Beginning
10 These are the men who sealed the ·agreement [covenant; treaty]:
Nehemiah the governor, son of Hacaliah.
Zedekiah, 2 Seraiah, Azariah, Jeremiah, 3 Pashhur, Amariah, Malkijah, 4 Hattush, Shebaniah, Malluch, 5 Harim, Meremoth, Obadiah, 6 Daniel, Ginnethon, Baruch, 7 Meshullam, Abijah, Mijamin, 8 Maaziah, Bilgai, and Shemaiah. These are the priests.
9 These are the Levites who sealed it: Jeshua son of Azaniah, Binnui of the sons of Henadad, Kadmiel, 10 and their ·fellow Levites [colleagues; L brothers]: Shebaniah, Hodiah, Kelita, Pelaiah, Hanan, 11 Mica, Rehob, Hashabiah, 12 Zaccur, Sherebiah, Shebaniah, 13 Hodiah, Bani, and Beninu.
14 These are the ·leaders [officials] of the people who sealed the ·agreement [covenant]: 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.
28 The rest of the people ·took an oath [made a vow; swore]. They were the priests, Levites, gatekeepers, singers, Temple servants, all those who separated themselves from ·foreigners [L the peoples of the lands] to keep the ·Teachings [Laws; Instructions; L Torah] of God, and also their wives and their sons and daughters who ·could [were able to; C were old enough] understand. 29 They joined their ·fellow Israelites [kinsmen] and their ·leading men [nobles] in taking an ·oath with a curse [L curse and an oath/vow; C the curse followed if they broke the oath]. They ·promised to follow [L were to walk in] the ·Teachings [Laws; Instructions; L Torah] of God, which they had been given through Moses the servant of God, and to ·obey [keep; observe] all the commands, ·rules [judgments], and ·laws [statutes; ordinances; requirements] of the Lord our God.
30 They said:
We promise not to ·let [give] our daughters ·marry foreigners [to the peoples of the land] nor to let our sons ·marry [take] their daughters. 31 When ·foreigners [L the peoples of the land] bring goods or grain to sell on the Sabbath, we will not buy on the Sabbath or any holy day. Every seventh year we will not plant, and that year we will ·forget all that people owe us [cancel every debt/loan; Ex. 21:2–6; 23:10–11; Deut. 15:1–2].
32 We ·will be responsible for [accept the obligation of] the commands to pay for the service of the ·Temple [L house] of our God. We will give ·an eighth of an ounce [L one third of a shekel] of silver each year. 33 It is for the ·bread that is set out on the table [Bread of Presence; T showbread; Ex. 25:30; C bread continually on a table in the Temple as an offering to God]; the regular grain [L gift; tribute] offerings [Lev. 2:1] and burnt offerings [Lev. 1:1–17]; the offerings on the Sabbaths, New Moon festivals, and ·special feasts [appointed festivals]; the ·holy [sacred] offerings; the ·sin [or purification] offerings [Lev. 4:3] to make ·Israel right with God [atonement for Israel]; and for the ·work [duties] of the ·Temple [L house] of our God.
34 We, the priests, the Levites, and the people, have ·thrown [cast] lots to decide at what time of year each family must ·bring [offer; supply] wood to the ·Temple [L house]. The wood is for burning on the altar of the Lord our God, and we will do this as it is written in the ·Teachings [Laws; Instructions; L Torah].
35 We also will bring the firstfruits from our ·crops [L land] and the firstfruits of every tree to the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord each year.
36 We will bring to the ·Temple [L house] of our God our firstborn sons and cattle and the firstborn of our herds and flocks, as it is written in the ·Teachings [Laws; Instructions; L Torah; Ex. 13:1–3]. We will bring them to the priests who ·are serving [minister] in the ·Temple [L house] of our God.
37 We will bring to the priests at the storerooms of the ·Temple [L house] of our God the first of our ·ground meal [flour; or dough], our ·offerings [contributions], the fruit from all our trees, and our new wine and oil. And we will bring a ·tenth [tithe] of our ·crops [L ground] to the Levites, who will collect these things in all the rural towns where we work. 38 A priest of Aaron’s ·family [line] must be with the Levites when they receive the ·tenth of the people’s crops [tithe]. The Levites must bring a ·tenth [tithe] of ·all they receive [the tithes] to the ·Temple [L house] of our God to put in the storerooms of the treasury. 39 The people of Israel and the Levites are to bring to the storerooms the ·gifts [contributions; offerings] of grain, new wine, and oil. That is where the ·utensils [vessels] for the ·Temple [sanctuary] are kept and where the priests who are ·serving [ministering], the gatekeepers, and singers stay.
We will not ·ignore [neglect] the ·Temple [L house] of our God.
New People Move into Jerusalem
11 The leaders of Israel ·lived [settled] in Jerusalem. The rest of the people ·threw [cast] lots to choose one person out of every ten to come and live in Jerusalem, the holy city. The other nine could stay in their own cities. 2 The people ·blessed [praised; commended] those who volunteered to live in Jerusalem [C at this point in the rebuilding, Jerusalem was dangerous and perhaps uncomfortable].
3 These are the ·area [provincial] ·leaders [officials] who lived in Jerusalem. (·Some [Other; Most] people lived on their own ·land [property] in the cities of Judah. These included Israelites, priests, Levites, Temple servants, and ·descendants [sons] of Solomon’s servants. 4 Others from the ·families [sons] of Judah and Benjamin lived in Jerusalem.)
