Old/New Testament

10 Those who put their mark on the agreement are Nehemiah the ruler, the 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, and Shemaiah. These are the religious leaders. ⁹ The Levites are Jeshua the 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, and Beninuu. ¹⁴ The leaders of the people are 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 Ahiah, Hanan, Anan, ²⁷ Malluch, Harim, and Baanah.

The Agreement That Was Signed

²⁸ The rest of the people, the religious leaders, Levites, gate-keepers, singers, servants in the Lord’s house, and all those who had separated themselves from the peoples of the lands to the Law of God, their wives, sons, and daughters, all those who had much learning and understanding, ²⁹ are joining with their brothers, their leaders. They all promise and swear to walk in God’s Law which was given through Moses, God’s servant, and to keep and obey all the Words and Laws of God our Lord. ³⁰ We promise not to give our daughters in marriage to the people of the land, or take their daughters for our sons. ³¹ If the people of the land bring grain or things to sell on the Day of Rest, we will not buy from them on the Day of Rest or a holy day. During the seventh year we will not grow food in the fields and will do away with anything that is owed.

³² We also promise to give one-third part of a piece of silver each year for the work of the house of our God. ³³ This will be for the holy bread, the grain and burnt gifts that must be given, for gifts on the Days of Rest, the new moon, and the special times, for the holy gifts, and for the sin gifts to pay for the sins of Israel, and for all the work of the house of our God.

³⁴ We drew names among the religious leaders, the Levites and the people, by our family groups, for the wood to be brought to the house of our God at certain times each year. It is to be burned on the altar of the Lord our God as it is written in the Law. ³⁵ We promise to bring the first-fruits of our ground and the first-fruits of all the fruit of every tree to the house of the Lord each year. ³⁶ We promise to bring to the house of our God the first-born of our sons, animals, cattle and flocks, as it is written in the Law, for the religious leaders who are working in the house of our God. ³⁷ We will bring the first of our grain, our gifts, the fruit of every tree, the new wine and the oil to the religious leaders in the rooms of the house of our God. And we will bring a tenth part of what we get from our ground to the Levites. For the Levites are the ones who receive a tenth part from all the farming towns. ³⁸ The religious leader, the son of Aaron, will be with the Levites when they receive a tenth part. And the Levites will bring up a tenth part of all the tenth parts to the rooms of the store-house of the house of our God. ³⁹ For the sons of Israel and the sons of Levi will bring the gifts of grain, new wine and oil to the store-rooms where the tools of the holy place are kept. The religious leaders who serve, the gate-keepers, and the singers stay here. We will not forget to take care of the house of our God.

The People Who Lived in Jerusalem

11 Now the leaders of the people lived in Jerusalem. But the rest of the people drew names to bring one out of ten to live in Jerusalem, the holy city, while nine-tenths stayed in the other cities. ² And the people praised all the men who were willing to live in Jerusalem.

³ These are the leaders of the lands who lived in Jerusalem but in the cities of Judah every one lived on his own land there: Israel, the religious leaders, the Levites, the servants in the house of God, and the children of Solomon’s servants. ⁴ Some of the sons of Judah and some of the sons of Benjamin lived in Jerusalem. Of the sons of Judah there was Athaiah the son of Uzziah, son of Zechariah, son of Amariah, son of Shephatiah, son of Mahalalel, of the sons of Perez, ⁵ and Maaseiah the 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 who lived in Jerusalem were 468 able men.

⁷ The sons of Benjamin are Sallu the son of Meshullam, son of Joed, son of Pedaiah, son of Kolaiah, son of Maaseiah, son of Ithiel, son of Jeshaiah, ⁸ and after him Gabbai and Sallai, 928 men. ⁹ Joel the son of Zichri watched over them, and Judah the son of Hassenuah was second over the city.

¹⁰ Of the religious leaders there were Jedaiah the son of Joiarib, Jachin, ¹¹ Seraiah the son of Hilkiah, son of Meshullam, son of Zadok, son of Meraioth, son of Ahitub, the leader of the house of God, ¹² and their brothers who did the work of the house of God, 822 men. And there was Adaiah the son of Jeroham, son of Pelaliah, son of Amzi, son of Zechariah, son of Pashhur, son of Malchijah, ¹³ and his brothers, heads of family groups, 242 men. And there was Amashsai the son of Azarel, son of Ahzai, son of Meshillemoth, son of Immer, ¹⁴ and their brothers, 128 men with strength of heart. Zabdiel, the son of Haggedolim, watched over them.

