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And the residue of Israel, of the priests, [and] the Levites, [were] in all the cities of Judah, every one in his inheritance. 21 But the Nethinims dwelt in Ophel: and Ziha and Gispa 22 [were] over the Nethinims. The overseer also of the Levites at Jerusalem [was] Uzzi the son of Bani, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Micha. Of the sons of Asaph, 23 the singers [were] over the business of the house of God. For [it was] the king's commandment concerning them, that a cer24 tain portion should be for the singers, due for every day. And Pethahiah the son of Meshezabeel, of the children of Zerah the son of Judah [was] at the king's hand in all matters con25 cerning the people. And for the villages, with their fields, [some] of the children of Judah dwelt at Kirjatharba, and [in] the villages thereof, and at Dibon, and [in] the villages thereof, 26 and at Jekabzeel, and [in] the villages thereof, And at Jeshua, 27 and at Moladah, and at Bethphelet, And at Hazarshual, and at 28 Beersheba, and [in] the villages thereof, And at Ziklag, and 29 at Mekonah, and [in] the villages thereof, And at Enrimmon, and 30 at Zareah, and at Jarmuth, Zanoah, Adullam, and [in] their

villages at Lachish, and the fields thereof, at Azekah, and [in] the villages thereof. And they dwelt from Beersheba unto the 31 valley of Hinnom. The children also of Benjamin from Geba

[dwelt] at Michmash, and Aija, and Bethel, and [in] their val32 33 lages, [And] at Anathoth, Nob, Ananiah, Hazor, Ramah, 34 35 Gittaim, Hadid, Zeboim, Neballat, Lod, and Ono, the valley 36 of craftsmen. And of the Levites [were] divisions [in] Judah, [and] in Benjamin.

CHAP. XII.

The priests which came up with Zerubbabel, and the succession of high priests.

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NOW

OW these [are] the priests and the Levites that went up with Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua : 2 3 Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra, Amariah, Malluch, Hattush, She4 5 chaniah, Rehum, Meremoth, Iddo, Ginnetho, Abijah, Mia67 min, Maadiah, Bilgah, Shemaiah, and Joiarib, Jedaiah, Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, Jedaiah. These [were] the chief of the priests 8 and of their brethren in the days of Jeshua. Moreover the Levites Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, [and] Mattaniah, [which was] over the thanksgiving, he and his breth9 ren. Also Bakbukiah and Unni, their brethren, [were] over against them in the watches.

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And Jeshua begat Joiakim, Joiakim also begat Eliashib, and 11 Eliashib begat Joiada, And Joiada begat Jonathan, and Jonathan 12 begat Jaddua. And in the days of Joiakim were priests, the

chief of the fathers of Seraiah, Meraiah; of Jeremiah, Ha

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-13 14 naniah; Of Ezra, Meshullam; of Amariah, Jehohanan; Of 15 Melicu, Jonathan; of Shebaniah, Joseph; Of Harim, Ad16 na; of Meraioth, Helkai; Of Iddo, Zechariah; of Ginne17 thon, Meshullam; Of Abijah, Zichri; of Miniamin, of Moa18 diah, Piltai; Of Bilgah, Shammua; of Shemaiah, Jehonathan ; 19 20 And of Joiarib, Mattenai; of Jedaiah, Uzzi; Of Sallai, Kal 21 lai; of Amok, Eber; Of Hilkiah, Hashabiah; of Jedaiah, Nethaneel.

22 The Levites in the days of Eliashib, Joiada, and Johanan, and Jaddua, [were] recorded chief of the fathers also the 23 priests to the reign of Darius the Persian. The sons of Levi, the chief of the fathers, [were] written in the book of the chron24 icles, even until the days of Johanan the son of Eliashib.

And the chief of the Levites; Hashabiah, Sherebiah, and Jeshua the son of Kadmiel, with their brethren over against them, to praise [and] to give thanks, according to the commandment of David 25 the man of God, ward over against ward. Mattaniah and Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon, Akkub, [were] porters, 26 keeping the ward at the thresholds of the gates. These [were] in the days of Joiakim the son of Jeshua, the son of Jozadak, and in the days of Nehemiah the governor, and of Ezra the priest, the scribe.

