Emily: welcome to immerse: the daily bible reading experience.
day 300 and 54
On October 31st, the people assembled again, and this time
they fasted and dressed in burlap and sprinkled dust on their heads.
Those of Israelite descent separated themselves from all foreigners
as they confessed their own sins and the sins of their ancestors.
They remained standing in place for three hours while the book of the law of the
Lord their God was read aloud to them.
Then for three more hours, They confessed their sins and
worshiped the Lord their God.
The Levites je Bena cael.
She bna shi Bena, and Canna stood on the stairway of the Levites and cried out
to the Lord their God, with loud voices.
Then the leaders of the Levites.
Je ca
benia, shi ho, aya, and Petha called out to the people.
Stand up and praise the Lord your God, for he lives from everlasting to everlasting.
Then they prayed.
May your glorious name be praised.
May it be exalted above all blessing and praise.
You alone are the Lord.
You made the skies and the heavens and all the stars you made, the earth
and the seas and everything in them.
You preserve them all and the angels of heaven worship you.
You are the Lord God who chose Abram and brought him from Irv of the
Chaldeans and renamed him Abraham.
When he had proved himself faithful, you made a covenant with him to give
him and his descendants the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites,
parasites, Jebusites, and Gsites.
And you have done what you promised for.
You are always true to your word.
You saw the misery of our ancestors in Egypt, and you heard their
cries from beside the Red Sea.
You displayed miraculous signs and wonders against Pharaoh, his officials, and all
his people for you knew how arrogantly they were treating our ancestors.
You have a glorious reputation that has never been forgotten.
You divided the sea for your people so they could walk through on dry
land and then you hurled their enemies into the depths of the sea.
They sank like stones beneath the mighty waters.
You led our ancestors by a pillar of cloud during the day and a pillar of fire at
night so that they could find their way.
You came down at Mount Sinai and spoke to them from heaven.
You gave them regulations and instructions that were just, and
decrees and commands that were good.
You instructed them concerning your Holy Sabbath, and you commanded them through
Moses, your servant, to obey all your commands, decrees, and instructions.
You gave them bread from heaven when they were hungry and water from the rock.
When they were thirsty, you commanded them to go and take possession of
the land you had sworn to give them.
But our ancestors were proud and stubborn, and they paid
no attention to your commands.
They refused to obey and did not remember the miracles you had done for them.
Instead, they became stubborn and appointed a leader to take them
back to their slavery in Egypt.
But you are a God of forgiveness, gracious and merciful, slow to become
angry and rich in unfailing love.
You did not abandon them even when they made an idol shaped like a
calf and said, this is your God who brought you out of Egypt.
They committed terrible blasphemies.
But in your great mercy, you did not abandon them to die in the wilderness.
The pillar of clouds still led them forward by day, and the pillar of fire
showed them the way through the night.
You sent your good spirit to instruct them, and you did not stop giving
them manna from heaven or water for their thirst for 40 years.
You sustained them in the wilderness and they lacked nothing.
Their clothes did not wear out, and their feet did not swell.
Then you helped our ancestors conquer kingdoms and nations, and you placed
your people in every corner of the land.
They took over the land of King Shan, of Heshan and the
land of King OG of Bayesian.
You made their descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky
and brought them into the land you had promised to their ancestors.
They went in and took possession of the land.
You subdued whole nations before them.
Even the Canaanites who inhabited the land were powerless.
Your people could deal with these nations and their kings as they pleased.
Our ancestors captured fortified cities and fertile land.
They took over houses full of good things with cisterns already dug
and vineyards and olive groves and fruit trees in abundance.
So they ate until they were full and grew fat and enjoyed
themselves In all your blessings.
But despite all this, they were disobedient and rebelled against you.
They turned their backs on your law.
They killed your prophets who warned them to return to you, and they
committed terrible blasphemies.
So you handed them over to their enemies who made them suffer, but in
their time of trouble, they cried to you and you heard them from heaven.
In your great mercy, you sent them liberators who rescued them from
their enemies, but as soon as they were at peace, your people again
committed evil in your sight.
And once more, you let their enemies conquer them.
Yet, whenever your people turned and cried to you again for help, you listened once
more from heaven in your wonderful mercy.
You rescued them.
Many times you warned them to return to your law.
They became proud and obstinate and disobeyed your commands.
