Translation:Nehemiah

Chapter 1
The words of Nehemiah son of Hachaliah. And it came to pass in the month of Chislev, in the twentieth year, as I was in the citadel Shushan,

that one of my brethren, Hanani, and men from Judah, came. And I asked them about the Jews who remained, who were left of the captivity, and about Jerusalem.

And they said to me, The remnant who remain from the captivity there in the province are in great distress and reproach, and the wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates burned with fire.

And then, when I heard these words, I sat down and wept, and mourned for some days, and I fasted and prayer before the God of Heaven.

And I said, Please, Yahweh, God of Heaven, great and fearful god, keeping covenant and loyalty to those who love him and observe his commandments,

please let your ear be attentive, and your ears open, to hear the prayer of your servant, which I pray before you day and night concerning the Israelites, your servants, as I confess the sins of the Israelites which we have sinned against you. Both I and my fathers house have sinned.

We have surely offended you, and have not kept your commandments, and your statutes, and your decrees which you commanded your servant Moses.

Remember, please, the word which you commanded your servant Moses, saying, If you transgress, I will scatter you among the peoples.

When you turn to me, and keep my commandments and do them, even if you were expelled to the end of the sky, I would gather them from there and bring them to the place which I chose for my name to dwell in.

Now these are your servants and your people whom you have rescued with your great strength, and by your powerful hand.

Now, My Lord, please let your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant, and to the prayer of your servants, who delight in the fear of your name. And grant success, please, to your servant today, and grant him mercy before this man. Now I was the cupbearer to the king.

Chapter 2
Now in the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king, wine was before him. And I took the wine and gave it to the king. Now I had not been sad before in his presence.

And the king said to me, Why is your expression sad? You are not sick. This can only be sadness of heart. And I was very afraid.

And I said to the king, May the king live forever! Why should my face not be said, when the city where my fathers are buried is in ruins, and its gates consumed by fire.

And the king said to my, What do you want?

And I prayed to the God of Heaven.

And I said to the king, If it seems good to the king, and if your servant was found favor before you, that you would send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers' graves, so that I can build it.

And the king said to me, as the queen sat beside him, How long will your journey be, and when will you return? And it pleased the king to send me, and I set a time for him.

And I said to the king, If it pleases the king, let letters be given to me for the governors who are beyond the river, so that they will send me on my way until I arrive at Judah;

and a letter to Asaph, the keeper of the king's forests, to give me timber for the beams of the gates of the temple's fortified enclosure, and for the wall of the city, and for the house where I will stay. And the king granted it to me, because the hand of my god was favorable toward me.

And I came to the governors beyond the River, and gave them the king's letters. And the king sent army commanders and charioteers with me.

And Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, heard, and they were deeply upset that a person had come to seek the welfare of the Israelites.

And I came to Jerusalem, and I was there for three days.

And I rose by night, I and a few men with me, and I did not tell any person what my god had placed in my heart to do, nor was there any animal with me except the animal that I rode upon.

And I went out by night by the gate of the valley, and in from of the dragon well, and to the dung gate, and inspected the walls of Jerusalem, which were broken down, and its gates consumed with fire.

And I went on to the fountain gate, and to the king's pool, and there was no place for the animal beneath me to pass through.

And I went up by night by the stream, and inspected the wall, and turned back, and entered by the gate of the valley, and returned.

And the officials did not know where I went, or what I was doing, as I had not yet announced it to the Jews, or to the priests, or to the nobles, or to the officials, or to the rest of those who would do the work.

And I said to them, You see the distress we are in, how Jerusalem is in ruins, and its gates are burned with fire. Come, let us build the wall of Jerusalem, so we will no longer be contemptible.

And I told them of how the hand of my god was favorable toward me, and of the words that the king had spoken to me.

And they said, Let us rise up and build. And they prepared themselves for this good thing.

And Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabi heard it, they derided us, and scorned us, and said, What is this that you are doing? Are you going to rebel against the king?

And I answered them, and said to them, The God of Heaven will give us success, and we, his servants, will rise up and build. But you have no right or ancestral claim to Jerusalem.

Chapter 3
And Eliashib the high priest rose with his brethren the priests, and they built the sheep gate. They consecrated it and set up its doors. And as far as the tower of the Meah they consecrated it, as far as the tower of Hananel.

And next to him the men of Jericho built. And next to them Zakkur son of Imri built.

And the fish gate was build by the sons of Hassenaah. They laid its beams, and set up its doors, its bars, and its cross-beams.

And next to them Meremoth son of Uriah son of the Koz built. And next to them Meshullam son of Berechiah son of Meshezabel made repairs. And next to them Zadok son of Baana made repairs.

And next to them the Tekoites made repairs, but their chiefs did not put their necks to the service of their lord.

And the old gate was repaired by Joiada son of Paseah and Meshullam son of Besodiah. They laid the beams, and set up its doors, and its bars, and its cross-beams.

And next to them Melatiah the Gibeonite, and Jadon the Meronothite, men of Gibeon and of the Mizpah, made repairs as far as the throne of the governor of Beyond-the-River.

Next to him Uzziel son of Harhaiah, the goldsmiths, made repairs. Next to him, Hananiah son of the perfurmers, made repairs, and they fortified Jerusalem as far as the broad wall.

And next to them Rephaiah son of Hur, the ruler of half the region of Jerusalem.

And next to them, Jedaiah son of Harumaph made repairs opposite his house. And next to him, Hattush son of Hashabniah made repairs.

The second part was repaired by Malkiah son of Harim and Hashub son of Pahath Moab, and the tower of the furnaces.

