10 These are the men who sealed the ·agreement [covenant; treaty]:
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 [colleagues; L brothers]: Shebaniah, Hodiah, Kelita, Pelaiah, Hanan, 11 Mica, Rehob, Hashabiah, 12 Zaccur, Sherebiah, Shebaniah, 13 Hodiah, Bani, and Beninu.
14 These are the ·leaders [officials] of the people who sealed the ·agreement [covenant]: 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 [made a vow; swore]. They were the priests, Levites, gatekeepers, singers, Temple servants, all those who separated themselves from ·foreigners [L the peoples of the lands] to keep the ·Teachings [Laws; Instructions; L Torah] of God, and also their wives and their sons and daughters who ·could [were able to; C were old enough] understand. 29 They joined their ·fellow Israelites [kinsmen] and their ·leading men [nobles] in taking an ·oath with a curse [L curse and an oath/vow; C the curse followed if they broke the oath]. They ·promised to follow [L were to walk in] the ·Teachings [Laws; Instructions; L Torah] of God, which they had been given through Moses the servant of God, and to ·obey [keep; observe] all the commands, ·rules [judgments], and ·laws [statutes; ordinances; requirements] of the Lord our God.
30 They said:
We promise not to ·let [give] our daughters ·marry foreigners [to the peoples of the land] nor to let our sons ·marry [take] their daughters. 31 When ·foreigners [L the peoples of the land] bring goods or grain to sell on the Sabbath, 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 [cancel every debt/loan; Ex. 21:2–6; 23:10–11; Deut. 15:1–2].
32 We ·will be responsible for [accept the obligation of] the commands to pay for the service of the ·Temple [L house] of our God. We will give ·an eighth of an ounce [L one third of a shekel] of silver each year. 33 It is for the ·bread that is set out on the table [Bread of Presence; T showbread; Ex. 25:30; C bread continually on a table in the Temple as an offering to God]; the regular grain [L gift; tribute] offerings [Lev. 2:1] and burnt offerings [Lev. 1:1–17]; the offerings on the Sabbaths, New Moon festivals, and ·special feasts [appointed festivals]; the ·holy [sacred] offerings; the ·sin [or purification] offerings [Lev. 4:3] to make ·Israel right with God [atonement for Israel]; and for the ·work [duties] of the ·Temple [L house] of our God.
34 We, the priests, the Levites, and the people, have ·thrown [cast] lots to decide at what time of year each family must ·bring [offer; supply] wood to the ·Temple [L house]. 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 [Laws; Instructions; L Torah].
35 We also will bring the firstfruits from our ·crops [L land] and the firstfruits of every tree to the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord each year.
36 We will bring to the ·Temple [L house] of our God our firstborn sons and cattle and the firstborn of our herds and flocks, as it is written in the ·Teachings [Laws; Instructions; L Torah; Ex. 13:1–3]. We will bring them to the priests who ·are serving [minister] in the ·Temple [L house] of our God.
37 We will bring to the priests at the storerooms of the ·Temple [L house] of our God the first of our ·ground meal [flour; or dough], our ·offerings [contributions], the fruit from all our trees, and our new wine and oil. And we will bring a ·tenth [tithe] of our ·crops [L ground] to the Levites, who will collect these things in all the rural towns where we work. 38 A priest of Aaron’s ·family [line] must be with the Levites when they receive the ·tenth of the people’s crops [tithe]. The Levites must bring a ·tenth [tithe] of ·all they receive [the tithes] to the ·Temple [L house] 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 [contributions; offerings] of grain, new wine, and oil. That is where the ·utensils [vessels] for the ·Temple [sanctuary] are kept and where the priests who are ·serving [ministering], the gatekeepers, and singers stay.
We will not ·ignore [neglect] the ·Temple [L house] of our God.