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10 These people put their mark of authority on the promise that they had written:

Hacaliah's son, Nehemiah (the government officer), and Zedekiah.

Seraiah, Azariah, Jeremiah, Pashhur, Amariah, Malkijah,

Hattush, Shebaniah, Malluch, Harim, Meremoth, Obadiah,

Daniel, Ginnethon, Baruch, Meshullam, Abijah, Mijamin,

Maaziah, Bilgai and Shemaiah. Those were the priests.

The Levites were:

Azaniah's son, Jeshua, Binnui from the clan of Henadad, Kadmiel.

10 Their relatives: Shebaniah, Hodiah, Kelita, Pelaiah, Hanan, 11 Mica, Rehob, Hashabiah, 12 Zaccur, Sherebiah, Shebaniah, 13 Hodiah, Bani and Beninu.

14 The Israelite leaders: Parosh, Pahath-Moab, Elam, Zattu, Bani,

15 Bunni, Azgad, Bebai, 16 Adonijah, Bigvai, Adin,

17 Ater, Hezekiah, Azzur, 18 Hodiah, Hashum, Bezai,

19 Hariph, Anathoth, Nebai, 20 Magpiash, Meshullam, Hezir,

21 Meshezabel, Zadok, Jaddua, 22 Pelatiah, Hanan, Anaiah,

23 Hoshea, Hananiah, Hasshub, 24 Hallohesh, Pilha, Shobek,

25 Rehum, Hashabnah, Maaseiah, 26 Ahiah, Hanan, Anan,

27 Malluch, Harim and Baanah.

28 The other people joined their leaders to make the same promise. They were priests, Levites, guards, singers and temple servants. There were also people who had kept themselves separate from their foreign neighbours so that they could obey God's Law. Their wives, sons and daughters also joined with them, as well as children who were old enough to understand. 29 All these people joined with their leaders and they promised to obey the agreement. They agreed that God should punish them if they did not obey all of God's Law. That was the Law that God had given to his servant Moses. They promised very strongly to obey all the commands, rules and laws of the Lord, our Lord.

30 They said, ‘We promise not to let our daughters marry the foreign people of this land. We will not let our sons marry their daughters. 31 If foreign traders come to us on a Sabbath day, we will not buy their things. We will not buy their things on Sabbath days or on any special feast day. Every seventh year we will not plant any crops. We will also remove the debts of other people in every seventh year. They will not have to pay us back.

32 We will obey the command to give a third of a shekel each year to take care of the temple of our God.[a] 33 That will pay for the special bread on the table in the temple. It will also pay for grain offerings and burnt offerings each day, as well as offerings on Sabbath days, feasts at each new moon, and other festivals. We will also use it for the sin offerings that take away Israel's guilt. And we will use it for all the work in the temple of our God.

34 Each year we will throw dice to decide when different families must bring wood to the temple of our God. The priests, the Levites and the other people must do this. The wood will burn sacrifices on the altar of the Lord our God. We will do this in the way that the Law of the Lord our God teaches. 35 We will also agree to bring the first crops from our land each year and the first fruits from our trees. We will bring these to the Lord's temple. 36 We will also bring our firstborn sons, as well as the first babies that our cows, sheep and goats give birth to. We will bring them to the priests who serve our God in the temple. That is what God's Law teaches us to do. 37 We will also bring the first of everything that is ready for us to eat. That includes flour, fruit, wine, olive oil and other special offerings. We will bring them all to the priests and they will store them in the rooms of the temple. We will give tithes of the crops that grow on our land to the Levites. They receive the tithes that belong to them in each of the towns where we work. 38 When the Levites receive their tithes, a priest of Aaron's family will be with them. Then the Levites will bring a tenth part of the tithes that they received to store in the temple. 39 The Levites and the other Israelites will bring their gifts of grain, wine and olive oil to store in the temple's rooms. The priests will store them with the things that they use to serve God in the temple. That is the place where the priests who are working at that time, the temple guards and the singers stay.

We agree that we will always take care of the temple of our God.’

Footnotes

  1. 10:32 A shekel was a silver coin that weighed 11.5 grams.

10 [a]Those who sealed it were:

Nehemiah the governor, the son of Hakaliah.

