Nehemiah -Nechemyah

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Nehemiah -Nechemyah

To Our Forefathers Yisrael

1 The words of Nechemyah the son of Hachalyah. And it came to pass in the ninth chodesh, in the twentieth year, as I was in Shushan the palace,

2 That Hanani, one of my brothers, came, along with certain men of Yahudah; and I asked them concerning the Yahudim that had escaped the captivity and concerning Yahrushalayim.

3 And they said to me, The remnant that is left of the captivity there in the province are in great affliction and reproach: the wall of Yahrushalayim also is broken down and its gates are burned with fire.

4 And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept and mourned for certain yamim and fasted and made tefillah before the Ahlohim of the shamayim,

5 And said, I beg You, O YHUH Ahlohim of the shamayim, the great and awesome El, that keeps His brit and rachamim for them that love Him and shomer His mitzvoth:

6 Let Your ear now be attentive and Your eyes open, that You may hear the tefillah of Your eved, which I make before You, yom and lyla, for the children of Yisrael Your avadim and confess the sins of the children of Yisrael, which we have sinned against You: both I and my abba’s bayit have sinned.

7 We have dealt very corruptly against You and have not kept the mitzvoth, nor the chukim, nor the mishpatim, which You commanded Your eved Moshe.

8 Remember, I beg You, the word that You commanded Your eved Moshe, saying, If you transgress, I will scatter you abroad among the goyim:

9 But if you teshuvah to Me and keep My mitzvoth and do them; though you were cast out to the uttermost parts of the shamayim, yet will I gather them from there and will bring them to the place that I have chosen to set My Name

there.

10 Now these are Your avadim and Your people, whom You have redeemed by Your great Power and by Your strong hand.

11 O YHUH, I beg You, let now Your ear be attentive to the tefillah of Your eved and to the tefillot of Your avadim, who desire to fear Your Name: and I make tefillah that You prosper Your eved this yom, grant him rachamim in the sight of this man. For I was the melech’s cupbearer.

2 And it came to pass in the chodesh Aviv, in the twentieth year of Artahshashta the melech, that wine was set before him: and I took up the wine and gave it to the melech. Now I had not ever before been sad in his presence.

2 And the melech said to me, Why is your face sad, seeing you are not sick? This is nothing else but sorrow of lev. Then I was very much afraid,

3 And said to the melech, Let the melech live le-olam-va-ed: why should not my face be sad, when the city, the place of my abbas’ tombs, lies in waste and its gates are consumed with fire?

4 Then the melech said to me, For what do you make request? So I made tefillah to the Ahlohim of the shamayim.

5 And then I said to the melech, If it please the melech and if your eved has found chen in your sight, that you would send me to Yahudah, to the city of my ahvots’ tombs, that I may rebuild it.

6 And the melech said to me – the queen also sitting by him – For how long shall your journey be? And when will you return? So it pleased the melech to send me; and I set for him a time.

7 Moreover I said to the melech, If it pleases the melech, let letters be given to me to the governors beyond the river, that they may let me pass through until I come into Yahudah;

8 And a letter to Asaph the keeper of the melech’s forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the palace that belong to the Bayit and for the wall of the city and for the bayit that I shall enter into. And the melech gave them to me, according to the tov hand of my Ahlohim upon me.

9 Then I came to the governors beyond the river and gave them the melech’s letters. Now the melech had sent captains of the army and horsemen with me.

10 When Sanballat the Horonite and Toviyah the Ammonite official, heard of it, it exceedingly grieved them that there had come a man to seek the welfare of the children of Yisrael.

11 So I came to Yahrushalayim and was there three yamim.

12 And I arose in the lyla, I and some few men with me; neither did I tell any man what my Ahlohim had put in my lev to do at Yahrushalayim: neither was there any beast with me, except the beast that I rode on.

13 And I went out by lyla by the gate of the valley, even before the Jackals Fountain and to the Dung Gate and viewed the walls of Yahrushalayim, which were broken down and the gates that were consumed with fire.

14 Then I went on to the Fountain Gate and to the melech’s pool: but there was no place for the beast that was under me to pass.

15 Then I went up in the lyla by the brook and viewed the wall and turned back and entered by the gate of the valley and so I returned.

16 And the heads knew not where I went, or what I did; neither had I as yet told it to the Yahudim, nor to the kohanim, nor to the nobles, nor to the heads, nor to the rest that did the work.

17 Then I said to them, You see the distress that we are in, how Yahrushalayim lies waste and the gates of it are burned with fire: come and let us build up the wall of Yahrushalayim, that we be no more a reproach.

18 Then I told them of the hand of my Ahlohim which was tov upon me; and also the melech’s words that he had spoken to me. And they said, Let us rise up and build. So they strengthened their hands for this tov work.

19 But when Sanballat the Horonite and Toviyah the eved, the Ammonite and Geshem the Arabian, heard it, they laughed us to scorn and despised us and said, What is this thing that you do? Will you rebel against the melech?

20 Then I answered them and said to them, The Ahlohim of the shamayim, He will prosper us; therefore we His avadim will arise and build: but you have no portion, or rights, or memorial, in Yahrushalayim.

3 Then Eli-Ashiv the Kohen HaGadol rose up with his brothers the kohanim and they built the Sheep Gate; they set it apart and set up the doors; they set that apart as well as far as the tower of Hanane-El.

2 And next to him built the men of Yericho. And next to them built Zaccur the son of Yimri.

3 But the Fish Gate did the sons of Hassena’ah build, who also laid its beams and set up its doors, its locks and its bars.

4 And next to them repaired Meremoth the son of Uriyah, the son of Koz. And next to them repaired Meshullam the son of Berechyah, the son of Meshezave-El. And next to them repaired Tzadok the son of Ba-Ana.

5 And next to them the Tekoites repaired; but their nobles did not put their necks to the work of their Master.

6 Moreover the Old Gate repaired Yahuyadah the son of Paseyah and Meshullam the son of Besodeyah; they laid its beams and set up its doors and its locks and its bars.

7 And next to them repaired Melatyah the Giveonite and Yadon the Meronothite, the men of Giveon and of Mitzpah, to the kesay of the governor on this side of the river.

8 Next to him repaired Uzzi-El the son of Harhayah, of the goldsmiths. Next to him also repaired Hananyah the son of one of the perfumers and they fortified Yahrushalayim to the Broad Wall.

9 And next to them repaired Rephayah the son of Hur, the head of the half part of Yahrushalayim.

10 And next to them repaired Yedayah the son of Harumaph, even opposite his own bayit. And next to him repaired Hattush the son of Hashavniyah.

11 Malchiyah the son of Harim and Hashuv the son of Pahath-Moav, repaired the other section and the Tower of the Furnaces.

12 And next to him repaired Shallum the son of Halohesh, the head of the half part of Yahrushalayim, he and his daughters.

13 The Valley Gate repaired Hanun and the inhabitants of Tzanoah; they built it and set up its doors, its locks and its bars and a thousand cubits on the wall to the Dung Gate.

14 But the Dung Gate was repaired by Malchiyah the son of Rechav, the head of part of Beth-HaKerem; he built it and set up its doors, its locks and its bars.