And next to him Shallum son of Hallohesh, the ruler of half the region of Jerusalem, made repairs along with his daughters.

And the valley gate was repaired by Hanun and the inhabitants of Zanoah. They built it, and set up its doors, and its bars, and its cross-beams, and a thousand cubits of the wall as far as the dung gate.

And the dung gate was repaired by Malkiah son of Rechab, ruler of the region of Beth Hakkerem. He built it, and set up its doors, its bars, and its cross-beams.

And the fountain gate was repaired by Shallun son of Kol Hozeh, the ruler of the Mizpah region. He built it, and covered it, and set up its doors, its bars, and its cross-beams, and the wall of the pool of the Shiloh toward the king's garden, and to the stairs that go down from the city of David.

After him Nehemiah son of Azbuk, the ruler of half the Beth Zur region, repaired as far as the space facing the sepulchres of David, and to the artificial pool and as far as the House of Warriors.

After him the Levites, Rehum son of Bani, made repairs. Next to him, Hashabiah, the ruler of half the Keilah region, made repairs to his section.

After him their brothers, Bavai son of Henadad, ruler of half the region of Keilah, made repairs.

And next to him Ezer son of Jeshua, ruler of the Mizpah, made repairs to another section facing the ascent to the corner armory.

After him Baruch son of Zabbai zealously repaired another portion, from the corner to the entrance of the house of Eliashib the high priest.

After him Meremoth son of Uriah son of Hakkoz repaired another portion, from the door of the house of Eliashib to the end of the house of Eliashib.

After him the priests, the men of the Kikkar, made repairs.

After him Benjamin and Hashub made repairs opposite their house. After him Azariah son of Maaseiah son of Ananiah made repairs by his house.

After him Binnui son of Henadad repaired another portion, from the house of Azariah to the corner.

Palal son of Uzai, facing the corner, and the tower which goes out from the king's high house, which was by the courtyard of the prison. After him was Pedaiah son of Parosh.

And the Nethinim were dwelling in the Ophel, to the place opposite the water gate to the east, and the tower that goes out.

After them to the Tekoites repaired another portion, from opposite the great tower that goes out as far as the wall of the Ophel.

From above the horse gate the priests made repairs, each opposite his house.

After him Zadok son of Immer made repairs opposite his house. After him Shemaiah son of Shechaniah, keeper of the east gate, made repairs.

Next, Hananiah son of Shelemiah, and Hanun the sixth son of Zalaph repaired another portion. After him Meshullam son of Berechiah made repairs opposite his chamber.

Next, Malkiah the goldsmith's son made repairs until the house of the Nethinim, and of the merchants, opposite the Miphkad gate, and as far as the peak of the corner.

And between the peak of the corner and the sheep gate the goldsmiths and the merchants made repairs.

Chapter 4
And when Sanballat heard that we were building the wall, he was angry, filled with wrath, and derided the Jews.

And he spoke before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they make repairs for themselves? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they finish in a day? Will they revive the stones from the burnt ash heaps?

And Tobiah the Ammonite stood by him, and he said, Even what they are building -- if a fox climbed up on it, their stone wall would come crashing down.

Hear, our god, for we are despised, and turn their mockery on their own head, and give them as plunder into captivity in another land.

Do not overlook their guilt, or blot out their sin from before you, because of their provocation against the builders.

And we built the wall, and the wall was secured up to half its height, and the people were wholehearted in the work.

But when Sanballat and Tobiah and the Arabim and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites heard that the walls of Jerusalem had been repaired, that the broken places were beginning to close up, they were very angry.

And they all conspired together to fight against Jerusalem, and to do harm to it.

And we prayed to our god, and set guards against them day and night.

And Judah said, The strength of the carriers has decreased, because there is a great deal of rubbish, and we are not able to keep building on the wall.

And our enemies said, They will not know, or see, until we come in among them and kill them, and put their work to an end.

And it happened that the Jews who lived near them came and said to us ten times, They are coming up against us from all places.

And I stationed at the lowest place behind the wall in the open places, and I stationed the people by their clans with their swords, their spears, and their bows.

And I looked, and rose up, and said to the nobles, and to the officials, and to the rest of the people, Do not be afraid of them. Remember My Lord, great and fearful, and battle for your brethren, your sons, and your daughters, your wives, and your houses.

And when our enemies heard that it was known to us, and God had frustrated their plan, all of us returned to the wall, each to his work.

And then, from that time, half of my servants were busy with the work, and half of them held the spears, the shields, and the bows, and the javelins, and the rulers were behind all the house of Judah.

The builders of the wall, and those who were loaded up carrying burdens, one of his hands would be occupied with the work, and one holding a weapon.

And each of the builders had his sworded girded upon his loins while building. And the trumpeter was next to me.

And I said to the nobles, and to the officials, and to the rest of the people, The work is great and spread out, and we are separated along the wall, one far from the other.

So wherever you are when you hear the trumpet blast, come here with us. Our god will fight for us.

And we kept at the work, and half of them would hold the spears from the sunrise until the stars came out.

Additionally, at that time I said to the people, Let each one and his servant spend the night inside Jerusalem, and so that we can have a guard by night, and labor during the day.

And neither I, nor my brethren, nor my servants, nor the guards who followed me would take off our clothes, except that we would take them off to bathe.

