38AND IN ALL THIS WE [ARE] MAKING A TRUSTWORTHY ARRANGEMENT AND WRITING AND [ARE] ON THE SEALED [DOCUMENT] LEADERS OUR LEVITES OUR PRIESTS OUR 38In view of all this, we make a binding agreement, putting it in writing and sealing it with the names of*NoteCloseHebrew does not include the names of. our leaders, Levites, and priests.”
1AND [WERE] ON THE SEALED [DOCUMENTS] NEHEMIAH THE GOVERNOR [THE] SON OF HACALIAH AND ZEDEKIAH Signers of the Covenant 1Now these were the ones who sealed the document: Nehemiah the governor, son of Hacaliah, and also Zedekiah,
8MAAZIAH BILGAI SHEMAIAH THESE [WERE] THE PRIESTS 8Maaziah, Bilgai,*NoteCloseBilgai is a variant of Bilgah; see Nehemiah 12:5. and Shemaiah. These were the priests.
9AND THE LEVITES AND JESHUA [THE] SON OF AZANIAH BINNUI ONE OF [THE] SONS OF HENADAD KADMIEL 9The Levites: Jeshua son of Azaniah, Binnui of the sons of Henadad, Kadmiel,
10AND BROTHERS THEIR SHEBANIAH HODIAH KELITA PELAIAH HANAN 10and their associates: Shebaniah, Hodiah, Kelita, Pelaiah, Hanan,
14[THE] LEADERS OF THE PEOPLE PAROSH PAHATH- MOAB ELAM ZATTU BANI 14And the leaders of the people: Parosh, Pahath-moab, Elam, Zattu, Bani,
28AND [THE] REST OF THE PEOPLE THE PRIESTS THE LEVITES THE GATEKEEPERS THE SINGERS THE TEMPLE SERVANTS AND EVERY <THE> [ONE WHO] HAS SEPARATED HIMSELF FROM [THE] PEOPLES OF THE LANDS TO [THE] LAW OF <THE> GOD WIVES THEIR SONS THEIR AND DAUGHTERS THEIR EVERY [ONE WHO] KNOWS [ONE WHO] UNDERSTANDS The Vows of the Covenant 28“The rest of the people— the priests, Levites, gatekeepers, singers, temple servants,*NoteCloseHebrew Nethinim and all who had separated themselves from the people of the land to obey the Law of God— along with their wives and all their sons and daughters who are able to understand,
29[ARE] HOLDING ON COUNTRYMEN THEIR NOBLE [ONES] THEIR AND [ARE] GOING IN A CURSE AND IN AN OATH TO WALK IN [THE] LAW OF <THE> GOD WHICH IT WAS GIVEN BY [THE] HAND OF MOSES [THE] SERVANT OF <THE> GOD AND TO TAKE CARE AND TO DO <OBJ.> ALL [THE] COMMANDMENTS OF YAHWEH LORD<S> OUR AND JUDGMENTS HIS AND STATUTES HIS 29hereby join with their noble brothers and commit themselves with a sworn oath to follow the Law of God given through His servant Moses and to obey carefully all the commandments, ordinances, and statutes of the LORD our Lord.
30AND THAT NOT WE WILL GIVE DAUGHTERS OUR TO [THE] PEOPLES OF THE LAND AND <OBJ.> DAUGHTERS THEIR NOT WE WILL TAKE FOR SONS OUR 30We will not give our daughters in marriage to the people of the land, and we will not take their daughters for our sons.
31AND [THE] PEOPLES OF THE LAND WHO WILL BRING <OBJ.> <THE> WARES AND ANY GRAIN ON [THE] DAY OF THE SABBATH TO SELL NOT WE WILL TAKE FROM THEM ON THE SABBATH AND ON A DAY OF HOLINESS SO WE MAY LEAVE <OBJ.> THE YEAR <THE> SEVENTH AND USURY OF EVERY HAND 31When the people of the land bring merchandise or any kind of grain to sell on the Sabbath day, we will not buy from them on a Sabbath or holy day. Every seventh year we will let the fields lie fallow and will cancel every debt.
