The Book of Nehemiah

Chapter 1
1 The words of Nehemiah son of Hacaliah: It came to be in the month of Kislev of the twentieth year while I was in the castle of Shushan,
2 that Hanani, one of my brothers, came from Judah, he and other men. I asked them about the Judeans, the remnant for deliverance that remained from the captivity, and about Jerusalem.
3 They said to me: The remnant that remained from the captivity, there in the province, they are in great evil and in reproach; Jerusalem’s wall is full of breaches, and its gates were ravaged with fire.
4 It came to be when I heard these words that I sat down and lamented and mourned for days while I was fasting and praying before the Elohim of the heavens.
5 I said: Oh, Yahweh Elohim of the heavens, the great and fear-inspiring El, Who is keeping the covenant and the benignity with those loving Him and observing His instructions,
6 I pray, let Your ear be attentive and Your eyes open to hear the prayer of Your servant that I am praying before You today, by day and night, on behalf of the sons of Israel Your servants, confessing the sins of the sons of Israel with which we have sinned against You. We have sinned, both I and my father’s house.
7 We have acted malevolently, yea malevolently against You and have not observed the instructions, the statutes and the ordinances that You enjoined on Moses Your servant.
8 I pray, remember the word that You enjoined on Moses Your servant, saying: If you are offending, I shall cause you to scatter among the peoples;
9 but if you return to Me and observe My instructions and keep them, even if it should occur that your expelled ones were at the end of the heavens, then I shall convene them from there and bring them to the place where I have chosen to let My Name tabernacle.
10 For they are Your servants and Your people whom You ransomed by Your great vigor and Your steadfast hand.
11 Oh, Yahweh, I pray, let Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant and to the prayer of Your servants who take a delight in fearing Your Name. And I pray, do let Your servant prosper today, and grant him to find compassions before this man. As for me, I was cupbearer to the king.

Chapter 2
1 It came to pass in the month of Nisan of the twentieth year of king Artaxerxes that wine was before me; I took up the wine and gave it to the king. Yet I had never been troubled in his presence.
2 So the king said to me: For what reason is your face troubled when you yourself are not ailing? This is nothing but a troubled heart. Now I stood very much in fear.
3 Then I said to the king: May the king himself live for the eon! For what reason should my face not look troubled when the city, the house of my patriarchal tombs, lies waste, and its gates have been devoured by fire.
4 The king replied to me: What is this that you are seeking? Then I prayed to the Elohim of the heavens
5 and said to the king: If it seems good to the king, and if your servant might find favor before you, I would ask that you send me to Judah, to the city of my patriarchal tombs, so that I may rebuild it.
6 The king (with the consort seated beside him) asked me: How long shall your journey come to be? And when shall you return? So it seemed good before the king, and he sent me after I had given him a stated time.
7 Then I said to the king: If it seems good to the king, let letters be given to me to the viceroys Beyond-the-Stream, that they may grant passage to me until I come to Judah;
8 also a letter to Asaph the keeper of the king’s park, that he may give me timber to make rafters for the gates of the castle by the house and for the city wall and for the house in which I shall come to reside. The king gave them to me because the good hand of my Elohim was on me.
9 So I came to the viceroys Beyond-the-Stream and gave them the king’s letters. The king also sent with me chiefs of the army and horsemen.
10 When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard of this, it displeased them as a great evil that a person had come to seek out the good of the sons of Israel.
11 I came to Jerusalem and rested there three days.
12 Then I arose in the night, I and a few men with me. I had not told anyone what my Elohim was putting into my heart to do for Jerusalem. There was not even a beast with me save the beast on which I was riding.
13 I went forth by the Ravine Gate at night, in view of the snake’s spring toward the Gate of Ash Heaps. I was surveying in detail the walls of Jerusalem, how they were breached, and its gates had been devoured by fire.
14 Then I passed on toward the Spring Gate and toward the king’s reservoir, but there was no place for the beast under me to pass along.
15 So I was ascending in the night by the wadi; and I was surveying in detail the wall. Then I turned back, entered by the Ravine Gate, and returned.
16 As for the prefects, they did not know whither I had gone or what I was doing; nor had I as yet told the Judeans, the priests, the notables, the prefects or the rest of those doing the work.
17 So I said to them: You are seeing the evil in which we are, how Jerusalem lies waste, and its gates were ravaged by fire. Come now and let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, so that we are no longer a reproach.
18 I told them of the hand of my Elohim, how it had been good to me, and also of the king’s words that he had said to me. They replied: Let us get up and rebuild. And they encouraged their hands for the good.
19 When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official and Geshem the Arabian heard of it, they derided us and despised us and said: What is this thing that you are doing? Is it against the king that you are revolting?
20 I replied to them with this word that I said to them: The Elohim of the heavens, He shall prosper us, and we, His servants, we shall get up and rebuild. But for you, there is no portion or righteous claim or remembrance in Jerusalem.

Chapter 3
1 Eliashib the great priest with his fellow priests got up; they rebuilt the Flock Gate. They themselves hallowed it and installed its doors; as far as the Tower of the Hundred they hallowed it, as far as the Tower of Hananel.
2 At his side the men of Jericho rebuilt, and at their side Zaccur son of Imri rebuilt.
3 It was the Fish Gate that the sons of Hassenaah rebuilt; they themselves laid its rafters and installed its doors, its latches and its bars.
4 At their side Meremoth son of Uriah son of Hakkoz repaired; at their side Meshullam son of Berechiah son of Meshezabel repaired, and at their side Zadok son of Baana repaired.
5 At their side the Tekoites repaired; as for their nobles, they did not bring their neck into the service of their Lord.
6 It was the Secondary Gate that Joiada son of Paseah and Meshullam son of Besodeiah repaired; they themselves laid its rafters and installed its doors, its latches and its bars.
7 At their side Melatiah the Gibeonite repaired with Jadon the Meronothite and the men of Gibeon and the Mizpah that pertained to the throne of the viceroy Beyond-the Stream.
8 At his side Uzziel son of Harhaiah, one of the goldsmiths, repaired; and at his side Hananiah, one of the ointment mixers, repaired. They set free the wall of Jerusalem as far as the broad wall.