15 But the Gate of the Fountain repaired Shallun the son of Chol-Hozeh, the head of part of Mitzpah; he built it and covered it and set up its doors, its locks and its bars and the wall of the Pool of Shiloach by the melech’s gan and the stairs that go down from the city of Dawid.

16 After him repaired Nechemyah the son of Azvuk, the head of half the part of Beth-Tzur, to the place opposite the tombs of Dawid and to the pool that was made and to the bayit of the mighty men.

17 After him repaired the Lewiym, Rehum the son of Bani. Next to him repaired Hashavyah, the head of half of Keilah, in his district.

18 After him repaired their brothers, Bavai the son of Henadad, the head of half of the district of Keilah.

19 And next to him repaired Ezer the son of Yeshua, the head of Mitzpah, another section opposite the going up to the armory at the turning of the wall.

20 After him Baruch the son of Zavvai earnestly repaired the other section, from the turning of the wall to the door of the bayit of Eli-ashiv the Kohen HaGadol.

21 After him repaired Meremoth the son of Uriyah the son of Koz another section, from the door of the bayit of Eli-Ashiv even to the end of the bayit of Eli-Ashiv.

22 And after him repaired the kohanim, the men

of the plain.

23 After him repaired Benyamin and Hashuv opposite their bayit. After him repaired Azaryah the son of Maaseyah the son of Ananyah by his bayit.

24 After him repaired Binnui the son of Henadad another section, from the bayit of Azaryah to the turning of the wall, even to the corner.

25 Palal the son of Uzai, opposite the turning of the wall and the tower which lies out from the melech’s high bayit, that was by the court of the prison. After him Pedayah the son of Parosh.

26 Moreover the Nethinim dwelt in Ophel, to the place opposite the Mayim Gate toward the east and the tower that projects outward.

27 After them the Tekoites repaired another section, opposite the great tower that projects out, even to the wall of Ophel.

28 From above the Horse Gate repaired the kohanim, every one opposite his own bayit.

29 After them repaired Tzadok the son of Yimmer opposite his bayit. After him repaired also Shemayah the son of Shechanyah, the keeper of the east gate.

30 After him repaired Hananyah the son of Shelemyah and Hanun the sixth son of Tzalaph, another section. After him repaired Meshullam the son of Berechyah opposite his room.

31 After him repaired Malchyah the goldsmith’s son to the place of the Nethinim and of the merchants, opposite the Miphchad Gate and to the going up of the corner.

32 And between the going up of the corner to the Sheep Gate repaired the goldsmiths and the merchants.

4 But it came to pass, that when Sanballat heard that we built the wall, he was angry and took great indignation and mocked the Yahudim.

2 And he spoke before his brothers and the army of Shomron, and said, What are these feeble Yahudim doing? Will they fortify themselves? Will they sacrifice? Will they complete it in a yom? Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish that are burned?

3 Now Toviyah the Ammonite was by him and he said, Whatever they build, if a fox goes up, even he shall break down their stone wall.

4 Shema, O our Ahlohim; for we are despised: and turn their reproach upon their own head and make them as a prey in a land of captivity:

5 And cover not their iniquity and let not their sin be blotted out from before You: for they have provoked You to anger before the builders.

6 So we built the wall; and the entire wall was joined together up to the half of it: for the people had a mind and lev to work.

7 But it came to pass, that when Sanballat and Toviyah and the Arabians and the Ammonites and the Ashdodites, heard that the walls of Yahrushalayim were being repaired and that the broken places began to be fixed, then they were very angry,

8 And conspired all of them together to come and to fight against Yahrushalayim and to harm it.

9 Nevertheless we made our tefillah to our Ahlohim and set a watch against them yom and lyla because of them.

10 And Yahudah said, The strength of the bearers of burdens is weakening and there is much rubbish; so that we are not able to build the wall.

11 And our adversaries said, They shall not know, neither see, until we come in the midst among them and slay them and cause the work to cease.

12 And it came to pass, that when the Yahudim who dwelt by them came, they said to us ten times, From all places wherever you turn they are against us.

13 So I set in the lower places behind the wall and on the higher places, I set the people according to their mishpachot with their swords, their spears and their bows.

14 And I looked and rose up and said to the nobles and to the heads and to the rest of the people, Be not afraid of them: remember YHUH, who is great and terrible and fights for your brothers, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your houses.

15 And it came to pass, when our enemies heard that it was known to us and Ahlohim had brought their counsel to nothing, that we returned all of us to the wall, everyone to his work.

16 And it came to pass from that time forward that the half of my avadim worked in the work and the other half of them held the spears, the shields and the bows and the breastplates; and the heads were behind all the Bayit of Yahudah.

17 They, who built on the wall and they that bore burdens, with those that loaded, everyone with one of his hands worked in the work and with the other hand held a weapon.

18 For the builders, everyone had his sword girded by his side and so built. And he that sounded the shofar was by me.

19 And I said to the nobles and to the heads and to the rest of the people, The work is great and large and we are separated upon the wall, one far from another.

20 In whatever place therefore you hear the sound of the shofar, join us there: our Ahlohim shall fight for us.

21 So we labored in the work: and half of them held the spears from the rising of the boker until the cochavim appeared.

22 Likewise at the same time I said to the people, Let every one with his eved sleep within Yahrushalayim, that in the lyla they may be a guard for us and labor on the yom.

23 So neither I, nor my brothers, nor my avadim, nor the men of the guard who followed me, none of us took off our clothes, except that every one put them off for washing.

5 And there was a great cry of the people and of their wives against their brothers the Yahudim.

2 For some said, We, our sons and our daughters, are many: therefore we take up grain for them, that we may eat and live.

3 Some also were there that said, We have mortgaged our lands, vineyards and houses, that we might buy grain because of the famine.

4 There were also those that said, We have borrowed money for the melech’s tax that is upon our lands and vineyards.

5 Yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our brothers, our children as their children: and, see, we bring into bondage our sons and our daughters to be avadim and some of our daughters are brought to subjection already: neither is it in power of our hands; for other men have our lands and vineyards.

6 And I was very angry when I heard their cry and these words.

7 Then my lev ruled me and I rebuked the nobles and the heads and said to them, You charge interest, everyone from his brother. And I called out a greatcongregation against them.

8 And I said to them, We according to our ability have redeemed our brothers the Yahudim, who were sold to the goyim; and will you now sell your brothers? Or, shall they be sold to us? Then they were silent and found nothing to answer.

9 Also I said, It is not tov what you do: should you not rather have your halacha in the fear of our Ahlohim because of the reproach of our heathen enemies?

10 I and my brothers and my avadim, are lending them money and grain: I ask you, let us stop with this interest.

11 Please restore, to them, even this yom, their lands, their vineyards, their olive-yards and their houses, also the hundredth part of the money and the grain, the wine, the oil that you took from them.

12 Then they said, We will restore it to them and will require nothing from them; so will we do as you have said. Then I called the kohanim and took an oath from them, that they should do according to this promise.

13 Also I shook my garment and said, So Ahlohim shake out every man from his bayit and from his property, that performs not this promise, even so he shall be shaken out and emptied. And the entire kehilla said, Ahmein and gave tehilla to YHUH. And the people did according to this promise.

