1[1] Those who sealed it were: The governor: Nehemiah son of Hakaliah. Zedekiah,2Seraiah, Azariah, Jeremiah,3Pashhur, Amariah, Malkijah,4Hattush, Shebaniah, Malluk,5Harim, Meremoth, Obadiah,6Daniel, Ginnethon, Baruch,7Meshullam, Abijah, Mijamin,8Maaziah, Bilgai and Shemaiah. These were the priests.9The Levites: Jeshua son of Azaniah, Binnui of the sons of Henadad, Kadmiel,10and their associates: Shebaniah, Hodiah, Kelita, Pelaiah, Hanan,11Mika, Rehob, Hashabiah,12Zakkur, Sherebiah, Shebaniah,13Hodiah, Bani and Beninu.14The leaders of the people: Parosh, Pahath-Moab, Elam, Zattu, Bani,15Bunni, Azgad, Bebai,16Adonijah, Bigvai, Adin,17Ater, Hezekiah, Azzur,18Hodiah, Hashum, Bezai,19Hariph, Anathoth, Nebai,20Magpiash, Meshullam, Hezir,21Meshezabel, Zadok, Jaddua,22Pelatiah, Hanan, Anaiah,23Hoshea, Hananiah, Hasshub,24Hallohesh, Pilha, Shobek,25Rehum, Hashabnah, Maaseiah,26Ahiah, Hanan, Anan,27Malluk, Harim and Baanah.28‘The rest of the people – priests, Levites, gatekeepers, musicians, temple servants and all who separated themselves from the neighbouring peoples for the sake of the Law of God, together with their wives and all their sons and daughters who are able to understand –29all these now join their fellow Israelites the nobles, and bind themselves with a curse and an oath to follow the Law of God given through Moses the servant of God and to obey carefully all the commands, regulations and decrees of the Lord our Lord.30‘We promise not to give our daughters in marriage to the peoples around us or take their daughters for our sons.31‘When the neighbouring peoples bring merchandise or grain to sell on the Sabbath, we will not buy from them on the Sabbath or on any holy day. Every seventh year we will forgo working the land and will cancel all debts.32‘We assume the responsibility for carrying out the commands to give a third of a shekel[2] each year for the service of the house of our God:33for the bread set out on the table; for the regular grain offerings and burnt offerings; for the offerings on the Sabbaths, at the New Moon feasts and at the appointed festivals; for the holy offerings; for sin offerings[3] to make atonement for Israel; and for all the duties of the house of our God.34‘We – the priests, the Levites and the people – have cast lots to determine when each of our families is to bring to the house of our God at set times each year a contribution of wood to burn on the altar of the Lord our God, as it is written in the Law.35‘We also assume responsibility for bringing to the house of the Lord each year the firstfruits of our crops and of every fruit tree.36‘As it is also written in the Law, we will bring the firstborn of our sons and of our cattle, of our herds and of our flocks to the house of our God, to the priests ministering there.37‘Moreover, we will bring to the storerooms of the house of our God, to the priests, the first of our ground meal, of our grain offerings, of the fruit of all our trees and of our new wine and olive oil. And we will bring a tithe of our crops to the Levites, for it is the Levites who collect the tithes in all the towns where we work.38A priest descended from Aaron is to accompany the Levites when they receive the tithes, and the Levites are to bring a tenth of the tithes up to the house of our God, to the storerooms of the treasury.39The people of Israel, including the Levites, are to bring their contributions of grain, new wine and olive oil to the storerooms, where the articles for the sanctuary and for the ministering priests, the gatekeepers and the musicians are also kept. ‘We will not neglect the house of our God.’
