1 NOW those who took an oath and sealed it were: Nehemiah, the elder, the son of Hananiah, the high priest, and Zerahiah,

2 Seraiah, Azariah, Jeremiah,

3 Pashur, Amariah, Malchijah, Shepatiah,

4 Hattush, Shecaniah, Malluch,

5 Shakum, Azmoth, Ebariah,

6 Daniel, Gebiton, Baruch,

7 Meshullam, Abijah, Benjamin,

8 Maasiah, Bilgai, Shemaiah; these were the priests.

9 And the Levites: Joshua the son of Azaniah, Bani, Mabnai, Hadar, and Kadmiah;

10 And their brethren: Shecaniah, Urijah, Kelatiah, Pelatiah, Hanan,

11 Micha, Rehob, Hashabiah,

12 Zaccur, Sherebiah, Shecaniah,

13 Hodijah, the son of Bani.

14 The chiefs of the people: Parosh, Shalit-moab, Elam, the Zetites.

15 The sons of Azgar, the sons of Adonijah,

16 Bigvai and Adon,

17 Ater, Hezekiah, Azzur,

18 Urijah, Hashum, Bezai,

19 Hoziph, Anathoth, Nebai,

20 Mephgnish, Meshallum, Aziphi,

21 Meshezapael, Zadok, Jehoiadah,

22 Pelatiah, Hanan, Anaiah,

23 Hoshea, Hananiah, Joshua,

24 Hallosh, Pileha, Shobek,

25 Arhum, Hoshabiah, Maasiah,

26 And Ahijah, Hanan, Anan,

27 Malluch, Haram, Baanah.

28 And the rest of the people, the priests, the Levites, the porters, the singers, the servants, and all those who had separated themselves from the people of the lands to return to the law of the LORD, both they and their wives, their sons and their daughters and every one having knowledge and understanding.

29 Strengthened their brethren, their neighbors, taking oaths and making a covenant to walk in the LORD'S law which he gave by Moses the servant of God, and to observe and do all the commandments of the LORD our LORD and his judgments and his statutes;

30 And that we would not give our daughters to the people of the land nor take their daughters for our sons;

31 And if the people of the land should bring wares or provisions on the sabbath day to sell, we would not buy it of them, and whosoever should engage his animal in service on the sabbath day, he would not receive hire, nor should he carry a burden on the sabbath day because it is holy; and in the seventh year we would forego all debts due to us.

32 We also confirmed upon ourselves the ordinances, to give the third part of a shekel on the sabbath for the work of the house of our God;

33 For the shewbread and for the continual meal offering and for the continual burnt offering of the sabbaths, the new moons, the feasts, and the holy things, and. for the sin offerings to make an atonement for Israel and for all the work of the house of our God.

34 And they cast lots among the priests, the Levites, and the people, for the wood offering, to bring it into the house of the LORD our God, as it is written in the book of law;

35 And to bring the first fruits of our ground and the first fruits of all fruit of the trees, year by year, to the house of the LORD;

36 Also the first-born of our sons and of our cattle, as it is written in the law of the LORD, and the firstlings of our herds and of our flocks, to bring to the house of our God, to the priests who minister in the house of our God;

37 And to give the first fruits of our dough, our threshing floors, and the fruit of all manner of trees, of wine and of oil, to the priests who minister before our God; and the tithes of our ground to the Levites, that the same Levites might take the tithes from all the country towns.

38 And the priest the son of Aaron shall be included with the Levites in the distribution of their tithes; and the Levites shall bring up the tithe of the tithes to the house of our God, to the storehouses, into the treasure house.

39 For the children of Israel and the descendants of Levi shall bring the offerings of the grain, of the wine, and the oil to the storehouses where are the vessels of the sanctuary, and the priests, the Levites, the porters, and the guards shall not forsake the house of our God.