Beginning

12 Soothly these were [the] priests and [the] deacons, that went up with Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, and with Joshua; Seraiah, Jeremy [Jeremiah], Ezra, (And these were the priests and the Levites, who went up with Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua, or Joshua; Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra,)

² Amariah, Malluch, Hattush,

³ Shechaniah, Rehum, Meremoth,

⁴ Iddo, Ginnetho, Miamin,

⁵ Abiah, Maadiah, Bilgah,

⁶ Shemaiah, and Joiarib, Jedaiah,

⁷ Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, and Jedaiah; these were the princes of priests and their brethren, in the days of Joshua. (Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, and Jedaiah; these were the leaders of the priests and their kinsmen, in the days of Jeshua, or Joshua.)

⁸ Certainly deacons; Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, (and) Mattaniah, were over the hymns, they and their brethren; (And the Levites; Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and Mattaniah, who with his kinsmen, led the hymns;)

⁹ and Bakbukiah, and Unni, and the brethren of them, each man in his office. (and Bakbukiah, and Unni, and their kinsmen, who sang the response.)

¹⁰ And Joshua begat Joiakim (And Jeshua begat Joiakim), and Joiakim begat Eliashib, and Eliashib begat Joiada,

¹¹ and Joiada begat Jonathan, and Jonathan begat Jaddua.

¹² And in the days of Joiakim these were the priests, and the princes of the families of priests; Seraiah, Meraiah; Jeremy, Hananiah; (And in the days of Joiakim these were the priests, and the leaders of the priestly families; of Seraiah, Meraiah; of Jeremiah, Hananiah;)

¹³ (of) Ezra, Meshullam; (of) Amariah, Jehohanan;

¹⁴ (of) Melicu, Jonathan; (of) Shebaniah, Joseph;

¹⁵ (of) Harim, Adna; (of) Meraioth, Helkai;

¹⁶ (of) Iddo, Zechariah; (of) Ginnethon, Meshullam;

¹⁷ (of) Abiah, Zichri; (of) Miniamin, (^[a]); and (of) Moadiah, Piltai;

¹⁸ (of) Bilgah, Shammua; (of) Shemaiah, Jehonathan;

¹⁹ (of) Joiarib, Mattenai; (of) Jedaiah, Uzzi;

²⁰ (of) Sallai, Kallai; (of) Amok, Eber;

²¹ (of) Hilkiah, Hashabiah; (of) Jedaiah, Nethaneel.

²² Deacons in the days of Eliashib, and of Joiada, and of Johanan, and of Jaddua, were written princes of families, and priests, in the realm of Darius king of Persia. (The leaders of the priestly families, in the days of Eliashib, and Joiada, and Johanan, and Jaddua, were written down until the reign of Darius the Persian.)

²³ The sons of Levi, princes of families, were written in the book of the words of days, and unto the days of Johanan, the son of Eliashib. (But the leaders of the Levite families were written down in The Book of the Words of the Days, that is, in The Official Annals, only until the days of Johanan, the son of Eliashib.)

²⁴ And the princes of deacons were Hashabiah, Sherebiah, and Jeshua, the son of Kadmiel; and the brethren of them by their whiles or times, that they should praise and acknowledge by the commandment of king David, the man of God, and they should keep evenly by order. (And the leaders of the Levites were Hashabiah, Sherebiah, and Jeshua, the son of Kadmiel, who, along with their kinsmen, gave praise and thanks, each in their turn, the one group answering the other, by the command of King David, the man of God.)

²⁵ Mattaniah, and Bakbukiah, and Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon, (and) Akkub, were keepers of the gates, and of the porches before the gates. (Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon, and Akkub were the guards, or the doorkeepers, standing guard at the gate-houses.)

²⁶ These men were (serving) in the days of Joiakim, the son of Joshua, son of Jozadak, and in the days of Nehemiah, the duke, and of Ezra, the priest and writer. (These men served in the days of Joiakim, the son of Jeshua, or Joshua, the son of Jozadak, and in the days of Nehemiah, the governor, and of Ezra, the priest and writer/the priest and teacher of the Law.)

