Nehemiah’s Prayer; Nehemiah’s mission; Nehemiah Prays for His People

1 The account by Hakalyah’s son Nehemyah (Nehemiah).

In the month of Kislev during the twentieth year of the reign of King Artahshashta (Artaxerxes) over the Persian Empire, I was in the capital city of Shushan (Susa). 2 Hanani, one of my brothers, came ≈with some other men from Yehudah, and I asked them about the Jews who’d escaped ≈and managed to avoid being exiled, and about Yerushalem, 3 and he told me, “The ones left behind in the provinces and who ≈avoided the captivity, are in ≈a bad way and feeling depressed. The wall around Yerushalem was torn down, and its gates were burnt.”

4 When I heard ≈all that, I sat down and I ≈was upset for days. I fasted and cried and prayed to the God of the heavens, 5 and I said, “Oh Yahweh, God of the heavens, the great and awesome God, who keeps &his agreement and ≈is determinedly loyal to those who love him and ≈obey his instructions: 6 Please listen ≈carefully to your servant’s prayer that I’m ≈presenting to you today, day and night, on account of your servants the ≈Israelis. ≈On behalf of all Israelis, I’m confessing that we’ve sinned against you—≈both my generation and previous generations. 7 We’ve acted extremely corruptly—≈disobeying you by not ≈obeying your commands, statutes, and judgements that you ≈instructed through your servant Mosheh. 8 Please remember ≈that you told your servant Mosheh ≈that if we act unfaithfully, you yourself would scatter us among the nations,[ref] 9 ≈but if we’d return to you and obey your instructions, then even if we had been banished to the ends of the earth, you’d gather us back up and bring us back to the place where you’ve established your name and reputation.[ref]

10 “≈We’re your servants and your people that you ≈rescued from slavery with your ≈incredible power. 11 Oh, my master, please ≈listen carefully to your servant’s prayer, and to the prayer of your other servants who delight to ≈honour your name. Please cause your servant to succeed today, and give ≈me favour in the king’s eyes.”

Now as for me, I was the king’s cupbearer.

2 In the ≈spring of the twentieth year of King Artahshashta’s reign, I ≈was serving wine to the king. ≈I’d never looked sad before in his presence, 2 and the king ≈asked me, “Why ≈do you look unhappy? ≈I know that you’re not sick ≈so something must be upsetting you.”

I was very scared 3 and I ≈answered the king, “May the king live forever. ≈I can’t help but look unhappy when the city containing my ancestors’ graves has had its gates burnt down and it’s now abandoned.”[ref] 4 “≈So what would you like to happen?” the king ≈asked.

Then I prayed to the God of heaven 5 and ≈answered the king, “If ≈I have your favour, and if it seems good to the king, maybe you’d send me to Yehudah—to the city of my ancestors’ graves ≈so I could rebuild it.”

6 Then the king said to me, with the queen sitting beside him, “≈How long would your journey be? And when would you return?” ≈So I gave him a date and he seemed happy with it, because he released me to go.

7 ≈Then I made another request, “If it ≈pleases the king, let letters be given to me for the governors of ≈the provinces across the Euphrates river to ask them to help me in my travel towards Yehudah. 8 Also a letter to Asaf, the keeper of the king’s forest, so he’ll give me timber for the beams of the gates of the fortress ≈near the temple, and for the city wall, and for the house ≈that I’ll live in.” Then the king ≈granted those requests, thanks to God’s help on what I was doing.

The city walls rebuilt

9 Then I went to the governors of ≈the provinces across the Euphrates, and I gave them the king’s letters. The king had sent army officers and horsemen with me. 10 When Sanvallat the Horonite and the servant Toviyyah the Ammonite heard >my plans, ≈they were very angry that someone would come to help the Israelis.

Nehemiah Inspects Jerusalem’s Wall; Nehemiah Inspects Jerusalem’s Walls; Nehemiah’s Inspection of the Walls

11 ≈So I ≈got to Yerushalem and was there for three days, 12 ≈One night, I got up and took a few men with me, without having told anyone what I felt that my God had been telling me to do for Yerushalem. ≈We only had the one horse that I was riding, 13 and we went out ≈in the dark through the Valley Gate and past the Dragon Well to the Dung Gate. I was ≈carefully inspecting the *city walls—≈noting where they were broken down and which gates had been burnt out. 14 Then I crossed to the Fountain Gate and the Royal Pool, but there was nowhere that we could get my mount through the rubble. 15 ≈So I went up the creek bed ≈in the dark, carefully inspecting the wall, before turning back and returning quietly through the Valley Gate.

16 ≈None of the city officials knew where I’d gone or what I was doing, and up until this point I hadn’t yet told >my plans to the Jewish leaders or the priests or nobles or city officials, or ≈hired any workers.

Decision to Restore the Walls

17 ≈So now I told them, “You call all see the ≈desperate situation that we’re in: Yerushalem is ≈in ruins and its gates have been burnt out. ≈So now, let’s rebuild the *city wall and then we’ll no longer be ≈mocked by others.” 18 I told them how God ≈had helped me so far and what the king had ≈given me permission to do.

“Well, ≈let’s get started on the rebuilding,” they said, and ≈got ready to work together. 19 ≈But then Sanvallat the Horonite, and the Ammonite servant Toviyyah, and Geshem the Arabian heard, and they mocked and despised us, saying, “What ≈are you guys all up to? Are you all rebelling against the king?”

20 I ≈answered them by explaining, “The God of the heavens will ≈help us to succeed, and we ourselves, his servants, will ≈do the rebuilding work, but you all will have ≈no part in it, and no rights in Yerushalem.”

3 The high priest Elyashiv ≈worked together with his brothers the priests, and they rebuilt the Sheep Gate. They themselves dedicated it and installed the doors on it. ≈In addition, they dedicated @the section of the wall as far as the Tower of the Hundred and ≈beyond that to the Tower of Hananel.

2 The men from Yericho rebuilt ≈the section beside them, and Imri’s son Zakkur rebuilt ≈the next section again. 3 Hassena’ah’s son rebuilt the Fish Gate—laying the beams then installing the doors with their bolts and bars.

4 Uriyyah’s son Meremot (the son of Hakkoz’s son Uriyyah) ≈rebuilt a section, as did Meshullam (son of Mesheyzav’s son Berekyah) and Ba’ana’s son Tsadok. 5 The Tekoites ≈worked next to them, but their ≈leaders wouldn’t actually help with the work.

6 Paseah’s son Yoyada and Besodeyah’s son Meshullam rebuilt the Yeshanah Gate—laying the beams then installing the doors with their bolts and bars. 7 ≈Next to them was Melatyah the Gibeonite, Yadon the Meronotite, and men of Gibeon and Mitspah rebuilding the section to the ≈residence of the governor of the regions that side of the Euphrates.

