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Nehemiah 8-10
Contemporary English Version
Nehemiah 8-10
Contemporary English Version
Ezra Reads God's Law to the People
8 1-2 On the first day of the seventh month,[a] the people came together in the open area in front of the Water Gate. Then they asked Ezra, who was a teacher of the Law of Moses, to read to them from this Law that the Lord had given his people. Ezra the priest came with the Law and stood before the crowd of men, women, and the children who were old enough to understand. 3 From early morning till noon, he read the Law of Moses to them, and they listened carefully. 4 Ezra stood on a high wooden platform that had been built for this occasion. Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah were standing to his right, while Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hash Baddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam were standing to his left.
5 Ezra was up on the high platform, where he could be seen by everyone, and when he opened the book, all the people stood up. 6 Ezra praised the great Lord God, and they lifted their hands, shouting “Amen! Amen!” Then they bowed with their faces to the ground and worshiped the Lord.
7-8 After this, the Levites Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, and Pelaiah went among the people, explaining the meaning of what Ezra had read.
9 The people started crying when God's Law was read to them. Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and teacher, and the Levites who had been teaching the people all said, “This is a special day for the Lord your God. So don't be sad and don't cry!”
10 Nehemiah told the people, “Enjoy your good food and wine and share some with those who didn't have anything to bring. Don't be sad! This is a special day for the Lord, and he will make you happy and strong.”
11 The Levites encouraged the people by saying, “This is a sacred day, so don't worry or mourn!” 12 When the people returned to their homes, they celebrated by eating and drinking and by sharing their food with those in need, because they had understood what had been read to them.
Celebrating the Festival of Shelters
13 On the second day of the seventh month,[b] the leaders of all the family groups came together with the priests and the Levites, so Ezra could teach them the Law 14 (A) that the Lord had given to Moses. They learned from the Law that the people of Israel were to live in shelters when they celebrated the festival in the seventh month of the year. 15 They also learned that they were to go into the woods and gather branches of leafy trees such as olives, myrtles, and palms for making these shelters.
16 So the people gathered branches and made shelters on the flat roofs of their houses, in their yards, in the courtyard of the temple, and in the open areas around the Water Gate and Ephraim Gate. 17 Everyone who had returned from Babylonia built shelters. They lived in them and joyfully celebrated the Festival of Shelters for the first time since the days of Joshua son of Nun. 18 On each of the first seven days of the festival, Ezra read to the people from God's Law. Then on the eighth day, everyone gathered for worship, just as the Law had said they must.
The People Confess Their Sins
9 On the twenty-fourth day of the seventh month,[c] the people of Israel went without eating, and they dressed in sackcloth and threw dirt on their heads to show their sorrow. 2 They refused to let foreigners join them, as they met to confess their sins and the sins of their ancestors. 3 For three hours they stood and listened to the Law of the Lord their God, and then for the next three hours they confessed their sins and worshiped the Lord.
4 Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Chenani stood on the special platform for the Levites and prayed aloud to the Lord their God. 5 Then the Levites Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah said:
“Stand and shout praises
to your Lord,
the eternal God![d]
Praise his wonderful name,
though he is greater
than words can express.”
The People Pray
6 You alone are the Lord,
Creator of the heavens
and all the stars,
Creator of the earth
and those who live on it,
Creator of the ocean
and all its creatures.
You are the source of life,
praised by the stars
that fill the heavens.
7 (B) You are the Lord our God,
the one who chose Abram—
you brought him from Ur
in Babylonia
and named him Abraham.
8 (C) Because he was faithful,
you made an agreement
to give his descendants
the land of the Canaanites
and Hittites,
of the Amorites and Perizzites,
and of the Jebusites
and Girgashites.
Now you have kept your promise,
just as you always do.
9 (D) When our ancestors
were in Egypt,
you saw their suffering;
when they were at the Red Sea,[e]
you heard their cry for help.
10 (E) You knew that the King of Egypt
and his officials and his nation
had mistreated your people.
So you worked fearsome miracles
against the Egyptians
and earned a reputation
that still remains.
11 (F) You divided the deep sea,
and your people walked through
on dry land.
But you tossed their enemies in,
and they sank down
like a heavy stone.
