Historical

9 Now in the 24^th day of this month the Bnei Yisroel were assembled with a tzom, with sack-cloth, and adamah upon them.

² And the Zera Yisroel separated themselves from all foreigners, and stood and confessed their chattot, and the avonot of their avot.

³ And they stood up in their place, and read in the Sefer Torat Hashem Eloheihem one fourth part of the day; and another fourth part they confessed, and worshiped Hashem Eloheihem.

⁴ Then stood up upon the platform, of the Levi’im, Yeshua, and Bani, Kadmiel, Shevanyah, Bunni, Sherevyah, Bani, and Kenani, and cried with a kol gadol unto Hashem Eloheihem.

⁵ Then the Levi’im, Yeshua, and Kadmiel, Bani, Chashavneyah, Sherevyah, Hodiyah, Shevanyah, and Petachyah, said, Stand up and bless Hashem Eloheichem for ever and ever; and blessed be Shem Kevodecha, which is exalted above all brocha and tehillah.

⁶ Thou, even Thou, art Hashem alone; Thou hast made HaShomayim, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, ha’aretz, and all things that are therein, the seas, and all that is therein, and Thou preservest them all; and the Tz’va HaShomayim worshipeth Thee.

⁷ Thou art Hashem HaElohim, Who didst choose Avram, and broughtest him forth out of Ur Kasdim, and gavest shmo Avraham;

⁸ And foundest his lev ne’eman before Thee, and madest habrit (the covenant) with him to give the eretz HaKena’ani, the Chitti, the Emori, and the Perizzi, and the Yevusi, and the Girgashi, to give it to his zera, and hast performed Thy words; for Thou art tzaddik;

⁹ And didst see the affliction of Avoteinu in Mitzrayim, and heardest their cry by the Yam Suf;

¹⁰ And showedst otot and mofetim upon Pharaoh, and on all his avadim, and on kol HaAm of his land; for Thou knewest that they dealt proudly against them. So didst Thou get Thee a Shem, as it is this day.

¹¹ And Thou didst divide the yam before them, so that they went through the midst of the yam on the yabashah; and their persecutors Thou threwest into the depths, as an even (stone) into the mighty waters.

¹² Moreover Thou leddest them in the day by an Ammud Anan; and in the night by an Ammud Eish, to give them ohr in the way wherein they should go.

¹³ Thou camest down also upon Mt Sinai, and spoke with them from Shomayim, and gavest them mishpatim yesharim, and torot emes, chukkim and mitzvot tovim;

¹⁴ And madest known unto them Thy Shabbos Kadosh, and commandedst them mitzvot, chukkim, and torah, by the yad of Moshe Thy eved;

¹⁵ And gavest them lechem from Shomayim for their hunger, and broughtest forth mayim for them out of the rock for their thirst, and promisedst them that they should go in to possess Ha’Aretz which Thou hadst sworn to give them.

¹⁶ But they and Avoteinu dealt proudly, and hardened their necks, and paid heed not to Thy mitzvot,

¹⁷ And refused to obey, neither were mindful of Thy wonders that Thou didst among them; but hardened their necks, and in their rebellion appointed a rosh to return to their bondage; but Thou art Eloah Selichot, channun and rachum, slow to anger, and of great chesed, and forsookest them not.

¹⁸ Yea, when they had made them an egel massekhah, and said, This is Eloheicha that brought thee up out of Mitzrayim, or when they committed ne’atzot gedolot (great blasphemies);

¹⁹ Yet Thou in Thy manifold mercies forsookest them not in the midbar; the Ammud heAnan departed not from them by day, to lead them in HaDerech; neither the Ammud HaEish by night, to show them light, and HaDerech wherein they should walk.

²⁰ Thou gavest also Thy Ruach HaTovah to instruct them, and withheldest not Thy manna from their mouth, and gavest them mayim for their thirst.

²¹ Yea, arba’im shanah didst Thou sustain them in the midbar, so that they lacked nothing; their clothes did not wear out, and their feet swelled not.

²² Moreover Thou gavest them kingdoms and nations, allotting them as a boundary; so they possessed Eretz Sichon, and Eretz Melech Cheshbon, and Eretz Og Melech HaBashan.

²³ Their children also multipliedst Thou as the kokhavim of Shomayim, and broughtest them into Ha’Aretz, concerning which Thou hadst promised to their avot, that they should go in to possess it.