32AND WE ESTABLISH ON OURSELVES COMMANDMENTS TO PUT ON OURSELVES [THE] THIRD OF THE SHEKEL IN THE YEAR FOR [THE] SERVICE OF [THE] HOUSE OF GOD OUR 32We also place ourselves under the obligation to contribute a third of a shekel*NoteCloseA third of a shekel is approximately 0.13 ounces or 3.8 grams, probably of silver. yearly for the service of the house of our God:
33FOR [THE] BREAD OF THE ROW AND [THE] GRAIN OFFERING OF <THE> REGULARITY AND FOR [THE] BURNT OFFERING OF <THE> REGULARITY THE SABBATHS THE NEW MOONS FOR THE APPOINTED FEASTS AND FOR THE HOLY OFFERINGS AND FOR THE SIN OFFERINGS TO MAKE ATONEMENT ON ISRAEL AND ALL [THE] WORK OF [THE] HOUSE OF GOD OUR 33for the showbread, for the regular grain offerings and burnt offerings, for the Sabbath offerings, for the New Moons and appointed feasts, for the holy offerings, for the sin offerings to make atonement for Israel, and for all the duties of the house of our God.
34AND THE LOTS WE HAVE CAST ON [THE] OFFERING OF THE WOOD<S> THE PRIESTS THE LEVITES AND THE PEOPLE TO BRING [IT] TO [THE] HOUSE OF GOD OUR TO [THE] HOUSE OF ANCESTORS OUR TO TIMES APPOINTED A YEAR IN A YEAR TO BURN [IT] ON [THE] ALTAR YAHWEH GOD OUR ACCORDING TO <THE> [WHAT] IS WRITTEN IN THE LAW 34We have cast lots among the priests, Levites, and people for the donation of wood by our families at the appointed times each year. They are to bring it to the house of our God to burn on the altar of the LORD our God, as it is written in the Law.
35AND TO BRING <OBJ.> [THE] FIRST-FRUITS OF GROUND OUR AND [THE] FIRST-FRUITS OF ALL [THE] FRUIT OF EVERY TREE A YEAR IN A YEAR TO [THE] HOUSE OF YAHWEH 35We will also bring the firstfruits of our land and of every fruit tree to the house of the LORD year by year.
36AND <OBJ.> [THE] FIRSTBORN<S> OF SONS OUR AND CATTLE OUR ACCORDING TO <THE> [WHAT] IS WRITTEN IN THE LAW AND <OBJ.> [THE] FIRSTBORN<S> OF HERDS OUR AND FLOCKS OUR TO BRING TO [THE] HOUSE OF GOD OUR TO THE PRIESTS WHO SERVE IN [THE] HOUSE OF GOD OUR 36And we will bring the firstborn of our sons and our livestock, as it is written in the Law, and will bring the firstborn of our herds and flocks to the house of our God, to the priests who minister in the house of our God.
37AND <OBJ.> [THE] CHOICEST OF DOUGH OUR AND CONTRIBUTIONS OUR AND [THE] FRUIT OF EVERY TREE NEW WINE AND FRESH OIL WE WILL BRING TO THE PRIESTS TO [THE] STORE-ROOMS OF [THE] HOUSE OF GOD OUR AND [THE] TITHE OF GROUND OUR TO THE LEVITES AND THEY THE LEVITES [ARE] THE [ONES WHO] COLLECT TITHES IN ALL [THE] CITIES OF LABOR OUR 37Moreover, we will bring to the priests at the storerooms of the house of our God the firstfruits of our dough, of our grain offerings, of the fruit of all our trees, and of our new wine and oil. A tenth of our produce belongs to the Levites, so that they shall receive tithes in all the towns where we labor.
38AND HE WILL BE THE PRIEST [THE] DESCENDANT OF AARON WITH THE LEVITES WHEN COLLECT [THE] TITHES THE LEVITES AND THE LEVITES THEY WILL BRING UP <OBJ.> [THE] TENTH OF THE TITHE TO [THE] HOUSE OF GOD OUR INTO THE STORE-ROOMS OF [THE] HOUSE OF THE TREASURY 38A priest of Aaron’s line is to accompany the Levites when they collect the tenth, and the Levites are to bring a tenth of these tithes to the storerooms of the treasury in the house of our God.
39FOR TO THE STORE-ROOMS THEY WILL BRING [THE] PEOPLE OF ISRAEL AND [THE] DESCENDANTS OF THE LEVITES <OBJ.> [THE] CONTRIBUTION OF <THE> GRAIN THE NEW WINE AND THE FRESH OIL AND [WILL BE] THERE [THE] UTENSILS OF THE SANCTUARY AND THE PRIESTS WHO SERVE AND THE GATEKEEPERS AND THE SINGERS AND NOT WE WILL NEGLECT <OBJ.> [THE] HOUSE OF GOD OUR 39For the Israelites 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 stay. Thus we will not neglect the house of our God.”