Nehemiah 7
[1]
Now when the wall had been built and I had set up the doors, and the
gatekeepers, the singers, and the Levites had been appointed, [2] I gave
my brother Hanani and Hananiah the governor of the castle charge over
Jerusalem, for he was a more faithful and God-fearing man than many. [3]
And I said to them, “Let not the gates of Jerusalem be opened until the
sun is hot. And while they are still standing guard, let them shut and
bar the doors. Appoint guards from among the inhabitants of Jerusalem,
some at their guard posts and some in front of their own homes.” [4] The
city was wide and large, but the people within it were few, and no
houses had been rebuilt.
[5]
Then my God put it into my heart to assemble the nobles and the
officials and the people to be enrolled by genealogy. And I found the
book of the genealogy of those who came up at the first, and I found
written in it:
[6]
These were the people of the province who came up out of the captivity
of those exiles whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried into
exile. They returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his town. [7] They
came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani,
Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, Baanah.
The
number of the 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, namely 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 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, namely of Hezekiah, 98. [22] The sons of Hashum, 328. [23] The
sons of Bezai, 324. [24] The sons of Hariph, 112. [25] The sons of
Gibeon, 95. [26] The men of Bethlehem and Netophah, 188. [27] The men of
Anathoth, 128. [28] The men of Beth-azmaveth, 42. [29] The men of
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 sons 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, namely 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, namely of Kadmiel of the sons of
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 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 Nephushesim, [53] the sons of Bakbuk,
the sons of Hakupha, the sons of Harhur, [54] the sons of 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
Sophereth, the sons of 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 Amon.
[60] All the temple servants and the sons of Solomon’s servants were 392.
[61]
The following were those who came up from Tel-melah, Tel-harsha,
Cherub, Addon, and Immer, but they could not prove their fathers’ houses
nor their descent, whether they belonged to Israel: [62] the sons of
Delaiah, the sons of Tobiah, the sons of Nekoda, 642. [63] Also, of the
priests: the sons of Hobaiah, the sons of Hakkoz, the sons of Barzillai
(who had taken a wife of the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite and
was called by their name). [64] These sought their registration among
those enrolled in the genealogies, but it was not found there, so they
were excluded from the priesthood as unclean. [65] The governor told
them that they were not to partake of the most holy food until a priest
with Urim and Thummim should arise.
[66]
The whole assembly together was 42,360, [67] besides their male and
female servants, of whom there were 7,337. And they had 245 singers,
male and female. [68] Their horses were 736, their mules 245, [69] their
camels 435, and their donkeys 6,720.
[70]
Now some of the heads of fathers’ houses gave to the work. The governor
gave to the treasury 1,000 darics of gold, 50 basins, 30 priests’
garments and 500 minas of silver. [71] And some of the heads of fathers’
houses gave into the treasury of the work 20,000 darics of gold and
2,200 minas of silver. [72] And what the rest of the people gave was
20,000 darics of gold, 2,000 minas of silver, and 67 priests’ garments.
[73]
So the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, some of the
people, the temple servants, and all Israel, lived in their towns.
And when the seventh month had come, the people of Israel were in their towns.
Nehemiah 8
[1]
And all the people gathered as one man into the square before the Water
Gate. And they told Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of
Moses that the LORD had commanded Israel. [2] So Ezra the priest brought
the Law before the assembly, both men and women and all who could
understand what they heard, on the first day of the seventh month. [3]
And he read from it facing the square before the Water Gate from early
morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women and those
who could understand. And the ears of all the people were attentive to
the Book of the Law. [4] And Ezra the scribe stood on a wooden platform
that 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 the book in the sight of
all the people, for he was above all the people, and as he opened it
all the people stood. [6] And Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God, and
all the people answered, “Amen, Amen,” lifting up their hands. And they
bowed their heads and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground.
[7] Also Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah,
Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, the Levites, helped
the people to understand the Law, while the people remained in their
places. [8] They read from the book, from the Law of God, clearly, and
they gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading.
[9]
And Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and
the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, “This day is
holy to the LORD your God; do not mourn or weep.” For all the people
wept as they heard the words of the Law. [10] Then he said to them, “Go
your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone
who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be
grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.” [11] So the Levites
calmed all the people, saying, “Be quiet, for this day is holy; do not
be grieved.” [12] And all the people went their way to eat and drink and
to send portions and to make great rejoicing, because they had
understood the words that were declared to them.
[13]
On the second day the heads of fathers’ houses of all the people, with
the priests and the Levites, came together to Ezra the scribe in order
to study the words of the Law. [14] And they found it written in the Law
that the LORD had commanded by Moses that the people of Israel should
dwell in booths during the feast of the seventh month, [15] and that
they should proclaim it and publish it in all their towns and in
Jerusalem, “Go out to the hills and bring branches of olive, wild olive,
myrtle, palm, and 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 on his roof, and in their courts and in the courts of
the house of God, and in the square at the Water Gate and in the square
at the Gate of Ephraim. [17] And all the assembly of those who had
returned from the captivity made booths and lived in the booths, for
from the days of Jeshua the son of Nun to that day the people of Israel
had not done so. And there was very great rejoicing. [18] And day by
day, from the first day to the last day, he read from the Book of the
Law of God. They kept the feast seven days, and on the eighth day there
was a solemn assembly, according to the rule.
Nehemiah 9:1-9
[1]
Now on the twenty-fourth day of this month the people of Israel were
assembled with fasting and in sackcloth, and with earth on their heads.