These are the ·descendants [sons] of Judah who ·moved into [settled in] Jerusalem. There was Athaiah son of Uzziah. (Uzziah was the son of Zechariah, the son of Amariah. Amariah was the son of Shephatiah, the son of Mahalalel. Mahalalel was a ·descendant [son] of Perez.) 5 There was also Maaseiah son of Baruch. (Baruch was the son of Col-Hozeh, the son of Hazaiah. Hazaiah was the son of Adaiah, the son of Joiarib. Joiarib was the son of Zechariah, a ·descendant [son] of Shelah.) 6 All the ·descendants [sons] of Perez who ·lived [settled] in Jerusalem totaled 468 men. They were ·soldiers [capable/outstanding/exceptional men].
7 These are ·descendants [sons] of Benjamin who ·moved into [settled in] Jerusalem. There was Sallu son of Meshullam. (Meshullam was the son of Joed, the son of Pedaiah. Pedaiah was the son of Kolaiah, the son of Maaseiah. Maaseiah was the son of Ithiel, the son of Jeshaiah.) 8 ·Following him [or His brothers] were Gabbai and Sallai, for a total of 928 men. 9 Joel son of Zicri was ·appointed over them [their chief/supervisor], and Judah son of Hassenuah was second in ·charge [command] of the ·new area of the city [L city].
10 These are the priests who moved into Jerusalem. There was Jedaiah son of Joiarib, Jakin, 11 and Seraiah son of Hilkiah, the ·supervisor [leader] in the ·Temple [L house] of God. (Hilkiah was the son of Meshullam, the son of Zadok. Zadok was the son of Meraioth, the son of Ahitub.) 12 And there were ·others [colleagues; L brothers] with them who ·did [performed] the work for the ·Temple [L house]. All together there were 822 men. Also there was Adaiah son of Jeroham. (Jeroham was the son of Pelaliah, the son of Amzi. Amzi was the son of Zechariah, the son of Pashhur. Pashhur was the son of Malkijah.) 13 And there were family heads with him. All together there were 242 men. Also there was Amashsai son of Azarel. (Azarel was the son of Ahzai, the son of Meshillemoth. Meshillemoth was the son of Immer.) 14 And there were ·brave [capable; outstanding; exceptional] men with Amashsai. All together there were 128 men. Zabdiel son of Haggedolim was ·appointed over them [their chief/supervisor].
15 These are the Levites who moved into Jerusalem. There was Shemaiah son of Hasshub. (Hasshub was the son of Azrikam, the son of Hashabiah. Hashabiah was the son of Bunni.) 16 And there were Shabbethai and Jozabad, two of the leaders of the Levites who were in charge of the work outside the ·Temple [L house] of God. 17 There was Mattaniah son of Mica. (Mica was the son of Zabdi, the son of Asaph.) Mattaniah was the ·director who led the people [leader] in thanksgiving and prayer. There was Bakbukiah, who was second in charge over his ·fellow Levites [colleagues; L brothers]. And there was Abda son of Shammua. (Shammua was the son of Galal, the son of Jeduthun.) 18 All together 284 Levites lived in the holy city.
19 The gatekeepers who moved into Jerusalem were Akkub, Talmon, and others with them. There was a total of 172 men who ·guarded [kept watch at] the city gates.
20 The other Israelites, priests, and Levites lived on their own ·land [property] in all the cities of Judah.
21 The Temple servants lived on the hill of Ophel, and Ziha and Gishpa ·were in charge of [supervised] them.
22 Uzzi son of Bani was ·appointed over [chief officer/supervisor of] the Levites in Jerusalem. (Bani was the son of Hashabiah, the son of Mattaniah. Mattaniah was the son of Mica.) Uzzi was one of Asaph’s ·descendants [sons], who were the singers responsible for the service of the ·Temple [L house] of God. 23 The singers were under the king’s ·orders [commandment], which regulated them day by day.
24 Pethahiah son of Meshezabel was the king’s ·spokesman [representative; adviser] in all matters concerning the people. (Meshezabel was a descendant of Zerah, the son of Judah.)
25 Some of the people of Judah lived in ·villages [settlements] with their surrounding fields. They lived in Kiriath Arba and its ·surroundings [towns], in Dibon and its ·surroundings [towns], in Jekabzeel and its ·surroundings [settlements], 26 in Jeshua, Moladah, Beth Pelet, 27 Hazar Shual, Beersheba and its ·surroundings [towns], 28 in Ziklag and Meconah and its ·surroundings [towns], 29 in En Rimmon, Zorah, Jarmuth, 30 Zanoah, Adullam and their ·villages [settlements], in Lachish and the fields around it, and in Azekah and its ·surroundings [towns]. So they ·settled [lived; L camped] from Beersheba all the way to the Valley of Hinnom.
31 The ·descendants [sons] of the Benjaminites from Geba lived in Micmash, Aija, Bethel and its ·surroundings [towns], 32 in Anathoth, Nob, Ananiah, 33 Hazor, Ramah, Gittaim, 34 Hadid, Zeboim, Neballat, 35 Lod, Ono, and in the ·Valley of the Craftsmen [Ge-harashim].
36 Some groups of the Levites from Judah settled in the land of Benjamin.
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