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Dedication of the Wall
27 Now at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought out the Levites from all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem so that they could celebrate the dedication with joy, with songs of thanksgiving and with songs (A)to the accompaniment of cymbals, harps, and lyres. 28 So the sons of the singers were assembled from the territory around Jerusalem, and from (B)the villages of the Netophathites, 29 from Beth-gilgal and from their fields in Geba and Azmaveth, because the singers had built themselves villages around Jerusalem. 30 The priests and the Levites (C)purified themselves; they also purified the people, the gates, and the wall.
Procedures for the Temple
31 Then I had the leaders of Judah come up on top of the wall, and I appointed two large [a]choirs, [b](D)the first proceeding to the right on top of the wall toward (E)the Dung Gate. 32 Hoshaiah and half of the leaders of Judah followed them, 33 with Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam, 34 Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, Jeremiah, 35 and some of the sons of the priests with trumpets; and Zechariah the son of Jonathan, the son of Shemaiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Micaiah, the son of Zaccur, the son of Asaph, 36 and his kinsmen, Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah, and Hanani, (F)with the musical instruments of David the man of God. And Ezra the scribe went before them. 37 At (G)the Fountain Gate they went directly up (H)the steps of the city of David by the stairway of the wall, above the house of David to (I)the Water Gate on the east.
38 (J)The second [c]choir proceeded to the [d]left, while I followed them with half of the people on the wall, (K)above the Tower of Furnaces, to (L)the Broad Wall, 39 and above (M)the Gate of Ephraim, by (N)the Ancient Gate, by the (O)Fish Gate, (P)the Tower of Hananel, and the Tower of the Hundred, as far as the Sheep Gate; and they stopped at (Q)the Gate of the Guard. 40 Then the two choirs took their positions in the house of God. So did I and half of the officials with me; 41 and the priests, Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, and Hananiah, with the trumpets; 42 and Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malchijah, Elam, and Ezer. And the singers [e]sang, with Jezrahiah their leader, 43 and on that day they offered great sacrifices and rejoiced because (R)God had given them great joy, and the women and children rejoiced as well, so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard from far away.
44 On that day (S)men were also appointed over the chambers for the supplies, the contributions, the first fruits, and the tithes, to gather into them from the fields of the cities the portions required by the Law for the priests and Levites; for Judah rejoiced over the priests and the Levites who [f]served. 45 For they performed the [g]worship of their God and the service of purification, together with the singers and the gatekeepers (T)in accordance with the command of David and of his son Solomon. 46 For in the days of David and (U)Asaph, in ancient times, there were [h](V)leaders of the singers, songs of praise and songs of thanksgiving to God. 47 So all Israel in the days of Zerubbabel and Nehemiah gave the portions due the singers and the gatekeepers (W)as each day required, and they [i](X)set apart the consecrated portion for the Levites, and the Levites [j]set apart the consecrated portion for the sons of Aaron.
Foreigners Excluded
13 On that day the Book of Moses was (Y)read aloud [k]as the people listened; and there was found written in it that (Z)no Ammonite or Moabite was ever to enter the assembly of God, 2 because they did not meet the sons of Israel with bread and water, but (AA)hired Balaam against them to curse them. However, (AB)our God turned the curse into a blessing. 3 So when they heard the Law, (AC)they excluded (AD)all foreigners from Israel.
Tobiah Expelled and the Temple Cleansed
4 Now prior to this, Eliashib the priest, (AE)who was appointed over the chambers of the house of our God, being [l]related to (AF)Tobiah, 5 had prepared a large [m]room for him, where previously they used to put the grain offerings, the frankincense, the utensils and the tithes of grain, wine, and oil (AG)prescribed for the Levites, the singers, and the gatekeepers, and the [n]contributions for the priests. 6 But during all this time I was not in Jerusalem, for in (AH)the thirty-second year of (AI)Artaxerxes king of Babylon I had come to the king. After some time, however, I requested a leave of absence from the king, 7 and I came to Jerusalem and [o]learned about the evil that Eliashib had committed for [p]Tobiah, (AJ)by preparing a [q]room for him in the courtyards of the house of God. 8 It was very displeasing to me, so I (AK)threw all of Tobiah’s household articles out of the room. 9 Then I gave an order, and (AL)they cleansed the rooms; and I returned the utensils of the house of God there with the grain offering and the frankincense.
Tithes Restored
10 I also [r]discovered that (AM)the portions of the Levites had not been given to them, so the Levites and the singers who performed the service had [s]gone away, (AN)each to his own field. 11 So I [t](AO)reprimanded the officials and said, “(AP)Why has the house of God been neglected?” Then I gathered them together and stationed them at their posts. 12 All Judah then brought (AQ)the tithe of the grain, wine, and oil into the storehouses. 13 To be in charge of the storehouses, I appointed Shelemiah the priest, Zadok the scribe, and Pedaiah from the Levites, and in addition to them was Hanan the son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah; for (AR)they were considered reliable, and it was [u]their task to distribute to their kinsmen. 14 (AS)Remember me for this, my God, and do not wipe out my loyal deeds which I have performed for the house of my God and its services.
Sabbath Restored
15 In those days I saw in Judah people who were treading wine presses (AT)on the Sabbath, and bringing in sacks of grain and loading them on donkeys, as well as wine, grapes, figs, and every kind of load, (AU)and they were bringing them into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. So (AV)I admonished them on the day they sold food. 16 Also people of Tyre were living [v]there who imported fish and all kinds of merchandise, and sold them to the sons of Judah on the Sabbath, even in Jerusalem. 17 Then (AW)I [w]reprimanded the nobles of Judah and said to them, “What is this evil thing that you are doing, [x]by profaning the Sabbath day? 18 (AX)Did your fathers not do the same, so that our God brought on us and on this city all this trouble? Yet you are adding to the wrath against Israel by profaning the Sabbath.”
