Old/New Testament
The Priests and the Levites Who Returned to Jerusalem
12 These are the priests and Levites who returned[a] with Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Jeshua: Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra, 2 Amariah, Malluch, Hattush, 3 Shecaniah, Rehum, Meremoth, 4 Iddo, Ginnethon,[b] Abijah, 5 Mijamin, Moadiah, Bilgah, 6 Shemaiah, Joiarib, Jedaiah, 7 Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, and Jedaiah. These were the leaders[c] of the priests and their colleagues[d] in the days of Jeshua.
8 And the Levites: Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and Mattaniah, who together with his colleagues[e] was in charge of the songs of thanksgiving. 9 Bakbukiah and Unni,[f] their colleagues, stood opposite them in the services.
10 Jeshua was the father of[g] Joiakim, Joiakim was the father of Eliashib, Eliashib was the father of Joiada, 11 Joiada was the father of Jonathan, and Jonathan was the father of Jaddua.
12 In the days of Joiakim, these were the priests who were leaders of the families: of Seraiah, Meraiah; of Jeremiah, Hananiah; 13 of Ezra, Meshullam; of Amariah, Jehohanan; 14 of Malluch,[h] Jonathan; of Shecaniah,[i] Joseph; 15 of Harim, Adna; of Meremoth,[j] Helkai; 16 of Iddo,[k] Zechariah; of Ginnethon, Meshullam; 17 of Abijah, Zicri; of Miniamin and[l] of Moadiah, Piltai; 18 of Bilgah, Shammua; of Shemaiah, Jehonathan; 19 of Joiarib, Mattenai; of Jedaiah, Uzzi; 20 of Sallu,[m] Kallai; of Amok, Eber; 21 of Hilkiah, Hashabiah; of Jedaiah, Nethanel.
22 As for the Levites,[n] in the days of Eliashib, Joiada, Johanan and Jaddua the heads of families were recorded, as were the priests during the reign of Darius the Persian. 23 The descendants of Levi were recorded in the Book of the Chronicles[o] as heads of families up to the days of Johanan son of Eliashib. 24 And the leaders of the Levites were Hashabiah, Sherebiah, Jeshua son of Kadmiel, and their colleagues, who stood opposite them to offer praise and thanks, one contingent corresponding to the other, as specified by[p] David the man of God.
25 Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon, and Akkub were gatekeepers who were guarding the storerooms at the gates. 26 These all served in the days of Joiakim son of Jeshua, the son of Jozadak, and in the days of Nehemiah the governor and of Ezra the priestly scribe.[q]
The Wall of Jerusalem is Dedicated
27 At the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem, they sought out the Levites from all the places they lived[r] to bring them to Jerusalem to celebrate the dedication joyfully with songs of thanksgiving and songs accompanied by cymbals, harps, and lyres. 28 The singers[s] were also assembled from the district around Jerusalem and from the settlements of the Netophathites 29 and from Beth Gilgal and from the fields of Geba and Azmaveth, for the singers had built settlements for themselves around Jerusalem. 30 When the priests and Levites had purified themselves, they purified the people, the gates, and the wall.
31 I brought the leaders of Judah up on top of the wall, and I appointed two large choirs to give thanks. One was to proceed[t] on the top of the wall southward toward the Dung Gate. 32 Going after them were Hoshaiah, half the leaders of Judah, 33 Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam, 34 Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, Jeremiah, 35 some of the priests[u] with trumpets, Zechariah son of Jonathan, the son of Shemaiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Micaiah, the son of Zaccur, the son of Asaph, 36 and his colleagues—Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah, and Hanani—with musical instruments of[v] David the man of God. (Ezra the scribe led them.)[w] 37 They went over the Fountain Gate and continued directly up the steps of the City of David on the ascent to the wall. They passed the house of David and continued on to the Water Gate toward the east.
