Nehemiah 10:32

THE MESSAGE

We accept the responsibility for paying an annual tax of one-third of a shekel (about an eighth ounce) for providing The Temple of our God with bread for the Table regular Grain-Offerings regular Whole-Burnt-Offerings offerings for the Sabbaths, New Moons, and appointed feasts Dedication-Offerings Absolution-Offerings to atone for Israel maintenance of The Temple of our God.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
We will impose the following commands on ourselves:

Hebrew Names Version
Also we made ordinances for us, to charge ourselves yearly with the third part of a shekel for the service of the house of our God;

King James Version
Also we made ordinances for us, to charge ourselves yearly with the third part of a shekel for the service of the house of our God;

English Standard Version
"We also take on ourselves the obligation to give yearly a third part of a shekel for the service of the house of our God:

New Century Version
We will be responsible for the commands to pay for the service of the Temple of our God. We will give an eighth of an ounce of silver each year.

New English Translation
We accept responsibility for fulfilling the commands to give one third of a shekel each year for the work of the temple of our God,

Amplified Bible
Also we pledge ourselves to contribute yearly one third of a shekel for the service [expenses] of the house of our God:

New American Standard Bible
We also imposed on ourselves the obligation to contribute yearly a third of a shekel for the service of the house of our God:

World English Bible
Also we made ordinances for us, to charge ourselves yearly with the third part of a shekel for the service of the house of our God;

Geneva Bible (1587)
And we made statutes for our selues to giue by the yeere the thirde part of a shekel for the seruice of the house of our God,

Legacy Standard Bible
We also set ourselves under the commandments to give yearly one-third of a shekel for the service of the house of our God:

Berean Standard Bible
We also place ourselves under the obligation to contribute a third of a shekel yearly for the service of the house of our God:

Contemporary English Version
Once a year we will each donate a small amount of silver to the temple of our God.

Complete Jewish Bible
"If the peoples of the lands bring merchandise or food to sell on Shabbat, we will not buy from them on Shabbat or on a holy day. "We will forego [planting and harvesting our fields] during the seventh year and collecting debts then.

Darby Translation
And we made ordinances for us, to charge ourselves yearly with the third part of a shekel for the service of the house of our God,

Easy-to-Read Version
"We will accept the responsibility for obeying the commands to take care of God's Temple. We will give 1/3 shekel of silver each year to support the Temple service to honor our God.

George Lamsa Translation
We also confirmed upon ourselves the ordinances, to give the third part of a shekel on the sabbath for the work of the house of our God;

Good News Translation

Lexham English Bible
"We put on ourselves the commandment upon us to yearly give a third of a shekel for the service of the house of our God:

Literal Translation
Also, we made stand on ourselves, to charge ourselves yearly with the third part of a shekel for the service of the house of our God,

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And we layed a statute vpon oure selues, to geue yearly ye thirde parte of a Sycle to the mynistracion in the house of oure God,

American Standard Version
Also we made ordinances for us, to charge ourselves yearly with the third part of a shekel for the service of the house of our God;

Bible in Basic English
And we made rules for ourselves, taxing ourselves a third of a shekel every year for the upkeep of the house of our God;

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And we decreed a statute vpon our selues, to geue yerely the third part of a sicle to the ministration in the house of our God,

JPS Old Testament (1917)
and if the peoples of the land bring ware or any victuals 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.

King James Version (1611)
Also we made ordinances for vs, to charge our selues yeerely, with the third part of a shekel, for the seruice of the house of our God,

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And we will impose ordinances upon ourselves, to levy on ourselves the third part of a didrachm yearly for the service of the house of our God;

English Revised Version
Also we made ordinances for us, to charge ourselves yearly with the third part of a shekel for the service of the house of our God;

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And we schulen ordeyne comaundementis `on vs, that we yyue the thridde part of a sicle `bi the yeer to the werk of `oure Lord God,

Update Bible Version
Also we made ordinances for us, to charge ourselves yearly with the third part of a shekel for the service of the house of our God;

Webster's Bible Translation
Also we made ordinances for us, to charge ourselves yearly with the third part of a shekel for the service of the house of our God;

New King James Version
Also we made ordinances for ourselves, to exact from ourselves yearly one-third of a shekel for the service of the house of our God:

New Living Translation
"In addition, we promise to obey the command to pay the annual Temple tax of one-eighth of an ounce of silver for the care of the Temple of our God.

New Life Bible
We also promise to give one-third part of a piece of silver each year for the work of the house of our God.

