Neh 10 | EE | STEP | These people put their mark of authority on the promise that they had written: Nehemiah son of Hacaliah (King Artaxerxes gave him authority in Judah) and Zedekiah,

Nehemiah 10

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

Nehemiah son of Hacaliah (King Artaxerxes gave him authority in Judah) and Zedekiah, 2 Seraiah, Azariah, Jeremiah, 3 Pashhur, Amariah, Malkijah, 4 Hattush, Shebaniah, Malluch, 5 Harim, Meremoth, Obadiah, 6 Daniel, Ginnethon, Baruch, 7 Meshullam, Abijah, Mijamin, 8 Maaziah, Bilgai and Shemaiah. These were the priests.

9 The Levites: Jeshua son of Azaniah, Binnui of the sons of Henadad, Kadmiel, 10 and their friends: Shebaniah, Hodiah, Kelita, Pelaiah, Hanan, 11 Mica, Rehob, Hashabiah, 12 Zaccur, 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, 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, the priests, Levites, gatekeepers, singers and temple servants made a promise. The people who had kept themselves separate from foreign people because of God’s law also made a promise. They and their wives, sons and daughters agreed to join their leaders. 29 All these people promised to obey everything that was in the Law. That was the Law that God gave to his servant Moses. They asked God to do bad things to them if they did not obey his Laws and rules. They agreed to obey these rules carefully.

30 They said, ‘We promise not to let our daughters marry foreign people. We will not let daughters of foreign people marry our sons. 31 We will not buy or sell anything on the Sabbath or any special day. If foreign merchants come to us on a Sabbath, we will not buy their things. Every 7th year we will not work on the land. Every 7th year we will tell people that they do not need to pay their debts. And we will return their land.

32 We will obey the law to give a third of a shekel each year to the house of God. 33 We will use this for God’s special loaves of bread, for grain offerings and for burnt offerings. We will use this for the offerings on the Sabbath, new moon parties and feasts. And we will use it for the sin offerings to take away Israel’s sin. And we will use it for all the work in God’s house.’ ^{▼▼10:33 The Jews gave God grain from their fields. People kill animals and burn them with fire on an altar in the temple. Those are burnt offerings. A shekel is a piece of silver with a weight of 11.5 grams. A gram is a weight. There are 1000 grams in a kilo.}

34 The priests and the Levites threw lots. In that way, they told families when they should bring wood for fires. Each family must bring wood to the house of God at a different time of the year. The wood will burn on the altar of the LORD our God. This is what Moses wrote in the Book of the Law. 35 They said, ‘We will also bring the first fruit from our trees and the first of our grain. We will bring these to the priests who work in the LORD‘s house. 36 We will bring our first son to the house of God. We will bring to God’s house the first of our young animals that are born. We will bring them to the priests. We read this in God’s Law. 37 We will bring the first dough, fruit, wine and oil and other special offerings to the house of God. The priests will store them in its rooms. We will bring our tithes to the Levites. They will take them from our towns to God’s house. They will store them there. 38 A priest from the family of Aaron will go with the Levites to get the tithes. The Levites will bring a tenth part of the tithes to store in God’s house. 39 The people of Israel will bring grain, wine and oil to the temple rooms. They will store them with the things that they use for worship. The priests who are working there, the gatekeepers and the singers stay there. We will keep the house of God ready to worship him.’