²⁷ Forsooth in the hallowing of the wall of Jerusalem they sought (out the) deacons of all their places, to bring them into Jerusalem, and to make the hallowing in gladness, in the doing of thankings, and in song, and in cymbals, and in psalteries, and in harps. (And for the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem, they sought out the Levites in all the places where they were, to bring them to Jerusalem, to celebrate the dedication with gladness, and thanksgiving, and with songs, and cymbals, and lutes, and harps.)

²⁸ And the sons of (the) singers were gathered together, both from the field places about Jerusalem, and from the towns of Netophathi (and from the towns of the Netophathites),

²⁹ and from the house of Gilgal, and from the country(sides) of Geba, and of Azmaveth; for the singers had builded towns to themselves in the compass of Jerusalem (for the singers had built towns for themselves all around Jerusalem).

³⁰ And [the] priests and deacons were cleansed, and then they cleansed the people, and the gates, and the wall. (And the priests and the Levites purified themselves, and then they purified the people, and the gates, and the wall.)

³¹ And I made the princes of Judah to go up on the wall, and I ordained two great choirs, or companies, of men praising the Lord; and they went to the right side on the wall, to the gate of the dunghill. (And I brought the leaders of Judah up onto the wall, and I ordained two great choirs, or companies, of men to give praise to the Lord; and the first group went up on the wall to the right side, toward the Dung Gate.)

³² And Hoshaiah went after them, and the half part of the princes of Judah (and half of the leaders of Judah),

³³ and Azariah, Ezra, and Meshullam,

³⁴ Judah, and Benjamin, and Shemaiah, and Jeremy. [Judah, and Benjamin, and Shemaiah, and Jeremiah.]

³⁵ And of the sons of priests singing in trumps; Zechariah, the son of Jonathan, the son of Shemaiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Michaiah, the son of Zaccur, the son of Asaph. (And then came some of the priests blowing trumpets; namely, Zechariah, the son of Jonathan, the son of Shemaiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Michaiah, the son of Zaccur, the son of Asaph;)

³⁶ And his brethren; Shemaiah, and Azarael, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethaneel, and Judah, and Hanani, in the instruments of song of David, the man of God; and Ezra, the writer, before them, (and his kinsmen; Shemaiah, Azarael, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethaneel, Judah, and Hanani, with the musical instruments of David, the man of God; and Ezra, the writer/the teacher of the Law, went before them.)

³⁷ in the gate of the well. And (the) men went up (over) against them, in the degrees of the city of David, in the going up of the wall, over the house of David, and unto the gate of the waters at the east coast. (And they went past the Fountain Gate, and then up the steps to the City of David, by the ascent to the city wall, past the house of David, and on to the Water Gate on the east side.)

³⁸ And the second choir of men telling out thankings went over against (them), or on the other side, and I went after them; and half part of the people was on the wall, and on the tower of (the) ovens, and they went unto the broadest wall; (And the second choir of men who gave thanks went to the other side, that is, to the left, along the top of the wall, and I went after them, with half of the people; and they went past the Tower of the Ovens, or the Tower of the Furnaces, unto the Broad Wall;)

³⁹ and over the gate of Ephraim, and over the eld gate, and over the gate of fishes, and over the tower of Hananeel, and over the tower of Meah, and they came unto the gate of (the) flock; and they stood still in the gate of keeping. (and then past the Ephraim Gate, and the Old Gate, or the Jeshanah Gate, and the Fish Gate, and the Tower of Hananeel, and the Tower of the Hundred, to the Sheep Gate; and they stopped at the Gate of the Guardhouse/and they stopped near the Temple Gate.)

⁴⁰ And the two choirs of men praising stood in the house of God, and I and the half part of (the) magistrates with me. (And then the two choirs of men who gave praise took their places in the House of God, along with me and half of the magistrates;)

⁴¹ And the priests, Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Michaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, Hananiah, in trumps; (and the priests, Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Michaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, and Hananiah, who were blowing their trumpets;)

⁴² and (also) Maaseiah, and Shemaiah, and Eleazar, and Uzzi, and Jehohanan, and Malchijah, and Elam, and Ezer; and the singers sang clearly, and Jezrahiah, their sovereign also (and the singers, led by Jezrahiah, who sang clearly, and loudly).