9 At their side Rephaiah son of Hur, chief of half the tract of Jerusalem repaired.
10 At their side Jedaiah son of Harumaph repaired in front of his house; and at his side Hattush son of Hashabneiah repaired.
11 Malchijah son of Harim with Hasshub son of Pahath-moab repaired a second measured section and the Tower of the Stoves.
12 At his side Shallum son of Hallohesh, chief of the other half tract of Jerusalem, repaired, he and his daughters.
13 It was the Ravine Gate that Hanun repaired with the dwellers of Zanoah; they themselves rebuilt it and installed its doors, its latches and its bars; they also repaired a thousand cubits in the wall as far as the Gate of Ash Heaps.
14 It was the Gate of Ash Heaps that Malchijah son of Rechab, chief of the Beth-haccherem tract, repaired. He himself rebuilt it and installed its doors, its latches and its bars.
15 It was the Spring Gate that Shallun son of Col-hozeh, chief of the Mizpah tract, repaired; he himself rebuilt it, roofed it and installed its doors, its latches and its bars; and he rebuilt the wall of the Shelah reservoir of the king’s garden and as far as the stairs descending from the city of David.
16 After him Nehemiah son of Azbuk, chief of half the Beth-zur tract, repaired as far as in front of the tomb of David, and as far as the reservoir that had been made, and as far as the house of the masters of war.
17 After him the Levites repaired: Rehum son of Bani, and at his side Hashabiah, chief of half the tract of Keilah, repaired for his tract.
18 After him their brothers repaired, Bavvai son of Henadad, chief of the other half tract of Keilah.
19 At his side Ezer son of Jeshua, the chief of Mizpah, repaired a second measured section from in front of the ascent to the armory by the Angle-corner.
20 After him, uphill, Baruch son of Zaccai repaired a second measured section from the Angle-corner as far as the portal of the house of Eliashib, the great priest.
21 After him Meremoth son of Uriah son of Hakkoz repaired a second measured section from the portal of Eliashib’s house as far as the boundary of Eliashib’s house.
22 After him the priests, men of the circumjacent tract, repaired.
23 After them Benjamin and Hasshub repaired in front of their house. After them Azariah son of Maaseiah son of Ananiah repaired beside his house.
24 After him Binnui son of Henadad repaired a second measured section from Azariah’s house toward the Angle-corner, as far as the corner.
25 Palal son of Uzai repaired from in front of the Angle-corner and the upper tower that is protruding from the king’s house and that belongs to the court of the jail. After him Pedaiah son of Parosh repaired.
26 As for the Nethinim, they were dwelling on the Ophel; they repaired as far as in front of the Water Gate toward the east and the protruding tower.
27 After them the Tekoites repaired a secondary measured section from in front of the great protruding tower as far as the wall of the Ophel.
28 Above the Horse Gate the priests repaired, each in front of his house.
29 After them Zadok son of Immer repaired in front of his house; and after him Shemaiah son of Shecaniah, the keeper of the East Gate, repaired.
30 After him Hananiah son of Shelemiah, with Hanun the sixth son of Zalaph, repaired a secondary measured section. After him Meshullam son of Berechiah repaired in front of his own room.
31 After him Malchijah, one of the goldsmiths, repaired as far as the house of the Nethinim and the traders in front of the Supervision Gate as far as the upper chamber of the corner.
32 And between the upper chamber of the corner and the Flock Gate the goldsmiths and the traders repaired.

Chapter 4
1 It came to be when Sanballat heard we were rebuilding the wall, that his anger burned hot, and he was greatly vexed. He derided the Judeans
2 when he protested in the presence of his brothers and the army of Samaria. He said: What are the feeble Judeans doing? Are they setting it free all by themselves? Are they sacrificing? Are they finishing up in a day? Are they reviving the stones from the dirty rubble piles, burned as they are?
3 Tobiah the Ammonite was beside him; he said: Even what they are building, if a fox went up against it, he would breach their wall of stones.
4 Hear, our Elohim, for we have become despised; and let their reproach turn back upon their own heads, and give them over to plundering in a land of captivity.
5 Do not cover over their depravity, and let not their sin be wiped out from before You, for they have provoked You to vexation in front of the builders.
6 So we were rebuilding the wall until the wall was tied together all around to half its height; for the people’s heart was set to work.
7 Then it came to be when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabians, the Ammonites and the Ashdodites heard the wholeness of the walls of Jerusalem was getting on and the breached parts had started to be stopped up, that their anger burned very hot;
8 and they conspired, all of them together, to come and fight against Jerusalem and to cause confusion to me.
9 So we prayed to our Elohim, and against them we installed a guard by day and night because of them.
10 Yet the Judean community was singing: The vigor of the burden carrier has faltered, And there is so much dirty rubble; We ourselves shall never be able To rebuild the wall.
11 Our foes said: They shall not know, and they shall not see until we come into their midst. Then we will kill them and cause the work to cease.
12 Now it came to be when the Judeans dwelling beside them would come, then they would tell us ten times about all the scheming which they had devised against us.
13 So, at the nether parts of the place behind the wall, I let the men stand in exposed places; and I kept the people standing by families with their swords, their lances and their bows.
14 When I had examined them I arose and said to the notables, the prefects and the rest of the people: You must not fear because of them. Remember the great and fear-inspiring Yahweh, and fight for your brothers, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes.
15 It came to be when our enemies had heard it was known to us, and the One, Elohim, had quashed their counsel, that we returned to the wall, all of us, each man to his work.
16 It came to be that from this day on half of my retainers were engaged in the work while half of them were holding fast the lances, the shields, the bows and the coats of mail. And the chiefs were behind the whole house of Judah
17 who were rebuilding the wall. Those bearing the burden were lading, each with his one hand engaged in the work and with the other holding fast the javelin.
18 And the builders were engaged, each with his sword on his waist, and rebuilding; yet the one blowing the trumpet was beside me.
19 Then I said to the notables, the prefects and the rest of the people: There is much work, and it is widely spread; we are kept apart along the wall, each man far from his brothers.
20 At the place where you hear the sound of the trumpet, there you shall convene to us. Our Elohim shall fight for us.
21 And so we were engaged in the work, while half of them were holding fast the lances, from the ascent of dawn until the stars came forth.
