English Standard Version ESV
The Message Bible MSG
1 "On the seals are the names of Nehemiah the governor, the son of Hacaliah, Zedekiah,
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The sealed document bore these signatures: Nehemiah the governor, son of Hacaliah,
2 Seraiah, Azariah, Jeremiah,
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Seraiah, Azariah, Jeremiah,
3 Pashhur, Amariah, Malchijah,
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Pashhur, Amariah, Malkijah,
4 Hattush, Shebaniah, Malluch,
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Hattush, Shebaniah, Malluch,
5 Harim, Meremoth, Obadiah,
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Harim, Meremoth, Obadiah,
6 Daniel, Ginnethon, Baruch,
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Daniel, Ginnethon, Baruch,
7 Meshullam, Abijah, Mijamin,
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Meshullam, Abijah, Mijamin,
8 Maaziah, Bilgai, Shemaiah; these are the priests.
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Maaziah, Bilgai, and Shemaiah. These were the priests.
9 And the Levites: Jeshua the son of Azaniah, Binnui of the sons of Henadad, Kadmiel;
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The Levites: Jeshua son of Azaniah, Binnui of the sons of Henadad, Kadmiel,
10 and their brothers, Shebaniah, Hodiah, Kelita, Pelaiah, Hanan,
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and their kinsmen: Shebaniah, Hodiah, Kelita, Pelaiah, Hanan,
11 Mica, Rehob, Hashabiah,
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Mica, Rehob, Hashabiah,
12 Zaccur, Sherebiah, Shebaniah,
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Zaccur, Sherebiah, Shebaniah,
13 Hodiah, Bani, Beninu.
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Hodiah, Bani, and Beninu.
14 The chiefs of the people: Parosh, Pahath-moab, Elam, Zattu, Bani,
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The heads of the people: Parosh, Pahath-Moab, Elam, Zattu, Bani,
15 Bunni, Azgad, Bebai,
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Bunni, Azgad, Bebai,
16 Adonijah, Bigvai, Adin,
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Adonijah, Bigvai, Adin,
17 Ater, Hezekiah, Azzur,
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Ater, Hezekiah, Azzur,
18 Hodiah, Hashum, Bezai,
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Hodiah, Hashum, Bezai,
19 Hariph, Anathoth, Nebai,
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Hariph, Anathoth, Nebai,
20 Magpiash, Meshullam, Hezir,
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Magpiash, Meshullam, Hezir,
21 Meshezabel, Zadok, Jaddua,
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Meshezabel, Zadok, Jaddua,
22 Pelatiah, Hanan, Anaiah,
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Pelatiah, Hanan, Anaiah,
23 Hoshea, Hananiah, Hasshub,
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Hoshea, Hananiah, Hasshub,
24 Hallohesh, Pilha, Shobek,
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Hallohesh, Pilha, Shobek,
25 Rehum, Hashabnah, Maaseiah,
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Rehum, Hashabnah, Maaseiah,
26 Ahiah, Hanan, Anan,
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Ahiah, Hanan, Anan,
27 Malluch, Harim, Baanah.
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Malluch, Harim, and Baanah.
28 "The rest of the people, the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, the temple servants, and all who have separated themselves from the peoples of the lands to the Law of God, their wives, their sons, their daughters, all who have knowledge and understanding,
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The rest of the people, priests, Levites, security guards, singers, Temple staff, and all who separated themselves from the foreign neighbors to keep The Revelation of God, together with their wives, sons, daughters - everyone old enough to understand
29 join with their brothers, their nobles, and enter into a curse and an oath to walk in God's Law that was given by Moses the servant of God, and to observe and do all the commandments of the LORD our Lord and his rules and his statutes.
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- all joined their noble kinsmen in a binding oath to follow The Revelation of God given through Moses the servant of God, to keep and carry out all the commandments of God our Master, all his decisions and standards.
30 We will not give our daughters to the peoples of the land or take their daughters for our sons.
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Thus: We will not marry our daughters to our foreign neighbors nor let our sons marry their daughters.
31 And if the peoples of the land bring in goods or any grain on the Sabbath day to sell, we will not buy from them on the Sabbath or on a holy day. And we will forego the crops of the seventh year and the exaction of every debt.
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When the foreign neighbors bring goods or grain to sell on the Sabbath we won't trade with them - not on the Sabbath or any other holy day. Every seventh year we will leave the land fallow and cancel all debts.
32 "We also take on ourselves the obligation to give yearly a third part of a shekel for the service of the house of our God:
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We accept the responsibility for paying an annual tax of one-third of a shekel (about an eighth ounce) for providing The Temple of our God with
33 for the showbread, the regular grain offering, the regular burnt offering, the Sabbaths, the new moons, the appointed feasts, the holy things, and the sin offerings to make atonement for Israel, and for all the work of the house of our God.
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read for the Table regular Grain-Offerings regular Whole-Burnt-Offerings offerings for the Sabbaths, New Moons, and appointed feasts Dedication-Offerings Absolution-Offerings to atone for Israel maintenance of The Temple of our God.
34 We, the priests, the Levites, and the people, have likewise cast lots for the wood offering, to bring it into the house of our God, according to our fathers' houses, at times appointed, year by year, to burn on the altar of the LORD our God, as it is written in the Law.
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We - priests, Levites, and the people - have cast lots to see when each of our families will bring wood for burning on the Altar of our God, following the yearly schedule set down in The Revelation.
35 We obligate ourselves to bring the firstfruits of our ground and the firstfruits of all fruit of every tree, year by year, to the house of the LORD;
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We take responsibility for delivering annually to The Temple of God the firstfruits of our crops and our orchards,
36 also to bring to the house of our God, to the priests who minister in the house of our God, the firstborn of our sons and of our cattle, as it is written in the Law, and the firstborn of our herds and of our flocks;
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our firstborn sons and cattle, and the firstborn from our herds and flocks for the priests who serve in The Temple of our God - just as it is set down in The Revelation.
37 and to bring the first of our dough, and our contributions, the fruit of every tree, the wine and the oil, to the priests, to the chambers of the house of our God; and to bring to the Levites the tithes from our ground, for it is the Levites who collect the tithes in all our towns where we labor.
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We will bring the best of our grain, of our contributions, of the fruit of every tree, of wine, and of oil to the priests in the storerooms of The Temple of our God.
38 And the priest, the son of Aaron, shall be with the Levites when the Levites receive the tithes. And the Levites shall bring up the tithe of the tithes to the house of our God, to the chambers of the storehouse.
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We'll see to it that a priest descended from Aaron will supervise the Levites as they collect the tithes and make sure that they take a tenth of the tithes to the treasury in The Temple of our God.
39 For the people of Israel and the sons of Levi shall bring the contribution of grain, wine, and oil to the chambers, where the vessels of the sanctuary are, as well as the priests who minister, and the gatekeepers and the singers. We will not neglect the house of our God."
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We'll see to it that the People of Israel and Levites bring the grain, wine, and oil to the storage rooms where the vessels of the Sanctuary are kept and where the priests who serve, the security guards, and the choir meet. We will not neglect The Temple of our God.
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.