39
The priests included:
Jedaiah's descendants of the house of Jeshua
973
40
Immer's descendants
1,052
41
Pashhur's descendants
1,247
42
Harim's descendants
1,017.
43
The Levites included:
Jeshua's descendants: of Kadmiel
Hodevah's descendants
74.
44
The singers included:
45
The gatekeepers included:
Shallum's descendants, Ater's descendants,
Talmon's descendants, Akkub's descendants,
Hatita's descendants, Shobai's descendants
138.
46
The temple servants included:
Ziha's descendants, Hasupha's descendants,
Tabbaoth's descendants,
47
Keros's descendants,
Sia's descendants, Padon's descendants,
48
Lebanah's descendants, Hagabah's descendants,
Shalmai's descendants,
49
Hanan's descendants,
Giddel's descendants, Gahar's descendants,
50
Reaiah's descendants, Rezin's descendants,
Nekoda's descendants,
51
Gazzam's descendants,
Uzza's descendants, Paseah's descendants,
52
Besai's descendants, Meunim's descendants,
Nephishesim's descendants,
53
Bakbuk's descendants,
Hakupha's descendants, Harhur's descendants,
54
Bazlith's descendants, Mehida's descendants,
Harsha's descendants,
55
Barkos's descendants,
Sisera's descendants, Temah's descendants,
56
Neziah's descendants, Hatipha's descendants.
57
The descendants of Solomon's servants included:
Sotai's descendants, Sophereth's descendants,
Perida's descendants,
58
Jaala's descendants,
Darkon's descendants, Giddel's descendants,
59
Shephatiah's descendants, Hattil's descendants,
Pochereth-hazzebaim's descendants, Amon's descendants.
60
All the temple servants
and the descendants of Solomon's servants
392.
61
The following are those who came from Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Cherub, Addon, and Immer, but were unable to prove that their families and ancestors were Israelite:
62
Delaiah's descendants,
Tobiah's descendants,
and Nekoda's descendants
642
63
and from the priests: the descendants of Hobaiah, the descendants of Hakkoz, and the descendants of Barzillai — who had taken a wife from the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite and was called by their name.
64
These searched for their entries in the genealogical records, but they could not be found, so they were disqualified from the priesthood.
65
The governor ordered them not to eat the most holy things until there was a priest who could consult the
•Urim
and Thummim.
66
The whole combined assembly numbered
42,360
67
not including their 7,337 male and female slaves,
as well as their 245 male and female singers.
68
They had 736 horses, 245 mules,
69
435 camels, and 6,720 donkeys.
70
Some of the family leaders gave to the project. The governor gave 1,000 gold coins, 50 bowls, and 530 priestly garments to the treasury.
71
Some of the family leaders gave 20,000 gold coins and 2,200 silver minas to the treasury for the project.
72
The rest of the people gave 20,000 gold coins, 2,000 silver minas, and 67 priestly garments.
73
So the priests, Levites, gatekeepers, temple singers, some of the people, temple servants, and all Israel settled in their towns.
Public Reading of the Law
When the seventh month came and the Israelites had settled in their towns,
Nehemiah
8
all the people gathered together at the square in front of the Water Gate. They asked Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses that the
Lord
had given Israel.
2
On the first day of the seventh month, Ezra the priest brought the law before the assembly of men, women, and all who could listen with understanding.
3
While he was facing the square in front of the Water Gate, he read out of it from daybreak until noon before the men, the women, and those who could understand. All the people listened attentively to the book of the law.
4
Ezra the scribe stood on a high wooden platform made for this purpose. Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah stood beside him on his right; to his left were Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hash-baddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam.
5
Ezra opened the book in full view of all the people, since he was elevated above everyone. As he opened it, all the people stood up.
6
Ezra praised the
Lord
, the great God, and with their hands uplifted all the people said, “
•Amen
, Amen! ” Then they bowed down and worshiped the
Lord
with their faces to the ground.
7
Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, and Pelaiah, who were Levites, explained the law to the people as they stood in their places.
8
They read out of the book of the law of God, translating and giving the meaning so that the people could understand what was read.
9
Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who were instructing the people said to all of them, “This day is holy to the
Lord
your God. Do not mourn or weep.” For all the people were weeping as they heard the words of the law.
10
Then he said to them, “Go and eat what is rich, drink what is sweet, and send portions to those who have nothing prepared, since today is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, because the joy of the
Lord
is your stronghold.”
11
And the Levites quieted all the people, saying, “Be still, since today is holy. Do not grieve.”
12
Then all the people began to eat and drink, send portions, and have a great celebration, because they had understood the words that were explained to them.
