5:12 They replied, “We will return these things, 7 and we will no longer demand anything from them. We will do just as you say.” Then I called the priests and made the wealthy and the officials 8 swear to do what had been promised. 9
8:9 Then Nehemiah the governor, 11 Ezra the priestly scribe, 12 and the Levites who were imparting understanding to the people said to all of them, 13 “This day is holy to the LORD your God. Do not mourn or weep.” For all the people had been weeping when they heard the words of the law. 8:10 He said to them, “Go and eat delicacies and drink sweet drinks and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared. For this day is holy to our Lord. 14 Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”
10:34 “We – the priests, the Levites, and the people – have cast lots concerning the wood offerings, to bring them to the temple of our God according to our families 15 at the designated times year by year to burn on the altar of the LORD our God, as is written in the law.
12:27 At the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem, 16 they sought out the Levites from all the places they lived 17 to bring them to Jerusalem to celebrate the dedication joyfully with songs of thanksgiving and songs accompanied by cymbals, harps, and lyres.
12:44 On that day men were appointed over the storerooms for the contributions, first fruits, and tithes, to gather into them from 18 the fields of the cities the portions prescribed by the law for the priests and the Levites, for the people of Judah 19 took delight in the priests and Levites who were ministering. 20
1 tn Heb “the words of the king which he had spoken to me.”
2 tn Heb “Arise! Let us rebuild!”
3 tn Heb “strengthened their hands.”
4 tn Heb “And I saw.”
5 tn The Hebrew term translated “Lord” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).
6 tn Heb “houses.”
7 tn The words “these things” are not included in the Hebrew text, but have been supplied in the translation for clarity.
8 tn Heb “took an oath from them”; the referents (the wealthy and the officials, cf. v. 7) have been specified in the translation for clarity.
9 tn Heb “according to this word.”
10 tc The Hebrew term אַחַר (’akhar) is difficult here. It normally means “after,” but that makes no sense here. Some scholars emend it to אַחַד (’akhad) and supply the word “day,” which yields the sense “daily.” Cf. TEV “40 silver coins a day for food and wine.”
11 tc The unexpected reference to Nehemiah here has led some scholars to suspect that the phrase “Nehemiah the governor” is a later addition to the text and not original.
12 tn Heb “the priest, the scribe.”
13 tn Heb “the people.” The pronoun has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons, to avoid redundancy.
14 tn The Hebrew term translated “Lord” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).
15 tn Heb “the house of our fathers.”
16 map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.
17 tn Heb “from all their places.” The words “they lived” are implied.
18 tc The translation reads מִשְּׂדֶי (missÿde, “from the fields”) rather than the MT reading לִשְׂדֵי (lisdey, “to the fields”).
19 tn Heb “for Judah.” The words “the people of” have been supplied in the translation for clarity, since “Judah” is a proper name as well as a place name.
20 tn Heb “standing.”