8 ≈Next again was Harhayah’s son Uzziyel (one of the goldsmiths), then Hananyah (who was a son of the perfumers) rebuilt as far as the Broad Wall. 9 ≈Then it was Hur’s son Refayah, the administrator for half of the Yerushalem district. 10 Harumaf’s son Yedayah ≈repaired the section in front of his house, then Hashavneyah’s son Hatthush ≈made the next repairs.

11 Harim’s son Malkiyyah and Pahat-Moav’s son Hashshuv repaired a section, as well as the Tower of Ovens. 12 ≈Next to them was Hallohesh’s son Shallum, the administrator for another half of the Yerushalem district, helped by his daughters.

13 Hanun and the inhabitants of Zanoah rebuilt the Valley Gate—installing the doors with their bolts and bars, as well as repairing 500m of wall along to the Dung Gate. 14 Rekav’s son Malkiyyah, the administrator for the Beyt-Hakkarem district, rebuilt the Dung Gate—installing the doors with their bolts and bars.

15 Kol-Hozeh’s son Shallun, the administrator for the Mitspah district, rebuilt the Fountain Gate—he built and covered it, installing the doors with their bolts and bars, and repaired the wall of the Shelah (Siloam) Pool from the king’s garden as far as the stairs that come down from the City of David. 16 ≈Next to him was Azbuk’s son Nehemyah, the administrator for half of the Beyt-Tsur district

Levites Who Worked on the Wall

17 ≈Next to him were some Levites: Bani’s son Rehum, then Hashavyah (the administrator for half of the Keilah district) did his district, 18 ≈then Henadad’s son Bavvai the administrator for the other half of the Keilah district.

19 ≈Then there was Yeshu’a’s son Etser (the administrator of Mitspah) repaired a section opposite the steps up to the armoury where the wall turned at an angle.

20 ≈Then Tsakkay’s son Baruk enthusiastically repaired another section from that angle to the entrance to the house of the high priest Elyashiv. 21 ≈Next to him was Meremot (son of Hakots’ son Uriyyah) who repaired another section from the doorway of Elyashiv’s house to the end of *it.

Priests Who Worked on the Wall

22 ≈Next to them, some priests from the surrounding area ≈made repairs.

23 After them Benyamin and Hashshuv repaired a section ≈in front of their house, then Azaryah (son of Ananyah’s son Ma’aseyah) repaired beside his house, 24 Henadad’s son Binnui repaired another section from Azaryah’s house to the corner, 25 Uzai’s son Palal did opposite the corner and the tower above the ≈palace by the guards’ courtyard, and then Parosh’s son Pedayah.

Other Builders

26 The temple servants who lived in Ofel repaired as far as ≈the eastern side of the Water Gate and its tower. 27 After #them, the men from Tekoa repaired another section from opposite that tall tower to the Ofel wall.

28 The priests repaired ≈the section past the Horse Gate—each of them repairing the section in front of his own house. 29 ≈Next to them, Immer’s son Tsadok repaired opposite his house, then Shecanyah’s son Shemayah the gatekeeper at the Eastern Gate ≈repaired the next section.

30 After him was Shelemyah’s son Hananyah with Zalaf’s sixth son Hanun working on a second section, then Berekyah’s sib Meshullam repairing a section in front of his quarters. 31 ≈Next was the goldsmiths’ son Malkiyyah who repaired as far as the house of the temple servants and the merchants, opposite the Inspection Gate, and up to the upper room in the corner, 32 and the other goldsmiths and some merchants repaired the last section of the wall from the upper room in the corner to the Sheep Gate.

4 When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he got really angry. He mocked the Jews 2 and he spoke before ≈in front of his brothers and the army of Samaria, “What are those feeble Jews doing? ≈Do they think they’ll be able to rebuild that place themselves? Will they sacrifice? Will they ≈get finished one day? Will they form the stones ≈back together from piles of dust, when they’ve been ≈weakened by the heat of the fires?”

3 Toviyyah the Ammonite was ≈standing beside him and confirmed, “Yes, even if a fox ≈walked over that stone wall that they’re building, it would make ≈it fall down.”

4 I prayed, “Our God, ≈listen to how we’re mocked and cause their ≈words to return on their own heads and ≈send them away as captives to become the plunder for another country. 5 Don’t just cover over their evil, and don’t ≈just ignore their sin, because they’ve repeatedly ≈made the workers get angry.”

6 ≈So we kept on at building the wall, and eventually all the wall was joined together ≈at about half its height, and ≈so the people were encouraged to keep persevering.

7 ≈Now when Sanballat, and Toviyyah, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites heard that the Yerushalem walls ≈were getting repaired and the breaks were beginning to be closed up, it ≈made them extremely angry 8 and they all got together to come to ≈attack Yerushalem and ≈to throw us into confusion. 9 ≈So we prayed to our God, ≈as well as setting up a 24-hour guard to watch out for them.

10 ≈People around Yehudah said, “The ≈workers are running out of strength and there’s ≈a lot of rubble still to be moved. ≈Maybe we’re not up to building this wall.”

11 Then ≈those against us said, “≈We’ll rush in among them and kill some of them before they even see us or know that we’re coming, then ≈that will bring the work to an end.” 12 ≈After that, whenever the Jews living close to them came, they ≈repeatedly warned us, “≈They’re going to attack us from all directions.” 13 ≈So I stationed guards behind the lowest places along the wall ≈and where there were still gaps. I also ≈made sure that the families stood guard with their swords, spears, and bows.

14 I looked then I ≈got organised and told the nobles and the prefects, and the rest of the people, “Don’t be afraid of their ≈threats. Remember my ≈powerful and fearsome master, and fight for your brothers, your sons and your daughters, your wives, and your houses.” 15 ≈After all that, when our enemies ≈realised that we were aware of their intentions and that God had frustrated their surprise attack plan, ≈we all returned to our work on the wall.

16 ≈So from that day onwards, half of my young men would ≈work on the rebuilding, while the other half stood guard with spears, shields, and breastplates, and the officials ≈encouraged them all from behind. 17 Both those who were ≈placing the stones on the wall and those who were carrying the heavy loads to them, always ≈had their weapons with them in case of an attack. 18 The builders ≈had their swords strapped to their sides as they worked, and ≈the man who would sound the trumpet stayed with me. 19 Then I told the nobles and prefects, and the rest of the people, “≈This job is so large and extensive that we’re all separated from each other when we work on the wall, 20 so whenever you all hear the trumpet blast, join us at that place. Our God will fight for us.” 21 ≈So we ≈continued the work with half of them keeping their hands on their spears from the ≈beginning of the day until the stars came out at night.

22 Also at that time, I told the people, “≈Every worker including servants should spend the night inside the city, so they double as workers during the day and guards at night.” 23 During that period of construction, none of us, not even our servants, ≈stayed undressed or ≈separated from our weapons, even when washing.

5 ≈However around then, there was a ≈widespread complaint from the people and their wives against ≈what their fellow Jews were doing. 2 ≈Some of them complained, “≈There’s a lot of us when we include our sons and daughters. ≈We need grain so we can eat and ≈stay alive.”

