Nehemiah 1:1 The words of Nehemiah, son of Hacaliah: In the month of Chislev in the twentieth year, while I was in the fortress city of Susa,
Nehemiah 1:2 Hanani, one of my brothers, arrived with men from Judah, and I asked them about Jerusalem and the Jewish remnant that had survived the exile.
Nehemiah 1:3 They said, “The remnant in the province, who survived the exile, are in great trouble and disgrace. Jerusalem’s wall has been broken down, and its gates have been burned.”
Nehemiah 1:4 When I heard these words, I sat down and wept. I mourned for several days, fasting and praying before the God of the sky.[1]
Nehemiah 1:5 I said, Yahveh,[2] the God of the sky, the great and awe-inspiring God who keeps his gracious covenant with those who love him and keep his commands,
Nehemiah 1:6 Let your ears be attentive and your eyes be open to hear your servant’s prayer. I am now praying to you day and night for your servants, the Israelites. I confess the sins we have committed against you. Both myself and my father’s family have sinned.
Nehemiah 1:7 We have acted corruptly toward you and have not kept the commands, statutes, and ordinances you gave your servant Moses.
Nehemiah 1:8 Please remember what you commanded your servant Moses: “If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples.
Nehemiah 1:9 But if you return to me and carefully observe my commands, even though your exiles were banished to the farthest sky, I will gather them from there and bring them to where I chose to have my name dwell.”
Nehemiah 1:10 They are your servants and your people. You redeemed them by your great power and strong hand.
Nehemiah 1:11 Please, Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant and to that of your servants who delight to revere your name. Give your servant success today and grant him compassion in the presence of this man. At the time, I was the king’s cupbearer.
Ezra 10:1 While Ezra prayed and confessed, weeping and falling facedown before the house of God, a vast congregation of Israelite men, women, and children gathered around him. The people also wept bitterly.
Ezra 10:2 Then Shecaniah, son of Jehiel, an Elamite, responded to Ezra: “We have been unfaithful to our God by marrying foreign women from the people of the lands, but there is still hope for Israel despite this.
Ezra 10:3 Let us, therefore, cut[1] a covenant before our God to send away all the foreign wives and those they gave birth to,[2] according to the counsel of my lord and of those who tremble at the command of our God. Let it be done according to the instruction.
Ezra 10:4 Get up; this matter is your responsibility, and we support you. Be strong and take action!”
Ezra 10:5 Then Ezra got up and made the captain priests, Levites, and all Israel take an oath to do what had been said; so, they took the oath.
Ezra 10:6 Ezra then went from the house of God and walked to the chamber of Jehohanan, son of Eliashib, where he spent the night. He did not consume food or drink water because he was mourning over the unfaithfulness of the exiles.
Ezra 10:7 They proclaimed throughout Judah and Jerusalem that all the exiles should gather in Jerusalem.
Ezra 10:8 Whoever did not come within three days, all his possessions would be set apart for destruction[3] according to the decision of the captains and elders, and he would be separated from the assembly of the exiles.
Ezra 10:9 So all the men of Judah and Benjamin gathered in Jerusalem within the three days. On the twentieth day of the ninth month, all the people sat in the square at the house of God, trembling because of this matter and because of the heavy rain.
Ezra 10:10 Then the priest Ezra stood up and said to them, “You have been unfaithful by marrying foreign women, adding[4] to Israel’s need of reparation.
Ezra 10:11 Therefore, confess Yahveh, the God of your fathers, and do his will. Separate yourselves from the people of the lands and your foreign wives.”
Ezra 10:12 All the assembly answered[5] loudly: “Yes, we will do as you say!
Ezra 10:13 But there are many people, and it is the rainy season. We don’t have the stamina to stay out in the open. This isn’t something that can be done in a day or two, for we have rebelled terribly in this matter.
Ezra 10:14 Let our captains represent the entire assembly. Then, let all those in our towns who have married foreign women come at appointed times, together with the elders and judges of each town, to avert the fierce anger of our God concerning this matter.
Ezra 10:15 Jonathan, son of Asahel, and Jahzeiah, son of Tikvah, certainly[6] opposed this, with Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite supporting them.
