Nehemiah 10

1 And in regard to all this we are making a binding pledge, and we are writing it down, and all our leaders, our Levites and our priests are setting their seal to it. [a]

2 And at the head of those who sealed it: Nehemiah son of Hacaliah, and Zedekiah, [c] 3 son of Seraiah, and Azariah and Jeremiah, [d] 4 Pashhur, Amariah, Malchijah, 5 Hattush, Shebaniah, Malluch,

6 Harim, Meremoth, Obadiah, 7 Daniel, Ginnethon, Baruch, 8 Meshullam, Abijah, Mijamin, 9 Maaziah, Bilgai, Shemaiah. These were the priests.

10 And the Levites: Jeshua son of Azaniah, Binnui of the sons of Henadad, Kadmiel, [e] 11 and his brothers: Shebaniah, Hodaviah, Kelita, Pelaiah, Hanan, 12 Mica, Rehob, Hashabiah, 13 Zaccur, Sherebiah, Shebaniah, 14 Hodaviah, the sons of Banunai. [f]

15 The leaders of the people: Parosh, Pahath-moab, Elam, Zattu, the sons of [g] 16 Bani, Azgad, Bebai, 17 Adonijah, Bigvai, Adin, 18 Ater, Hezekiah, Azzur, 19 Hodaviah, Hashum, Bezai, 20 Hariph, Anathoth, Nebai,

21 Magpiash, Meshullam, Hezir, 22 Meshezabel, Zadok, Jaddua, 23 Pelatiah, Hanan, Anaiah, 24 Hoshea, Hananiah, Hasshub,

25 Hallohesh, Pilha, Shobek, 26 Rehum, Hashabnah, Maaseiah, 27 and Ahiah, Ainan, Enan, [h] 28 Malluch, Harim, Baanah.

29 And the rest of the people — the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, the temple servants, and everyone who was coming over from the peoples of the land to the law of God, their wives, their sons, their daughters, everyone who had knowledge and understanding — [i] 30 pressed hard upon their brothers and laid a curse on them; and they went 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, and to keep and to do all the commands of our Lord and his judgments; [j] 31 and not to give our daughters to the peoples of the land; and their daughters we will not take for our sons. [k]

32 And as for the peoples of the land who bring in goods and every kind of ware to sell on the sabbath day: we will not buy from them on a sabbath or on a holy day. And we will let the seventh year go, and the demand of every debt. [l]

33 And we will lay commands on ourselves, to give a third of a piece of silver — about an eighth of an ounce — each year for the service of the house of our God: [m] 34 for the loaves of the presence, and the standing sacrifice, and for the standing whole burnt offering — of the sabbaths, of the new moons, for the feasts and for the holy things — and the offerings for sin, to make atonement for Israel, and for the works of the house of our God. [n]

35 And we cast lots over the duty of bringing the wood — the priests and the Levites and the people — to bring it into the house of our God, by the house of our fathers, at set times from season to season, year by year, to burn on the altar of the Lord our God, as it is written in the law; 36 and to bring the first of the harvest of our land, and the first of the harvest of the fruit of every tree, year by year, into the house of the Lord; [o] 37 and the firstborn of our sons and of our cattle, as it is written in the law, and the firstborn of our oxen and of our flocks, to bring to the house of our God, to the priests who serve in the house of our God.

38 And the firstfruits of our grain, and the fruit of every tree, of wine and of oil, we will bring to the priests, to the treasury of the house of God; and a tenth of our land to the Levites — and the Levites themselves are the ones who take the tenth in all the cities where we do our work. 39 And the priest, the son of Aaron, will be with the Levites when the Levite takes his tenth; and the Levites will bring up the tenth of the tenth to the house of our God, into the treasuries of the house of God. 40 For the children of Israel and the children of Levi will bring into the storerooms the firstfruits of the grain and of the wine and of the oil; and the holy vessels are there, and the priests who serve, and the gatekeepers, and the singers. And we will not forsake the house of our God. [p]