22 At that time I said also to the people: Let each man with his retainer lodge in Jerusalem that they become for us a guard by night and a work force by day.
23 Neither I nor my brothers nor my retainers nor the men of the guard who were behind me we were not stripping off our clothes, each man kept his javelin at his right hand.

Chapter 5
1 There came to be a great outcry from the people and their wives against their fellow Judeans.
2 There were some who said: With our sons and our daughters we are numerous; so let us procure grain so that we may eat and may live.
3 There were others who said: We are giving our fields, our vineyards and our houses as surety so that we may procure grain during the famine.
4 And there were others who said: We have borrowed money on our fields and our vineyards to pay the king’s tribute.
5 Now our flesh is like the flesh of our brothers, our sons are like their sons; but here we have to bring our sons and our daughters into bondage as slaves. And there are some of our daughters already in bondage, for there is nothing at the disposal of our hand while our fields and our vineyards belong to others.
6 My anger burned very hot when I heard their outcry and these words.
7 My heart was mastered within me, and I contended with the notables and the prefects and said to them: With a loan on pledge is each of you astricting his brother. Then I set a great assembly against them
8 and said to them: We ourselves have bought back as many as we could of our Judean brothers who were sold to the nations. You however, you are selling your own brothers, so that they will have to be sold back to us. They kept silence and found no word of reply.
9 Then I continued: The thing you are doing is not good. Ought you not to walk in the fear of our Elohim because of the reproach of the nations, our enemies?
10 I, my brothers and my retainers also have been lending them money and grain. Let us now forsake this loan on pledge.
11 Do return to them, as of today, their fields, their vineyards, their olive trees and their houses, and the percentage on the money, the grain, the grape juice and the clarified oil with which you are astricting them.
12 They replied: We shall return them, and we shall not seek to extract anything from them; so shall we do, just as you are saying. Then I called the priests and made them swear to act according to this word.
13 I also shook out my bosom pouch and said: Thus may the One, Elohim, shake out from his house and from the result of his labor every man who does not carry out this word; thus may he become shaken out and empty. Then the whole assembly said Amen and praised Yahweh. And the people acted according to this word.
14 Moreover from the day that I was commissioned to be their viceroy in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year to the thirty-second year of king Artaxerxes, for twelve years neither I nor my brothers ate the bread due the viceroy.
15 As for the former viceroys who came before me, they laid a heavy yoke on the people and procured from them for each day forty shekels of silver for bread and wine. Their retainers too domineered over the people. As for me, I have not acted thus because of the fear of Elohim.
16 I rather held fast to the work of this wall; I did not acquire a field, and all my retainers came together there for the work.
17 There were at my table 150 men, Judeans and prefects, beside those coming to us from the nations that were around us.
18 What was prepared for each day, one steer, six choice flocklings and poultry, they were prepared at my expense, and once every ten days all sorts of wine in abundance; yet for all this I never sought to exact the bread due the viceroy, for the king’s service lay heavily on this people.
19 Do remember me, O my Elohim, for all the good that I have done on behalf of this people.

Chapter 6
1 Now it came to be when it was announced to Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arabian and the rest of our enemies that I had rebuilt the wall and that no breach was left in it (though at this juncture I had not yet installed the doors in the gateways),
2 then Sanballat and Geshem sent word to me, saying: Come now, let us make an appointment and meet together at the shelters in the valley of Ono. But they were devising to cause me evil.
3 So I sent messengers to them, saying: I am doing a great work, and I can not go down. Why should the work cease while I neglect it and go down to you?
4 They sent me this same word four times, and I replied to them with this same word.
5 Then Sanballat sent me this same word a fifth time by his retainer who had in his hand an open letter
6 in which was written: It is announced among the nations, and Gashmu is saying it, that you and the Judeans are devising to revolt. Therefore you are rebuilding the wall, and, according to these reports, you are about to become a king over them.
7 Moreover you have installed prophets to proclaim in Jerusalem about you, saying: There is a king in Judah! Now words like these shall be announced to the king; so now do come, and let us consult together.
8 I sent word to him, saying: Nothing like these things that you are saying has occurred, since you are inventing them in your own heart.
9 For all of them were meant to intimidate us, saying: Their hands shall neglect the work, and it shall not be completed. So now I made steadfast my hands.
10 Then I myself entered the house of Shemaiah son of Delaiah son of Mehetabel when he was under restraint, and he said, Let us meet by appointment At the house of Elohim, Inside the temple, And let us lock the temple doors; For they are coming to kill you, By night they are coming to kill you.
11 I replied: A man like me, should he run away? And who such as me could enter into the temple and live? I shall not enter.
12 Then I recognized: Behold! Not Elohim had sent him; for he had spoken this prophecy against me because Tobiah himself and Sanballat had hired
13 a throng against me. He was hired that I might be intimidated and act in this way and thus would sin. It would get me an evil name among them so that they might reproach me.
14 O my Elohim, do remember Tobiah and Sanballat according to these doings of theirs, and also Noadiah the prophetess and the rest of the prophets who were intimidating me.
15 The rebuilding of the wall was accomplished on the twenty-fifth of Elul, in fifty-two days.
16 It came to be when all our enemies heard of it, all the nations around us were intimidated and fell exceedingly in their own eyes. They realized that this work had been done by our Elohim.
17 Moreover in those days, an increasing number of their letters was going from the notables of Judah to Tobiah; and those of Tobiah were coming in to them.
18 For many in Judah were plighted to him by oath, since he was son-in-law of Shecaniah son of Arah; and his son Jehohanan had taken the daughter of Meshullam son of Berechiah.
19 Moreover, they were speaking before me good things about him, while they were sending forth my words to him. And Tobiah sent letters to intimidate me.

Chapter 7
1 It came to be as soon as the wall was rebuilt that I installed the doors. Then the gatekeepers, the singers and the Levites were mustered for their tasks.
2 And I instructed my brother Hanani and Hananiah, the chief of the castle, to oversee Jerusalem, since he feared the One, Elohim, more than most, as only a faithful man can do.
