Old/New Testament
Census of First Returned Exiles
7 Now it happened when (A)the wall was rebuilt and I had made the doors to stand, and the gatekeepers and the singers and the Levites were appointed, 2 that I commanded (B)Hanani my brother and (C)Hananiah the commander of (D)the fortress, to be over Jerusalem, for he was (E)a faithful man and feared God more than many. 3 Then I said to them, “The gates of Jerusalem must not be opened until the sun is hot; and until they are there standing guard, they must shut and bolt the doors. Also have guards from the inhabitants of Jerusalem stand, each at his post, and each in front of his own house.” 4 Now the city was large and spacious, but the people in it were few and the houses were not rebuilt.
5 (F)Then my God put it into my heart, and I gathered the nobles, the officials, and the people to be recorded by genealogies. Then I found the book of the genealogy of those who came up first, and in it I found written:
6 (G)These are the [a]people of the province who came up out of the captivity of the exiles whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had taken away into exile, and who returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his city, 7 who came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, [b]Azariah, [c]Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, [d]Mispereth, Bigvai, [e]Nehum, Baanah.
The number of men of the people of Israel:
8 the sons of Parosh, 2,172;
9 the sons of Shephatiah, 372;
10 the sons of Arah, 652;
11 the sons of Pahath-moab of the sons of Jeshua and Joab, 2,818;
12 the sons of Elam, 1,254;
13 the sons of Zattu, 845;
14 the sons of Zaccai, 760;
15 the sons of [f]Binnui, 648;
16 the sons of Bebai, 628;
17 the sons of Azgad, 2,322;
18 the sons of Adonikam, 667;
19 the sons of Bigvai, 2,067;
20 the sons of Adin, 655;
21 the sons of Ater, of Hezekiah, 98;
22 the sons of Hashum, 328;
23 the sons of Bezai, 324;
24 the sons of [g]Hariph, 112;
25 the sons of [h]Gibeon, 95;
26 the men of Bethlehem and Netophah, 188;
27 the men of Anathoth, 128;
28 the men of [i]Beth-azmaveth, 42;
29 the men of [j]Kiriath-jearim, Chephirah, and Beeroth, 743;
30 the men of Ramah and Geba, 621;
31 the men of Michmas, 122;
32 the men of Bethel and Ai, 123;
33 the men of the other Nebo, 52;
34 the sons of the other Elam, 1,254;
35 the sons of Harim, 320;
36 the [k]men of Jericho, 345;
37 the sons of Lod, Hadid and Ono, 721;
38 the sons of Senaah, 3,930.
39 The priests:
the sons of Jedaiah of the house of Jeshua, 973;
40 the sons of Immer, 1,052;
41 the sons of Pashhur, 1,247;
42 the sons of Harim, 1,017.
43 The Levites:
the sons of Jeshua, of Kadmiel, of the sons of [l]Hodevah, 74.
44 The singers:
the sons of Asaph, 148.
45 The gatekeepers:
the sons of Shallum, the sons of Ater, the sons of Talmon, the sons of Akkub, the sons of Hatita, the sons of Shobai, 138.
46 The temple servants:
the sons of Ziha, the sons of Hasupha, the sons of Tabbaoth,
47 the sons of Keros, the sons of [m]Sia, the sons of Padon,
48 the sons of Lebana, the sons of Hagaba, the sons of Shalmai,
49 the sons of Hanan, the sons of Giddel, the sons of Gahar,
50 the sons of Reaiah, the sons of Rezin, the sons of Nekoda,
51 the sons of Gazzam, the sons of Uzza, the sons of Paseah,
52 the sons of Besai, the sons of Meunim, the sons of [n]Nephushesim,
53 the sons of Bakbuk, the sons of Hakupha, the sons of Harhur,
54 the sons of [o]Bazlith, the sons of Mehida, the sons of Harsha,
55 the sons of Barkos, the sons of Sisera, the sons of Temah,
56 the sons of Neziah, the sons of Hatipha.
57 The sons of Solomon’s servants:
the sons of Sotai, the sons of [p]Sophereth, the sons of [q]Perida,
58 the sons of Jaala, the sons of Darkon, the sons of Giddel,
59 the sons of Shephatiah, the sons of Hattil, the sons of Pochereth-hazzebaim, the sons of [r]Amon.
60 All the temple servants and the sons of Solomon’s servants were 392.
61 Now these were those who came up from Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Cherub, [s]Addon, and Immer; but they were not able to declare their fathers’ houses or their fathers’ seed, whether they were of Israel:
62 the sons of Delaiah, the sons of Tobiah, the sons of Nekoda, 642.
63 Of the priests:
the sons of [t]Hobaiah, the sons of Hakkoz, the sons of Barzillai, who took a wife of the daughters of Barzillai, the Gileadite, and he was called by their name.