14 Moreover from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Yahudah, from the twentieth year even to the thirty-second year of Artahshashta the melech, that is, twelve years, I and my brothers have not eaten the lechem of their governors.

15 But the former governors that were before me laid burdens on the people and had taken from them lechem and wine, beside forty shekels of silver; yes, even their avadim bore rule over the people: but I did not do that because of my fear of Ahlohim.

16 Yes, also I continued in the work of this wall, neither bought we any land: and all my avadim were gathered there to the work.

17 Also there were at my shulchan a hundred fifty of the Yahudim and heads, beside those that came to us from among the heathen that are around us.

18 Now that which was prepared for me daily was one ox and six choice sheep; also fowls were prepared for me and once in ten yamim of all sorts of wine: yet for all this I required not the food for the governor because the bondage was heavy upon this people.

19 Think upon me, my Ahlohim, for tov, according to all that I have done for this people.

6 Now it came to pass, when Sanballat and Toviyah and Geshem the Arabian and the rest of our enemies, heard that I had built the wall and that there was no breach left in it, though at that time I had not set up the doors upon the gates;

2 That Sanballat and Geshem sent to me, saying, Come, let us meet together in one of the villages in the plain of Ono. But they thought to do me evil.

3 And I sent messengers to them, saying, I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, while I leave it and come down to you?

4 Yet they sent to me four times in this manner; and I answered them the same derech.

5 Then Sanballat sent his eved to me in like manner the fifth time with an open letter in his hand;

6 In which was written, It is reported among the goyim and Gashmu says it, that you and the Yahudim think to rebel: for which cause you build the wall that you may be their melech, according to these words.

7 And you have also appointed neviim to proclaim about you at Yahrushalayim, saying, There is a melech in Yahudah: and now shall it be reported to the melech according to these words. Come now therefore and let us take counsel together.

8 Then I sent to him, saying, There are no such things done as you have said, but you are creating them out of your own lev.

9 For they all made us afraid, saying, Their hands shall be weakened from the work, that it will not be finished. Now therefore, O Ahlohim, strengthen my hands.

10 Afterward I came to the bayit of Shemayah the son of Delayah the son of Mehetav-El, who was restrained; and he said, Let us meet together in the Bayit of Ahlohim, within the Hekal and let us shut the doors of the Hekal: for they will come to slay you; yes, in the lyla will they come to slay you.

11 And I said, Should such a man as I flee? And who is there, that, being as I am, would go into the Hekal to save his chayim? I will not go in.

12 And, see, I discerned that Ahlohim had not sent him; but that he pronounced this prophecy against me: for Toviyah and Sanballat had hired him.

13 Therefore he was hired, that I should be afraid and do so and sin and that they might have a matter for an evil report, that they might reproach me.

14 My Ahlohim, think upon Toviyah and Sanballat according to these their works and on the niviyah Noadyah and the rest of the neviim, that would have put me in fear.

15 So the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth yom of the sixth chodesh, in fifty-two yamim.

16 And it came to pass, that when all our enemies heard about it and all the heathen that were around us saw these things, they were much cast down in their own eyes: for they perceived that this work was the work of our Ahlohim.

17 And in those yamim the nobles of Yahudah sent many letters to Toviyah and the letters of Toviyah came to them.

18 For there were many in Yahudah loyal to him because he was the son-in-law of Shechanyah the son of Arah; and his son Yehohanan had married the daughter of Meshullam the son of Berechyah.

19 Also they reported his tov deeds before me and uttered my words to him. And Toviyah sent letters to put me in fear.

7 Now it came to pass, when the wall was built and I had set up the doors and the gatekeepers and the singers and the Lewiym were appointed,

2 That I gave my brothers Hanani and Hananyah the head of the palace, authority over Yahrushalayim: for he was a faithful man and feared Ahlohim above most.

3 And I said to them, Let not the gates of Yahrushalayim be opened until the shemesh is hot; and while they stand by, let them shut the doors and bolt them: and appoint guards of the inhabitants of Yahrushalayim, every one in his watch and every one in front of his bayit.

4 Now the city was large and great: but the people inside were few and the houses were not built.

5 And my Ahlohim put into my lev to gather together the nobles and the heads and the people, that they might be counted by genealogy. And I found a register of the genealogy of those who came up first and found all that was written in them,

6 These are the children of the province, that went up out of the captivity, of those that had been carried away, whom Nevuchadnetzar the melech of Bavel had carried away and had returned to Yahrushalayim and to Yahudah, every one to his city;

7 Who came with Zerubbavel, Yeshua, Nechemyah, Azaryah, Raamayah, Nachamani, Mordechai-Bilshan, Mitspereth, Bigvai, Nechum, Baanah. The numbers, of the men of the people of Yisrael was this;

8 The children of Parosh, two thousand one hundred seventy two.

9 The children of Shephatyah, three hundred seventy two.

10 The children of Arah, six hundred fifty two.

11 The children of Pahath-Moav, of the children of Yeshua and Yoav, two thousand eight

hundred eighteen.

12 The children of Eylam, a thousand two hundred fifty four.

13 The children of Zattu, eight hundred forty five.

14 The children of Zacchai, seven hundred sixty.

15 The children of Binnui, six hundred forty eight.

16 The children of Bevai, six hundred twenty eight.

17 The children of Azgad, two thousand three hundred twenty two.

18 The children of Adonikam, six hundred sixty seven.

19 The children of Bigvai, two thousand sixty seven.

20 The children of Adin, six hundred fifty five.

21 The children of Ater of Hizqiyahu, ninety-eight.

22 The children of Hashum, three hundred twenty eight.

23 The children of Bezai, three hundred twenty four.

24 The children of Hariph, one hundred twelve.

25 The children of Giveon, ninety-five.

26 The men of Beth-Lechem and Netophah, one hundred eighty eight.

27 The men of Anathoth, one hundred twenty eight.

28 The men of Beth-Azmaveth, forty-two.

29 The men of Kiryath-Yearim, Chephirah and Beeroth, seven hundred forty three.

30 The men of Ramah and Geva, six hundred twenty one.

31 The men of Michmas, one hundred twenty two.

32 The men of Beth-El and Ai, one hundred twenty three.

33 The men of the other Nevo, fifty-two.

34 The children of the other Eylam, one thousand two hundred fifty four.

35 The children of Harim, three hundred twenty.

36 The children of Yericho, three hundred forty five.

37 The children of Lod, Hadid and Ono, seven hundred twenty one.

38 The children of Senaah, three thousand nine hundred thirty.

39 The kohanim: the children of Yedayah, of the bayit of Yeshua, nine hundred seventy three.

40 The children of Immer, a thousand fifty two.

41 The children of Pashur, a thousand two hundred forty seven.

42 The children of Harim, a thousand and seventeen.

43 The Lewiym: the children of Yeshua, of Kadmi-El and of the children of Hodevah, seventy-four.

44 The singers: the children of Asaph, a hundred forty eight.

45 The gatekeepers: the children of Shallum, the children of Ater, the children of Talmon, the children of Akkuv, the children of Hatita, the children of Shovai, one hundred thirty eight.

