Daily Text and Bible Reading: Wednesday, June 5 [Press play below]

11.1 Now the princes of the people were living in Jerusalem; but the rest of the people cast lots to bring one out of every ten to live in Jerusalem, the holy city, while the other nine stayed in the other cities.
11.2 Moreover, the people blessed all the men who volunteered to live in Jerusalem.
11.3 And these are the heads of the province who lived in Jerusalem. (The rest of Israel, the priests, the Levites, the temple servants, and the sons of the servants of Solomon, lived in the other cities of Judah, each one in his own possession in his city.
11.4 Also, there lived in Jerusalem some of the people of Judah and of Benjamin.) Of the people of Judah were Athaiah son of Uzziah son of Zechariah son of Amariah son of Shephatiah son of Mahalalel of the sons of Perez,
11.5 and Maaseiah son of Baruch son of Colhozeh son of Hazaiah son of Adaiah son of Joiarib son of Zechariah son of the Shelanite.
11.6 All the sons of Perez who were dwelling in Jerusalem were 468 capable men.
11.7 And these were the people of Benjamin: Sallu son of Meshullam son of Joed son of Pedaiah son of Kolaiah son of Maaseiah son of Ithiel son of Jeshaiah,
11.8 and after him Gabbai and Sallai, 928;
11.9 and Joel the son of Zichri was their overseer, and Judah the son of Hassenuah was second in charge of the city.
11.10 Of the priests: Jedaiah son of Joiarib, Jachin,
11.11 Seraiah son of Hilkiah son of Meshullam son of Zadok son of Meraioth son of Ahitub, a leader of the house of the true God,
11.12 and their brothers who did the work of the house, 822; and Adaiah son of Jeroham son of Pelaliah son of Amzi son of Zechariah son of Pashhur son of Malchijah,
11.13 and his brothers, heads of paternal houses, 242; and Amashsai son of Azarel son of Ahzai son of Meshillemoth son of Immer,
11.14 and their brothers who were mighty, courageous men, 128; and their overseer was Zabdiel, a member of a prominent family.
11.15 And of the Levites: Shemaiah son of Hasshub son of Azrikam son of Hashabiah son of Bunni,
11.16 and Shabbethai and Jozabad, of the heads of the Levites, who were in charge of the outside business of the house of the true God;
11.17 and Mattaniah, son of Micah son of Zabdi son of Asaph, the conductor of the singing, who led the praises during prayer, and Bakbukiah, the second of his brothers, and Abda son of Shammua son of Galal son of Jeduthun.
11.18 All the Levites in the holy city were 284.
11.19 And the gatekeepers were Akkub, Talmon, and their brothers who kept guard in the gates, 172.
11.20 The rest of Israel, the priests, and the Levites were in all the other cities of Judah, each in his own inherited property.
11.21 The temple servants were living in Ophel, and Ziha and Gishpa were in charge of the temple servants.
11.22 The overseer of the Levites in Jerusalem was Uzzi son of Bani son of Hashabiah son of Mattaniah son of Mica, of the sons of Asaph, the singers; he was in charge of the work of the house of the true God.
11.23 For there was a royal order in their behalf, and there was a fixed provision for the singers as each day required.
11.24 And Pethahiah son of Meshezabel of the sons of Zerah son of Judah was the king’s adviser for every matter of the people.
11.25 Regarding the settlements with their fields, some of the people of Judah lived in Kiriath-arba and its dependent towns, in Dibon and its dependent towns, in Jekabzeel and its settlements,
11.26 in Jeshua, in Moladah, in Beth-pelet,
11.27 in Hazar-shual, in Beer-sheba and its dependent towns,
11.28 in Ziklag, in Meconah and its dependent towns,
11.29 in En-rimmon, in Zorah, and in Jarmuth,
11.30 in Zanoah, in Adullam and their settlements, in Lachish and its fields, and in Azekah and its dependent towns. They settled from Beer-sheba clear to the Valley of Hinnom.
11.31 And the people of Benjamin were in Geba, Michmash, Aija, Bethel and its dependent towns,
11.32 Anathoth, Nob, Ananiah,
11.33 Hazor, Ramah, Gittaim,
11.34 Hadid, Zeboim, Neballat,
11.35 Lod, and Ono, the valley of the craftsmen.
11.36 And some divisions of the Levites from Judah were assigned to Benjamin.

12.1 These were the priests and the Levites who went up with Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua: Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra,
12.2 Amariah, Malluch, Hattush,
12.3 Shecaniah, Rehum, Meremoth,
12.4 Iddo, Ginnethoi, Abijah,
12.5 Mijamin, Maadiah, Bilgah,
12.6 Shemaiah, Joiarib, Jedaiah,
12.7 Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, and Jedaiah. These were the heads of the priests and their brothers in the days of Jeshua.
