shining. kings, and our princes, and our priests, | Anæa, 23 Osee, Anania, Asub, 24 Aloes, and our fathers, have not performed Phalaï, Sobec, 25 Reum, Essabana, Maathy law, and have not given heed to sia, 26 and Aia, Ænan, Enam, 27 Maluch, thy commandments, and have not kept Eram, Baana. 28 And the rest of the thy testimonies which thou didst testify people, the priests, the Levites, the to them. 35 And they did not serve porters, the singers, the Nathinim, and thee in thy kingdom, and in thy great every one who drew off from the goodness which thou gavest to them, nations of the land to the law of God, + Gr. sleek, or and in the large and fat their wives, their sons, their daughters, land which thou didst fur- every one who had knowledge and nish before them, and they turned not understanding, 29 were urgent with their from their evil devices. 36 Behold, we are servants this day, and as for the land which thou gavest to our fathers to eat the fruit of it and the good things of it, behold, we are servants upon it: 37 and its produce is abundant for the kings whom thou didst appoint over us because of our sins, and they have dominion over our bodies, and over our cattle, as it pleases them, and we are in great affliction. 38 And in regard to all these circum+Gr. faith, or, stances we make a covefidelity. nant, and write it, and our princes, our Levites, and our priests, set their seal to it. + 2 + brethren, and bound them under a curse, and entered into a curse, and into an oath, to walk in the law of God, which was given by the hand of Moses, the servant of God; to keep and to do all the commandments of the Lord, and his judgments, and his ordinances; 30 and that we will not, they said, give our daughters to the people of the land, nor will we take their daughters to our sons. 31 And as for the people of the land who bring wares and all manner of merchandise to sell on the sabbath-day, we will not buy of them on the sabbath or on the holy day and we will leave the seventh year, and the exaction of every debt. 10. And over them that sealed were 32 And we will impose ordi- + Gr. hand. + Or, governor. Neemias the Artasastha, nances upon ourselves, to levy on ourson of Achalia, and Zedekias, the selves the third part of a didrachm son of Aræa, and Azaria, and Jeremia, yearly for the service of the house of Phasur, Amaria, Melchia, Attus, our God; 33 the shewbread, and the Sebani, Maluch, 5 Iram, Meramoth, continual meat-offering, and for the Abdia, Daniel, Gannathon, Baruch, continual whole-burnt-offering, of the 7 Mesulam, Abia, Miamin, Maazia, sabbaths, of the new moon, for the Belgai, Samaia: these were priests. And the Levites; Jesus the son of Azania, Banaiu of the sons of Enadad, Cadmiel 10 and his brethren, Sabania, Oduia, Calitan, Phelia, Anan, " Micha, Roob, Asebias, 12 Zacchor, Sarabia, + Probably a 13 Sebania, Odum, 'the sons see Heb. of Banuæ. 14 The heads of the people; Phoros, Phaath Moab, Elam, Zathuia, 15 the sons of Bani, Asgad, Bebai, 16 Adania, Bagoi, Hedin, 17 Ater, Ezekia, Azur, 18 Oduia, Esam, Besi, 19 Ariph, Anathoth, Nobai, 20 Megaphes, Mesullam, Ezir, 21 Mesozebel, Saduc, Jeddua, 22 Phaltia, Anan, 3 9 6 mistranslation, feasts, and for the holy things, and the sin-offerings, to make atonement for Israel, and for the works of the house of our God. 34 And we cast lots for the office of wood-bearing, we the priests, and the Levites, and the people, to bring wood into the house of our God, according to the house of our families, at certain set times, year by year, to burn on the altar of the Lord our God, as it is written in the law: 35 and to bring the first-fruits of our land, and the first-fruits of the fruit of every tree, year by year, into the house of the Lord: 36 the first-born of + Gr. oxen, + Gr. our service. + our sons, and of our cattle, as it is 11. And the chiefs of the people dwelt in Jerusalem: and the rest of the people cast lots, to bring one of every ten to dwell in Jerusalem the holy city, and nine parts in the other cities. 2 And the people blessed all the men that volunteered to dwell in Jerusalem. 3 Now these are the chiefs of the province who dwelt in Jerusalem, and in the cities of Juda; every man dwelt in his possession in their cities: Israel, the priests, and the Levites, and the Nathinim, and the children of the servants of Solomon. 4 And there dwelt in Jerusalem some of the children of Juda, and of the children of Benjamin. Of the children of Juda; Athaia son of Azia, the son of Zacharia, the son of Samaria, the son of Saphatia, the son of Maleleel, and some of the sons of Phares. And Maasia son of Baruch, son of Chalaza, son of Ozia, son of Adaia, son of Joarib, son of Za 5 6 All the sons charias, son of Seloni. of Gabaa dwelt at Machmas. 31 And the David the man of God, course by course. their tents in Beersabee. 