They did not follow your regulations by which people will
find life if only they obey.
They stubbornly turned their backs on you and refused to listen in your love.
You patient with them for many years.
You sent your spirit who warned them through the prophets, but
still they wouldn't listen.
So once again, you allowed the peoples of the land to conquer them.
But in your great mercy, you did not destroy them completely
or abandon them forever.
What a gracious and merciful God you are.
And now our God, the great and mighty and awesome God who keeps
his covenant of unfailing love.
Do not let all the hardships we have suffered seem insignificant to you.
Great trouble has come upon us and upon our kings and leaders, and priests and
prophets and ancestors, all of your people, from the days when the kings
of Assyria first triumphed over us.
Until now, every time you punished us, you were being just, we have sinned greatly,
and you gave us only what we deserved.
Our kings leaders, priests and ancestors did not obey your law or listened to
the warnings in your commands and laws, even while they had their own kingdom.
They did not serve you though you showered your goodness on them.
You gave them a large fertile land, but they refused to
turn from their wickedness.
So now today, we are slaves in the land of plenty that you gave
our ancestors for their enjoyment.
We are slaves here in this good land.
The lush produce of this land piles up in the hands of the kings whom you have
set over us because of our sins, they have power over us and our livestock.
We serve them at their pleasure and we are in great misery.
The people responded in view of all this, we are making a solemn promise and putting
it in writing on this sealed document.
Are the names of our leaders and Levites and priests.
The document was ratified and sealed with the following names, the Governor,
Nehemiah, son of Aya, and also Zakiah the following priests, EA Azariah,
Jeremiah Pacher, Amiah, Malka hat.
Aya.
Malik Harem, Meath.
Obadiah, Daniel Guhan, Barrick, me, Aja Mann, Meza, bill, guy, and Shamaya.
These were the priests.
The following.
Levites Jesu, son of Zania UA from the family of Heida.
Cael and their fellow Levites, Shania Hod, Kaita Pal.
Hanan Micah.
Reb Aya, Zach Shiba, Shania Hod Bena and Benign Yu the following Leaders
Praha Moab.
Elam.
Ztu.
Be Nai.
Bonai as Gad B by Aja, big vii.
Aiden Aor.
Hezekiah Azer.
Hoda Haitham Biza.
Ef.
An neba mag Pash.
Me Heer Jezebel.
Zadok Jaua, AYA.
Hanan, Anaya Ho Hannah Hash.
Hello Piha Show Re, herb
Nan Annan.
Malik and Bayona.
Then the rest of the people.
The priests, Levites, gatekeepers, singers, temple servants, and
all who had separated themselves from the pagan people of the land
in order to obey the law of God.
Together with their wives, sons, daughters, and all who were old and
enough to understand, join their leaders and bound themselves with an
oath, they swore a curse on themselves if they failed to obey the law of
God as issued by his servant Moses.
They solemnly promise to carefully follow all the commands, regulations,
and decrees of the Lord our Lord.
We promise not to let our daughters marry the pagan people of the land and not
to let our sons marry their daughters.
We also promise that if the people of the land should bring any merchandise or
grain to be sold on the Sabbath or on any other holy day, we will refuse to buy it.
Every seventh year, we will let our land rest and we will
cancel all debts owed to us.
In addition, we promise to obey the command to pay the annual temple tax
of one eighth of an ounce of silver for the care of the temple of our God.
This will provide for the bread of the presence for the regular grain
offerings and burnt offerings for the offerings on the Sabbaths, the new Moon
celebrations and the annual festivals.
For the holy offerings and for the sin offerings to make atonement for Israel,
it will provide for everything necessary for the work of the temple of our God.
We have cast sacred lots to determine when at regular times each year,
the families of the priests, Levites and the common people should bring
wood to God's temple to be burned on the altar of the Lord our God.
As is written in the law, we promise to bring the first part of every harvest
to the Lord's temple year after year.
Whether it be a crop from the soil or from our fruit trees, we agree to give God our
oldest sons and the firstborn of all our herds and flocks as prescribed in the law.
We will present them to the priests who minister in the temple of our God.
We will store the produce in the store rooms of the temple of our God.
We will bring the best of our flour and other grain offerings, the best
of our fruit, and the best of our new wine and olive oil, and we promise
to bring to the Levites a 10th of everything our land produces for.
