The Levites confession of God's NEHEMIAH. goodness and their wickedness. 6 Thou, even thou, art LORD alone; thou hast people of the land, that they might do with then made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all as they would. their host, the earth, and all things that are 25 And they took strong cities, and a fat land, therein, the seas, and all that is therein, and and possessed houses full of all goods, wells dig thou preservest them all; and the host of hea-ged, vineyards and olive-yards, and fruit-trees ven worshippeth thee. in abundance: so they did eat, and were filled, 7 Thou art the LORD the God, who didst choose and became fat, and delighted themselves in thy Abram, and broughtest him forth out of Ur of the great goodness. Chaldees, and gavest him the name of Abraham; 26 Nevertheless, they were disobedient, and re 8 And foundest his heart faithful before thee, belled against thee, aud cast thy law behind their and madest a covenant with him to give the land backs, and slew thy prophets which testified of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, and against them to turn them to thee, and they the Perizzites, and the Jebusites, and the Gir-wrought great provocations. gashites, to give it, I say, to his seed, and hast 27 Therefore thou deliveredst them into the performed thy words; for thou art righteous: hand of their enemies, who vexed them. and in 9 And didst see the affliction of our fathers in the time of their trouble, when they cried unto Egypt, and heardest their cry by the Red sea; thee, thou heardest them from heaven; and ac10 And shewedst signs and wonders upon Pha-cording to thy manifold mercies thou gavest raoh, and on all his servants, and on all the peo- them saviours, who saved them out of the hand ple of his land: for thou knewest that they dealt of their enemies. proudly against them. So didst thou get thee a 28 But after they had rest, they did evil again name, as it is this day. before thee: therefore leftest thou them in the 11 And thou didst divide the sea before them, hand of their enemics, so that they had the do so that they went through the midst of the sea on minion over them: yet when they returned and the dry land; and their persecutors thou threwest cried unto thee, thou heardest them from heainto the deeps, as a stone into the mighty waters. ven; and many times didst thou deliver them 12 Moreover, thou leddest them in the day by a according to thy mercies; cloudy pillar; and in the night by a pillar of 29 And testifiedst against them, that thou mightfire, to give them light in the way wherein they est bring them again unto thy law: yet they dealt should go. proudly, and hearkened not unto thy command13 Thou camest down also upon mount Sinai, ments, but sinned against thy judgments, (which and spakest with them from heaven, and gavest if a man do, he shall live in them;) and withthem right judgments, and true laws, good sta- drew the shoulder, and hardened their neck, and tutes and commandments: would not hear. 14 And madest known unto them thy holy sabbath, and commandedst them precepts, statutes, and laws, by the hand of Moses thy servant: 15 And gavest them bread from heaven for their hunger, and broughtest forth water for them out of the rock for their thirst, and promisedst them that they should go in to possess the land which thou hadst sworn to give them. 16 But they and our fathers dealt proudly, and hardened their necks, and hearkened not to thy commandments, 30 Yet many years didst thou forbear them, and testifiedst against them by thy Spirit in thy prophets: yet would they not give ear: therefore gavest thou them into the hand of the people of the lands. 31 Nevertheless, for thy great mercies' sake thou didst not utterly consume them, nor forsake them; for thou art a gracious and merciful God 32 Now therefore, our God, the great, the mighty and the terrible God, who keepest covenant and mercy, let not all the trouble seem little before 17 And refused to obey, neither were mindful thee, that hath come upon us, on our kings, on of thy wonders that thou didst among them; but our princes, and on our priests, and on our prohardened their necks, and in their rebellion appointed a captain to return to their bondage: but thou art a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and forsookest them not. phets, and on our fathers, and on all thy people, since the time of the kings of Assyria unto this day. 33 Howbeit, thou art just in all that is brought upon us; for thou hast done right, but we have done wickedly: 18 Yea, when they had made them a molten calf, 34 Neither have our kings, our princes, our and said, This is thy God that brought thee up out priests, nor our fathers, kept thy law, nor hearof Egypt, and had wrought great provocations; kened unto thy commandments and thy testimo19 Yet thou in thy manifold mercies forsookest nies, wherewith thou didst testify against them. them not in the wilderness: the pillar of the cloud 35 For