⁴³ And they offered in that day great sacrifices, and were glad; for God had made them glad with great gladness. But also their wives and their lawful children were joyful, and the gladness of Jerusalem was heard [a]far. (And that day, they offered great, or many, sacrifices, and were joyful; for God had made them very happy. And also their wives and their children were full of joy, and the joy of Jerusalem was heard afar off.)

⁴⁴ Also they numbered in that day the men that were over the keeping places of the treasure(s), to receive (the) moist sacrifices, and the first fruits, and (the) tithes, that in (the) seemliness, or fairness, of doing of thankings to the Lord, (the) princes of the city should bring in by them, (for the) priests and deacons; for Judah was glad in (the) priests and deacons (that were) present. (And on that day men were ordained to take charge of the storerooms for the contributions, that is, to receive the offerings, and the first fruits, and the tithes; they were to gather in the portions, required by the Law, from all the fields near the cities, for the priests and the Levites; for all Judah was well pleased with the service of the priests and the Levites.)

⁴⁵ And they kept the keeping of their God, (and) the keeping of cleansing; and (the) singers, and porters (did as well), by the commandment of David, and of Solomon, his son; (And they did the service of their God, and the rites of purification, as did the singers, and the guards, or the doorkeepers, after the commands of David, and his son Solomon;)

⁴⁶ for in the days of David and of Asaph, from the beginning, princes of singers were ordained, praising in song, and acknowledging to God. (for from the days of David and of Asaph, yea, from the beginning, leaders were ordained over the singers, to lead the songs of praise and thanksgiving to God.)

⁴⁷ And all Israel, in the days of Zerubbabel, and in the days of Nehemiah, gave parts to (the) singers and to (the) porters, by all the days; and they hallowed (a part for the) deacons, and the deacons hallowed (a part for) the sons of Aaron. (And in the days of Zerubbabel, and of Nehemiah, all Israel gave the portions, or the gifts, for the singers and the guards, or the doorkeepers, as each day required; and they dedicated a portion for the Levites, and the Levites dedicated a portion for the priests, the sons of Aaron.)

13 Forsooth in that day it was read in the book of Moses, in (the) hearing of the people; and it was found written therein, that Ammonites and Moabites ought not to enter into the church of God till into without end; (And on that day they read from The Book of Moses, in the hearing of the people; and it was found written in it, that Ammonites and Moabites should never enter into the congregation of God, that is, should never become part of their community;)

² for they met not the sons of Israel with bread and water, and they hired against the sons of Israel Balaam, for to curse them; and our God turned the cursing into blessing. (for they did not meet the Israelites with bread and water, but instead they hired Balaam against the Israelites, to curse them; but our God turned the curse into a blessing.)

³ And it was done, when the people had heard the law, they separated each alien from Israel (they set apart, or excluded, all foreigners from the Israelite community).

⁴ And upon these things was Eliashib, the priest, that was sovereign in the chamber of the house of our God, and was the neighbour of Tobiah^[b]. (And upon these things was the High Priest Eliashib, who was the ruler, or the overseer, of the storerooms of the House of our God, and was the neighbour, or the friend, of Tobiah.)

⁵ Therefore he made to him a great chamber in the house of God; and there before him were men that kept the gifts that were offered, and incense, and diverse vessels, and the tithe of wheat, of wine, and of oil, and the parts of deacons, and of singers, and of porters, and the first fruits of priests. (And so Eliashib gave Tobiah a large room at the House of God, that was used to store the grain offerings, and the incense, and the Temple vessels, and the tithes of corn, and of wine, and of oil, that is, the portions, or the contributions, for the Levites, and the singers, and the guards, or the doorkeepers, and the first fruits for the priests.)

⁶ And in all these things I was not in Jerusalem; for in the two and thirtieth year of Artaxerxes, king of Babylon, I came to the king, and in the end of days I prayed the king. (And at this time I was not in Jerusalem; for in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes, the king of Babylon, I went and reported to the king, but after some number of days, I was granted leave to return to Jerusalem.)

