Nehemiah 10-11

Complete Jewish Bible

10 ^(9:38)“‘In view of all this, we are making a binding covenant, putting it in writing and having it sealed by our leaders, our L’vi’im and our cohanim.’”

²⁽¹⁾On the sealed document were the names of: Nechemyah the Tirshata the son of Hakhalyah, Tzedekyah, ³⁽²⁾S’rayah, ‘Azaryah, Yirmeyah, ⁴⁽³⁾Pash’chur, Amaryah, Malkiyah, ⁵⁽⁴⁾Hatush, Sh’vanyah, Malukh, ⁶⁽⁵⁾Harim, M’remot, ‘Ovadyah, ⁷⁽⁶⁾Dani’el, Ginton, Barukh, ⁸⁽⁷⁾Meshulam, Aviyah, Miyamin, ⁹⁽⁸⁾Ma‘azyah, Bilgai and Sh’ma‘yah. These were the cohanim.

¹⁰⁽⁹⁾The L’vi’im were: Yeshua the son of Azanyah, Binui a descendant of Henadad, Kadmi’el, ¹¹⁽¹⁰⁾and their kinsmen Sh’vanyah, Hodiyah, K’lita, P’layah, Hanan, ¹²⁽¹¹⁾Mikha, Rechov, Hashavyah, ¹³⁽¹²⁾Zakur, Sherevyah, Sh’vanyah, ¹⁴⁽¹³⁾Hodiyah, Bani and B’ninu.

¹⁵⁽¹⁴⁾The leaders of the people: Par‘osh, Pachat-Mo’av, ‘Eilam, Zatu, Bani, ¹⁶⁽¹⁵⁾Buni, ‘Azgad, B’vai, ¹⁷⁽¹⁶⁾Adoniyah, Bigvai, ‘Adin, ¹⁸⁽¹⁷⁾Ater, Hizkiyah, ‘Azur, ¹⁹⁽¹⁸⁾Hodiyah, Hashum, Betzai, ²⁰⁽¹⁹⁾Harif, ‘Anatot, Neivai, ²¹⁽²⁰⁾Magpi‘ash, Meshulam, Hezir, ²²⁽²¹⁾Mesheizav’el, Tzadok, Yadua, ²³⁽²²⁾P’latyah, Hanan, ‘Anayah, ²⁴⁽²³⁾Hoshea, Hananyah, Hashuv, ²⁵⁽²⁴⁾HaLochesh, Pilcha, Shovek, ²⁶⁽²⁵⁾Rechum, Hashavnah, Ma‘aseiyah, ²⁷⁽²⁶⁾Achiyah, Hanan, ‘Anan, ²⁸⁽²⁷⁾Malukh, Harim and Ba‘anah.

²⁹⁽²⁸⁾The rest of the people, the cohanim, the L’vi’im, the gatekeepers, the singers, the temple servants and all who had separated themselves from the peoples of the lands to the Torah of God, along with their wives, sons and daughters, everyone capable of knowing and understanding, ³⁰⁽²⁹⁾joined their kinsmen and their leaders in swearing an oath, accompanied by a curse [in case of noncompliance], as follows:

“We will live by God’s Torah, given by Moshe the servant of God, and will perform and obey all the mitzvot, rulings and laws of Adonai our Lord.

³¹⁽³⁰⁾“We will not give our daughters as wives to the peoples of the land or take their daughters as wives for our sons.

³²⁽³¹⁾“If the peoples of the lands bring merchandise or food to sell on Shabbat, we will not buy from them on Shabbat or on a holy day.

“We will forego [planting and harvesting our fields] during the seventh year and collecting debts then.

³³⁽³²⁾“We will impose on ourselves a yearly tax of one-third of a shekel [one-seventh of an ounce of silver] for the service of the house of our God, ³⁴⁽³³⁾for the showbread, for the regular grain offering, for the regular burnt offering, for [the offerings] on Shabbat, on Rosh-Hodesh, at the designated times and at other holy times, for the sin offerings to make atonement for Isra’el, and for all the work connected with the house of our God.

³⁵⁽³⁴⁾“We, the cohanim, the L’vi’im and the people, will cast lots in connection with the wood offering, so that it will be brought to the house of our God according to our fathers’ clans, at specified times, year by year, and then be burned on the altar of Adonai our God, as prescribed in the Torah.

³⁶⁽³⁵⁾“Every year we will bring the firstfruits of our land and the firstfruits of all fruit from every kind of tree to the house of Adonai. ³⁷⁽³⁶⁾“We will also bring the firstborn of our sons and of our livestock, as prescribed in the Torah, and the firstborn of our herds and flocks, to the house of our God, to the cohanim ministering in the house of our God.

³⁸⁽³⁷⁾“We will bring the first of our dough, our contributions, the fruit of every kind of tree, wine and olive oil to the cohanim in the storerooms of the house of our God, along with the tenths from our land for the L’vi’im; since they, the L’vi’im, take the tenths in all the cities where we farm. ³⁹⁽³⁸⁾The cohen the descendant of Aharon is to be with the L’vi’im when the L’vi’im take tenths. The L’vi’im will bring the tenth of the tenth to the house of our God, to the storerooms for supplies. ⁴⁰⁽³⁹⁾For the people of Isra’el and the descendants of Levi are to bring the contribution of grain, wine and olive oil to the rooms where the equipment for the sanctuary, the ministering cohanim, the gatekeepers and the singers are. We will not abandon the house of our God.”