3 ≈Others said, “We are mortgaging our fields and vineyards, and our houses so we can get grain during this famine.”

4 ≈Yet others said, “We’ve borrowed silver to pay the tax on our fields and our vineyards ≈that goes to the tribute to be paid to the foreign king. 5 ≈We’re Jews just like our countrymen, but we’re having to commit our children into bondage as slaves—yes, even our daughters. ≈Now we own nothing at all—not even our fields and vineyards.

6 I got very angry when I heard their ≈complaints and desperation, 7 and ≈I couldn’t get it out of my mind. I ≈protested to the nobles and the officials, “You guys are ≈charging interest against your own countrymen.”[ref]

≈So I called for a gathering of all the people to deal with them, 8 and I told them, “Our brothers, the Jews, were sold to other countries as slaves ≈and we’ve done all we can to bring them back here. But now even you yourselves are buying and selling your own countrymen to make a profit.” They ≈couldn’t argue against that, so they were just silent.

9 “It’s not good what you’re doing,” I ≈continued. “Shouldn’t you all ≈respect and obey our God, because ≈otherwise we’ll be despised by the other nations, our enemies. 10 I myself have lent them money and grain, as have my brothers and my young men, but please let’s forgo charging interest. 11 Please, even today, return their fields to them, and their vineyards and olive orchards, their houses, and ≈the interest on the money and the grain, the new wine, and the oil that you are charging against them.”

12 “≈Okay, we’ll do what you’re asking,” they ≈responded. “We’ll return >their property and we ≈won’t impose any more charges on them.”

≈So I called the priests ≈to witness those nobles and officials making an oath to do what they’d said they would do. 13 Also I shook ≈the folds of my robe and told >them, “May God shake you all out of his house like that, and ≡shake ≈every man’s business if he doesn’t do what he just promised—may he be shaken out like that and ≈lose everything.”

The Generosity of Nehemiah; Nehemiah’s Unselfishness

14 Also, from the day that I was appointed to be their governor in the Yehudah region (for the twelve years from the Persian King Artahshashta’s 20th year until his 32nd year), I myself didn’t ≈accept the governor’s food allowance, nor did my ≈relatives. 15 The governors who preceded me had been very ≈hard on the people—≈demanding bread and wine and forty silver coins. Even their servants ≈oppressed the people. In contrast, I didn’t do that ≈due to desire to honour God. 16 Also I ≈remained focussed on rebuilding the wall, and we ≈didn’t invest in a farm property, and all my servants ≈also contributed to the work. 17 ≈I regularly fed a hundred and fifty Jewish leaders and city officials, as well as visitors from other countries around us, 18 ≈so in one day we needed one bull, six choice sheep, ≈and various kinds of poultry, as well as various types of wines every ten days. ≈I didn’t demand any of this from the people because it would have been a heavy burden for them.

19 My God, remember me for the good that I’ve done for these people.

6 Although we didn’t yet have any doors in the gates, when Sanballat and Toviyyah and Geshem the Arabian and the rest of our enemies heard that we’d finished building the wall so it didn’t have any gaps left in it, 2 Sanballat and Geshem ≈invited me, “We’d like to arrange to meet with you in one of the villages on the Ono plain.” ≈But they were ≈intending to harm me. 3 ≈So I sent messengers back to them, “≈This work is important and extensive, so I can’t afford to abandon it and have the work stop if I travelled down to you on the plain.”

4 They ≈tried four times to get me to go, but I kept refusing them for those same reasons.

5 Then Sanballat sent his servant to me a fifth time ≈with the same request, but this time in an unsealed, open letter 6 saying, “≈There’s rumours flying around in nearby countries, and Geshem ≈confirms it, that you and the Jews are building the wall because you’re all plotting thinking to rebel. Then you’d become their king, according to ≈what we’re hearing. 7 ≈We’ve also heard that you’ve set up ‘prophets’ to speak out in Yerushalem to say about you, ‘There’s a king in Yehudah.’ By now, all of that will have been heard by the Persian king. ≈So now, come and let’s ≈discuss this together.”

8 I sent ≈a message straight back, “≈None of what you’re saying is true. It’s simply your own imagination at work.”

9 We knew that they were just trying to frighten us ≈so that we’d stop the repairs and it would never get finished.

My God, strengthen my hands.

10 After that, I entered Shemayah’s house (the son of Mehetav’el’s son Delayah) who was confined to his house, and he said, “Let’s set a time to meet in the temple—we’ll shut the temple doors because they’ll be coming to kill you—probably in the night.”

11 ≈But I disagreed, “Would a man like me run away? ≈Besides that, who’s allowed to live inside the temple? I won’t ≈do that.”

12 ≈Then I suddenly realised that God hadn’t told him to say that, but rather he was working against me because he’d been paid by Toviyyah and Sanballat. 13 ≈They must have hired him so that I’d be afraid and ≈take that advice and sin. ≈Then they could have ruined my reputation and discredited me.

14 My God, remember what Toviyyah and Sanballat have done, and also the prophetess Noadyah and the other prophets who’ve been ≈trying to scare me.

15 ≈So the rebuilding of the wall was finished on the 25th of September in just fifty-two days, 16 and when our enemies heard about it, the surrounding countries were afraid ≈and discouraged because they realised that our God ≈must have helped us.

17 ≈During that time, the Yehudah nobles were ≈sending many letters to Toviyyah, and ≡letters from Toviyyah were also coming to them, 18 because many people in Yehudah ≈had ties with him because he was the son-in-law of Arah’s son Shekanyah, plus his son Yehohanan had ≈married Berekyah’s daughter Meshullam. 19 @Those nobles kept telling me ≈about the good things he was doing, and they reported my words back to him. Toviyyah also sent letters to try to frighten me.

7 ≈Once the wall had been rebuilt and the doors ≈hung in the gates, the gatekeepers and the singers and the Levites had been appointed. 2 I put my brother Hanani and the fortress commander Hananyah in charge over Yerushalem. (Hananyah was a faithful man and ≈respected God more than many others do.) 3 I told them, “Don’t open Yerushalem’s gates until ≈broad daylight, and then shut and bar them again while ≈the guards are still on full alert. And ≈assign neighbourhood watch groups among the inhabitants to keep an eye on their own areas.”

4 ≈Now Yerushalem ≈covered a large area but not many people had returned to live there yet, and the houses hadn’t yet been rebuilt.

Lists of the Returned Exiles

5 ≈So God ≈gave me the idea of gathering the ≈leaders and the people grouped by their ancestors. I found the ≈register of those who’d returned from exile to Yerushalem, with this written in it:

6 “These are the descendants of ≈the people exiled by the Babylonian King Nevukadnetstsar, who returned to Yehudah and to Yerushalem—each family returning to their own ancestral town. 7 ≈Their leaders were Zerubavel, Yeshua, Nehemyah, Azaryah, Raamyah, Nahamani, Mareddekai, Bilshan, Misperet, Bigvai, Nehum, and Baanah.

