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Dedication of the Wall
27 Now at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought out the Levites from all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem so that they might celebrate the dedication with gladness, with hymns of thanksgiving and with songs (A)to the accompaniment of cymbals, harps and lyres. 28 So the sons of the singers were gathered from the district around Jerusalem and from (B)the villages of the Netophathites, 29 from Beth-gilgal and from their fields in Geba and Azmaveth, for the singers had built themselves villages around Jerusalem. 30 The priests and the Levites (C)cleansed themselves; they also cleansed the people, the gates, and the wall.
The Choirs in the House of God
31 Then I had the leaders of Judah come up on top of the wall, and I had two great choirs of thanksgiving stand, [a](D)the first proceeding to the right on top of the wall toward (E)the Dung Gate.
32 Hoshaiah and half of the leaders of Judah followed them,
33 with Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam,
34 Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, Jeremiah,
35 and some of the sons of the priests with trumpets; and Zechariah the son of Jonathan, the son of Shemaiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Micaiah, the son of Zaccur, the son of Asaph,
36 and his [b]relatives, Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah, and Hanani, (F)with the musical instruments of David the man of God. And Ezra the scribe went before them.
37 At (G)the Spring Gate they went directly up (H)the steps of the city of David by the stairway of the wall above the house of David to (I)the Water Gate on the east.
38 (J)The second [c]choir proceeded to the [d]left, while I followed them with half of the people on the wall, (K)above the Tower of Furnaces, to (L)the Broad Wall, 39 and above (M)the Gate of Ephraim, by (N)the Old Gate, by the (O)Fish Gate, (P)the Tower of Hananel, and the Tower of the Hundred, as far as the Sheep Gate; and they stood at (Q)the Gate of the Guard. 40 Then the two choirs took their stand in the house of God. So did I and half of the officials with me; 41 and the priests:
Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah and Hananiah, with the trumpets;
42 and Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malchijah, Elam, and Ezer.
And the singers made their voices heard, with Jezrahiah their overseer, 43 and on that day they offered great sacrifices and were glad because (R)God had given them great gladness, even the women and children were glad, so that the gladness of Jerusalem was heard from afar.
44 On that day (S)men were also appointed over the chambers for the stores, the contributions, the first fruits, and the tithes, to gather into them from the fields of the cities the portions required by the law for the priests and Levites; for Judah was glad over the priests and Levites who stood to minister. 45 And they kept their responsibility given by their God and the responsibility of cleansing, together with the singers and the gatekeepers, (T)according to the commandment of David and his son Solomon. 46 For in the days of David and (U)Asaph, in ancient times, there were [e](V)chiefs of the singers, songs of praise and hymns of thanksgiving to God. 47 So all Israel in the days of Zerubbabel and Nehemiah were giving the portions due the singers and the gatekeepers (W)as each day required, and (X)set apart the holy portion for the Levites, and the Levites set apart the holy portion for the sons of Aaron.
Foreigners Are Separated from Israel
13 On that day (Y)they read from the book of Moses in the hearing of the people; and there was found written in it that (Z)no Ammonite or Moabite should ever enter the assembly of God, 2 because they did not meet the sons of Israel with bread and water, but (AA)hired Balaam against them to curse them. However, (AB)our God turned the curse into a blessing. 3 So when they heard the law, (AC)they separated (AD)all foreigners from Israel.
Tobiah’s Goods Removed from God’s House
4 Now prior to this, Eliashib the priest, (AE)who was put in charge over the chambers of the house of our God, being [f]related to (AF)Tobiah, 5 had prepared a large [g]room for him, where formerly they put the grain offerings, the frankincense, the utensils, and the tithes of grain, also new wine and oil (AG)commanded for the Levites, the singers, and the gatekeepers, as well as the [h]contributions for the priests. 6 But during all this time I was not in Jerusalem, for in (AH)the thirty-second year of (AI)Artaxerxes king of Babylon I had gone to the king. After some time, however, I asked leave from the king, 7 and I came to Jerusalem and discerned the evil that Eliashib had done for Tobiah, (AJ)by preparing a chamber for him in the courts of the house of God. 8 It was very evil to me, so I (AK)threw all of Tobiah’s household goods out of the chamber. 9 Then I said the word, and (AL)they cleansed the chambers; and I returned there the utensils of the house of God with the grain offerings and the frankincense.
Why Is the House of God Forsaken?
10 I also came to know that (AM)the portions of the Levites had not been given them, so the Levites and the singers who did the work had fled, (AN)each to his own field. 11 So I (AO)contended against the officials and said, “(AP)Why is the house of God forsaken?” Then I gathered them together and had them stand in their posts. 12 All Judah then brought (AQ)the tithe of the grain, new wine, and oil into the storehouses. 13 In charge of the storehouses I appointed Shelemiah the priest, Zadok the scribe, and Pedaiah of the Levites, and in addition to them was Hanan the son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah; for (AR)they were counted as faithful, and it was [i]their task to apportion everything to their [j]relatives. 14 (AS)Remember me for this, O my God, and do not blot out my lovingkindnesses which I have shown for the house of my God and its responsibilities.
Keep the Sabbath Day Holy
15 In those days I saw in Judah some who were treading wine presses (AT)on the sabbath, and bringing in sacks of grain and loading them on donkeys, as well as wine, grapes, figs and all kinds of loads, (AU)and they brought them into Jerusalem on the sabbath day. So (AV)I testified against them on the day they sold food. 16 Also men of Tyre were living [k]there who brought in fish and all kinds of merchandise, and sold them to the sons of Judah on the sabbath, even in Jerusalem. 17 Then (AW)I contended with the nobles of Judah and said to them, “What is this evil thing you are doing, even profaning the sabbath day? 18 (AX)Did not your fathers do the same, so our God brought on us and on this city all this calamity? Yet you are adding to His anger on Israel by profaning the sabbath.”