they have not served thee in their kingdeparted not from them by day, to lead them in dom, and in thy great goodness that thou gavest the way; neither the pillar of fire by night, to shew them, and in the large and fat land which thou them light, and the way wherein they should go. gavest before them, neither turned they from 20 Thou gavest also thy good Spirit to instruct their wicked works. them, and withheldest not thy manna from their 36 Behold, we are servants this day, and for mouth, and gavest them water for their thirst. the land that thou gavest unto our fathers to eat 21 Yea, forty years didst thou sustain them in the fruit thereof and the good thereof, behold, the wilderness, so that they lacked nothing; their we are servants in it: clothes waxed not old, and their feet swelled not. 22 Moreover, thou gavest them kingdoms and nations, and didst divide them into corners: so they possessed the land of Sihon, and the land of the king of Heshbon, and the land of Og king of Bashan. 23 Their children also multipliedst thou as the stars of heaven, and broughtest them into the land, concerning which thou hadst promised to their fathers, that they should go in to possess it. 37 And it yieldeth much increase unto the kings whom thou hast set over us because of our sins; also they have dominion over our bodies, and over our cattle, at their pleasure, and we are in great distress. 38 And because of all this we make a sure covenant and write it; and our princes, Levites, and priests, seal unto it. CHAP. X. The obligations of the covenant. 24 So the children went in and possessed the N Tirshatha, the son of Hachaliah, and Zid land, and thou subduedst before them the inha bitants of the land, the Canaanites, and gavest kijah, them into their hands, with their kings, and the 2 Seraiah, Azariah Jeremiah, The succession of high priests. NEHEMIAH. Certam chief Levites 20 ¶ And the residue of Israel, of the priests, 22 T The Levites in the days of Eliashib, Joia and the Levites, were in all the cities of Judah, da, and Johanan, and Jaddua, were recorded every one in his inheritance. chief of the fathers: also the priests, to the reign 21 But the Nethinims dwelt in Ophel: and Ziha of Darius the Persian. and Gispa were over the Nethinims. 22 The overseer also of the Levites at Jerusalem was Uzzi the son of Bani, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Micha. Of the sons of Asaph, the singers were over the business of the house of God. 23 For it was the king's commandment concerning them, that a certain portion should be for the singers, due for every day. 23 The sons of Levi, the chief of the fathers, were written in the book of the Chronicles, even until the days of Johanan the son of Eliashib. 24 And the chief of the Levites: Hashabiah, Sherebiah, and Jeshua the son of Kadmiel, with their brethren over against them, to praise a to give thanks, according to the commandment of David the man of God, ward over against ward. 25 Mattaniah, and Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Me24 And Pethahiah the son of Meshezabeel, of shullam, Talmon, Akkub, were porters keeping the children of Zerah the son of Judah, was at the the ward at the thresholds of the gates. king's hand in all matters concerning the people. 26 These were in the days of Joiakim the son of 25 And for the villages, with their fields, some Jeshua, the son of Jozadak, and in the days of of the children of Judah dwelt at Kirjath-arba, Nehemiah the governor, and of Ezra the priest, and in the villages thereof, and at Dibon, and in the scribe. the villages thereof, and at Jekabzeel, and in the villages thereof, 26 And at Jeshua, and at Moladah, and at Bethphelot, 27 And at Hazar-shual, and at Beer-sheba, and in the villages thereof, 28 And at Ziklag, and at Mekonah, and in the villages thereof, 29 And at En-rimmon, and at Zareah, and Jarmuth, at 30 Zanoah, Adullam, and in their villages, at Lachish, and the fields thereof, at Azekah, and in the villages thereof. And they dwelt from Beer-sheba unto the valley of Hinnom. 31 The children also of Benjamin from Geba dwelt at Michmash, and Aija, and Beth-el, and in their villages, 32 And at Anathoth, Nob, Ananiah, 33 Hazor, Ramah, Gittaim, 34 Hadid, Zeboim, Neballat, 35 Lod, and Ono, the valley of craftsmen. CHAP. XII. Dedication of the wall, &c. NOW these are the priests and the Levites 5 Miamin, Maadiah, Bilgah, 7 Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, Jedaiah. These were the chief of the priests and of their brethren in the days of Jeshua. 8 Moreover the Levites: Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and Mattaniah, which was over the thanksgiving, he and his brethren. 9 Also Bakbukiah and Unni, their brethren, were over against them in the watches. 10 T And Jeshua_begat Joiakim, Joiakimt also begat Eliashib, and Eliashib begat Joiada, 11 And Joiada begat Jonathan, and Jonathan begat Jaddua. 