Bible Reading
August 12
The World English Bible
Aug.
12
Nehemiah
12, 13
Neh
12:1 Now these are the priests and the Levites who went up with
Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua: Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra,
Neh
12:2 Amariah, Malluch, Hattush,
Neh
12:3 Shecaniah, Rehum, Meremoth,
Neh
12:4 Iddo, Ginnethoi, Abijah,
Neh
12:5 Mijamin, Maadiah, Bilgah,
Neh
12:6 Shemaiah, and Joiarib, Jedaiah.
Neh
12:7 Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, Jedaiah. These were the chiefs of the
priests and of their brothers in the days of Jeshua.
Neh
12:8 Moreover the Levites: Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah,
Judah, and
Mattaniah, who was over the thanksgiving, he and his brothers.
Neh
12:9 Also Bakbukiah and Unno, their brothers, were over against them
according to their offices.
Neh
12:10 Jeshua became the father of Joiakim, and Joiakim became the
father of Eliashib, and Eliashib became the father of Joiada,
Neh
12:11 and Joiada became the father of Jonathan, and Jonathan became
the father of Jaddua.
Neh
12:12 In the days of Joiakim were priests, heads of fathers' houses:
of Seraiah, Meraiah; of Jeremiah, Hananiah;
Neh
12:13 of Ezra, Meshullam; of Amariah, Jehohanan;
Neh
12:14 of Malluchi, Jonathan; of Shebaniah, Joseph;
Neh
12:15 of Harim, Adna; of Meraioth, Helkai;
Neh
12:16 of Iddo, Zechariah; of Ginnethon, Meshullam;
Neh
12:17 of Abijah, Zichri; of Miniamin, of Moadiah, Piltai;
Neh
12:18 of Bilgah, Shammua; of Shemaiah, Jehonathan;
Neh
12:19 and of Joiarib, Mattenai; of Jedaiah, Uzzi;
Neh
12:20 of Sallai, Kallai; of Amok, Eber;
Neh
12:21 of Hilkiah, Hashabiah; of Jedaiah, Nethanel.
Neh
12:22 As for the Levites, in the days of Eliashib, Joiada, and
Johanan, and Jaddua, there were recorded the heads of fathers'
houses;
also the priests, in the reign of Darius the Persian.
Neh
12:23 The sons of Levi, heads of fathers' houses,
were written in the book of the chronicles, even until the days of
Johanan the son of Eliashib.
Neh
12:24 The chiefs of the Levites: Hashabiah, Sherebiah, and Jeshua
the son of Kadmiel, with their brothers over against them, to praise
and give thanks, according to the commandment of David the man of
God, watch next to watch.
Neh
12:25 Mattaniah, and Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon, Akkub,
were porters keeping the watch at the storehouses of the gates.
Neh
12:26 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.
Neh
12:27 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 giving thanks, and with
singing, with cymbals, stringed instruments, and with harps.
Neh
12:28 The sons of the singers gathered themselves together, both out
of the plain around Jerusalem, and from the villages of the
Netophathites;
Neh
12:29 also from Beth Gilgal, and out of the fields of Geba and
Azmaveth: for the singers had built them villages around Jerusalem.
Neh
12:30 The priests and the Levites purified themselves; and they
purified the people, and the gates, and the wall.
Neh
12:31 Then I brought up the princes of Judah on the wall, and
appointed two great companies who gave thanks and went in procession.
One went on
the right hand on the wall toward the dung gate;
Neh
12:32 and after them went Hoshaiah, and half of the princes of
Judah,
Neh
12:33 and Azariah, Ezra, and Meshullam,
Neh
12:34 Judah, and Benjamin, and Shemaiah, and Jeremiah,
Neh
12:35 and certain of the priests' sons with trumpets: Zechariah the
son of Jonathan, the son of Shemaiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son
of Micaiah, the son of Zaccur, the son of Asaph;
Neh
12:36 and his brothers, Shemaiah, and Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai,
Maai, Nethanel, and Judah, Hanani, with the musical instruments of
David the man of God; and Ezra the scribe was before them.
Neh
12:37 By the spring gate, and straight before them, they went up by
the stairs of the city of David, at the ascent of the wall, above the
house of David, even to the water gate eastward.
Neh
12:38 The other company of those who gave thanks went to meet them,
and I after them, with the half of the people, on the wall, above the
tower of the furnaces, even to the broad wall,
Neh
12:39 and above the gate of Ephraim, and by the old gate, and by the
fish gate, and the tower of Hananel, and the tower of Hammeah, even
to the sheep gate: and they stood still in the gate of the guard.
Neh
12:40 So stood the two companies of those who gave thanks in the
house of God, and I, and the half of the rulers with me;
Neh
12:41 and the priests, Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah,
Elioenai, Zechariah, and Hananiah, with trumpets;
Neh
12:42 and Maaseiah, and Shemaiah, and Eleazar, and Uzzi, and
Jehohanan, and Malchijah, and Elam, and Ezer. The singers sang loud,
with Jezrahiah their overseer.
Neh
12:43 They offered great sacrifices that day, and rejoiced; for God
had made them rejoice with great joy; and the women also and the
children rejoiced: so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard even afar
off.
Neh
12:44 On that day were men appointed over the chambers for the
treasures, for the wave offerings, for the first fruits, and for the
tithes, to gather into them, according to the fields of the cities,
the portions appointed by the law for the priests and Levites: for
Judah rejoiced for the priests and for the Levites who waited.