12 (G) Each day you led your people
with a thick cloud,
and at night you showed the way
with a flaming fire.
13 (H) At Sinai you came down
from heaven,
and you gave your people
good laws and teachings
that are fair and honest.
14 You commanded them to respect
your holy Sabbath,
and you instructed
your servant Moses
to teach them your laws.
15 (I) When they were hungry,
you sent bread from heaven,
and when they were thirsty,
you let water flow
from a rock.
Then you commanded them
to capture the land
that you had solemnly promised.
* 16 (J) Our stubborn ancestors
refused to obey—
they forgot about the miracles
you had worked for them,
and they were determined
to return to Egypt
and become slaves again.
17 (K) But, our God, you are merciful
and quick to forgive;
you are loving, kind,
and very patient.
So you never turned away
from them—
18 (L) not even when they made
an idol shaped like a calf
and insulted you by claiming,
“This is the god who rescued us
from Egypt.”
19 (M) Because of your great mercy,
you never abandoned them
in the desert.
And you always guided them
with a cloud by day
and a fire at night.
20 Your gentle Spirit
instructed them,[f]
and you gave them manna[g] to eat
and water to drink.
21 You took good care of them,
and for forty years
they never lacked a thing.
Their clothes didn't wear out,
and their feet were never swollen.
22 (N) You let them conquer kings
and take their land,
including King Sihon of Heshbon
and King Og of Bashan.[h]
23 (O) You brought them into the land
that you had promised
their ancestors,
and you blessed their nation
with people that outnumbered
the stars in the sky.
24 (P) Then their descendants
conquered the land.
You helped them defeat
the kings and nations
and treat their enemies
however they wished.
25 (Q) They captured strong cities
and rich farmland;
they took furnished houses,
as well as cisterns,[i]
vineyards, olive orchards,
and numerous fruit trees.
They ate till they were satisfied,
and they celebrated
your abundant blessings.
26 (R)(S) In spite of this, they rebelled
and disobeyed your laws.
They killed your prophets,
who warned them
to turn back to you,
and they cursed your name.
27 So you handed them over
to their enemies,
who treated them terribly.
But in their sufferings,
they begged you to help.
From heaven you listened
to their prayers
and because of your great mercy,
you sent leaders to rescue them.
28 (T) But when they were at peace,
they would turn against you,
and you would hand them over
to their enemies.
Then they would beg for help,
and because you are merciful,
you rescued them
over and over again.
29 (U) You warned them to turn back
and discover true life
by obeying your laws.
But they stubbornly refused
and continued to sin.
30 (V) For years, you were patient,
and your Spirit[j] warned them
with messages spoken
by your prophets.
Still they refused to listen,
and you handed them over
to their enemies.
31 But you are merciful and kind,
and so you never forgot them
or let them be destroyed.
32 (W) Our God, you are powerful,
fearsome, and faithful,
always true to your word.
So please keep in mind
the terrible sufferings
of our people, kings, leaders,
priests, and prophets,
from the time Assyria ruled
until this very day.
33 You have always been fair
when you punished us
for our sins.
34 Our kings and leaders,
our priests and ancestors
have never obeyed your commands
or heeded your warnings.
35 You blessed them with a kingdom
and with an abundance
of rich, fertile land,
but they refused to worship you
or turn from their evil.
36 Now we are slaves
in this fruitful land
you gave to our ancestors.
37 Its plentiful harvest is taken
by kings you placed over us
because of our sins.
Our suffering is unbearable,
because they do as they wish
to us and our livestock.
The People Make an Agreement
38 And so, a firm agreement was made that had the official approval of the leaders, the Levites, and priests. 10 1 As governor, I[k] signed the agreement together with Zedekiah and the following priests: 2-8 Seraiah, Azariah, Jeremiah, Pashhur, Amariah, Malchijah, Hattush, Shebaniah, Malluch, Harim, Meremoth, Obadiah, Daniel, Ginnethon, Baruch, Meshullam, Abijah, Mijamin, Maaziah, Bilgai, and Shemaiah.