²⁴ So the children went in and possessed Ha’Aretz, and Thou subduedst before them the inhabitants of the land, the Kena’anim, and gavest them into their hands, with their melachim, and the people of the land, that they might do with them as they would.

²⁵ And they took fortified cities, and an adamah shemenah, and possessed batim full of all goods, wells dug, kramim, and oliveyards, and fruit trees in abundance; so they did eat, and were filled, and became fat, and delighted themselves in thy great goodness.

²⁶ Nevertheless they were disobedient, and rebelled against Thee, and cast Thy torah behind their backs, and slaughtered Thy nevi’im which testified against them to turn them to Thee, and they wrought ne’atzot gedolot.

²⁷ Therefore Thou deliveredst them into the yad of their enemies, who oppressed them; and in the time of their tzoros, when they cried unto Thee, Thou heardest them from Shomayim; and according to Thy manifold mercies Thou gavest them moshi’im (deliverers), who saved them out of the yad of their enemies.

²⁸ But after they had rest, they did rah again before Thee; therefore Thou abandoned them unto the hand of their enemies, so that they had the dominion over them; yet when they returned, cried unto Thee, Thou heardest them from Shomayim; and many times didst Thou deliver them according to Thy mercies;

²⁹ And testifiedst against them, that Thou mightest bring them again unto Thy torah; yet they dealt proudly, and paid heed not unto Thy mitzvot, but sinned against Thy mishpatim, which if a man do, he shall live in them; and they stubbornly turned their backs, and hardened their neck, and would not hear.

³⁰ Yet many shanim didst Thou forbear them, and testifiedst against them by Thy Ruach [Hakodesh] by Thy nevi’im; yet would they not give ear; therefore gavest Thou them into the yad of the peoples of the lands.

³¹ Nevertheless for Thy great mercies’ sake Thou didst not utterly consume them, nor forsake them; for Thou art El Channun v’Rachum.

³² Now therefore, Eloheinu, the great, the mighty, and the terrible G-d, Who keepest brit and chesed, let not all the hardships seem little before Thee, that hath come upon us, on melacheinu, on sareinu, and on Kohaneinu, and on nevi’einu, and on Avoteinu, and on all Thy people, since the time of the melachim of Assyria unto this day.

³³ Howbeit Thou art tzaddik in all that is brought upon us; for Thou hast done emes, but we have done wrong;

³⁴ Neither have melacheinu, sareinu, Kohaneinu, nor Avoteinu, kept Thy torah, nor paid heed unto Thy mitzvot and Thy testimonies, wherewith Thou didst testify against them.

³⁵ For they have not served Thee in their malchut, and in Thy great goodness that Thou gavest them, and in the large and fertile land which Thou gavest before them, neither turned they from their wicked works.

³⁶ Hinei, we are avadim this day, and for the land that Thou gavest unto Avoteinu to eat the fruit thereof and the good thereof, hinei, we are avadim in it;

³⁷ And it yieldeth much increase unto the melachim whom Thou hast set over us because of chattoteinu; also they have dominion over geviyyoteinu, and over our cattle, at their pleasure, and we are in tzarah gedolah.

^38 (10:1) And because of all this we make a sure covenant, and write it; and our sarim, Levi’im, and Kohanim, seal unto it.

10 ^(10:2) Now those that sealed were, Nechemyah the tirshata ben Chachalyah, and Tzedekyah,

^2 (3) Serayah, Azaryah, Yirmeyah,

^3 (4) Pashchur, Amaryah, Malkiyah,

^4 (5) Chattush, Shevanyah, Maluch,

^5 (6) Charim, Meremot, Ovadyah,

^6 (7) Daniel, Ginton, Baruch,

^7 (8) Meshullam, Aviyah, Miyamin,

^8 (9) Ma’azyah, Bilgai, Shemayah; these were the kohanim.

^9 (10) And the Levi’im; both Yeshua ben Azanyah, Binnui of the Bnei Chenadad, Kadmiel;

^10 (11) And their brethren, Shevanyah, Hodiyah, Kelita, Pelayah, Chanan,

^11 (12) Micha, Rechov, Chashavyah,

^12 (13) Zakkur, Sherevyah, Shevanyah,

^13 (14) Hodiyah, Bani, and Beninu.