The number of Israeli men:

8 2,172 descendants of Far’osh, 9 372 descendants of Shefatyah, 10 652 descendants of Arah, 11 2,818 descendants of Pahat-Moav (descendants of Yeshua and Yoav), 12 1,254 descendants of Eylam, 13 845 descendants of Zattu, 14 760 descendants of Zakkay, 15 648 descendants of Binnuy, 16 628 descendants of Bevai, 17 2,322 descendants of Azgad, 18 667 descendants of Adonikam, 19 2,067 descendants of Bigvai, 20 655 descendants of Adin, 21 98 descendants of Ater (from Hizkiyah), 22 328 descendants of Hashum, 23 324 descendants of Betsai, 24 112 descendants of Harif, 25 and 95 descendants of Giv’on.

26 Other men from these towns:

188 from Beyt-Lehem and Netofah,27 128 from Anatot, 28 42 from Beyt-Azmavet, 29 743 from Kiryat-Yearim, Kefirah, and Beerot, 30 621 from Ramah and Geva, 31 122 from Mikmas, 32 123 from Beyt-El and Ay, 33 52 from Nevo, 34 1,254 descendants of the otherEylam, 35 320 descendants of Harim, 36 345 descendants of Yericho, 37 721 descendants of Lod, Hadid, and Ono, 38 and 3,930 descendants of Sena’ah.

39 The priests who returned:

973 descendants of Yedayah (a descendant of Yeshua),40 1,052 descendants of Immer, 41 1,247 descendants of Fashhur, 42 and 1,017 descendants of Harim.

43 The Levites who returned:

74 descendants of YeshuaandKadmiel (descendants of Hodevah).

44 The singers:

148 descendants of Asaf.

45 The gatekeepers:

138 descendants of Shallum, Ater, Talmon, Akkuv, Hatita, and Shovai.

46 The temple servants:

the descendants of Tisha, Hasufa, and Tabaot,47 the descendants of Keros, Sia, and Fadon, 48 the descendants of Levana, Hagava, and Shalmai, 49 the descendants of Hanan, Giddel, and Gahar, 50 the descendants of Reayah, Retsin, and Nekoda, 51 the descendants of Gazzam, Uzza, and Faseah, 52 the descendants of Besai, Meunai, and Nefissim, 53 the descendants of Bakbuk, Hakufa, and Harhur, 54 the descendants of Batslit, Mehida, and Harsha, 55 the descendants of Barkos, Sisera, and Temah, 56 and the descendants of Netsiyah and Hatifa.

57 The descendants of Shelomoh’s servants who returned:

the descendants of Sotai, Soferet, and Feruda.58 the descendants of Ya’ala, Darkon, and Giddel, 59 and the descendants of Shefatyah, Hattil, Pokeret-Hazzeba’im, and Amon.

60 Altogether, there were 392 descendants of the temple workers and conscripted labourers.

61 ≈There were also some who returned from Tel-Melah, Tel-Harsha, Keruv, Addon, and Immer, ≈even though they couldn’t prove who their ancestors were, or even that they were descendants of Israelis:

62 There were also 642 descendants of Delayah, Toviyyah, and Nekoda, 63 plus some priests:

the descendants of Havayah, Hakots, and Barzillai. (Barzillai had married a descendant of a man named Barzillai from Gilead, and had taken his wife’s family name.)

64 They had search the genealogical records for their family histories, but didn’t find them, ≈so they were ineligible to serve as priests. 65 The governor ≈had disallowed them from eating the priests’ food until a recognised priest ≈could consult the Urim and Thummim.[ref]

66 ≈Altogether, 42,360 people returned to Yehudah, 67 ≈not counting their 7,337 male and female servants, and 245 male and female singers. 68 ≈They had 736 horses, 245 mules, 69 435 camels, and 6,720 donkeys. 70 ≈Some of the leaders of the ancestral clans gave to the work. The governor donated 8kg of gold, 50 bowls, and 530 robes for the priests, 71 and some of the leaders donated 150kg of gold and 1,500kg of silver. 72 The rest of the people donated 150kg of gold, 1,300kg of silver, and 67 robes for the priests.

73 ≈So the priests and the Levites, the gatekeepers and the singers, the temple workers and the rest of the Israelis, all ≈settled in their various ancestral cities.[ref]

8 All the people gathered ≈together in the plaza near the Water Gate and ≈asked Ezra the scribe to bring the scroll with ≈Yahweh’s instructions to Yisrael given through Mosheh (Moses). 2 ≈So it was the beginning of October when Ezra the priest brought the ≈scroll to the gathering of men and women and everyone who wanted to understand it, 3 and he ≈read it aloud in the plaza near the Water Gate—reading from dawn until the middle of the day in front of those men and women and ≈interested people, who all listened intently.

4 Ezra the scribe stood on a raised wooden platform that they had made ≈especially for this purpose. Standing on his right were Mattitiah, Shema, Anayah, Uriyyah, Hilkiyyah, and Ma’aseyah, and on his left stood Pedayah, Misha’el, Malkiyyah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zekaryah, and Meshullam.

5 ≈Up on the platform, Ezra opened the ≈scroll in front of all the people, and ≈as he did so, all the people stood up. 6 Ezra blessed the great God Yahweh and the people ≈raised their arms and responded, “May it be so.” Then they knelt down and bowed to Yahweh ≈with their faces to the ground.

7 Then Yeshua, Bani, Shereveyah, Yamin, Akkub, Shabtai, Hodiyyah, Ma’aseyah, Kelita, Azaryah, Yozavad, Hanan, Pelayah, who were all Levites, ≈explained what had been read to the people standing there. 8 They read the scroll containing God’s instructions, ≈explaining how it applied so the people could understand *it.

9 Then Nehemyah the governor and Ezra the priest & scribe, and the Levites who were ≈explaining it, said to all the people, “Today is a sacred day—it belongs to your God Yahweh. Don’t mourn or weep.” That was because all the people were weeping after they heard ≈Yahweh’s instructions to them. 10 Then @Nehemyah told them, “Go home and eat ≈some special food with sweet drink, and ≈share some with those ≈who can’t afford such things because today is ≈a sacred day that belongs to our master. And don’t grieve, because ≈the happiness from Yahweh will make you all strong.”

11 The Levites ≈told the people to quieten down, saying, “≈Don’t grieve today because it’s a sacred day. Stay quiet.” 12 ≈So all the people went to eat and drink and to ≈take plates of food to others, and to ≈have a big celebration because they understood what ≈had been read to them.

13 The ≈next day, ≈all the clan leaders, and the priests and Levites, met with Ezra the scribe to ≈study the instructions on the scroll. 14 They ≈discovered that it was written in the ≈instructions that Yahweh had given through Mosheh, that the Israelis should live in temporary shelters during the celebration in their seventh month (our September-October).[ref] 15 They should ≈publicly proclaim in Yerushalem and in all their towns ≈that the people should go into the hills and bring back branches from olive or wild olive trees, myrtle or palm trees, and/or other leafy trees to make shelters as it’s written.

