tree to the Lord’s house year by year.(V) 36 We will also bring the firstborn of our sons and our livestock, as prescribed by the law, and will bring the firstborn of our herds and flocks to the house of our God,(W) to the priests who serve in our God’s house. 37 We will bring a loaf from our first batch of dough(X) to the priests at the storerooms of the house of our God. We will also bring the firstfruits of our grain offerings, of every fruit tree, and of the new wine and oil.(Y) A tenth of our land’s produce belongs to the Levites, for the Levites are to collect the one-tenth offering in all our agricultural towns.(Z) 38 A priest of Aaronic descent must accompany the Levites when they collect the tenth,(AA) and the Levites must take a tenth of this offering to the storerooms of the treasury in the house of our God.(AB) 39 For the Israelites and the Levites are to bring the contributions of grain, new wine, and oil to the storerooms where the articles of the sanctuary are kept(AC) and where the priests who minister are, along with the gatekeepers and singers. We will not neglect the house of our God.(AD)

Footnotes

  1. Nehemiah 10:29 Lit and enter in a curse and in an oath
  2. Nehemiah 10:32 Lit give one-third of a shekel
  3. Nehemiah 10:33 Lit rows of bread

The Names of Those Who Signed the Covenant

10 Upon the sealed documents: Nehemiah the governor, son of Hacaliah and Zedekiah; Seraiah, Azariah, Jeremiah, Pashhur, Amariah, Malkijah, Hattush, Shebaniah, Malluch, Harim, Meremoth, Obadiah, Daniel, Ginnethon, Baruch, Meshullam, Abijah, Mijamin, Maaziah, Bilgai, Shemaiah—these are the priests. And the Levites: Jeshua son of Azaniah, Binnui from the sons of Henadad, Kadmiel; 10 their brothers Shebaniah, Hodiah, Kelita, Pelaiah, Hanan, 11 Mica, Rehob, Hashabiah, 12 Zaccur, Shereiah, Shebanaih, 13 Hodiah, Bani, Beninu. 14 The heads of the people: Parosh, Pahath-Moab, Elam, Zattu, Bani, 15 Bunni, Azgad, Bebai, 16 Adonijah, Bigvai, Adin, 17 Ater, Hezekiah, Azzur, 18 Hodiah, Hashum, Bezai, 19 Hariph, Anathoth, Nobai, 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, Baanah.

A Summary of the Covenant

28 “The rest of the people, the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, the temple servants, and all who separated themselves from the peoples of the lands to observe the law[a] of God—their wives, their sons, their daughters, and all who know and understand— 29 are helping their brothers, their nobles, and entering into a solemn oath to walk in the law[b] of God which was given by the hand of Moses the servant of God, and to observe and do all of the commandments of Yahweh our Lord and his judgments and regulations. 30 We will not give our daughters to the peoples of the land nor take their daughters for our sons. 31 And the peoples of the land who bring merchandise and any grain on the Sabbath day to sell, we will not accept it from them on the Sabbath or on a holy day. We will forego the crops of the seventh year and cancel every debt.

32 “We put on ourselves the commandment upon us to yearly give a third of a shekel for the service of the house of our God: 33 for the rows of bread, the offering of the daily sacrifice, the continual burnt sacrifice, the Sabbaths, the new moon festivals, the appointed festival times, the holy objects, the sin offerings that make atonement for Israel, and for all the work of the house of our God. 34 And we have cast lots for the contributions of the wood offering of the priests, the Levites, and the people to bring it to the house of our God, by our fathers’ houses, at designated times, year by year, to burn on the altar of Yahweh our God—as it is written in the law.[c] 35 We also bring the first fruits of our soil and the first fruits of all the fruit trees, year by year, for the house of Yahweh. 36 And the firstborn of our sons and beasts—as it is written in the law[d]—and the firstborn of our cattle and sheep, to bring to the house of our God and to the priests serving in the house of our God. 37 And we bring the best of our dough, our offerings, the fruit of every tree, new wine, and olive oil to the priests, to the chambers of the house of our God; and to bring the tithe of our soil to the Levites, for the Levites receive the tithes in all of our rural towns. 38 And the priest, the descendant[e] of Aaron, will be with the Levites during the tithe the Levites receive. The Levites will bring up a tithe of the tithes for the house of our God to the chambers of the storehouse. 39 For the Israelites[f] and the Levites[g] will bring to the storerooms the offering of grain, new wine, and olive oil. These are the objects of the sanctuary and the priests who minister and the gatekeepers and singers. We will not neglect the house of our God.”

Footnotes

  1. Nehemiah 10:28 Hebrew torah
  2. Nehemiah 10:29 Hebrew torah
  3. Nehemiah 10:34 Hebrew torah
  4. Nehemiah 10:36 Hebrew torah
  5. Nehemiah 10:38 Or “son”
  6. Nehemiah 10:39 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
  7. Nehemiah 10:39 Literally “sons/children of Levi”