Chapter 1
1 These are the words of NehemJah the son of HachaliJah.
It was in the twentieth during the month of Chislev, while I was in the city of Susa in Abira, 2 that Hanani (one of my brothers) and some men from Judah arrived. So I asked him about those who had survived and escaped the captivity, and about Jerusalem. 3 And he said to me: ‘Those who survived the captivity and are remaining in [Judah] are a joke and extremely wicked. And as for the walls of Jerusalem, they’re being knocked down, and its gates have been burned.’
4 Well, when I heard this I sat down and cried. Then I mourned for days, and I fasted and prayed to the God of heaven. 5 I said, ‘No, O Lord, God of heaven, the strong, great, and fearful One who has guarded the Sacred Agreement and who shows mercy to those who love Him and keep His Commandments; 6 may Your ears listen and Your eyes be open to hear the prayer of Your servant today – this day and night – on behalf of Your servants, the sons of Israel. I openly admit to the sins that the sons of Israel have committed against You, for even the house of my father and I have sinned, 7 because we left You and we haven’t obeyed the Commandments, decisions, and instructions that You gave to Your servant Moses.
8 ‘Please remember what You told Your servant Moses when You said: If you break our contract, I will spread you among the peoples. 9 But if you return to Me and start observing and obeying My Commandments, even if you are scattered to the tips of the skies, I will gather you and bring you back to the place where I’ve chosen to camp and where I’ve put My Name.’
10 ‘Now, they are Your children and Your people who You ransomed by Your great power and with the fortress of Your hand. 11 No, O Jehovah; allow Your ears to pay attention to the prayer of Your servant, and to the prayers of Your children who want to fear Your Name. Bless the way of Your servant today, and make the [king] compassionate before this man, for I am [just] a wine server to the king.’
Chapter 2
1 Now, it was in the month (Nisan), in the twentieth year [of the reign] of King ArtaSatha (ArtaXerxes) that I was bringing him wine. Then I took it up and handed it to the king in private. 2 And the king asked me, ‘Why is your face looking so sad; are you unhappy? This appears to be nothing other than a [broken] heart.’
Well, I was frightened, 3 but I said to the king: ‘O king, may you live through the ages! Why shouldn’t my face be sad, because the city where the houses and tombs of my ancestors are, has been destroyed, and its gates have been burned with fire!’
4 Then the king asked me, ‘So, what are you looking for?’
Well, I prayed to Jehovah the God of heaven, 5 and then I said to the king: ‘If the king is moved to do a good thing, and if you’re pleased enough with your servant who stands before you to send him to Judah, the city of the tombs of my ancestors, I will rebuild it.’
6 Then the king (who was sitting next to his concubine) asked me, ‘How long will this take and when will you return?’
So the king [found my proposal] good and he sent me off. Then I [wrote a letter of] confirmation to him. It said:
7 ‘To the king;
If it pleases the king, give me letters to the vassal
kings on the other side of the river to allow me safe passage to Judah.
8 And provide me a letter to Asaph, the king’s groundskeeper, to provide me
wood for the roofs over the gates, the city walls, and the house where I will
stay.’
Well, by the hand of God, the king provided this to me. 9 Sowhen I reached the vassal kings on the other side of the river, I gave them the letters from the king.
Now, the king had also sent his top general with me, and a contingent of cavalry. 10 And when SabBalLat the Horonite and TobiJah his Ammonite servant heard of it, this appeared bad to them. For they were very unhappy that someone had come to do good things for the sons of Israel.
11 Well, when I got to Jerusalem, I [rested] there for three days. 12 Then I got up during the night and took a few men with me. I didn’t have to report to anyone, because God had put it into my heart to do this for Jerusalem. And I didn’t bring along any animals, except the one I rode. 13 Then I traveled through the City Gate to the mouth of the Well of Dragons, and on through the Manure Gate. Then I studied the walls of Jerusalem that were being torn down, and the gates that had been burned in a fire.
14 Thereafter, I went by the Fountain Gate and up to the Pool of the King, to a place where I could pass [on horseback], 15 and I rode up the Cedar (Kidron) Wadi at night, studying the wall, until I reached the Valley Gate, and I turned around and went back.
16 Well, the guards didn’t know why I went there or what I was doing. And I didn’t report what I was doing to any of the Judeans, the Priests, the important ones, the generals, or any of the rest who had been doing the work until then. 17 But later I said to them, ‘Do you see this wicked condition that we’re in? Why, Jerusalem is a waste and its gates have been burned. Come on; let’s build a wall around Jerusalem so we’re no longer a joke.’
18 Then I explained to them how the hand of God had blest me, and of the things that the king had said to me, and I said, ‘Get up! Let’s build!’
Well at that, their hands were emboldened to do what was good. 19 But when SabBalLat the Horonite, his servant TobiJa the Ammonite, and the Arab Gesham heard about this, they laughed out loud and were disgusted with us. And they asked, ‘Just what do you think you’re doing? Have you chosen to turn away from the king?’
20 Then I spoke right back to them and said, ‘The God of heaven will bless us, because we (His servants) are pure, so we will get up and build! However, you may have no part in this, or in our legal rights; nor will you be remembered in Jerusalem.’
Chapter 3
1 Then the High Priest EliAshib and his fellow Priests rebuilt the Sheep Gate and made it holy. They set its doors in place and perfected [the walls] from the Tower of the Hundred to the Tower of HananeEl. 2 Then next to him, ZacCur (the son of Imri) and men from Jericho rebuilt [the adjoining portion of the wall]. 3 Then the sons of HasSenaAh rebuilt the Fish Gate – they roofed it and set its doors, bolts, and bars. 4 And from that point, MaremOth (the son of UriJah and grandson of Kos) took control [of rebuilding the wall]; then MeshulLam (the son of BarechiJah and grandson of MeShezaBeel) did the repairs, and Zadok (the son of BaAna) handled a section. 5 And then the Tekoites repaired the next section (but their strongest men refused to lift their necks in the service of their Lord).
6 From there, JehoiAda (the son of PaseAh) and MeshulLam (the son of BoSodeJah) repaired the Gate of JaSanah – they roofed it, and set its doors, bolts, and bars. 7 And next to them, MeLatiJah the Gibeonite, JaDon the Meronothite, and the men of Gibeon and Mizpah (who were ruled from the throne on the other side of the river) made the repairs. 8 And next to them, UzziEl (the son of HarhaiJah the refiner) made the repairs, and then HananiJah (the son of the perfumers) made the repairs and rebuilt Jerusalem all the way to the Broad Wall. 9 From there, RephaiJah (the son of Sur, the ruler of half the area around Jerusalem) made the repairs. 10 And next to him, JedaiJah (the son of HaruMaph) made the repairs all the way to his house. Then next to him, HatTush (the son of HashaBaniJah) made the repairs.
11 The second section [of the wall] was repaired by MalchiJah (the son of Harim) and Hashub (the son of PahathMoab) all the way to the Tower of Furnaces. 12 And next to them, ShalLum (the son of HaloHesh, the ruler of the other half of the area around Jerusalem) made the repairs with the help of his daughters. 13 Then Hanun repaired the Valley Gate with the help of the people of Zanoa… they built it and set its doors, bolts, and bars, as well as seventeen-hundred feet of the wall to the Manure Gate.
14 The Manure Gate was repaired by MalchiJah (the son of Rechab, the ruler of the area around BethHakKarim) and his sons. They covered it and set its doors, bolts, and bars.
15 ShalLum (the son of ColHozeh, the ruler of part of Mizpah) was in charge of the Gate of the Spring, and he rebuilt it, roofed it, and set its doors and bars, then he rebuilt the wall around the Pool of Siloam, the King’s Garden, and the stairway that leads down from the [Citidel] of David. 16 And next to him, NehemJah (the son of AzaBuk, the ruler of half the area around BethSur) made repairs from the garden of the Tomb of David to the man-made pool and the House of the Mighty.
17 Next to him, the Levites under Rehum (the son of Bani) did the repairs, and then AsabiJah (the ruler of half the area around Keila) made the repairs around his [house] by himself. 18 And after him, his friend Benei (the son of HenAdad, the ruler of the other half of the area around Keila) made the repairs. 19 Then Ezer (the son of JoShua, the ruler of Mizpah) made the repairs to the corner of a second wall opposite the arsenal all by himself. 20 After him, BarUch (the son of Zabai) made the repairs from the corner of the second wall up to the door of the house of EliAshib the High Priest. 21 And after him, MeramOth (the son of UriJah and grandson of HahChoz) rebuilt a measured section from the door of the house of EliAshib and all along that house (that was also being rebuilt).
22 And next to him, the Priests who were descendants of EkChechar repaired the wall. And after him, BenJamin and Hashub did the repairs by their houses. 23 Then AzariJah (the son of MaAseJah and grandson of AnaniJah) did the repairs next to his house. 24 Then BinNui (the son of HenAdad) repaired another measured section from the house of AzariJah to the corner, and around the bend. 25 Then Palal (the son of Uzai) did the repairs opposite the corner and to the tower that protrudes from the king’s palace and overlooks the prison courtyard.
Then PedaiJah (the son of Parosh) 26 and the Nethinim who lived in Ophel rebuilt the eastern Garden Watering Gate and the tower that protrudes from it. 27 Then the Tekoites repaired another measured section across from the Great Tower and up to the wall of Ophel. 28 And from there, the Priests repaired the portion of the Horse Gate that was across from their own houses. 29 Then Zadok (the son of ImMer) did the repairs across from his own house. And ShemaiJah (the son of ShechaniJah, who was in charge of the Eastern Gate) did the repairs. 30 Then HananiJah (the son of ShelemiJah) and Hanun (the sixth son of Zalaph) repaired another measured section.
Next, MeshulLam (the son of BarechiJah) made the repairs across from his treasury. 31 And from there, MalchiJah (the son of Sarefi) did the repairs up to the House of the Nethinim and the market that’s in front of the Gate of MiphKad, and then around the curve. 32 And [finally], the goldsmiths and venders repaired the section of wall that ascends back to the Sheep Gate.
Chapter 4
1 Well, when SabBalLat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he thought this was a bad thing, and he was extremely angry. He was also laughing out loud over the Judeans. 2 So he spoke before his people and the army of the Samaritans and said: ‘What do these men of Judah – these Judeans – think they’re doing? Do they think we’ll just leave them alone? Do they think that they can offer sacrifices? Do they think that they will be able to finish the job? Why, today they’re making their repairs with stones that they find in heaps of rubbish that should have been burned!’