11 The leaders of the people took up residence in Yerushalayim; while the rest of the people cast lots to bring one-tenth of them to live in Yerushalayim the holy city, with the other nine-tenths in the other cities. ²The people blessed all those who volunteered to live in Yerushalayim.

³In the cities of Y’hudah, everyone lived on his own property — the people of Isra’el, the cohanim, the L’vi’im, the temple servants and the descendants of Shlomo’s servants. But the leaders of the province lived in Yerushalayim. ⁴Some of those living in Yerushalayim were from people of Y’hudah, and others were from people of Binyamin. Those from the people of Y’hudah were: ‘Atayah the son of ‘Uziyah, the son of Z’kharyah, the son of Amaryah, the son of Sh’fatyah, the son of Mahalal’el, from the descendants of Peretz; ⁵and Ma‘aseiyah the son of Barukh, the son of Kol-Hozeh, the son of Hazayah, the son of ‘Adayah, the son of Yoyariv, the son of Z’kharyah, who belonged to the family of Shelah. ⁶The total number of descendants of Peretz living in Yerushalayim was 468 courageous men.

⁷These are the people of Binyamin: Salu the son of Meshulam, the son of Yo‘ed, the son of P’dayah, the son of Kolayah, the son of Ma‘aseiyah, the son of Iti’el, the son of Yesha‘yah. ⁸After him: Gabai, Salai; 928 in all. ⁹Yo’el the son of Zikhri was their overseer, and Y’hudah the son of Hasnu’ah was second in charge of the city.

¹⁰From the cohanim: Y’da‘yah the son of Yoyariv, Yakhin, ¹¹S’rayah the son of Hilkiyah, the son of Meshulam, the son of Tzadok, the son of M’rayot, the son of Achituv, the supervisor of the house of God, ¹²and their kinsmen who did the work for the house; in all 822; and ‘Adayah the son of Yerocham, the son of P’lalyah, the son of Amtzi, the son of Z’kharyah, the son of Pash’chur, the son of Malkiyah; ¹³with his kinsmen, heads of fathers’ clans, 242; and ‘Amash’sai the son of ‘Azar’el, the son of Achzai, the son of Meshillemot, the son of Immer; ¹⁴with his kinsmen, courageous men, 128; their overseer was Zavdi’el the son of HaG’dolim.

¹⁵From the L’vi’im: Sh’ma‘yah the son of Hashuv, the son of ‘Azrikam, the son of Hashavyah, the son of Buni, ¹⁶and Shabtai and Yozavad, from the leaders of the L’vi’im, who were in charge of external affairs for the house of God; ¹⁷and Matanyah the son of Mikha, the son of Zavdi, the son of Asaf, the leader who began the thanksgiving prayer; and Bakbukyah, the second among his kinsmen; and ‘Avda the son of Shamua, the son of Galal, the son of Y’dutun. ¹⁸All the L’vi’im in the holy city numbered 284.

¹⁹The gatekeepers: ‘Akuv, Talmon and their kinsmen, who kept watch at the gates, numbered 172.

²⁰The rest of Isra’el, [the rest of] the cohanim and [the rest of] the L’vi’im were in all the cities of Y’hudah, each on his own property.

²¹The temple servants lived in the ‘Ofel; Tzicha and Gishpa were in charge of the temple servants.

²²The overseer of the L’vi’im in Yerushalayim was ‘Uzi the son of Bani, the son of Hashavyah, the son of Matanyah, the son of Mikha, from the descendants of Asaf the singers; [he was] in charge of the work of the house of God. ²³For they were subject to the king’s orders; and there was a fixed schedule for the singers, assigning them their daily duties. ²⁴P’tachyah the son of Mesheizav’el, from the descendants of Zerach the son of Y’hudah, was the king’s deputy in all affairs concerning the people.

²⁵As for the villages and their surrounding fields: some of the people of Y’hudah lived in Kiryat-Arba and its villages, in Divon and its villages, in Y’kabze’el and its villages, ²⁶in Yeshua, in Moladah, in Beit-Pelet, ²⁷in Hatzar-Shu‘al and its villages, in Be’er-Sheva and its villages, ²⁸in Ziklag, in M’khonah and its villages, ²⁹in ‘Ein-Rimmon, in Tzor‘ah, in Yarmut, ³⁰Zanoach, Adulam and their villages, in Lakhish and its surrounding fields, and in ‘Azekah and its villages. Thus they occupied the territory from Be’er-Sheva as far as the Hinnom Valley.

³¹The people of Binyamin lived from Geva onward, in Mikhmas and ‘Ayah, in Beit-El and its villages, ³²and in ‘Anatot, Nov, ‘Ananyah, ³³Hatzor, Ramah, Gittayim, ³⁴Hadid, Tzvo‘im, N’valat, ³⁵Lud, Ono and Gei-Harashim.

³⁶Of the L’vi’im, some divisions from Y’hudah settled in Binyamin.

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

Complete Jewish Bible (CJB)

New International Version (NIV)

Nehemiah 10-11

Complete Jewish Bible

Nehemiah 10-11

New International Version

The New Residents of Jerusalem^(AE)

Footnotes

Cross references

More on the NIV

Nehemiah 10-11 Complete Jewish Bible

Nehemiah 10-11 New International Version

The New Residents of Jerusalem(AE)

Footnotes

Cross references

More on the NIV

Nehemiah 10-11

Complete Jewish Bible

Nehemiah 10-11

New International Version

The New Residents of Jerusalem^(AE)