46 The Nethinim: the children of Ziha, the children of Hashupha, the children of Tavaoth,

47 The children of Keros, the children of Sia, the children of Padon,

48 The children of Levana, the children of Hagava, the children of Shalmai,

49 The children of Chanan, the children of Gidd-El, the children of Gahar,

50 The children of Reayah, the children of Retzin, the

children of Nekoda,

51 The children of Gazzam, the children of Uzza, the children of Phaseah,

52 The children of Besai, the children of Meunim, the children of Nephishesim,

53 The children of Bakbuk, the children of Hakupha, the children of Harhur,

54 The children of Batzlith, the children of Mehida, the children of Harsha,

55 The children of Barkos, the children of Sisra, the children of Tamah,

56 The children of Netziah, the children of Hatipha.

57 The children of Shlomo’s avadim: the children of Sotai, the children of Sophereth, the children of Perida,

58 The children of Yaala, the children of Darkon, the children of Gidd-El,

59 The children of Shephatyah, the children of Hattil, the children of Pochereth of Tzevaim, the children of Amon.

60 All the Nethinim and the children of Shlomo’s avadim, were three hundred ninety two.

61 And these were they who went up also from Telmelah, Telharesha, Cheruv, Addon and Immer: but they could not show their abba’s bayit, nor their offspring, whether they were of Yisrael.

62 The children of Delayah, the children of Toviyah, the children of Nekoda, six hundred forty two.

63 And of the kohanim: the children of Havayah, the children of Koz, the children of Barzillai, which took one of the daughters of Barzillai the Giladi to isha and was called after their name.

64 These sought their place among those that were counted by genealogy, but it was not found: therefore they were seen as polluted and barred from the kohanut.

65 And the governor said to them, that they should not eat of the most kadosh things, until there stood up a kohen with the Urim and Thummim.

66 The whole kehilla together was forty two thousand three hundred sixty,

67 Besides their male and female avadim, of whom there were seven thousand three hundred thirty seven: and they had two hundred forty five singing men and singing women.

68 Their horses, seven hundred thirty six: their mules, two hundred forty five:

69 Their camels, four hundred thirty five: six thousand seven hundred twenty donkeys.

70 And some of the heads of the ahvot gave to the work. The governor gave to the treasury a thousand drams of gold, fifty basins, five hundred thirty kohanim garments.

71 And some of the heads of the ahvot gave to the treasury of the work twenty thousand drams of gold and two thousand two hundred pounds of silver.

72 And that which the rest of the people gave was twenty thousand drams of gold and two thousand pounds of silver and sixty-seven kohanim garments.

73 So the kohanim and the Lewiym and the gatekeepers and the singers and some of the people and the Nethinim and kol Yisrael, dwelt in their cities; and when the seventh chodesh came, the children of Yisrael were in their cities.

8 And all the people gathered themselves together as echad into the street that was before the Mayim Gate; and they spoke to Ezra the Sopher to bring the scroll of the Torah of Moshe, that YHUH had commanded to Yisrael.

2 And Ezra the kohen brought the Torah before the kehilla both of men and women and all that could hear with binah, upon the first yom of the seventh chodesh, which is Yom Teruah.

3 And he read from it in the open space that was before the Mayim Gate from the boker until midday, before the men and the women and those that could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive to the scroll of the Torah.

4 And Ezra the Sopher stood upon a pulpit of wood, which they had made for that purpose; and beside him stood Mattithyahu and Shema and Anayah and Uriyah and Hilkiyahu and Maaseyah, on his right hand; and on his left hand, Pedayah and Misha-El and Malchiyah and Hashum and Hashvadana, Zacharyah and Meshullam.

5 And Ezra opened the scroll in the sight of all the people – for he was high above all the people – and when he opened it, all the people stood up:

6 And Ezra blessed YHUH, the great Ahlohim. And all the people answered, Ahmein, Ahmein, with lifting up their hands: and they bowed their heads and worshipped YHUH with their faces to the ground.

7 Also Yeshua and Bani and Sherevyah, Yamin, Akkuv, Shavvethai, Hodiyah, Maaseyah, Kelita, Azaryah, Yozavad, Chanan, Pelayah and the Lewiym, helped the people to understand the Torah: and the people stood in their place.

8 So they read in the scroll in the Torah of Ahlohim distinctly and gave the sense of it and caused them to understand the reading.

9 And Nechemyah, who is the governor and Ezra the kohen and Sopher and the Lewiym that taught the people, said to all the people, This yom is kadosh to YHUH your Ahlohim; mourn not, nor weep. For all the people wept when they heard the Words of the Torah.

10 Then he said to them, Go your derech, eat the fat of His tov and drink the sweetness of it and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared: for this yom is kadosh to our YHUH: neither be sorry; for the simcha of YHUH is your strength.

11 So the Lewiym silenced all the people, saying, Keep silent, for the yom is kadosh; so don’t be grieved.

12 And all the people went their derech to eat and to drink and to send portions and to make great gilah because they had understood the words that were declared to them.

13 And on the second yom were gathered together the heads of the ahvot of all the people, the kohanim and the Lewiym, to Ezra the Sopher, to further understand the Words of the Torah.

14 And they found written in the Torah that YHUH had commanded by Moshe, that the children of Yisrael should dwell in sukkot in the moed of the seventh chodesh:

15 And that they should publish and proclaim in all their cities and in Yahrushalayim, saying, Go forth to the har and fetch olive branches and pine branches and myrtle branches and palm branches and branches of thick eytzim, to make sukkot, as it is written.

16 So the people went out and brought them and made themselves sukkot, everyone upon the roof of his bayit and in their courts and in the courts of the Bayit of Ahlohim and in the street of the Mayim Gate and in the street of the Gate of Efrayim.

17 And all the kehilla of those that had come again out of the captivity made sukkot and sat under the sukkot: for since the yamim of Yahoshua ben Nun to that yom the children of Yisrael had not done so. And there was very great simcha. 

18 Also yom by yom, from the first yom to the last yom, he read in the scroll of the Torah of Ahlohim. And they kept the moed seven yamim; and on the eighth yom there was a miqra kodesh, according to the manner.

9 Now on the twenty-fourth yom of this chodesh the children of Yisrael were assembled with fasting and with sackclothes and earth upon them.

2 And the zera of Yisrael separated themselves from all the gerim, and stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their ahvot.

3 And they stood up in their place and read in the scroll of the Torah of YHUH their Ahlohim one-fourth part of the yom; and another fourth part they confessed and worshipped YHUH their Ahlohim.

4 Then stood up upon the stairs, of the Lewiym, Yeshua and Bani, Kadmi-El, Shebanyah, Bunni, Sherebiyah, Bani and Chenani and cried with a loud voice to YHUH their Ahlohim.

5 Then the Lewiym, Yeshua and Kadmi-El, Bani, Hashavniyah, Shereviah, Hodiyah, Shevanyah and Pethachyah, said, Stand up and bless YHUH your Ahlohim le-olam-va-ed: and blessed be Your beautiful Name, which is exalted above all brachot and tehillot.

6 You, You alone, are YHUH; You have made the shamayim, the shamayim of shamayim, with their entire host, the earth and all things that are in them, the seas and all that is in them and You preserve them all; and the host of the shamayim worships You.