16 ≈So the people went out and brought back branches to make shelters for themselves on their roofs or in their courtyards, or in the temple courtyard or in the plazas near the Water Gate and the Efrayim Gate. 17 Then the whole assembly ≈of people who’d come back from captivity made shelters and lived in them for one week. The ≈Israelis hadn’t done that since the ≈time of Yehoshua’s leadership, and ≈they did it with a lot of celebration. 18 @Ezra read aloud from the scroll of God’s instructions each day of the seven days of celebration, then on the eighth day they all gathered together as per the instructions.

9 On the 24th of that month, the ≈Israelis dressed in sackcloth, put dust on their heads, fasted, and gathered together. 2 Those of ≈Jewish descent stood separately from the descendants of foreigners, and they confessed their own sins, as well as those of their ancestors. 3 They stood and ≈listened to the scroll with Yahweh’s instructions being read for three hours, then for ≈another three hours they confessed and bowed down to Yahweh their God. 4 Then Yeshua went up the Levites’ stairs with Bani, Kadmi’el, Shevanyah, Bunni, Shereveyah, another Bani, and Kenani, and they called out loudly to their God Yahweh.

5 Then ≈some Levites (Yeshua, Kadmi’el, Bani, Hashavneyah, Shereveyah, Hodiyyah, Shevanyah, and Petahyah) said, “≈Stand up and bless your eternal God Yahweh: May @the peoples bless your ≈wonderful reputation which is ≈greater than anything else that we bless or praise.

The Prayer of Confession

6 Yahweh, you alone are @God. You yourself made the heavens, the ≈galaxies in the heavens and all their ≈stars, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You ≈give life to everything, and ≈all the stars bow down to you.

7 “You are Yahweh, the God who chose Abram. Then you brought him out from Ur in the ≈Chaldean region, then you ≈renamed him to Abraham (meaning ‘father of many’). 8 You ≈discovered that he was sincere and faithful to you, and made an agreement with him—to give the Canaanite, Hittite, Amorite, Perizzite, Yebusite, and the Girgashite ≈regions to his descendants, and you have ≈ensured that it’s all come to be because you’re righteous.[ref] 9 You ≈noticed the suffering of our ancestors enslaved in Egypt, and then you heard their cry for help ≈at the edge of the Red Sea.

10 “You ≈displayed miracles to Far-oh (Pharaoh), and to all his servants and to all the ≈Egyptian people, because you knew that they were acting ≈as if you weren’t real, ≈so you got yourself a reputation which you still have to this day.[ref] 11 Then you split the sea open the sea ≈right in front of their eyes, and they ≈walked through the middle of *it on dry land. ≈After that, you ≈drowned their pursuers into the ≈deep sea like a stone in ≈a huge lake.[ref] 12 You led them ≈during the day with a pillar of cloud, and ≈during the night with a pillar of fire to illuminate the way that they should go.[ref]

13 “Then you came down to Mt. Sinai and spoke with them from the sky, and you gave to them ≈principles of justice and laws of truth—good statutes and instructions.[ref] 14 You ≈revealed the concept of a rest day to them, and you ≈gave them rules and instructions and laws via your servant Mosheh (Moses).

15 “You gave them bread from the sky ≈when they were hungry, and you ≈made water ≈come out of a rock when they were thirsty, then eventually you told them to go ≈ahead to possess the land that you had ≈said that you’d give to them.[ref]

16 “≈But our ancestors ≈were proud and stubborn and they ≈refused to obey your instructions.[ref] 17 ≈Not only did they refuse to listen, they ≈forgot about all the miracles that you’d done for them and they ≈became stubborn and appointed a leader to take them back to their slavery. ≈But you are a God of forgiveness—gracious and compassionate, ≈slow to get angry and ≈generously showing loyal affection, and you didn’t abandon them.[ref] 18 Even when they ≈molded a metal calf for themselves and said, ‘This is your God who brought you ≈out of Egypt’, and they ≈badly insulted you,[ref] 19 you didn’t abandon them in the wilderness ≈because you’re so merciful. ≈You didn’t remove the pillar of cloud that led them on the way ≈during the day, or ≡remove the pillar of fire that shone at night for them ≈to show them which way they should go.[ref] 20 You gave them your good spirit to give them insight. You didn’t withhold your manna ≈for them to eat, and you still gave them water ≈to drink, 21 yes, you sustained them in the wilderness for forty years—they ≈had everything they needed—their clothes didn’t wear out, and their feet didn’t swell.

22 “Then you ≈handed kingdoms and people groups over to them, and you ≈let them settle in even the far corners of the regions. They took possession of the King Sihon’s Heshbon ≈region, and King Og’s Bashan ≈region.[ref] 23 You ≈gave our ancestors lots of children so they were like the many stars in the sky, then you brought them into this land which you’d told their ancestors to enter and ≈take ownership of.[ref] 24 Their children went in and ≈took over the land ≈after you went ahead of them and subdued the previous inhabitants, the Canaanites. You ≈allowed them to defeat them and their kings, and the people groups in the land—≈letting them do whatever they wanted to do with them.[ref] 25 They captured fortified cities and ≈productive land, and they ≈took over houses full of all good things, ≈stone cisterns, vineyards and olive orchards, and ≈lots of fruit trees. They ate and were satisfied, and grew fat and ≈enjoyed themselves as a result of your amazing goodness.[ref]

26 “≈But they disobeyed and rebelled against you, and they ≈turned their backs on your instructions. They killed your prophets who testified against them in order to bring them back to you and they ≈badly insulted you.[ref] 27 ≈So you ≈allowed their enemies to harass and conquer them. Then in the time of their distress, they cried out to you, and you yourself heard from heaven. ≈Because you’re so merciful, you ≈sent saviours to them who rescued them from their enemies. 28 After ≈they’d returned to an era of peace, they reverted to doing evil ≈again in front of you and you left them to ≈submit to their enemies and ≈the oppression that followed. Then they’d return and cry out to you, and you heard from heaven and delivered them many times ≈because you’re merciful. 29 You ≈showed them their errors so they’d return to following your instructions, but instead they ignored you and didn’t ≈obey your commands. ≈They ignored your values which would have helped them if they’d lived by them and they turned a stubborn shoulder, stiffened their necks, and ≈refused to listen.[ref] 30 ≈Yet you ≈put up with them for many years, and you testified against them with your spirit ≈through the messages of your prophets, but they still didn’t ≈take any notice, so you ≈allowed the other people groups to conquer them.[ref] 31 ≈However, because you’re so merciful, you didn’t abandon them and you didn’t ≈wipe them out completely. Yes, you’re a God who’s gracious and merciful.

