Study Desk

^(F1)Now on the ^(C1)sealed document were the names of: Nehemiah the ^(F2)governor, the son of Hacaliah, and Zedekiah,

Seraiah, Azariah, Jeremiah,

Pashhur, Amariah, Malchijah,

Hattush, Shebaniah, Malluch,

Harim, Meremoth, Obadiah,

Daniel, Ginnethon, Baruch,

Meshullam, Abijah, Mijamin,

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

And the Levites: Jeshua the son of Azaniah, Binnui of the sons of Henadad, and Kadmiel;

also their brothers Shebaniah, Hodiah, Kelita, Pelaiah, Hanan,

Mica, Rehob, Hashabiah,

Zaccur, Sherebiah, Shebaniah,

Hodiah, Bani, and Beninu.

The leaders of the people: Parosh, Pahath-moab, Elam, Zattu, Bani,

Bunni, Azgad, Bebai,

Adonijah, Bigvai, Adin,

Ater, Hezekiah, Azzur,

Hodiah, Hashum, Bezai,

Hariph, Anathoth, Nebai,

Magpiash, Meshullam, Hezir,

Meshezabel, Zadok, Jaddua,

Pelatiah, Hanan, Anaiah,

Hoshea, Hananiah, Hasshub,

Hallohesh, Pilha, Shobek,

Rehum, Hashabnah, Maaseiah,

Ahiah, Hanan, Anan,

Malluch, Harim, and Baanah.

Now ^(C1)the rest of the people, the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, the temple servants, and ^(C2)all those who had separated themselves from the peoples of the lands to the Law of God, their wives, their sons, and their daughters, all those who had knowledge and understanding,

are joining with their kinsmen, their nobles, and are ^(F1)(C1)taking on themselves a curse and an oath to walk in God's Law, which was given through Moses, God's servant, and to keep and to ^(F2)comply with all the commandments of ^(F3)GOD our Lord, and His ordinances and statutes;

and ^(C1)that we will not give our daughters to the peoples of the land or take their daughters for our sons.

As ^(C1)for the peoples of the land who bring wares or any grain on the Sabbath day to sell, we will not ^(F1)buy from them on the Sabbath or on any holy day; and we will forgo the crops of the ^(C2)seventh year and ^(F2)(C3)every debt.

We also imposed ^(F1)on ourselves the obligation to contribute yearly ^(C1)a third of a shekel for the service of the house of our God:

for the ^(C1)showbread, for the continual grain offering, for the continual burnt offering, the Sabbaths, the new moons, for the appointed times, for the holy things, and for the sin offerings to make atonement for Israel, and all the work of the house of our God.

Likewise ^(C1)we cast lots ^(C2)for the supply of wood among the priests, the Levites, and the people so that they could bring it to the house of our God, according to our fathers' households, at set times annually, to burn on the altar of the LORD our God, as it is written in the Law;

and so that they could bring the first fruits of our ground and ^(C1)the first fruits of all the fruit of every tree to the house of the LORD annually,

and ^(C1)bring to the house of our God the firstborn of our sons and of our cattle, and the firstborn of our herds and our flocks as it is written in the Law, for the priests who are ministering in the house of our God.

^(C1)We will also bring the first of our ^(F1)dough, our contributions, the fruit of every tree, the new wine, and the oil ^(C2)to the priests at the chambers of the house of our God, and the ^(C3)tithe of our ground to the Levites, for the Levites are they who receive the tithes in all the rural towns.

And ^(C1)the priest, the son of Aaron, shall be with the Levites when the Levites receive tithes, and the Levites shall bring up the tenth of the tithes to the house of our God, to the chambers of ^(C2)the storehouse.

For the sons of Israel and the sons of Levi shall bring the ^(C1)contribution of the grain, the new wine, and the oil to the chambers; the utensils of the sanctuary, the priests who are ministering, the gatekeepers, and the singers are there. So ^(C2)we will not ^(F1)neglect the house of our God.

Now ^(C1)the leaders of the people lived in Jerusalem, but the rest of the people ^(C2)cast lots to bring one out of ten to live in Jerusalem, ^(C3)the holy city, while nine-tenths remained in the other cities.

And the people blessed all the men who ^(C1)volunteered to live in Jerusalem.