7 You are YHUH the Ahlohim, who did choose Avram and brought him forth out of Ur of the Chaldees and gave him the name of Avraham;

8 And found his lev faithful before You and You made a brit with him to give the land of the Kanaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites and the Perizzites and the Yevusites and the Girgashites, to give it to his zera and have performed Your Words; for You are tzadik:

9 And did see the affliction of our ahvot in Mitzrayim and heard their cry by the Yam Suf;

10 And showed signs and wonders upon Pharaoh and on all his avadim and on all the people of his land: for You knew that they dealt proudly against them. So You made Your Name great, as it is this yom.

11 And You did divide the sea before them, so that they went through the midst of the sea on the dry land; and their persecutors You threw into the deep, as a stone into the mighty mayim.

12 Moreover You led them in the yom by a cloudy pillar; and in the lyla by a pillar of fire, to give them ohr in the derech in which they should go.

13 You came down also upon Har Senai and spoke with them from the shamayim and gave them mishpatim and emet Torot, tov chukim and mitzvoth:

14 And made known to them Your kadosh Shabbat and commanded for them precepts, chukim and Torot, by the hand of Moshe Your eved:

15 And gave them lechem from the shamayim for their hunger and brought forth mayim for them out of The Rock for their thirst and promised them that they should go in to possess the land which You had sworn to give them.

16 But they and our ahvot dealt proudly and hardened their necks and listened not to Your mitzvoth,

17 And refused to obey, neither were mindful of Your wonders that You did among them; but hardened their necks and in their rebellion appointed a leader to return to their bondage: but You are Ahlohim, ready to pardon, gracious and full of rachamim, slow to anger and of great kindness and forsook them not.

18 Yes, when they had made a molten calf and said, These are your ahlahim that brought you up out of Mitzrayim and had worked great provocations and blasphemies;

19 Yet You in Your manifold rachamim forsook them not in the wilderness: the pillar of the cloud departed not from them by yom, to lead them in the derech; neither the pillar of fire by lyla, to show them ohr and the derech in which they should go.

20 You gave also Your tov Ruach to instruct them and withheld not Your manna from their mouth and gave them mayim for their thirst.

21 Yes, forty years did You sustain them in the wilderness, so that they lacked nothing; their clothes did not grow old and their feet did not swell.

22 Moreover You gave them malchutim and goyim and did divide them by their lots: so they possessed the land of Sichon and the land of the melech of Cheshbon and the land of Og melech of Bashan.

23 Their children also You multiplied as the cochavim of the shamayim and brought them into the land, concerning which You had promised to their ahvot, that they should go in to possess it.

24 So the children went in and possessed the land and You subdued before them the inhabitants of the land, the Kanaanites and gave them into their hands, with their melechim and the people of the land, that they might do with them, as they desired.

25 And they took strong cities and a fat land and possessed houses full of all items, wells dug, vineyards and olive-yards and fruit eytzim in abundance: so they did eat and were filled and became fat and delighted themselves in Your great tov.

26 Nevertheless they were disobedient and rebelled against You and cast Your Torah behind their backs and killed Your neviim that testified against them to turn them to You and they worked great provocations.

27 Therefore You delivered them into the hand of their enemies, who distressed them: and in the time of their trouble, when they cried to You, You heard them from the shamayim; and according to Your manifold rachamim You gave them saviors, who saved them out of the hand of their enemies.

28 But after they had rest, they did evil again before You: therefore You left them in the hand of their enemies, so that they had the dominion over them: yet when they returned and cried to You, You heard them from the shamayim; and many times You did deliver them according to Your rachamim;

29 And testified against them, that You might bring them again to Your Torah: yet they dealt proudly and listened not to Your mitzvoth, but sinned against Your mishpatim – which if a man does, he shall live in them – and withdrew the shoulder and hardened their neck and would not listen.

30 Yet for many years You had patience with them and testified against them by Your Ruach through Your neviim: yet they would not pay attention: therefore You gave them into the hands of the people of the lands.

31 Nevertheless for Your great rachamim’s sake You did not utterly consume them, nor forsake them; for You are an El of unmerited chen and rachamim.

32 Now therefore, our Ahlohim, the great, the mighty and the awesome El, who keeps His brit and rachamim, let not all the trouble seem little before You, that has come upon us, on our melechim, on our heads and on our kohanim and on our neviim and on our ahvot and on all Your people, since the time of the melechim of Ashshur to this yom.

33 Yet You are just in all that has been brought upon us; for You have done right, but we have done wickedly:

34 Neither have our melechim, our heads, our kohanim, or our ahvot, kept Your Torah, nor listened to Your mitzvoth and Your testimonies, with which You did testify against them.

35 For they have not served You in their malchut and in Your great tov that You gave them and in the large and rich land which You gave them, neither did they turn from their wicked works.

36 Behold, we are avadim this yom and for the land that You gave to our ahvot to eat its fruit and its tov, behold, we are avadim in it:

37 And it yields much increase to the melechim whom You have set over us because of our sins: also they have dominion over our bodies and over our cattle, at their pleasure and we are in great distress.

38 And because of all this we make a sure pledge and write it; and our heads, the Lewiym and kohanim, set their seal on it.

10 Now those that sealed were, Nechemyah, the governor, the son of Hachaliyah and Tzidkiyah,

2 Serayah, Azaryah, Yirmeyahu,

3 Pashur, Amaryah, Malchiyah,

4 Hattush, Shevanyah, Malluch,

5 Harim, Meremoth, Ovadyah,

6 Dani-El, Ginnethon, Baruch,

7 Meshullam, Aviyah, Miyamin,

8 Maatzyah, Bilgai, Shemayah: these were the kohanim.

9 And the Lewiym: both Yeshua the son of Azanyah, Binnui of the sons of Henadad, Kadmi–El;

10 And their brothers, Shevanyah, Hodiyah, Kelita, Pelayah, Chanan,

11 Micha, Rechov, Hashviyah,

12 Zaccur, Sherevyah, Shevanyah,

13 Hodiyah, Bani, Beninu.

14 The heads of the people; Parosh, Pahath-Moav, Eylam, Zatthu, Bani,

15 Bunni, Azgad, Bevai,

16 Adoniyah, Bigvai, Adin,

17 Ater, Hizkiyah, Azzur,

18 Hodiyah, Hashum, Betzai,

19 Hariph, Anathoth, Nevai,

20 Magpiash, Meshullam, Hezir,

21 Meshezave-El, Tzadok, Yahdua,

22 Pelatyah, Chanan, Anayah,

23 Husha, Hananyah, Hashuv,

24 Hallohesh, Pileha, Shovek,

25 Rehum, Hashavnah, Maaseyah,

26 And Achiyah, Chanan, Anan,

27 Malluch, Harim, Baanah.

28 And the rest of the people, the kohanim, the Lewiym, the gatekeepers, the singers, the Nethinim and all they that had separated themselves from the people of the lands to the Torah of Ahlohim, their wives, their sons and their daughters, everyone having da’at and having binah;

29 They joined with their brothers, their nobles and entered into a curse- ha Allah and into an oath, to have their halacha in Ahlohim ’s Torah, which was given by Moshe the eved of Ahlohim and to shomer and do all the mitzvoth of YHUH our Master and His mishpatim and His chukim;

30 And that we would not give our daughters as wives to the peoples of the land, nor take their daughters as wives for our sons:

31 And if the people of the land bring items, or any food on The Shabbat yom to sell, that we would not buy it from them on The Shabbat, or on a kadosh yom: and that we would rest in the shmeta-seventh year and remove every debt due us.