New Revised Standard
We also lay on ourselves the obligation to charge ourselves yearly one-third of a shekel for the service of the house of our God:

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And we laid on ourselves charges, appointing for ourselves the third of a shekel, yearly, - for the service of the house of our God:

Douay-Rheims Bible
And we made ordinances for ourselves, to give the third part of a sicle every year for the work of the house of our God,

Revised Standard Version
We also lay upon ourselves the obligation to charge ourselves yearly with the third part of a shekel for the service of the house of our God:

Young's Literal Translation
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,

New American Standard Bible (1995)
We also placed ourselves under obligation to contribute yearly one third of a shekel for the service of the house of our God:

Contextual Overview

³²We accept the responsibility for paying an annual tax of one-third of a shekel (about an eighth ounce) for providing The Temple of our God with bread for the Table regular Grain-Offerings regular Whole-Burnt-Offerings offerings for the Sabbaths, New Moons, and appointed feasts Dedication-Offerings Absolution-Offerings to atone for Israel maintenance of The Temple of our God. ³⁴ We—priests, Levites, and the people—have cast lots to see when each of our families will bring wood for burning on the Altar of our God, following the yearly schedule set down in The Revelation. ³⁵We take responsibility for delivering annually to The Temple of God the firstfruits of our crops and our orchards, our firstborn sons and cattle, and the firstborn from our herds and flocks for the priests who serve in The Temple of our God—just as it is set down in The Revelation. ³⁷We will bring the best of our grain, of our contributions, of the fruit of every tree, of wine, and of oil to the priests in the storerooms of The Temple of our God. We will bring the tithes from our fields to the Levites, since the Levites are appointed to collect the tithes in the towns where we work. We'll see to it that a priest descended from Aaron will supervise the Levites as they collect the tithes and make sure that they take a tenth of the tithes to the treasury in The Temple of our God. We'll see to it that the People of Israel and Levites bring the grain, wine, and oil to the storage rooms where the vessels of the Sanctuary are kept and where the priests who serve, the security guards, and the choir meet. We will not neglect The Temple of our God.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

to charge: Genesis 28:22, Proverbs 3:9

the third part: According to the law, every one above twenty years of age was to give half a shekel to the sanctuary for a ransom for their souls. But, on account of the general poverty of the people, occasioned by their wars, and captivity, and by heavy tributes, etc., in the land of their captivity, this sum was reduced to the third part of a shekel. Exodus 30:11-16, Matthew 17:24-27, 2 Corinthians 8:12

Reciprocal: Exodus 30:16 - appoint 1 Chronicles 26:27 - to maintain

Cross-References

Genesis 9:1
God blessed Noah and his sons: He said, "Prosper! Reproduce! Fill the Earth! Every living creature—birds, animals, fish—will fall under your spell and be afraid of you. You're responsible for them. All living creatures are yours for food; just as I gave you the plants, now I give you everything else. Except for meat with its lifeblood still in it—don't eat that.

Genesis 10:1
This is the family tree of the sons of Noah: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. After the flood, they themselves had sons.

Genesis 10:20
These are the descendants of Ham by family, language, country, and nation.

Genesis 10:31
These are the descendants of Shem by family, language, country, and nation.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Also we made ordinance, for us,.... Laws among themselves, binding them to that which the laws of God did not:

to charge ourselves yearly with the third part of a shekel, for the service of the house of our God; the particulars of which follow in the next verse; for the defraying of which there used to be a treasury in the temple; but now there was none, and therefore they took this method to assess themselves; and being poor, instead of the half shekel, which in some cases was required, they only charged themselves with the third part of one; though Aben Ezra thinks this was added to the half shekel, and was paid over and above that; according to Brerewood a, it was of the value of ten pence of our money: Waserus b has given us the figure of one of these coins, with this inscription, a "third" part of a shekel of Israel.

a De Pond. & Pret. Vet. Num. c. 1. b De Antiqu. Num. Heb. l. 2.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The third part of a sheckel - This appears to have been the first occasion on which an annual payment toward the maintenance of the temple service and fabric was established. The half-shekel of the Law Exodus 30:13 was paid only at the time of a census (which rarely took place), and was thus not a recurring tax. In later times, the annual payment was raised from the third of a shekel to half a shekel Matthew 17:24.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 32. Charge ourselves yearly with the third part of a shekel — According to the law, every one above twenty years of age was to give half a shekel to the sanctuary, which was called a ransom for their souls. See Exodus 30:11-16. But why is one third of a shekel now promised instead of the half shekel, which the law required? To this question no better answer can be given than this: the general poverty of the people, occasioned by their wars, overthrows, heavy tributes, c., in the land of their captivity: and now on their return, having little property, it was impossible for them to give more and we know, from the terms of the law in this case, that the poor and the rich were obliged to give alike, because it was a ransom for their souls; and the souls of the poor and the rich were of like value, and stood equally in need of redemption; for all were equally fallen, and all had come equally short of the glory of God.

Though only a third part of a shekel was given at this time, and probably for the reason above assigned, yet when the people got into a state of greater prosperity, the half shekel was resumed: for it is clear that this sum was paid in the time of our Lord, though not to the temple, but to the Roman government. Hence when those who collected this as a tribute came to our Lord, it was for the διδραχμα, didrachma, which was half a shekel; and the coin with which our Lord paid for himself and Peter was a stater, which contained exactly two half shekels. See Matthew 17:24-27.