3 Then TobiJah the Ammonite (who was standing next to him) said, ‘Why, even if they build, won’t a fox go there and demolish their wall of rocks?’
4 Listen, O our God, to the people who are sneering at us, and bring their scorn down upon their own heads! Make them do their sneering as captives in [a faraway] land. 5 Don’t cover over their lawlessness, and may their sins never be wiped away from Your face, because they made You angry in front of those who are doing the rebuilding.
6 Anyhow, we were rebuilding the wall, and it was joined all the way [around the city], but only half of it was finished. And the people were working with all their hearts to complete it.
7 But when SabBalLat, TobiJah, the Arabians, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites heard that the gaps in the walls of Jerusalem were being repaired, this appeared wrong to them, 8 and they all gathered to distract Jerusalem and to undo our work. 9 So, we prayed to our God and we posted guards [outside the walls] night and day. 10 Then [the people of] Judah said: ‘Our enemies have broken our strength, and there’s so much dust that we just can’t finish building the wall.’
11 And meanwhile, those who were oppressing us said, ‘They won’t know it, because they won’t see us when we come among them to murder them, and to cause them to stop the work.’
12 Well, the Judeans who lived among them came to us and reported what was said, and they warned us that our enemies were all around us. 13 So, I posted men in fortified trenches behind the wall, who were armed with broadswords, wooden spears, and bows. 14 And after looking it over, I got up and spoke to the leaders, generals, and the rest of the people, saying, ‘When you face them don’t be afraid; remember that our God is great and someone to be feared! So, get ready to fight in order to protect your relatives, sons, daughters, wives, and your homes!’
15 Then, when our enemies found out that we had learned about their plan and that God had blocked their schemes, we were all able to start rebuilding the walls again, and everyone went back to doing his job. 16 But from that day on, half did the work, while the other half stood armed and ready for battle with their lances, shields, bows, and armor. So, the rulers and the whole house of Judah 17 protected the ones who were building the wall. And those who carried things on their shoulders did their work with one hand, while they held arrows in the other. 18 And all the workers – every man – had his broadsword tied to his waist as he built.
Now, I kept the trumpeters next to me. 19 And I told the rulers, generals, and the rest of the people: ‘The work covers a vast area and we’re spread all along the walls, so each man is working some distance from his brother. 20 Thus; when you hear the trumpets being blown, everyone must gather here, and our God will fight a war for us.’
21 And that’s how we did it… with half of us [ready for battle] as we worked from sunrise until we could see the stars. 22 Then I told the people: ‘All those with children should sleep in the middle of Jerusalem, and we will keep guards posted all night. But during the day, everyone must work.’
So I stood there with my brothers and the younger men, flanked by guards, and no one took off his clothes or removed his sword, even when they went to get water.
Chapter 5
1 Then the people and their wives started complaining loudly about their brothers the Judeans. 2 Some were saying, ‘With our many sons and daughters we have enough grain to eat and survive.’ 3 However, others were saying, ‘We have mortgaged our fields, vineyards, and houses to buy grain to eat.’ 4 And yet others were saying, ‘We had to borrow money to pay the king’s taxes on our fields, vineyards, and houses, and now our flesh belongs to our brothers… our sons are now their sons, and our daughters are now their daughters. 5 And look! They are tyrannizing our sons, and they’re using our daughters as servants… and even some of them are being tyrannized. But there’s nothing we can do [to help them], because our fields and vineyards now belong to the important ones.’
6 Well, when I heard the things they said in their outcries, I was deeply disturbed 7 and my heart moved me to do something. So I confronted the important ones and the rulers, and said to them: ‘Should a man be asking of his brothers what you are doing?’
Then I called for a great assembly against them, 8 where I said to them, ‘We have bought back our Judean brothers who were sold to the nations with our voluntary contributions. So, are you now reselling your brothers, or do you think they should be returned to us?’
Well, no one said a word. 9 Then I said, ‘What you’re doing here isn’t good, because it doesn’t reflect a fear of our God! Should we be giving our enemies from the nations even more reason to treat us with contempt?
10 ‘Well, my friends, brothers, and acquaintances have decided to repay you for their money and the grain; so let’s end these exacting accounting practices. 11 Return these people today, along with their fields, vineyards, olive groves, and houses, then give them some money, grain, wine, and olive oil!’
12 And they replied, ‘We will give it back and ask no more of them. We’ll do as you say.’
Then I called the Priests forward and made them swear with an oath, to make them do what they said. 13 And I shook off my cape and said, ‘This is how God will shake off any man that doesn’t stand by his word on this matter. His house and everything he has worked for will be shaken off like this!’
And the entire assembly said, ‘May it be!’ Then they praised Jehovah, and the people did as they said.
14 Also, from that day on, they appointed me their ruler in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year to the thirty-second year of the reign of King ArtaSatha (ArtaXerxes)… twelve years. And during that period, my brothers and I (who governed) didn’t accept any [compensation]. 15 However, those who had been rulers before us had oppressed the people, taking the last of their bread and wine, charging a tax of forty silver coins, and their servants dominated over the people. Yet I didn’t do that, because of my fear before the face of Jehovah.
16 So, I worked on repairing the wall and didn’t acquire any land for myself; and all the servants and harvesters showed up to work. 17 Also, the Judeans and the rulers (a hundred and fifty men) who had returned to us from the nations around us, ate at my table. And each day they consumed a calf, six choice sheep, and a winter-yearling goat. 18 Also, I required huge quantities of wine to be delivered every ten days. Yet, I didn’t seek any compensation for my work, because these people were slaving so hard.
19 Please remember me O God for all the good that I’ve done for these people!
Chapter 6
1 Well, when SabBalLat, TobiJah, Gesham the Arabian, and the rest of our enemies heard that I was finishing the wall, they became quite dispirited. However, until then the doors hadn’t yet been set in the gates, 2 so SabBalLat and Gesham sent me [a letter] that said, ‘Come, and meet with us in one of the towns in the plains of Ono!’ (But they were just planning to [kill] me).
3 So, I sent messengers to them that said, ‘I have a tremendous amount of work to do, so I can’t stop right now, because that would bring the work to a halt. I’ll come after it’s finished.’
4 Then they sent me four other messages, and I kept giving them the same reply.
5 And after that, SabBalLat sent his servant a fifth time, and he opened the letter and read it to me. 6 This is what it said: ‘Geshem told me (and it’s being rumored among the nations) that you are planning to rebel, and that’s why you and the Judeans are building the wall… so you can become their king. 7 For you have appointed your own prophets to proclaim throughout Jerusalem that you’re now the king of Judea. So, come and tell the king that these words aren’t true… come and let’s discuss this matter!’
8 So, I sent a reply that said: ‘None of these things have happened, and you’re lying from the heart about this matter, 9 for all you’re trying to do is frighten us. You’re saying, If we worry them enough, we can stop the work so it won’t be completed. However, I’m now more determined than ever.’
10 And later, I went to the house of ShemaiJah (the son of DalaiJah and grandson of MeHetaBeel), and he seemed very concerned. He said, ‘We should all gather in the middle of the Temple of God and lock its doors, for they’re coming to murder you tonight.’
11 But I said, ‘What man should I run from? And who can make me run for my life to the Temple? 12 I’m not going to do that!’
But {Look!} then I realized that God hadn’t sent him. Rather, this prophesy was just part of a plot against me; for TobiJah and SabBalLat had hired him 13 to scare me into doing that in order to cause me to sin, and to give me a bad reputation so they could say bad things about me.
14 O my God, remember these things that TobiJah, SabBalLat, the prophet NoAdiJah, and the rest of the prophets have done to frighten me!
15 Well, we finished the wall on the twenty-fifth day of the month of Elul, after fifty-two days. 16 And when our enemies heard of it, they and all the nations around us became extremely fearful, because they realized that it was our God who had brought the work to a completion.
17 Now during this time, many important men of Judah had been sending messages to TobiJah, and he was sending messages back to them, 18 because many in Judah had sworn allegiance to him… since he was the son-in-law of ShechaniJah (the son of Arah), and his son JoHanan had married the daughter of MeshulLam (the son of BerechiJah). 19 So he had used these things to his advantage when he wrote to me, and the things I said were being reported back to him. As the result, the letters from TobiJah were just sent to frighten me.
Chapter 7
1 Well, after the walls were finished and the gate doors were set in place, we took a census of the gatekeepers, singers, and Levites.
2 Then we assigned a job to my brother Hanani and to HananiJah (the man in charge of the palace in Jerusalem), because they feared God and were more righteous than most others were. 3 I told them: ‘Don’t allow the city gates to be opened until sunrise each morning, and make sure that they are very careful to lock the gates [each night], as a safety precaution. Also, select guards from among the people of Jerusalem and assign them to posts near their homes.’