38 The second choir was proceeding[x] in the opposite direction. I followed them, along with half the people, on top of the wall, past the Tower of the Ovens to the Broad Wall, 39 over the Ephraim Gate, the Jeshanah Gate,[y] the Fish Gate, the Tower of Hananel, and the Tower of the Hundred, to the Sheep Gate. They stopped[z] at the Gate of the Guard.
40 Then the two choirs that gave thanks took their stations[aa] in the temple of God. I did also, along with half the officials with me, 41 and the priests—Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, and Hananiah, with their trumpets— 42 and also Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malkijah, Elam, and Ezer. The choirs sang loudly[ab] under the direction of Jezrahiah. 43 And on that day they offered great sacrifices and rejoiced, for God had given them great joy. The women and children also rejoiced. The rejoicing in Jerusalem could be heard from far away.
44 On that day men were appointed over the storerooms for the contributions, firstfruits, and tithes, to gather into them from[ac] the fields of the cities the portions prescribed by the law for the priests and the Levites, for the people of Judah[ad] took delight in the priests and Levites who were ministering.[ae] 45 They performed the service of their God and the service of purification, along with the singers and gatekeepers, according to the commandment of David and[af] his son Solomon. 46 For long ago, in the days of David and Asaph, there had been directors[ag] for the singers and for the songs of praise and thanks to God. 47 So in the days of Zerubbabel and in the days of Nehemiah, all Israel was contributing the portions for the singers and gatekeepers, according to the daily need.[ah] They also set aside[ai] the portion for the Levites, and the Levites set aside the portion for the descendants of Aaron.
Further Reforms by Nehemiah
13 On that day the book of Moses was read aloud in the hearing[aj] of the people. They found[ak] written in it that no Ammonite or Moabite may ever enter the assembly of God, 2 for they had not met the Israelites with food[al] and water, but instead had hired Balaam to curse them. (Our God, however, turned the curse into blessing.) 3 When they heard the law, they removed from Israel all who were of mixed ancestry.
4 But before this time, Eliashib the priest, a relative of Tobiah, had been appointed over the storerooms[am] of the temple of our God. 5 He made for himself a large storeroom where previously they had been keeping[an] the grain offering, the incense, and the vessels, along with the tithes of the grain, the new wine, and the olive oil as commanded for the Levites, the singers, the gatekeepers, and the offering for the priests.
6 During all this time I was not in Jerusalem, for in the thirty-second year of King Artaxerxes of Babylon, I had gone back to the king. After some time[ao] I had requested leave of the king, 7 and I returned to Jerusalem. Then I discovered the evil that Eliashib had done for Tobiah by supplying him with a storeroom in the courts of the temple of God. 8 I was very upset, and I threw all of Tobiah’s household possessions out of the storeroom. 9 Then I gave instructions that the storerooms should be purified, and I brought back the equipment[ap] of the temple of God, along with the grain offering and the incense.
10 I also discovered that the portions for the Levites had not been provided, and that as a result the Levites and the singers who performed this work had all gone off to their fields. 11 So I registered a complaint with the leaders, asking, “Why is the temple of God neglected?” Then I gathered them and reassigned them to their positions.[aq]
12 Then all of Judah brought the tithe of the grain, the new wine, and the olive oil to the storerooms. 13 I gave instructions[ar] that Shelemiah the priest, Zadok the scribe, and a certain Levite named Pedaiah be put in charge of[as] the storerooms, and that Hanan son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah, be their assistant,[at] for they were regarded as trustworthy. It was then their responsibility to oversee the distribution to their colleagues.[au]
14 Please remember me for this, O my God, and do not wipe out the kindness that I have done for the temple of my God and for its services!
