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Signatories to the Agreement

10 [a]Here is a list of those who signed: Hacaliah’s son Nehemiah the governor, Zedekiah, Seraiah, Azariah, Jeremiah, Pashur, Amariah, Malchijah, Hattush, Shebaniah, Malluch, Harim, Meremoth, Obadiah, Daniel, Ginnethon, Baruch, Meshullam, Abijah, Mijamin, Maaziah, Bilgai, and Shemaiah—these are the priests.

These were the descendants of Levi: Azaniah’s son Jeshua, Binnui from the descendants of Henadad, Kadmiel, 10 also their relatives Shebaniah, Hodiah, Kelita, Pelaiah, Hanan, 11 Mica, Rehob, Hashabiah, 12 Zaccur, Sherebiah, Shebaniah, 13 Hodiah, Bani, and Beninu.

14 The leaders of the people included[b] 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, Nebai, 20 Magpiash, Meshullam, Hezir, 21 Meshezabel, Zadok, Jaddua, 22 Pelatiah, Hanan, Anaiah, 23 Hoshea, Hananiah, Hasshub, 24 Hallohesh, Pilha, Shobek, 25 Rehum, Hashabnah, Maaseiah, 26 Ahiah, Hanan, Anan, 27 Malluch, Harim, and Baanah.

Commitments of the Covenant

28 The rest of the people, the priests, the descendants of Levi, the gatekeepers, the singers, the Temple Servants, and everyone who had separated themselves from the peoples of the surrounding[c] lands for the Law of God—their wives, their sons, their daughters, and all who had knowledge and understanding— 29 joined with their relatives and their leaders. They entered into an oath—enforced by a curse[d]—to walk in God’s Law that was given through God’s servant Moses, and to be careful to obey all of the commands of the Lord, our Lord, as well as his regulations and statutes: 30 “We will not give our daughters in marriage[e] to the people of the land, nor take their daughters for our sons. 31 As for the people of the land who bring merchandise or grain to sell on the Sabbath day, we will not buy from them on the Sabbath or on any holy day. We will forego planting crops, and we will cancel debts during every seventh year.”

Commitments for Temple Service

32 We also obligated ourselves to contribute annually a third of a shekel[f] for services relating to the Temple of our God— 33 for the bread set out on the table,[g] for the daily grain offering, for the continual burnt offering, for the Sabbath offerings, for the New Moon festivals, for the appointed festivals, for the holy offerings, for the sin offerings to make atonement for Israel, and for all the service of the Temple of our God.

34 We—the priests, the descendants of Levi, and the people—cast lots to determine when to bring the wood offering into the Temple of our God, just as our ancestors’ families were appointed annually to maintain the altar fire of the Lord our God, as recorded in the Law. 35 We also cast lots to determine when[h] to bring the first fruits of our land and the annual first fruits of all fruit of every tree to the Temple of the Lord, 36 as well as the firstborn of our sons and our cattle, as recorded in the Law, along with the firstlings of our herds and our flocks, to present to the Temple of our God for the priests that minister in the Temple of our God. 37 We also determined[i] to present the first fruits of our ground grain, our offerings, the fruit of all kinds of trees, wines, and oil to the priests, to the chambers of the Temple of our God, and the tithes of our land to the descendants of Levi, so those descendants of Levi could collect the tithes in all the towns where we worked: 38 “And the priest, the descendant of Aaron, will be with the descendants of Levi when the descendants of Levi receive tithes, and the descendants of Levi will bring the tithe of the tithes into the store rooms of the Temple of our God. 39 For the Israelis and the descendants of Levi will bring the grain offering, the wine, and the oil into the chambers where the vessels of the sanctuary are, along with the ministering priests, the porters, and the singers. We will not neglect the Temple of our God.”

Footnotes

  1. Nehemiah 10:1 This v. is 10:2 in MT, and so throughout the chapter
  2. Nehemiah 10:14 The Heb. lacks included
  3. Nehemiah 10:28 The Heb. lacks surrounding
  4. Nehemiah 10:29 Lit. into a curse and an oath
  5. Nehemiah 10:30 The Heb. lacks in marriage
  6. Nehemiah 10:32 I.e. 0.13 ounces; a shekel weighed about 0.4 ounces
  7. Nehemiah 10:33 The Heb. lacks on the table
  8. Nehemiah 10:35 The Heb. lacks We also cast lots to determine when
  9. Nehemiah 10:37 The Heb. lacks determined

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”