It is the Levites who collect the tithes in all our rural towns.
A priest, a descendant of Aaron, will be with the Levites
as they receive these tithes.
And a 10th of all that is collected as tithes will be delivered by the Levites
to the temple of our God and placed in the store rooms, the people and
the Levites must bring these offerings of grain, new wine, and olive oil to
the store rooms and place them in the sacred containers near the ministering
priests, the gatekeepers and the singers.
We promised together not to neglect the temple of our God.
The leaders of the people were living in Jerusalem, the holy city, A 10th of
the people from the other towns of Judah and Benjamin were chosen by sacred lots
to live there too, while the rest stayed where they were and the people commended.
Everyone who volunteered to resettle in Jerusalem.
Here is a list of the names of the provincial officials
who came to live in Jerusalem.
Most of the people, priests, Levites, temple servants and descendants of
Solomon's servants continued to live in their own homes in the various
towns of Judah, but some of the people from Judah and Benjamin resettled in
Jerusalem from the tribe of Judah, Athea son of Isaiah, son of Zechariah,
son of Amiah, son of chef attire, son of Maol, of the family of Pez.
Also Maia son of Barrack, son of Cal Hoa, son of Hosea, son of Aya, son of Joya rib.
Son of Zechariah.
Of the family of Sheila.
There were 468 descendants of Pez who lived in Jerusalem.
All outstanding men from the tribe of Benjamin Slu, son of Machu, son
of Jod, son of Padea, son of co.
Son of Maia, son of Eel, son of eaa.
After him were Gabi and Salai and a total of 928 relatives.
Their chief officer was Joel, son of Ziri, who was assisted by Judah,
son of Hasa, second in command over the city from the priests, Judea,
son of Joya, kin and re, son of Aya.
Son of Machu, son of Zadak, son of Morath, son of a ha tub, the
supervisor of the Temple of God.
Also 822 of their associates who worked at the Temple.
Also, Adai son of Giam, son of Aya.
Son of Amai.
Son of Zachariah.
Son of Pacher.
Son of Malka, along with 242 of his associates who were
heads of their families.
Also Amash Zai son of ael, son of Zai, son of ov son of Immer, and
128 of his outstanding associates.
Their chief officer was Zdi, son of Haga Dole from the Levites.
Shama son of Hasib, son of Asum, son of Hasha, Baah, son of Bun.
Also Saathi and Zeba who were in charge of the work outside the Temple of God.
Also, mat Aniah.
Son of Micah.
Son of Zdi, a descendant of ASAP who led in Thanksgiving and prayer.
Also back Bcha, who was Mat Tanaya's, assistant and Abda son of Shamu.
Son of Gaal.
Son of Duan.
In all there were 284 Levites in the Holy City.
From the gatekeepers, ACA Talman and 172 of their associates who guarded the gates.
The other priests, Levites, and the rest of the Israelites lived
wherever their family inheritance was located in any of the towns of Judah.
The temple servants, however, whose leaders were Zaha and GPA
all lived on the hill of Oell.
The chief officer of the Levites in Jerusalem was aai son of be Nai son
of has Shabiah, son of Matia, son of Micah, a descendant of ASAP whose family
served as singers at God's temple.
Their daily responsibilities were carried out according to
the terms of a royal command.
Petha.
Hiya son of Jezebel.
A descendant of Zira, son of Judah was the royal advisor in all
matters of public administration.
As for the surrounding villages with their open fields, some of the
people of Judah lived in Kiya, Arba with its settlements, DBAN with its
settlements, and sze with its villages.
They also lived in Jesu, Moda Beth Peat Hazer.
Schul Beersheba with its settlements, ziklag, and Maona with its settlements.
They also lived in Enri, Zora, Jarm, Zano, and Adullam with
their surrounding villages.
They also lived in Lake ish with its nearby fields and e Zika
with its surrounding villages.
So the people of Judah were living all the way from Biba in the
south to the valley of Hanham.
Some of the people of Benjamin lived at Giba Mash, Aja and
Bethel with its settlements.
They also lived in anal knob, Anaya Hazo.
Rama Gida.
Heid Zebo Naba Lad.
Oh no.
And the Valley of Craftsman.
Some of the Levites who lived in Judah were sent to live
with the tribe of Benjamin.