4 Now, the city was wide and spread out, and not many people lived there, because none of the houses had been rebuilt.
5 Then God inspired my heart and I collected all the important people, the rulers, and the common people into groups. And then I found a scroll that listed all the people who had first returned [to Jerusalem], and the 6 cities that they returned to in Judah after the captivity and the resettlement by King NebuChadnezzar of Babylon. 7 The men of Israel who returned with ZerubBabel, JoShua, NehemJah, AzariJah, RaAmiJah, NaHamani, MordecAi, Balsan, MisPereth, BigVai, Nehum, BaAna, and Masphar were:
8 The descendants of Parosh – 2,172
9 The descendants of ShephatiJah – 372
10 The descendants of Arah – 652
11 The descendants of PahathMoab (including the sons of JeShua and JoAb) –
2,818
12 The descendants of ElAm – 1,254
13 The descendants of ZatTu – 845
14 The descendants of ZacCai – 760
15 The descendants of BinNui – 648
16 The descendants of BebAi – 628
17 The descendants of AzGad – 2,322
18 The descendants of AdoniKam – 667
19 The descendants of BigVai – 2,067
20 The descendants of Adin – 655
21 The descendants of Ater (from the line of HezekiJah) – 98
22 The descendants of Hashum – 328
23 The descendants of BezAi – 324
24 The descendants of Hariph – 112
The descendants of Asen – 223
25 The men of Gibeon – 95
26 The men of BethLehem and NetoPhah – 123
27 The men of AnaThoth – 128
28 The men of BethAzmaVeth – 42
29 The men of Kariath Jiarim, Chephirah, and BeerOth – 743
30 The men of Ramah and GabaA – 621
31 The men of MichMash – 122
32 The men of BethEl and Ai – 123
33 The men of Nebo – 152
34 The men of Elam – 1252
35 The men of Harim – 320
36 The men of Jericho – 345
37 The men of LodHadid and Ono – 721
38 The men of SenaAh – 3,930
39 The priests from the sons of JedaiJah and the house of JesShua – 973
40 The descendants of ImMer – 1,052
41 The descendants of Pashur – 1,247
42 The descendants of Harim – 1,017
43 The Levites from the sons of JeShua (the son of KadmiEl) and the sons of
HodeVah – 74
44 The singers who were the descendants of Asaph – 148
45 The gatekeepers who were the descendants of ShalLum, Ater, Talmon, AkKub,
HatiTa, and ShobAi – 138
46 The Nethinim who were the sons of HashUpha, TabBaOth, 47 Keros, Sia, Padon,
48 Lebana, HagaBa, ShalmAi, 49 Hanan, GidDel, Gahar, 50 ReaJah, Rezin, Nekoda,
51 GazZam, UzZa, and PhaseAh – 54.
52 From BesAi, there were the sons of MeUnim, NephiShesim, 53 BakBuk, HakuPha, Harhur, 54 Bazlith, Mehida, Harsha, 55 Barkow, Sisera, Tamah, 56 NeziJah, and Hatiph.
57 Among the servants of Solomon, there were the
descendants of Sotai, SopherEth, Perida,
58 JaAla, Darkon, GidDel,
59 ShephatiJah, HatTil, PochEreth, and Zebaim (who were all Ammonites).
60 All together, the Nethinim and the servants of Solomon numbered three-hundred and ninety-two.
61 Those that had come from TelMelah, TelHaresha, Cherub, AdDon, and ImMer weren’t able to say which houses and families they were from, or even if they were the seed of Israel.
62 From the descendants of DalaiJah, TobiJah, and NekoDa, there were six-hundred and forty two.
63 Priests who were descended from HabaiJah, Koz, and BarzilLai (those who married the daughters of BarzilLai the Gileadite and took their family name) 64 searched for their family lines but couldn’t find them, so they were expelled from the Priesthood. 65 [King] ArtaSatha (ArtaXerxes) told them that they couldn’t eat from the Holy of Holies until a Priest could stand and provide some light on this.
66 All together, the entire group consisted of forty-two-thousand, three-hundred-and-sixty, 67 plus their male and female servants, who numbered seven-thousand, three-hundred-and-thirty-seven, and two-hundred-and-forty-five male and female singers.
68 There were seven-hundred-and-thirty-six horses, two-hundred-and-forty-five mules, four-hundred-and-thirty-five camels, 69 and six-thousand, seven-hundred-and-twenty burros.
70 [King] ArtaSatha gave the family heads a thousand large gold coins for the reconstruction (which was put into the treasury), plus fifty [gold] bowls, and five-hundred-and-thirty robes for the Priests. 71 Then the family heads contributed two-thousand more large gold coins for the work (which was put into the treasury), plus two-thousand, three-hundred large silver coins. 72 And the rest of the people contributed twenty-thousand large gold coins, two-thousand silver coins, and seventy-seven outfits for the Priests.
73 And thereafter, the Priests, Levites, gatekeepers, and singers each returned to the cities that their families came from, as did the Nethinim and all Israel.
Chapter 8
1 It was in the seventh month that the sons of Israel had all arrived back in their cities. Then the people gathered as a single man in the wide area in front of the Water Gate, and they asked the Scribe Ezra to bring them the scroll of the Law of Moses that gave Jehovah’s instructions to Israel. 2 So, the Priest Ezra carried the Law before the gathering, and everyone (both men and women) wanted to hear what it said, there on the first day of the seventh month. 3 And Ezra read it to the men and women in front of the square before the Water Gate, from sunrise until about noon, as everyone paid close attention to what was written in the scroll of the Law.
4 Ezra was standing on a wooden podium that he had made for such public speaking, and MattithiJah, ShemaiJah, AnaiJah, UriJah, HilkiJah, and MaAseJah were standing on his right, while PedaiJah, MishaEl, MelchiJah, Hashum, HashBadana, ZechariJah, and MeshulLam were standing on his left. 5 Then Ezra opened the scroll before all the people, as he was standing above those who were gathered there, 6 and Ezra praised their great God Jehovah, and everyone said ‘May it be; may it be,’ as they raised their arms and bowed low before Jehovah with their faces to the ground.
7 Then JeShua, Bani, SherebiJah, Jamin, AkKub, ShabBethAi, HodiJah, MaAseJah, Kelita, AzariJah, JoZabad, Hanan, PelaiJah, and the Levites explained the Law to the people as they were all standing in their places. 8 And as he read from the scroll of the Law of God, Ezra taught and instructed them, giving them a higher knowledge of Jehovah, and the people understood.
9 Then NehemJah (who was also known as AtarSatha), the Scribe and Priest Ezra, and the Levites (who were explaining things to the people) spoke. And they said, ‘This is a holy day to our God Jehovah, so stop being sad and crying’ (because all the people were crying as they were listening to the words of the Law). 10 And he said, ‘Now, go and eat the fatness and drink the sweetness, and share what you have with those who have nothing, because this is a holy day to our God Jehovah. And don’t be shy before our God, because the joy of Jehovah is our strength!’
11 Then the Levites settled the people down, as they shouted, ‘Be quiet, because this is a holy day… don’t be falling to the ground!’
12 Then all the people started eating, drinking, and sharing what they had, and they were all very joyful after learning the things they had been told.
13 Well on the second day, the governor gathered all the family heads, the people, the Priests, and the Levites before the Scribe Ezra to listen to the [reading of] more of the words of the Law. 14 And that’s when they found it was written in the Law (which God gave to Moses) that the sons of Israel were to live in temporary dwellings during the holiday of the seventh month, and that they were to signify this by blowing trumpets throughout all their cities and in Jerusalem. 15 So Ezra said: ‘Go into the mountains and gather olive branches and the branches of cypress trees, myrtle trees, palm branches, and branches from bushes, as we were told in the writing, to make temporary dwellings for ourselves.’
16 So, all the people went out and gathered what they needed to make the temporary dwellings, and assembled them on their roofs, in their courtyards, in the courtyards of the Temple of God, in the square by the Water Gate, and in the square by the Gate of Ephraim. 17 Then everyone who had returned from captivity started living in the temporary dwellings, which the sons of Israel hadn’t done from the time of JoShua (the son of Naue) until that day, and everyone there was extremely happy.
18 Thereafter, he read from the scroll of the Law of God from the first day to the last, during each of the seven-days of the holiday. But it ended on the eighth day, just as they were told.
Chapter 9
1 Well, it was on the twenty-fourth day of the month that the sons of Israel gathered to fast, wearing sackcloth and with ashes on their heads. 2 Then they separated the foreigners from among themselves, and they stood and openly confessed their sins and the lawbreaking of their ancestors.
3 Then they took their positions as the scroll of the Law of their God Jehovah was read for four days, and they spoke openly to Jehovah and bowed before the Lord their God through the fourth day. 4 And all the while, the Levites (JeShua, the sons of KadmiEl, and SecheniJah the son of SherebiJah and grandson of ChenAni) stood on the ascent and called out loudly to their God Jehovah.
5 Then the Levites (JeShua, KadmiEl, Bani, SherebiJah, HodiJah, SecheniJah, and PethahiJah) said to the people, ‘Stand up and praise Jehovah who has been our God through the ages and into the ages of ages! Praise His glorious Name and raise it high with blessings and praise!’
6 Then Ezra said, ‘You are the only Lord, for You made the sky and the heavens of the skies, and You put everything in its position… the earth and all that’s in it, the seas and all the things in them, and You gave life to everything. So, to You all the armies of the heavens must bow.
7 ‘O Jehovah God; You chose Abram and led him out of the [land] of the Chaldeans, then You changed his name to Abraham, 8 because You found his heart worthy before You. Then You concluded a Sacred Agreement with him, promising to give the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Pherezites, Jebusites, and Gergesites to his seed, and You did what You said You would do, because You are just.
9 ‘And when You saw how our ancestors were humiliated in Egypt, and heard their cries at the Red Sea, 10 You sent signs and miracles to the Pharaoh of Egypt on their behalf, and to all his servants and all the people of his land, because You knew how they dominated them. Then You made a name for Yourself [among] them that has lasted to this day, 11 because You ripped open the sea before them and threw those who were chasing them to the bottom of the sea like stones in turbulent waters. 12 Then You guided them with a column of clouds by day and a column of fire by night, to light their way as they followed it.
13 ‘And on Mount Sinai, You went down and spoke to them from the heavens and gave them Your righteous Commandments, Laws of truth, orders, and good [instructions], 14 where You told them of Your Holy Sabbath among the Commandments, orders, and Laws that You gave them by the hands of Your servant Moses. 15 Then You sent them bread from heaven as their provisions, and You brought water out of the rock to quench their thirst.
‘Then You spoke to them and told them to go in and inherit the land that You stretched out Your hand to give them, 16 but our ancestors were too proud. They stiffened their necks and refused to listen to Your Commandments… 17 they shook their heads and refused to listen, because they forgot the wonders that You had performed among them. And because they stiffened their necks, You [could have] appointed a leader to return them to their slavery in Egypt. But You, O God, are merciful, compassionate, lenient, and filled with patience when it comes to forgiving sins, so You didn’t abandon them.
18 ‘But then they molded a calf for themselves and said, These are the gods that led us out of Egypt, which made You very angry. 19 But in Your great compassion, You didn’t abandon them in the desert or remove the column of clouds that guided them on their way during the day, or the column of fire that lit their way during the night. 20 But Your good Breath made them understand, so You didn’t withhold Your manna from their mouths or the water that You gave them to quench their thirst.
21 ‘Then You fed them in the desert for forty years and they lacked for nothing, because their clothes didn’t become old, and their sandals didn’t wear out. 22 And You gave them kingdoms… You divided the people from among them, and they inherited the land of Seon the king of Heshbon, and the land of Og the king of Bashan. 23 And all the while, You multiplied their sons as the stars in the skies, and then You brought them into the land that You told their ancestors they would enter and inherit.