3 I said to them: The gates of Jerusalem should not be left open while the sun is brightly warm; but while they stay watching, let them slam the doors. And keep them bolted! Also let the dwellers of Jerusalem have guards stand, each man in his ward, and each man in front of his own house.
4 Now the city was wide on all sides and large; but the people in it were few, and there were not enough rebuilt houses.
5 Then my Elohim put it into my heart that I should convene the notables and the prefects and the people in order to get themselves registered. I found the register scroll of those who had come up at the first and found written in it:
6 These were the sons of the province who came up from the captivity of deportation that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had deported; they returned to Jerusalem and to Judah, each man to his city,
7 those who came with Zerubbabel: Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Rehum, Baanah. The number of the men of the people of Israel:
8 The sons of Parosh 2,172;
9 the sons of Shephatiah 372;
10 the sons of Arah 652;
11 the sons of Pahath-moab, of the sons of Jeshua and Joab 2,818;
12 the sons of Elam 1,254;
13 the sons of Zattu 845;
14 the sons of Zaccai 760;
15 the sons of Binnui 648;
16 the sons of Bebai 628;
17 the sons of Azgad 2,322;
18 the sons of Adonikam 667;
19 the sons of Bigvai 2,067;
20 the sons of Adin 655;
21 the sons of Ater, of Hezekiah 98;
22 the sons of Hashum 328;
23 the sons of Bezai 324;
24 the sons of Hariph 112;
25 the sons of Gibeon 95;
26 the men of Bethlehem and Netophah 188;
27 the men of Anathoth 128;
28 the men of Beth-azmaveth 42;
29 the men of Kiriath-jearim, Chephirah and Beeroth 743;
30 the men of Ramah and Geba 621;
31 the men of Michmas 122;
32 the men of Bethel and Ai 123;
33 the men of Nebo 52;
34 the sons of Elam-ar 1,254;
35 the sons of Harim 320;
36 the sons of Jericho 345;
37 the sons of Lod, Hadid and Ono 721;
38 the sons of Senaah 3,930.
39 The priests: The sons of Jedaiah of the house of Jeshua 973;
40 the sons of Immer 1,052;
41 the sons of Pashhur 1,247;
42 the sons of Harim 1,017.
43 The Levites: The sons of Jeshua, of Kadmiel, of the sons of Hodevah 74.
44 The singers: The sons of Asaph 148.
45 The gatekeepers: The sons of Shallum, the sons of Ater, the sons of Talmon, the sons of Akkub, the sons of Hatita, the sons of Shobai 138.
46 The Nethinim: The sons of Ziha, the sons of Hasupha, the sons of Tabbaoth,
47 the sons of Keros, the sons of Sia, the sons of Padon,
48 the sons of Lebanah, the sons of Hagabah, the sons of Shalmai,
49 the sons of Hanan, the sons of Giddel, the sons of Gahar,
50 the sons of Reaiah, the sons of Rezin, the sons of Nekoda,
51 the sons of Gazzam, the sons of Uzza, the sons of Paseah,
52 the sons of Besai, the sons of Meunim, the sons of Nephushesim,
53 the sons of Bakbuk, the sons of Hakupha, the sons of Harhur,
54 the sons of Bazlith, the sons of Mehida, the sons of Harsha,
55 the sons of Barkos, the sons of Sisera, the sons of Temah,
56 the sons of Neziah, the sons of Hatipha.
57 The sons of the servants of Solomon: The sons of Sotai, the sons of Sophereth, the sons of Perida,
58 the sons of Jaala, the sons of Darkon, the sons of Giddel,
59 the sons of Shephatiah, the sons of Hattil, the sons of Pochereth, the sons of Hazzebaim, the sons of Amon.
60 All the Nethinim and the sons of the servants of Solomon 392.
61 These were the ones coming up from Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Cherub, Addon and Immer; yet they were not able to tell the house of their fathers or their seed, whether they were descended from Israel:
62 The sons of Delaiah, the sons of Tobiah, the sons of Nekoda 642.
63 And from the priests: The sons of Habaiah, the sons of Hakkoz, the sons of Barzillai who took a wife from the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite and was called by their name.
64 These sought their registration among those who had been registered, yet it was not found. So they were disqualified from the priesthood.
65 Hence the Tirshatha said to them that they should not eat from the holy of holies until a priest would stand up with Urim and Thummim.
66 The entire assembly as one group was 42,360,
67 besides their manservants and their maidservants, those being 7,337. They also had 245 male singers and female singers.
68 Their horses were 736; their mules 245;
69 the camels were 435, the donkeys 6,720.
70 As for some of the patriarchal heads, they gave to the work. The Tirshatha himself gave to the treasury: gold 1,000 darics, sprinkling bowls 50, tunics for priests 30, and silver 500 minas.
71 As for some of the patriarchal heads, they gave to the treasury of the work: gold 20,000 darics, and silver 2,200 minas.
72 And what the remainder of the people gave was: gold 20,000 darics, silver 2,000 minas, and tunics for priests 67.
73 The priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, some of the people, the Nethinim and all Israel were dwelling in their cities. When the seventh moon was attained, then the sons of Israel had settled in their cities.

Chapter 8
1 All the people gathered as one man in the square before the water gate and asked Ezra the scribe to bring out the scroll of the law of Moses which Yahweh had enjoined on Israel.
2 So on day one of the seventh month, Ezra the priest brought out the law before the assembly, both man and woman and all who could hear with understanding.
3 He read from it facing the square before the Water Gate from the first light until midday in front of the men and the women and those who could understand. And the ears of all the people were toward the scroll of the law.
4 Ezra the scribe stood on a wooden tower that they had built for the occasion. And beside him stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah and Maaseiah on his right, and on his left Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah and Meshullam.
5 Ezra opened the scroll before the eyes of all the people, for he was above all the people. And as he opened it, all the people stood up.
6 Now Ezra blessed Yahweh the great Elohim, and all the people responded: Amen! Amen! with the lifting up of their hands. They bowed their heads and prostrated themselves before Yahweh with their nostrils to the earth.
7 Then Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, the Levites, were explaining the law to the people, with the people in their standing position.
8 They read from the scroll from the law of the One, Elohim. It was expounded to make it intelligible, so that the people could understand the reading.