64 These searched in their genealogical records, but it could not be found; therefore they were considered unclean and excluded from the priesthood. 65 (H)And the [u]governor said to them that they should not eat from the most holy things until a priest stood with [v](I)Urim and Thummim.
The Assembly and Their Gifts
66 The whole assembly together was 42,360,
67 besides their male and their female slaves, [w]of whom there were 7,337;
and they had 245 male and female singers.
68 [x](J)Their horses were 736; their mules, 245;
69 their camels, 435; their donkeys, 6,720.
70 Some from among the heads of fathers’ households gave to the work. The [y](K)governor gave to the treasury 1,000 gold [z]drachmas, 50 bowls, 530 priests’ tunics. 71 Some of the heads of fathers’ households gave into the treasury of the work 20,000 gold drachmas and 2,200 silver [aa]minas. 72 That which the rest of the people gave was 20,000 gold drachmas and 2,000 silver minas and 67 priests’ tunics.
73 So (L)the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, some of the people, the temple servants, and all Israel lived in their cities.
(M)Then the seventh month came, and the sons of Israel were in their cities.
Ezra Reads the Book of the Law
8 And all the people gathered as one man at the square which was in front of (N)the Water Gate, and they said to (O)Ezra the scribe to bring (P)the book of the law of Moses which Yahweh had commanded to Israel. 2 Then (Q)Ezra the priest brought the law before the assembly of men, women, and all who could understand when listening, on (R)the first day of the seventh month. 3 And he read from it before the square which was in front of (S)the Water Gate from [ab]early morning until midday, in the presence of men and women, those who could understand; and all the ears of the people were attentive to the book of the law. 4 Ezra the scribe stood on a wooden podium which they had made for the purpose. And beside him stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah on his right hand; and Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam on his left hand. 5 And Ezra opened (T)the book in the sight of all the people for he was above all the people; and when he opened it, all the people (U)stood up. 6 Then Ezra blessed Yahweh the great God. And all the people answered, “(V)Amen, Amen!” while lifting up their hands; then (W)they bowed low and worshiped Yahweh with their [ac]faces to the ground. 7 Also Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, the Levites, were providing understanding of the law to the people while the people stood in their place. 8 They read from the book, from the law of God, [ad]explaining and [ae]giving insight, and they provided understanding of the reading.
This Day Is Holy
9 Then Nehemiah, who was the [af](X)governor, and Ezra (Y)the priest and scribe, and the Levites, who provided the people with understanding, said to all the people, “(Z)This day is holy to Yahweh your God; (AA)do not mourn or weep.” For all the people were weeping when they heard the words of the law. 10 Then he said to them, “Go, eat of the fat, drink of the sweet, and (AB)send portions to him who has nothing prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not be grieved, for the joy of Yahweh is your strength.” 11 So the Levites quieted all the people, saying, “Be still, for the day is holy; do not be grieved.” 12 Then all the people went away to eat, to drink, (AC)to send portions, and to celebrate with great gladness, (AD)because they understood the words which had been made known to them.
Feast of Booths Restored
13 Then on the second day the heads of fathers’ households of all the people, the priests and the Levites were gathered to Ezra the scribe that they might gain insight into the words of the law. 14 They found written in the law how Yahweh had commanded by the hand of Moses that the sons of Israel (AE)should live in booths during the feast of the seventh month, 15 (AF)and that they should make the report heard and make a proclamation of it pass throughout all their cities and (AG)in Jerusalem, saying, “(AH)Go out to the hills, and bring olive branches and [ag]wild olive branches, myrtle branches, palm branches, and branches of other leafy trees, to make booths, as it is written.” 16 So the people went out and brought them and made booths for themselves, each (AI)on his roof, and in their courts and in the courts of the house of God, and in the square at (AJ)the Water Gate and in the square at (AK)the Gate of Ephraim. 17 The entire assembly of those who had returned from the captivity made booths and lived in the booths. The sons of Israel (AL)had indeed not done so from the days of Joshua the son of Nun to that day. And (AM)there was exceedingly great gladness. 18 (AN)And he read from the book of the law of God daily, from the first day to the last day. And they (AO)celebrated the feast seven days, and on (AP)the eighth day there was a solemn assembly according to the legal judgment.
Israel Confesses Their Sins
9 Now on the twenty-fourth day of (AQ)this month the sons of Israel gathered (AR)with fasting, in sackcloth and with (AS)dirt upon them. 2 The (AT)seed of Israel separated themselves from all foreigners, and stood and (AU)confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers. 3 And (AV)they rose up in their place and read from the book of the law of Yahweh their God for a fourth of the day; and for another fourth they were confessing and worshiping Yahweh their God. 4 (AW)Then Jeshua rose up on the Levites’ platform, along with Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Chenani, and they cried out with a loud voice to Yahweh their God.