32 Also we made commands for ourselves, to give yearly one-third part of a shekel for the service of the Bayit of our Ahlohim;

33 For the Lechem ha Panayim and for the continual grain offering and for the continual burnt offering, of The Shabbats, of the Chodashim, for the kadosh moadeem and for the kadosh things and for the sin offerings to make a keporah for Yisrael and for all the work of the Bayit of our Ahlohim.

34 And we cast the lots among the kohanim, the Lewiym and the people, for the wood offering, to bring it into the Bayit of our Ahlohim, after the houses of our ahvot, at the yearly moadeem, to burn upon the altar of YHUH our Ahlohim, as it is written in the Torah:

35 And to bring the bikkurim of our ground and the bikkurim of all fruit of all eytzim, yearly, to the Bayit of YHUH:

36 Also the bachor of our sons and of our cattle, as it is written in the Torah and the firstlings of our herds and of our flocks, to bring to the Bayit of our Ahlohim, to the kohanim that serve in the Bayit of our Ahlohim:

37 And that we should bring the bikkurim of our dough and our offerings and the fruit of all manner of eytzim, of wine and of oil, to the kohanim, to the rooms of the Bayit of our Ahlohim; and the ma’aser of our ground to the Lewiym, that those same Lewiym might have the ma’aser in all the cities of our labor.

38 And the kohen the son of Aharon shall be with the Lewiym, when the Lewiym take ma’aser: and the Lewiym shall bring up the ma’aser from the ma’aser to the Bayit of our Ahlohim, to the rooms, into the treasury bayit.

39 For the children of Yisrael and the children of Lewi shall bring the offering of the grain, of the new wine and the oil, to the rooms, where the vessels of the sanctuary are and the kohanim that serve and the gatekeepers and the singers: and we will not forsake the Bayit of our Ahlohim.

11 And the heads of the people dwelt at Yahrushalayim: the rest of the people also cast lots, to bring one of ten to dwell in Yahrushalayim the kadosh city and nine parts to dwell in other cities.

2 And the people blessed all the men that willingly offered themselves to dwell at Yahrushalayim.

3 Now these are the heads of the province that dwelt in Yahrushalayim: but in the cities of Yahudah dwelt everyone in his own possession in their cities – Yisrael, the kohanim and the Lewiym and the Nethinim and the children of Shlomo’s avadim.

4 And at Yahrushalayim dwelt certain of the children of Yahudah and of the children of Benyamin. Of the children of Yahudah; Athayah the son of Uziyahu, the son of Zacharyah, the son of Amaryah, the son of Shephatyah, the son of Mahalal-El, of the children of Peretz;

5 And Maaseyah the son of Baruch, the son of Col-Hozeh, the son of Hazayah, the son of Adayah, the son of Yoyariv, the son of Zacharyah, the son of Shiloni.

6 All the sons of Peretz that dwelt at Yahrushalayim were four hundred sixty eight brave men.

7 And these are the sons of Benyamin; Sallu the son of Meshullam, the son of Yoed, the son of Pedayah, the son of Kolaiyah, the son of Maaseyah, the son of Ithi-El, the son of Yeshiyah.

8 And after him Gabbai, Sallai, nine hundred twenty eight.

9 And Yoel the son of Zichri was their overseer: and Yahudah the son of Senuah was second over the city.

10 Of the kohanim: Yedayah the son of Yoyariv, Yachin.

11 Serayahu the son of Hilkiyahu, the son of Meshullam, the son of Tzadok, the son of Meraioth, the son of Achituv, was the head of the Bayit of Ahlohim.

12 And their brothers that did the work of the Bayit were eight hundred twenty two: and Adayah the son of Yeroham, the son of Pelalyah, the son of Amzi, the son of Zacharyah, the son of Pashur, the son of Malchiyah,

13 And his brothers, heads of the ahvot, two hundred forty two: and Amashai the son of Azare-El, the son of Ahasai, the son of Meshillemoth, the son of Immer,

14 And their brothers, mighty men of bravery, one hundred twenty eight: and their overseer was Zavdi-El, the son of one of the great men.

15 Also of the Lewiym: Shemayah the son of Hashuv, the son of Azrikam, the son of Hashbiyah, the son of Bunni;

16 And Shavethai and Yozavad, of the heads of the Lewiym, had the oversight of the outward work of the Bayit of Ahlohim.

17 And Mattanyah the son of Micha, the son of Zavdi, the son of Asaph, was the leader to begin the giving of hodu in tefillah: and Bakbuchiyah the second among his brothers and Avda the son of Shammua, the son of Galal, the son of Yeduthun.

18 All the Lewiym in the kadosh city were two hundred eighty four.

19 Moreover the gatekeepers, Akkuv, Talmon and their brothers that kept guard at the gates, were one hundred seventy two.

20 And the residue of Yisrael, of the kohanim and the Lewiym, were in all the cities of Yahudah, every one in his inheritance.

21 But the Nethinim dwelt in Ophel: and Ziha and Gispa were over the Nethinim.

22 The overseer also of the Lewiym at Yahrushalayim was Uzzi the son of Bani, the son of Hashbiyah, the son of Mattanyah, the son of Micha. Of the sons of Asaph, the singers were over the work of the Bayit of Ahlohim.

23 For it was the melech’s commandment concerning them, that a certain portion should be to the singers, due everyday.

24 And Pethayah the son of Meshezab-El, of the children of Zerach the son of Yahudah, was the melech’s deputy in all matters concerning the people.

25 And for the villages, with their fields, some of the children of Yahudah dwelt at Kiryath-Arba and in its villages and at Divon and in its villages and at Yekavtzel and its villages,

26 And at Yeshua and at Moladah and at Beth-Phelet,

27 And at Hazar-Shual and at Be-er-Sheva and in its villages,

28 And at Ziklag and at Mechonah and in its villages,

29 And at En-Rimmon and at Tzareah and at Yarmuth,

30 Zanoah, Adullam and in their villages, at Lachish and its fields, at Azekah and in its villages. And they dwelt from Be-er-Sheva to the Valley of Hinnom.

31 The children also of Benyamin from Geva dwelt at Michmash and Aiya and Beth-El and in their villages,

32 And at Anathoth, Nov, Ananyah,

33 Hatzor, Ramah, Gittayim,

34 Hadid, Tzevoim, Nevallat,

35 Lod and Ono, the Valley of Craftsmen.

36 And of the Lewiym were divisions in Yahudah and in Benyamin.

12 Now these are the kohanim and the Lewiym that went up with Zerubbavel the son of Shealti-El and Yeshua: Serayahu, Yirmeyahu, Ezra,

2 Amaryah, Malluch, Hattush,

3 Shechanyah, Rehum, Meremoth,

4 Iddo, Ginnetho, Aviyah,

5 Miamin, Maadiyah, Bilgah,

6 Shemayah and

Yoyariv, Yediyah,

7 Sallu, Amok, Hilkiyahu, Yedayah. These were the heads of the kohanim and of their brothers in the yamim of Yeshua.

8 Moreover the Lewiym: Yeshua, Binnui, Kadmi-El, Shereviyah, Yahudah and Mattanyah, who were over the hodu, he and his brothers.

