Nehemiah 10

1 And over those sealed [are] Nehemiah the Tirshatha, son of Hachaliah, and Zidkijah,

The document was sealed by: Nehemiah the governor, son of Hacaliah.

2 Seraiah, Azariah, Jeremiah,

Zedekiah, Seraiah, Azariah, Jeremiah,

3 Pashhur, Amariah, Malchijah,

Pashhur, Amariah, Malchijah,

4 Huttush, Shebaniah, Malluch,

Hattush, Shebaniah, Malluch,

5 Harim, Meremoth, Obadiah,

Harim, Meremoth, Obadiah,

6 Daniel, Ginnethon, Baruch,

Daniel, Ginnethon, Baruch,

7 Meshullam, Abijah, Mijamin,

Meshullam, Abijah, Mijamin,

8 Maaziah, Bilgai, Shemaiah; these [are] the priests.

Maaziah, Bilgai, and Shemaiah. These were the priests.

9 And the Levites: both Jeshua son of Azaniah, Binnui of the sons of Henadad, Kadmiel;

The Levites: Jeshua, son of Azaniah, Binnui of the sons of Henadad, Kadmiel,

10 and their brothers: Shebaniah, Hodijah, Kelita, Pelaiah, Hanan,

and these other Levites: Shebaniah, Hodiah, Kelita, Pelaiah, Hanan,

11 Micha, Rehob, Hashabiah,

Mica, Rehob, Hashabiah,

12 Zaccur, Sherebiah, Shebaniah,

Zaccur, Sherebiah, Shebaniah,

13 Hodijah, Bani, Beninu.

Hodiah, Bani, and Beninu.

14 Heads of the people: Parosh, Pahath-Moab, Elam, Zatthu, Bani,

The leaders of the people: Parosh, Pahath-moab, Elam, Zattu, Bani,

15 Bunni, Azgad, Bebai,

Bunni, Azgad, Bebai,

16 Adonijah, Bigvai, Adin,

Adonijah, Bigvai, Adin,

17 Ater, Hizkijah, Azzur,

Ater, Hezekiah, Azzur,

18 Hodijah, Hashum, Bezai,

Hodiah, Hashum, Bezai,

19 Hariph, Anathoth, Nebai,

Hariph, Anathoth, Nebai,

20 Magpiash, Meshullam, Hezir,

Magpiash, Meshullam, Hezir,

21 Meshezabeel, Zadok, Jaddua,

Meshezabel, Zadok, Jaddua,

22 Pelatiah, Hanan, Anaiah,

Pelatiah, Hanan, Anaiah,

23 Hoshea, Hananiah, Hashub,

Hoshea, Hananiah, Hasshub,

24 Hallohesh, Pilha, Shobek,

Hallohesh, Pilha, Shobek,

25 Rehum, Hashabnah, Maaseiah,

Rehum, Hashabnah, Maaseiah,

26 and Ahijah, Hanan, Anan,

Ahiah, Hanan, Anan,

27 Malluch, Harim, Baanah.

Malluch, Harim, and Baanah.

28 And the rest of the people, the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, the Nethinim, and everyone who has been separated from the peoples of the lands to the Law of God, their wives, their sons, and their daughters, every knowing intelligent one,

The rest of the people, including the priests, Levites, gatekeepers, singers, and Temple servants, and everyone who had separated themselves from the people of the land to keep the Law of God, as well as their wives and all their sons and daughters who were old enough to understand,

29 are laying hold on their brothers, their majestic ones, and coming into an execration and an oath, to walk in the Law of God, that was given by the hand of Moses, servant of God, and to observe and to do all the commands of YHWH our Lord, and His judgments, and His statutes;

joined the leaders in swearing an oath to follow the Law of God given through Moses the servant of God, to pay attention to and carry out all the commands of the Lord our God, his rules and regulations.

30 and that we do not give our daughters to the peoples of the land, and we do not take their daughters to our sons;

“We promise not to allow our daughters to marry the people of the land, and not to allow our sons to marry their daughters.

31 and the peoples of the land who are bringing in the wares and any grain on the Sabbath day to sell, we do not receive of them on the Sabbath, and on a holy day, and we leave the seventh year, and usury on every hand.

When the people of the land bring goods and all kinds of food to sell on the holy Sabbath, we will not buy anything from them on the Sabbath or on other holy days. Every seventh year we will leave the land to rest, and we will cancel all debts.

32 And we have appointed for ourselves commands, to put on ourselves the third of a shekel in a year, for the service of the house of our God,

We accept the obligation to pay one third of a shekel for the operation of the Temple of God,

33 for bread of the arrangement, and the continual present, and the continual burnt-offering of the Sabbaths, of the new moons, for appointed times, and for holy things, and for sin-offerings, to make atonement for Israel, even all the work of the house of our God.

for the showbread, for the regular grain offerings and burnt offerings, for the Sabbath offerings, for the new moon and yearly festivals, for the holy offerings, for the sin offerings to make atonement for Israel, in short all that takes place in the Temple of our God.

34 And we have caused the lots to fall for the offering of wood, [among] the priests, the Levites, and the people, to bring into the house of our God, by the house of our fathers, at times appointed, year by year, to burn on the altar of our God YHWH, as it is written in the Law,

We have allocated by lot among the priests, Levites, and the people, to determine who will bring wood to the Temple of our God to burn on the altar of the Lord our God at specific times during the year, as required by the Law.

35 and to bring in the first-fruits of our ground, and the first-fruits of all fruit of every tree, year by year, to the house of YHWH,

We also promise to bring the first part of the produce from our fields and from every fruit tree to the Lord's Temple every year.

36 and the firstlings of our sons, and of our livestock, as it is written in the Law, and the firstlings of our herds and our flocks, to bring into the house of our God, to the priests who are ministering in the house of our God.

We will bring the firstborn of our sons and of our livestock and of our herds and flocks to the Temple of our God, to the priests who minister there, as required by the Law.

37 And the beginning of our dough, and our raised-offerings, and the fruit of every tree, of new wine, and of oil, we bring to the priests, into the chambers of the house of our God, and the tithe of our ground to the Levites; and they—the Levites—have the tithes in all the cities of our tillage;

We will bring to the storerooms of the Temple of our God, to the priests, the first part of our coarse-ground flour, of our grain offerings, of the fruit of all our trees, and of our new wine and olive oil. We will also bring a tithe of our produce to the Levites, for the Levites are the ones who collect the tithes in all the farming towns.

38 and the priest, son of Aaron, has been with the Levites in the tithing of the Levites, and the Levites bring up the tithe of the tithe to the house of our God to the chambers, to the treasure-house;

A priest descended from Aaron will accompany the Levites when they collect the tithe, and the Levites are to bring a tithe of these tithes to the rooms of the storehouse in the Temple of our God.

39 for they bring to the chambers—the sons of Israel and the sons of Levi—the raised-offering of the grain, the new wine, and the oil, and there [are] vessels of the sanctuary, and the priests, those ministering, and the gatekeepers, and the singers, and we do not forsake the house of our God.

The people of Israel and the Levites are to bring the offerings of grain, new wine, and olive oil to the storerooms where the sanctuary objects are kept, where the ministering priests, the gatekeepers, and the singers are. We will not forget the Temple of our God.”