9 [Nehemiah the Tirshatha and] Ezra the priest, the scribe, with the Levites who were explaining it to the people, he said to all the people: This day, it is holy to Yahweh your Elohim. You must not mourn, and you must not weep. For all the people were weeping as they were hearing the words of the law.
10 So he said to them: Go, eat rich food and drink sweet wine, and send assigned shares to the one for whom nothing has been prepared, for the day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for it is the exhilaration of Yahweh that is your stronghold.
11 The Levites too were causing all the people to hush, saying: Be quelled! For the day is holy, and you must not grieve.
12 Then all the people went away to eat and to drink and to send assigned shares and to show a great rejoicing, for they had understood the words that had been made known to them.
13 On the second day the patriarchal heads of all the people, the priests and the Levites gathered to Ezra the scribe to gain further insight into the words of the law.
14 They found written in the law that Yahweh had enjoined by means of Moses that the sons of Israel should dwell in booths during the festival in the seventh month
15 and that they should announce it. So they caused a proclamation to pass along to all their cities and in Jerusalem, saying: Go forth into the hill country and bring in olive leaves, oleaster tree leaves, myrtle leaves, leafy branches of palm trees and leaves of other leafy trees to make booths, according to what is written.
16 Then the people went forth and brought them in and made booths for themselves, each on his housetop, and in their courts, in the courts of the house of Elohim, in the square of the Water Gate and in the square of the Ephraim Gate.
17 The whole assembly who had returned from the captivity made booths and dwelled in the booths; for the sons of Israel had not done so from the days of Joshua son of Nun until that day; and there was very great rejoicing.
18 He read from the scroll of the law of the One, Elohim, day by day, from the first day until the last day. They kept the festival seven days, and on the eighth day there was a day of restraint according to the ordinance.

Chapter 9
1 On the twenty-fourth day of this month, the sons of Israel gathered with fasting, with sackcloth and dust from the ground on them.
2 Then those of the seed of Israel separated themselves from all foreigners. They stood up and confessed their own sins and their fathers’ depravities.
3 They rose up, while in their standing position they read from the scroll of the law of Yahweh their Elohim for a fourth of the day, and they were confessing and prostrating themselves before Yahweh their Elohim for another fourth.
4 On the podium of the Levites rose up Jeshua with Bennui, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani and Chenani who cried out with a loud voice to Yahweh their Elohim.
5 The Levites Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bennui, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah and Pethahiah said: Rise! Bless Yahweh your Elohim Who is from the eon unto the eon. Blessed is Your glorious Name and exalted over all blessing and praise.
6 You are He, Yahweh You alone. You Yourself have made the heavens, the heavens of the heavens and all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You are keeping all of them alive, and the host of the heavens are prostrating themselves before You.
7 You are He, Yahweh the One Elohim, You Who chose Abram and brought him forth from Ur of the Chaldeans and changed his name to Abraham.
8 You found his heart faithful before You and contracted a covenant with him to give the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Jebusite and the Girgashite to give it to his seed. And You carried out Your promises, for You are righteous.
9 You saw the humiliation of our fathers in Egypt; and You heard their outcry at the Sea of Weeds.
10 You performed signs and miracles against Pharaoh, against all his officials and against all the people of his land; for You knew how arrogantly they treated them. You made a Name for Yourself as it remains to this day.
11 You split the sea apart before them, so they passed through the midst of the sea on dry ground; and their pursuers You flung into shadowy depths, like a stone into strong waters.
12 In a column of cloud You guided them by day, and in a column of fire by night to light up for them the way in which they should go.
13 You descended on Mount Sinai and spoke with them from the heavens; You gave to them upright ordinances and laws of truth, statutes and instructions that are good.
14 Your holy sabbath You made known to them; and instructions, statutes and a law You enjoined on them by means of Your servant Moses.
15 Bread from the heavens You gave to them for their hunger; and waters from a crag You brought forth to them for their thirst. And You told them to enter and tenant the land about which You had sworn with Your uplifted hand to give it to them.
16 But they our fathers acted arrogantly and stiffened the scruff of their neck and did not hearken to Your instructions.
17 They refused to hearken and were not mindful of Your marvels that You performed among them. They stiffened the scruff of their neck and appointed a head in order to return to their servitude in Egypt. But You are the Eloah of pardons, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and with much benignity; so You did not forsake them
18 even when they made for themselves a molten calf and said: This is your elohim, Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt, and when they committed great indignities.
19 In Your great compassion You did not forsake them in the wilderness. Neither did the column of cloud take off from over them by day to guide them on the way, nor did the column of fire by night fail to light up for them the way in which they should go.
20 You gave Your good spirit in order to make them contemplate; You did not withhold Your manna from their mouth, and You gave waters to them for their thirst.
21 Forty years You sustained them in the wilderness so that they lacked nothing, their raiment did not wear out, and their feet did not swell.
22 You gave them kingdoms and peoples, and You apportioned them to the edge when they tenanted the land of Sihon, the land of the king of Heshbon, and the land of Og king of Bashan.
23 You made their sons as numerous as the stars of the heavens, and You brought them into the land that You promised to their fathers they would enter to tenant.
24 So the sons entered and tenanted the land. You made the dwellers of the land, the Canaanites, submissive before them, and You gave them into their hand, both their kings and the peoples of the land, to do with them according to what was acceptable to them.
25 They seized fortress cities and fertile ground; they took over houses full of every good thing, cisterns hewn out, vineyards and olive groves and food trees in abundance. So they ate, they were surfeited and grew stout; they luxuriated in Your great goodness.
26 But they became defiant, revolted against You and flung Your law behind their body. They killed Your prophets who testified against them so as to cause them to return to You; they committed great indignities.
27 Then You gave them into the hand of their foes who caused them distress. Yet when they cried to You in the time of their distress, You heard them from the heavens, and in Your great compassion You gave them saviours who saved them from the hand of their foes.
28 But as soon as they were at rest, they again started doing evil before You; then You forsook them into the hand of their enemies who held sway over them. Yet when they cried out to You again, You heard them from the heavens, and in Your compassion You rescued them many times.