11 12. Now these are the priests and the Levites that went up with Zorobabel the son of Salathiel, and Jesus, Saraia, Jeremia, Esdra, 'Amaria, Maluch, 3 Sechenia. 7 These were the chiefs of the priests, and their brethren in the days of Jesus. And the Levites were, Jesus, Banui, Cadmiel, Sarabia, Jodae, Matthania: he was + Gr. hands. over the bands, and his brethren were appointed to the daily courses. 10 And Jesus begot Joakim, and Joakim begot Eliasib, and Eliasib begot Jodae, and Jodae begot Jonathan, and Jonathan begot Jadu. 12And in the days of Joakim, his brethren the priests and the heads of families were, belonging to Saraia, Amaria; to Jeremia, Anania; 13 to Esdra, Mesulam; to Amaria, Joanan; 14 to Amaluch, Jonathan; to Sechenia, Joseph; 15 to Are, Mannas; to Marioth, Elcaï; 16 to Adadai, Zacharia; to Ganathoth, Mesolam; 17 to Abia, Zechri; to Miamin, Maadai; to Pheleti, one; omission both 18 to Balgas, Samue; to Sevid. Heb. and mia, Jonathan; 19 to Joarib, Matthanai; to Edio, Ozi; 29 to Salai, Callai; to Amec, Abed; 21 to Elkia, Asabias; to Jedeiu, Nathanael. 22 The Levites in the days of Eliasib, Joada, and Joa, and Joanan, and Idua, were recorded heads of fa 31 26 25 When I gathered the porters, 25 it was in the days of Joakim son of Jesus, son of Josedec, and in the days of Neemia: and Esdras was priest and scribe. 27 And at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought the Levites in their places, to bring them to Jerusalem, to keep a feast of dedication and gladness with 'thanksgiving, and they sounded Gr. Owdalà. cymbals with songs, and Heb. word. had psalteries and harps. 28 And the sons of the singers were assembled both from the neighbourhood round about to Jerusalem, and from the villages, 29 and from the country: for the singers built themselves villages by + Gr. in. Jerusalem. 30 And the priests and the Levites purified themselves, and they purified the people, and the porters, and the wall. And they brought up the princes of Juda on the wall, and they appointed two great companies for thanksgiving, and they passed on the right hand on the wall of the dunggate. 32 And after them went Osaia, and half the princes of Juda, 33 and Azarias, and Esdras, and Mesollam, 34 and Juda, and Benjamin, and Samaias and Jeremia. 35 And some of the sons of the priests with trumpets, Zacharias son of Jonathan, son of Samaias, son of Matthania, son of Michaia, son of Zacchur, son of Asaph: 36 and his brethren, *Sa- + These termaia, and Oziel, Gelod, often varied. Jama, Aia, Nathanael, and Juda, Anani, milies: also the priests, in to praise with the hymns of David the were recorded. the reign of Darius the Per-man of God; 37 and Esdras the scribe sian. 23 And the sons of Levi, heads was before them, at the gate, to praise of families, were written in the book before them, and they went up by the Gr. accounts of the chronicles, even to steps of the city of David, in the ascent the days of Joanan son of of the wall, above the house of David, Elisue. 24 And the heads of the Le- even to the water-gate of Ephraim, vites were Asabia, and Sarabia, and 39 and to the fish-gate, and The text Jesu, and the sons of Cadmiel, and by the tower of Anameel, here. their brethren over against them, and as far as the sheep-gate. 42 And were to sing hymns of praise, the singers were heard, and were numcording to the commandment of bered. 43 And in that day they offered + Seeming in Heb. and Gr. E. V. + Perhaps, and the priests of days. ac minations are defective 45 + great sacrifices, and rejoiced; for God had made them very joyful: and their wives and their children rejoiced: and the joy in Jerusalem was heard from afar off. 44 And in that day they appointed men over the treasuries, for the treasures, the first-fruits, and the tithes, and for the chiefs of the cities who were assembled among them, to + See Heb. furnish portions for the priests and Levites: for there was joy in Juda over the priests and over the Levites that waited. And they kept + Gr.watches. the charges of their God, and the charges of the purification, and ordered the singers and the porters, according to the commandments of David and his son Solomon. 46 For in the days of David Asaph was originally first of the singers, and they sang hymns and praise to God. 47 And all Israel in the days of Zorobabel, and in the days of Neemias, gave the portions of the singers and the porters, a daily rate: and consecrated them to the Levites; and the Levites consecrated them to the sons of Aaron. + Gr. it was read. singers, and porters; and the firstfruits of the priests. 