24 ‘And after their sons entered and inherited the land, You wiped out those who lived in the land before them. You gave the Canaanites into their hands, both their kings and the people of the land, to do whatever they saw fit with them. 25 And they conquered cities with high walls and entered a fertile land, where they inherited houses that were furnished, and quarries, vineyards, olive groves, and plenty of things to eat. So they ate until they were full and fat, as they indulged in Your goodness. 26 But then they changed and rebelled against You… they threw away Your Laws and killed the Prophets who You sent as witnesses to them to turn them back to You, which made You extremely angry.
27 ‘So, You handed them over to those who oppressed them. And when they were oppressed, they called to You in their time of need, and You heard them from Your heavens. Then in Your great compassion, You saved them and delivered them from the ones who were oppressing them, 28 and allowed them to rest. But then they turned around and started acting wickedly before You again, so You abandoned them into the hands of their enemies, who started ruling over them.
‘Then they once again yelled out to You, and You once again listened from the heavens and rescued them, because of Your great compassion; 29 and You advised them to return to Your Law. However, they acted superior and wouldn’t listen to Your Commandments and judgments that bring life to a man, and they sinned. They turned their backs and refused to be persuaded… they stiffened their necks and just wouldn’t listen. 30 But You suffered along with them for many years, until Your patience finally ran out, then through Your Breath You warned them by the hands of Your Prophets, and You handed them over to the people of the land. 31 But in Your great compassion, you didn’t destroy them or abandon them. You were strong and merciful, and You felt pity.
32 And now, O our strong, great, fearsome, and mighty God who is merciful and guards His Sacred Agreement; don’t allow all the troubles that have found us, our kings, our rulers, our Priests, our Prophets, our fathers, or all Your people since the days of the kings of Assyria down to this day, to go unnoticed. 33 For You are just when it comes to all the things that have happened to us. You acted righteously, but we were led into sin. 34 For our kings, rulers, Priests, and our fathers didn’t obey Your Law, or pay attention to Your Commandments, or to the things that You testified to them. 35 Yet, they lived in Your kingdom, enjoyed the abundant goodness that You gave them, and they [inherited] the wide, beautiful land that You set before them. However, they wouldn’t serve You or turn from their wicked ways.
36 ‘But look… we are Your servants today in this land that You gave to our ancestors to eat its fruit and good things. Look… we are Your servants here! 37 Yet, the abundant fruitage of this land now belongs to the kings who were put over us because of our sins, as were our bodies and our cattle, to do whatever they pleased with them. So we are extremely oppressed, 38 and we’re entrusting these things [to You]. We have written it, and our rulers, Levites, and Priests have put their seal upon it.’
Chapter 10
1 Now, in charge of those who were setting the seal were NehemJah (or ArtaSastha, the son of HachaliJah), ZidKiJah 2 (the son of AraiJah), AzariJah, JeremiJah, 3 Pashur, AmariJah, MelchiJah, 4 HatTush, ShebaniJah, Harim, MalLuch, 5 MeremOth, ObediJah, 6 DaniEl, GinNethou, BarUch, 7 MeshulLam, AbiJah, MiJamin, 8 MaAziJah, Bilgai, and ShemaiJah (the Priests). 9 The Levites were JeShua (the son of AzaniJah), BinNui (of the sons of HenAdad), KadmiEl 10 and his brothers ShebaniJah, HodiJah, Kelita, PelaiJah, Hanan, 11 Micha, Rehob, HaShabiJah, 12 ZacCur, SherebiJah, ShebaniJah, and HodiJah 13 (the sons of BeniNi).
14 These rulers of the people [also agreed to the seal]: ParOsh, PahathMoab, ElAm, ZatThu, the sons of Bani, 15 Agad, BebAi, 16 AdoniJah, BigVai, Adin, 17 Ater, HezkiJah, AzZur, 18 HodiJah, Hashum, BezAi, 19 Hariph, AnaThoth, NebAi, 20 MagPiAsh, MeshuLam, Hezir, 21 MeShezaBeel, Zadok, JadDua, 22 PelatiJah, Hanan, AnaiJah, 23 Hoshea, HananiJah, Hashub, 24 HalLohesh, PiLeha, Shobek, 25 Rehum, HashabNah, MaAseJah, 26 AhiJah, Hanan, Anan, 27 MalLuch, Harim, and BaAnah.
28 And all the rest of the people also [agreed to the seal]… the Priests, Levites, gatekeepers, singers, Nethinim, and all the other people of the land who had dedicated themselves to the Law of God, plus their wives, sons, and daughters… everyone who could know and understand. 29 They all supported their brothers and swore bad things upon themselves and curses with an oath, that they would follow the Law of God that had been given at the hand of Moses (the servant of God), and guard and observe all the Commandments of our God Jehovah, and His judgments and orders. 30 [They also swore] not to give their daughters to the peoples of the land, or to take their daughters for their sons.
31 Then they agreed that they would not buy anything that the peoples of the land would bring to sell on the Sabbath or on other holy days, and that every seven years we would each go up and forgive all debts. 32 And we all agreed to pay a third of a large gold coin per year for services at the Temple of our God, 33 plus provide the show bread, the daily sacrifice offerings, the whole-burnt offerings, and the sacrifices for the Sabbaths, the New Moons, and the holidays, and to provide the holy things for sin offerings for ourselves and for all Israel, and for repairs and upkeep of the Temple of our God.
34 Then we [held] a lottery to determine who would carry wood to the Temple for the Priests, Levites, and the people (by houses and families) during each season and by time of day each year, to be burned on the Altar of Jehovah our God, as it is written in the Law.
35 And [we agreed to] bring the first produce of our land and the first produce of the fruit from every tree to the Temple of Jehovah each year, 36 as well as the firstborn of our sons and of our cattle (as it is written in the Law)… the first-born of our oxen and our flocks. We agreed to bring them to the Temple of our God for the Priests who serve there in the Temple of our God, 37 as well as the first-fruits of our grain and other offerings (the fruit of every tree, and of our wine and olive oil), which will be delivered to the Priests and stored in the treasury in the Temple of our God.
We also agreed to pay a ten-percent tithe for the Levites… they were to receive a tenth in each city for their services. 38 In addition, the descendants of Aaron (the Priests) were to share in this tenth that was to be given to the Levites. Then, even the Levites were to offer a tenth from their tenth to the Temple of our God, which would be put into the Temple treasury.
39 The treasuries were to be used to store all that the sons of Israel and the Levites would bring to the Temple – the first fruits of the grain, wine, and olive oil – where it would be stored in holy containers for the Priests, servants, gatekeepers, and singers.
Then we all agreed that we would never abandon the Temple of our God.
Chapter 11
1 Well, the rulers had all settled in Jerusalem. But then the rest of the people threw lots to bring ten percent of them to the Holy City of Jerusalem, while the other ninety percent settled in other cities. 2 And the people praised all the men who were willing to settle in Jerusalem.
3 These are the rulers of the land who settled in Jerusalem and in the cities of Judah, all of whom brought their possessions to their cities… the Israelites, Priests, Levites, Nethinim, the descendants of the servants of Solomon, 4 and many other Judeans and BenJamites who settled in Jerusalem:
[The leader] of the sons of Judah was AthaiJah (the son UzziJah and grandson of ZechariJah, the son of SamariJah, the son of ShephatiJah, the son of MaHalaleEl). And [over] the sons of Perez 5 there was MaAseJah (the son of BarUch, grandson of ColHozeh, the son of HazaiJah, the son of AdaiJah, the son of JoiArib, the son of ZechariJah, the son of Seloni).
6 Altogether, there were four-hundred and twenty-eight mighty men who were descendants of Perez that settled in Jerusalem.
7 [The leader from] the tribe of BenJamin was SalLu (the son of MeshulLlam, grandson of JoEd, the son of PedaiJah, the son of KolaiJah, the son of MasSeJah, the son of IthiEl, the son of JesaiJah). 8 And under him was GabBai and SalLai, with nine-hundred and twenty-eight men. 9 Also, JoEl (the son of Zichri) was their overseer.
Judah (the son of Asam) was second in charge of the city.
10 From the Priests there was JadaiJah (the son of JoiArib), JaChin, 11 and SeraiJah (the son of HilkiJah, grandson of MeshuLam, the son of Zadok, the son of MaraiOth, the son of Ahitub) who were in charge of the Temple of God. 12 And under them were eight-hundred and twenty-two of their brothers who did the work. This included AdaiJah (the son of JeroHam, grandson of PelaliJah, the son of Amzi, the son of ZechariJah, the son of Pashur, 13 the son of MalchiJah), 13 and two-hundred and forty-two of his brothers who were the rulers of families, including AmaShai (the son of AzareEl, grandson of SikiJah, the son of MeshilLemOth, the son of ImMer), 14 and his brothers, some one-hundred and twenty-eight mighty men who were ready for battle. Their overseer was ZabdiEl, who was a descendant of a great line of warriors.
15 From the Levites there was ShemaiJah (the son of Hashub, grandson of AzriKam, the son of HashabiJah, the son of BunNi), 16 and ShabBethAi, and JoZabad, who were in charge of the work outside the Temple of God and were the rulers of the Levites. 17 There was also MattaniJah (the son of Micha, grandson of Zechri, the son of Asaph) who was in charge of the praises; Judah was in charge of the prayers, his brother BakBukiJah was second under him, and then there was AbDa (the son of ShamMua, grandson of Galal, the son of JeDuthun). 18 Altogether, there were two-hundred and eighty-four Levites in the Holy City.
19 Over the gatekeepers were AkKub and Talmon. And under them there were a hundred and seventy-two of their brothers who guarded the gates.
20 All the rest of Israel and the Priests and Levites settled in the lands of their inheritance, in the other cities of Israel.
21 The Nethinim settled in Ophel, Ziha, and Gispa.
22 The overseer of the Levites in Jerusalem was UzZi (the son of Bani, grandson of SabiJah, the son of MatTaniJah, the son of Micha).
The singers who were descendants of Asaph also had to do their work before of the Temple of God, 23 and because they were commanded to do so by the king, each one had his daily assignment.
