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

1 These are the men who sealed the agreement: Nehemiah the governor, son of Hacaliah. Zedekiah,

2 Seraiah, Azariah, Jeremiah,

3 Pashhur, Amariah, Malkijah,

4 Hattush, Shebaniah, Malluch,

5 Harim, Meremoth, Obadiah,

6 Daniel, Ginnethon, Baruch,

7 Meshullam, Abijah, Mijamin,

8 Maaziah, Bilgai, and Shemaiah. These are the priests.

9 These are the Levites who sealed it: Jeshua son of Azaniah, Binnui of the sons of Henadad, Kadmiel,

10 and their fellow Levites: Shebaniah, Hodiah, Kelita, Pelaiah, Hanan,

11 Mica, Rehob, Hashabiah,

12 Zaccur, Sherebiah, Shebaniah,

13 Hodiah, Bani, and Beninu.

14 These are the leaders of the people who sealed the agreement: 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, and Baanah.

28 The rest of the people took an oath. They were the priests, Levites, gatekeepers, singers, Temple servants, all those who separated themselves from foreigners to keep the Teachings of God, and also their wives and their sons and daughters who could understand.

29 They joined their fellow Israelites and their leading men in taking an oath, which was tied to a curse in case they broke the oath. They promised to follow the Teachings of God, which they had been given through Moses the servant of God, and to obey all the commands, rules, and laws of the Lord our God.

30 They said: We promise not to let our daughters marry foreigners nor to let our sons marry their daughters.

31 Foreigners may bring goods or grain to sell on the Sabbath, but we will not buy on the Sabbath or any holy day. Every seventh year we will not plant, and that year we will forget all that people owe us.

32 We will be responsible for the commands to pay for the service of the Temple of our God. We will give an eighth of an ounce of silver each year.

33 It is for the bread that is set out on the table; the regular grain offerings and burnt offerings; the offerings on the Sabbaths, New Moon festivals, and special feasts; the holy offerings; the offerings to remove the sins of the Israelites so they will belong to God; and for the work of the Temple of our God.

34 We, the priests, the Levites, and the people, have thrown lots to decide at what time of year each family must bring wood to the Temple. The wood is for burning on the altar of the Lord our God, and we will do this as it is written in the Teachings.

35 We also will bring the first fruits from our crops and the first fruits of every tree to the Temple each year.

36 We will bring to the Temple our firstborn sons and cattle and the firstborn of our herds and flocks, as it is written in the Teachings. We will bring them to the priests who are serving in the Temple.

37 We will bring to the priests at the storerooms of the Temple the first of our ground meal, our offerings, the fruit from all our trees, and our new wine and oil. And we will bring a tenth of our crops to the Levites, who will collect these things in all the towns where we work.

38 A priest of Aaron's family must be with the Levites when they receive the tenth of the people's crops. The Levites must bring a tenth of all they receive to the Temple of our God to put in the storerooms of the treasury.

39 The people of Israel and the Levites are to bring to the storerooms the gifts of grain, new wine, and oil. That is where the utensils for the Temple are kept and where the priests who are serving, the gatekeepers, and singers stay. We will not ignore the Temple of our God.

1 The leaders of Israel lived in Jerusalem. But the rest of the people threw lots to choose one person out of every ten to come and live in Jerusalem, the holy city. The other nine could stay in their own cities.

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

3 These are the area leaders who lived in Jerusalem. (Some people lived on their own land in the cities of Judah. These included Israelites, priests, Levites, Temple servants, and descendants of Solomon's servants.

4 Others from the families of Judah and Benjamin lived in Jerusalem.) These are the descendants of Judah who moved into Jerusalem. There was Athaiah son of Uzziah. (Uzziah was the son of Zechariah, the son of Amariah. Amariah was the son of Shephatiah, the son of Mahalalel. Mahalalel was a descendant of Perez.)

5 There was also Masseiah son of Baruch. (Baruch was the son of Col-Hozeh, the son of Hazaiah. Hazaiah was the son of Adaiah, the son of Joiarib. Joiarib was the son of Zechariah, a descendant of Shelah.)

6 All the descendants of Perez who lived in Jerusalem totaled 468 men. They were soldiers.

7 These are descendants of Benjamin who moved into Jerusalem. There was Sallu son of Meshullam. (Meshullam was the son of Joed, the son of Pedaiah. Pedaiah was the son of Kolaiah, the son of Maaseiah. Maaseiah was the son of Ithiel, the son of Jeshaiah.)

8 Following him were Gabbai and Sallai, for a total of 928 men.

9 Joel son of Zicri was appointed over them, and Judah son of Hassenuah was second in charge of the new area of the city.

10 These are the priests who moved into Jerusalem. There was Jedaiah son of Joiarib, Jakin,

11 and Seraiah son of Hilkiah, the supervisor in the Temple. (Hilkiah was the son of Meshullam, the son of Zadok. Zadok was the son of Meraioth, the son of Ahitub.)