Chapter 5
And there was a great clamor in the population and their wives against their brother Jews. And there were some that said: "Our sons and our daughters are very many: let us accept grain for their price and eat and live." But others said: "Let us mortgage our lands, vineyards, and houses and get bread in the famine." And others said: "We borrow gold for tribute for the king on our lands and vineyards; And now our flesh is as the flesh of our brothers; and our sons as their sons; look! We have yoked our sons and daughters to servitude, and our daughters are captives, and we have nothing out of which they might be bought back and other men have our fields and vineyards. And I was very angry when I had heard them cry these words. And my heart thought with me and I rebuked the most respected men and magistrates; and said to them, "Everyone: don't demand usury of your brothers."  And I gathered a grate assembly against them, and said to them, "We, as you know, have bought back our brother Jews, that were sold to the Gentiles, as our pow'r allow'd; and you then sell your brothers, and we must buy them again. And they were silent, and couldn't find anything for to answer. And I said to them, "This is not a good thing, that you do; why aren't you respecting God, do you want us to be shamed in front of our enemies, the Gentiles? And I and my brothers and my children, lent money and wheat to many men, but we didn't ask it back, and let us likewise grant anything else that is owed to us. Give back to them today their fields, vineyards, olive groves, and houses; and also the percent of money, wheat, wine, and oil, that you commonly demanded of them: give it back to them." And they said, "We will give it back, and seek nothing from them; and this we'll do as you say." And I call'd the priests, and took an oath from them, that they would do as I said. Furthermore, I shook out my bosom, and said, "Let God shake out every man, that doesn't keep this word from his house and labor like this; let him be shaken out, and made empty." And all the assembly said: "amen." And they praised the Lord and work'd that promise very well. And from the day I was governor in Judah from the twentieth to the thirty second year of Artaxerxes king: 12 years, I and my brothers have not eaten the governor's bread. But governors that were before me burthen'd the people and took of them bread and wine and money, each day forty shekels; even their servants press'd down the people. I, truly, didn't do that, for I respected God; but rather built in the work of the wall, and bought no fields, and all my children were gather'd to the work. Also Jews and their magistrates: a hundred fifty men; and those that came to us of the Gentiles around us, ate at my table. Truly there was prepared for me every day an ox, six chosen sheep, besides birds, and wines; and many other things I gave; but I didn't seek the governor's bread; for, truly, the people were very poor. My God, have mind on me for good, for everything that I have done for this people.

Chapter 6
And when Sanballat and Tobiah and Geshem the Arabi and the rest of our enemies heard that I had built the wall, and that there was no breach left in it, although at that time I had not yet set up the doors in the gates;

then Sanballat and Geshem sent word to me, saying, Come, and let us meet together in the villages of the valley of Ono. And they were plotting to do me harm.

And I sent messengers to them, saying, I am working on a major project, and I cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and go down to you?

And they sent the same message to me four times, and I replied to them in the same way.

And Sanballat sent his servant to me a fifth time in the same manner with an open letter in his hand,

in which was written, It is reported among the nations, and Gashmu says, that you and the Jews are planning to rebel. That is why you are building the wall. And you are to be their king, and so on.

And you have also appointed prophets to speak about you in Jerusalem, saying, There is a king in Judah. Therefore these matters will be reported to the king. So come, and let us meet together.

And I sent word to him, saying, No such things are being done as you say, and you are only saying what you invented in your own mind.

For they all frightened us, saying, Their hands will be weakened from carrying out the work.

Therefore, strengthen my hands.

And I came to the house of Shemaiah son of Delaiah son of Mehetabel, who was shut in, and he said, Let us meet together in the house of God, inside the temple, and let us shut the doors of the temple, because they are coming to kill you. They are coming to kill you at night.

And I said, Would a man like me run away? And what man like me would go into the temple to save his life? I will not go in.

And I recognized that God had not sent him, but that he had spoken this prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat hired him.

He was hired so that I would be afraid, and do so, and sin, giving them material for a negative report, so that they could shame me.

My god, remember Tobiah and Sanballat for these their deeds, and also the prophetess Noadiah, and the rest of the prophets, who tried to frighten me.

And the wall was finished in the twenty-fifth of Elul, in fifty-two days.

And when all our enemies heard, and all the nations surrounding us saw, their opinion of themselves decreased, because they knew that this work was done by our god.

Also, in those days, the nobles of Judah sent many letters back and forth between themselves and Tobiah,

because many in Judah had sworn loyalty to him, because he was the son-in-law of Shechaniah son of Arah, and his son Jehohanan had taken the daughter of Meshullam son of Berechiah.

And they were telling me good things about him, and sent my words to him. Tobiah sent letters to frighten me.

Chapter 7
And when the walls were built, and I had set up the doors, and the gatekeepers and singers and the Levites were appointed,

I commanded Hanani my brother, and Hananiah ruler of the citadel, concerning Jerusalem, because he was a trustworthy man, and feared God more than many.

And I said to them, Do not let them open the gates of Jerusalem until the sun is hot, and while they are standing, let them shut and bar the doors, and appoint watches of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, each to his watch, and each opposite his house.

And the wide was wide in extent, and large, but the people within it few, and the houses were not built.

And my god put it in my heart to gather the nobles, and the officials, and the people, for a genealogical reckoning. And I found a record of the genealogy of those who came up at first, and I found written in it:

The are the people of the province who went up from the exile, of those who had been taken captive by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and returned to Jerusalem to Judah, each to his own city,

who came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, Baanah. The number of the men of the people of Israel:

The sons of Parosh, two thousand one hundred seventy-two.

The sons of Shephatiah, three hundred seventy-two.

The sons of Arah, six hundred fifty-two.

The sons of Pahath Moab, of the sons of Jeshua and Joab, two thousand eight hundred eighteen.

The sons of Elam, a thousand two hundred fifty-four.

The sons of Zattu, eight hundred forty-five.

The sons of Zakkai, seven hundred sixty.

The sons of Binnui, six hundred forty-eight.