15 In those days I saw people in Judah treading winepresses on the Sabbath, bringing in heaps of grain and loading them onto donkeys, along with wine, grapes, figs, and all kinds of loads, and bringing them to Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. So I warned them on the day that they sold these provisions. 16 The people from Tyre who lived there were bringing fish and all kinds of merchandise and were selling it on the Sabbath to the people of Judah—and in Jerusalem, of all places![av] 17 So I registered a complaint with the nobles of Judah, saying to them, “What is this evil thing that you are doing, profaning the Sabbath day? 18 Isn’t this the way your ancestors[aw] acted, causing our God to bring on them and on this city all this misfortune? And now you are causing even more wrath on Israel, profaning the Sabbath like this!”[ax]
19 When the evening shadows began to fall on[ay] the gates of Jerusalem before the Sabbath, I ordered[az] the doors to be closed. I further directed that they were not to be opened until after the Sabbath. I positioned[ba] some of my young men at the gates so that no load could enter on the Sabbath day. 20 The traders and sellers of all kinds of merchandise spent the night outside Jerusalem once or twice. 21 But I warned them and said,[bb] “Why do you spend the night by the wall? If you repeat this, I will forcibly remove you!”[bc] From that time on they did not show up on the Sabbath.[bd] 22 Then I directed the Levites to purify themselves and come and guard the gates in order to keep the Sabbath day holy.
For this please remember me, O my God, and have pity on me in keeping with your great love.
23 Also in those days I saw the men of Judah who had married women from Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab. 24 Half their children spoke the language of Ashdod (or the language of one of the other peoples mentioned[be]) and were unable to speak the language of Judah. 25 So I entered a complaint with them. I called down a curse on them, and I struck some of the men and pulled out their hair. I had them swear by God saying, “You will not marry off[bf] your daughters to their sons, and you will not take any of their daughters as wives for your sons or for yourselves. 26 Was it not because of things like these that King Solomon of Israel sinned? Among the many nations there was no king like him. He was loved by his God, and God made[bg] him king over all Israel. But the foreign wives made even him sin! 27 Should we then in your case hear that you do all this great evil, thereby being unfaithful to our God by marrying[bh] foreign wives?”
28 Now one of the sons of Joiada son of Eliashib the high priest was a son-in-law of Sanballat the Horonite. So I banished him from my sight.
29 Please remember them, O my God, because they have defiled the priesthood, the covenant of the priesthood,[bi] and the Levites.
30 So I purified them of everything foreign, and I assigned specific[bj] duties to the priests and the Levites. 31 I also provided for[bk] the wood offering at the appointed times and also for the firstfruits.
Please remember me for good, O my God.
The Followers of Jesus Pray for Boldness
23 When they were released, Peter and John[a] went to their fellow believers[b] and reported everything the high priests and the elders had said to them. 24 When they heard this, they raised their voices to God with one mind[c] and said, “Master of all,[d] you who made the heaven, the earth,[e] the sea, and everything that is in them, 25 who said by the Holy Spirit through[f] your servant David our forefather,[g]
‘Why do the nations[h] rage,[i]
and the peoples plot foolish[j] things?
26 The kings of the earth stood together,[k]
and the rulers assembled together,
against the Lord and against his[l] Christ.’[m]
27 “For indeed both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, assembled together in this city against[n] your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed,[o] 28 to do as much as your power[p] and your plan[q] had decided beforehand[r] would happen. 29 And now, Lord, pay attention to[s] their threats, and grant[t] to your servants[u] to speak your message[v] with great courage,[w] 30 while you extend your hand to heal, and to bring about miraculous signs[x] and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” 31 When[y] they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken,[z] and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak[aa] the word of God[ab] courageously.[ac]
Conditions Among the Early Believers
32 The group of those who believed were of one heart and mind,[ad] and no one said that any of his possessions was his own, but everything was held in common.[ae] 33 With[af] great power the apostles were giving testimony[ag] to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was on them all. 34 For there was no one needy[ah] among them, because those who were owners of land or houses were selling[ai] them[aj] and bringing the proceeds from the sales 35 and placing them at the apostles’ feet. The proceeds[ak] were distributed to each, as anyone had need. 36 So Joseph, a Levite who was a native of Cyprus, called by the apostles Barnabas (which is translated “son of encouragement”),[al] 37 sold[am] a field[an] that belonged to him and brought the money[ao] and placed it at the apostles’ feet.
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