⁷ And I came into Jerusalem, and I understood the evil that Eliashib had done to Tobiah, to make to him a chamber in the porches of God’s house; (And so I came back to Jerusalem, and I learned of the evil that Eliashib had done for Tobiah’s sake, by giving him a room in one of the courtyards of the House of God;)

⁸ and to me it seemed full evil. And I casted forth the vessels of the house of Tobiah out of the chamber; (and I was greatly angered by that. And I threw all of Tobiah’s things out of the room;)

⁹ and I commanded, and they cleansed the chambers; and I brought again there the vessels of God’s house, and the sacrifice thereof, and the incense. (and I commanded, that they purify the room, and that all the vessels of the House of God, and the offerings, and the incense, should be put back into it.)

¹⁰ And I knew that the parts of the deacons were not given to them, and that each man of the deacons and of the singers, and of them that ministered in the temple, had gone away into his country(side); (And I also learned that the portions for the Levites had not been given to them, and so all of the Levites and the singers, those who ministered in the Temple, had gone back to their fields;)

¹¹ and I did the cause against (the) magistrates, and I said, Why have ye forsaken the house of God? And I gathered them together, that is, (the) deacons and the ministers, that had gone away, and I made them to stand in their standings. (and I brought this case against the magistrates, and I said, Why is the House of God deserted? And so I brought back the Levites, and the singers who had gone away, and I put them in their places again.)

¹² And all Judah brought the tithe of wheat, of wine, and of oil, into the barns. (And so all Judah brought their tithes of corn, and wine, and oil, into the storehouses.)

¹³ And we ordained on the barns, Shelemiah, the priest, and Zadok, the writer, and Pedaiah, one of the deacons, and besides them we ordained Hanan, the son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah; for they were proved faithful men, and the parts of their brethren were betaken to them. (And I put in charge of the storehouses, Shelemiah, the priest, and Zadok, the writer/a teacher of the Law, and Pedaiah, one of the Levites, and besides them I ordained Hanan, the son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah; for they had proved to be faithful men, and so it was their duty to distribute their kinsmen’s portions.)

¹⁴ My God, have mind of me for this thing, and do thou not away my merciful doings, which I have done in the house of my God, and in his ceremonies. (My God, remember me for this, and do not thou forget the good things which I have done for the House of my God, and in its service.)

¹⁵ In those days I saw in Judah men treading pressers in the sabbath, men bringing (in) heaps, and charging on asses wine, and grapes, and figs, and all (other) burden(s), and bringing (them) into Jerusalem in the day of sabbath; and I witnessed to them, that they should sell in the day in which it was leaveful to sell. (And in those days I saw in Judah men treading winepresses on the Sabbath, and people bringing in heaps of produce, yea, loading up wine, and grapes, and figs, and all other loads onto donkeys, and bringing them into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day; and I witnessed to them, that they should only sell on the days in which it were lawful to sell.)

¹⁶ And men of Tyre dwelled in it, and brought in fishes, and all things set to sale, and they sold in the sabbaths to the sons of Judah, and of Jerusalem. (And some men of Tyre lived in Jerusalem, and brought in fish, and all kinds of other things to sell, and they sold them on the Sabbath to the sons of Judah, and of Jerusalem.)

¹⁷ And I rebuked the principal men of Judah, and I said to them, What is this evil thing that ye do, and make unholy the day of the sabbath? (And I rebuked the leaders of Judah, and I said to them, What is this evil thing that ye do, and make the Sabbath day unholy!)

¹⁸ Whether our fathers did not these things, and (then) our God brought on us all this evil, and on this city? and ye increase wrathfulness on Israel, in defouling the sabbath. (Did not our forefathers do all these things, and then our God brought down all this evil upon us, and upon this city? and now ye shall bring more of God’s anger upon Israel by defiling the Sabbath!)