[2] And the Israelites separated themselves from all foreigners and
stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers. [3]
And they stood up in their place and read from the Book of the Law of
the LORD their God for a quarter of the day; for another quarter of it
they made confession and worshiped the LORD their God. [4] On the stairs
of the Levites stood Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni,
Sherebiah, Bani, and Chenani; and they cried with a loud voice to the
LORD their God. [5] Then the Levites, Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani,
Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah, said, “Stand
up and bless the LORD your God from everlasting to everlasting. Blessed
be your glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise.
[6]
“You are the LORD, you alone. You have made heaven, the heaven of
heavens, with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas
and all that is in them; and you preserve all of them; and the host of
heaven worships you. [7] You are the LORD, the God who chose Abram and
brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans and gave him the name Abraham.
[8] You found his heart faithful before you, and made with him the
covenant to give to his offspring the land of the Canaanite, the
Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Jebusite, and the Girgashite.
And you have kept your promise, for you are righteous.
[9] “And you saw the affliction of our fathers in Egypt and heard their cry at the Red Sea,
[10]
and performed signs and wonders against Pharaoh and all his servants
and all the people of his land, for you knew that they acted arrogantly
against our fathers. And you made a name for yourself, as it is to this
day. [11] And you divided the sea before them, so that they went through
the midst of the sea on dry land, and you cast their pursuers into the
depths, as a stone into mighty waters. [12] By a pillar of cloud you led
them in the day, and by a pillar of fire in the night to light for them
the way in which they should go. [13] You came down on Mount Sinai and
spoke with them from heaven and gave them right rules and true laws,
good statutes and commandments, [14] and you made known to them your
holy Sabbath and commanded them commandments and statutes and a law by
Moses your servant. [15] You gave them bread from heaven for their
hunger and brought water for them out of the rock for their thirst, and
you told them to go in to possess the land that you had sworn to give
them.
[16]
“But they and our fathers acted presumptuously and stiffened their neck
and did not obey your commandments. [17] They refused to obey and were
not mindful of the wonders that you performed among them, but they
stiffened their neck and appointed a leader to return to their slavery
in Egypt. But you are a God ready to forgive, gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and did not forsake them.
[18] Even when they had made for themselves a golden calf and said,
‘This is your God who brought you up out of Egypt,’ and had committed
great blasphemies, [19] you in your great mercies did not forsake them
in the wilderness. The pillar of cloud to lead them in the way did not
depart from them by day, nor the pillar of fire by night to light for
them the way by which they should go. [20] You gave your good Spirit to
instruct them and did not withhold your manna from their mouth and gave
them water for their thirst. [21] Forty years you sustained them in the
wilderness, and they lacked nothing. Their clothes did not wear out and
their feet did not swell.
[22]
“And you gave them kingdoms and peoples and allotted to them every
corner. So they took possession of the land of Sihon king of Heshbon and
the land of Og king of Bashan. [23] You multiplied their children as
the stars of heaven, and you brought them into the land that you had
told their fathers to enter and possess. [24] So the descendants went in
and possessed the land, and you subdued before them the inhabitants of
the land, the Canaanites, and gave them into their hand, with their
kings and the peoples of the land, that they might do with them as they
would. [25] And they captured fortified cities and a rich land, and took
possession of houses full of all good things, cisterns already hewn,
vineyards, olive orchards and fruit trees in abundance. So they ate and
were filled and became fat and delighted themselves in your great
goodness.
[26]
“Nevertheless, they were disobedient and rebelled against you and cast
your law behind their back and killed your prophets, who had warned them
in order to turn them back to you, and they committed great
blasphemies. [27] Therefore you gave them into the hand of their
enemies, who made them suffer. And in the time of their suffering they
cried out to you and you heard them from heaven, and according to your
great mercies you gave them saviors who saved them from the hand of
their enemies. [28] But after they had rest they did evil again before
you, and you abandoned them to the hand of their enemies, so that they
had dominion over them. Yet when they turned and cried to you, you heard
from heaven, and many times you delivered them according to your
mercies. [29] And you warned them in order to turn them back to your
law. Yet they acted presumptuously and did not obey your commandments,
but sinned against your rules, which if a person does them, he shall
live by them, and they turned a stubborn shoulder and stiffened their
neck and would not obey. [30] Many years you bore with them and warned
them by your Spirit through your prophets. Yet they would not give ear.
Therefore you gave them into the hand of the peoples of the lands. [31]
Nevertheless, in your great mercies you did not make an end of them or
forsake them, for you are a gracious and merciful God.
[32]
“Now, therefore, our God, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God,
who keeps covenant and steadfast love, let not all the hardship seem
little to you that has come upon us, upon our kings, our princes, our
priests, our prophets, our fathers, and all your people, since the time
of the kings of Assyria until this day. [33] Yet you have been righteous
in all that has come upon us, for you have dealt faithfully and we have
acted wickedly. [34] Our kings, our princes, our priests, and our
fathers have not kept your law or paid attention to your commandments
and your warnings that you gave them. [35] Even in their own kingdom,
and amid your great goodness that you gave them, and in the large and
rich land that you set before them, they did not serve you or turn from
their wicked works. [36] Behold, we are slaves this day; in the land
that you gave to our fathers to enjoy its fruit and its good gifts,
behold, we are slaves. [37] And its rich yield goes to the kings whom
you have set over us because of our sins. They rule over our bodies and
over our livestock as they please, and we are in great distress.
[38]
“Because of all this we make a firm covenant in writing; on the sealed
document are the names of our princes, our Levites, and our priests