32 “≈So now God, our amazing, powerful, and awesome God who keeps ≈his agreements due to his loyal commitment, don’t ≈just ignore all our current hardships affecting us, our kings and our leaders, our priests and our prophets, and our ancestors and all your people, from the ≈period of the Assyrian kings until today.[ref] 33 You are ≈totally fair in allowing all that to happen to us, because you have behaved faithfully, but ≈in contrast, we have behaved wickedly—34 and our kings, our leaders, our priests, and our ancestors haven’t ≈obeyed your instructions and they haven’t ≈bothered with following your commands or taking notice of your ≈complaints that you made know to them. 35 ≈They served in their own kingdom and enjoyed the incredible goodness that you poured on them and the wide and prosperous land that you gave them, ≈but they didn’t serve you, and they didn’t turn away from their evil actions.

36 “≈Take notice of us today—we’re servants, and the land that you gave to our ancestors ≈so we could eat its fruit and its produce, ≈but look at us now—we’re servants in @our own land. 37 ≈Now its plentiful produce belongs to the kings who ≈you’ve placed over us due to our sins, and who rule over our bodies and over our livestock ≈just however they want to, so we’re ≈terribly distressed.

Those Who Signed the Covenant; The People Sign an Agreement; The Agreement of the People

38 “≈So now in all of this, we’re ≈faithfully making an agreement, and our leaders, our Levites, and our priests will even write it down on a document ≈and sign it.”

10 ≈The ones who signed the document were:

Nehemyah the governor, Hakalyah’s son, and Tsidkiyyah.

2 The priests who signed:

Serayah, Azaryah, and Yirmeyah,3 Pashhur, Amaryah, and Malkiyyah, 4 Hattush, Shevanyah, and Malkiyyah, 5 Harim, Meremot, and Ovadyah, 6 Daniyyel, Ginneton, and Baruk, 7 Meshullam, Aviyyah, and Miyyamin, 8 Ma’azyah, Bilgai, and Shemayah. (≈All priests.)

9 The Levites who signed:

Azanyah’s son Yeshua, Henadad’s son Binnui, and Kadmi’el,10 their brothers Shevanyah, Hodiyyah, Kelita, Pelayah, and Hanan, 11 Mika, Rehov, and Heshavyah, 12 Zakkur, Shereveyah, and Shevanyah, 13 Hodiyyah, Bani, and Beninu,

14 The leaders ≈who signed:

Parosh, Pahat-Moav, Eylam, Zattu, andBani,15 Bunni, Azgad, and Bevai, 16 Adoniyyah, Bigvai, and Adin, 17 Ater, Hizkiyah, and Azzur, 18 Hodiyyah, Hashum, and Betsai, 19 Harif, Anatot, and Neyvai, 20 Magpiash, Meshullam, and Hezir, 21 Meshezavel, Tsadok, and Yaddua, 22 Pelatyah, Hanan, and Anayah, 23 Hoshea, Hananyah, and Hasshuv, 24 Hallohesh, Pilha, and Shovek, 25 Rehum, Hashavnah, and Maaseyah, 26 Ahiyyah, Hanan, and Anan, 27 Malluk, Harim, and Ba’anah.

28 The rest of the people, the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the ≈singers, the gatekeepers, and all the ≈people who were prepared to dedicate themselves to obeying God rather than the customs of the former inhabitants of the land, their wives, their sons and their daughters, and ≈everyone who was old enough to understand, 29 were ≈joining with their brothers, their nobles, and were ≈committing to a promise which also had a curse: to ≈obey God’s instructions as given by God’s servant Mosheh, and to keep and to do all the commands of Yahweh our master, ≈accepting his judgements and his statutes.

The Vow of the People

30 They committed to not giving their daughters to the other ≈people groups in the land, and to not taking their daughters for their sons.[ref]

31 On the rest day or other holy day, we won’t ≈buy goods or grain from the peoples of the land (even if they bring it to sell it to us), and we ≈won’t plant or harvest, or reclaim debts, in the seventh year.[ref]

32 We ≈will also pledge to each donate a week’s wages each year to support the temple functions[ref] 33 including the bread displayed in rows, the continual offering and the continual burnt offering, for the rest day offerings and the new moons, for the appointed times and for the holy things, for the sin offerings to cover over Yisrael’s guilt, and for all the ≈operation of God’s residence.

34 Then we ≈threw dice to choose from among the priests, the Levites, and the people ≈to create the roster for bringing ≈firewood to the temple as an offering ≈to be used at the appointed times ≈each year for burning on the altar of Yahweh our God as written in the ≈scrolls.

35 Every year we will also bring the ≈early produce from our soil and the ≈first harvest from every fruit tree to Yahweh’s ≈temple.[ref] 36 We will ≈dedicate our ≈eldest male sons at the temple, and bring the eldest offspring of our herds and our flocks to the priests who serve at God’s ≈residence.[ref]

37 We will bring our offerings and the first of our flour, and the fruit of every tree, wine, and oil, for the priests, to the ≈temple storerooms, and a tenth of our ≈produce for the Levites.

The Levites will be the ones receiving a tenth of our cash income in all the towns ≈where we work.[ref] 38 A priest who’s a descendant of Aharon must be with *them when they collect the tenths, then the Levites must take a tenth of that to the ≈temple to be placed in their treasury rooms.[ref] 39 The ≈Israelis and the ≈Levites must bring the offerings of grain, wine, and oil to the storerooms. There must also be ≈utensils for the sanctuary and the priests, for the ones who are ministering and the gatekeepers, and for the ≈singers.

We mustn’t neglect our God’s house.

11 The people’s leaders lived in Yerushalem, ≈but the rest of the people ≈drew straws to select one out of ten families to reside in Yerushalem the holy city—≈the other nine settled in the towns, 2 then the people blessed the ones who’d freely offered to live there in Yerushalem. 3 In the towns in Yehudah, everyone lived on their own property. That included the Israelis, the priests and Levites, the temple servants, and the descendants of Shelomoh’s servants. The provincial officials lived in Yerushalem,[ref]

The descendants of Yehudah

4 ≈as well as some of Yehudah’s and Benyamin’s descendants.

Yehudah’s descendants in Yerushalem included:

Atayah (son of Uzziyah, son of Zekaryah, son of Amaryah, son of Shefatyah, son of Mahalalel, a descendant of Ferets),5 Ma’aseyah (son of Baruk, son of Kol-Hozeh, son of Hazayah, son of Adayah, son of Yoyariv, son of Zekaryah, son of Shiloni).

6 ≈Altogether 468 strong men who were Ferets’ descendants lived in Yerushalem.

The descendants of Benyamin

7 Benyamin’s descendants in Yerushalem included:

Sallu (son of Meshullam, son of Yoed, son of Pedayah, son of Kolayah, son of Ma’aseyah, son of Iti’el, son of Yeshayah).8 Gabayand Sallay.

A total of 928. 9 Zikri’s son Yoel was their overseer in the city, and Hassenuah’s son Yihudah was his second-in-command.