9 The Levites who signed were: Jeshua son of Azaniah, Binnui from the clan of Henadad, Kadmiel, 10 Shebaniah, Hodiah, Kelita, Pelaiah, Hanan, 11 Mica, Rehob, Hashabiah, 12 Zaccur, Sherebiah, Shebaniah, 13 Hodiah, Bani, and Beninu.
14 The leaders who signed were: 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.
The Agreement
28-29 All of us, including priests, Levites, temple guards, singers, temple workers and leaders, together with our wives and children, have separated ourselves from the foreigners in this land and now enter into an agreement with a complete understanding of what we are doing. And so, we now place ourselves under the curse of the Lord our God, if we fail to obey his laws and teachings that were given to us by his servant Moses.
30 (X) We won't let our sons and daughters marry foreigners.
31 (Y) We won't buy goods or grain on the Sabbath or on any other sacred day, not even from foreigners.
Every seven years we will let our fields rest, and we will cancel all debts.
32 (Z) Once a year we will each donate a small amount of silver to the temple of our God. 33 This is to pay for the sacred bread, as well as for the daily sacrifices and special sacrifices such as those offered on the Sabbath and during the New Moon Festival and the other festivals. It will also pay for the sacrifices to forgive our sins and for all expenses connected with the worship of God in the temple.
34 We have decided that the families[l] of priests, Levites, and ordinary people will supply firewood for the temple each year, so that sacrifices can be offered on the altar, just as the Lord our God has commanded.
35 (AA) Each year we will bring to the temple the first part of our harvest of grain and fruit.
36 (AB) We will bring our first-born sons and the first-born males of our herds and flocks and offer them to the priests who serve in the temple, because this is what is written in God's Law.[m]
37 (AC) To the priests in the temple of our God, we will bring the bread dough from the first harvest, together with our best fruit, and an offering of new wine and olive oil.
We will bring ten percent of our grain harvest to those Levites who are responsible for collecting it in our towns. 38 (AD) A priest from the family of Aaron must be there when we give this to the Levites. Then the Levites will put one tenth of this part in the temple storeroom, 39 which is also the place for the sacred objects used by the priests, the temple guards, and the singers.
Levites and everyone else must bring their gifts of grain, wine, and olive oil to this room.
We will not neglect the temple of our God.
Footnotes
- 8.1,2 seventh month: Tishri (also called Ethanim), the seventh month of the Hebrew calendar, from about mid-September to mid-October.
- 8.13 seventh month: Hebrew “same month.”
- 9.1 seventh month: Hebrew “same month.”
- 9.5 shout … God: Or “shout eternal praises to the Lord your God.”
- 9.9 Red Sea: Hebrew yam suph, “Sea of Reeds,” one of the marshes of fresh water lakes near the eastern part of the Nile Delta. This identification is based on Exodus 13.17—14.9, which lists the towns on the route of the Israelites before crossing the sea. In the Greek translation of the Scriptures made about 200 b.c., the “Sea of Reeds” was named “Red Sea.”
- 9.20 Your gentle Spirit instructed them: Or “You gently instructed them.”
- 9.20 manna: This was something like a thin wafer (see Exodus 16.1-36).
- 9.22 Bashan: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 22.
- 9.25 cisterns: Pits dug into the ground to hold water.
- 9.30 your Spirit: Or “you.”
- 10.1 I: Hebrew “Nehemiah son of Hacaliah.”
- 10.34 that the families: Or “which families.”
- 10.36 first-born sons … God's Law: See Exodus 13.2,12-15; 34.19,20.
Nehemiah 8-10
New International Version
Nehemiah 8-10
New International Version
8 1 all the people came together as one in the square before the Water Gate.(A) They told Ezra the teacher of the Law to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses,(B) which the Lord had commanded for Israel.
2 So on the first day of the seventh month(C) Ezra the priest brought the Law(D) before the assembly, which was made up of men and women and all who were able to understand. 3 He read it aloud from daybreak till noon as he faced the square before the Water Gate(E) in the presence of the men, women and others who could understand. And all the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law.
4 Ezra the teacher of the Law stood on a high wooden platform(F) built for the occasion. Beside him on his right stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah and Maaseiah; and on his left were Pedaiah, Mishael, Malkijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah and Meshullam.