The sons of Bebai, six hundred twenty-eight.

The sons of Azgad, two thousand three hundred twenty-two.

The sons of Adonikam, six hundred and seven.

The sons of Bigvai, two thousand sixty-seven.

The sons of Adin, six hundred fifty-five.

The sons of Ater of Hezekiah, ninety-eight.

The sons of Hashum, three hundred twenty-eight.

The sons of Bezai, three hundred twenty-four.

The sons of Hariph, one hundred twelve.

The sons of Gibeon, ninety-five.

The men of Bethlehem and Netophah, one hundred eighty-eight.

The men of Anathoth, one hundred twenty-eight.

The men of Beth-Maveth, forty-two.

The men of Kiriath Jearim, Chephirah, and Beeroth, seven hundred forty-three.

The men of the Ramah and Geba, six hundred twenty-one.

The men of Michmas, one hundred twenty-two.

The men of Bethel and the Ai, one hundred twenty-three.

The men of the other Nebo, fifty-two.

The sons of the other Elam, a thousand two hundred fifty-four.

The sons of Harim, three hundred twenty.

The sons of Jericho, three hundred forty-five.

The sons of Lod, Hadid, and Ono, seven hundred twenty-one.

The sons of Senaah, three thousand nine hundred and thirty.

The priests:

The sons of Jedaiah, of the house of Jeshua, nine hundred seventy-three.

The sons of Immer, one thousand fifty-two.

The sons of Pashhur, one thousand two hundred forty-seven.

The sons of Harim, one thousand seventeen.

The Levites:

The sons of Jeshua, and Kadmiel, of the sons of Hodevah, seventy-four.

The singers:

The sons of Asaph, one hundred forty-eight.

The gatekeepers:

The sons of Shallum, the sons of Ater, the sons of Talmon, the sons of Akkub, the sons of Hatita, the sons of Shobai, one hundred thirty-eight.

The Nethinim:

The sons of Ziha, the sons of Hashupha, sons of Tabbaoth,

the sons of Keros, the sons of Sia, the sons of Padon,

the sons of Lebanah, the sons of Hagabah, the sons of Shalmai,

the sons of Hanan, the sons of Giddel, the sons of Gahar,

the sons of Reaiah, the sons of Rezin, the sons of Nekoda,

the sons of Gazzam, the sons of Uzza, the sons of Paseah,

the sons of Besai, the sons of Meunim, the sons of Nephoshasim,

the sons of Bakbuk, the sons of Hakupha, the sons of Harhur,

the sons of Bazlith, the sons of Mehida, the sons of Harsha,

the sons of Barkos, the sons of Sisera, the sons of Tamath,

the sons of Neziah, the sons of Hatipha.

The sons of Solomon's servants:

The sons of Sotai, the sons of Sophereth, the sons of Perida,

the sons of Jaala, the sons of Darkon, the sons of Giddel,

the sons of Shephatiah, the sons of Hattil, the sons of Pochereth of the Zebaim, the sons of Amon,

All the Nethinim and the sons of Solomon's servants were three hundred ninety-two.

And these were those who went up from Tel Melah, Tel Harsha, Cherub, Addon, and Immer, but could not show their paternal houses, nor their lineage, whether they were of Israel:

The sons of Delaiah, the sons of Tobiah, the sons of Nekoda, six hundred forty-two.

And of the priests: the sons of Habaiah, the sons of Hakkoz, the sons of Barzillai, who took one of the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite as his wife, and was called by their name.

These searched for their genealogical records, but they were not found. Therefore they were consider unfit for the priesthood.

And the Tirshatha said to them that they could not eat of the most holy things until a priest should arise with Urim and Thummim.

The whole assembly together was forty-two thousand three hundred and sixty,

besides their male and female slaves, of whom there were seven thousand three hundred thirty-seven. And they had two hundred forty-five male and female singers.

The camels were four hundred thirty-five. Their donkeys were six thousand seven hundred and twenty.

And some of their paternal heads gave to the treasury for the work. The Tirshatha gave to the treasury a thousand darics of gold, fifty basins, five hundred and thirty priestly garments.

And some of the paternal heads gave to the treasury of the work twenty thousand darics of gold, and two thousand two hundred minas of silver.

And what the rest of the people gave was twenty thousand darics of gold, and two thousand minas of silver, and sixty-seven priestly tunics.

And the priests, and the Levites, and the gatekeepers, and the singers, and some of the people, and the Nethinim, and all Israel lived in their cities. And the seventh month came, and the sons of Israel were in their cities.

Chapter 8
And all the people gathered as one man to the courtyard before the water gate, and they asked to Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses, which Yahweh had commanded to Israel.

And Ezra the priest brought the law before the assembly of men and women, and all who could understand what they were hearing, on the first day of the seventh month.

And he read in it before the courtyard in front of the water gate from daybreak to noon, before the men and women and those who could understand, and all the people listened to the book of the law.

And Ezra the scribe stood on a wooden platform which they had made for the purpose, and beside him stood Mattithiah and Shema and Anaiah and Uriah and Hilkiah and Maaseiah on his right, and on his left Pedaiah and Mishael and Malkiah and Hashum and Hashbadanah, Zechariah and Meshullam.

And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, because he was above all the people. And when he opened it, all the people stood.

And Ezra blessed Yahweh, the Great God.

And all the people replied, Amen, as they lifted their hands, and bowed their heads, and did homage to Yahweh with their faces to the ground.

And Jeshua and Bani and Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites helped the people understand the law, and the people stood in their place.

And they read in the book of the law of God, translating the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.