12 And there were others with them who did the work for the Temple. All together there were 822 men. Also there was Adaiah son of Jeroham. (Jeroham was the son of Pelaliah, the son of Amzi. Amzi was the son of Zechariah, the son of Pashhur. Pashhur was the son of Malkijah.)

13 And there were family heads with him. All together there were 242 men. Also there was Amashsai son of Azarel. (Azarel was the son of Ahzai, the son of Meshillemoth. Meshillemoth was the son of Immer.)

14 And there were brave men with Amashsai. All together there were 128 men. Zabdiel son of Haggedolim was appointed over them.

15 These are the Levites who moved into Jerusalem. There was Shemaiah son of Hasshub. (Hasshub was the son of Azrikam, the son of Hashabiah. Hashabiah was the son of Bunni.)

16 And there were Shabbethai and Jozabad, two of the leaders of the Levites who were in charge of the work outside the Temple.

17 There was Mattaniah son of Mica. (Mica was the son of Zabdi, the son of Asaph.) Mattaniah was the director who led the people in thanksgiving and prayer. There was Bakbukiah, who was second in charge over his fellow Levites. And there was Abda son of Shammua. (Shammua was the son of Galal, the son of Jeduthun.)

18 All together 284 Levites lived in the holy city of Jerusalem.

19 The gatekeepers who moved into Jerusalem were Akkub, Talmon, and others with them. There was a total of 172 men who guarded the city gates.

20 The other Israelites, priests, and Levites lived on their own land in all the cities of Judah.

21 The Temple servants lived on the hill of Ophel, and Ziha and Gishpa were in charge of them.

22 Uzzi son of Bani was appointed over the Levites in Jerusalem. (Bani was the son of Hashabiah, the son of Mattaniah. Mattaniah was the son of Mica.) Uzzi was one of Asaph's descendants, who were the singers responsible for the service of the Temple.

23 The singers were under the king's orders, which regulated them day by day.

24 Pethahiah son of Meshezabel was the king's spokesman. (Meshezabel was a descendant of Zerah, the son of Judah.)

25 Some of the people of Judah lived in villages with their surrounding fields. They lived in Kiriath Arba and its surroundings, in Dibon and its surroundings, in Jekabzeel and its surroundings,

26 in Jeshua, Moladah, Beth Pelet,

27 Hazar Shual, Beersheba and its surroundings,

28 in Ziklag and Meconah and its surroundings,

29 in En Rimmon, Zorah, Jarmuth,

30 Zanoah, Adullam and their villages, in Lachish and the fields around it, and in Azekah and its surroundings. So they settled from Beersheba all the way to the Valley of Hinnom.

31 The descendants of the Benjaminites from Geba lived in Micmash, Aija, Bethel and its surroundings,

32 in Anathoth, Nob, Ananiah,

33 Hazor, Ramah, Gittaim,

34 Hadid, Zeboim, Neballat,

35 Lod, Ono, and in the Valley of the Craftsmen.

36 Some groups of the Levites from Judah settled in the land of Benjamin.

1 While Peter and John were speaking to the peo- ple, Jewish priests, the captain of the soldiers that guarded the Temple, and Sadducees came up to them.

2 They were upset because the two apostles were teaching the people and were preaching that people will rise from the dead through the power of Jesus.

3 The Jewish leaders grabbed Peter and John and put them in jail. Since it was already night, they kept them in jail until the next day.

4 But many of those who had heard Peter and John preach believed the things they said. There were now about five thousand in the group of believers.

5 The next day the Jewish rulers, the older Jewish leaders, and the teachers of the law met in Jerusalem.

6 Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, and Alexander were there, as well as everyone from the high priest's family.

7 They made Peter and John stand before them and then asked them, "By what power or authority did you do this?"

8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, "Rulers of the people and you older leaders,

9 are you questioning us about a good thing that was done to a crippled man? Are you asking us who made him well?

10 We want all of you and all the Jewish people to know that this man was made well by the power of Jesus Christ from Nazareth. You crucified him, but God raised him from the dead. This man was crippled, but he is now well and able to stand here before you because of the power of Jesus.

11 Jesus is 'the stonen that you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.'

12 Jesus is the only One who can save people. His name is the only power in the world that has been given to save people. We must be saved through him."

13 The Jewish leaders saw that Peter and John were not afraid to speak, and they understood that these men had no special training or education. So they were amazed. Then they realized that Peter and John had been with Jesus.

14 Because they saw the healed man standing there beside the two apostles, they could say nothing against them.

15 After the Jewish leaders ordered them to leave the meeting, they began to talk to each other.

16 They said, "What shall we do with these men? Everyone in Jerusalem knows they have done a great miracle, and we cannot say it is not true.

17 But to keep it from spreading among the people, we must warn them not to talk to people anymore using that name."

18 So they called Peter and John in again and told them not to speak or to teach at all in the name of Jesus.

19 But Peter and John answered them, "You decide what God would want. Should we obey you or God?

20 We cannot keep quiet. We must speak about what we have seen and heard."

21 The Jewish leaders warned the apostles again and let them go free. They could not find a way to punish them, because all the people were praising God for what had been done.

22 The man who received the miracle of healing was more than forty years old.