¹⁹ And it was done, when the gates of Jerusalem had rested in the day of sabbath, I said, Shut ye the gates; and they shutted the gates; and I commanded, that they should not open the gates till after the sabbath. And of my children, or servants, I ordained numbers on the gates to keep (them) shut, that no man should bring in a burden in the day of sabbath. (And so it was done, when the gates of Jerusalem were empty, early on the Sabbath day, that I said, Shut ye the gates; and so they shut the gates; and I commanded, that they should not open the gates until after the Sabbath. And I ordained a number of my servants there at the gates, to keep them shut, so that no one could bring in a load on the Sabbath day.)

²⁰ And merchants, and men selling all things set to sale, dwelled without Jerusalem once or twice. (And once or twice, some merchants, and people selling all kinds of things, set up shop outside the wall of Jerusalem.)

²¹ And I areasoned (with) them, and I said to them, Why dwell ye there even against, or on the other side of, the wall? If ye do this thing the second time, I shall set hand on you. Therefore from that time forth they came not thither in the sabbath. (And I warned them, and I said to them, Why do ye stay there on the other side of the wall? If ye do this thing another time, I shall put my hands on you. And from that time forth they did not come back there on the Sabbath.)

²² Also I said to the deacons, that they should be cleansed, and that they should come to keep the gates, and to hallow the day of sabbath. And therefore for this thing, my God, have mind of me, and spare me by the muchliness of thy merciful doings. (And I said to the Levites, that they should be purified, and then that they should go and guard the gates, to keep the Sabbath day holy. And so for this thing, my God, remember me, and spare me by the greatness of thy mercy.)

²³ But also in those days I saw Jews wedding wives, women of Ashdod, and women of Ammonites, and women of Moabites.

²⁴ And their children spake half part by the speech of Ashdod, and could not speak by the speech of Jews (and could not speak the Jewish language, or Hebrew), and they spake by the language of (this) people, and of (that) people.

²⁵ And I rebuked them, and cursed them; and I beat the men of them, and I made them bald, and I made them swear by the Lord, that they should not give their daughters to the sons of those aliens, and that they should not take of the daughters of those aliens to their sons, and to themselves; (And I rebuked them, and cursed them; and I beat these men, and I made them bald, and I made them swear by the Lord, that they would not give their daughters as wives to the sons of those foreigners, and that they would not take the daughters of those foreigners as wives for their sons, or for themselves;)

²⁶ and I said, Whether Solomon, the king of Israel, sinned not in such things? And certainly in many folks there was no king like him, and he was loved of his God, and God setted him king upon all Israel, and alien women brought him to sin. (and I said, Did not King Solomon of Israel sin by doing such things? And certainly in many nations there was no king like him, and he was loved by his God, and God made him king upon all Israel, but then foreign women led him to sin.)

²⁷ Whether also we unobedient, should do all this great evil, that we trespass against our Lord God, and wed alien wives? (And shall we then follow your example, and do all this great evil, and trespass against the Lord our God, and wed foreign wives?)

²⁸ Forsooth Sanballat (the) Horonite had wedded a daughter of the sons of Joiada, son of Eliashib, the great priest, which Sanballat I drove away from me. (And one of the sons of Joiada, the son of the High Priest Eliashib, had wedded a daughter of Sanballat the Horonite, and so I drove Joiada away from me, and out of Jerusalem.)

²⁹ My Lord God, have mind against them, that defoul priesthood, and the right of priests, and of deacons. (My Lord God, remember them, for they have defiled the priesthood, and the covenant of the priests and of the Levites/and the covenant that you made with the priests and the Levites.)

³⁰ Therefore I cleansed them from all aliens, and I ordained the orders of priests and of deacons, each man in his service, (And so I purified them from all foreigners, and I ordained the orders of the priests and of the Levites, each man in his service,)

³¹ and in (the) offering, that is, (the) dressing, of trees, or of (the) wood, to burn with (the) offered sacrifices, in times ordained, and in the first fruits. My God, have mind of me into good. (and I also made provision for the wood offering, that is, for the wood to burn with the offered sacrifices, in times ordained, and for the first fruits. My God, remember me for the good things which I have done.)