CHAPTER 10
Now
those who sealed the document were:
Nehemiah
the governor,
son
of Hacaliah,
and also Zedekiah,
“The rest
of the people—
the priests,
Levites,
gatekeepers,
singers,
and temple servants,
and all
who had separated themselves
from the people
of the land
to
obey the law
of God—
along with their wives
and all
their sons
and daughters
who were able to understand,
hereby join
with
their noble
brothers
and commit
themselves with a sworn
oath
to follow
the Law
of God
given
through
His
servant
Moses
and to carefully
obey
all
the commandments,
ordinances,
and statutes
of the LORD
our Lord.
We will not
give
our daughters in marriage
to the people
of the land,
and we will not
take
their daughters
for our sons.
When the people
of the land
bring
merchandise
or any
kind of grain
to sell
on the Sabbath
day,
we will not
buy
from them
on a Sabbath day
or holy
day.
Every seventh
year
we will let the fields lie fallow,
and will cancel every
debt.
We also place
ourselves
under
the obligation
to contribute
a third
of a shekel
yearly
for the service
of the house
of our God:
for the showbread,
for the regular
grain offerings
and burnt offerings,
for the Sabbath offerings,
for the New Moon
and appointed feasts,
for the holy offerings,
for the sin offerings
to make atonement
for
Israel,
and for all
the duties
of the house
of our God.
We have cast
lots
among the priests,
Levites,
and people
for
the donation
of wood
by our families
at the appointed
times
each year.
They are to bring it
to the house
of our God
to burn
on
the altar
of the LORD
our God,
as it is written
in the Law.
We will also bring
the firstfruits
of our land
and of every
fruit
tree
to the house
of the LORD
year
by year.
And
we will bring
the firstborn
of our sons
and our livestock,
as it is written
in the Law,
and will bring the firstborn
of our herds
and flocks
to the house
of our God,
to the priests
who minister
in the house
of our God.
Moreover,
we will bring
to the priests
at
the storerooms
of the house
of our God
the firstfruits
of our dough,
of our grain offerings,
of the fruit
of all our
trees,
and of our new wine
and oil.
A tenth
of our produce
belongs to the Levites,
for they
should receive tithes
in all
the towns
where we labor.
A priest
descended
from Aaron
is to accompany
the Levites
when they
collect the tenth,
and the Levites
are to bring
a tenth
of these tithes
to
the storerooms
of the treasury
in the house
of our God.
For
the Israelites
and the Levites
are to bring
the contributions
of grain,
new wine,
and oil
to
the storerooms
where
the articles
of the sanctuary are kept
and where the ministering
priests,
the gatekeepers,
and the singers stay.
Thus we will not
neglect
the house
of our God."