5 Ezra opened the book. All the people could see him because he was standing(G) above them; and as he opened it, the people all stood up. 6 Ezra praised the Lord, the great God; and all the people lifted their hands(H) and responded, “Amen! Amen!” Then they bowed down and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground.
7 The Levites(I)—Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan and Pelaiah—instructed(J) the people in the Law while the people were standing there. 8 They read from the Book of the Law of God, making it clear[a] and giving the meaning so that the people understood what was being read.
9 Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and teacher of the Law, and the Levites(K) who were instructing the people said to them all, “This day is holy to the Lord your God. Do not mourn or weep.”(L) For all the people had been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law.
10 Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing(M) prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy(N) of the Lord is your strength.”
11 The Levites calmed all the people, saying, “Be still, for this is a holy day. Do not grieve.”
12 Then all the people went away to eat and drink, to send portions of food and to celebrate with great joy,(O) because they now understood the words that had been made known to them.
13 On the second day of the month, the heads of all the families, along with the priests and the Levites, gathered around Ezra the teacher to give attention to the words of the Law. 14 They found written in the Law, which the Lord had commanded through Moses, that the Israelites were to live in temporary shelters(P) during the festival of the seventh month 15 and that they should proclaim this word and spread it throughout their towns and in Jerusalem: “Go out into the hill country and bring back branches from olive and wild olive trees, and from myrtles, palms and shade trees, to make temporary shelters”—as it is written.[b]
16 So the people went out and brought back branches and built themselves temporary shelters on their own roofs, in their courtyards, in the courts of the house of God and in the square by the Water Gate(Q) and the one by the Gate of Ephraim.(R) 17 The whole company that had returned from exile built temporary shelters and lived in them.(S) From the days of Joshua son of Nun until that day, the Israelites had not celebrated(T) it like this. And their joy was very great.
18 Day after day, from the first day to the last, Ezra read(U) from the Book of the Law(V) of God. They celebrated the festival for seven days, and on the eighth day, in accordance with the regulation,(W) there was an assembly.(X)
The Israelites Confess Their Sins
9 On the twenty-fourth day of the same month, the Israelites gathered together, fasting and wearing sackcloth and putting dust on their heads.(Y) 2 Those of Israelite descent had separated themselves from all foreigners.(Z) They stood in their places and confessed their sins and the sins of their ancestors.(AA) 3 They stood where they were and read from the Book of the Law of the Lord their God for a quarter of the day, and spent another quarter in confession and in worshiping the Lord their God. 4 Standing on the stairs of the Levites(AB) were Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani and Kenani. They cried out with loud voices to the Lord their God. 5 And the Levites—Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah and Pethahiah—said: “Stand up and praise the Lord your God,(AC) who is from everlasting to everlasting.[c]”
“Blessed be your glorious name,(AD) and may it be exalted above all blessing and praise. 6 You alone are the Lord.(AE) You made the heavens,(AF) even the highest heavens, and all their starry host,(AG) the earth(AH) and all that is on it, the seas(AI) and all that is in them.(AJ) You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven(AK) worship you.
7 “You are the Lord God, who chose Abram(AL) and brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans(AM) and named him Abraham.(AN) 8 You found his heart faithful to you, and you made a covenant with him to give to his descendants the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Jebusites and Girgashites.(AO) You have kept your promise(AP) because you are righteous.(AQ)
9 “You saw the suffering of our ancestors in Egypt;(AR) you heard their cry at the Red Sea.[d](AS) 10 You sent signs(AT) and wonders(AU) against Pharaoh, against all his officials and all the people of his land, for you knew how arrogantly the Egyptians treated them. You made a name(AV) for yourself,(AW) which remains to this day. 11 You divided the sea before them,(AX) so that they passed through it on dry ground, but you hurled their pursuers into the depths,(AY) like a stone into mighty waters.(AZ) 12 By day(BA) you led(BB) them with a pillar of cloud,(BC) and by night with a pillar of fire to give them light on the way they were to take.