12.8 The Levites were Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and Mattaniah, who led the songs of thanksgiving along with his brothers.
12.9 And Bakbukiah and Unni their brothers stood opposite them for guard duties.
12.10 Jeshua became father to Joiakim, and Joiakim became father to Eliashib, and Eliashib to Joiada.
12.11 And Joiada became father to Jonathan, and Jonathan became father to Jaddua.
12.12 In the days of Joiakim, these were the priests, the heads of the paternal houses: for Seraiah, Meraiah; for Jeremiah, Hananiah;
12.13 for Ezra, Meshullam; for Amariah, Jehohanan;
12.14 for Malluchi, Jonathan; for Shebaniah, Joseph;
12.15 for Harim, Adna; for Meraioth, Helkai;
12.16 for Iddo, Zechariah; for Ginnethon, Meshullam;
12.17 for Abijah, Zichri; for Miniamin, ...  ; for Moadiah, Piltai;
12.18 for Bilgah, Shammua; for Shemaiah, Jehonathan;
12.19 for Joiarib, Mattenai; for Jedaiah, Uzzi;
12.20 for Sallai, Kallai; for Amok, Eber;
12.21 for Hilkiah, Hashabiah; for Jedaiah, Nethanel.
12.22 The heads of the paternal houses of the Levites in the days of Eliashib, Joiada, Johanan, and Jaddua were recorded, as were the priests, down to the kingship of Darius the Persian.
12.23 The Levites who were heads of the paternal houses were recorded in the book of the history of the times, down to the days of Johanan the son of Eliashib.
12.24 The heads of the Levites were Hashabiah, Sherebiah, and Jeshua the son of Kadmiel, and their brothers stood opposite them to offer praise and give thanks according to the instructions of David the man of the true God, guard group corresponding to guard group.
12.25 Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon, and Akkub were standing guard as gatekeepers, guarding the storerooms by the gates.
12.26 These served in the days of Joiakim the son of Jeshua the son of Jozadak and in the days of Nehemiah the governor and Ezra the priest and copyist.
12.27 At the inauguration of the walls of Jerusalem, they sought the Levites and brought them to Jerusalem from all the places they lived to celebrate the inauguration with rejoicing, with songs of thanksgiving, and with cymbals, stringed instruments, and harps.
12.28 And the sons of the singers gathered together from the district, from all around Jerusalem, from the settlements of the Netophathites,
12.29 from Beth-gilgal, and from the fields of Geba and Azmaveth, for the singers had built settlements for themselves all around Jerusalem.
12.30 And the priests and the Levites purified themselves, and they purified the people, the gates, and the wall.
12.31 Then I brought the princes of Judah up on top of the wall. Further, I appointed two large thanksgiving choirs and processions, and the one walked to the right on the wall toward the Gate of the Ash Heaps.
12.32 Hoshaiah and half of the princes of Judah walked behind them,
12.33 along with Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam,
12.34 Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, and Jeremiah.
12.35 With them were some of the sons of the priests with the trumpets: Zechariah son of Jonathan son of Shemaiah son of Mattaniah son of Micaiah son of Zaccur son of Asaph,
12.36 and his brothers Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah, and Hanani, with the musical instruments of David the man of the true God; and Ezra the copyist went before them.
12.37 At the Fountain Gate they went straight ahead up the Stairway of the City of David by the ascent of the wall above the House of David and on to the Water Gate to the east.
12.38 The other thanksgiving choir walked in the opposite direction, and I followed it with half of the people, on the wall up over the Tower of the Ovens and on to the Broad Wall
12.39 and up over the Gate of Ephraim and on to the Gate of the Old City and on to the Fish Gate, the Tower of Hananel, the Tower of Meah, and on to the Sheep Gate; and they came to a halt at the Gate of the Guard.
12.40 At length the two thanksgiving choirs stood before the house of the true God; so did I and half of the deputy rulers with me,
12.41 and the priests Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, and Hananiah, with the trumpets,
12.42 and Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malchijah, Elam, and Ezer. And the singers sang loudly under the oversight of Izrahiah.
12.43 On that day they offered great sacrifices and rejoiced, for the true God made them rejoice with great joy. The women and the children also rejoiced, so that the rejoicing of Jerusalem could be heard far away.
12.44 On that day men were appointed over the storehouses for the contributions, the firstfruits, and the tenths. Into them they were to gather from the fields of the cities the portions required by the Law for the priests and the Levites, for there was rejoicing in Judah because of the priests and the Levites who were ministering.
12.45 And they began taking care of the duties of their God and the obligation of the purification, as did the singers and the gatekeepers, according to the instructions of David and his son Solomon.
12.46 For long ago in the days of David and Asaph, there were directors for the singers and for the songs of praise and thanksgiving to God.