9 Also Bakvukyah and Unni, their brothers, were opposite them in the guard duties.

10 And Yeshua begat Yoiakim, Yoiakim also begat Eli-Ashiv and Eli-Ashiv begat Yoyada,

11 And Yoyada begat Yonathan and Yonathan begat Yahdua.

12 And in the yamim of Yoiakim were kohanim, the heads of the ahvot: of Serayahu, Merayah; of Yirmeyahu, Hananyah;

13 Of Ezra, Meshullam; of Amaryah, Yahuchanan;

14 Of Melicu, Yonathan; of Shevanyah, Yoseph;

15 Of Harim, Adna; of Merayoth, Helkai;

16 Of Iddo, Zacharyah; of Ginnethon, Meshullam;

17 Of Aviyah, Zichri; of Miniamin, of Moadiyah, Piltai;

18 Of Bilgah, Shammua; of Shemayah, Yehonathan;

19 And of Yoyariv, Mattenai; of Yedayah, Uzzi;

20 Of Sallai, Kallai; of Amok, Ever;

21 Of Hilkiyahu, Hashbiyah; of Yedayah, Natan-El.

22 The Lewiym in the yamim of Eli-Ashiv, Yoyada and Yochanan and Yahdua, were recorded heads of the ahvot: also the kohanim, to the reign of Daryawesh the Persian.

23 The sons of Lewi, the heads of the ahvot, were written in the scroll of the chronicles, even until the yamim of Yochanan the son of Eli-Ashiv.

24 And the heads of the Lewiym: Hashbiyah, Sherevyah and Yeshua the son of Kadmi-El, with their brothers opposite them, to give tehilla and to give hodu, according to the commandment of Dawid the man of Ahlohim, in their set order.

25 Mattanyah and Bakbuchiyah, Ovadyah, Meshullam, Talmon, Akkuv, were gatekeepers keeping the guard at the storerooms of the gates.

26 These were in the yamim of Yoiakim the son of Yeshua, the son of Yotzadak and in the yamim of Nechemyah the governor and of Ezra the kohen, the Sopher.

27 And at the dedication of the wall of Yahrushalayim they sought the Lewiym out of all their places, to bring them to Yahrushalayim, to keep the dedication with simcha, both with hodu and with singing, with cymbals, psalteries and with harps.

28 And the sons of the singers gathered themselves together, both out of the countryside around Yahrushalayim and from the villages of Netophathi;

29 Also from the bayit of Gilgal and out of the fields of Geva and Azmaveth: for the singers had built their villages around Yahrushalayim.

30 And the kohanim and the Lewiym purified themselves and purified the people and the gates and the wall.

31 Then I brought up the heads of Yahudah upon the wall and appointed two great companies of them that gave hodu, of which one went on the right hand upon the wall toward the Dung Gate:

32 And after them went Hoshayah and half of the heads of Yahudah,

33 And Azaryah, Ezra and Meshullam,

34 Yahudah and Benyamin and Shemayah and Yirmeyahu,

35 And certain of the kohanim’s sons with trumpets; namely, Zacharyah the son of Yonathan, the son of Shemayah, the son of Mattanyah, the son of Michayah, the son of Zaccur, the son of Asaph:

36 And his brothers, Shemayah and Azara-El, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Natan-El and Yahudah, Hanani, with the musical instruments of Dawid the man of Ahlohim and Ezra the Sopher before them.

37 And at the Fountain Gate, which was opposite them, they went up by the stairs of the city of Dawid, at the going up of the wall, above the bayit of Dawid, even to the Mayim Gate eastward.

38 And the other company of them that gave hodu went opposite them and I after them and the half of the people upon the wall, from beyond the Tower of the Furnaces even to the broad wall;

39 And from above the Gate of Efrayim and above the Old Gate and above the Fish Gate and the tower of Chanan-El and the Tower of Meah, even to the Sheep Gate: and they stood still in the Prison Gate.

40 So stood the two companies of them that gave hodu in the Bayit of Ahlohim and I and the half of the heads with me:

41 And the kohanim; Elyakim, Maaseyah, Minyamin, Michayah, Elyoeynai, Zacharyah and Hananyah, with trumpets;

42 And Maaseyah and Shemayah and Eleazar and Uzzi and Yehohanan and Malchiyah and Eylam and Ezer. And the singers sang loud, with Yezrayah their overseer.

43 Also that yom they offered great sacrifices and had gilah: for Ahlohim had made them gilah with great simcha: the wives also and the children had gilah: so that the simcha of Yahrushalayim was heard even far off.

44 And at that time were some appointed over the rooms for the treasures, for the offerings, for the bikkurim and for the ma’aser, to gather into them from the fields of the cities the portions of the Torah for the kohanim and Lewiym: for Yahudah had gilah for the kohanim and for the Lewiym that stood up.

45 And both the singers and the gatekeepers kept the guard of their Ahlohim and the guard of the purification, according to the commandment of Dawid and of Shlomo his son.

46 For in the yamim of Dawid and Asaph of old there were heads of the singers and songs to give tehilla and hodu to Ahlohim.

47 And kol Yisrael in the yamim of Zerubbavel and in the yamim of Nechemyah, gave the portions of the singers and the gatekeepers, every yom their portion: and they separated the kadosh things to the Lewiym; and the Lewiym set them apart to the children of Aharon.

13 On that yom they read in the scroll of Moshe in the audience of the people; and in it was found written, that the Ammonite and the Moavite should not come into the kehilla of Ahlohim le-olam-va-ed;

2 Because they met not the children of Yisrael with lechem and with mayim, but hired Bilam against them, that he should curse them: but our Ahlohim turned the curse into a bracha.

3 Now it came to pass, when they had heard the Torah that they separated from Yisrael all the mixed multitude.

4 And before this, Eli-Ashiv the kohen, having the oversight of the room of the Bayit of our Ahlohim, was allied to Toviyah:

5 And he had prepared for him a great room, where in times past they laid the grain offerings, the frankincense and the vessels and the ma’aser of the grain, the new wine and the new oil, which was commanded to be given to the Lewiym and the singers and the gatekeepers; and the offerings of the kohanim. 

6 But in all this time I was not at Yahrushalayim: for in the thirty-second year of Artahshashta melech of Bavel I came to the melech and after certain yamim I obtained leave from the melech to return: 

7 And I came to Yahrushalayim and understood of the evil that Eli-Ashiv did for Toviyah, in preparing him a room in the courts of the Bayit of Ahlohim.

8 And it grieved me much: therefore I cast out all the household items of Toviyah out of the room.

9 Then I commanded and they cleansed the rooms: and there brought I again the vessels of the Bayit of Ahlohim, with the grain offering and the frankincense.

10 And I perceived that the portions of the Lewiym had not been given to them: for the Lewiym and the singers, that did the work, had fled every one to his field.

11 Then contended I with the heads and said, Why is the Bayit of Ahlohim forsaken? And I gathered them together and set them in their place.