13 “You came down on Mount Sinai;(BD) you spoke(BE) to them from heaven.(BF) You gave them regulations and laws that are just(BG) and right, and decrees and commands that are good.(BH) 14 You made known to them your holy Sabbath(BI) and gave them commands, decrees and laws through your servant Moses. 15 In their hunger you gave them bread from heaven(BJ) and in their thirst you brought them water from the rock;(BK) you told them to go in and take possession of the land you had sworn with uplifted hand(BL) to give them.(BM)
16 “But they, our ancestors, became arrogant and stiff-necked,(BN) and they did not obey your commands.(BO) 17 They refused to listen and failed to remember(BP) the miracles(BQ) you performed among them. They became stiff-necked(BR) and in their rebellion appointed a leader in order to return to their slavery.(BS) But you are a forgiving God,(BT) gracious and compassionate,(BU) slow to anger(BV) and abounding in love.(BW) Therefore you did not desert them,(BX) 18 even when they cast for themselves an image of a calf(BY) and said, ‘This is your god, who brought you up out of Egypt,’ or when they committed awful blasphemies.(BZ)
19 “Because of your great compassion you did not abandon(CA) them in the wilderness. By day the pillar of cloud(CB) did not fail to guide them on their path, nor the pillar of fire by night to shine on the way they were to take. 20 You gave your good Spirit(CC) to instruct(CD) them. You did not withhold your manna(CE) from their mouths, and you gave them water(CF) for their thirst. 21 For forty years(CG) you sustained them in the wilderness; they lacked nothing,(CH) their clothes did not wear out nor did their feet become swollen.(CI)
22 “You gave them kingdoms and nations, allotting to them even the remotest frontiers. They took over the country of Sihon[e](CJ) king of Heshbon and the country of Og king of Bashan.(CK) 23 You made their children as numerous as the stars in the sky,(CL) and you brought them into the land that you told their parents to enter and possess. 24 Their children went in and took possession of the land.(CM) You subdued(CN) before them the Canaanites, who lived in the land; you gave the Canaanites into their hands, along with their kings and the peoples of the land, to deal with them as they pleased. 25 They captured fortified cities and fertile land;(CO) they took possession of houses filled with all kinds of good things,(CP) wells already dug, vineyards, olive groves and fruit trees in abundance. They ate to the full and were well-nourished;(CQ) they reveled in your great goodness.(CR)
26 “But they were disobedient and rebelled against you; they turned their backs on your law.(CS) They killed(CT) your prophets,(CU) who had warned them in order to turn them back to you; they committed awful blasphemies.(CV) 27 So you delivered them into the hands of their enemies,(CW) who oppressed them. But when they were oppressed they cried out to you. From heaven you heard them, and in your great compassion(CX) you gave them deliverers,(CY) who rescued them from the hand of their enemies.
28 “But as soon as they were at rest, they again did what was evil in your sight.(CZ) Then you abandoned them to the hand of their enemies so that they ruled over them. And when they cried out to you again, you heard from heaven, and in your compassion(DA) you delivered them(DB) time after time.
29 “You warned(DC) them in order to turn them back to your law, but they became arrogant(DD) and disobeyed your commands. They sinned against your ordinances, of which you said, ‘The person who obeys them will live by them.’(DE) Stubbornly they turned their backs(DF) on you, became stiff-necked(DG) and refused to listen.(DH) 30 For many years you were patient with them. By your Spirit you warned them through your prophets.(DI) Yet they paid no attention, so you gave them into the hands of the neighboring peoples.(DJ) 31 But in your great mercy you did not put an end(DK) to them or abandon them, for you are a gracious and merciful(DL) God.
32 “Now therefore, our God, the great God, mighty(DM) and awesome,(DN) who keeps his covenant of love,(DO) do not let all this hardship seem trifling in your eyes—the hardship(DP) that has come on us, on our kings and leaders, on our priests and prophets, on our ancestors and all your people, from the days of the kings of Assyria until today. 33 In all that has happened to us, you have remained righteous;(DQ) you have acted faithfully, while we acted wickedly.(DR) 34 Our kings,(DS) our leaders, our priests and our ancestors(DT) did not follow your law; they did not pay attention to your commands or the statutes you warned them to keep. 35 Even while they were in their kingdom, enjoying your great goodness(DU) to them in the spacious and fertile land you gave them, they did not serve you(DV) or turn from their evil ways.
