Nehemiah 10; Nehemiah 11; Acts 4:1-22

1 Upon the seals are the names of Governor Nehemiah, Hacaliah's son, and Zedekiah;

2 Seraiah, Azariah, Jeremiah,

3 Pashhur, Amariah, Malchijah,

4 Hattush, Shebaniah, Malluch,

5 Harim, Meremoth, Obadiah,

6 Daniel, Ginnethon, Baruch,

7 Meshullam, Abijah, Mijamin,

8 Maaziah, Bilgai, Shemaiah; these are the priests.

9 The Levites: Jeshua, Azaniah's son; Binnui of the descendants of Henadad; Kadmiel;

10 and their associates: Shebaniah, Hodiah, Kelita, Pelaiah, Hanan,

11 Mica, Rehob, Hashabiah,

12 Zaccur, Sherebiah, Shebaniah,

13 Hodiah, Bani, Beninu.

14 The leaders of the people: Parosh, Pahath-moab, Elam, Zattu, Bani,

15 Bunni, Azgad, Bebai,

16 Adonijah, Bigvai, Adin,

17 Ater, Hezekiah, Azzur,

18 Hodiah, Hashum, Bezai,

19 Hariph, Anathoth, Nebai,

20 Magpiash, Meshullam, Hezir,

21 Meshezabel, Zadok, Jaddua,

22 Pelatiah, Hanan, Anaiah,

23 Hoshea, Hananiah, Hasshub,

24 Hallohesh, Pilha, Shobek,

25 Rehum, Hashabnah, Maaseiah,

26 Ahiah, Hanan, Anan,

27 Malluch, Harim, 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 neighboring peoples to follow the Instruction from God, together with their wives, their sons, their daughters, and all who have knowledge and understanding.

29 They join with their officials and relatives, and make a solemn pledge to live by God's Instruction, which was given by Moses, God's servant, and to observe faithfully all the commandments, judgments, and statutes of our LORD God.

30 We won't give our daughters in marriage to the neighboring peoples, nor take their daughters in marriage for our sons.

31 If the neighboring peoples bring merchandise or any grain to sell on the Sabbath, we won't buy it from them on the Sabbath or on any holy day. Every seventh year we won't plant crops, and we will return anything held in debt.

32 We pledge ourselves to keep the commandment and pay one-third of a shekel each year for the service of our God's house,

33 for the stacks of bread and the regular grain offering and the regular entirely burned offering, for the sabbaths and the new moons and the appointed festivals, for the holy offerings and the purification offerings to make reconcilation for Israel, and for all the work of our God's house.

34 We have also cast lots among the priests, the Levites, and the people so that we bring the wood offering into our God's house by families at the appointed times every year, to burn on the altar of the LORD our God, as it is written in the Instruction.

35 We will also bring the early produce of our soil and the early fruit from all trees every year to the LORD's house.

36 We will also bring the oldest offspring of our children and our cattle, as it is written in the Instruction, and the oldest males of our herds and flocks to our God's house, to the priests who serve in our God's house.

37 We will also bring the first of our dough, our contributions, the fruit of every tree, the wine, and the oil to the priests at the storerooms of our God's house. We will also bring one-tenth of the produce of our soil to the Levites, for it is the Levites who collect the tenth-part gifts in all the towns where we work.

38 A priest from the family of Aaron must be with the Levites when they collect the tenth-part gifts. Then the Levites must bring up one-tenth of the tenth-part gifts to our God's house, to the storerooms of the treasury.

39 The Israelites and the Levites must bring the contribution of grain, wine, and oil to the storerooms where the sanctuary equipment is kept, and where the priests on duty, the gatekeepers, and the singers reside. We won't neglect our God's house!

1 The leaders of the people lived in Jerusalem. The rest of the people cast lots to bring one out of ten to live in the holy city of Jerusalem, while the remaining nine stayed in the other towns.

2 The people blessed those who agreed to live in Jerusalem.

3 These are the leaders of the province who lived in Jerusalem; while the Israelites, the priests, the Levites, the temple servants, and the descendants of Solomon's servants lived in the towns of Judah on their own property in their towns.

4 Some of the descendants of Judah and Benjamin settled in Jerusalem. From the family of Judah: Athaiah son of Uzziah son of Zechariah son of Amariah son of Shephatiah son of Mahalalel of the family of Perez;

5 and Maaseiah son of Baruch son of Col-hozeh son of Hazaiah son of Adaiah son of Joiarib son of Zechariah son of the Shilonite.

6 All of the family of Perez who lived in Jerusalem totaled 468 courageous people.

7 From the family of Benjamin: Sallu son of Meshullam son of Joed son of Pedaiah son of Kolaiah son of Maaseiah son of Ithiel son of Jeshaiah.