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And at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought the Levites out of all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem, to keep the dedication with gladness, both with thanksgivings, and with singing, [with] cymbals, psalteries, and with harps. 28 And the sons of the singers gathered themselves together, both out of the plain country round about Jerusalem, and from the 29 villages of Netophathi; Also from the house of Gilgal, and out

of the fields of Geba and Azmaveth: for the singers had builded 30 them villages round about Jerusalem. And the priests and the Levites purified themselves, and purified the people, and the 31 gates, and the wall. Then I brought up the princes of Judah upon the wall, and appointed two great [companies of them that gave] thanks, [whereof one] went on the right hand upon the 32 wall toward the dung gate: And after them went Hoshaiah, and 33 half of the princes of Judah, And Azariah, Ezra, and Meshullam, 34 35 Judah, and Benjamin, and Shemaiah, and Jeremiah, And [certain] of the priests' sons with trumpets; [namely,] Zechariah the son of Jonathan, the son of Shemaiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Michaiah, the son of Zaccur, the son of Asaph : 36 And his brethren, Shemaiah, and Azareel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethaneel, and Judah, Hanani, with the musical instruments of David the man of God, and Ezra the scribe before 37 them. And at the fountain gate, which was over against them, they went up by the stairs of the city of David, at the going up of the wall, above the house of David, even unto the water gate 38 eastward. And the other [company of them that gave] thanks went over against [them,] and I after them, and the half of the people upon the wall, from beyond the tower of the furnaces

39 even unto the broad wall; And from above the gate of Ephraim, and above the old gate, and above the fish gate, and the tower of Hananeel, and the tower of Meah, even unto the sheep 40 gate and they stood still in the prison gate. So stood the two [companies of them that gave] thanks in the house of God, and 41 I, and the half of the rulers with me: And the priests; Elia

kim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Michaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, [and] 42 Hananiah, with trumpets, And Maaseiah, and Shemaiah, and Eleazar, and Uzzi, and Jehohanan, and Malchijah, and Elam, and Ezer. And the singers sang loud, with Jezrahiah, [their] 43 overseer. Also that day they offered great sacrifices, and rejoiced for God had made them rejoice with great joy: the wives also and the children rejoiced; so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard even afar off.

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And at that time were some appointed over the chambers for the treasures, for the offerings, for the first fruits, and for the tithes, to gather into them out of the fields of the cities the por tions of the law for the priests and Levites: for Judah rejoiced 45 for the priests and for the Levites that waited. And both the singers and the porters kept the ward of their God, and the ward of the purification, according to the commandment of Da46 vid, [and] of Solomon his son. For in the days of David and Asaph of old [there were] chief of the singers and songs of 47 praise and thanksgiving unto God. And all Israel in the days of Zerubbabel, and in the days of Nehemiah, gave the portions of the singers and the porters, every day his portion and they sanctified [holy things] unto the Levites; and the Levites sanctified [them] unto the children of Aaron.

CHAP. XIII.

In

The three foregoing chapters consist chiefly of the names of the priests and Levites, their distribution, the provisions made for them, and their procession in dedicating the new built wall. this chapter we have an account of the abuses that had crept in among the Jews during Nehemiah's absence, and his zealous res dress of them..

ON that day, some festival or sabbath day, when the law

was read, they read in the book of Moses in the audi ence of the people; and therein was found written, that the Ammonite and the Moabite should not come into the congregation of God for ever; they should not be incorporated with the people; they might worship the God of Israel, and bring sa2 crifice, but not intermarry with the Israelites; Because they met not the children of Israel with bread and with water, but hired Balaam against them, that he should curse them : 3 howbeit our God turned the curse into a blessing, Now it

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came to pass, when they had heard the law, that they separat ed from Israel all the mixed multitude, all who were born of strangers.