36 “But see, we are slaves(DW) today, slaves in the land you gave our ancestors so they could eat its fruit and the other good things it produces. 37 Because of our sins, its abundant harvest goes to the kings you have placed over us. They rule over our bodies and our cattle as they please. We are in great distress.(DX)
The Agreement of the People
38 “In view of all this, we are making a binding agreement,(DY) putting it in writing,(DZ) and our leaders, our Levites and our priests are affixing their seals to it.”[f]
10 [g]Those who sealed it were:
Nehemiah the governor, the son of Hakaliah.
Zedekiah, 2 Seraiah,(EA) Azariah, Jeremiah,
3 Pashhur,(EB) Amariah, Malkijah,
4 Hattush, Shebaniah, Malluk,
5 Harim,(EC) Meremoth, Obadiah,
6 Daniel, Ginnethon, Baruch,
7 Meshullam, Abijah, Mijamin,
8 Maaziah, Bilgai and Shemaiah.
These were the priests.(ED)
9 The Levites:(EE)
Jeshua son of Azaniah, Binnui of the sons of Henadad, Kadmiel,
10 and their associates: Shebaniah,
Hodiah, Kelita, Pelaiah, Hanan,
11 Mika, Rehob, Hashabiah,
12 Zakkur, Sherebiah, Shebaniah,
13 Hodiah, Bani and Beninu.
14 The leaders of the people:
Parosh, Pahath-Moab, Elam, Zattu, Bani,
15 Bunni, Azgad, Bebai,
16 Adonijah, Bigvai, Adin,(EF)
17 Ater, Hezekiah, Azzur,
18 Hodiah, Hashum, Bezai,
19 Hariph, Anathoth, Nebai,
20 Magpiash, Meshullam, Hezir,(EG)
21 Meshezabel, Zadok, Jaddua,
22 Pelatiah, Hanan, Anaiah,
23 Hoshea, Hananiah,(EH) Hasshub,
24 Hallohesh, Pilha, Shobek,
25 Rehum, Hashabnah, Maaseiah,
26 Ahiah, Hanan, Anan,
27 Malluk, Harim and Baanah.
28 “The rest of the people—priests, Levites, gatekeepers, musicians, temple servants(EI) and all who separated themselves from the neighboring peoples(EJ) for the sake of the Law of God, together with their wives and all their sons and daughters who are able to understand— 29 all these now join their fellow Israelites the nobles, and bind themselves with a curse and an oath(EK) 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.(EL)
31 “When the neighboring peoples bring merchandise or grain to sell on the Sabbath,(EM) we will not buy from them on the Sabbath or on any holy day. Every seventh year we will forgo working the land(EN) and will cancel all debts.(EO)
32 “We assume the responsibility for carrying out the commands to give a third of a shekel[h] each year for the service of the house of our God: 33 for the bread set out on the table;(EP) for the regular grain offerings and burnt offerings; for the offerings on the Sabbaths, at the New Moon(EQ) feasts and at the appointed festivals; for the holy offerings; for sin offerings[i] to make atonement for Israel; and for all the duties of the house of our God.(ER)
34 “We—the priests, the Levites and the people—have cast lots(ES) 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(ET) 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(EU) of our crops and of every fruit tree.(EV)
36 “As it is also written in the Law, we will bring the firstborn(EW) 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.(EX)
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.(EY) And we will bring a tithe(EZ) of our crops to the Levites,(FA) for it is the Levites who collect the tithes in all the towns where we work.(FB) 38 A 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(FC) up to the house of our God, to the storerooms of the treasury. 39 The 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.”(FD)
Footnotes
- Nehemiah 8:8 Or God, translating it
- Nehemiah 8:15 See Lev. 23:37-40.
- Nehemiah 9:5 Or God for ever and ever
- Nehemiah 9:9 Or the Sea of Reeds
- Nehemiah 9:22 One Hebrew manuscript and Septuagint; most Hebrew manuscripts Sihon, that is, the country of the
- Nehemiah 9:38 In Hebrew texts this verse (9:38) is numbered 10:1.
- 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
Contemporary English Version (CEV) 
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