Dedication of the Wall of Jerusalem

²⁷ At the dedication^(A) of the wall of Jerusalem, the Levites were sought out from where they lived and were brought to Jerusalem to celebrate joyfully the dedication with songs of thanksgiving and with the music of cymbals,^(B) harps and lyres.^{(C) 28} The musicians also were brought together from the region around Jerusalem—from the villages of the Netophathites,^{(D) 29} from Beth Gilgal, and from the area of Geba and Azmaveth, for the musicians had built villages for themselves around Jerusalem. ³⁰ When the priests and Levites had purified themselves ceremonially, they purified the people,^(E) the gates and the wall.

³¹ I had the leaders of Judah go up on top of^[a] the wall. I also assigned two large choirs to give thanks. One was to proceed on top of^[b] the wall to the right, toward the Dung Gate.^{(F) 32} Hoshaiah and half the leaders of Judah followed them, ³³ along with Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam, ³⁴ Judah, Benjamin,^(G) Shemaiah, Jeremiah, ³⁵ as well as some priests with trumpets,^(H) and also Zechariah son of Jonathan, the son of Shemaiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Micaiah, the son of Zakkur, the son of Asaph, ³⁶ and his associates—Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah and Hanani—with musical instruments^(I) prescribed by David the man of God.^(J) Ezra^(K) the teacher of the Law led the procession. ³⁷ At the Fountain Gate^(L) they continued directly up the steps of the City of David on the ascent to the wall and passed above the site of David’s palace to the Water Gate^(M) on the east.

³⁸ The second choir proceeded in the opposite direction. I followed them on top of^[c] the wall, together with half the people—past the Tower of the Ovens^(N) to the Broad Wall,^{(O) 39} over the Gate of Ephraim,^(P) the Jeshanah^[d] Gate,^(Q) the Fish Gate,^(R) the Tower of Hananel^(S) and the Tower of the Hundred,^(T) as far as the Sheep Gate.^(U) At the Gate of the Guard they stopped.

⁴⁰ The two choirs that gave thanks then took their places in the house of God; so did I, together with half the officials, ⁴¹ as well as the priests—Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah and Hananiah with their trumpets— ⁴² and also Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malkijah, Elam and Ezer. The choirs sang under the direction of Jezrahiah. ⁴³ And on that day they offered great sacrifices, rejoicing because God had given them great joy. The women and children also rejoiced. The sound of rejoicing in Jerusalem could be heard far away.

⁴⁴ At that time men were appointed to be in charge of the storerooms^(V) for the contributions, firstfruits and tithes.^(W) From the fields around the towns they were to bring into the storerooms the portions required by the Law for the priests and the Levites, for Judah was pleased with the ministering priests and Levites.^{(X) 45} They performed the service of their God and the service of purification, as did also the musicians and gatekeepers, according to the commands of David^(Y) and his son Solomon.^{(Z) 46} For long ago, in the days of David and Asaph,^(AA) there had been directors for the musicians and for the songs of praise^(AB) and thanksgiving to God. ⁴⁷ So in the days of Zerubbabel and of Nehemiah, all Israel contributed the daily portions for the musicians and the gatekeepers. They also set aside the portion for the other Levites, and the Levites set aside the portion for the descendants of Aaron.^(AC)

Nehemiah’s Final Reforms

13 On that day the Book of Moses was read aloud in the hearing of the people and there it was found written that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever be admitted into the assembly of God,^{(AD) 2} because they had not met the Israelites with food and water but had hired Balaam^(AE) to call a curse down on them.^(AF) (Our God, however, turned the curse into a blessing.)^{(AG) 3} When the people heard this law, they excluded from Israel all who were of foreign descent.^(AH)

⁴ Before this, Eliashib the priest had been put in charge of the storerooms^(AI) of the house of our God. He was closely associated with Tobiah,^{(AJ) 5} and he had provided him with a large room formerly used to store the grain offerings and incense and temple articles, and also the tithes^(AK) of grain, new wine and olive oil prescribed for the Levites, musicians and gatekeepers, as well as the contributions for the priests.

⁶ But while all this was going on, I was not in Jerusalem, for in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes^(AL) king of Babylon I had returned to the king. Some time later I asked his permission

¹⁴ Moreover, from the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes,^(A) when I was appointed to be their governor^(B) in the land of Judah, until his thirty-second year—twelve years—neither I nor my brothers ate the food allotted to the governor. ¹⁵ But the earlier governors—those preceding me—placed a heavy burden on the people and took forty shekels^[a] of silver from them in addition to food and wine. Their assistants also lorded it over the people. But out of reverence for God^(C) I did not act like that. ¹⁶ Instead,^(D) I devoted myself to the work on this wall. All my men were assembled there for the work; we^[b] did not acquire any land.