Nehemiah 10
English Standard Version
The People Who Sealed the Covenant
1[1] “On the seals are the names of[2] Nehemiah the governor, the son of Hacaliah, Zedekiah, (Ne 1:1; Ne 8:9; Ne 9:38)2Seraiah, Azariah, Jeremiah, (Ne 12:2)3Pashhur, Amariah, Malchijah,4Hattush, Shebaniah, Malluch, (Ezr 8:2)5Harim, Meremoth, Obadiah,6Daniel, Ginnethon, Baruch,7Meshullam, Abijah, Mijamin,8Maaziah, Bilgai, Shemaiah; these are the priests.9And the Levites: Jeshua the son of Azaniah, Binnui of the sons of Henadad, Kadmiel; (Ezr 2:40; Ezr 3:9)10and their brothers, Shebaniah, Hodiah, Kelita, Pelaiah, Hanan,11Mica, Rehob, Hashabiah,12Zaccur, Sherebiah, Shebaniah,13Hodiah, Bani, Beninu.14The chiefs of the people: Parosh, Pahath-moab, Elam, Zattu, Bani, (Ezr 2:3; Ne 7:8)15Bunni, Azgad, Bebai,16Adonijah, Bigvai, Adin,17Ater, Hezekiah, Azzur,18Hodiah, Hashum, Bezai,19Hariph, Anathoth, Nebai,20Magpiash, Meshullam, Hezir,21Meshezabel, Zadok, Jaddua,22Pelatiah, Hanan, Anaiah,23Hoshea, Hananiah, Hasshub,24Hallohesh, Pilha, Shobek,25Rehum, Hashabnah, Maaseiah,26Ahiah, Hanan, Anan,27Malluch, Harim, Baanah.
The Obligations of the Covenant
28“The rest of the people, the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, the temple servants, and all who have separated themselves from the peoples of the lands to the Law of God, their wives, their sons, their daughters, all who have knowledge and understanding, (Ezr 2:36; Ne 9:2)29join with their brothers, their nobles, and enter into a curse and an oath to walk in God’s Law that was given by Moses the servant of God, and to observe and do all the commandments of the Lord our Lord and his rules and his statutes. (De 29:12; De 29:14; 2Ki 23:3; 2Ch 34:31; Ne 5:12; Ps 119:106)30We will not give our daughters to the peoples of the land or take their daughters for our sons. (Ex 34:16; De 7:3; Ezr 9:12; Ezr 9:14)31And if the peoples of the land bring in goods or any grain on the Sabbath day to sell, we will not buy from them on the Sabbath or on a holy day. And we will forego the crops of the seventh year and the exaction of every debt. (Ex 20:10; Ex 23:10; Le 23:3; Le 25:4; De 5:12; De 15:1; Ne 5:12; Ne 13:15)32“We also take on ourselves the obligation to give yearly a third part of a shekel[3] for the service of the house of our God: (Mt 17:24)33for the showbread, the regular grain offering, the regular burnt offering, the Sabbaths, the new moons, the appointed feasts, the holy things, and the sin offerings to make atonement for Israel, and for all the work of the house of our God. (Le 24:5; 1Ch 9:32; 2Ch 2:4)34We, the priests, the Levites, and the people, have likewise cast lots for the wood offering, to bring it into the house of our God, according to our fathers’ houses, at times appointed, year by year, to burn on the altar of the Lord our God, as it is written in the Law. (Le 6:12; Ne 11:1; Ne 13:31; Isa 40:16)35We obligate ourselves to bring the firstfruits of our ground and the firstfruits of all fruit of every tree, year by year, to the house of the Lord; (Ex 23:19; Ex 34:26; Le 19:23; Nu 18:12; De 26:2)36also to bring to the house of our God, to the priests who minister in the house of our God, the firstborn of our sons and of our cattle, as it is written in the Law, and the firstborn of our herds and of our flocks; (Ex 13:2; Ex 13:12; Le 27:26; Nu 18:15)37and to bring the first of our dough, and our contributions, the fruit of every tree, the wine and the oil, to the priests, to the chambers of the house of our God; and to bring to the Levites the tithes from our ground, for it is the Levites who collect the tithes in all our towns where we labor. (Le 23:17; Nu 15:20; Nu 18:12; De 18:4; 1Ch 9:26; 2Ch 31:11)38And the priest, the son of Aaron, shall be with the Levites when the Levites receive the tithes. And the Levites shall bring up the tithe of the tithes to the house of our God, to the chambers of the storehouse. (1Ch 26:20)39For the people of Israel and the sons of Levi shall bring the contribution of grain, wine, and oil to the chambers, where the vessels of the sanctuary are, as well as the priests who minister, and the gatekeepers and the singers. We will not neglect the house of our God.” (De 12:6; De 12:11; 2Ch 31:12; Ne 13:11; Ne 13:12)