24 PethahJah (the son of MeShezaBeel) from the line of Zerah of the Tribe of Judah, reported directly to the king on matters pertaining to the people 25 and regarding their properties and land.
Some from the Tribe of Judah settled in Kariath Arba and its suburbs, in Dibon and its suburbs, in and around Kabsel, 26 in JeShua, in MolAdah, in BethPhelet, 27 in HazarShual, in BeerSheba and its suburbs, 28 in Ziklag, in MabNe and its suburbs, 29 in RimMon, in ZeriAh, in JarMuth, 30 in ZaNoah, in and around AdulLam, in and around Lachish, and in AzekAh and its suburbs. They also camped near BeerSheba in the Valley of Hinnom.
31 The Tribe of BenJamin settled in GebaA, in Michmash, in AiJa, in BethEl and its suburbs, 32 in AnaThoth, in Nob, in AnaniJah, 33 in Hazor, in Ramah, in GitTaim, 34 in Hadid, in Zeboim, in NebalLat, 35 in Lod, and in OnoKareSeim. 36 Also, some of the Levites settled throughout Judah and BenJamin.
Chapter 12
1 These are the Priests and Levites who came here with ZerubBabel (the son of ShealtiEl) and JeShua: SaraiJah, JeremiJah, Ezra, 2 AmariJah, MalLuch, HatTush, 3 ShechaniJah, Rehum, MeremOth, 4 AdiJah, GinNetho, AbiJah, 5 MiAmin, MaAdiJah, Bilgah, 6 ShemaiJah, JoiArib, JedaiJah, 7 SalLu, Amok, HilkiJah, JedaiJah.
8 These are rulers of the Priests and their brothers in the days of JeShua and the Levites: JeShua, BinNui, KadmiEl, SherebiJah, JoiAda, MatTaniJah (who, along with his brothers, was over [the gifts] of confession), 9 BakBukiJah, UnNi, and their brothers, who handled the daily rotations.
10 JeShua fathered JoiAkim, JoiAkim fathered EliAshib, EliAshib fathered JoiAda, 11 JoiAda fathered JoNathan, and JoNathan fathered JadDua.
12 Now, during the
days of JoiAkim, these were the Priests and the rulers of the families:
The leader of the family of SeraiJah was MeraiJah;
The leader of the family of JeremiJah was HananiJah;
13 The leader of the family of Ezra was MeshulLam;
The leader of the family of AmariJah was JehoHanan;
14 The leader of the family of Melicu was JoNathan;
The leader of the family of SecheniJah was Joseph;
15 The leader of the family of Ares was Adna;
The leader of the family of MaraYoth was HelkAi;
16 The leader of the family of IdDo was ZechariJah;
The leader of the family of GinNethon was MeshulLam;
17 The leader of the family of AbiJah was Zichri;
The leader of the families of MinJamin and MoadiJah was PiltAi;
18 The leader of the family of Bilgah was ShamMua;
The leader of the family of ShemaiJah was JehoNathan;
19 The leader of the family of JoiArib was MattenAi;
The leader of the family of JedaiJah was Uzzi;
20 The leader of the family of SalLai was KalLai;
The leader of the family of Amok was Eber;
21 The leader of the family of HilkiJah was HashaiJah;
The leader of the family of JedaiJah was NethaneEl.
22 The Levites in the days of EliAshib were JoiAda, Joa, JoHanan, and JadDua. They were the recorded heads of their families, and the Priests in the kingdom of Darius the Persian.
23 The sons of Levi who were the family heads were written in the scroll of the records of those days, up until the time of JoHanan (the son of EliAshib). 24 The rulers of the Levites were HashabiJah, SherebiJah, JeShua, and the sons and family of KadmiEl, who were in charge of the praising and acknowledging, that David (the man of God) had set up by daily rotations.
25 MattaniJah, BakBukiJah, ObadiJah, MeShulLam, Talmon, and AkKub were in charge of gathering and assigning the watches of the gatekeepers.
26 In the days of JoiAkim (the son of JeShua and grandson of JoZadak), and in the time of NehemJah (the ruler) and Ezra (the Priest and Scribe), 27 during the festival of dedication of the wall of Jerusalem, they went searching for the Levites in the places where they lived, to bring them to Jerusalem so they could handle the holiday of rededication with happiness, praises, and music on their cymbals, reed instruments, and stringed instruments. 28 Then they gathered singers from around Jerusalem… from NetoPhalthi, 29 BethGilgal, the fields of Geba, and from AzmaVeth (because the singers had built homes for themselves around Jerusalem). 30 Then the Priests cleansed themselves, as well as the Levites, the people, and the [city] gates and walls, 31 and thereafter they led the leaders of Judah up on top of the walls.
Then I stationed two large groups of [musicians and singers] on the walls, and they walked along toward the Manure Gate, 32 as HoshaiJah and half of the rulers of Judah walked behind them. 33 AzariJah, Ezra, and MeshulLam 34 represented Judah, and ShemaiJah and JeremiJah represented BenJamin. 35 Then some of the of the Priests blew their trumpets under [the leadership of] ZechariJah (the son of JoNathan, grandson of ShemaiJah, the son of MathaniJah, the son of MichaiJah, the son of ZacCur, the son of Asaph), 36 and with his family, ShemaiJah, AzaraEl, GilalAi, MaAi, NathanaEl, Judah, and Hanani, who played the songs of David (the man of God) on their instruments. And the Scribe Ezra walked in front of them.
37 Then, when they reached the Gate of the Spring, they marched down the stairway of the City of David and back up along the wall over the house of David, walking eastward toward the Water Gate. 38 And as they were marching along [playing and singing their] songs of praise, the second group was marching to meet them, as I walked behind them. Half of the people were above the wall in the Furnace Tower and along the Broad Wall 39 above the Gate of Ephraim, and on the Gates of EiSiana, the Fish Gate, the Tower of HaNaneEl, and the Tower of MeAh, all the way to the Sheep Gate, and they stopped at the Prison Gate. 40 Then both groups stopped to offer their praises at the Temple of God, as half of the commanders and I stood there.
41 Then the Priests (EliAkim, MaAsiJah, MiniAmin, MichaiJah, ElioEnai, ZechariJah, and HananiJah) blew their trumpets, 42 as MaAseJah, ShemiJah, EliEzer, UzZi, JehoHanan, MelchiJah, AiLam, Ezer (and their Overseer JezRahJah) sang.
43 Then they offered many sacrifices that day and everyone was extremely happy, for God had made them, their wives, and their children very happy; and the sound of their joy could be heard a long distance from Jerusalem.
44 And that day, they ordered those who were over the treasures of the treasuries (the first fruits and the tithes) to gather the portions for the Priests and Levites from the cities and the fields. And everyone in Judah was happy for the Priests, Levites, and the guards 45 who kept watch for their God, and those in charge of the cleansing, and the singers, and the gatekeepers, doing so according to the commandments of David and of his son Solomon. 46 Because, it was in the days of David and Asaph that singers were first assigned to sing praises to God. 47 And during the days of ZerubBabel and NehemJah, all the people contributed a portion for the singers and gatekeepers each day, which they handed over as holy to the Levites, who handed it over as holy to the sons of Aaron.
Chapter 13
1 That day, they read the scroll of Moses before the ears of the people, and it was then that they found it was written that Ammonites and Moabite were not to enter the gathering of God through the ages, 2 because they didn’t greet the sons of Israel with bread and water, but they had hired BalaAm to curse them. However, our God turned the curses into blessings. 3 Well, when they heard this read in the Law, they separated those who had been mixed among Israel.
4 Before that time, however, the Priest EliAshib was living in the treasury of the Temple of our God, as was TobiJah. 5 For, he had given him a large room there in the treasury that had been used to store the sacrifice offerings, frankincense, sacred utensils, tithe grain, wine, and olive oil, as was commanded, for the Levites, singers, and gatekeepers, as well as the first fruits for Priests.
6 Well, I wasn’t in Jerusalem when he did this, for it was the thirty-second year of the reign of ArtaSatha (ArtaXerxes) the ruler of Babylon, so I had gone to see the king, and after some time I asked the king for some things, 7 and then I returned to Jerusalem.
Well, when I saw the wicked thing that EliAshib had done for TobiJah by giving the treasury to him in the courtyard of the Temple of God, 8 this looked very wrong to me. So I took all of TobiJah’s things out of the treasury and threw them outside. 9 Then I gave the order and they cleansed the treasuries, and I returned the Temple of God’s sacred utensils, the sacrifice offerings, and the frankincense.
10 I also realized that the Levites hadn’t been given their portions, because the Levites, singers, and workmen had all returned to their own fields. 11 So, I had a heated exchange with those who were in charge, and I asked, ‘Why has the Temple of God been abandoned?’
Then I called everyone back and assigned them to their stations, 12 and all Judah brought their tithes of the wheat, wine, and olive oil into the treasuries, 13 and I entrusted it into the hands of the Priest ShelemiJah, the Scribe Zadok, and PedaiJah (for the Levites) and Hanan (the son of ZacCur and grandson of MatTaniJah), because I thought they could be trusted, and I left it up to them to divide it among their brothers.
14 Remember me for this, O my God, and don’t forget my acts of mercy on behalf of the Temple of my God Jehovah and [the assignment of] His watches!
15 At that time, I also saw people of Judah treading their wine vats, collecting sheaves of grain and loading them on their burros, as well as wine, grapes, figs, and everything else, and carrying them into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. And I can testify to the fact that they sold them on that day! 16 Why, even people from Tyre were bringing in fish and all sorts of things, and sitting there offering them for sale to the sons of Judah in Jerusalem on the Sabbath. 17 So, I quarreled with the free men of Judah and asked, ‘Why are you doing this wicked thing? Why are you profaning the day of the Sabbath? 18 Isn’t this the same thing that your fathers did that caused God to bring all the evils upon us and this city? Now you’re adding to His anger upon Israel by profaning the Sabbath!’
19 Well after I said that, they started locking the gates of Jerusalem before the Sabbath, and I told them not to unlock them until after the Sabbath. Then I had some of my young men stand at the gates to make sure that no one carried loads on the Sabbath day, 20 and all the traders were forced to find lodging. Oh, some did business outside Jerusalem’s walls once or twice, 21 but I spoke to them and asked, ‘Why are you lodging so close to the city wall? If you do this a second time, I’m going to have to take action against you!’