12 And in the days of Joiakim were priests, the chief of the fathers: of Seraiah, Meraiah; of Jeremiah, Hananiah; 13 Of Ezra, Meshullam; of Amariah, Jehohanan; 17 Of Abijah, Zichri; of Miniamin, of Moadiah, Piltai; 18 Of Bilgah, Shammua; of Shemaiah, Jehor.athan ; 19 And of Joiarib, Mattenai; of Jedaiah, Uzzi; 27 1 And at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem, they sought the Levites out of all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem, to keep the dedication with gladness, both with thanksgi vings, and with singing, with cymbals, psalte ries, and with harps. 28 And the sons of the singers gathered them 29 Also from the house of Gilgal, and out of the 31 Then I brought up the princes of Judah upon the wall, and appointed two great companies of them that gave thanks, whereof one went on the right hand upon the wall toward the dung-gate: 32 And after them went Hoshaiah, and half of the princes of Judah, 33 And Azariah, Ezra, and Meshullam, 35 And certain of the priests' sons with trum- 38 And the other company of them that gave thanks went over against them, and I after them, and the half of the people upon the wall, from beyond the tower of the furnaces even unto the broad waH; 39 And from above the gate of Ephraim, and above the old gate, and above the fish-gate, and the tower of Hananeel, and the tower of Meah, even unto the sheep-gate: and they stood stili in the prison-gate. 40 So stood the two companies of them that gave thanks in the house of God, and I, and the half of the rulers with me: 41 And the priests; Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Michaiah, Elíoenai, Zechariah, and Hananiah, with trumpets; 42 And Maaseiah, and Shemaiah, and Eleazar, and Uzzi, and Jehohanan, and Malchijah, and Elam, and Ezer. And the singers sang loud, with Jezrahiah their overseer. 43 Also that day they offered great sacrifices, und rejoiced: for God had made them rejoice with Nehemiah's regulations. CHAP. XIII. The violation of the sabbath. great joy: the wives also and the children rejoic-for they were counted faithful; and their office ed: so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard even was to distribute unto their brethren. afar off. 14 Remember me, O my God, concerning this, 44 And at that time were some appointed over and wipe not out my good deeds that I have done the chambers for the treasures, for the offerings, for the house of my God, and for the offices thereof. for the first-fruits, and for the tithes, to gather 15 ¶ In those days saw I in Judah some treadinto them out of the fields of the cities the por- ing wine-presses on the sabbath, and bringing in tions of the law for the priests and Levites: for sheaves, and lading asses; as also wine, grapes, Judah rejoiced for the priests and for the Levites and figs, and all manner of burdens, which they that waited. brought into Jerusalem on the sabbath day: and 45 And both the singers and the porters kept I testified against them in the day wherein they the ward of their God, and the ward of the puri-sold victuals. fication, according to the commandment of David, 16 There dwelt men of Tyre also therein, which and of Solomon his son. brought fish, and all manner of ware, and sold on 46 For in the days of David and Asaph of old the sabbath unto the children of Judah, and in there were chief of the singers, and songs of praise Jerusalem. and thanksgiving unto God. 47 And all Israel in the days of Zerubbabel, and In the days of Nehemiah, gave the portions of the singers and the porters, every day his portion: and they sanctified holy things unto the Levites; and the Levites sanctified them unto the children of Aaron. CHAP. XIII. Nehemiah's zeal and reformation. 17 Then I contended with the nobles of Judah, and said unto them, What evil thing is this that ye do, and profane the sabbath day? 18 Did not your fathers thus, and did not our God bring all this evil upon us, and upon this city? yet ye bring more wrath upon Israel by profaning the sabbath. 19 And it came to pass, that, when the gates of Jerusalem began to be dark before the sabbath, I On that day they read in the book of Moses in commanded that the gates should be shut, and the audience of the people; and therein was charged that they should not be opened till after found written, that the Ammonite and the Mo- the sabbath: and some of my servants set I at abite should not come into the congregation of the gates, that there should no burden be brought God for ever; in on the sabbath day. 2 Because they met not the children of Israel with bread and with water, but hired Balaam against them, that he should curse them: howbeit, our God turned the curse into a blessing. 3 Now it came to pass, when they had heard the law, that they separated from Israel all the mixed multitude. 4 And before this, Eliashib the priest, having the oversight of the chamber of the house of our God, was allied unto Tobiah : 20 So the merchants and sellers of all kind of ware lodged without Jerusalem once or twice. 