One Year Bible.

Wives for the Benjamites

¹Now the men of Israel had sworn an oath at Mizpah, saying, “Not one of us will give his daughter in marriage to a Benjamite.”

²So the people came to Bethel and sat there before God until evening, lifting up their voices and weeping bitterly. ³“Why, O LORD God of Israel,” they cried out, “has this happened in Israel? Today in Israel one tribe is missing!”

⁴The next day the people got up early, built an altar there, and presented burnt offerings and peace offerings. ⁵The Israelites asked, “Who among all the tribes of Israel did not come to the assembly before the LORD?” For they had taken a solemn oath that anyone who failed to come up before the LORD at Mizpah would surely be put to death.

⁶And the Israelites grieved for their brothers, the Benjamites, and said, “Today a tribe is cut off from Israel. ⁷What should we do about wives for the survivors, since we have sworn by the LORD not to give them our daughters in marriage?”

⁸So they asked, “Which one of the tribes of Israel failed to come up before the LORD at Mizpah?” And, in fact, no one from Jabesh-gilead had come to the camp for the assembly. ⁹For when the people were counted, none of the residents of Jabesh-gilead were there.

¹⁰So the congregation sent 12,000 of their most valiant men and commanded them: “Go and put to the sword those living in Jabesh-gilead, including women and children. ¹¹This is what you are to do: Devote to destruction every male, as well as every female who has had relations with a man.”

¹²So they found among the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead four hundred young women who had not had relations with a man, and they brought them to the camp at Shiloh in the land of Canaan.

¹³Then the whole congregation sent a message of peace to the Benjamites who were at the rock of Rimmon. ¹⁴And at that time the Benjamites returned and were given the women who were spared from Jabesh-gilead. But there were not enough women for all of them.

¹⁵The people grieved for Benjamin, because the LORD had made a void in the tribes of Israel.

¹⁶Then the elders of the congregation said, “What should we do about wives for those who remain, since the women of Benjamin have been destroyed?” ¹⁷They added, “There must be heirs for the survivors of Benjamin, so that a tribe of Israel will not be wiped out. ¹⁸But we cannot give them our daughters as wives.”

For the Israelites had sworn, “Cursed is he who gives a wife to a Benjamite.”

¹⁹“But look,” they said, “there is a yearly feast to the LORD in Shiloh, which is north of Bethel east of the road that goes up from Bethel to Shechem, and south of Lebonah.”

²⁰So they commanded the Benjamites: “Go, hide in the vineyards ²¹and watch. When you see the daughters of Shiloh come out to perform their dances, each of you is to come out of the vineyards, catch for himself a wife from the daughters of Shiloh, and go to the land of Benjamin. ²²When their fathers or brothers come to us to complain, we will tell them, ‘Do us a favor by helping them, since we did not get wives for each of them in the war. Since you did not actually give them your daughters, you have no guilt.’”

²³The Benjamites did as instructed and carried away the number of women they needed from the dancers they caught. They went back to their own inheritance, rebuilt their cities, and settled in them. ²⁴And at that time, each of the Israelites returned from there to his own tribe and clan, each to his own inheritance.

²⁵In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.

The Light of the Gospel

¹Therefore, since God in His mercy has given us this ministry, we do not lose heart. ²Instead, we have renounced secret and shameful ways. We do not practice deceit, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by open proclamation of the truth, we commend ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God. ³And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing.

⁴The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. ⁵For we do not proclaim ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. ⁶For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Treasure in Jars of Clay

⁷Now we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this surpassingly great power is from God and not from us. ⁸We are hard pressed on all sides, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; ⁹persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.

¹⁰We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. ¹¹For we who are alive are always consigned to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our mortal body. ¹²So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.

¹³And in keeping with what is written, “I believed, therefore I have spoken,” we who have the same spirit of faith also believe and therefore speak, ¹⁴knowing that the One who raised the Lord Jesus will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you in His presence. ¹⁵All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is extending to more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow, to the glory of God.

¹⁶Therefore we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, yet our inner self is being renewed day by day. ¹⁷For our light and momentary affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory that is far beyond comparison. ¹⁸So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Securing the City

¹When the wall had been rebuilt and I had set the doors in place, the gatekeepers, singers, and Levites were appointed.

