Nehemiah 10
1 (This is a list/These are the names) of those who signed the agreement: I, Nehemiah, the governor; and also Zedekiah.
Now, upon the sealed writings, were, —Nehemiah the governor, son of Hacaliah, and Zedekiah;
2 The priests who signed it were: Seraiah, Azariah, Jeremiah,
Seraiah, Azariah, Jeremiah;
3 Pashhur, Amariah, Malkijah,
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, and Shemaiah.
Maaziah, Bilgai, Shemaiah, —these, were, the priests.
9 The [other] descendants of Levi who signed it were: Jeshua the son of Azaniah, Binnui from the clan of Henadad, Kadmiel,
And, the Levites, —Jeshua, son of Azaniah, Binnui, of the sons of Henadad, Kadmiel;
10 Shebaniah, Hodiah, Kelita, Pelaiah, Hanan,
and, their brethren, —Shebaniah, Hodiah, Kelita, Pelaiah, Hanan;
11 Mica, Rehob, Hashabiah,
Mica, Rehob, Hashabiah;
12 Zaccur, Sherebiah, Shebaniah,
Zaccur, Sherebiah, Shebaniah;
13 Hodiah, Bani, and Beninu.
Hodiah, Bani, Beninu.
14 The Israeli leaders who signed it were: Parosh, Pahath-Moab, Elam, Zattu, Bani,
The heads 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, Nebai,
Hariph, Anathoth, Nobai;
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 Ahiah, Hanan, Anan,
and Ahiah, Hanan, Anan;
27 Malluch, Harim, and Baanah.
Malluch, Harim, Baanah.
28 Then the rest of the people also made a solemn agreement. The people who did it included priests, temple gatekeepers, singers, and temple workers. They also included all the men from other countries who had separated themselves from the other foreigners living in Israel. These men, along with their wives, their sons and daughters who were old enough to understand [what they were doing, were people who wanted to obey God’s laws].
And, the rest of the people—the priests, the Levites, the doorkeepers, the singers, the Nethinim, and all who had separated themselves from the peoples of the lands unto the law of God, their wives, their sons and their daughters, —every one having knowledge and understanding,
29 They all joined with their leaders in making this solemn agreement. They agreed to obey all the laws that God had given to Moses. They agreed to obey everything that Yahweh our God had commanded, and all his regulations and instructions. [And this is what they promised to do: ]
were holding fast unto their distinguished brethren, and were entering into a curse and into an oath, to walk in the law of God, which was given through Moses the servant of God, —and to observe and do, all the commandments of Yahweh our Lord, and his regulations, and his statutes;
30 “We will not allow our daughters to marry people who live in this land [who do not worship Yahweh], and we will not allow our sons to marry them.
and that we would not give our daughters unto the peoples of the land, —and, their daughters, would we not take for our sons;
31 “If people from other countries who live in this land bring us grain or other things to sell to us on Sabbath days or any other sacred day, we will not buy anything from them. And in every seventh year, we will not plant any crops, and we will (cancel all debts/declare that people will no longer have to pay back what they owe us).
and, if the peoples of the land should be bringing in wares, or any corn on the sabbath day, to sell, we would not buy of them on the sabbath, or on a holy day, —and that we would remit the seventh year, and the loan of every hand.
32 “We also promise that every year we will pay (one-eighth of an ounce/4 grams) of silver for the work of taking care of the temple.
And we laid on ourselves charges, appointing for ourselves the third of a shekel, yearly, —for the service of the house of our God:
33 With that money they can buy these things: The sacred bread [that is placed before God], the grain that is burned [on the altar] each day, the lambs that were completely burned [on the altar], the sacred offerings for the Sabbath days and for celebrating each new moon and other festivals that God told us to celebrate, and other offerings that are dedicated to God, the animals to be sacrificed to atone for the sins of the Israeli people, and anything else that is needed for the work of taking care of the temple.
for the bread to set in array, and the continual meal-offering, and for the continual ascending-sacrifice, of the sabbaths, of the new moons, for the appointed feasts, and for things hallowed, and for victims bearing sin, to put a propitiatory-covering over Israel, —and for all the work of the house of our God.
34 “Each year the priests, the [other] descendants of Levi who help the priests, and the rest of us will (cast lots/throw marked stones) to determine [for that year] which clans will provide wood to burn on the altar the sacrifices that are offered to Yahweh our God, in order to do what was written in the laws [God gave to Moses].
Also, lots, did we cast, concerning the offering of wood among the priests, the Levites, and the people, to bring it unto the house of our God, by our ancestral houses, at times arranged, year by year, —to burn upon the altar of Yahweh our God, as it is written in the law.
35 “We promise that each year each family will take to the temple an offering from the first grain that we harvest and from the first fruit that grows on our trees [that year].
And that we would bring in the firstfruits of our ground, and the firstfruit of all fruit of all trees, year by year, —unto the house of Yahweh;
36 “Also, we will take to the priests at the temple our firstborn sons and dedicate them to God. And we will also bring firstborn calves and lambs and baby goats [to be offered as sacrifices]. That is what is written in God’s laws [that we must do].
also that, the firstborn of our sons, and of our cattle, as it is written in the law, —and the firstlings of our herds and of our flocks, we would bring in unto the house of our God, unto the priests who should be in attendance in the house of our God;
37 “We will also take to the priests at the temple the flour made from the first grain [that we harvest each year], and our other offerings of wine, [olive] oil, and fruit. We will also take to the descendants of Levi [who help the priests] the tithes/10% of [the crops that we grow on] our land, because they are the ones who collect the tithes in all the villages where we work/live.
and, the first part of our meal and our heave-offerings and the fruit of all trees, new wine and oil, would we bring in unto the priests, into the chambers of the house of our God, and the tithe of our ground unto the Levites, —the Levites themselves, taking the tithes in all our cities of agriculture.
38 The priests who are descendants of Aaron will be with the [other] descendants of Levi and supervise them when they collect the tithes. Then the descendants of Levi must take 10% of the things that people bring and put them in the storerooms in the temple.
And the priest the son of Aaron should be with the Levites, when the Levites should take the tithes, —and the Levites, should bring up the tithe of the tithe, unto the house of our God, into the chambers pertaining unto the treasure-house.
39 The descendants of Levi and [some of] the other Israeli people must take 10% of the offerings of grain, wine, and [olive] oil to the storerooms where the various utensils that are used in the temple are kept. That is the place where the priests who are serving at that time, the temple guards, and those who sing in the temple choir live. [We promise that] we will not neglect [taking care of the temple of our God].”
For, into the chambers, should the sons of Israel and the sons of Levi bring in the heave-offering of the corn, the new wine and the oil, since, there, are the utensils of the sanctuary, and the priests who are in attendance, and the doorkeepers, and the singers, —so would we not neglect the house of our God.