Well from that time on, they no longer came on the Sabbath.
22 Then I had a talk with the Levites who were being cleansed and those who had come to guard the gates about keeping the Sabbath holy.
Remember me O God and protect me by Your great mercy!
23 Back then I saw Judeans who had settled with wives who were Ashdodites, Ammonites, and Moabites, 24 and they were speaking the Ashdod language… they weren’t learning Judean, but the language of these people and those people. 25 So, I quarreled with them and cursed them… I hit some of the men, pulled their hair, and made them swear by God not to give their daughters to their sons, and not to take their daughters for their sons or for themselves. 26 [And I said], ‘Isn’t this how Solomon the king of Israel sinned? Yet, among all the nations there wasn’t another king like him, because he was loved by God and he was appointed by God as the king over all Israel. Yet it was this that turned him aside… foreign wives! 27 So, should we allow you to do such wickedness and break your relationship with God by taking foreign wives?’
28 [I said this to] the sons of JoiAda and to EliAshib, who was the High Priest and a relative by marriage of SanBalLat... then I threw him out!
29 Remember them, O my God, because they opposed the right of inheritance of the Priesthood, and Your Sacred Agreement with the Priesthood and the Levites!
30 I cleansed them of all their connections with foreigners, then I established the daily rotations for the Priests and Levites, and every man had an assignment among the Priests, 31 whether it was to provide gifts of wood for the offerings by seasons and times, or for the first fruits.
Please remember me O our God, for the goodness that [I have shown]!
Notes
Breath
The Greek word pneuma (as in pneumonia, a breathing disease) means breath or wind – the movement of air. In other Bible translations, this word is often translated as spirit or ghost – as in Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost. However, spirit is just a shortened form of the Latin word spiritu, which just means breath in Latin. And ghost conveys another meaning altogether.
The most common use of the word pneuma in the Bible is to imply an unseen force (such as breath or wind). And the problem with translating it as spirit or ghost is that many people have started believing that the unseen force that is called [God’s] Holy Breath herein, is another God-like person and part of a Divine ‘Trinity.’ This can’t be true, because the only scripture that can be used to support this theory (that is, where the Father, the Son, and the Holy Breath are supposed to be ‘one’) is found at Matthew 28:19, which simply says that baptism should be done ‘in the name of’ (or, in recognition of) these three. All other scriptures that are used to prove the Trinity theory fail to mention the Holy Breath as part of that group. And the King James wording of 1 John 5:7 (which was used for years to attempt to prove the Trinity) is spurious (something that was added to the Bible). In fact, the reference to the Holy Breath at Matthew 28:19 may also be spurious, and if so, then there are no actual Bible references that mention God’s Holy Breath along with the Father and the Son.
So to prevent confusion, the Greek word pneuma is usually translated as breath here. The only exceptions would be in instances where the Bible refers to demons as ‘spirits.’ Translating pneuma as breath in these cases, although correct, might just be confusing. There are also places where we have left pneuma translated as spirit, where the word implies a person's tendency (or spirit).
Another important use of the word pneuma is in the phrase, ‘Breath of Life.’ This phrase means more than just breathing, it refers to the entire mechanics of life itself. It’s the unseen force of life for all creature… it’s what makes each cell alive. However, nowhere does the Bible describe the ‘pneuma’ as immortal, nor is it the same as the soul (a breathing thing), so it can (figuratively) ‘return to God’ at death,’ because all hope of future life depends on God and His promise of a resurrection.
Note in particular how the term Breath is used at Job 27:3, where Job spoke of God’s Breath or Spirit. For there he asked, ‘Does the Breath of the Divine One remain in my nose?’ As you can see from his application of this word, pneuma obviously referred to God’s Breath in this case, not to a person or to an unseen force. He was talking about that which comes from God and caused him to breathe… the Breath of Life.
It is interesting that at Genesis 6:4 God says, ‘I won’t allow them to keep My Breath (which allows them to flesh) throughout the [rest of] the age.’ In Greek that reads, ‘Ou me katameine to pneuma mou en tois anthropois toutoiseis ton aiona, dia ai einai autous sarka.’
While the words Breath Mine (pneuma mou) here can refer to God’s Holy Breath, it seems more likely that He is referring to the breath of life that he gave Adam. So, it appears as though what He was saying here is that the breath of life (of the people of that age) would be removed prematurely. However, since God referred to it as ‘My Breath,’ there may be a link implied between God’s Holy Breath and the breath of life.
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Soul or?
The Greek word psyche (as in psychology) has been translated many ways, including soul, life, etc. However, psyche actually means something that breathes. It is used in the Bible to describe both breathing animals and breathing humans. So, by definition, a soul cannot leave the body, because a soul is what the living body (whether human or animal) is (see Genesis 2:7).
In ancient
However, such Greek philosophical thought never influenced Jesus and his Apostles. So, they consistently used psyche to indicate a living person or animal. The teaching that the soul is immortal stands in direct conflict with Jesus’ promise of a resurrection, because, if a person is immortal (can never die) he/she can never be resurrected (brought back to life).
In addition, the teaching of the immortality of the human soul is totally without support from the Bible. The word immortal(ity) (Gr: athanasia or undying) is only mentioned in the Bible in two places, and it isn’t used with or applied to the word soul in either case. Both of these scriptures show that immortality is only given by God as a reward for righteousness. And as Ezekiel 18:4 says, ‘The person (gr. psyche or ‘soul’) that is sinning will die (gr. apothaneitai).’
Of course, there are places in the Bible where the word soul means more than just a living, fleshly body. For example, God is recorded to have spoken of ‘My Soul’ in several places. Obviously, God is much more than just a ‘soul’ as most people think of that term, and He surely wasn’t talking about His having a human body. So, we must conclude that what He was referring to is His life.
Then there are Jesus’ words found at Matthew 10:28, which read, ‘Don’t be afraid of those who kill the body but can’t kill the person (psyche). Rather, be afraid of him who can destroy both the person and the body in the garbage dump.’ Here, Jesus is using the word psyche (soul) to refer to the value of life that remains with God until the resurrection. And he obviously isn’t referring the soul as immortal here, because he says God will destroy (gr. apolesai) the [unrighteous] soul or person.
Unfortunately, no single word can be used to translate psyche in every possible Bible application, so various terms are used herein, depending on the circumstances, but always in an attempt to harmonize with the meaning.
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Age(s)
The Greek word aionos is what the English word
eon is derived from. It means an indefinite period. However,
there is no exact English word to translate it. The best equivalents are
age(s) or era(s). Please note that where the plural form of the
word (ages) is used, it refers to a long time, at least multiple
generations. However, where the singular form is used (age or era), this
appears to mean a much shorter period, such as a lifetime, generation, or
era. And where the term ages of ages is used (such as at Ephesians
It is noteworthy that aionos is the word that is used in the Greek Septuagint in place of the Hebrew word ohlam, which is also translated as forever and time indefinite in popular versions of the Hebrew Scriptures. So, this one word (aionos) is translated as forever, everlasting, eternal, system of things, time indefinite, [end of] the world, long ago, from of old, etc. Obviously, something is very wrong here, because the word can’t mean a period having a definite end in one place and infinity in another.
Take for example, the unique way that aionos is used in the question that Jesus’ Apostles asked him, which is found at Matthew 24:3, ‘What will be the signs when you are near and this age will come to its conclusion?’
You can see that the word aionos obviously
doesn’t mean forever, everlasting, or eternal in this case, nor did it mean
world or system of things. It simply meant the age or the time before
the end would come. And for them, that meant the age when the
The word aionos (which we have translated as age here) is also translated as world (KJ) and as system of things (NW) in other Bibles. However, if the Apostles had meant any of those words, they would have used the Greek word cosmos, not aionos, for world or system of things.
The ancient Hebrews viewed everything (and rightly so) as having a beginning and an end. For that reason, you will only find three places in the Bible where words are used that imply no end and none that imply no beginning. An interesting possible insight on the reason for this can be found at Hebrews 1:10-12, which says:
‘Long ago, O Lord, You laid the foundation of the earth and Your hands made the heavens. They will destroy themselves, but You will remain. They will grow old just like clothes do. Then, as [You would do to] a robe, You will wrap them up and repair them like clothes. Yes, You are the One, and Your years will never run out.’
The problem with most Bible translations is that when they encounter the word aionos in all its different tenses, they interpret it according to accepted doctrine, not according to the way that Jesus and his disciples used it. So, the common renderings forever, eternal, and everlasting are used even when the word is in its singular form (aioni, aiona, aionos, aionion, aionian, aionios, aioniou), and this totally distorts the meaning of the text.
Take for example, the scripture at John 5:24, where Jesus said, ‘I tell you the truth; the one who hears what I say and believes in the One that sent me will have life in this age. He won’t have to be judged, but has crossed over from death to life.’
Most Bibles translate Jesus as saying that those who believe in the One who sent him will have everlasting life (or the equivalent). However, the words that Jesus used there were, zoe aionos (life age – singular), not zoe aionion (life ages – plural).
Notice how Jesus explained the meaning of these words with his next statement, ‘He won’t have to be judged, but has crossed over from death to life.’
So, what Jesus was saying here, wasn’t that they would
have everlasting life, but that they would (in their current life) be
considered among the living, not among the dead (see
Revelation
From consideration of the evidence found in the bulk of Jesus’ words about life, the conclusion might be logically reached that he never taught the hope of ‘life eternal,’ ‘everlasting life,’ or ‘immortality,’ in those specific words. However, the concept is still there. What he taught was that (unlike those whom God considers to be ‘dead’) living people will receive ‘life in the age,’ meaning, they will be considered worthy of life by God during their lifetimes.
Two words imply infinity in the Bible. One is the Greek word athanasia (undying), which is only found in two places, 1 Corinthians15:53, where it mentions resurrected ones as clothing themselves with immortality, and at 1 Timothy 6:16, where Paul speaks of Jesus as having received it. The other Greek word, aidios, which is found at Romans 1:20 and at Jude 6, is used to describe God’s Power and Might as eternal.
For more information, select the linked documents, The Hereafter and Does the Bible Promise Everlasting Life?
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The Lord or Jehovah?