¹⁷ Furthermore, a hundred and fifty Jews and officials ate at my table, as well as those who came to us from the surrounding nations. ¹⁸ Each day one ox, six choice sheep and some poultry^(E) were prepared for me, and every ten days an abundant supply of wine of all kinds. In spite of all this, I never demanded the food allotted to the governor, because the demands were heavy on these people.

¹⁹ Remember^(F) me with favor, my God, for all I have done for these people.

⁷ and came back to Jerusalem. Here I learned about the evil thing Eliashib^(A) had done in providing Tobiah^(B) a room in the courts of the house of God. ⁸ I was greatly displeased and threw all Tobiah’s household goods out of the room.^{(C) 9} I gave orders to purify the rooms,^(D) and then I put back into them the equipment of the house of God, with the grain offerings and the incense.^(E)

¹⁰ I also learned that the portions assigned to the Levites had not been given to them,^(F) and that all the Levites and musicians responsible for the service had gone back to their own fields.^{(G) 11} So I rebuked the officials and asked them, “Why is the house of God neglected?”^(H) Then I called them together and stationed them at their posts.

¹² All Judah brought the tithes^(I) of grain, new wine and olive oil into the storerooms.^{(J) 13} I put Shelemiah the priest, Zadok the scribe, and a Levite named Pedaiah in charge of the storerooms and made Hanan son of Zakkur, the son of Mattaniah, their assistant, because they were considered trustworthy. They were made responsible for distributing the supplies to their fellow Levites.^(K)

¹⁴ Remember^(L) me for this, my God, and do not blot out what I have so faithfully done for the house of my God and its services.

¹⁵ In those days I saw people in Judah treading winepresses on the Sabbath and bringing in grain and loading it on donkeys, together with wine, grapes, figs and all other kinds of loads. And they were bringing all this into Jerusalem on the Sabbath.^(M) Therefore I warned them against selling food on that day. ¹⁶ People from Tyre who lived in Jerusalem were bringing in fish and all kinds of merchandise and selling them in Jerusalem on the Sabbath^(N) to the people of Judah. ¹⁷ I rebuked the nobles of Judah and said to them, “What is this wicked thing you are doing—desecrating the Sabbath day? ¹⁸ Didn’t your ancestors do the same things, so that our God brought all this calamity on us and on this city?^(O) Now you are stirring up more wrath against Israel by desecrating the Sabbath.”^(P)

¹⁹ When evening shadows fell on the gates of Jerusalem before the Sabbath,^(Q) I ordered the doors to be shut and not opened until the Sabbath was over. I stationed some of my own men at the gates so that no load could be brought in on the Sabbath day. ²⁰ Once or twice the merchants and sellers of all kinds of goods spent the night outside Jerusalem. ²¹ But I warned them and said, “Why do you spend the night by the wall? If you do this again, I will arrest you.” From that time on they no longer came on the Sabbath. ²² Then I commanded the Levites to purify themselves and go and guard the gates in order to keep the Sabbath day holy.

Remember^(R) me for this also, my God, and show mercy to me according to your great love.

²³ Moreover, in those days I saw men of Judah who had married^(S) women from Ashdod, Ammon and Moab.^{(T) 24} Half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod or the language of one of the other peoples, and did not know how to speak the language^(U) of Judah. ²⁵ I rebuked them and called curses down on them. I beat some of the men and pulled out their hair. I made them take an oath^(V) in God’s name and said: “You are not to give your daughters in marriage to their sons, nor are you to take their daughters in marriage for your sons or for yourselves.^{(W) 26} Was it not because of marriages like these that Solomon king of Israel sinned? Among the many nations there was no king like him.^(X) He was loved by his God,^(Y) and God made him king over all Israel, but even he was led into sin by foreign women.^{(Z) 27} Must we hear now that you too are doing all this terrible wickedness and are being unfaithful to our God by marrying^(AA) foreign women?”

²⁸ One of the sons of Joiada son of Eliashib^(AB) the high priest was son-in-law to Sanballat^(AC) the Horonite. And I drove him away from me.

²⁹ Remember^(AD) them, my God, because they defiled the priestly office and the covenant of the priesthood and of the Levites.^(AE)

³⁰ So I purified the priests and the Levites of everything foreign,^(AF) and assigned them duties, each to his own task. ³¹ I also made provision for contributions of wood^(AG) at designated times, and for the firstfruits.^(AH)

Remember^(AI) me with favor, my God.