And before this separation was made, Eliashib the priest, having the oversight of the chamber of the house of our God, [was] allied unto Tobiah, an Ammonite, and an enemy to God's 5 people: And he had prepared for him a great chamber, had taken down the partitions between several smaller chambers, where aforetime they laid the meat offerings, the frankincense, and the vessels, and the tithes of the corn, the new wine, and the oil, which was commanded [to be given] to the Levites, and the singers, and the porters; and the offerings of the priests. • But in all this [time] was not I at Jerusalem, or he durst not have made it for in the two and thirtieth year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon came I unto the king, and after certain days, 7 probably about five years, obtained I leave of the king; And hearing of this evil, I came to Jerusalem, and understood of the evil that Eliashib did for Tobiah, in preparing him a chamber 8 in the courts of the house of God. And it grieved me sore, that such a man should be permitted to lodge in the temple, and that by the high priest: therefore I cast forth all the household 9 stuff of Tobiah out of the chamber. Then I commanded, and they cleansed the chambers; sprinkled the chambers with the waters of purification as appointed in the law and thither brought I again the vessels of the house of God, with the meat offering and the frankincense, its old and proper furniture.

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And I perceived that the portions of the Levites had not been given [them] either the people did not pay the Levites their portion, or it had been applied by the high priest and his relations to some other purposes: for the Levites and the singers, that did the work, were fled every one to his field, to their own 11 estates in the country, to get their living there. Then contended I with the rulers; earnestly expostulated with them and reproved them, and said, Why is the house of God forsaken? And I gathered them, the Levites, together, and set them in their 12 place; restored them to the exercise of their office. Then brought all Judah the tithe of the corn and the new wine and the oil unto the treasuries; they brought cheerfully when they saw 13 they would be applied as the law directed. And I made treasurers over the treasuries, Shelemiah the priest, and Zadok the scribe, and of the Levites, Pedaiah; trusty persons, in the room of those who had not been faithful: and next to them [was] Hanan the son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah: for they were counted faithful, and their office [was] to distribute unto their bre14 thren. Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and wipe not out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God, and for the offices thereof; graciously receive my sincere endeavours for thy honour and service, and deal with me accordingly.

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In those days saw I in Judah [some] treading wine presses on the sabbath, and bringing in sheaves, and lading asses; as also wine, grapes, and figs, and all [manner of] burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem on the sabbath day, contrary to the law; and I testified (against them] in the day where16 in they sold victuals. There dwelt men of Tyre also therein, which brought fish and all manner of ware, and sold on the 17 sabbath unto the children of Judah, and in Jerusalem. Then I contended with the nobles of Judah, because they connived at this, else the people durst not have been guilty of it, and said unto them, What evil thing [is] this that ye do, and profane the 18 sabbath day? Did not your fathers thus, and did not our God bring all this evil upon us, and upon this city? yet ye bring more wrath upon Israel by profaning the sabbath; was not this one of the crimes for which they were carried captive? therefore it is aggravated guilt, and exposes us to greater punishment. 19 And it came to pass, that when the gates of Jerusalem began to be dark before the sabbath, I commanded that the gates should be shut, allowing none to pass but those who came to worship, and charged that they should not be opened till after the sabbath and [some] of my servants, on whose fidelity I could depend, set I at the gates, [that] there should no burden be 20 brought in on the sabbath day. So the merchants and sel

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lers of all kind of ware lodged without Jerusalem once or twice, 21 and exposed their ware in the fields. Then I testified against them, and said unto them, Why lodge ye about the wall? if ye do [so] again, I will lay hands on you. From that time 22 forth came they no [more] on the sabbath. And I commanded the Levites that they should cleanse themselves, and [that] they should come [and] keep the gates, to sanctify the sabbath day, because the people would pay more regard to them. Remember me, O my God, [concerning] this also, and spare me according to the greatness of thy mercy; in this he pleads no merit, but only for sparing and pardoning mercy.

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In those days also saw I Jews [that] had married wives of Ashdod, of Ammon, [and] of Moab, notwithstanding their solemn 24 engagements and covenant: And their children spake half in the speech of Ashdod, and could not speak in the Jews' language, but according to the language of each people; the children be25 ing mostly with their mothers had learned their language. And I contended with them,reproved them sharply, and cursed them, denounced the curses of God's law against them, and smote certain of them, and plucked off their hair; ordered some of the chief and most audacious of them to be whipped, and their hair to be cut off, which was a token of great infamy among the castern nations, and made them swear by God, [saying,] Ye shall not give your daughters unto their sons, nor take their daughters unto your sons, or for yourselves; he took a solemn oath of them that they 26 should put away their wives. Did not Solomon king of Israel sin by these things? yet among many nations was there no king

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