28. The men of Beth-azmaveth, forty and two.

29. The men of Kirjath-jearim, Chephirah, and Beeroth, seven hundred forty and three. 30. The men of Ramah and Gaba, six hundred twenty and one.

31. The men of Michmas, a hundred and twenty and two.

32. The men of Beth-el and Ai, a hundred twenty and three.

33. The men of the other Nebo, fifty and two.

34. The children of the other Elam, a thousand two hundred fifty and four.

35. The children of Harim, three hundred and twenty.

36. The children of Jericho, three hundred forty and five.

37. The children of Lod, Hadid, and Ono, seven hundred twenty and one.

38. The children of Senaah, three thousand nine hundred and thirty.

39. The priests: the children of Jedaiah, of the house of Jeshua, nine hundred seventy and three.

40. The children of Immer, a thousand fifty and two.

41. The children of Pashur, a thousand two hundred forty and seven.

42. The children of Harim, a thousand and seventeen.

43. The Levites: the children of Jeshua, of Kadmiel, and of the children of Hodevah, seventy and four.

44. The singers: the children of Asaph, a hundred forty and eight.

45. The porters: the children of Shallum, the children of Ater, the children of Talmon, the children of Akkub, the children of Hatita, the children of Shobai, a hundred thirty and eight.

46. The Nethinims: the children of Ziha, the children of Hashupha, the children of Tabbaoth,

47. The children of Keros, the children of Sia, the children of Padon,

48. The children of Lebana, the children of Hagaba, the children of Shalmai,

49. The children of Hanan, the children of Giddel, the children of Gahar,

50. The children of Reaiah, the children of Rezin, the children of Nekoda,

51. The children of Gazzam, the children of Uzza, the children of Phaseah,

52. The children of Besai, the children of Meunim, the children of Nephishesim, 53. The children of Bakbuk, the children of Hakupha, the children of Harhur,

54. The children of Bazlith, the children of Mehida, the children of Harsha,

55. The children of Barkos, the children of Sisera, the children of Tamah,

56. The children of Neziah, the children of Hatipha.

57. The children of Solomon's servants: the children of Sotai, the children of Sophereth, the children of Perida,

58. The children of Jaala, the children of Darkon, the children of Giddel,

59. The children of Shephatiah, the children of Hattil, the children of Pochereth of Zebaim, the children of Amon.

60. All the Nethinims, and the children of Solomon's servants, were three hundred ninety and two.

61. And these were they which went up also from Tel-melah, Tel-haresha, Cherub, Addon, and Immer: but they could not show their father's house, nor their seed, whether they were of Israel.

62. The children of Delaiah, the children of Tobiah, the children of Nekoda, six hundred forty and two.

63. And of the priests: the children of Habaiah, the children of Koz, the children of Barzillai, which took one of the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite to wife, and was called after their name.

64. These sought their register among those that were reckoned by genealogy, but it was not found: therefore were they, as polluted, put from the priesthood.

65. And the Tirshatha said unto them, that they should not eat of the most holy things till there stood up a priest with Urim and Thummim.

66. The whole congregation together was forty and two thousand three hundred and threescore;

67. Besides their man-servants and their maid-servants, of whom there were seven thousand three hundred thirty and seven: and they had two hundred forty and five singing-men and singing-women.

63. Their horses, seven hundred thirty and six; their mules, two hundred forty and five;

69. Their camels, four hundred thirty and five; six thousand seven hundred and twenty

gave was twenty thousand drams of gold, and two thousand pounds of silver, and threescore and seven priests' garments. 73. So the priests, and the Levites, and the porters, and the singers, and some of the people, and the Nethinims, and all Israel, dwelt in their cities; and when the seventh month came, the children of Israel were in their cities.

1.

CHAP. VIII.

The religious manner of reading and hearing the law. ND all the people gathered themselves together as one man into the street that was before the water-gate; and they spake unto Ezra the scribe, to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded to Israel.

2. And Ezra the priest brought the law before the congregation, both of men and women, and all that could hear with understanding, upon the first day of the seventh month.

3. And he read therein before the street that was before the water-gate, from the morning until mid-day, before the men and the women, and those that could understand: and the ears of all the people were attentive unto the book of the law.

4. And Ezra the scribe stood upon a pulpit of wood, which they had made for the purpose; and beside him stood Mattithiah, and Shema, and Anaiah, and Urijah, and Hilkiah, and Maaseiah, on his right hand; and on his left hand, Pedaiah, and Mishael, and Malchiah, and Hashum, and Hashbadana, Zechariah, and Meshullam.

5. And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people; (for he was above all the people ;) and when he opened it, all the people stood up.

6. And Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God and all the people answered, Amen, Amen, with lifting up their hands: and they bowed their heads, and worshipped the LORD with their faces to the ground.