The priests

10 The priests in Yerushalem included:

Yoyariv’s son YedayahandYakin,11 Serayah (son of Hilkiyyah, son of Meshullam, son of Tsadok, son of Merayot, son of Ahituv) ≈who was the leader in the temple. 12 ≈There were 822 of them whentheir brothers who work in the ≈templewere included.Adayah (son of Yeroham, son of Pelalyah, son of Amtsi, son of Zekaryah, son of Pashhur, son of Malkiyyah).13 ≈There were 242 of them when their brothers and familyheadswere included.Amashsai (son of Azar’el, son of Ahzai, son of Meshillemot, son of Immer),14 and his brothers who were strong warriors, came to a total of 128.

Haggedolim’s son Zavdi’el was their overseer.

The Levites

15 The Levites in Yerushalem included:

Shemayah (son of Hasshuv, son of Azrikam, son of Hashavyah, son of Bunni),16 Shabbetai and Yozavad from the Leviteleaders who ≈supervised the work outside the temple, 17 Mattanyah (son of Mikah, son of Zavdi, son of Asaf) the leader who offered the thanksgivingprayer,Bakbukyah≈who was the assistant leader, and Avda (son of Shammua, son of Galal, the son of Yedutun).

18 The total number of Levites in the sacred city were 284.

The guards of doorway

19 The gatekeepers in Yerushalem included:

Akkuv, Talmon, and their brothers.

A total of 172.

20 The rest of Yisrael and the other priests and Levites, all ≈lived their ≈ancestral towns across Yehudah. 21 The temple workers lived on Ofel hill, and Tsiha and Gishpa ≈supervised *them.

22 The overseer of the Levites in Yerushalem was Uzzi (son of Bani, son of Hashavyah, son of Mattanyah, son of Mika)—a descendant of Asaf’s sons who were the ≈temple singers 23 because the Persian king had ordered that the singers should have ≈daily provisions supplied.

24 Petahyah (son of Meshezavel, from the sons of Zerah, the son of Yehudah) was ≈the intermediary with the king for any matter that the people raised.

25 Most of Yehudah’s descendants ≈settled in the villages with their fields nearby: in Kiryat-Arba and the surrounding villages, in Divon and the surrounding villages, and in Yekavtse’el and the surrounding villages, 26 in Yeshua, in Moladah, and in Beyt-Pelet, 27 in Hatsar-Shual, and in Be’er-Sheva and the surrounding villages, 28 in Tsiklag, and in Mekonah and the surrounding villages, 29 in Eyn-Rimmon, in Tsorah, and in Yarmut, 30 in Zanoah and Adullam and their villages, in Azekah and its villages. ≈So they settled from Be’er-Sheva all the way to the Hinnom valley.

31 Benyamin’s descendants settled in Geva, Mikmas, Ayyah, and Beyt-El and its villages, 32 in Anatot, Nov, and Anayah, 33 in Hatsor, Ramah, and Gittayim, 34 in Hadid, Tsevoim, and Nevallat, 35 in Lod, Ono, and in the Craftsmen’s valley. 36 ≈Also some Levites previously ≈connected with Yehudah settled in Benyamin.

12 These are the priests and the Levites who came ≈back with Shealtiyel’s son Zerubavel and with Yeshua:

Serayah, Yermeyah, andEzra,2 Amaryah, Malluk, andHattush, 3 Shekanyah, Rehum, andMeremot, 4 Iddo, Ginneton, and Aviyyah, 5 Miyyamin, Moadyah, andBilgah, 6 Shemayah, Yoyariv, andYedayah, 7 Sallu, Amok, Hilkiyyah, and anotherYedayah.

Those were the leaders of the priests and their brothers in Yeshua’s time.

8 The Levites were:

Yeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Shereveyah, Yehudah, andMattanyah≈who led the thanksgivingsongs≈along with his brothers,9 Bakbukyah andUnni—theirbrothers who stoodopposite them in the #services.

10 Yeshua fathered Yoyakim who then fathered Elyashiv, and Elyashiv fathered Yoyada. 11 Then Yoyada fathered Yonatan who then fathered Yaddua.

12 In Yoyakim’s ≈time, these were the heads of the priestly families:

Merayahwas the head of Serayah’sfamily,Hananyah for Yirmeyah’s,13 Meshullam for Ezra’s family,Yehohanan for Amaryah’s,14 Yonatan for Malluk’s family,Yosef for Shevanyah’s,15 Adna for Harim’s family,Helkai for Merayot’s,16 Zekaryah for Iddo’s family,Meshullam for Ginneton’s,17 Zikri for Aviyyah’s family,Filtai for Moadyah’s,18 Shammua for Bilgah’sfamily,Yonatan for Shemayah’s,19 Mattenai for Yoyariv’s family,Uzzi for Yedayah’s,20 Kallai for Sallai’s family,Ever for Amok’s,21 Hashavyah for Hilkiyyah’s family,and Netan’el for Yedayah’s.

22 In the days of Elyashiv, Yoyada, Yohanan, and Yaddua, during the reign of Persian King Darius, the heads of the families of the Levites and priests were recorded. 23 The names of the descendants of Levi who were heads of families were written in the ≈official history records up till the time of Elyashiv’s son Yohanan.

24 The Levites’ leaders were Hashavyah, Shereveyah, and Kadmiel’s son Yeshua with their brothers serving opposite them ≈in each service to praise and give thanks as had been commanded by David, the man of God.

25 Mattanyah, Bakbukyah, Ovadyah, Meshullam, Talmon, and Akkuv were gatekeepers who stood guard at the storerooms near the temple gates.

26 That was at the ≈time of Yoyakim (son of Yeshua, son of Yotsadak), and at the ≈time of Nehemyah the governor and Ezra the priest and scribe.

27 At the dedication of the wall ≈around Yerushalem, they ≈summoned Levites from all ≈over the region to come to Yerushalem to perform the dedication with rejoicing and thanksgiving, and with ≈musical instruments and singing, 28 ≈plus the next generation of singers came both from Yerushalem and its surrounds, and from the Netofati villages. 29 They also ≡came from Beyt-Gilgal, and from the fields of Geva and Azmavet, because the singers had built villages near Yerushalem to live in. 30 The priests and Levites ≈held a purification ceremony for themselves, then they purified the people and the gates and the wall.

31 Then I ≈assembled Yehudah’s leaders together up on top of the wall, and I ≈assigned them into two large groups ≈who would give thanks as they walked around it.

≈The first group headed towards the Dung Gate on the right. 32 Hoshayah and half of Yehudah’s officials ≈were in that group 33 ≈along with Azaryah, Ezra, and Meshullam, 34 Yehudah, Benyamin, Shemayah, and Yirmeyah, 35 plus some of the ≈next generation of priests with trumpets: Zekaryah (son of Yonatan, son of Shemayah, son of Mattanyah, son of Mikayah, son of Zakkur, son of Asaf) 36 and his brothers Shemayah, Azar’el, Milalai, Gilalai, Ma’ai, Nethan’el, Yehudah, and Hanani. They used the instruments ≈as per the instructions of the late King David, the man of God. Ezra the scribe ≈went in front of them. 37 When they got to the Fountain Gate, they went up the stairs at the City of David, ≈and along the higher portion of the wall by David’s palace as far as the Water Gate (≈on the east side of the city).