And Nehemiah, who was the Tirshatha, and Ezra the scribe and priest, and the Levites taught the people, and said to all the people, This day is holy to Yahweh your god. Do not mourn or weep. For all the people were weeping when they heard the words of the law.

And he said to them, Go, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions to those who have none, because this day is holy to our lord. And do not be grieved, because the joy of Yahweh is your strength.

And the Levites stilled all the people, saying, Keep silence, because it a holy day, and do not be grieved.

And all the people went their way to eat and to drink and to send portions and to make great rejoicing, because they had understood the words that were taught to them.

And on the second day the paternal heads of all the people were gathered, the priests, and the Levites, to Ezra the scribe, to understand the words of the law.

And they found written in the law what Yahweh had commanded by the hand of Moses, that the sons of Israel should stay in temporary structures during the festival of the seventh month;

and that they should announce a proclamation through all their cities, and in Jerusalem, saying, Go to the mountain, and bring olive branches, and oil-tree branches, and myrtle braches, and palm branches, and branches of dense trees, to make temporary structures, as it is written.

And the people went out, and brought them, and made themselves temporary structures, each on his roof, and in their courtyards, and in the courtyards of the house of God, and in the courtyard of the gate of Ephraim.

And all the assembly of the returnees from the exile made temporary structure, because from the days of Jeshua bin Nun until that day the Israelites had not done so. And there was immense rejoicing.

And he read from the book of the law of God day by day, from the first day until the last day. And they observed the festival seven days, and on the eight day was a sacred assembly, according to the decree.

Chapter 9
And on the twenty-fourth day of this month the Israelites were assembled with fasting and sackcloth, covered in dirt.

And the seed of Israel separated themselves from all the foreign people, and stood and confessed their sins and the wrongs of their fathers.

And they arose and stood there, and read in the book of the law of Yahweh their god for a quarter of the day, and for a quarter they confessed and worshipped Yahweh their god.

And the Levites stood on the stairs: Jeshua and Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, Chenani, and cried out with a loud voice to Yahweh their god.

And the Levites, Jeshua and Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabniah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, Pethahiah, said, Rise and bless Yahweh your god from everlasting to everlasting, and blessed be your honorable name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise.

It is you, Yahweh, you alone, who made the sky, the highest sky, and all their army, the earth, and all that is in them, the seas, and all that is in them, and you keep them all alive, and the army of heaven worship you.

You, Yahweh, are the god who chose Abram, and brought him out from Ur Kasdim, and gave him the name Abraham.

You found his heart to be faithful to you, and made a covenant with him, giving hthe land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Jebusites, and the Girgashites, giving it to his seed. You have upheld your words, because you are righteous.

And you saw the oppression of our fathers in Egypt, and heard their cry by the Red Sea.

You showed signs and wonders with Pharaoh, and with all his servants, and with all the people of his land, because you knew that they boiled up against them. And you made yourself a reputation, as it is today.

And you split the sea before them, and they crossed over through the middle of the sea on dry ground, and threw their pursuers into the depths, like a stone into mighty waters.

And with a pillar of cloud you guided them by day, and with a pillar of fire by night, to light the way ahead of them as they went.

And on Mount Sinai you came down and spoke with them from the sky, and gave them righteous decrees and trustworthy laws, good decrees and commandments.

You taught them your holy sabbath, and commanded them decrees, commandments, and law, by the hand of Moses your servant.

You gave them bread from the sky for their hunger, and brought forth water for them from a rock for their thirst, and told them to go in and seize the land which you swore to give them.

But they and our fathers seethed, and hardened their neck, and would not listen to your commandments.

They refused to obey, and did not remember the wonders you did among them. They hardened their necks, and in their rebellion appointed a leader to return them to their slavery. But you are a god of pardon, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, great in loyalty, and you did not abandon them.

Even when they made themselves a molten calf, and said, This is your god who brought you up from Egypt, and acted with great contempt,

still you in your many mercies did not abandon them in the wilderness. The pillar of cloud did not leave them by day, to lead them on the way, and the pillar of fire by night, to light the way for them to go.

And you gave your good spirit to instruct them, and did not withhold your manna from their mouth, and gave them water for their thirst.

For forty years you provided for them in the wilderness. They lacked nothing. Their clothed did not wear out, and their feet did not swell.

And you gave them kingdoms and nations, and set aside allotments for them. And they took possession of the land of Sihon, and the land of the king of Heshbon, and the land of Og, king of the Bashan.

And you multiplied their children like the stars of the sky, and brought them to the land of which you told their fathers that they would enter and take possession.

And the sons went in and possessed the land, and you subdued before them the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, and gave them into their hand, with their kings and the peoples of the lands, to do with as they pleased.

And they took fortified cities, and a bountiful land, and took possession of houses filled with goods, wells already dug, vineyards, and olive groves, and fruit trees in abundance. And they ate and were filled, and became fat, and delighted in your great goodness.

But they were disobedient and rebelled against you, and threw out your law behind them back, and killed your prophets who testified against them, to turn them to you, and they acted with great contempt.

And you gave them into the hand of their enemies, who oppressed them, and in the time of their trouble they cried out to you, and you heard them from the sky. And by your great mercies you gave them rescuers, who rescued them from the hand of their enemies.

And when they lived in comfort, they returned to doing evil before you. And you abandoned them to the hand of their enemies, and they trampled them. And they returned, and cried to you, and you heard you from heaven, and many times you rescued them by your mercies.

And you testified against them, to bring them back to your law, but they seethed, and would not listen to your commandments, and sinned against your decrees, which, if a person does, he will live by them, and made their shoulder stubborn, and hardened their neck, and would not hear.

