Nehemiah 10:1-31

10:1 On the sealed documents were the following names: ¹ 

Nehemiah the governor, son of Hacaliah, along with Zedekiah,

10:2 Seraiah, Azariah, Jeremiah,

10:3 Pashhur, Amariah, Malkijah,

10:4 Hattush, Shebaniah, Malluch,

10:5 Harim, Meremoth, Obadiah,

10:6 Daniel, Ginnethon, Baruch,

10:7 Meshullam, Abijah, Mijamin,

10:8 Maaziah, Bilgai, and Shemaiah. These were the priests.

10:9 The Levites were as follows:

Jeshua ²  son of Azaniah, Binnui of the sons of Henadad, Kadmiel.

10:10 Their colleagues ³  were as follows:

Shebaniah, Hodiah, Kelita, Pelaiah, Hanan,

10:11 Mica, Rehob, Hashabiah,

10:12 Zaccur, Sherebiah, Shebaniah,

10:13 Hodiah, Bani, and Beninu.

10:14 The leaders ⁴  of the people were as follows:

Parosh, Pahath-Moab, Elam, Zattu, Bani,

10:15 Bunni, Azgad, Bebai,

10:16 Adonijah, Bigvai, Adin,

10:17 Ater, Hezekiah, Azzur,

10:18 Hodiah, Hashum, Bezai,

10:19 Hariph, Anathoth, Nebai,

10:20 Magpiash, Meshullam, Hezir,

10:21 Meshezabel, Zadok, Jaddua,

10:22 Pelatiah, Hanan, Anaiah,

10:23 Hoshea, Hananiah, Hasshub,

10:24 Hallohesh, Pilha, Shobek,

10:25 Rehum, Hashabnah, Maaseiah,

10:26 Ahiah, Hanan, Anan,

10:27 Malluch, Harim, and Baanah.

10:28 “Now the rest of the people – the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, the temple attendants, and all those who have separated themselves from the neighboring peoples ⁵  because of the law of God, along with their wives, their sons, and their daughters, all of whom are able to understand – 10:29 hereby participate with their colleagues the town leaders ⁶  and enter into a curse and an oath ⁷  to adhere to ⁸  the law of God which was given through Moses the servant of God, and to obey ⁹  carefully all the commandments of the LORD our Lord, ¹⁰  along with his ordinances and his statutes.

10:30 “We will not give our daughters in marriage to the neighboring peoples, and we will not take their daughters in marriage for our sons. 10:31 We will not buy ¹¹  on the Sabbath or on a holy day from the neighboring peoples who bring their wares and all kinds of grain to sell on the Sabbath day. We will let the fields lie fallow every seventh year, and we will cancel every loan. ¹² 

[10:1]  ¹ tn The words “were the following names” are not in the Hebrew text but have been supplied in the translation for clarity. Cf. vv. 9, 10, 14.

[10:9]  ² tc With many medieval Hebrew manuscripts and the ancient versions the translation reads יְשׁוּעַ (yÿshua’, “Jeshua”) rather than the reading וְיֵשׁוּעַ (vÿyeshua’, “and Jeshua”) of BHS.

[10:10]  ³ tn Heb “brothers” (also in v. 30).

[10:14]  ⁴ tn Heb “heads”; ASV “chiefs.”

[10:28]  ⁵ tn Heb “from the peoples of the lands.” Cf. vv. 30, 31.

[10:29]  ⁶ tn Heb “the nobles.”

[10:29]  ⁷ tn The expression “a curse and an oath” may be a hendiadys, meaning “an oath with penalties.”

[10:29]  ⁸ tn Heb “to walk in.”

[10:29]  ⁹ tn Heb “keep.” See the note on the word “obey” in Neh 1:5.

[10:29]  ¹⁰ tn The Hebrew term translated “Lord” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).

[10:31]  ¹¹ tn Heb “take.”

[10:31]  ¹² tn Heb “debt of every hand,” an idiom referring to the hand that holds legally binding contractual agreements.