29 You testified against them in order to turn them back to Your law, but they acted arrogantly and did not hearken to Your instructions, and against Your ordinances they sinned, against them which a man should do, and so he will live by them. They turned a stubborn shoulder and stiffened the scruff of their neck and did not hearken.
30 Many years You were indulgent with them. You testified against them by Your spirit, by means of Your prophets. But they did not listen. Then You gave them into the hand of the peoples of the lands.
31 Yet in Your great compassion You did not make an extermination of them, and You did not forsake them, for You are the gracious and compassionate El.
32 And now, our Elohim, the great, masterful and fear-inspiring El, Who are keeping the covenant and the benignity, let not appear little before You all the stress that came upon us, our kings, our chiefs, our priests and our prophets, on our fathers and all of Your people, from the days of the kings of Assyria until this day.
33 You have been in the right regarding everything that has come upon us; for You acted faithfully, yet we, we did wickedness.
34 Our kings, our chiefs, our priests and our fathers, neither did they observe Your law, nor did they pay attention to Your instructions and Your testimonies with which You testified against them.
35 When they were in their own kingdom, in Your great goodness that You bestowed on them, and in the wide and fertile land that You provided before them, they did not serve You and did not turn back from their evil practices.
36 Behold, we are servants today; and the land that You gave to our fathers to eat its fruit and its good, behold, we are servants on it.
37 Its abundant yield goes to the kings whom You set over us because of our sins; and they are ruling over our bodies and our domestic beasts according to what is acceptable to them. We are in great distress.
38 In view of all this we are contracting an authenticated covenant in writing, and on the sealed document are the names of our chiefs, our Levites, our priests.

Chapter 10
1 Those who are sealing it are: Nehemiah the Tirshatha, 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, Shemaiah; these are the priests.
9 And the Levites: Jeshua son of Azaniah, Binnui of the sons of Henadad, Kadmiel;
10 and their brothers: Shebaniah, Hodiah, Kelita, Pelaiah, Hanan,
11 Mica, Rehob, Hashabiah,
12 Zaccur, Sherebiah, Shebaniah,
13 Hodiah, Bani, Beninu.
14 The heads 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 and Ahiah, Hanan, Anan,
27 Malluch, Harim, Baanah.
28 And the remainder of the people, the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, the Nethinim, and everyone who had separated himself from the peoples of the lands to the law of Elohim, their wives, their sons and their daughters, everyone having enough knowledge to understand,
29 they were taking courage to join with their brothers, their nobles, and entering into an imprecation and an oath to walk in the law of Elohim that was given by means of Moses the servant of Elohim, and to observe and do all the instructions of Yahweh our Lord, His ordinances and His statutes.
30 Namely: We shall not give our daughters in marriage to the peoples of the land; and we shall not take their daughters for our sons.
31 As for the peoples of the land who are bringing their wares or any food-grain on the day of the sabbath to sell we shall take nothing from them on the sabbath or on a holy day. We shall forgo the produce of the seventh year, and every outstanding debt.
32 We will lay obligatory instructions upon ourselves: To give, each of us, a third of a shekel per year for the service of the house of our Elohim,
33 for the array of bread, the continual approach present and the continual ascent offering, for those of the sabbaths, the new months, for the appointed seasons, for holy offerings, for sin offerings to make a propitiatory shelter over Israel, and for all the work of the house of our Elohim.
34 We have cast lots among the priests, the Levites and the people, over the supply of wood, to bring it to the house of our Elohim, by our patriarchal houses at stated times year by year, to blaze forth on the altar of Yahweh our Elohim, as it is written in the law.
35 And we pledge ourselves to bring to the house of Yahweh, year by year, the firstfruits of our ground and the firstfruits of all fruit of every tree;
36 also the firstborn of our sons and our domestic beasts, as it is written in the law, and the firstlings of our herds and our flocks, to bring to the house of our Elohim, to the priests ministering in the house of our Elohim.
37 We shall bring also the first batch of our coarse meal, our heave offerings, and of the fruit of every tree, of grape juice and of clarified oil to the priests in the rooms of the house of our Elohim, and the tithe of our ground to the Levites, since they, the Levites, are those taking the tenth in all cities of our service.
38 And a priest, a son of Aaron, must come with the Levites when the Levites take the tenth; and the Levites themselves shall bring up a tenth of the tithe to the house of our Elohim, to the rooms of the treasury house.
39 For it is to these rooms that the sons of Israel and the sons of Levi must bring the heave offering of grain, grape juice and clarified oil; there are the vessels of the sanctuary, the ministering priests, the gatekeepers and the singers. We shall not forsake the house of our Elohim.

Chapter 11
1 The chief officials of the people were dwelling in Jerusalem; and the remainder of the people cast lots to bring one out of ten to dwell in Jerusalem, the holy city, and the other nine hands to stay in the other cities.
2 And the people blessed all the men who volunteered to dwell in Jerusalem.
3 These are the heads of the province who dwelt in Jerusalem; yet those in the cities of Judah dwelt, each man on his holding in their cities: the Israelites, the priests and the Levites, the Nethinim and the sons of the servants of Solomon,
4 while in Jerusalem some of the sons of Judah and some of the sons of Benjamin dwelt: Of the sons of Judah: Athaiah son of Uzziah son of Zechariah son of Amariah son of Shephatiah son of Mahalalel of the sons of Perez.
5 And Maaseiah son of Baruch son of Col-hozeh son of Hazaiah son of Adaiah son of Joiarib son of Zechariah son of the Shilonite.
6 All the sons of Perez dwelling in Jerusalem were 468 men of valor.
7 These are the sons of Benjamin: Sallu son of Meshullam son of Joed son of Pedaiah son of Kolaiah son of Maaseiah son of Ithiel son of Jeshaiah,
8 and his brothers Gabbai and Sallai 928.
9 Joel son of Zichri was supervisor over them, and Judah son of Hassenuah was second in command over the city.
10 Of the priests: Jedaiah son of Joiarib, Jachin,
11 Seraiah son of Hilkiah son of Meshullam son of Zadok son of Meraioth son of Ahitub, governor of the house of Elohim,
12 and their brothers who did the work for the house 822; and Adaiah son of Jeroham son of Pelaliah son of Amzi son of Zechariah son of Pashhur son of Malchijah,
13 and his brothers, patriarchal heads 242; and Amashsai son of Azarel son of Ahzai son of Meshillemoth son of Immer,
14 and their brothers, masterful men of valor 128; and Zabdiel son of Haggedolim was supervisor over them.