38 The ≈other group giving thanks with the other half of the people went in the opposite direction around the top of the wall—going past the Tower of the Ovens to the ≈wider part of the wall. 39 We passed Efrayim Gate, the Old Gate, Fish Gate, and Hananel Tower, the Tower of the Hundred, ≈and all the way to the Sheep Gate, and we ≈stopped at the Guard Gate.

40 Then ≈both groups ≈ended up at the temple and stood there. I was there with the half of the city officials who’d accompanied me, 41 ≈as well as the priests with their trumpets: Elyakim, Ma’aseyah, Minyamin, Mikayah, Elyeoenai, Zekaryah, Hanayah, 42 another Ma’aseyah, Shemayah, El’azar, Uzzi, Yehohanan, Malkiyyah, Eylam, and Ezer. The singers sang loudly with their leader Yizrahyah.

43 Then that same day they offered many sacrifices, and they ≈celebrated because God had made them very pleased. The women and children also celebrated, in fact the sound of the celebrations in Yerushalem was so loud that it can be heard far away.

44 Then still on that same day, men were appointed ≈to be in charge of the storerooms for the tithes and offerings. The ≈percentages for the priests and the Levites were gathered from the fields around the cities as per the written law, because the people of Yehudah ≈were happy to have the priests and the Levites ≈serving. 45 They ≈served God with their daily duties and the purification ceremonies, as well as the duties of the singers and gatekeepers—≈all done according to the instructions left by King David and his son Shelomoh,[ref] 46 because it was handed down from the original singers who sang songs of praise and thanksgiving to God in the time of David and Asaf. 47 In Zerubavel and Nehemyah’s times, all Yisrael ≈contributed the daily food allowance for the singers and gatekeepers. They ≈also gave a percentage to the Levites ≈who then gave a percentage of that to the priests (Aharon’s descendants).

13 That day, the ≈Mosheh scroll was read out aloud to the people, and it was ≈discovered that it had been written that no Ammonite or Moabite is ever allowed to join the congregation[ref] 2 because ≈instead of helping the travelling Israelis with food and water, they had hired Bil’am (Balaam) to curse them (even though God had turned that curse into blessing).[ref] 3 ≈After hearing *that, they separated out all of ≈the foreigners.

4 ≈Prior to that time, the high priest Elyashiv (closely related to Toviyyah) had been in charge of the ≈temple storerooms 5 and he’d ≈allowed ?@Toviyyah to have a large room that had previously been used to store offerings: the frankincense, the utensils, and ≈donated grain, wine, and oil, (the percentage commanded to be given to the Levites, the singers, and the gatekeepers), and the offerings for the priests. 6 ≈During all that period, I hadn’t been in Yerushalem because I’d returned to the Babylonian king in the 32nd year of Artahshashta’s reign (Artaxerxes). ≈However, after a while I requested leave again from the king 7 and I came back to Yerushalem. It was then that ≈I discovered how evil Elyashiv had been by making a storeroom for Toviyyah in the courts of God’s residence. 8 ≈It made me very upset and I threw everything of Toviyyah’s out of the room. 9 Then I ≈ordered the storerooms to be purified by the priests ≈before I returned the ≈temple utensils to the room, along with the grain offerings and the incense.

10 I ≈found out that the Levites and the singers weren’t being given their percentage, so they’d left their duties and returned to cultivate their own fields.[ref] 11 I ≈made a complaint to the officials asking why the ≈operation of the temple had been neglected, and then I ≈rounded up @the Levites and the singers and ≈sent them back to their duties. 12 ≈After that, the people of Yehudah ≈started bringing a tenth of &their grain and wine and oil to the storerooms.[ref] 13 I appointed ≈book-keepers over the storerooms: the priest Shelemyah, the scribe Tsadok, and the Levite Pedayah with Hanan (the son of Zakkur, the son of Mattanyah) ≈helping. They were all considered trustworthy, and ≈their job included distributing the produce among their colleagues.

14 My God, remember me ≈handling all these issues and don’t wipe out my loyal kindness for ≈your temple and its operation that I’ve shown.

15 In those days I saw people in Yehudah working on the rest day—treading wine, bringing in grain, and loading donkeys, yes, even bringing wine, grapes, figs, and all kinds of loads into Yerushalem on the rest day. I ≈complained to them when they were selling the goods.[ref] 16 ≈Also, people from Tsor (Tyre) were bringing in fish and all kinds of merchandise and were selling it on the rest day to the ≈Israelis, even in Yerushalem. 17 I rebuked the Yehudah ≈business leaders, asking them, “What’s this evil thing that you’re all doing—profaning the rest day by treating it like a regular day? 18 ≈Wasn’t that what your ancestors did—the very reason our God brought all this evil on us and on this city? ≈Now you’re all ≈making God angry with Yisrael again by profaning the rest day.”

19 ≈So after that, when it started to get dark on Friday evenings, I ordered that the city gates be closed, and not to be opened until after the rest day. I ≈also stationed some of my young men to stand at the gates to ensure that no load could enter on the rest day. 20 ≈Some traders and merchants selling various goods camped outside the city walls once or twice, 21 ≈but I warned them, “Why are you ≈camping there outside the wall? If you ≈do it again, I’ll have you all removed.” ≈After that, they ≈no longer came on the rest days. 22 Then I told the Levites that they should purify themselves and then come to the gates to ≈monitor them on the rest day.

My God, remember me ≈having to deal with this, and show your amazing loyal faithfulness towards me.

23 ≈During that time, I also saw Jews who’d ≈married women ≈from Ashdod, Ammon, and Moav, 24 and half of their children spoke ≈a foreign language from those other people groups and ≈couldn’t speak Hebrew. 25 ≈So I scolded @those men and cursed them and hit some of them and pulled out their hair. Then I ≈forced them to promise in front on God that they wouldn’t allow their daughters to marry foreign men, or their sons to take foreign wives. 26 I explained, “Didn’t Yisrael’s own King Shelomoh sin concerning that same matter? Among ≈all the countries in the world, there wasn’t any other king like, and he was loved by his God who’d placed him there as king over all Yisrael. But even then, the foreign women caused him to sin. 27 ≈So do we need to hear about all of you doing this terrible evil of being unfaithful to God by marrying foreign wives?”

28 ≈Also one of Yoyada’s sons (grandson of the high priest Elyashiv) was a son-in-law of Sanvallat the Horonite, ≈so I banished him from my sight.[ref]

29 My God, remember them for ≈bringing shame to the priesthood and ≈dishonouring the vows made by the ≈priests and the Levites.

30 Then I purified them from everything foreign, ≈established regulations for each part of the work done by the priests and the Levites, 31 and ≈organised the firewood supply at certain times, ≈including for the first-fruits celebrations.

My God, remember me for good.