8 And after him were Gabbai and Sallai: 928.

9 Joel son of Zichri was their supervisor, and Judah son of Hassenuah was second in charge of the city.

10 Of the priests: Jedaiah son of Joiarib, Jachin,

11 Seraiah son of Hilkiah son of Meshullam son of Zadok son of Meraioth son of Ahitub the officer of God's house,

12 and their associates who carried out the work in the temple: 822. There was also Adaiah son of Jeroham son of Pelaliah son of Amzi son of Zechariah son of Pashhur son of Malchijah,

13 and his associates, heads of families: 242. There was also Amashsai son of Azarel son of Ahzai son of Meshillemoth son of Immer

14 and their associates, for a total of 128 courageous people. Their supervisor was Zabdiel, Haggedolim's son.

15 Of the Levites: Shemaiah son of Hasshub son of Azrikam son of Hashabiah son of Bunni;

16 as well as Shabbethai and Jozabad, who were some of the leaders of the Levites in charge of the outside work on God's house;

17 also Mattaniah son of Mica son of Zabdi son of Asaph the leader who began the thanksgiving with prayer, and Bakbukiah, who was the second among his associates; and Abda son of Shammua son of Galal son of Jeduthun.

18 All the Levites in the holy city totaled 284.

19 The gatekeepers: Akkub, Talmon, and their associates who guarded the gates totaled 172.

20 The rest of Israel, the priests, and the Levites were in all the towns of Judah, each of them in their own property.

21 But the temple servants lived in Ophel, with Ziha and Gishpa in charge of them.

22 The supervisor of the Levites in Jerusalem was Uzzi son of Bani son of Hashabiah son of Mattaniah son of Mica, from the family of Asaph, who were the singers in charge of the work of God's house.

23 There was a command from the king setting out the daily requirements of the singers.

24 Advising the king in all matters concerning the people was Pethahiah, Meshezabel's son, from the family of Zerah, Judah's son.

25 As for the villages with their fields, some of the people of Judah lived in Kiriath-arba and its villages, in Dibon and its villages, in Jekabzeel and its villages,

26 in Jeshua, in Moladah and Beth-pelet,

27 in Hazar-shual, in Beer-sheba and its villages,

28 in Ziklag, in Meconah and its villages,

29 in En-rimmon, Zorah, Jarmuth,

30 Zanoah, Adullam, and their villages, Lachish and its fields, and Azekah and its villages. So they settled from Beer-sheba to the Hinnom Valley.

31 The people of Benjamin also lived from beyond Geba, at Michmash, Aija, Bethel and its villages,

32 Anathoth, Nob, Ananiah,

33 Hazor, Ramah, Gittaim,

34 Hadid, Zeboim, Neballat,

35 Lod, and Ono, the valley of artisans.

36 Some divisions of the Levites in Judah were joined to Benjamin.

1 While Peter and John were speaking to the people, the priests, the captain of the temple guard, and the Sadducees confronted them.

2 They were incensed that the apostles were teaching the people and announcing that the resurrection of the dead was happening because of Jesus.

3 They seized Peter and John and put them in prison until the next day. (It was already evening.)

4 Many who heard the word became believers, and their number grew to about five thousand.

5 The next day the leaders, elders, and legal experts gathered in Jerusalem,

6 along with Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and others from the high priest's family.

7 They had Peter and John brought before them and asked, "By what power or in what name did you do this?"

8 Then Peter, inspired by the Holy Spirit, answered, "Leaders of the people and elders,

9 are we being examined today because something good was done for a sick person, a good deed that healed him?

10 If so, then you and all the people of Israel need to know that this man stands healthy before you because of the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene—whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead.

11 This Jesus is the stone you builders rejected; he has become the cornerstone!

12 Salvation can be found in no one else. Throughout the whole world, no other name has been given among humans through which we must be saved."

13 The council was caught by surprise by the confidence with which Peter and John spoke. After all, they understood that these apostles were uneducated and inexperienced. They also recognized that they had been followers of Jesus.

14 However, since the healed man was standing with Peter and John before their own eyes, they had no rebuttal.

15 After ordering them to wait outside, the council members began to confer with each other.

16 "What should we do with these men? Everyone living in Jerusalem is aware of the sign performed through them. It's obvious to everyone and we can't deny it.

17 To keep it from spreading further among the people, we need to warn them not to speak to anyone in this name."

18 When they called Peter and John back, they demanded that they stop all speaking and teaching in the name of Jesus.

19 Peter and John responded, "It's up to you to determine whether it's right before God to obey you rather than God.

20 As for us, we can't stop speaking about what we have seen and heard."

21 They threatened them further, then released them. Because of public support for Peter and John, they couldn't find a way to punish them. Everyone was praising God for what had happened,

22 because the man who had experienced this sign of healing was over 40 years old.