Festival of Booths Observed
13
On the second day, the family leaders of all the people, along with the priests and Levites, assembled before Ezra the scribe to study the words of the law.
14
They found written in the law how the
Lord
had commanded through Moses that the Israelites should dwell in booths during the festival of the seventh month.
15
So they proclaimed and spread this news throughout their towns and in Jerusalem, saying, “Go out to the hill country and bring back branches of olive, wild olive, myrtle, palm, and other leafy trees to make booths, just as it is written.”
16
The people went out, brought back branches, and made booths for themselves on each of their rooftops, and courtyards, the court of the house of God, the square by the Water Gate, and the square by the Gate of Ephraim.
17
The whole community that had returned from exile made booths and lived in them. They had not celebrated like this from the days of Joshua son of Nun until that day. And there was tremendous joy.
18
Ezra read out of the book of the law of God every day, from the first day to the last. The Israelites celebrated the festival for seven days, and on the eighth day there was an assembly, according to the ordinance.
Nehemiah
National Confession of Sin
9
On the twenty-fourth day of this month the Israelites assembled; they were fasting, wearing
•sackcloth
, and had put dust on their heads.
2
Those of Israelite descent separated themselves from all foreigners, and they stood and confessed their sins and the
•guilt
of their fathers.
3
While they stood in their places, they read from the book of the law of the
Lord
their God for a fourth of the day and spent another fourth of the day in confession and worship of the
Lord
their God.
4
Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Chenani stood on the raised platform built for the Levites and cried out loudly to the
Lord
their God.
5
Then the Levites — Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah — said, “Stand up. Praise
•Yahweh
your God from everlasting to everlasting.”
Praise Your glorious name,
and may it be exalted above all blessing and praise.
6
You alone are Yahweh.
You created the heavens,
the highest heavens with all their host,
the earth and all that is on it,
the seas and all that is in them.
You give life to all of them,
and the heavenly host worships You.
7
You are Yahweh,
the God who chose Abram
and brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans,
and changed his name to Abraham.
8
You found his heart faithful in Your sight,
and made a covenant with him
to give the land of the Canaanites,
Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites,
Jebusites, and Girgashites —
to give it to his descendants.
You have kept Your promise,
for You are righteous.
9
You saw the oppression of our ancestors in Egypt
and heard their cry at the
•Red
Sea.
10
You performed signs and wonders against Pharaoh,
all his officials, and all the people of his land,
for You knew how arrogantly they treated our ancestors.
You made a name for Yourself
that endures to this day.
11
You divided the sea before them,
and they crossed through it on dry ground.
You hurled their pursuers into the depths
like a stone into churning waters.
12
You led them with a pillar of cloud by day,
and with a pillar of fire by night,
to illuminate the way they should go.
13
You came down on Mount Sinai,
and spoke to them from heaven.
You gave them impartial ordinances, reliable instructions,
and good statutes and commands.
14
You revealed Your holy Sabbath to them,
and gave them commands, statutes, and instruction
through Your servant Moses.
15
You provided bread from heaven for their hunger;
You brought them water from the rock for their thirst.
You told them to go in and possess the land
You had sworn to give them.
16
But our ancestors acted arrogantly;
they became stiff-necked and did not listen to Your commands.
17
They refused to listen
and did not remember Your wonders
You performed among them.
They became stiff-necked and appointed a leader
to return to their slavery in Egypt.
But You are a forgiving God,
gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger and rich in faithful love,
and You did not abandon them.
18
Even after they had cast an image of a calf
for themselves and said,
“This is your God who brought you out of Egypt,”
and they had committed terrible blasphemies,
19
You did not abandon them in the wilderness
because of Your great compassion.
During the day the pillar of cloud
never turned away from them,
guiding them on their journey.
And during the night the pillar of fire
illuminated the way they should go.
20
You sent Your good Spirit to instruct them.
You did not withhold Your manna from their mouths,
and You gave them water for their thirst.
21
You provided for them in the wilderness 40 years
and they lacked nothing.
Their clothes did not wear out,
and their feet did not swell.
22
You gave them kingdoms and peoples
and assigned them to be a boundary.
They took possession
of the land of Sihon king of Heshbon
and of the land of Og king of Bashan.
23
You multiplied their descendants
like the stars of heaven
and brought them to the land
You told their ancestors to go in and take possession of it.
24
So their descendants went in and possessed the land:
You subdued the Canaanites who inhabited the land before them
and handed their kings and the surrounding peoples over to them,
to do as they pleased with them.
25
They captured fortified cities and fertile land
and took possession of well-supplied houses,
cisterns cut out of rock, vineyards,
olive groves, and fruit trees in abundance.
They ate, were filled,
became prosperous, and delighted in Your great goodness.