21 Then I testified against them, and said unto them, Why lodge ye about the wall? if ye do so again, I will lay hands on you. From that time forth came they no more on the sabbath. 22And I commanded the Levites, that they should cleanse themselves, and that they should come and keep the gates, to sanctify the sabbath day. Remember me, O my God, concerning this also, and 5 And he had prepared for him a great chamber, spare me according to the greatness of thy mercy. where aforetime they laid the meat-offerings, the 23 In those days also saw 1 Jews that had marfrankincense, and the vessels, and the tithes of ried wives of Ashdod, of Ammon, and of Moab: the corn, the new wine, and the oil, (which was 24 And their children spake half in the speech of commanded to be given to the Levites, and the sing-Ashdod, and could not speak in the Jews' laners, and the porters,) and the offerings of the priests. guage,but according to the language of each people. 6 But in all this time was not I at Jerusalem: 25 And I contended with them, and cursed them, for in the two and thirtieth year of Artaxerxes and smote certain of them, and plucked off their king of Babylon came I unto the king, and after hair, and made them swear by God, saying, Ye certain days obtained I leave of the king: shall not give your daughters unto their sons, nor 7 And I came to Jerusalem, and understood of take their daughters unto your sons, or for yourthe evil that Eliashib did for Tobiah, in preparing selves. him a chamber in the courts of the house of God. 26 Did not Solomon king of Israel sin by these 8 And it grieved me sore: therefore I cast forth all things? yet among many nations was there no the household-stuff of Tobiah out of the chamber. king like him, who was beloved of his God, and 9 Then I commanded, and they cleansed the God made him king over all Israel: nevertheless chambers: and thither brought I again the ves- even him did outlandish women cause to sin. sels of the house of God, with the meat-offering and the frankincense. 10 T And I perceived that the portions of the Levites had not been given them: for the Levites and the singers, that did the work, were fled every one to his field. 27 Shall we then hearken unto you to do all this great evil, to transgress against our God in marrying strange wives? 28 And one of the sons of Jciada, the son of Eliashib the high priest, was son-in-law to Sanballat the Horonite: therefore I chased him from me. 11 Then contended I with the rulers, and said, 29 Remember them, O my God, because they Why is the house of God forsaken? And1 gather- have defiled the priesthood, and the covenant c ed them together, and set them in their place. the priesthood, and of the Levites. 12 Then brought all Judah the tithe of the corn 30 Thus cleansed I them from all strangers, and and the new wine and the oil unto the treasuries. appointed the wards of the priests and the Levites, 13 And I made treasurers over the treasuries, every one in his business; Shelemiah the priest, and Zadok the scribe; and 31 And for the wood-offering, at times appoint. of the Levites, Pedaiah: and next to them was ed, and for the first-fruits. Remember me, O my Hanan the son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah: God, for good. CHAP. I. The Book of ESTHER. NOW it came to pass in the days of Aha suerus, (this is Ahasuerus which reigned from India even unto Ethiopia, over a hun dred and seven' and twenty provinces :) sat on the throne of his kingdom, which was in Shushan the palace, 3 In the third year of his reign, he made a feast Fashti's disobedience. ESTHER. A new queen to be chosen unto all his princes and his servants; the power ces, into every province according to the writing of Persia and Media, the nobles and princes of thereof, and to every people after their language, the provinces, being before him: that every man should bear rule in his own 4 When he shewed the riches of his glorious king-house; and that it should be published accor dom and the honour of his excellent majesty many ding to the language of every people. days, even a hundred and fourscore days. 5 And when these days were expired, the king made a feast to all the people that were pre sent in Shushan the palace, both unto great and small, seven days, in the court of the garden of the king's palace; Where were white, green, and blue hangings, fistened with cords of fine linen and purple to silver rings and pillars of marble: the beds were of gold and silver, upon a pavement of red, and blue, and white, and black marble. CHAP. II. Esther chosen queen. AFTER these things, when the wrath of king 2 Then said the king's servants that ministered 3 And let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom, that they may gather to7 And they gave them drink in vessels of gold, gether all the fair young virgins unto Shushan (the vessels being diverse one from another,) and the palace, to the house of the women, unto the royal wine in abundance, according to the state custody of Hege the king's chamberlain, keeper of the king. of the women; and let their things for purifica 8 And the drinking was according to the law; tion be given them: none did compel: for so the king had appointed 4 And let the maiden which pleaseth the king to all the officers of his house, that they should be queen instead of Vashti. And the thing do according to every man's pleasure. pleased the king; and he did so. 9 Also Vashti the queen made a feast for the women in the royal house which belonged to king Ahasuerus. 