7. Also Jeshua, and Bani, and Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodijah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites, caused the people to understand the law: and the people stood in their place.

8. So they read in the book, in the law of God, distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.

9. And Nehemiah, which is the Tirshatha, and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites that taught the people, said unto all the people, This day is holy unto the LORD vour God; mourn not, nor weep. For all

the people wept when they heard the words of the law.

10. Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared for this day is holy unto our LORD: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of * the LORD is your strength.

11. So the Levites stilled all the people, saying, Hold your peace; for the day is holy; neither be ye grieved.

12. And all the people went their way to eat, and to drink, and to send portions, and to make great mirth, because they had understood the words that were declared unto them.

13. ¶ And on the second day were gathered together the chief of the fathers of all the people, the priests and the Levites, unto Ezra the scribe, even to understand the words of the law.

14. And they found written in the law which the LORD had commanded by Moses, that the children of Israel should dwell in booths in the feast of the seventh month:

15. And that they should publish and proclaim in all their cities, and in Jerusalem, saying, Go forth unto the mount, and fetch olive-branches, and pine-branches, and myrtle-branches, and palm-branches, and branches of thick trees, to make booths, as it is written.

16. So the people went forth, and brought them, and made themselves booths, every one upon the roof of his house, and in their courts, and in the courts of the house of God, and in the street of the watergate, and in the street of the gate of Ephraim.

17. And all the congregation of them that were come again out of the captivity made booths, and sat under the booths: for since the days of Jeshua the son of Nun, unto that day, had not the children of Israel done so. And there was very great gladness.

18. Also day by day, from the first day unto the last day, he read in the book of the law of God. And they kept the feast seven days; and on the eighth day was a solemn assembly, according unto the manner. CHAP. IX.

4. Then stood up upon the stairs, of the Levites, Jeshua, and Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Chenani, and cried with a loud voice unto the LORD their God.

5. Then the Levites, Jeshua, and Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabniah, Sherebiah, Hodijah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah, said, Stand up, and bless the LORD your God for ever and ever; and blessed be thy glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise.

6. Thou, even thou, art LORD alone: thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth, and all things that are therein, the seas, and all that is therein, and thou preservest them all; and the host of heaven worshippeth thee.

7. Thou art the LORD the God, who didst choose Abram, and broughtest him forth out of Ur of the Chaldees, and gavest him the name of Abraham :

8. And foundest his heart faithful before thee, and madest a covenant with him, to give the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Jebusites, and the Girgashites, to give it, I say, to his seed, and hast performed thy words; for thou art righteous:

9. And didst see the affliction of our fathers in Egypt, and heardest their cry by the Red Sea:

10. And showedst signs and wonders upon Pharaoh, and on all his servants, and on all the people of his land; for thou knewest that they dealt proudly against them: so didst thou get thee a name, as it is this day.

11. And thou didst divide the sea before them, so that they went through the midst of the sea on the dry land; and their persecutors thou threwest into the deeps, as a stone into the mighty waters.

12. Moreover, thou leddest them in the day by a cloudy pillar, and in the night by a pillar of fire, to give them light in the way wherein they should go.

13. Thou camest down also upon mount Sinai, and spakest with them from heaven, and gavest them right judgments and true laws, good statutes and commandments:

14. And madest known unto them thy holy sabbath, and commandedst them precepts, statutes, and laws, by the hand of Moses thy servant:

16. But they and our fathers dealt proudly, and hardened their necks, and hearkened not to thy commandments,

17. And refused to obey, neither were mindful of thy wonders that thou didst among them; but hardened their necks, and in their rebellion appointed a captain to return to their bondage: but thou art a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and forsookest them not.

18. Yea, when they had made them a molten calf, and said, This is thy god that brought thee up out of Egypt, and had wrought great provocations;

19. Yet thou, in thy manifold mercies, forsookest them not in the wilderness: the pillar of the cloud departed not from them by day, to lead them in the way; neither the pillar of fire by night, to show them light, and the way wherein they should go.

20. Thou gavest also thy good Spirit to instruct them, and withheldest not thy manna from their mouth, and gavest them water for their thirst.

21. Yea, forty years didst thou sustain them in the wilderness, so that they lacked nothing; their clothes waxed not old, and their feet swelled not.

22. Moreover, thou gavest them kingdoms and nations, and didst divide them into corners so they possessed the land of Sihon, and the land of the king of Heshbon, and the land of Og king of Bashan.

23. Their children also multipliedst thou as the stars of heaven, and broughtest them into the land, concerning which thou hadst promised to their fathers, that they should go in to possess it.

24. So the children went in and possessed the land, and thou subduedst before them the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, and gavest them into their hands, with their kings, and the people of the land, that they might do with them as they would.