Ezra 10:16 The exiles did what had been proposed. The priest Ezra separated men who were family heads, all identified by name, to represent their ancestral houses. They convened on the first day of the tenth month to investigate the matter,
Ezra 10:17, and by the first day of the first month, they had dealt with all the men who had married foreign women.
Ezra 10:18 The following were found to have married foreign women from the descendants of the priests: from the descendants of Jeshua, son of Jozadak, and his brothers: Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib, and Gedaliah.
Ezra 10:19 They pledged to send their wives away, and being guilty, they offered a ram from the flock for their guilt;
Ezra 10:20 Hanani and Zebadiah from Immer’s descendants;
Ezra 10:21 Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel, and Uzziah from Harim’s descendants;
Ezra 10:22 Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad, and Elasah from Pashhur’s descendants.
Ezra 10:23 The Levites: Jozabad, Shimei, Kelaiah (that is Kelita), Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer.
Ezra 10:24 The singers: Eliashib. The gatekeepers: Shallum, Telem, and Uri.
Ezra 10:25 The Israelites: Parosh’s descendants: Ramiah, Izziah, Malchijah, Mijamin, Eleazar, Malchijah, and Benaiah;
Ezra 9:1 After these things had been done, the captains approached me. They said: “The people of Israel, the priests, and the Levites have not separated themselves from the people of the lands whose repulsive[1] practices are like those of the Canaanites, Hethites, Perizzites, Jebusites, Ammonites, Moabites, Egyptians, and Amorites.
Ezra 9:2 Indeed, the Israelite men have taken some of their daughters as wives for themselves and their sons, so the sacred seed has become mixed with the people of the lands. The captains and officials have taken the lead in this unfaithfulness!”
Ezra 9:3 When I heard this report, I tore my tunic and robe, pulled some hair from my head and beard, and sat down devastated.
Ezra 9:4 Everyone who trembled at the words of the God of Israel gathered around me because of the unfaithfulness of the exiles, while I sat devastated until the evening tribute offering.[2]
Ezra 9:5 At the evening tribute offering, I got up from humiliation, with my tunic and robe torn. Then I fell on my knees and spread my hands to Yahveh, my God.
Ezra 9:6 And I said: My God, I am ashamed and embarrassed to lift my face toward you because our iniquities are higher than our heads, and our need of reparation[3] is as high as the sky.
Ezra 9:7 Our need of reparation has been terrible from the days of our fathers until the present. Because of our iniquities, we have been handed over, along with our kings and priests, to the kings of the lands and the sword, captivity, plundering,[4] and open shame, as it is today.
Ezra 9:8 But now, for a brief moment, grace has come from Yahveh our God, to preserve a remnant for us and give us a stake in his sacred place. Even in our slavery, God has given us a little relief and light to our eyes.
Ezra 9:9 Though we are slaves, our God has not abandoned us in our slavery. He has extended grace to us before the Persian kings, relieving us to rebuild the house of our God and repair its ruins to give us a wall in Judah and Jerusalem.
Ezra 9:10 Now, our God, what can we say in light of this? For we have abandoned the commands
Ezra 9:11 you commanded through your slaves the prophets, saying: “The land you are entering to take possession of[5] is impure. The surrounding peoples have filled it from end to end with their uncleanness by their impurity and repulsive practices.
Ezra 9:12 So do not give your daughters to their sons in marriage or take their daughters for your sons. Never pursue their welfare or prosperity so that you will be strong. Consume the good things of the land and leave it as a possession to your sons permanently.
Ezra 9:13 After all that has happened to us because of our evil deeds and terrible need of reparation — though you, our God, have punished us less than our iniquities deserve and have allowed us to survive —
Ezra 9:14: should we break your commands again and intermarry with the people who commit these repulsive practices? Wouldn’t you become so angry with us that you would destroy us, leaving neither remnant nor survivor?
Ezra 9:15 Lord God of Israel, you are righteous, for we survive as a remnant today. Notice,[6] we are before you with our need of reparation, though no one can stand in your presence.