1 A prophecy:^(A) The word^(B) of the Lord to Israel through Malachi.^[a]

Israel Doubts God’s Love

² “I have loved^(C) you,” says the Lord.

“But you ask,^(D) ‘How have you loved us?’

“Was not Esau Jacob’s brother?” declares the Lord. “Yet I have loved Jacob,^{(E) 3} but Esau I have hated,^(F) and I have turned his hill country into a wasteland^(G) and left his inheritance to the desert jackals.^(H)”

⁴ Edom^(I) may say, “Though we have been crushed, we will rebuild^(J) the ruins.”

But this is what the Lord Almighty says: “They may build, but I will demolish.^(K) They will be called the Wicked Land, a people always under the wrath of the Lord.^{(L) 5} You will see it with your own eyes and say, ‘Great^(M) is the Lord—even beyond the borders of Israel!’^(N)

Breaking Covenant Through Blemished Sacrifices

⁶ “A son honors his father,^(O) and a slave his master.^(P) If I am a father, where is the honor due me? If I am a master, where is the respect^(Q) due me?” says the Lord Almighty.^(R)

“It is you priests who show contempt for my name.

“But you ask,^(S) ‘How have we shown contempt for your name?’

⁷ “By offering defiled food^(T) on my altar.

“But you ask,^(U) ‘How have we defiled you?’

“By saying that the Lord’s table^(V) is contemptible. ⁸ When you offer blind animals for sacrifice, is that not wrong? When you sacrifice lame or diseased animals,^(W) is that not wrong? Try offering them to your governor! Would he be pleased^(X) with you? Would he accept you?” says the Lord Almighty.^(Y)

⁹ “Now plead with God to be gracious to us. With such offerings^(Z) from your hands, will he accept^(AA) you?”—says the Lord Almighty.

¹⁰ “Oh, that one of you would shut the temple doors,^(AB) so that you would not light useless fires on my altar! I am not pleased^(AC) with you,” says the Lord Almighty, “and I will accept^(AD) no offering^(AE) from your hands. ¹¹ My name will be great^(AF) among the nations,^(AG) from where the sun rises to where it sets.^(AH) In every place incense^(AI) and pure offerings^(AJ) will be brought to me, because my name will be great among the nations,” says the Lord Almighty.

¹² “But you profane it by saying, ‘The Lord’s table^(AK) is defiled,’ and, ‘Its food^(AL) is contemptible.’ ¹³ And you say, ‘What a burden!’^(AM) and you sniff at it contemptuously,^(AN)” says the Lord Almighty.

“When you bring injured, lame or diseased animals and offer them as sacrifices,^(AO) should I accept them from your hands?”^(AP) says the Lord. ¹⁴ “Cursed is the cheat who has an acceptable male in his flock and vows to give it, but then sacrifices a blemished animal^(AQ) to the Lord. For I am a great king,^(AR)” says the Lord Almighty,^(AS) “and my name is to be feared^(AT) among the nations.^(AU)

Additional Warning to the Priests

2 “And now, you priests, this warning is for you.^{(AV) 2} If you do not listen,^(AW) and if you do not resolve to honor^(AX) my name,” says the Lord Almighty, “I will send a curse^(AY) on you, and I will curse your blessings.^(AZ) Yes, I have already cursed them, because you have not resolved to honor me.

³ “Because of you I will rebuke your descendants^[b]; I will smear on your faces the dung^(BA) from your festival sacrifices, and you will be carried off with it.^{(BB) 4} And you will know that I have sent you this warning so that my covenant with Levi^(BC) may continue,” says the Lord Almighty. ⁵ “My covenant was with him, a covenant^(BD) of life and peace,^(BE) and I gave them to him; this called for reverence^(BF) and he revered me and stood in awe of my name. ⁶ True instruction^(BG) was in his mouth and nothing false was found on his lips. He walked^(BH) with me in peace^(BI) and uprightness,^(BJ) and turned many from sin.^(BK)

⁷ “For the lips of a priest^(BL) ought to preserve knowledge, because he is the messenger^(BM) of the Lord Almighty and people seek instruction from his mouth.^{(BN) 8} But you have turned from the way^(BO) and by your teaching have caused many to stumble;^(BP) you have violated the covenant^(BQ) with Levi,”^(BR) says the Lord Almighty. ⁹ “So I have caused you to be despised^(BS) and humiliated^(BT) before all the people, because you have not followed my ways but have shown partiality^(BU) in matters of the law.”^(BV)