19 And (AY)it came about that just as it became dark at the gates of Jerusalem before the Sabbath, I ordered that the doors be shut, [y]and that they were not to open them until after the Sabbath. Then I stationed some of my servants at the gates so that no load would enter on the Sabbath day. 20 Once or twice the traders and merchants of every kind of merchandise spent the night outside Jerusalem. 21 Then (AZ)I warned them and said to them, “Why do you spend the night in front of the wall? If you do so again, I will [z]use force against you.” From that time on they did not come on the Sabbath. 22 And I ordered the Levites that (BA)they were to purify themselves and come as gatekeepers to sanctify the Sabbath day. For this also (BB)remember me, my God, and have compassion on me according to the greatness of Your mercy.
Mixed Marriages Forbidden
23 In those days I also saw that the Jews had [aa](BC)married women from (BD)Ashdod, (BE)Ammon, and Moab. 24 As for their children, half spoke in the language of Ashdod, and none of them knew how to speak the language of Judah, but [ab]only the language of his own people. 25 So (BF)I quarreled with them and cursed them, and (BG)struck some of them and pulled out their hair, and (BH)made them swear by God, “You shall not give your daughters to their sons, nor take any of their daughters for your sons or for yourselves. 26 (BI)Did Solomon the king of Israel not sin regarding these things? (BJ)Yet among the many nations there was no king like him, and (BK)he was loved by his God, and God made him king over all Israel; yet the foreign women caused even him to sin. 27 Has it not then been reported about you that you have committed all this great evil (BL)by acting unfaithfully against our God, by [ac]marrying foreign women?” 28 Even one of the sons of Joiada, the son of Eliashib the high priest, became a son-in-law of (BM)Sanballat the Horonite, so I chased him away from me. 29 (BN)Remember them, my God, [ad]because they have defiled the priesthood and the (BO)covenant of the priesthood and the Levites.
30 (BP)So I purified them from everything foreign, and assigned duties to the priests and the Levites, each in his work, 31 and I arranged (BQ)for the delivery of wood at appointed times and for the first fruits. (BR)Remember me, my God, for good.
Christian Order
11 (A)Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ.
2 Now (B)I praise you because you (C)remember me in everything and (D)hold firmly to the traditions, just as I handed them down to you. 3 But I want you to understand that Christ is the (E)head of every man, and [a](F)the man is the head of a woman, and God is the (G)head of Christ. 4 Every man who has something on his head while praying or (H)prophesying disgraces his head. 5 But every (I)woman who has her head uncovered while praying or prophesying disgraces her head, for it is one and the same as the woman [b]whose head is (J)shaved. 6 For if a woman does not cover [c]her head, have her also [d]cut her hair off; however, if it is disgraceful for a woman to [e]have her hair cut off or [f]her head shaved, have her cover [g]her head. 7 For a man should not have his head covered, since he is the (K)image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man. 8 For (L)man [h]does not originate from woman, but woman from man; 9 for indeed man was not created for the woman’s sake, but (M)woman for the man’s sake. 10 Therefore the woman should have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels. 11 However, in the Lord, neither is woman [i]independent of man, nor is man [j]independent of woman. 12 For as the woman originated from the man, so also the man has his birth through the woman; and (N)all things originate (O)from God. 13 (P)Judge [k]for yourselves: is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered? 14 Does even nature itself not teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him, 15 but if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her? For her hair is given to her as a covering. 16 But if anyone is inclined to be contentious, (Q)we have no [l]such practice, nor have (R)the churches of God.
Prayer for Rescue from Enemies.
A Psalm of David.
35 Contend, Lord, with those who (A)contend with me;
Fight against those who (B)fight against me.
2 Take hold of [a](C)buckler and shield
And rise up as (D)my help.
3 Draw also the spear and [b]the battle-axe to meet those who pursue me;
Say to my soul, “I am (E)your salvation.”
4 Let those be (F)ashamed and dishonored who seek my [c]life;
Let those be (G)turned back and humiliated who devise evil against me.
5 Let them be (H)like chaff before the wind,
With the angel of the Lord driving them on.
6 Let their way be dark and (I)slippery,
With the angel of the Lord pursuing them.
7 For (J)they (K)hid their net for me without cause;
Without cause they dug a pit for my soul.
8 Let (L)destruction come upon him when he is unaware,
And (M)let the net which he hid catch him;
Let him fall into that very (N)destruction.
9 So my soul shall (O)rejoice in the Lord;
It shall (P)rejoice in His salvation.
10 All my (Q)bones will say, “Lord, (R)who is like You,
Who rescues the afflicted from one (S)who is too strong for him,
And (T)the afflicted and the poor from one who robs him?”
11 (U)Malicious witnesses rise up;
They ask me things that I do not know.
12 They (V)repay me evil for good,
To the bereavement of my soul.
13 But as for me, (W)when they were sick, my (X)clothing was sackcloth;
I (Y)humbled my soul with fasting,
But my (Z)prayer kept returning to [d]me.
14 I went about as though it were my friend or brother;
I (AA)bowed down [e]in mourning, like one who mourns for a mother.
15 But (AB)at my [f]stumbling they rejoiced and gathered themselves together;
The [g](AC)afflicted people whom I did not know gathered together against me,
They [h](AD)slandered me without ceasing.
16 Like godless jesters at a feast,
They (AE)gnashed at me with their teeth.
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