^14 (15) The chief of the people: Parosh, Pachat-Moav, Elam, Zattu, Bani,

^15 (16) Bunni, Azgad, Bevai,

^16 (17) Adoniyah, Bigvai, Adin,

^17 (18) Ater, Chizkiyah, Azzur,

^18 (19) Hodiyah, Chashum, Betzai,

^19 (20) Chariph, Anatot, Neivai,

^20 (21) Magpiash, Meshullam, Chezir,

^21 (22) Meshezav’el, Tzadok, Yaddua,

^22 (23) Pelatyah, Chanan, Anayah,

^23 (24) Hoshea, Chananyah, Chashuv,

^24 (25) Halochesh, Pilcha, Shovek,

^25 (26) Rechum, Chashavnah, Ma’aseiyah,

^26 (27) And Achiyah, Chanan, Anan,

^27 (28) Maluch, Charim, Ba’anah.

^28 (29) And the rest of the people, the Kohanim, the Levi’im, the gatekeepers, the singers, the Netinim, and all they that had separated themselves from the peoples of the lands unto the Torat HaElohim, their wives, their banim, and their banot, every one having knowledge, and having understanding;

^29 (30) They were the machazikim (the ones joining) with their brethren, their nobles, and bound themselves with a curse, and into an oath, to walk in Torat HaElohim, which was given by Moshe Eved HaElohim, and to be shomer to do all the mitzvot of Hashem Adoneinu, and His mishpatim and His chukkot;

^30 (31) And that we would not give our banot unto the peoples of the land, not take their banot for our banim;

^31 (32) And if the people of the land bring merchandise or any grain on Shabbos or on Yom Kodesh to sell, that we would not buy it of them on Shabbos, or on Yom Kodesh; and that we would every Shanah HaShevi’it [Ex 23:11] forgo working the land and will cancel all debts.

^32 (33) Also we will assume on us mitzvot, to charge ourselves yearly with the third part of a shekel for the Avodat Beis Eloheinu [Mt 17:24];

^33 (34) For the Lechem HaMa’arekhet, and for the Minchat HaTamid, and for the Olat HaTamid, of the Shabbatot, of the Chodashim, for the Mo’adim, and for the Kodashim, and for the Chatta’ot to make kapporah for Yisroel, and for all the work of the Beis Eloheinu.

^34 (35) And we cast the goralot among the Kohanim, the Levi’im, and the people, for the korban of the wood, to bring it into the Beis Eloheinu, after the batim of Avoteinu, at times appointed year by year, to burn upon the Mizbe’ach of Hashem Eloheinu, as it is written in the Torah [Lv 6:12-13];

^35 (36) And to bring the bikkurei admateinu, and the bikkurei kol pri kol etz, year by year, unto Beis Hashem;

^36 (37) Also the bechorot baneinu, and of our cattle, as it is written in the Torah, and the firstlings of our herds and of our flocks, to bring to the Beis Eloheinu, unto the Kohanim that minister in the Beis Eloheinu;

^37 (38) And that we should bring the reshit arisoteinu, and our offerings, and the fruit of all manner of trees, of tirosh and of oil, unto the Kohanim, to the storerooms of the Beis Eloheinu; and the ma’aser of our land unto the Levi’im, that the same Levi’im might collect me’a’serim in all the cities of avodateinu.

^38 (39) And the Kohen Ben Aharon shall be with the Levi’im, when the Levi’im receive tithes; and the Levi’im shall bring up the ma’aser hama’aser unto the Beis Eloheinu, to the storerooms, into the Beis HaOtzar.

^39 (40) For the Bnei Yisroel and the Bnei Levi shall bring the terumah of the grain, of the tirosh, and the oil, unto the storerooms, where are Keli HaMikdash, and the Kohanim that minister, and the gatekeepers, and the singers; and we will not forsake the Beis Eloheinu.

11 And the rulers of the people dwelt at Yerushalayim; the rest of the people also cast goralot, to bring one of ten to dwell in Yerushalayim Ir HaKodesh, and nine parts to dwell in other cities.

² And the people blessed all the men, that willingly offered themselves to dwell at Yerushalayim.

³ Now these are the chiefs of the province that dwelt in Yerushalayim, but in the towns of Yehudah dwelt every one in his possession in their towns—Yisroel, the Kohanim, and the Levi’im, and the Netinim, and the Bnei Avdei Sh’lomo.

