63Of the priests: the sons of Habaiah, the sons of Hakkoz, the sons of Barzillai who had married a daughter of Barzillai the Gileadite and had taken hisd name—64these searched for their genealogical records, but they could not be found, so they were disqualified for the priesthood. 65The Tirshathae ordered them not to eat of the most holy things until a priest with Urim and Thummim should appear.
66The sum of the entire community was 42,360, 67not counting their male and female servants, these being 7,337; they also had 245 male and female singers. 68f-[Their horses—736, their mules—245,]-f camels—435, asses—6,720.
69Some of the heads of the clans made donations for the work. The Tirshatha donated to the treasury: gold—1,000 drachmas, basins—50, priestly robes—530.
70Some of the heads of the clans donated to the work treasury: gold— 20,000 drachmas, and silver—2,200 minas.
71The rest of the people donated: gold—20,000 drachmas, silver— 2,000, and priestly robes—67.
72The priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, some of the people, the temple servants, and all Israel took up residence in their towns.
8 When the seventh month arrived—the Israelites being [settled] in their towns—1the entire people assembled as one man in the square before the Water Gate, and they asked Ezra the scribe to bring the scroll of the Teaching of Moses with which the LORD had charged Israel. 2On the first day of the seventh month, Ezra the priest brought the Teaching before the congregation, men and women and all who could listen with understanding. 3He read from it, facing the square before the Water Gate, from the first light until midday, to the men and the women and those who could understand; the ears of all the people were given to the scroll of the Teaching.
4Ezra the scribe stood upon a wooden tower made for the purpose, and beside him stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah at his right, and at his left Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, Meshullam. 5Ezra opened the scroll in the sight of all the people, for he was above all the people; as he opened it, all the people stood up. 6Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God, and all the people answered, “Amen, Amen,’’ with hands upraised. Then they bowed their heads and prostrated themselves before the LORD with their faces to the ground. 7Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites explained the Teaching to the people, while the people stood in their places. 8They read from the scroll of the Teaching of God, translating it and giving the sense; so they understood the reading.
9Nehemiah the Tirshatha, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who were explaining to the people said to all the people, This day is holy to the LORD your God: you must not mourn or weep,’’ for all the people were weeping as they listened to the words of the Teaching. 10He further said to them,Go, eat choice foods and drink sweet drinks and send portions to whoever has nothing prepared, for the day is holy to our Lord. Do not be sad, for your rejoicing in the LORD is the source of your strength.’’ 11The Levites were quieting the people, saying, Hush, for the day is holy; do not be sad.’’ 12Then all the people went to eat and drink and send portions and make great merriment, for they understood the things they were told. 13On the second day, the heads of the clans of all the people and the priests and Levites gathered to Ezra the scribe to study the words of the Teaching. 14They found written in the Teaching that the LORD had commanded Moses that the Israelites must dwell in booths during the festival of the seventh month, 15and that they must announce and proclaim throughout all their towns and Jerusalem as follows,Go out to the mountains and bring leafy branches of olive trees, pinea trees, myrtles, palms and [other] leafya trees to make booths, as it is written.’’ 16So the people went out and brought them, and made themselves booths on their roofs, in their courtyards, in the courtyards of the House of God, in the square of the Water Gate and in the square of the Ephraim Gate. 17The whole community that returned from the captivity made booths and dwelt in the booths—the Israelites had not done so from the days of Joshuab son of Nun to that day—and there was very great rejoicing. 18He read from the scroll of the Teaching of God each day, from the first to the last day. They celebrated the festival seven days, and there was a solemn gathering on the eighth, as prescribed.
9 On the twenty-fourth day of this month, the Israelites assembled, fasting, in sackcloth, and with earth upon them. 2Those of the stock of Israel separated themselves from all foreigners, and stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers. 3Standing in their places, they read from the scroll of the Teaching of the LORD their God for one-fourth of the day, and for another fourth they confessed and prostrated themselves before the LORD their God. 4On the raised platform of the Levites stood Jeshua and Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Chenani, and cried in a loud voice to the LORD their God. 5The Levites Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabniah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, and Pethahiah said, `Rise, bless the LORD your God who is from eternity to eternity:May Your glorious name be blessed, exalted though it is above every blessing and praise!’
6“You alone are the LORD. You made the heavens, the highesta heavens, and all their host, the earth and everything upon it, the seas and everything in them. You keep them all alive, and the host of heaven prostrate themselves before You. 7You are the LORD God, who chose Abram, who brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans and changed his name to Abraham. 8Finding his heart true to You, You made a covenant with him to give the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Jebusite, and the Girgashite—to give it to his descendants. And You kept Your word, for You are righteous. 9You took note of our fathers’ affliction in Egypt, and heard their cry at the Sea of Reeds. 10You performed signs and wonders against Pharaoh, all his servants, and all the people of his land, for You knew that they acted presumptuously toward them. You made a name for Yourself that endures to this day. 11You split the sea before them; they passed through the sea on dry land, but You threw their pursuers into the depths, like a stone into the raging waters.
12`You led them by day with a pillar of cloud, and by night with a pillar of fire, to give them light in the way they were to go. 13You came down on Mount Sinai and spoke to them from heaven; You gave them right rules and true teachings, good laws and commandments. 14You made known to them Your holy sabbath, and You ordained for them laws, commandments and Teaching, through Moses Your servant. 15You gave them bread from heaven when they were hungry, and produced water from a rock when they were thirsty. You told them to go and possess the land that You swore to give them. 16But they—our fathers— acted presumptuously; they stiffened their necks and did not obey Your commandments. 17Refusing to obey, unmindful of Your wonders that You did for them, they stiffened their necks, and in their defiance resolved to return to their slavery. But You, being a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, long-suffering and abounding in faithfulness, did not abandon them. 18Even though they made themselves a molten calf and said,This is your God who brought you out of Egypt,’ thus committing great impieties, 19You, in Your abundant compassion, did not abandon them in the wilderness. The pillar of cloud did not depart from them to lead them on the way by day, nor the pillar of fire by night to give them light in the way they were to go. 20You endowed them with Your good spirit to instruct them. You did not withhold Your manna from their mouth; You gave them water when they were thirsty. 21Forty years You sustained them in the wilderness so that they lacked nothing; their clothes did not wear out, and their feet did not swell.
22“You gave them kingdoms and peoples, and b-allotted them territory.-b They took possession of the land of Sihon, the land of the king of Heshbon, and the land of Og, king of Bashan. 23You made their children as numerous as the stars of heaven, and brought them to the land which You told their fathers to go and possess. 24The sons came and took possession of the land: You subdued the Canaanite inhabitants of the land before them; You delivered them into their power, both their kings and the peoples of the land, to do with them as they pleased. 25They captured fortified cities and rich lands; they took possession of houses filled with every good thing, of hewn cisterns, vineyards, olive trees, and fruit trees in abundance. They ate, they were filled, they grew fat; they luxuriated in Your great bounty. 26Then, defying You, they rebelled; they cast Your Teaching behind their back. They killed Your prophets who admonished them to turn them back to You; they committed great impieties.
27“You delivered them into the power of their adversaries who oppressed them. In their time of trouble they