For many years you bore with them, and testified against them by your spirit, by the hand of your prophets, but they would not listen, so you gave them into the hand of the peoples of the land.

Yet in your great mercies you did not make an end of them or abandon them, because you are a gracious and merciful god.

Therefore, our great, and mighty, and fearsome god, who keeps covenant and loyalty, do not let all the trouble seem small to you, which has come upon us, upon our kings, upon our leaders, upon our priests, and upon our prophets, and upon our fathers, and upon all your people, from the days of the kings of Assyria to this day.

You are right in all that has come upon us, because you have acted faithfully, but we have done wickedly.

Nor have our kings, our leaders, or our fathers kept your law, nor listened to your commandments and your decrees, which you have decreed against them.

They have not served you in their kingdom, and in your great goodness that you gave them, and in the broad and abundant land which you have before them, and they would not turn away from their wicked deeds.

Here we are, slaves today, and the land which you gate to our fathers to eat its produce, here we are: slaves in it.

And it has yielded great increase to the kings whom you set over us because of our sins. And they rule over our bodies, and over our livestock, at their pleasure, and we are in great distress.

And because of all this we made a secure covenant, and write it: our leaders, our Levites, priests seal it.

Chapter 10
And those who sealed were Nehemiah the Tirshathah son of Hachaliah, and Zedekiah,

Seraiah, Azariah, Jeremiah,

Pashhur, Amariah, Malkiah,

Hattush, Shebaniah, Malluch,

Harim, Meremoth, Obadiah,

Daniel, Ginnethon, Baruch,

Meshullam, Abiah, Miamin,

Maaziah, Bilgai, Shemaiah. These were the priests.

And the Levites, and Jeshua, Binnui of the sons of Henadad, Kadmiel,

And their brethren: Shebaniah, Hodiah, Kelita, Pelaiah, Hanan,

Mica, Rehob, Hashabiah,

Zakkur, Sherebiah, Shebaniah,

Hodiah, Bani, Beninu,

The heads of the people: Parosh, Pahath Moab, Elam, Zattu, Bani,

Bunni, Azgad, Bebai,

Adoniah, Bigvai, Adin,

Ater, Hezekiah, Azzur,

Hodiah, Hashum, Bezai,

Hariph, Anathoth, Nobai,

Magpiash, Meshullam, Hezir,

Meshezabel, Zadok, Jaddua,

Pelatiah, Hanan, Anaiah,

Hoshea, Hananiah, Hashub,

Hallohesh, Pilha, Shobek,

Rehum, Hashabnah, Maaseiah,

and Ahiah, Hanan, Anan,

Malluch, Harim, Baanah.

And the rest of the people, the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, the Nethinim, and all those who were separated from the peoples of the lands to the law of God, their sons, their daughters, all who could have understanding;

held close to their brethren the nobles, and made imprecations and an oath to walk in the law of God, which was given by the hand of Moses the servant of God, and to keep and observe all the commandments of Yahweh our lord, and his decrees and statutes;

and that we would not give our daughters to the peoples of the land, or take their daughters for our sons;

and that if the peoples of the land should bring any wares or any grain on the sabbath day to sell, we would not buy it from them on the sabbath or any holy day; and that on the seventh year we would let the land lie fallow, and release every debt.

And we made it a commandment for ourselves to give each year a third of a shekel for the service of the house of our god;

for the arranged bread, and for the daily meal offerings, and for the burnt offerings of each day, the sabbaths, the new moons, for the appointed times, and for the holy things, and for the sin offerings to make atonement for Israel, and for all the service of the house of our god.

And we cast lots concerning the wood-offering, among the priests, the Levites, and the people, to bring it to the house of our god, by our paternal houses, at set times year by year, to burn on the altar of Yahweh, as is written in the law;

and to bring the first-fruits of our ground, and the first-fruits of all trees, year by year, to the house of Yahweh;

and the firstborns of our sons, and of our livestock, as is written in the law, and the firstborns of our herds and our flocks, to bring them to the house of our god, to the priests who minister in the house of our god;

and that we should bring the first of our dough, and our heave-offerings, and the fruit of all trees, of wine and oil, to the priests, to the chambers of the house of god, and the tithes of our land to the Levites, that these Levites might have the tithes of all the cities where we farm.

And the [high] priest, the son of Aaron, will be with the the Levites when the Levites take tithes. And the Levites will bring up the tithes to the house of our god, to the chambers, to the treasury.

For the Israelites and the Levites will bring the offering of the grain, the new wine, and the oil to the chambers, where the holy objects are, and the priests who minister, and the gatekeepers, and the singers. And we will not forsake the house of our god.

Chapter 11
And the rulers of the people lived in Jerusalem. And the rest of the people cast lots, to bring one tenth to live in Jerusalem the holy city, and nine parts in [other] cities.

And the people blessed all the men who volunteered to live in Jerusalem.

And these are the heads of the province who dwelt in Jerusalem, but in the cities of Judah each one dwelt with his possessions in their cities: Israel, the priests, the Levites, and the Nethinim, and the sons of Solomon's servants.

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

and Maaseiah son of Baruch son of Kol Hozeh son of Hazaiah son of Adaiah son of Joiarib son of Zechariah son of the Shilonite.

All the sons of Perez who dwelt at Jerusalem were four hundred sixty-eight valiant men.

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

and after him Gabbai, Sallai, nine hundred twenty-eight.

And Joel son of Zikri was their supervisor, and Judah son of Hassenuah was second over the city.

Of the priests: Jedaiah son of Joiarib, Jachin.

Seraiah son of Hilkiah son of Meshullam son of Zadok son of Meraioth son of Ahitub was the ruler of the house of God.