⁴ And at Yerushalayim dwelt certain of the Bnei Yehudah, and of the Bnei Binyamin. Of the Bnei Yehudah; Atayah ben Uziyah, ben Zecharyah, ben Amaryah, ben Shephatyah, ben Mahalal’el, of the children of Peretz;

⁵ And Ma’aseiyah ben Baruch, ben Colchozeh, ben Chazayah, ben Adayah, ben Yoyariv, ben Zecharyah, ben Shelah.

⁶ All the Bnei Peretz that dwelt at Yerushalayim were four hundred threescore and eight anshei chayil.

⁷ And these are the Bnei Binyamin: Sallu ben Meshullam, ben Yoed, ben Pedayah, ben Kolayah, ben Ma’aseiyah, ben Itiel, ben Yeshayah.

⁸ And after him Gabai, Sallai, 928.

⁹ And Yoel ben Zichri was their pakid (overseer), and Yehudah ben Hasnuah was second over the Ir.

¹⁰ Of the Kohanim; Yedayah ben Yoyariv, Yachin,

¹¹ Serayah ben Chilkiyah ben Meshullam ben Tzadok ben Merayot ben Achituv the Nagid Bais HaElohim.

¹² And their brethren that did the work of the Beis {HaMikdash] were eight hundred twenty and two; and Adayah ben Yerocham, ben Pelalyah, ben Amtzi, ben Zecharyah, ben Pashchur, ben Malkiyah.

¹³ And his brethren, chief of the avot, two hundred forty and two; and Amashsai ben Azare’el ben Achzai ben Meshillemot ben Immer,

¹⁴ And their brethren, gibborei chayil, one hundred twenty and eight; and their overseer was Zavdiel ben HaGedolim.

¹⁵ Also of the Levi’im; Shemayah ben Chashuv ben Azrikam ben Chashavyah ben Bunni;

¹⁶ And Shabtai and Yozavad, of the chief of the Levi’im, had the oversight of the outside work of the Beis HaElohim.

¹⁷ And Matanyah ben Micha ben Zavdi ben Asaph was the Rosh leading techillah in tefillah, and Bakbukyah the second among his brethren, and Avda ben Shammua ben Galal ben Yedutun.

¹⁸ All the Levi’im in the Ir HaKodesh were two hundred fourscore and four.

¹⁹ Moreover the gatekeepers, Akuv, Talmon, and their brethren that kept the gates, were one hundred seventy and two.

²⁰ And the rest of Yisroel, of the Kohanim, and the Levi’im, were in all the cities of Yehudah, every one in his nachalah.

²¹ But the Netinim dwelt in Ophel, and Tzicha and Gishpa were over the Netinim.

²² The overseer also of the Levi’im at Yerushalayim was Uzzi ben Bani, ben Chashavyah ben Matanyah ben Micha. Of the Bnei Asaph, the singers were responsible for the Beis HaElohim.

²³ For it was the king’s commandment concerning them, that a regulation be for the singers, over their daily actities.

²⁴ And Petachyah ben Mesheizav’el, of the Bnei Zerach ben Yehudah, was the king’s deputy in all matters concerning the people.

²⁵ And for the villages, with their fields, some of the children of Yehudah dwelt at Kiryat-Arba, and in the villages thereof, and at Divon, and in the villages thereof, and at Yekabze’el, and in the villages thereof,

²⁶ And at Yeshua, and at Moladah, and at Beit-Pelet,

²⁷ And at Chatzar Shual, and at Beer Sheva, and in the villages thereof,

²⁸ And at Tziklag, and at Mechonah, and in the villages thereof,

²⁹ And at En-Rimmon, and at Tzorah, and at Yarmut,

³⁰ Zanoach, Adulam, and in their villages, at Lachish, and the fields thereof, at Azekah, and in the villages thereof. And they dwelt from BeerSheva unto the valley of Gehinnom.

³¹ The children also of Binyamin from Geva dwelt at Michmas, and Ayah, and Beit-El, and in their villages.

³² And at Anatot, Nov, Ananyah,

³³ Chatzor, Ramah, Gittayim,

³⁴ Chadid, Tzvo’im, Nevalat,

³⁵ Lud, and Ono, the Gey-HaCharashim.

³⁶ And of the Levi’im were divisions in Yehudah and in Binyamin.