5 And the Levites, Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah, said, “Rise up, bless Yahweh your God from everlasting to everlasting!
O may Your glorious name be blessed
And exalted above all blessing and praise!
6 (AX)You alone are Yahweh.
(AY)You have made the heavens,
The heaven of heavens with all their host,
The earth and all that is on it,
The seas and all that is in them.
(AZ)You give life to all of them
And the heavenly host bows down to You.
7 You are Yahweh God,
(BA)Who chose Abram
And brought him out from (BB)Ur of the Chaldees,
And (BC)gave him the name Abraham.
8 You found (BD)his heart faithful before You,
And cut a covenant with him
To give him the land of the Canaanite,
Of the Hittite and the Amorite,
Of the Perizzite, the Jebusite, and the Girgashite—
To give it to his seed.
And You (BE)have established Your promise,
For You are righteous.
9 “(BF)You saw the affliction of our fathers in Egypt,
And (BG)heard their cry by the [ah]Red Sea.
10 Then You performed (BH)signs and wonders against Pharaoh,
Against all his servants and all the people of his land;
For You knew that (BI)they acted presumptuously toward them,
And (BJ)made a name for Yourself as it is this day.
11 (BK)You split the sea before them,
So they passed through the midst of the sea on dry land;
And (BL)their pursuers You cast into the depths,
Like a stone into mighty waters.
12 And with a pillar of cloud (BM)You led them by day,
And with a pillar of fire by night
To light for them the way
In which they were to go.
13 Then (BN)You came down on Mount Sinai,
And (BO)spoke with them from heaven;
You gave them (BP)upright judgments and true laws,
Good statutes and commandments.
14 So You made known to them (BQ)Your holy sabbath,
And commanded to them commandments, statutes and law,
By the hand of Your servant Moses.
15 You (BR)gave bread from heaven for them for their hunger,
You (BS)brought forth water from a rock for them for their thirst,
And You (BT)said to them to enter in order to possess
The land which You [ai]swore to give them.
16 “But they, our fathers, (BU)acted presumptuously;
They [aj](BV)became stiff-necked and would not listen to Your commandments.
17 They refused to listen,
And (BW)did not remember Your wondrous deeds which You did among them;
So they became stiff-necked and (BX)gave themselves a chief to return to their slavery [ak]in Egypt.
But You are a God (BY)of lavish forgiveness,
Gracious and compassionate,
Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness;
And You did not forsake them.
18 Even when they (BZ)made for themselves
A molten calf
And said, ‘This is your God
Who brought you up from Egypt,’
And [al]committed great [am]blasphemies,
19 (CA)But You, in Your abundant compassion,
Did not forsake them in the wilderness;
(CB)The pillar of cloud did not depart from them by day,
To lead them on their way,
Nor the pillar of fire by night,
To light for them the way in which they were to go.
20 (CC)You gave Your good Spirit to give them insight,
Your manna You did not withhold from their mouth,
And You gave them water for their thirst.
21 Indeed, (CD)forty years You sustained them in the wilderness, and they did not lack;
Their clothes did not wear out, nor did their feet swell.
22 You also gave them kingdoms and peoples,
And apportioned them to them as a [an]boundary.
(CE)They took possession of the land of Sihon [ao]the king of Heshbon
And the land of Og the king of Bashan.
23 You made their sons numerous as (CF)the stars of heaven,
And You brought them into the land
Which You had said for their fathers to enter and possess.
24 (CG)So their sons entered and possessed the land.
And (CH)You subdued before them the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites,
And You gave them into their hand, with their kings and the peoples of the land,
To do with them according to their desire.
25 (CI)They captured fortified cities and a [ap](CJ)rich [aq]land.
They took possession of (CK)houses full of every good thing,
Hewn cisterns, vineyards, olive groves,
Trees for food in abundance.
So they ate, were filled, and (CL)grew fat,
And (CM)reveled in Your great goodness.
26 “(CN)But they became disobedient and rebelled against You,
And (CO)cast Your law behind their backs
And (CP)killed Your prophets who had (CQ)testified to them
So that they might return to You,
And (CR)they [ar]committed great [as]blasphemies.
27 Therefore You (CS)gave them into the hand of the ones who distressed them, and they afflicted them with distress,
But (CT)at the time of their distress they cried to You,
And You listened from heaven, and according to Your abundant compassion
You (CU)gave them saviors and they saved them from the hand of the ones that distressed them.
28 But (CV)as soon as they had rest, they returned to do evil before You;
Therefore You forsook them in the hand of their enemies, so they had dominion over them.