12.47 And during the days of Zerubbabel and during the days of Nehemiah, all Israel gave portions to the singers and the gatekeepers, according to the daily need. They also set aside the portion for the Levites, and the Levites set aside the portion for the descendants of Aaron.

13.1 On that day the book of Moses was read in the hearing of the people, and it was found written that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever enter the congregation of the true God,
13.2 for they had not met the Israelites with bread and water, but instead they had hired Balaam against them to curse them. However, our God had changed the curse into a blessing.
13.3 As soon as they heard the Law, they began to separate from Israel all those of foreign descent.
13.4 Now before this, the priest in charge of the storerooms of the house of our God was Eliashib, a relative of Tobiah.
13.5 He had made available for him a large storeroom, where previously they used to put the grain offering, the frankincense, and the utensils and the tenth of the grain, the new wine, and the oil, to which the Levites, the singers, and the gatekeepers are entitled, along with the contribution for the priests.
13.6 And during all this time I was not in Jerusalem, for I went to the king in the 32nd year of King Artaxerxes of Babylon; and sometime later I asked the king for a leave of absence.
13.7 Then I came to Jerusalem and noticed the terrible thing that Eliashib had done in behalf of Tobiah, making a storeroom available for him in the courtyard of the house of the true God.
13.8 This was very displeasing to me, so I threw all of Tobiah’s household furniture out of the storeroom.
13.9 After that I gave orders, and they cleansed the storerooms; and I put back there the utensils of the house of the true God, with the grain offering and the frankincense.
13.10 I also found out that the portions of the Levites had not been given them, so that the Levites and the singers who did the work had gone off, each to his own field.
13.11 So I reprimanded the deputy rulers and said: “Why has the house of the true God been neglected?” Then I gathered them together and assigned them back to their posts.
13.12 And all Judah brought in the tenth of the grain, the new wine, and the oil to the storerooms.
13.13 Then I put Shelemiah the priest, Zadok the copyist, and Pedaiah of the Levites in charge of the storerooms, and Hanan the son of Zaccur the son of Mattaniah was their assistant, for these men were considered reliable. It was their responsibility to make the distribution to their brothers.
13.14 Do remember me, O my God, concerning this, and do not wipe out my acts of loyal love that I have done for the house of my God and its services.
13.15 In those days I saw people in Judah treading winepresses on the Sabbath, bringing in heaps of grain and loading them on donkeys, and bringing wine, grapes, figs, and every sort of load into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. So I warned them against selling provisions on that day.
13.16 And the Tyrians who lived in the city were bringing in fish and all kinds of merchandise, selling them to the people of Judah and in Jerusalem on the Sabbath.
13.17 So I reprimanded the nobles of Judah and said to them: “What is this evil thing that you are doing, even profaning the Sabbath day?
13.18 Was not this what your forefathers did, so that our God brought all this disaster on us and also on this city? Now you are adding to the burning anger against Israel by profaning the Sabbath.”
13.19 So as soon as the shadows began to fall on the gates of Jerusalem before the Sabbath, I ordered that the doors be closed. I also said that they should not open them until after the Sabbath, and I stationed some of my own attendants at the gates so that no loads would be brought in on the Sabbath day.
13.20 So the traders and the sellers of all kinds of merchandise spent the night outside Jerusalem once or twice.
13.21 Then I warned them and said to them: “Why are you spending the night in front of the wall? If you do it again, I will use force against you.” From that time on they did not come on the Sabbath.
13.22 And I told the Levites that they should regularly purify themselves and come and guard the gates to keep the Sabbath day holy. This, also, do remember to my credit, O my God, and show me pity according to your abundant loyal love.
13.23 In those days I also saw Jews who had married Ashdodite, Ammonite, and Moabite women.
13.24 Half of their sons were speaking Ashdodite and half spoke the language of the different peoples, but none of them knew how to speak the language of the Jews.
13.25 So I reprimanded them and called down a curse on them and struck some of the men and pulled out their hair and made them swear by God: “You should not give your daughters to their sons, and you should not accept any of their daughters for your sons or yourselves.
13.26 Was it not because of these that King Solomon of Israel sinned? Among the many nations there was no king like him; and he was loved by his God, so that God made him king over all Israel. But the foreign wives caused even him to sin.
13.27 Is it not something unheard of for you to commit this great evil in acting unfaithfully against our God by marrying foreign women?”
13.28 One of the sons of Joiada the son of Eliashib the high priest had become a son-in-law of Sanballat the Horonite. So I drove him away from me.
13.29 Do remember them, O my God, because they have defiled the priesthood and the covenant of the priesthood and the Levites.
13.30 And I purified them from every foreign defilement, and I assigned duties to the priests and to the Levites, each to his own service,
13.31 and arranged for the supply of the wood at appointed times and for the first ripe fruits. Do remember me favorably, O my God.