6 But in all this time I was not in Jerusalem: for in the thirty-second year of Arthasastha king of Babylon I came to the king, and after a certain time I made my request of the king; and I came to Jerusalem, and I understood the mischief which Eliasib had done in the case of Tobias, in making for him a treasury in the court of the house of God. 9 7 8 And it appeared very evil to me: so I cast forth all the furniture of the house of Tobias from the treasury. And I gave orders, and they purified the treasuries: and I restored thither the vessels of the house of God, and the offerings, and the Gr. paraà. frankincense. 10 And I un- Heb. word. derstood that the portion of the Levites had not been given: and they had fled every one to his field, the Levites, and the singers doing the work. "And I strove with the commanders, and said, Wherefore has the house of God been abandoned? and I assembled them, and set them in their place. 13. In that day they read in the 12 And all Juda brought a tithe of the book of Moses in the ears wheat and the wine and the oil into of the people; and it was the treasuries, 13 to the charge of Sefound written in it, that the Am- lemia the priest, and Sadoc the scribe, monites and Moabites should not enter and Phadea of the Levites: and next into the congregation of God for ever; to them was Anan the son of Zacchur, 2 because they met not the children of son of Matthanias; for they were acIsrael with bread and water, but hired counted faithful: it was their office to Balaam against them to curse them: distribute to their brethren. 14 Rebut our God turned the curse into a member me, O God, in this, and let blessing. 3 And it came to pass, when not my kindness be for- + Gr. blotted they heard the law, that they were gotten which I have wrought out. + Gr. mixed separated, even every 'alien in regard to the house of the Lord God. in Israel. And before this 15 In those days I saw in Juda men time Eliasib the priest dwelt in the treading wine-presses on the sabbath, treasury of the house of our God, con- and carrying sheaves, and loading nected with Tobias; 5 and he made asses with both wine, and grapes, and himself a great treasury, and there they figs, and every kind of burden, and were formerly in the habit of bestow- bringing them into Jerusalem on the ing the offerings, and the frankincense, sabbath-day: 16 and I testified in the day and the vessels, and the tithe of the of their sale. Also there dwelt in it corn, and the wine, and the oil, the men bringing fish, and selling every ordered portion of the Levites, and kind of merchandise to the children of one. Juda and in Jerusalem on the sabbath. [of Moab: 24and their children spoke 17 And I strove with the free children half in the language of Ashdod, and of Juda, and said to them, What is did not know how to speak in the this evil thing which ye do, and pro- Jewish language. 25 And I strove with fane the sabbath-day? 18 Did not your them and cursed them; and I smote fathers thus, and our God brought some of them, and plucked off their upon them and upon us and upon this hair, and made them swear by God, city all these evils? and do ye bring saying, Ye shall not give your daughadditional wrath upon Israel by pro- ters to their sons, and ye shall not take faning the sabbath? 19 And it came to of their daughters to your sons. 26 6 Did pass, when the gates were set up in not Solomon king of Israel sin thus? Jerusalem, before the sabbath, that I though there was no king like him spoke, and they shut the gates; and I among many nations, and he was begave orders that they should not be loved of God, and God made him king opened till after the sabbath: and I over all Israel; yet strange women set some of my servants at the gates, turned him aside. 27 So we will not that none should bring in burdens on hearken to you to do all this evil, to the sabbath-day. 20 So the merchants break covenant with our God,-to lodged, and carried on traffic without marry strange wives. 28 And + Gr. settle. Jerusalem once or twice. 21 Then I Elisab the high priest one of the sons testified against them, and said to of Joada being son-in-law of Sanaballat them, Why do ye lodge in front of the the Uranite, I chased him +Gr. and I wall? if ye do so again, I will stretch away from me. 29 Remem- &c. out my hand upon you. From that ber them, O God, for their false contime they came not on the sabbath. nexion with the priesthood, and the 22 And I told the Levites who were breaking the covenant of the priestpurifying themselves, and came and hood, and for defiling the Levites. kept the gates, that they should sanc-30 So I purged them from all foreign tify the sabbath-day. Remember me, connexion, and established courses for O God, for these things, and spare me according to the abundance of thy chased him, the priests and Levites, every man according to his work. 31 And the offering of the wood-bearers was at certain set times, and in Gr. Baxxouthe times of the first-fruits. pious. Remember me, O our God, for good. |