25. And they took strong cities, and a fat land, and possessed houses full of all goods, wells digged, vineyards, and olive-yards, and fruit-trees in abundance: so they did eat, and were filled, and became fat, and delighted themselves in thy great goodness.

27. Therefore thou deliveredst them into the hand of their enemies, who vexed them: and in the time of their trouble, when they cried unto thee, thou heardest them from heaven; and, according to thy manifold mercies, thou gavest them saviours, who saved them out of the hand of their enemies.

28. But after they had rest, they did evil again before thee: therefore leftest thou them in the hand of their enemies, so that they had the dominion over them: yet when they returned, and cried unto thee, thou heardest them from heaven; and many times didst thou deliver them, according to thy mercies; 29. And testifiedst against them, that thou mightest bring them again unto thy law: yet they dealt proudly, and hearkened not unto thy commandments, but sinned against thy judgments, (which if a man do, he shall live in them,) and withdrew the shoulder, and hardened their neck, and would not hear:

30. Yet many years didst thou forbear them, and testifiedst against them by thy Spirit in thy prophets; yet would they not give ear: therefore gavest thou them into the hand of the people of the lands.

31. Nevertheless, for thy great mercies' sake, thou didst not utterly consume them, nor forsake them; for thou art a gracious and merciful God.

32. Now therefore, our God, the great, the mighty, and the terrible God, who keepest covenant and mercy, let not all the trouble seem little before thee, that hath come upon us, on our kings, on our princes, and on our priests, and on our prophets, and on our fathers, and on all thy people, since the time of the kings of Assyria unto this day.

33. Howbeit, thou art just in all that is brought upon us; for thou hast done right, but we have done wickedly:

34. Neither have our kings, our princes, our priests, nor our fathers, kept thy law, nor hearkened unto thy commandments and thy testimonies, wherewith thou didst testify against them.

35. For they have not served thee in their kingdom, and in thy great goodness that thou gavest them, and in the large and fat land which thou gavest before them, neither turned they from their wicked works.

36. Behold, we are servants this day; and for the land that thou gavest unto our fathers, to eat the fruit thereof, and the good thereof, behold, we are servants in it:

37. And it yieldeth much increase unto the kings whom thou hast set over us because of our sins: also they have dominion over our bodies, and over our cattle, at

their pleasure, and we are in great distress.

38. And because of all this, we make a sure covenant, and write it: and our princes, Levites, and priests, seal unto it. CHAP. X.

1.

NOW

The names of them that sealed the covenant. TOW those that sealed were, Nehemiah the Tirshatha, the son of Hachaliah, and Zidkijah,

2. Seraiah, Azariah, Jeremiah, 3. Pashur, Amariah, Malchijah, 4. Hattush, Shebaniah, Malluch, 5. Harim, Meremoth, Obadiah, 6. Daniel, Ginnethon, Baruch, 7. Meshullam, Abijah, Mijamin, 8. Maaziah, Bilgai, Shemaiah: these were the priests.

9. And the Levites: both Jeshua the son of Azaniah, Binnui of the sons of Henadad, Kadmiel;

10. And their brethren, Shebaniah, Hodijah, Kelita, Pelaiah, Hanan,

11. Micha, Rehob, Hashabiah,
12. Zaccur, Sherebiah, Shebaniah,
13. Hodijah, Bani, Beninu.

14. The chief of the people; Parosh Pahath-moab, Elam, Zatthu, Bani, 15. Bunni, Azgad, Bebai, 16. Adonijah, Bigvai, Adin, 17. Ater, Hizkijah, Azzur, 18. Hodijah, Hashum, Bezai, 19. Hariph, Anathoth, Nebai, 20. Magpiash, Meshullam, Hezir, 21. Meshezabeel, Zadok, Jaddua, 22. Pelatiah, Hanan, Anaiah, 23. Hoshea, Hananiah, Hashub, 24. Hallohesh, Pileha, Shobek, 25. Rehum, Hashabnah, Maaseiah, 26. And Ahijah, Hanan, Anan, 27. Malluch, Harim, Baanah.

28.¶ And the rest of the people, the priests, the Levites, the porters, the singers, the Nethinims, and all they that had separated themselves from the people of the lands unto the law of God, their wives, their sons, and their daughters, every one having knowledge, and having understanding;

29. They clave to their brethren, their nobles, and entered into a curse, and into an oath, to walk in God's law, which was given by Moses the servant of God, and to observe and do all the commandments of the LORD our Lord, and his judgments, and his statutes;

30. And that we would not give our daughters unto the people of the land, nor take their daughters for our sons:

31. And if the people of the land bring ware or any victuals on the sabbath-day to sell, that we would not buy it of them on