Zedekiah, Seraiah,(A) Azariah, Jeremiah,

Pashhur,(B) Amariah, Malkijah,

Hattush, Shebaniah, Malluk,

Harim,(C) Meremoth, Obadiah,

Daniel, Ginnethon, Baruch,

Meshullam, Abijah, Mijamin,

Maaziah, Bilgai and Shemaiah.

These were the priests.(D)

The Levites:(E)

Jeshua son of Azaniah, Binnui of the sons of Henadad, Kadmiel,

10 and their associates: Shebaniah,

Hodiah, Kelita, Pelaiah, Hanan,

11 Mika, Rehob, Hashabiah,

12 Zakkur, Sherebiah, Shebaniah,

13 Hodiah, Bani and Beninu.

14 The leaders of the people:

Parosh, Pahath-Moab, Elam, Zattu, Bani,

15 Bunni, Azgad, Bebai,

16 Adonijah, Bigvai, Adin,(F)

17 Ater, Hezekiah, Azzur,

18 Hodiah, Hashum, Bezai,

19 Hariph, Anathoth, Nebai,

20 Magpiash, Meshullam, Hezir,(G)

21 Meshezabel, Zadok, Jaddua,

22 Pelatiah, Hanan, Anaiah,

23 Hoshea, Hananiah,(H) Hasshub,

24 Hallohesh, Pilha, Shobek,

25 Rehum, Hashabnah, Maaseiah,

26 Ahiah, Hanan, Anan,

27 Malluk, Harim and Baanah.

28 “The rest of the people—priests, Levites, gatekeepers, musicians, temple servants(I) and all who separated themselves from the neighboring peoples(J) for the sake of the Law of God, together with their wives and all their sons and daughters who are able to understand— 29 all these now join their fellow Israelites the nobles, and bind themselves with a curse and an oath(K) to follow the Law of God given through Moses the servant of God and to obey carefully all the commands, regulations and decrees of the Lord our Lord.

30 “We promise not to give our daughters in marriage to the peoples around us or take their daughters for our sons.(L)

31 “When the neighboring peoples bring merchandise or grain to sell on the Sabbath,(M) we will not buy from them on the Sabbath or on any holy day. Every seventh year we will forgo working the land(N) and will cancel all debts.(O)

32 “We assume the responsibility for carrying out the commands to give a third of a shekel[b] each year for the service of the house of our God: 33 for the bread set out on the table;(P) for the regular grain offerings and burnt offerings; for the offerings on the Sabbaths, at the New Moon(Q) feasts and at the appointed festivals; for the holy offerings; for sin offerings[c] to make atonement for Israel; and for all the duties of the house of our God.(R)

34 “We—the priests, the Levites and the people—have cast lots(S) to determine when each of our families is to bring to the house of our God at set times each year a contribution of wood(T) to burn on the altar of the Lord our God, as it is written in the Law.

35 “We also assume responsibility for bringing to the house of the Lord each year the firstfruits(U) of our crops and of every fruit tree.(V)

36 “As it is also written in the Law, we will bring the firstborn(W) of our sons and of our cattle, of our herds and of our flocks to the house of our God, to the priests ministering there.(X)

37 “Moreover, we will bring to the storerooms of the house of our God, to the priests, the first of our ground meal, of our grain offerings, of the fruit of all our trees and of our new wine and olive oil.(Y) And we will bring a tithe(Z) of our crops to the Levites,(AA) for it is the Levites who collect the tithes in all the towns where we work.(AB) 38 A priest descended from Aaron is to accompany the Levites when they receive the tithes, and the Levites are to bring a tenth of the tithes(AC) up to the house of our God, to the storerooms of the treasury. 39 The people of Israel, including the Levites, are to bring their contributions of grain, new wine and olive oil to the storerooms, where the articles for the sanctuary and for the ministering priests, the gatekeepers and the musicians are also kept.

“We will not neglect the house of our God.”(AD)

Footnotes

  1. Nehemiah 10:1 In Hebrew texts 10:1-39 is numbered 10:2-40.
  2. Nehemiah 10:32 That is, about 1/8 ounce or about 4 grams
  3. Nehemiah 10:33 Or purification offerings