5 T Now in Shushan the palace there was a cer tain Jew, whose name was Mordecai, the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Ben 10 On the seventh day, when the heart of the jamíte; king was merry with wine, he commanded Me- 6 Who had been carried away from Jerusalem human, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, and Abagtha, with the captivity which had been carried away Zethar, and Carcas, the seven chamberlains that with Jeeoniah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadserved in the presence of Ahasuerus the king, nezzar the king of Babylon had carried away. 11 To bring Vashti the queen before the king 7 And he brought up Hadassali, (that is, Esther,) with the crown royal, to shew the people and the his uncle's daughter: for she had neither father princes her beauty for she was fair to look on. nor mother, and the maid was fair and beauti12 But the queen Vashti refused to come at the ful; whom Mordecai, when her father and king's commandment by his chamberlains: there- mother were dead, took for his own daughter. fore was the king very wroth, and his anger 8 1 So it came to pass, when the king's comburned in him. mandment and his decree was heard, and when 13 Then the king said to the wise men, which many maidens were gathered together unto Shuknew the times, (for so was the king's manner shan the palace, to the custody of Hegai, that toward all that knew law and judgment: Esther was brought also unto the king's house, 14 And the next unto him was Carshena, She- to the custody of Hegai, keeper of the women. thar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and 9 And the maiden pleased him, and she obtainMemucan, the seven princes of Persia and Me- ed kindness of him; and he speedily gave her dia, which saw the king's face, and which sat her things for purification, with such things as the first in the kingdom;) 15 What shall we do unto the queen Vashtiaccording to law, because she hath not performed the commandment of the king Ahasuerus by the chamberlains? belonged to her, and seven maidens which were 16 And Memucan answered before the king and the princes, Vashti the queen hath not done wrong to the king only, but also to all the princes, 11 And Mordecai walked every day before the and to all the people that are in all the provinces court of the women's house, to know how Esther of the king Ahasuerus. did, and what should become of her. 17 For this deed of the queen shall come abroad 12 Now when every maid's turn was come to unto all women, so that they shall despise their go in to king Ahasuerus, after that she had been husbands in their eyes, when it shall be reported, twelve months, according to the manner of the The king Ahasuerus commanded Vashti the queen women, (for so were the days of their purifito be brought in before him, but she came not. cations accomplished, to wit, six months with 18 Likewise shall the ladies of Persia and Media oil of myrrh, and six months with sweet odours, say this day unto all the king's princes, which and with other things for the purifying of the wohave heard of the deed of the queen. Thus shall men ;) there arise too much contempt and wrath. 13 Then thus came every maiden unto the king, 19 If it please the king, let there go a royal com-whatsoever she desired was given her to go with mandment from him, and let it be written among her out of the house of the women unto the the laws of the Persians and the Medes, that it king's house. be not altered, That Vashti come no more before 14 In the evening she went, and on the morrow king Ahasuerus; and let the king give her royal she returned into the second house of the woestate unto another that is better than she. men, to the custody of Shaashigaz, the king's 20 And when the king's decree which he shall chamberlain, which kept the concubines: she make shall be published throughout all his em-camein unto the king no more, except the king depire, (for it is great,) all the wives shall give to lighted in her, and that she were called by name. their husbands honour, both to great and small. 15 ¶ Now when the turn of Esther, the daugh21 And the saying pleased the king and the ter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had princes; and the king did according to the word taken her for his daughter, was come to go in unof Memucan: to the king, she required nothing but what Hegai 22 For he sent letters into all the king's provin-Ithe king's chamberlain, the keeper of the wo |