¹⁵ Of the Levites there was Shemaiah the son of Hasshub, son of Azrikam, son of Hashabiah, son of Bunni, ¹⁶ and Shabbethai and Jozabad, from the leaders of the Levites. They watched over the outside work of the house of God. ¹⁷ And there was Mattaniah the son of Mica, son of Zabdi, son of Asaph, who was the leader in beginning the giving of thanks at prayer, and Bakbukiah, the second among his brothers. And there was Abda the son of Shammua, son of Galal, son of Jeduthun. ¹⁸ All the Levites in the holy city were 284.

¹⁹ The gate-keepers, Akkub, Talmon, and their brothers, who kept watch at the gates, were 172. ²⁰ The rest of Israel, of the religious leaders and of the Levites, were in all the cities of Judah, each in the land he had been given. ²¹ But the servants of the house of God were living in Ophel. Ziha and Gishpa were over the servants of the house of God.

²² The one who watched over the Levites in Jerusalem was Uzzi the son of Bani, son of Hashabiah, son of Mattaniah, son of Mica, from the sons of Asaph, the singers for the work of the house of God. ²³ For the king had said that the singers must be given what they need each day. ²⁴ Pethahiah the son of Meshezabel, of the sons of Zerah the son of Judah, was the king’s workman in everything to do with the people.

The People Living outside Jerusalem

²⁵ As for the villages with their fields, some of the sons of Judah lived in Kiriath-arba and its villages, in Dibon and its villages, in Jekabzeel and its villages, ²⁶ in Jeshua, Moladah, Beth-pelet, ²⁷ Hazar-shual, Beersheba and its villages, ²⁸ Ziklag, Meconah and its villages, ²⁹ En-rimmon, Zorah, Jarmuth, ³⁰ Zanoah, Adullam, and their villages, Lachish and its fields, and Azekah and its villages. So they lived from Beersheba as far as the valley of Hinnom. ³¹ The sons of Benjamin lived in Geba, Michmash, Aija, Bethel and its villages, ³² Anathoth, Nob, Ananiah, ³³ Hazor, Ramah, Gittaim, ³⁴ Hadid, Zeboim, Neballat, ³⁵ Lod, and Ono, the valley of able workmen. ³⁶ And certain groups of the Levites in Judah were joined to Benjamin.

Peter and John Are Put in Prison

4 The religious leaders and the leader of the house of God and some of the religious group who believe no one will be raised from the dead came to Peter and John while they were talking to the people. ² They were angry because Peter and John had been teaching the people and preaching that Jesus had been raised from the dead. ³ So they took them and put them in prison until the next day because it was evening. ⁴ But many of those who heard what Peter and John said put their trust in Christ. The group of followers was now about 5,000 men.

Peter Speaks to the Religious Leaders’ Court

⁵ The next day the leaders of the court and the leaders of the people and the teachers of the Law came together in Jerusalem. ⁶ Annas the head religious leader was there. Caiaphas and John and Alexander were there also and all who were in the family of the head religious leader. ⁷ They put the missionaries in front of them and asked, “By what power or in whose name have you done this?”

⁸ Then Peter, having been filled with the Holy Spirit, said, “You who are leaders of the people, ⁹ are you asking us today about the good work we did to a man who needed help? Are you asking how he was healed? ¹⁰ You and all the Jews must know that it was by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, the One you nailed to a cross and God raised from the dead. It is through Him that this man stands in front of you well and strong. ¹¹ Christ is the Stone that was put aside by you workmen. But He has become the most important Stone in the building. ^{(A) 12} There is no way to be saved from the punishment of sin through anyone else. For there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we can be saved.”

Peter and John Are Free to Go but Are Told Not to Preach

¹³ They were surprised and wondered how easy it was for Peter and John to speak. They could tell they were men who had not gone to school. But they knew they had been with Jesus. ¹⁴ They were not able to argue about what Peter and John had said because the man who had been healed was standing with them.

¹⁵ The religious leaders told Peter and John to leave the court so the leaders could talk together. ¹⁶ They said, “What should we do with these men? Everyone living in Jerusalem knows a powerful work has been done by them. We cannot say that it did not happen. ¹⁷ Let us tell them with strong words that they must not speak again to anyone in this name. This will keep the news from going out among the people.”

¹⁸ Then they called them in and told them they must not speak or teach anymore in the name of Jesus. ¹⁹ Peter and John said, “If it is right to listen to you more than to God, you decide about that. ²⁰ For we must tell what we have seen and heard.”

²¹ After they had spoken more sharp words to them, they let them go. They could not beat them because the people were giving thanks to God for what had happened. ²² The man on whom this powerful work of healing had been done was more than forty years old.