Ezra 8:1 These are the family heads and the genealogical records of those who returned with me from Babylon during the reign of King Artaxerxes:
Ezra 8:2 Gershom, from Phinehas’s descendants; Daniel, from Ithamar’s descendants; Hattush, from David’s descendants,
Ezra 8:3, who was of Shecaniah’s descendants; Zechariah, from Parosh’s descendants, and 150 men with him who were registered by genealogy;
Ezra 8:4 Eliehoenai son of Zerahiah from Pahath-moab’s descendants, and 200 men with him;
Ezra 8:5 Shecaniah son of Jahaziel from Zattu’s descendants, and 300 men with him;
Ezra 8:6 Ebed son of Jonathan from Adin’s descendants, and 50 men with him;
Ezra 8:7 Jeshaiah the son of Athaliah from Elam’s descendants, and 70 men with him;
Ezra 8:8 Zebadiah the son of Michael from Shephatiah’s descendants, and 80 men with him;
Ezra 8:9 Obadiah son of Jehiel from Joab’s descendants, and 218 men with him;
Ezra 8:10 Shelomith son of Josiphiah from Bani’s descendants, and 160 men with him;
Ezra 8:11 Zechariah son of Bebai from Bebai’s descendants, and 28 men with him;
Ezra 8:12 Johanan son of Hakkatan from Azgad’s descendants, and 110 men with him;
Ezra 8:13 These are the last ones, from Adonikam’s descendants, and their names are Eliphelet, Jeuel, and Shemaiah, and 60 men with them;
Ezra 8:14 Uthai and Zaccur from Bigvai’s descendants, and 70 men with them.
Ezra 8:15 I gathered them at the river that flows to Ahava, and we camped there for three days. I searched among the people and priests but found no Levites there.
Ezra 8:16 Then I summoned the leaders: Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah, Elnathan, Jarib, Elnathan, Nathan, Zechariah, and Meshullam, as well as the teachers Joiarib and Elnathan.
Ezra 8:17 I placed[1] them to Iddo, the leader at Casiphia, with a message for him and his brothers, the temple servants at Casiphia, that they should bring us ministers[2] for the house of our God.
Ezra 8:18 Since the gracious hand of our God was on us, they brought us Sherebiah– a man of insight from the descendants of Mahli, a descendant of Levi son of Israel– along with his sons and brothers, 18 men,
Ezra 8:19 plus Hashabiah, along with Jeshaiah, from the descendants of Merari, and his brothers and their sons, 20 men.
Ezra 8:20 There were also 220 of the temple servants, who David had appointed and the captains for the work of the Levites. All were identified by name.
Ezra 8:21 I proclaimed a fast by the Ahava River so that we might humble ourselves before our God and cry out to him for a safe journey for us, our dependents, and all our possessions.
Ezra 8:22 I did this because I was ashamed to ask the king for efficient[3] infantry and cavalry to protect us from enemies during the journey, since we had told him, “The hand of our God is gracious to all who seek him, but his fierce anger is against all who abandon him.”
Ezra 8:23 We fasted and pleaded with God about this, and he was receptive to our prayer.
Ezra 8:24 I separated twelve captain priests, Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and ten of their brothers.
Ezra 8:25 I weighed out to them the silver, the gold, and the articles– the contribution for the house of our God that the king, his counselors, his captains, and all the Israelites who were present had offered.
Ezra 8:26 I weighed out to them 24 tons of silver, silver articles weighing 7,500 pounds, 7,500 pounds of gold,
Ezra 8:27 Twenty gold bowls worth a thousand gold coins and two articles of fine gleaming bronze, as valuable as gold.
Ezra 8:28 Then I said to them, “You are sacred to Yahveh, and the articles are sacred. The silver and gold are a spontaneous, voluntary donation to Yahveh, God of your fathers.
Ezra 8:29 Guard[4] them carefully until you weigh them out in the chambers of Yahveh’s house before the captain priests, Levites, and heads of the Israelite families in Jerusalem.”
Ezra 8:30 Then the priests and Levites took charge of the silver, the gold, and the articles that had been weighed out and brought them to the house of our God in Jerusalem.
Ezra 8:31 We set out from the Ahava River on the twelfth day of the first month to go to Jerusalem. Our God strengthened us and stripped[5] us from the enemy’s grasp and from ambush along the way.
Ezra 8:32 So we arrived at Jerusalem and rested there for three days.
Ezra 8:33 On the fourth day, the silver, gold, and articles were weighed out in the house of our God and placed in the care of the priest Meremoth, son of Uriah. Eleazar son of Phinehas was with him. The Levites Jozabad, son of Jeshua, and Noadiah, son of Binnui, were also with them.
