Top of Page
Page Style
view of all this, we are making a binding agreement and putting it down in writing; and our leaders, our Levites, and our priests are placing their seal on it.”
1 Those who placed their seal on the document were:
Nehemiah the governor, the son of Hacaliah,
and Zedekiah,
2 Seraiah, Azariah, Jeremiah,
3 Pashhur, Amariah, Malchijah,
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 descendants of Henadad, Kadmiel;
10 and their brothers:
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 rest of the people—the priests, Levites, gatekeepers, singers, temple servants, and all who separated themselves from the peoples of the neighbouring lands for the sake of the Law of God, together with their wives, their sons and daughters, and all who know enough to understand— 29 join with their brothers, the nobles, and bind themselves with a curse and with an oath to walk in the Law of God given through Moses the servant of God, and to carefully obey all the commands, ordinances, and statutes of the Lord our Lord.
30 “We will not give our daughters in marriage to the peoples of the surrounding lands or take their daughters for our sons.
31 “When any of the peoples of the surrounding lands bring merchandise or grain on the Sabbath day to sell, we will not buy from them on the Sabbath, or on a holy day.
We will forego working the land every seventh year and will cancel every debt.
32 “We will place ourselves under the obligation of giving a third of a shekel each year for the service of the house of our God:
33 for the bread set out before the Lord;
for the regular grain offering;
for the regular burnt offering;
for the offerings on the Sabbath;
for the New Moon festivals;
for the appointed feasts;
for the holy things;
for the sin offerings to make atonement for Israel;
and for all the work of the house of our God.
34 “We have cast lots among the priests, the Levites, and the people, to determine when each of our families is to bring donations of wood to the house of our God, to burn on the altar of the Lord our God, as it is written in the Law.
35 “We will bring the firstfruits of our land, and the firstfruits of every fruit tree, year by year, to the House of the Lord.
36 “We will bring the firstborn of our sons and of our livestock, and the firstborn of our herds and our flocks as is written in the Law to bring to the house of our God, for the priests who minister in the house of our God.
37 “We will bring to the priests at the storerooms of the house of our God the first batch of our dough, the firstfruits of our grain offerings, and the gifts of fruit from every tree, and of new wine and oil. We will also bring a tenth of all the produce of our land to the Levites, for it is the Levites who collect the tithes in all of our farming communities.
38 A priest descended from Aaron must accompany the Levites when they collect the tithes, and the Levites are to bring a tenth of the tithes to the house of our God, to the storerooms of the treasury.
39 The people of Israel and the Levites are to bring the contributions of grain, new wine, and oil to the storerooms where the articles of the sanctuary are kept and where the ministering priests, the gatekeepers, and the singers serve.
“We will not neglect the house of our God.”