Neh
12:45 They performed the duty of their God, and the duty of the
purification, and so did
the singers and the porters, according to the commandment of David,
and of Solomon his son.
Neh
12:46 For in the days of David and Asaph of old there was a chief of
the singers, and songs of praise and thanksgiving to God.
Neh
12:47 All Israel in the days of Zerubbabel, and in the days of
Nehemiah, gave the portions of the singers and the porters, as every
day required: and they set apart that
which was for the Levites; and the
Levites set apart that which was
for the sons of Aaron.
Neh
13:1 On that day they read in the book of Moses in the audience of
the people; and therein was found written, that an Ammonite and a
Moabite should not enter into the assembly of God forever,
Neh
13:2 because they didn't meet the children of Israel with bread and
with water, but hired Balaam against them, to curse them: however our
God turned the curse into a blessing.
Neh
13:3 It came to pass, when they had heard the law, that they
separated from Israel all the mixed multitude.
Neh
13:4 Now before this, Eliashib the priest, who was appointed over
the chambers of the house of our God, being allied to Tobiah,
Neh
13:5 had prepared for him a great chamber, where before they laid
the meal offerings, the frankincense, and the vessels, and the tithes
of the grain, the new wine, and the oil, which were given by
commandment to the Levites, and the singers, and the porters; and the
wave offerings for the priests.
Neh
13:6 But in all this time
I was not at Jerusalem; for in the two and thirtieth year of
Artaxerxes king of Babylon I went to the king: and after certain days
asked I leave of the king,
Neh
13:7 and I came to Jerusalem, and understood the evil that Eliashib
had done for Tobiah, in preparing him a chamber in the courts of the
house of God.
Neh
13:8 It grieved me sore: therefore I cast forth all the household
stuff of Tobiah out of the chamber.
Neh
13:9 Then I commanded, and they cleansed the chambers: and there
brought I again the vessels of the house of God, with the meal
offerings and the frankincense.
Neh
13:10 I perceived that the portions of the Levites had not been
given them; so that the Levites and the singers, who did the work,
had fled everyone to his field.
Neh
13:11 Then contended I with the rulers, and said, Why is the house
of God forsaken? I gathered them together, and set them in their
place.
Neh
13:12 Then brought all Judah the tithe of the grain and the new wine
and the oil to the treasuries.
Neh
13:13 I made treasurers over the treasuries, Shelemiah the priest,
and Zadok the scribe, and of the Levites, Pedaiah: and next to them
was Hanan the son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah; for they were
counted faithful, and their business was to distribute to their
brothers.
Neh
13:14 Remember me, my God, concerning this, and don't wipe out my
good deeds that I have done for the house of my God, and for its
observances.
Neh
13:15 In those days saw I in Judah some men treading winepresses on
the Sabbath, and bringing in sheaves, and loading donkeys therewith;
as also wine, grapes, and figs, and all manner of burdens, which they
brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day: and I testified against
them in the day in which they sold food.
Neh
13:16 There lived men of Tyre also therein, who brought in fish, and
all manner of wares, and sold on the Sabbath to the children of
Judah, and in Jerusalem.
Neh
13:17 Then I contended with the nobles of Judah, and said to them,
What evil thing is this that you do, and profane the Sabbath day?
Neh
13:18 Didn't your fathers do thus, and did not our God bring all
this evil on us, and on this city? yet you bring more wrath on Israel
by profaning the Sabbath.
Neh
13:19 It came to pass that, when the gates of Jerusalem began to be
dark before the Sabbath, I commanded that the doors should be shut,
and commanded that they should not be opened until after the Sabbath.
I set some of my servants over the gates, that no burden should be
brought in on the Sabbath day.
Neh
13:20 So the merchants and sellers of all kinds of wares lodged
outside of Jerusalem once or twice.
Neh
13:21 Then I testified against them, and said to them, Why do you
stay around the wall? if you do so again, I will lay hands on you.
From that time forth came they no more on the Sabbath.
Neh
13:22 I commanded the Levites that they should purify themselves,
and that they should come and keep the gates, to sanctify the Sabbath
day. Remember to me, my God, this also, and spare me according to the
greatness of your loving kindness.
Neh
13:23 In those days also saw I the Jews who had married women of
Ashdod, of Ammon, and
of Moab:
Neh
13:24 and their children spoke half in the speech of Ashdod, and
could not speak in the Jews' language, but according to the language
of each people.
Neh
13:25 I contended with them, and cursed them, and struck certain of
them, and plucked off their hair, and made them swear by God, saying,
You shall not give your daughters to their sons, nor take their
daughters for your sons, or for yourselves.
Neh
13:26 Did not Solomon king of Israel sin by these things? yet among
many nations was there no king like him, and he was beloved of his
God, and God made him king over all Israel: nevertheless even him did
foreign women cause to sin.
Neh
13:27 Shall we then listen to you to do all this great evil, to
trespass against our God in marrying foreign women?
Neh
13:28 One of the sons of Joiada, the son of Eliashib the high
priest, was son-in-law to Sanballat the Horonite: therefore I chased
him from me.
Neh
13:29 Remember them, my God, because they have defiled the
priesthood, and the covenant of the priesthood, and of the Levites.
Neh
13:30 Thus cleansed I them from all foreigners, and appointed duties
for the priests and for the Levites, everyone in his work;
Neh
13:31 and for the wood offering, at times appointed, and for the
first fruits. Remember me, my God, for good.