^(C1)Now these are the heads of the provinces who lived in Jerusalem, but in the cities of Judah ^(C2)each lived on his own property in their cities—the ^(F1)Israelites, the priests, the Levites, the ^(F2)(C3)temple servants, and the ^(F3)(C4)descendants of Solomon's servants.

Some of the sons of Judah and some of the sons of Benjamin lived in Jerusalem. From the sons of Judah: Athaiah the son of Uzziah, the son of Zechariah, the son of Amariah, the son of Shephatiah, the son of Mahalalel, of the sons of Perez;

and Maaseiah the son of Baruch, the son of Col-hozeh, the son of Hazaiah, the son of Adaiah, the son of Joiarib, the son of Zechariah, the son of the Shilonite.

All the sons of Perez who lived in Jerusalem were 468 able men.

Now these are the sons of Benjamin: Sallu the son of Meshullam, the son of Joed, the son of Pedaiah, the son of Kolaiah, the son of Maaseiah, the son of Ithiel, the son of Jeshaiah;

and after him Gabbai and Sallai, 928.

Joel the son of Zichri was their overseer, and Judah the son of Hassenuah was second ^(F1)in command of the city.

From the priests: Jedaiah the son of Joiarib, Jachin,

Seraiah the son of Hilkiah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Zadok, the son of Meraioth, the son of Ahitub, the overseer of the house of God,

and their kinsmen who did the work of the ^(F1)temple, 822; and Adaiah the son of Jeroham, the son of Pelaliah, the son of Amzi, the son of Zechariah, the son of Pashhur, the son of Malchijah,

and his kinsmen, heads of fathers' households, 242; and Amashsai the son of Azarel, the son of Ahzai, the son of Meshillemoth, the son of Immer,

and their brothers, valiant warriors, 128. And their overseer was Zabdiel, the son of ^(F1)Haggedolim.

Now from the Levites: Shemaiah the son of Hasshub, the son of Azrikam, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Bunni;

and Shabbethai and Jozabad, from the ^(F1)leaders of the Levites, who were ^(F2)in charge of ^(C1)the outside work of the house of God;

and Mattaniah the son of Mica, the son of ^(F1)Zabdi, the son of Asaph, who was the ^(F2)leader in beginning the thanksgiving at prayer, and Bakbukiah, the second among his kinsmen; and ^(F3)Abda the son of ^(F4)Shammua, the son of Galal, the son of Jeduthun.

All the Levites in ^(C1)the holy city were 284.

Also the gatekeepers: Akkub, Talmon, and their kinsmen who kept watch at the gates, were 172.

The rest of Israel, of the priests and of the Levites, were in all the cities of Judah, each ^(C1)on his own inheritance.

But ^(C1)the temple servants were living in Ophel, and Ziha and Gishpa were ^(F1)in charge of the temple servants.

Now ^(C1)the overseer of the Levites in Jerusalem was Uzzi the son of Bani, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Mica, from the sons of Asaph, who were the singers for the ^(F1)service of the house of God.

^(C1)For there was a commandment from the king concerning them and a royal command for the singers ^(C2)day by day.

And Pethahiah the son of Meshezabel, of the sons ^(C1)of Zerah the son of Judah, was the ^(C2)king's ^(F1)representative for every matter concerning the people.

Now as for the villages with their fields, some of the sons of Judah lived in ^(C1)Kiriath-arba and its ^(F1)towns, in ^(C2)Dibon and its ^(F1)towns, and in Jekabzeel and its villages,

and in Jeshua, in Moladah, and Beth-pelet,

and in Hazar-shual, in Beersheba and its towns,

and in Ziklag, in Meconah and in its towns,

and in En-rimmon, in Zorah, and in Jarmuth,

Zanoah, Adullam, and their villages, Lachish and its fields, Azekah and its towns. So they camped from Beersheba as far as the Valley of Hinnom.

The sons of Benjamin also lived from Geba onward, at Michmash and Aija, at Bethel and its towns,

at Anathoth, Nob, Ananiah,

Hazor, Ramah, Gittaim,

Hadid, Zeboim, Neballat,

Lod, and Ono, the Valley of Craftsmen.

And from the Levites, some divisions in Judah belonged to Benjamin.