12 Then brought from all Yahudah the ma’aser of the grain and the new wine and the oil to the storehouse.

13 And I appointed treasurers over the storehouses, Shelemiyah the kohen and Tzadok the Sopher and of the Lewiym, Pedayah: and next to them was Chanan the son of Zaccur, the son of Mattanyah: for they were counted faithful and their duty was to distribute to their brothers.

14 Remember me, O my Ahlohim, concerning this and wipe not out my tov mitzvoth that I have done for the Bayit of my Ahlohim and for its duties. 

15 In those yamim saw I in Yahudah some treading wine presses on The Shabbat and bringing in sheaves and loading donkeys; as also wine, grapes and figs and all manner of burdens, which they brought into Yahrushalayim on The Shabbat yom: and I testified against them in the yom in which they sold food.

16 There dwelt men of Tsor also there, who brought fish and all manner of items and sold on The Shabbat to the children of Yahudah and in Yahrushalayim.

17 Then I contended with the nobles of Yahudah and said to them, What evil thing is this that you do, to profane The Shabbat?

18 Did not your ahvot do this and did not our Ahlohim bring all this evil upon us and upon this city? Yet now you bring more wrath upon Yisrael by profaning The Shabbat.

19 And it came to pass, that when the gates of Yahrushalayim began to be dark before The Shabbat, I commanded that the gates should be shut and charged that they should not be opened until after The Shabbat: and some of my avadim I assigned at the gates, that no burden should be brought in on The Shabbat yom.

20 So the merchants and sellers of all kind of items lodged outside Yahrushalayim once, or twice.

21 Then I testified against them and said to them, Why do you lodge around the wall? If you do this again, I will lay hands on you. From that time forth they came no more on The Shabbat.

22 And I commanded the Lewiym that they should cleanse themselves and that they should come and guard the gates, to set apart The Shabbat yom. Remember me, O my Ahlohim, concerning this also and pardon me according to the greatness of Your rachamim.

23 In those yamim also I saw Yahudim that had married wives of Ashdod, of Ammon and of Moav:

24 And their children spoke half in the speech of Ashdod and could not speak in the Yahudim’s language, but according to the language of each people.

25 And I contended with them and cursed them and smote certain of them and plucked off their hair and made them swear by Ahlohim, saying, You shall not give your daughters to their sons, nor take their daughters to your sons, nor for yourselves.

26 Did not Shlomo melech of Yisrael sin by these same things? Yet among many goyim was there no melech like him, who was beloved by his Ahlohim and Ahlohim made him melech over kol Yisrael: nevertheless outlandish women caused even him to sin.

27 Shall we then listen to you to do all this great evil, to transgress against our Ahlohim in marrying strange wives?

28 And one of the sons of Yoyada, the son of Eli-Ashiv the Kohen HaGadol, was son-in-law to Sanballat the Horonite: therefore I chased him from me.

29 Remember them, O my Ahlohim because they have defiled the order of the kohanim and the brit of the office of the kohanim and of the Lewiym.

30 And so I cleansed them from all gerim and appointed the duties of the kohanim and the Lewiym, everyone in his own work;

31 And for the wood offering, at moadeem and for the bikkurim. Remember me, O my Ahlohim, for tov! X

NEHEMIAH

• 1:1 Medo-Persia.

• 1:3 Judah.

• 1:6 Prayer for all 12 tribes.

• 1:8 Known as the exile.

• 1:9 All Israel’s prophets knew the importance of the Name.

• 1:11 All Israel needs this desire.

• 2:1 Notice the usage of the Babylonian names of chodashem that do not appear in Scripture until the 70 years that Judah spent in Babylon. The Scripture accurately records this transition into pagan names of chodashem, but nowhere gives approval to it. Yisraelites should do their very best to refrain from using them and should stick to the numbering system designated for chodashem in the Torah.

• 2:10 When one carries a true burden for all Israel’s restoration, he will not be received well and the opponents will be many.

• 2:19 Those who try and rebuild Israel with King Messiah’s blessings can always count on being mocked and scorned.

• 4:2 Those Samaritans that were colonized by the Assyrians. Here they mock Judah in another classic two-house battle of hate and bitterness.

• 4:7 Just like all those who don’t want to see Dawid’s Tabernacle being rebuilt because they are building their own version of Israel.

• 4:7 The message of restoration will often bring out fierce anger.

• 4:17 A true description of the two-house fight to rebuild. A sword along with hard labor.

• 5:8 Nehemiah 5:8 has nothing at all to do with proving that all twelve tribes returned as some claim. If anything, it proves that only Jews returned. The issue here is Nehemiah’s wrath at fellow Jews violating Torah by subjecting other Jews to the bondage of slavery, when YAH had set all of Jewish-Israel apart from the nations, or the Babylonian pagans. Efrayim never returned from Babylonian exile because they were never in Babylon as a nation, only as individuals mixed in with Judah.

• 5:17 Many heathen joined Nehemiah and became Judah, or Jewish-Yisraelites. How about those who join Efrayim? Using equal weights and measures, one would have to surmise that they also become Israel, since there is no respecter of persons with YAH.

• 7:7 Jewish-Israel.

• 7:61 These people could not prove their Yisraelite heritage, yet were still counted by Nehemiah as Yisraelites. The same applies today. If someone dwells with and makes repentance with Israel, they must be reckoned as Israel, without any kind of formal rabbinical conversion.

• 7:64 The offspring of Barzillai were barred from the priesthood, not barred from the nation of Israel. Proving genealogy may be critical in determining eligibility to be a priest, but cannot and should not bar one from being part of both the physical and spiritual nation of Israel.

• 7:73 As seen elsewhere in Second Chronicles and such, the term “all Israel” was often qualified by the term “all Israel who were present.” The same would apply here. The total of around 50,000 returning exiles cannot be considered all of Judah (most of whom remained in Babylon), let alone the full return of Efrayim.

• 8:4 From Ezra’s example the modern bema, or raised pulpit was adopted.

• 8:12 When restored Israel understands Torah, great joy breaks out.

• 8:17 For 900 years the command to celebrate Tabernacles was violated by Judah and Efrayim. It is never too late to start.

• 9:2 Being true Israel requires full separation.

• 9:5 His Name is higher and more important than all of man’s praise and worship.

• 9:23 Israel in the ancient world was the largest nation of all. Today, they remain so as well, though camouflaged in the nations.

• 10:30 Israel in order to survive must not intermarry outside the nation. In modern understanding that would mean we cannot marry anyone not fully in love with Messiah, born-again and fully Torah-compliant.

• 11:3 In this context it is used as a generic term for the non-priestly “common people.”

• 12:47 The Nehemiah 12:47 reference is a reference to “all Israel,” with Zerubbavel in Judah (one house). The joint rebuilding of the Temple and the set apart city in an eschatological context has yet to take place! The Presence will return only when all twelve tribes are involved in the rebuilding. Because only Jewish-Israel rebuilt the Temple and city with Ezra and Nehemiah, there is no record of The Presence falling as it had under Solomon and will again in the millennium. The withholding of the Divine Presence, was a clear sign from YAH that all Israel did not return with the Babylonian exiles in 500 BCE.

• 13:19 Shabbat begins at sunrise, as the gates closed around dark for Shabbat preparation after the 6th day of the week.

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