And their brethren who did the work of the house were eight hundred twenty-two. And Adaiah son of Jeroham son of Pelaliah son of Amzi son of Zechariah son of Pashhur son of Malkiah

and his brethren, paternal heads, were two hundred forty-two. And Amashsai son of Azarel son of Ahzai son of Meshillemoth son of Immer

and their brothers, valiant warriors, were one hundred twenty-eight. And their supervisor was Zabdiel, the son of great men.

And of the Levites: Shemaiah son of Hashub son of Azrikam son of Hashabiah son of Bunni,

and Shabbethai and Jozabad were over the outward business of the house of God, of the heads of the Levites.

And Mattaniah son of Micah son of Zabdi son of Asaph was the leader who began thanksgiving and prayer, and Bakbukiah was the second among his brethren, and Abda son of Shammua son of Galal son of Jeduthun.

All the Levites in the holy city were two hundred eighty-four.

And the gatekeepers, Akkub, Talmon, and their brethren the guards of the gates were one hundred seventy-two.

And the rest of Israel, the priests, the Levites, were in all the cities of Judah, each in his inheritance.

And the Nethinim lived in the Ophel, and Ziha and Gishpa were over the Nethinim.

The overseer of the Levites in Jerusalem was Uzzi son of Bani son of Hashabiah son of Mattaniah son of Micah. Of the sons of Asaph, the singers were over the business of the house of God.

Because it was the king's commandment concerning them that there should be an allowance for the singers, day by day.

And Pethahiah son of Meshezabel, of the sons of Zerah son of Judah, was at the king's hand in all matters concerning the people.

And for the villages with their fields, some of the sons of Judah lived at Kiriath Arba and in its daughter-villages, and at Dibon and its daughter-villages, and at Jekabzeel and its villages,

and in Jeshua, and in Moladah, and in Beth Pelet,

and in Hazar Shual, and in Beersheba and its daughter-villages,

and in Ziklag, and in Mekonah and in its daughter-villages,

and in Ein Rimmon, and in Zareah, and in Jarmuth,

Zanoah, Adullam and their villages, Lachish and its fields, Azekah and its daughter-villages. And they encamped from Beersheba to the valley of Hinnom.

And the sons of Benjamin from Geba were at Michmash and Aiah and Bethel and its villages,

Anathoth, Nob, Ananiah,

Hazor, Ramah, Gittaim,

Hadid, Zeboim, Neballat,

Lod, and Ono, the valley of craftsmen.

And of the Levites there were allotments in Judah of Benjamin.

Chapter 12
And these are the priests and the Levites who came up with Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Jeshua: Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra,

Amariah, Malluch, Hattush,

Shechaniah, Rehum, Meremoth,

Iddo, Ginnetho, Abiah,

Miamin, Maadiah, Bilgah,

Shemaiah, and Joiarib, Jedaiah,

Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, Jedaiah. These were the heads of the priests and their brethren in the days of Jeshua.

And the Levites: Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, Mattaniah, who was over the thanksgiving, he and his brethren,

and Bakbukiah and Unni, their brethren, who were opposite them in their watches.

And Jeshua begot Joiakim, and Joiakim begot Eliashib, and Eliashib begot Joiada,

and Joiada begot Jonathan, and Jonathan begot Jaddua.

And in the days of Joiakim the priests, the paternal heads, were of Seraiah, Meraiah; of Jeremiah, Hananiah;

of Ezra, Meshullam; of Amariah, Jehohanan;

of Melluchi, Jonathan; of Shebaniah, Joseph;

of Harim, Adna; of Meraioth, Helkai;

of Iddo, Zechariah; of Ginnethon, Meshullam;

of Abiah, Zikri; of Moadiah, Piltai;

of Bilgah, Shammua; of Shemaiah, Jonathan;

and of Joiarib, Mattenai; of Jedaiah, Uzzi;

of Sallai, Kallai; of Amok, Eber;

of Hilkiah, Hashabiah; of Jedaiah, Nethanel.

The Levites in the days of Eliashib: Joiada and Johanan and Jaddua, were written as paternal heads, and the priests, around the reign of Darius the Persian.

The sons of Levi, paternal heads, were written in the book of annals until the days of Johanan son of Eliashib.

And the heads of the Levites were Hashabiah, Sherebiah, and Jeshua son of Kadmiel, and their brethren standing opposite them to praise and give thanks by the commandment of David the man of God, watch by watch.

Mattaniah, and Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon, Akkub guarded the gates, guarding the thresholds of the gates.

These were in the days of Joiakim son of Jeshua son of Jozadak, and in the days of Nehemiah the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe.

And at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought the Levites from all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem, to observe the dedication and celebration with thanksgiving, and singing, cymbals, harps, and lyres.

And the sons of the singers gathered together, both from the Kikkar surrounding Jerusalem, and from the villages of the Netophathites;

and from Beth Gilgal, and from the fields of Geba and Azmaveth, because the singers had built villages around Jerusalem.

And the priests and the Levites purified themselves, and purified the people, and the gates, and the wall.

And I brought up the leaders of Judah on the wall, and set up two great companies to give thanks, [and one] went up along the right side on the wall toward the dung gate.

And following them were Hoshaiah and half the leaders of Judah,

and Azariah, Ezra, and Meshullam,

Judah, and Benjamin, and Shemaiah, and Jeremiah,

and some of the priests' sons with trumpets: Zechariah son of Jonathan son of Shemaiah son of Mattaniah son of Micaiah son of Zakkur son of Asaph;

and his brethren Shemaiah and Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, and Judah, Hanani, with all the musical instruments of David the man of God, and Ezra the scribe lead them.