19 (AY)Now it happened that just as it grew dark at the gates of Jerusalem before the sabbath, I said the word, and the doors were shut. Then I said that they should not open them until after the sabbath. Then I had some of my young men stand at the gates so that no load would enter on the sabbath day. 20 Once or twice the traders and merchants of every kind of merchandise spent the night outside Jerusalem. 21 Then (AZ)I [l]warned them and said to them, “Why do you spend the night in front of the wall? If you do so again, I will send forth my hand against you.” From that time on they did not come on the sabbath. 22 And I said to the Levites that (BA)they should cleanse themselves and come as gatekeepers to keep the sabbath day holy. For this also (BB)remember me, O my God, and have compassion on me according to the greatness of Your lovingkindness.
You Shall Not Marry Foreigners
23 In those days I also saw that the Jews had [m](BC)married women from (BD)Ashdod, (BE)Ammon, and Moab. 24 As for their children, half spoke in the language of Ashdod, and none of them was able to speak the language of Judah, but only [n]the tongue of his own people. 25 So (BF)I contended with them and cursed them and (BG)struck some of them and pulled out their hair and (BH)made them swear by God, “You shall not give your daughters to their sons, nor take up their daughters for your sons or for yourselves. 26 (BI)Did not Solomon king of Israel sin regarding these things? (BJ)Yet among the many nations there was no king like him, and (BK)he was loved by his God, and God gave him to be king over all Israel; nevertheless the foreign women caused even him to sin. 27 [o]Do we then hear about you that you have done all this great evil (BL)by acting unfaithfully against our God by [p]marrying foreign women?” 28 And even one of the sons of Joiada, the son of Eliashib the high priest, was a son-in-law of (BM)Sanballat the Horonite, so I made him flee away from me. 29 (BN)Remember them, O my God, [q]because they have defiled the priesthood and the (BO)covenant of the priesthood and the Levites.
30 (BP)Thus I cleansed them from everything foreign and ensured that the responsibilities stood for the priests and the Levites, each in his work, 31 and I arranged (BQ)for the supply of wood at fixed times and for the first fruits. (BR)Remember me, O my God, for good.
11 (A)Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ.
Head Coverings
2 Now (B)I praise you because you (C)remember me in everything and (D)hold firmly to the traditions, just as I delivered them to you. 3 But I want you to understand that [a]Christ is the (E)head of every man, and (F)the man is the head of a woman, and God is the (G)head of [b]Christ. 4 Every man who has something on his head while praying or (H)prophesying, shames his head. 5 But every (I)woman who has her head uncovered while praying or prophesying, shames her head, for she is one and the same as the woman [c]whose head is (J)shaved. 6 For if a woman does not cover [d]her head, let her also [e]have her hair cut short. But if it is disgraceful for a woman to [f]have her hair cut short or [g]her head shaved, let her cover [h]her head. 7 For a man ought not to have his head covered, since he is the (K)image and glory of God, but the woman is the glory of man. 8 For (L)man [i]does not originate from woman, but woman from man. 9 For indeed man was not created for the woman’s sake, but (M)woman for the man’s sake. 10 Therefore the woman ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels. 11 Nevertheless, in the Lord, neither is woman [j]independent of man, nor is man [k]independent of woman. 12 For as the woman [l]originates from the man, so also the man has his birth through the woman, but (N)all things [m]originate (O)from God. 13 (P)Judge [n]for yourselves: is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered? 14 Does not even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him, 15 but if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her? For her hair is given to her for a covering. 16 But if one is inclined to be contentious, (Q)we have no [o]other practice, nor have (R)the churches of God.
Yahweh Be Magnified
Of David.
35 Contend, O Yahweh, with those who (A)contend with me;
Fight against those who (B)fight against me.
2 Take hold of [a](C)shield and large shield
And rise up for (D)my help.
3 Draw also the spear and [b]the battle-axe to meet those who pursue me;
Say to my soul, “I am (E)your salvation.”
4 Let those be (F)ashamed and dishonored who seek my [c]life;
Let those who devise evil against me be (G)turned back and humiliated.
5 Let them be (H)like chaff before the wind,
With the angel of Yahweh driving them on.
6 Let their way be dark and (I)slippery,
With the angel of Yahweh pursuing them.
7 For (J)without cause they (K)hid their net for me;
Without cause they dug a [d]pit for my soul.
8 Let (L)destruction, which he does not know, come upon him,
And (M)let the net, which he hid, catch him;
Let him fall into it in (N)destruction.
9 And my soul shall (O)rejoice in Yahweh;
It shall (P)be joyful in His salvation.
10 All my (Q)bones will say, “Yahweh, (R)who is like You,
Who delivers the afflicted from him (S)who is too strong for him,
And (T)the afflicted and the needy from him who robs him?”
11 (U)Malicious witnesses rise up,
Who ask me of things that I do not know.
12 They (V)repay me evil for good,
It is bereavement to my soul.
13 But as for me, (W)when they were sick, my (X)clothing was sackcloth;
I (Y)humbled my soul with fasting,
And my (Z)prayer kept returning to my bosom.
14 I walked about as though it were my friend or brother;
I (AA)bowed down [e]mourning, as one who sorrows for a mother.
15 But (AB)at my [f]stumbling they were glad and gathered themselves together;
The [g](AC)smiters whom I did not know gathered together against me,
They (AD)tore at me and never were silent.
16 Amongst the godless jesters at a feast,
They (AE)gnashed at me with their teeth.
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