²Then I put my brother Hanani in charge of Jerusalem, along with Hananiah the commander of the fortress, because he was a faithful man who feared God more than most. ³And I told them, “Do not open the gates of Jerusalem until the sun is hot. While the guards are on duty, keep the doors shut and securely fastened. And appoint the residents of Jerusalem as guards, some at their posts and some at their own homes.”

The List of Returning Exiles

⁴Now the city was large and spacious, but there were few people in it, and the houses had not yet been rebuilt. ⁵Then my God put it into my heart to assemble the nobles, the officials, and the people to be enrolled by genealogy. I found the genealogical register of those who had first returned, and I found the following written in it:

⁶These are the people of the province who came up from the captivity of the exiles carried away to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar its king. They returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his own town, ⁷accompanied by Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, and Baanah.

This is the count of the men of Israel:

⁸the descendants of Parosh, 2,172;

⁹the descendants of Shephatiah, 372;

¹⁰the descendants of Arah, 652;

¹¹the descendants of Pahath-moab (through the line of Jeshua and Joab), 2,818;

¹²the descendants of Elam, 1,254;

¹³the descendants of Zattu, 845;

¹⁴the descendants of Zaccai, 760;

¹⁵the descendants of Binnui, 648;

¹⁶the descendants of Bebai, 628;

¹⁷the descendants of Azgad, 2,322;

¹⁸the descendants of Adonikam, 667;

¹⁹the descendants of Bigvai, 2,067;

²⁰the descendants of Adin, 655;

²¹the descendants of Ater (through Hezekiah), 98;

²²the descendants of Hashum, 328;

²³the descendants of Bezai, 324;

²⁴the descendants of Hariph, 112;

²⁵the descendants of Gibeon, 95;

²⁶the men of Bethlehem and Netophah, 188;

²⁷the men of Anathoth, 128;

²⁸the men of Beth-azmaveth, 42;

²⁹the men of Kiriath-jearim, Chephirah, and Beeroth, 743;

³⁰the men of Ramah and Geba, 621;

³¹the men of Michmash, 122;

³²the men of Bethel and Ai, 123;

³³the men of the other Nebo, 52;

³⁴the descendants of the other Elam, 1,254;

³⁵the descendants of Harim, 320;

³⁶the men of Jericho, 345;

³⁷the men of Lod, Hadid, and Ono, 721;

³⁸and the descendants of Senaah, 3,930.

³⁹The priests:

the descendants of Jedaiah (through the house of Jeshua), 973;

⁴⁰the descendants of Immer, 1,052;

⁴¹the descendants of Pashhur, 1,247;

⁴²and the descendants of Harim, 1,017.

⁴³The Levites:

the descendants of Jeshua (through Kadmiel, through the line of Hodevah), 74.

⁴⁴The singers:

the descendants of Asaph, 148.

⁴⁵The gatekeepers:

the descendants of Shallum,

the descendants of Ater,

the descendants of Talmon,

the descendants of Akkub,

the descendants of Hatita,

and the descendants of Shobai,

138 in all.

⁴⁶The temple servants:

the descendants of Ziha,

the descendants of Hasupha,

the descendants of Tabbaoth,

⁴⁷the descendants of Keros,

the descendants of Sia,

the descendants of Padon,

⁴⁸the descendants of Lebanah,

the descendants of Hagabah,

the descendants of Shalmai,

⁴⁹the descendants of Hanan,

the descendants of Giddel,

the descendants of Gahar,

⁵⁰the descendants of Reaiah,

the descendants of Rezin,

the descendants of Nekoda,

⁵¹the descendants of Gazzam,

the descendants of Uzza,

the descendants of Paseah,

⁵²the descendants of Besai,

the descendants of Meunim,

the descendants of Nephushesim,

⁵³the descendants of Bakbuk,

the descendants of Hakupha,

the descendants of Harhur,

⁵⁴the descendants of Bazlith,

the descendants of Mehida,

the descendants of Harsha,

⁵⁵the descendants of Barkos,

the descendants of Sisera,

the descendants of Temah,

⁵⁶the descendants of Neziah,

and the descendants of Hatipha.