Although there are no existing ancient Christian Era Scripture (New Testament) manuscripts that contain the full name Jehovah, there are four reasons why we (and other Bible scholars and translators) believe that it existed in the original text. They are:
1. The Name is found in many of the Hebrew Scripture texts that are quoted by Jesus and his disciples
2.
Jesus mentioned God’s having a Name in ‘The Lord’s Prayer,’ and at John
3. The Name still appears in a combined form in Revelation where the word hallelujah is used (Hallel means praise, u implies second person, and Jah is a shortened form of Jehovah.)
4.
The fact that Christians who lived in
That the Name Jehovah (which means, He who Causes to Be, or, The Creator) was originally in the Bible, is documented in all ancient Hebrew texts. And it is most likely that the Septuagint translation which Jesus and his Apostles used (most quotations they gave seem to have come from an ancient Septuagint) carried that Name, but probably in the four Hebrew characters that represent the English consonants YHWH.
Notice this comment by Robert Hanhart, who contributed the Introduction to ‘The Septuagint as Christian Scripture.’ He stated therein that, ‘All Greek biblical texts of Jewish origin found to date, whether from pre-Christian or Christian times, transmit the name יהוה Jehovah not in the form κύριος [Lord] encountered in all the LXX [Septuagint] manuscripts of Christian origin, but in some form of the Tetragrammaton.’ (See: ‘The Septuagint as Christian Scripture,’ 2002, book, p.7, by Martin Hengel. Introduction by Robert Hanhart, published by Baker Academic. ISBN 0-8010-2790-X).
You will see how in the book of Isaiah, for example, God is often referred to in Greek as Kyrios ho Kyrios, or, Lord the Lord (see Isaiah 48:16 LXX). And these are obvious examples of texts where God’s Name was omitted, for such sentences should clearly read Jehovah the Lord, or Lord Jehovah.
Since the words God and Lord both seem to have been substituted in the text wherever God’s Name originally appeared, it is difficult to know where to reinsert the Name in place of the titles. We could refer to the Hebrew texts and insert it wherever the Name appears there, but that would be out of harmony with the purpose of presenting this translation of the Septuagint on its own merit. So, wherever the term the Lord appears in obvious reference to God, we have decided to insert the Name Jehovah.
The rule that other translators have adopted for inserting God’s Name is to simply use it wherever the Tetragrammaton (יהוה) appears in the oldest existing Hebrew texts (which aren’t that old). However, it can be proven that these texts and such insertions are unreliable. For example, there is the instance when Abraham was talking to three ‘men,’ one of whom he referred to as the Lord (יהוה). In this case, Abraham was obviously speaking to a messenger from God (likely His representative, Michael), because, as God told Moses, ‘No man can see God and live.’ So, in such instances we have left the term ‘Lord’ unchanged, because that is likely the actual word Abraham used.
Also, in the writings of many of the Prophets, you will notice that they were often spoken to by God’s messengers, who they referred to as the Lord. And these messengers (angels) thereafter went on to give them messages from Jehovah. For example, notice the wording of Jeremiah 2:1 as an example: ‘Then the word of the Lord came to me saying, Go and yell in the ears of Jerusalem! Tell them that Jehovah says …’ So, in this Bible you’ll see an interspersing of the term the Lord, when referring to the angel messenger, and Jehovah, when referring to God.
Probably the most striking and confusing reference to the Lord is found at Hebrews 1:10-12, which says: ‘Long ago, O Lord, you laid the foundation of the earth, and you made the heavens with your hands. But they’ll pass away while you still remain. For like clothes they will grow old. Then, as [you would do to] a robe, you will wrap them up and repair them. Yes, you’re the one and your years will never expire.’
As you can see, the reference to the Lord here appears to be speaking of God (Jehovah). And if you go back to the scripture Paul was quoting (Psalm 102:25-27), you’ll see that it appears to be speaking of Jehovah there also from the context of the surrounding verses, and because the Tetragrammaton (יהוה) appears there in both the ancient Hebrew and Greek texts. Yet, the entire First Chapter of Hebrews is discussing Jesus and his special position before God. And Paul is clearly quoting Psalm 102:25-27 to make the point that Jesus made the heavens and the earth, that he will remain through the ages, and that he will eventually rebuild (repair) them after they grow old.
So, either Paul misapplied this scripture, which seems unlikely, or both Hebrew and Greek versions of Psalm 102 have been badly corrupted through the years, which our research proves is possible. As the result (because the answers are unclear), we have deviated from our rule of capitalizing the first letter of the words You and Your in many places in Psalm 102 and Hebrews 1, and from inserting the Name Jehovah where its use may be in doubt. However, this opens another can of worms, for it brings into question major portions of the Hebrew text and the use of the Tetragrammaton rule altogether.
It has also been suggested that since Jesus ‘shines with the same glory, is the exact image of His (God’s) being, and is responsible for everything that’s said through His power,’ as we were told at Hebrews 1:3, anything that is said about God also applies to Jesus.
Of course, the easy answer to why Paul used Psalm 102 in reference to Jesus, is because Jesus is actually Jehovah, as many theologians claim. But this is proven untrue by the other words in the same First Chapter of Hebrews. For notice the following verses:
-
Hebrews 1:3 ‘He sat down at the right hand of the Great One in the highest places.’
-
Hebrews 1:4 ‘He has become so much greater than the [other] messengers [of God] and so different, that he has inherited a [special] name among them.’
-
Hebrews 1:5 ‘For example, to which of His [other] messengers did He ever say, You’re my son. Today I’ve become your Father. Or, I will become his Father and he will become My son.’
-
Hebrews 1:9 ‘You loved righteousness and hated wickedness. That’s why God (your God) anointed you with the oil of great joy among those who are your partners.’
-
Hebrews 1:13 ‘And to which one of His messengers did He ever say, Sit here on My right until I set your enemies as a stool for your feet?’
(For more information on this subject, please see the linked document Who Was Jesus?)
The word that is translated lord (gr. kyrios) is found throughout the Bible in Greek texts and is usually used as a term of respect for men, such as a king, governor, or homeowner… and it is also frequently translated as master. So, whenever you see the term master used in the Bible, recognize that it is translated from the same Greek word as lord. And as translators, it’s easy to see how inappropriate it is to always refer to God as ‘the Lord.’ This was something that was started by later Jewish copyists, and the custom was adopted in English Bibles in the Fifteenth Century. Yet, even then the translators showed where God’s name once appeared in the Hebrew text by capitalizing all the letters, as in LORD (see Exodus 6:1). And in the King James Bible, the name Jehovah still does appear in four texts (see Exodus 6:3).
Some have objected to putting the name Jehovah
in the Greek text, for they say that that use of the Name would have
been offensive – and might have resulted in stoning – if
Jesus and his disciples had actually spoken it. Yet, the Name had to
be used when preaching to the Gentiles, or they simply wouldn’t have
known which Lord the disciples were talking about (remember, they
were polytheistic). And to call God the Lord when most gods
(and many men) were also called lord, would have been very confusing
to everyone that Jesus’ disciples preached to, both Jews and
Gentiles. So, we question whether the use of God’s Name was
considered as offensive prior to
The reason why the Name was removed from later copies of the Ancient Scriptures of Israel was because Jewish Scribes had become so awed with God’s Name that they refused to write it or say it, so, they started substituting the term ‘the Lord’ (the Master) wherever His Name was found. And since all existing versions of the Septuagint come from the Second Century or later, it isn’t surprising that God’s Name has been omitted from such modern texts. The fact that the name Jehovah was once there is well substantiated from ancient Bible manuscripts, both Hebrew and Greek. In fact, a verse in the Jewish Talmud claims that Jesus received his miraculous powers because he had sewn the Holy Name (Jehovah) into his skin, which indicates both their (his enemy’s) recognition of Jesus’ miraculous powers and the common view of God’s Name.
What about the Christian Era Scriptures?
Recognize the fact that most early Christian Congregations
(especially the one in
Perhaps Christians would more deeply appreciate the need to use the name Jehovah, rather than the title ‘Lord,’ when referring to God, if they understood that the term ‘the Lord’ in the language of the Canaanites was ‘Baal’ or ‘Beel.’ And the same term in modern-day Arabic is ‘Allah.’
Then, what of those who prefer a more exact Hebrew pronunciation of the Name (which is Yahweh, Yahwah, or Yehwah)? That is commendable if their reasons are consistent. For, if their concern is to properly pronounce Bible names (not a hatred for God’s name as it is pronounced in English), then they will also be found promoting the proper Hebrew pronunciation of His son’s name, Ieshuah, or Iehoshuah… or at least the proper pronunciation of his name in Greek, Iesous.
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Bless or Praise?
This is a tough one and we won’t say that our position on the translation of this word can’t be changed. The Greek word that we are struggling with is eulogetos. The first part of the word eu, is Greek for good. The last part of the word, logetos, means words (or expressions). So, a literal translation of eulogetos is good words. And our question is: Is this all that a blessing amounts to?
Yes, we know that this word has been translated as bless, blest, and blessing in other Bibles. So, why rock the boat? Because these translators have simply found too many errors in many commonly accepted renderings. And here, for example, if eulogetos is properly translated as blessing each time (which carries the English nuance, ‘causing good things to happen’), then, how can humans ‘bless God?’ We do know that we can praise God, however.
Eulogetos is the word that we derive the English word eulogy from… that is, the kind words that are said of the deceased at a funeral. Such words are never said as a blessing (it’s a bit late for that); they are said in praise of the deceased individual. However, there are definitely places where eulogetos can’t be translated as praise or praising.
Perhaps the real meaning is (or is at least is similar to) praise. And when praises come from God, this means blessings to humans.
This isn’t the same word that we have rendered as blest in other portions of this translation (for an example, see Matthew 5:5). The word in question there is makarios, which is rendered as happy in certain other Bibles. However, we believe that blest is the proper way to translate that Greek word. See the Notes in Matthew under the topic, ‘Blest or Happy?’
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The Heavens or Sky, the Earth or the Land?
In both the Ancient Scriptures of Israel and in the Christian Era Scriptures, we find all the realm of creation divided into three entities; the heavens (or sky), the earth (the land or ground), and the seas (the waters). Now, in contemporary English we understand that there is a difference between the heavens and the sky, the earth and the land (or ground), and the seas and waters. However, in both Hebrew and Greek, these fine distinctions that we accept because of our modern technology, can’t be found. So, Genesis 1:1 could literally be translated as, ‘In an ancient time God created the sky and the ground.’ This is accurate, because it was the view of man from the earth. There was the land that he stood on, the sky above, and the water.