Then they returned and cried to You. And You listened from heaven,
And (CW)many times You delivered them according to Your compassion,
29 And (CX)testified to them in order to turn them back to Your law.
Yet (CY)they acted presumptuously and did not listen to Your commandments but sinned against Your judgments,
By (CZ)which if a man does them, he shall live.
And they (DA)gave a stubborn shoulder and stiffened their neck, and would not listen.
30 (DB)However, You bore with them for many years,
And (DC)testified to them by (DD)Your Spirit by the hand of Your prophets,
Yet they would not give ear.
So You gave them into the hand of the peoples of the lands.
31 Nevertheless, in Your abundant compassion You (DE)did not make a complete destruction of them or forsake them,
For You are (DF)a gracious and compassionate God.
32 “So now, our God, (DG)the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who keeps covenant and lovingkindness,
Do not let all the hardship seem insignificant before You,
Which has found us, our kings, our princes, our priests, our prophets, our fathers, and all Your people,
(DH)From the days of the kings of Assyria to this day.
33 However, (DI)You are righteous in all that has come upon us;
For You have dealt in truth, but we have acted wickedly.
34 Now our kings, our princes, our priests, and our fathers did not do Your law
Or pay attention to Your commandments and Your testimonies with which You testified against them.
35 But (DJ)they, in their own kingdom,
(DK)With Your abundant goodness which You gave them,
With the broad and rich land which You set before them,
Did not serve You or turn from their evil deeds.
36 Behold, (DL)we are slaves today,
And as to the land which You gave to our fathers to eat of its fruit and its goodness,
Behold, we are slaves in it.
37 (DM)Its abundant produce is for the kings
Whom You have put over us because of our sins;
They also rule over our bodies
And over our cattle according to their desire,
So we are in great distress.
An Agreement Is Cut
The Lame Beggar Healed
3 Now (A)Peter and John were going up to the temple at the [a]ninth hour, (B)the hour of prayer. 2 And (C)a man who had been lame from his mother’s womb was being carried, whom they (D)used to set down daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, (E)in order to beg [b]alms of those who were entering the temple. 3 When he saw (F)Peter and John about to go into the temple, he began asking to receive alms. 4 But when Peter, along with John, (G)fixed his gaze on him, he said, “Look at us!” 5 And he began to give them his attention, expecting to receive something from them. 6 But Peter said, “I do not possess silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you: (H)In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene—walk!” 7 And seizing him by the right hand, he raised him up; and immediately his feet and his ankles were strengthened. 8 (I)And leaping up, he stood upright and began to walk; and he entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. 9 And (J)all the people saw him walking and praising God; 10 and they were recognizing him, that he was the one who used to (K)sit at the Beautiful Gate of the temple to beg alms, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.
Peter’s Sermon in Solomon’s Portico
11 And while he was clinging to (L)Peter and John, all the people ran together to them at the [c](M)portico called Solomon’s, full of wonder. 12 But when Peter saw this, he replied to the people, “Men of Israel, why do you marvel at this, or why do you gaze at us, as if by our own power or piety we had made him walk? 13 (N)The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, (O)the God of our fathers, has glorified His (P)Servant Jesus, whom (Q)you delivered and denied in the presence of (R)Pilate, when he had (S)decided to release Him. 14 But you denied (T)the Holy and Righteous One and (U)asked for a murderer to be granted to you, 15 but put to death the (V)Author of life, whom (W)God raised from the dead, a fact to which we are (X)witnesses. 16 And on the basis of faith (Y)in His name, it is [d]the name of Jesus which has strengthened this man whom you see and know; and the faith which is through Him has given him this perfect health in the presence of you all.
17 “And now, brothers, I know that you acted (Z)in ignorance, just as your (AA)rulers did also. 18 But the things which (AB)God announced beforehand by the mouth of all the prophets, (AC)that His [e]Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled. 19 Therefore (AD)repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that [f](AE)times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord; 20 and that He may send Jesus, the [g]Christ appointed for you, 21 (AF)whom heaven must receive until the [h]period of (AG)restoration of all things about which (AH)God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time. 22 Moses said, ‘(AI)The [i]Lord God will raise up for you a prophet [j]like me from your brothers; to Him you shall listen to everything He says to you. 23 (AJ)And it will be that every (AK)soul that does not heed that prophet (AL)shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.’ 24 And likewise, (AM)all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and his successors onward, also proclaimed these days. 25 It is you who are (AN)the sons of the prophets and of the (AO)covenant which God [k]made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘(AP)And in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’ 26 For you (AQ)first, God (AR)raised up His [l]Servant and sent Him to bless you by turning every one of you from your wicked ways.”
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