15 Of the Levites: Shemaiah son of Hasshub son of Azrikam son of Hashabiah son of Bunni;
16 and Shabbethai and Jozabad of the heads of the Levites were over the work outside the house of Elohim;
17 Mattaniah son of Micah son of Zichri son of Asaph, the head of the praise singing, was acclaiming at prayer while Bakbukiah was second among his brothers; and Abda son of Shammua son of Galal son of Jeduthun.
18 All the Levites in the holy city were 284.
19 The gatekeepers who were on guard at the gates, Akkub, Talmon and their brothers, were 172.
20 The remainder of the Israelites, of the priests and of the Levites were in all the cities of Judah, each man in his allotment.
21 The Nethinim were dwelling on the hill of Ophel, and Ziha and Gishpa were over the Nethinim.
22 The supervisor of the Levites in Jerusalem was Uzzi son of Bani son of Hashabiah son of Mattaniah son of Micah, one of the sons of Asaph who were the singers in front of the work of the house of Elohim.
23 For there was an instruction of the king on behalf of them, an authenticated ordinance of a day by day program for the singers.
24 Pethahiah son of Meshezabel, of the sons of Zerah son of Judah, was at the king’s hand on all matters relating to the people.
25 As for the hamlets with their fields: Some of the sons of Judah dwelt in Kiriath-arba and its outskirts, in Dibon and its outskirts and in Jekabzeel and its hamlets;
26 in Jeshua, in Moladah and in Beth-pelet;
27 in Hazar-shual, in Beer-sheba and its outskirts;
28 in Ziklag and in Mekonah and in its outskirts;
29 in En-rimmon and in Zorah and in Jarmuth,
30 Zanoah, Adullam and their hamlets; Lachish and its fields; Azekah and its outskirts. So they encamped from Beer-sheba unto the ravine of Hinnom.
31 Some of the sons of Benjamin dwelt in Geba, Michmash, Aija and Bethel and its outskirts,
32 Anathoth, Nob, Ananiah,
33 Hazor, Raman, Gittaim,
34 Hadid, Zeboim, Neballat,
35 Lod and Ono, and the ravine of artificers.
36 Some of the Judean apportionments of the Levites were assigned to Benjamin.

Chapter 12
1 These are the priests and the Levites who came up with Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua: Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra,
2 Amariah, Malluch, Hattush,
3 Shecaniah, Rehum, Meremoth,
4 Iddo, Ginnethon, Abijah,
5 Mijamin, Maadiah, Bilgah,
6 Shemaiah and Joiarib, Jedaiah,
7 Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, Jedaiah. These were the heads of the priests and of their brothers in the days of Jeshua.
8 The Levites: Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah and Mattaniah who was over the acclamations, he and his brothers,
9 while Bakbukiah and Unni and their brothers were in front of them for guard duties.
10 Jeshua begot Joiakim; Joiakim begot Eliashib, and Eliashib Joiada;
11 Joiada begot Jonathan, and Jonathan begot Jaddua.
12 In the days of Joiakim there were his brothers, the priests and patriarchal heads: for the clan of Seraiah, Meraiah; of Jeremiah, Hananiah;
13 of Ezra, Meshullam; of Amariah, Jehohanan;
14 of Malluch, Jonathan; of Shebaniah, Joseph;
15 of Harim, Adna; of Meraioth, Helkai;
16 of Iddo, Zechariah; of Ginnethon, Meshullam;
17 of Abijah, Zichri; of Miniamin [ . . . ]; of Moadiah, Piltai;
18 of Bilgah, Shammua; of Shemaiah, Jehonathan;
19 of Joiarib, Mattenai; of Jedaiah, Uzzi;
20 of Sallai, Kallai; of Amok, Ebed;
21 of Hilkiah, Hashabiah; of Jedaiah, Nethanel.
22 The Levites in the days of Eliashib, Joiada, Johanan and Jaddua were registered as patriarchal heads; so also were the priests unto the reign of Darius the Persian.
23 The sons of Levi, the patriarchal heads, were written on a scroll of records of the days, unto the days of Johanan son of Eliashib.
24 The heads of the Levites were Hashabiah, Sherebiah and Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel and their brothers in front of them for praising and acclaiming in accord with the instruction of David the man of Elohim, one guard post to correspond with the other guard post,
25 namely Mattaniah and Bakbukiah and Obadiah. Meshullam, Talmon and Akkub were keeping guard as gatekeepers at the vestibules of the gateways.
26 These served in the days of Joiakim son of Jeshua son of Jozadak and in the days of Nehemiah the viceroy and Ezra the priest and scribe.
27 At the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought out the Levites from all their places to bring them to Jerusalem to perform the dedication and rejoicing with acclamations and with song, cymbals, zithers and harps.
28 The sons of Levi, the singers gathered from the circumjacent tract round about Jerusalem, from the Netophathite hamlets,
29 from Beth-gilgal and from the fields of Geba and Azmaveth; for the singers had built hamlets for themselves round about Jerusalem.
30 When the priests and the Levites had cleansed themselves, they cleansed the people and the gateways and the wall.
31 Then I let the chief officials of Judah ascend, upward to the wall. I organized two large acclamation choirs and processions, one going to the right, upward to the wall toward the Gate of Ash Heaps.
32 Hoshaiah and half of the chief officials of Judah went after them.
33 So did Azariah, Ezra and Meshullam,
34 Judah and Benjamin, Shemaiah and Jeremiah;
35 also some of the sons of the priests with bugles; Zechariah son of Jonathan son of Shemaiah son of Mattaniah son of Micaiah son of Zaccur son of Asaph,
36 and his brothers Shemaiah and Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah and Hanani with the instruments of song of David the man of Elohim; and Ezra the scribe was before them.
37 At the Spring Gate, in front of them, they went up the stairs of the city of David on the ascent to the wall above the house of David and unto the Water Gate toward the east.