And at the fountain gate, which was opposite them, they went up by steps to the City of David, where the wall goes up, above the house of David, as far as the water gate eastward.

And the other company that gave thanks went on the other side, and I followed them, and half the people on the wall, from above the tower of the furnaces to the broad wall;

and from above the gate of Ephraim, and above the old gate, and above the fish gate, and the tower of Hananel, and the tower of Hammeah, to the sheep gate, and they stood at the prison gate.

So the two companies giving thanks stood at the house of God, and I and half the officials were with me;

and the priests Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, Hananiah, with trumpets;

and Maaseiah, and Shemaiah, and Eleazar, and Uzzi, and Jehohanan, and Malkiah, and Elam, and Ezer. And the singers sang out with Jezrahiah their supervisor.

And on that day they offered great sacrifices and rejoiced, because God made them rejoice with great rejoicing, and the wives and children also rejoices, so that the rejoicing of Jerusalem was heard from afar.

And on that day they appointed men over the chambers of the treasuries, for the offerings, for the firstfruits, and for the tithes, to gather them in from the fields of the cities the required portions for the priests and the Levites, because Judah rejoiced over the priests and the Levites who were standing there.

And the singers and the gatekeepers kept the watch of their god, and the watch of the purification according to the commandment of David, of Solomon his son.

For in the days of David and Asaph at first there was a leader of the singers, and of the song of praise and thanksgiving to God.

And all Israel in the days of Zerubbabel and in the days of Nehemiah gave the portions of the singers and the gatekeepers, each daily portion, and they consecrated for the Levites, and the Levites consecrated for the sons of Aaron.

Chapter 13
On that day they read from the book of Moses in the hearing of the people, and in it was found written that no Ammonite or Moabite should come into the assembly of God forever;

because they had not met the Israelites with bread and water, but hired Balaam against them to curse them, but our god turned the curse into blessing.

And when they had heard the law, they separated all admixture from Israel.

And before this, Eliashib the priest, who was placed over the chamber of the house of our god, was allied to Tobiah.

And he prepared for him a great chamber, where before they had kept the meal-offering, the frankincense, and the implements, and the tithes of grain, the new wine, and the oil, commanded for the Levites and the singers and the gatekeepers and the heave-offerings of the priests.

And in all this time I was not in Jerusalem, because in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon I came to the king, and after some days I made a request of the king.

And I came to Jerusalem, and understood the evil that Eliashib did for Tobiah, preparing him a chamber in the courts of the house of God.

And it greatly upset me, so I threw out all the things from the house of Tobiah from the chamber.

And I gave the word, and they ritually purified the chambers, and I brought back into it the implements of the house of God with the meal-offering and the frankincense.

And I learned that the portions of the Levites had not been given, and the Levites and the singers who were to do the work had each fled to his own field.

And I contended with the officials, and said, Why is the house of God abandoned? And I gathered them together and set them in their place.

Then all Judah brought the tithe of the grain and the new wine and the oil to the treasuries.

And I set treasurers over the treasuries: Shelemiah the priest, and Zadok the scribe, and Pedaiah of the Levites, and next to them was Hanan son of Zakkur son of Mattaniah, because they were considered trustworthy, and they were responsible for disbursements to their brethren.

Remember me, my god, for this, and do not blot out my loyal deeds that I have done for the house of my god and for its duties.

In those days I saw in Judah some treading wine-presses on the sabbath, and bringing in sheaves, and loading donkeys with wine, grapes, and all kinds of burdens, and bringing them to Jerusalem on the sabbath day. And I testified against them on the day when they sold provisions.

And Tyrians lived there, who brought fish and all kinds of wares, and sold on the sabbath to the children of Judah, and in Jerusalem.

And I contended with the nobles of Judah, and said to them, What is this evil that you have done, and profaning the sabbath day?

Is this not what your fathers did, when our god brought all this catastrophe upon us and upon this city? And now you again bring wrath against Israel by desecrating the sabbath.

And when at the gates of Jerusalem it began to grow dark before the sabbath, I gave the word, and the doors were shut, and gave word that they were not to be opened until after the sabbath, and some of my servants I set at the gates. No burden was to be brought in on the sabbath day.

And the merchants and dealers of all kinds of wares spent the night outside Jerusalem once or twice.

And I rebuked them, and said to them, Why are you spending the night around the wall? If you do it again, I will lay hands on you. From that time they no longer came on the sabbath.

And I commanded the Levites to purify themselves, and to come and guard the gates, to hallow the sabbath day. For this also, my god, remember me, and have compassion on me by the greatness of your loyalty.

Also in those days I saw Jews who had married women from Ashdod, from Ammon, and from Moab.

And of their children half spoke in the language of Ashdod, and did not know how to speak the Jewish language, but rather the speech of the various peoples.

And I contended with them, and cursed them, and struck some of them, and shaved their heads, and made them swear by God, May God punish you if you give your daughters to their sons, or take any of their daughters for your sons or yourselves.

Did not Solomon king of Israel sin by these things? Yet among many nations there was no king like him, beloved of his god, and God made him king over all Israel. Yet even he was made to sin by foreign women.

Should we then acquiesce as you do all this great evil, transgressing against our god by marrying foreign wives?

And one of the sons of Joiada, son of Eliashib the high priest, was the son-in-law of Sanballat the Horonite. And I chased him away from me.

Remember them, my god, because they have polluted the priesthood, and the covenant of priesthood and of the Levites.

And I purified them of all foreigners, and set watches of the priests and the Levites, each to his work,

and for the wood-offering, at the appointed times, and for the firstfruits. Remember me, my god, for good.