Nehemiah 12:44--13:3

12:44 On that day men were appointed over the storerooms for the contributions, first fruits, and tithes, to gather into them from ¹  the fields of the cities the portions prescribed by the law for the priests and the Levites, for the people of Judah ²  took delight in the priests and Levites who were ministering. ³  12:45 They performed the service of their God and the service of purification, along with the singers and gatekeepers, according to the commandment of David and ⁴  his son Solomon. 12:46 For long ago, in the days of David and Asaph, there had been directors ⁵  for the singers and for the songs of praise and thanks to God. 12:47 So in the days of Zerubbabel and in the days of Nehemiah, all Israel was contributing the portions for the singers and gatekeepers, according to the daily need. ⁶  They also set aside ⁷  the portion for the Levites, and the Levites set aside the portion for the descendants of Aaron.

Further Reforms by Nehemiah

13:1 On that day the book of Moses was read aloud in the hearing ⁸  of the people. They found ⁹  written in it that no Ammonite or Moabite may ever enter the assembly of God, 13:2 for they had not met the Israelites with food ¹⁰  and water, but instead had hired Balaam to curse them. (Our God, however, turned the curse into blessing.) 13:3 When they heard the law, they removed from Israel all who were of mixed ancestry.

[12:44]  ¹ tc The translation reads מִשְּׂדֶי (missÿde, “from the fields”) rather than the MT reading לִשְׂדֵי (lisdey, “to the fields”).

[12:44]  ² tn Heb “for Judah.” The words “the people of” have been supplied in the translation for clarity, since “Judah” is a proper name as well as a place name.

[12:44]  ³ tn Heb “standing.”

[12:45]  ⁴ tc With many medieval Hebrew MSS and the ancient versions the translation reads the conjunction (“and”). It is absent in the Leningrad MS that forms the textual basis for BHS.

[12:46]  ⁷ tn Heb “heads.” The translation reads with the Qere the plural רֹאשֵׁי (ro’shey, “heads”) rather than the Kethib singular רֹאשׁ (ro’sh, “head”) of the MT.

[12:47]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “a thing of a day in its day.”

[12:47]  ¹¹ tn Heb “were sanctifying.”

[13:1]  ¹³ tn Heb “ears.”

[13:1]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “it was found.” The Hebrew verb is passive.

[13:2]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “bread.” The Hebrew term is generic here, however, referring to more than bread alone.