38 The second acclamation choir was going in the opposite direction, and I with half of the people after it, upward to the wall, above the Tower of the Stoves, and unto the broad wall;
39 and above the Gate of Ephraim on to the Secondary Gate, on to the Fish Gate, the Tower of Hananel, the Tower of the Hundred as far as the Flock Gate; and they stayed at the Gate of the Tail.
40 Then the two acclamation choirs took their stand in the house of Elohim, as did I and half of the prefects with me,
41 and the priests Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, Hananiah with bugles,
42 and Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malchijah, Elam and Ezer. Then the singers made themselves heard, with Izrahiah as supervisor.
43 They sacrificed on that day great sacrifices and rejoiced, for the One, Elohim, made them rejoice with great rejoicing; the women and the children rejoiced too; and the rejoicing in Jerusalem was heard from afar.
44 On that day men were mustered to oversee the rooms for the treasuries, for the heave offerings, for the firstfruit, and for the tithes, to collect into them, according to the fields of the cities, the portions assigned by the law for the priests and the Levites; for Judah’s rejoicing was on account of the priests and the Levites who were officiating
45 and kept the charge of their Elohim and the charge of cleansing, as did the singers and the gatekeepers, according to the instruction of David and Solomon his son.
46 For long ago, in the days of David and Asaph, there were heads of the singers and the song of praise and acclaiming to Elohim.
47 In the days of Zerubbabel and the days of Nehemiah, all of Israel were giving the portions assigned for the singers and the gatekeepers as a day by day program, and they were sanctifying that which was for the other Levites, and the Levites were sanctifying that for the sons of Aaron.

Chapter 13
1 On that day scripture from the scroll of Moses was read into the ears of the people, and there was found written in it that no Ammonite or Moabite should enter the assembly of Elohim for the eon,
2 for they had not succored the sons of Israel with bread and water, but had even hired against them Balaam to maledict them, though our Elohim turned the malediction into a blessing.
3 So it came to be as soon as they heard this law that they separated out of Israel all those of mixed descent.
4 Before this, Eliashib the priest, who had been set over the rooms in the house of our Elohim and was near in friendship with Tobiah,
5 provided for his use a large room where there had previously been put the approach present, the frankincense and the vessels, the tithes of grain, grape juice and clarified oil, given by obligatory instructions to the Levites, the singers and the gatekeepers, and the heave offering for the priests.
6 During all this time I was not in Jerusalem, for in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon, I had come back to the king. Yet at the end of those days I asked leave of the king.
7 When I came to Jerusalem, I got to detect the extent of the evil which Eliashib had committed on behalf of Tobiah in providing for him a room in the courts of the house of Elohim.
8 I was very displeased, and I flung all the household furnishings of Tobiah outside of the room.
9 Then I said that they should cleanse the rooms, and I had the vessels of the house of Elohim with the approach present and the frankincense restored there.
10 I also realized that the assigned portions of the Levites had not been given them, so that the Levites and the singers, the ones doing the work, had hastened away, each man to his own field.
11 Hence I contended with the prefects and said, For what reason was the house of Elohim forsaken? Then I convened them and installed them again in their position,
12 and all of Judah brought the tithe of grain, grape juice and clarified oil to the treasuries.
13 I appointed as treasurers over the treasuries Shelemiah the priest, Zadok the scribe and Pedaiah of the Levites, with Hanan son of Zaccur son of Mattaniah at their side, for they were accounted faithful; so it devolved on them to distribute portions to their brothers.
14 Do remember me, O my Elohim, for this, and do not wipe out my kindness which I showed to the house of my Elohim and its observances.
15 In those days I saw in Judah some who were treading winetroughs on the sabbath, bringing threshed grain and lading it on donkeys, and also wine, grapes and figs; indeed every kind of load were they bringing into Jerusalem on the sabbath day. So I testified against them on the day they sold provisions.
16 Tyrians who dwelt in it, were bringing fish and all kinds of ware and were selling them on the sabbath to the sons of Judah, and that in Jerusalem.
17 I contended with the notables of Judah and said to them, What evil thing is this that you are doing by profaning the sabbath day?
18 Was it not thus that your fathers did, so that our Elohim brought upon us and this city all this evil? Yet you are adding to His hot anger against Israel by profaning the sabbath.
19 It came to be, as soon as the gateways of Jerusalem became shadowed before the sabbath, that I said, The doors should be closed, and I added that they should not open them until after the sabbath. And I let some of my retainers stand at the gates, so that no load might enter on the sabbath day.
20 Hence the traders and the sellers of all kinds of ware lodged outside Jerusalem once or twice.
21 I testified against them and said to them, For what reason are you lodging in front of the wall? If you should repeat this, I shall put forth hands on you. From that time on they did not come on the sabbath.
22 I said to the Levites that they should be cleansing themselves and come and guard the gates so as to hallow the sabbath day. Do remember me also for this, O my Elohim, and do commiserate with me according to Your abundant benignity.
23 Moreover, in those days I saw Judeans who had located in their houses foreign women, Ashdodite, Ammonite and Moabite.
24 As for their sons, half were speaking Ashdodite or the tongue of this people and that people; yet there were none of them recognizing how to speak Judean.
25 So I contended with and maledicted them; I smote some men of them and plucked out their hair. I made them swear by Elohim: You ought not to give your daughters to their sons or take up some of their daughters for your sons or for yourselves.
26 Was it not on account of such women as these that Solomon king of Israel sinned? Among the many nations there was no king like him; he was loved by his Elohim, and Elohim made him king over all Israel. Yet foreign women caused even him to sin.
27 As for you, should we acquiesce in your doing all this great evil and in offending our Elohim by locating in your houses foreign women?
28 Now one of the sons of Joiada son of the great priest Eliashib was a son-in-law of Sanballat the Horonite; so I drove him away from me.
29 Do remember them, O my Elohim, on account of their sullying of the priesthood and the covenant of the priesthood and the Levites.
30 Then I cleansed them from everything foreign, and organized the chargers for the priests and for the Levites (each in his work)
31 as well as the supply of wood at stated times and the firstfruits. Do remember me, O my Elohim, for good.