At the time, there was no technical understanding of the earth as a planet, because men didn’t view the earth as we do today, as a ball in space… it just wasn’t necessary back then. However, because of these distinctions that we understand so well today, translators must choose the proper words to provide the right nuances in English, so readers can grasp the proper meaning of each text.
This is why you’ll find the Greek word ourano translated as both heaven(s) and sky herein, depending on the context. You’ll also find the Greek word ges translated as earth, ground, or land, depending on the context. So, the symbolic words at Romans 3:5, for example, are translated herein as, ‘The ancient earth and sky weren’t covered by water. However, (obeying God’s instructions) they stood together between the water [that was above and below].’
Notice that the ‘earth and sky’ were located ‘between the water.’ So, although other Bibles translated this verse as speaking of the ‘heavens and earth,’ the reference is to that portion of the heavens that are close to the earth, or the sky. Likewise, at Matthew 5:5, where Jesus spoke of the ‘meek’ as inheriting the earth; since he was talking about people receiving an ‘allotment’ on the earth, we have chosen to translate ges as earth, not land or ground.
And finally, when it comes to the seas (gr. thalassa), there are already distinctions as to different types of waters in the Greek text. For instance, seas are called thalassa and rivers are called potamos (or ‘flowing’). However, notice (in Revelation 20: 13) how the resurrection of the dead is divided between those who died on land and those who were lost in the water, ‘The sea gave up its dead, death and the grave gave up those dead in them, and they were all judged by the things they did.’
We again find all three of these realms of creation brought together symbolically at Revelation 21:1, where it says, ‘Then I saw a new earth and sky, because the previous earth and sky had disappeared, as did the sea.’
In the case of where EliJah was taken in a celestial chariot, most people think he was taken to (as their Bibles put it) ‘heaven,’ where he went to live with God. This isn’t true, because King JehoRam later received a letter from Elijah (see 2 Chronicles 21:12). So, God had apparently used the celestial chariot to take him into the sky (the proper translation here), where he was then taken to another place here on the earth. For more information on this, see the linked document, ‘The Hereafter.’
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God’s Messengers
Most Bible translations render the Greek word aggelos (pronounced ahn-gel-ose – with a hard g) as angel wherever it is found. However, aggelos is just the Greek word for messenger. True, in most cases where the Bible speaks of angels, it is referring to spirit messengers from God. However, this may not be the meaning in every instance, and always translating it as angel may distort what was said in certain instances.
For example, consider the words at Acts 12:15, where Peter had just been released from prison and had appeared at the door of some faithful Christians. In Greek, the latter part of this verse reads, ‘oi de elegon Ho aggelos estin autou,’ and is often translated as, ‘They began to say, It is his angel.’
This rendering doesn’t sound reasonable, for it would have been bizarre for Christians to assume that an angel from God (who looked like Peter) was standing and knocking at their door. Rather, the rendering we have used herein makes more sense, ‘So they said, It’s his messenger.’
Another good example of why aggelos shouldn’t always be translated as angel can be found at Genesis 32:3, which reads in Greek, ‘Apasteile de Iakob aggelous emprosthen autou pros Hesau ton adelphon autou,’ or, ‘Sent of Jacob angels ahead of him toward Esau the brother of him.’ Here Jacob was obviously sending human messengers to his brother, not heavenly ones.
And consider the words at Numbers 20:14, where we read that Moses sent messengers (gr. aggelous – messengers, plural) from Cades to the king of Edom.’ Then in verse 16, it says that ‘Jehovah … heard our voice and sent His messenger (gr. aggelon – messenger, singular) who brought us out of Egypt.’
Obviously, although the same word (with only conjugated variations) is used to speak of two different types of messengers here… those who are human and those who were sent from heaven by God. As the result, most Bibles translate the first instance as messengers, but the second as angel. We have not chosen to make this distinction, and we have rendered the word as messenger or messengers in each instance, because this proper translation of the word provides readers a better look at what position these heavenly sons of God held. For angel isn’t a heavenly rank it’s a duty.
Also, translating aggelos as messenger (when it truly means an ‘angel’) helps to provide readers a better, deeper understanding of the actual role that such spiritual sons of God play in His dealings with mankind. And it helps us to understand why the Bible never speaks of ‘Baby angels.
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Proper Pronunciation of the Letters C and CH in Greek Words
One of the most mispronounced letters when
English-speaking people try to pronounce Greek or Hebrew names is the letter C
(or CH). There is no ‘soft C’ pronunciation, it is always a hard C (as in
Call), even when a CH is used (as in CHrist). So, the title Caesar was actually
pronounced more like Kaiser (as in German). And the faithful woman Priscilla
was called Prees-kee-la, as the town of
When it comes to less familiar names though, one might try
to pronounce them properly. Take for example, the name of the king of
The Greeks had two letters that they pronounced as a K. One looks like a K and is pronounced that way, with the tongue touching the roof of the mouth. The other (the one we render as C and CH in English) looks like an X and is pronounced like a K, but with the tongue touching the soft palate at the back of the mouth, which gives a breathier sound to the K. For example, say Christ and notice the part of your mouth that the tongue touches. Then say Kill and notice the difference. This is the difference between CH and K.
So, why did the Greeks have different letters for such a small variation in sound? This is because they had no alphabet until about the time of their classical poet, Homer. They then borrowed or adapted their alphabet from the Hebrews (if you could examine both alphabets from that period, you would see the similarities). And since Hebrew is a more guttural language, their letter, Cheth (where the Greeks got their letter for CH from) has a far more pronounced palate sound.
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Why the Name Changes?
You may have noticed that we have started putting some of the letters in Bible names in capital letters. For example, we’ve started spelling such names as Jonathan as JoNathan, Isaiah as IsaiJah, and Eliezer as EliEzer. Why? Well, partly to help with the correct pronunciations of the names, and partly to show some translating consistency.
We all know that the common English pronunciation of Jonathan (for example), is Jon-uh-thun. But did you know that the first part of the name (Io in Greek, Ieho in Hebrew) refers to the name Jehovah, and the second part of the Name (Nathan) means Gift? So the name was originally pronounced Ye-hoh-nuh-thahn.
In the case of names that end with an iah, as in Isaiah, the last part of the name often includes the name of God. Isaiah, for example, means Salvation [of] Jehovah, and it was originally pronounced Ee-sai-Yah. So, why have we substituted a capital ‘J’ for the letters ‘ie’ in both of the above cases? Well, we recognize that there is an inconsistency here, because there was no letter ‘J’ in Hebrew or Greek alphabets. However, we have the choice of changing all names that start with ‘J’ (such as Jesus, John, Jonah, Joshua, Jeremiah, etc.) to start with the letters ‘Ie’, or for consistency, we can change all the ‘Ies’ into ‘Js’, which is what we have done.
Does this mean then that we are setting out a new rule for name spelling? Absolutely not, for centuries ago a Bible translator first established this rule when he spelled the name Eliou (Greek spelling, pronounced ay-lee-ou) and wrote it as EliJah, because this name is regarded as meaning ‘My God is Jehovah.’
Also notice that where a name ends with an iah, as in Jeremiah (Jehovah exalts), we have often spelled it iJah, because the i would typically be pronounced as a long e followed by a Y in Hebrew, and writing it without the i (as in JeremJah) misses this nuance. So we have rendered it JeremiJah, which is similar to the way it is often pronounced by modern-day Hebrew-speaking Jews, YeremiYah.
Another important word in names that we usually
capitalize is ‘El’ (from the Hebrew Elohe, or God). So EliEzer (which
people commonly pronounce Ee-lee-ay-zer and means God [has] Helped)
should actually be pronounced Ehlee-EhZer. The same is true for the letters
Ai, especially in the names of cities, because Ai in Hebrew
refers to the word city. So, AiLam probably meant the City of
Similar words, such as Bel (as in BelShazzar), Baal, and Beel, refer to ‘the Lord’ or ‘the God.’ Also, the letters ‘Ben’ and ‘Bar’ mean ‘the son of.’ ‘Beth’ means ‘the house of,’ ‘Beer’ refers to a ‘well,’ ‘Is’ or ‘Ish’ means ‘Man,’ etc.
Does this mean that we have put all the capitals in the right places? No, for we make no claim to Hebrew scholarship (all our translating here has been from Greek). So, what we are trying to do is provide a better understanding to how these names were pronounced by Greek-speaking Jews.
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Apostasy and Apostates
The Greek word apostasis (in its various conjugated forms) is used several times in the Ancient Scriptures of Israel (OT), and we find it used at 2 Chronicles 28:19, where we’ve rendered it as ‘turned away,’ because that’s what the term really means. It refers to a turning away from a righteous God-fearing way of life. For the Greek word (which we pronounce as apostasy in English) literally means ‘turn away from (apo)’ a ‘standing or state (stasis).’ So, it doesn’t refer to a disagreement over the way some doctrine is viewed.
Almost all Bible references to apostasy are speaking of a turning away from the way of Israelite life that is outlined in the Law. However, in the book of Job, the word apostate refers to being unfaithful to God, since Job lived before the Law.
There are just two places where this term (apostasy) is used in the Christian Era Scriptures (NT), at Acts 21:21 and at 2 Thessalonians 2:3.
At Acts 21:21 we find the only instance in the Bible where ‘Christians’ called another Christian (in this case, the Apostle Paul) an apostate. In view of what Jesus said at Matthew 5:22 and what was said about Jesus at Jude 9, calling anyone such a thing would be a very serious violation of Christian principles.
What led up to this outrageous accusation of apostasy
against Paul? Since the
Notice that Paul was accused of ‘an apostasy against Moses.’ In other words, they were complaining that Paul had ‘turned back’ from living a life of following the Law of Moses… which he had, because that was no longer required of Christians.
However, as a part of being ‘everything to all people,’
Paul didn’t object or correct them; he meekly went to the
The only other places in the Christian-Era Scriptures (NT) where the Greek word for apostasy is found, is where Jesus spoke of the Pharisees as giving their wives a ‘certificate of dismissal’ to divorce them (see Mark 10:4). The words which are translated certificate of dismissal, are biblion apostasiu, which literally mean ‘the little book of apostasy (or sending away).’
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