Ezra 8:34 Everything was verified by number and weight, and the total weight was recorded.
Ezra 8:35 The exiles who had returned from captivity offered ascending offerings to the God of Israel: twelve bulls for all Israel, ninety-six rams, and seventy-seven lambs, along with twelve male goats as a sin offering. All this was an ascending offering for Yahveh.
Ezra 8:36 They also delivered the king’s edicts to the royal satraps and governors of the region west of the Euphrates so that they would support the people and the house of God.
Ezra 7:5 Abishua’s son, Phinehas’s son, Eleazar’s son, the chief priest Aaron’s son
Ezra 7:6—He came up from Babylon. He was a scribe skilled in the instruction of Moses, which Yahveh, the God of Israel, had given. The king granted him everything he requested because the hand of Yahveh, his God, was on him.
Ezra 7:7 Some Israelites, priests, Levites, singers, gatekeepers, and temple servants accompanied him to Jerusalem in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes.
Ezra 7:8 Ezra came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, during the seventh year of the king.
Ezra 7:9 He began the journey from Babylon on the first day of the first month and arrived in Jerusalem on the first day of the fifth month since the gracious hand of his God was on him.
Ezra 7:10 Now, Ezra had determined to study the instruction of Yahveh, obey it, and teach its prescribed tasks[1] and judgments in Israel.
Ezra 7:11 This is the text of the letter King Artaxerxes gave to Ezra, the priest and scribe, an expert in matters of Yahveh’s commands and prescribed tasks for Israel:
Ezra 7:12 Artaxerxes, king of kings, to Ezra the priest, an expert in the law of the God of the sky: Greetings.
Ezra 7:13 I issue a decree that any Israelites in my kingdom, including their priests and Levites, who want to go to Jerusalem, may go with you.
Ezra 7:14 The king and his seven counselors send you to evaluate Judah and Jerusalem according to the law of your God, which is in your possession.
Ezra 7:15 You are also to bring the silver and gold the king and his counselors have willingly given to the God of Israel, whose dwelling is in Jerusalem,
Ezra 7:16 and all the silver and gold you receive throughout the province of Babylon, together with the donations given by the people and the priests to the house of their God in Jerusalem.
Ezra 7:17 Then you are to be diligent about buying bulls, rams, and lambs with this money, along with their grain and drink offerings, and offering them on the altar at the house of your God in Jerusalem.
Ezra 7:18 You and your brothers may do whatever seems best with the rest of the silver and gold, according to the will of your God.
Ezra 7:19 Deliver to the God of Jerusalem all the articles given to you for the service of the house of your God.
Ezra 7:20: You may use the royal treasury to pay for anything else needed for the house of your God.
Ezra 7:21 I, King Artaxerxes, issue a decree to all the treasurers in the region west of the Euphrates River: Whatever Ezra the priest, an expert in the law of the God of the sky, asks of you must be provided in full,
Ezra 7:22 up to 7,500 pounds of silver, 500 bushels of wheat, 550 gallons of wine, 550 gallons of oil, and salt without limit.
Ezra 7:23 Whatever is commanded by the God of the sky must be done diligently for the house of the God of the sky so that wrath will not fall on the realm of the king and his sons.
Ezra 7:24 Be advised that you do not have authority to impose tribute, duty, and land tax on any priests, Levites, singers, doorkeepers, temple servants, or other servants of this house of God.
Ezra 7:25 And you, Ezra, according to God’s wisdom that you possess, appoint magistrates and judges to judge all the people in the region west of the Euphrates who know the laws of your God and to teach anyone who does not know them.
Ezra 7:26 Anyone who does not keep the law of your God and the law of the king, let the appropriate judgment be executed against him, whether death, banishment, confiscation of property, or imprisonment.
Ezra 7:27 Praised[2] be Yahveh, the God of our fathers, who has put it into the king’s heart to glorify the house of Yahveh in Jerusalem,
Ezra 7:28 and who has shown favor to me before[3] the king, his counselors, and all his influential captains.[4] So, I took courage because I was strengthened by the hand of Yahveh, my God, and I gathered Israelite leaders to return with me.
jeffersonvann 