Nehemiah 10

1 Now those who sealed were: Nehemiah the governor, the son of Hacaliah, and Zedekiah,

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 Hattush, 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 were the cohanim.

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

9 The Levites: namely, Jeshua the 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, Hodiah, Kelita, Pelaiah, Hanan,

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

11 Mica, Rehob, Hashabiah,

Mica, Rehob, Hashabiah,

12 Zakkur, Sherebiah, Shebaniah,

Zaccur, Sherebiah, Shebaniah,

13 Hodiah, Bani, Beninu.

Hodiah, Bani, and Beninu.

14 The chiefs of the people: Parosh, Pahath-Moab, Elam, Zattu, 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, Hezekiah, Azzur,

Ater, Hezekiah, Azzur,

18 Hodiah, Hashum, Bezai,

Hodiah, Hashum, Bezai,

19 Hariph, Anathoth, Nobai,

Hariph, Anathoth, Nebai,

20 Magpiash, Meshullam, Hezir,

Magpiash, Meshullam, Hezir,

21 Meshezabel, Zadok, Jaddua,

Meshezabel, Zadok, Jaddua,

22 Pelatiah, Hanan, Anaiah,

Pelatiah, Hanan, Anaiah,

23 Hoshea, Hananiah, Hasshub,

Hoshea, Hananiah, Hasshub,

24 Hallohesh, Pilha, Shobek,

Hallohesh, Pilha, Shobek,

25 Rehum, Hashabnah, Maaseiah,

Rehum, Hashabnah, Maaseiah,

26 and Ahiah, Hanan, Anan,

Ahiah, Hanan, Anan,

27 Malluch, Harim, Baanah.

Malluch, Harim, and Baanah.

28 The rest of the people, the cohanim, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, the Nethinim, and all those who had separated themselves from the peoples of the lands to the law of God, their wives, their sons, and their daughters, everyone who had knowledge, and understanding—

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 they joined with their brothers, their nobles, and entered into a curse, and into an oath, to walk in God's law, which was given by Moses the servant of God, and to observe and do all the commandments of the LORD, and his ordinances 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 would not give our daughters to the peoples of the land, nor take their daughters for 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 if the peoples of the land bring wares or any grain on the Sabbath day to sell, that we would not buy of them on the Sabbath, or on a holy day; and that we would forego the seventh year, and the exaction of every debt.

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 Also we made ordinances for ourselves, to charge ourselves yearly with the third part of a shekel 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 the show bread, and for the continual meal offering, and for the continual burnt offering, for the Sabbaths, for the new moons, for the set feasts, and for the holy things, and for the sin offerings to make atonement for Israel, and for 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 We cast lots, the cohanim, the Levites, and the people, for the wood offering, to bring it into the house of our God, according to our fathers' houses, at times appointed, year by year, to burn on the altar of the LORD our God, 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 the first fruits of our ground, and the first fruits of all fruit of all kinds of trees, year by year, to the house of the LORD;

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 also the firstborn of our sons, and of our livestock, as it is written in the law, and the firstborn of our herds and of our flocks, to bring to the house of our God, to the cohanim who minister 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 that we should bring the first fruits of our coarse meal, our contributions, the fruit of every tree, the new wine and the oil to the cohanim to the storerooms of the house of our God; and the tithes of our land to the Levites, for the Levites take the tithes in all the cities where we work.

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 The cohen the son of Aaron shall be with the Levites, when the Levites take tithes: and the Levites shall bring up the tithe of the tithes to the house of our God, to the rooms, into 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 the children of Israel and the descendants of Levi shall bring the wave offering of the grain, of the new wine, and of the oil, to the rooms, where are the vessels of the sanctuary, and the cohanim who minister, and the gatekeepers, and the singers. We will 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.”