⁵⁷The descendants of the servants of Solomon:

the descendants of Sotai,

the descendants of Sophereth,

the descendants of Perida,

⁵⁸the descendants of Jaala,

the descendants of Darkon,

the descendants of Giddel,

⁵⁹the descendants of Shephatiah,

the descendants of Hattil,

the descendants of Pochereth-hazzebaim,

and the descendants of Amon.

⁶⁰The temple servants and descendants of the servants of Solomon numbered 392 in all.

⁶¹The following came up from Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Cherub, Addon, and Immer, but they could not prove that their families were descended from Israel:

⁶²the descendants of Delaiah,

the descendants of Tobiah,

and the descendants of Nekoda,

642 in all.

⁶³And from among the priests: the descendants of Hobaiah,

the descendants of Hakkoz,

and the descendants of Barzillai (who had married a daughter of Barzillai the Gileadite and was called by their name).

⁶⁴These men searched for their family records, but they could not find them and so were excluded from the priesthood as unclean. ⁶⁵The governor ordered them not to eat the most holy things until there was a priest to consult the Urim and Thummim.

⁶⁶The whole assembly numbered 42,360, ⁶⁷in addition to their 7,337 menservants and maidservants, as well as their 245 male and female singers. ⁶⁸They had 736 horses, 245 mules, ⁶⁹435 camels, and 6,720 donkeys.

Offerings by the Exiles

⁷⁰Some of the heads of the families contributed to the project. The governor gave to the treasury 1,000 darics of gold, 50 bowls, and 530 priestly garments. ⁷¹And some of the heads of the families gave to the treasury for the project 20,000 darics of gold and 2,200 minas of silver. ⁷²The rest of the people gave a total of 20,000 darics of gold, 2,000 minas of silver, and 67 priestly garments.

⁷³So the priests, Levites, gatekeepers, singers, and temple servants, along with some of the people and the rest of the Israelites, settled in their own towns. And by the seventh month the Israelites had settled in their towns.

Ezra Reads the Law

¹At that time all the people gathered together in the square before the Water Gate, and they asked Ezra the scribe to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded for Israel.

²On the first day of the seventh month, Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly of men and women and all who could listen and understand. ³So Ezra read it aloud from daybreak until noon as he faced the square before the Water Gate, in front of the men and women and those who could understand.

And all the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law.

⁴Ezra the scribe stood on a high wooden platform built for this occasion. At his right side stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah, and at his left were Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hash-baddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam.

⁵Ezra opened the book in full view of all the people, since he was standing above them all, and as he opened it, all the people stood up. ⁶Then Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God, and with their hands uplifted, all the people said, “Amen, Amen!” Then they bowed down and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground.

⁷The Levites — Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, and Pelaiah — instructed the people in the Law as they stood in their places. ⁸So they read from the Book of the Law of God, explaining it and giving insight, so that the people could understand what was being read.

⁹Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who were instructing the people said to all of them, “This day is holy to the LORD your God. Do not mourn or weep.”

For all the people were weeping as they heard the words of the Law.

¹⁰Then Nehemiah told them, “Go and eat what is rich, drink what is sweet, and send out portions to those who have nothing prepared, since today is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”

¹¹And the Levites calmed all the people, saying, “Be still, since today is holy. Do not grieve.”

¹²Then all the people began to eat and drink, to send out portions, and to rejoice greatly, because they understood the words that had been made known to them.

The Feast of Tabernacles

¹³On the second day of the month, the heads of all the families, along with the priests and Levites, gathered around Ezra the scribe to study the words of the Law. ¹⁴And they found written in the Law, which the LORD had commanded through Moses, that the Israelites were to dwell in booths during the feast of the seventh month, ¹⁵and that they should proclaim this message and spread it throughout their towns and in Jerusalem, saying, “Go out to the hill country and bring back branches of olive, wild olive, myrtle, palm, and other leafy trees, to make booths, as it is written.”

¹⁶And the people went out, brought back branches, and made booths on their own rooftops, in their courtyards, in the courts of the house of God, and in the squares by the Water Gate and by the Gate of Ephraim. ¹⁷The whole assembly that had returned from exile made booths and lived in them. From the days of Joshua son of Nun until that day, the Israelites had not celebrated like this. And there was great rejoicing.

¹⁸Day after day, from the first day to the last, Ezra read from the Book of the Law of God. The Israelites kept the feast for seven days, and on the eighth day they held an assembly, according to the ordinance.