The Obligations of the Covenant

Nehemiah 10

28 m "The rest of the people, the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, the temple servants, n and all who have separated themselves from the peoples of the lands to the Law of God, their wives, their sons, their daughters, all who have knowledge and understanding, 29 join with their brothers, their nobles, o and enter into a curse and an oath p to walk in God's Law that was given by Moses the servant of God, and to observe and do all the commandments of the Lord our Lord and his rules and his statutes. 30 q We will not give our daughters to the peoples of the land or take their daughters for our sons. 31 r And if the peoples of the land bring in goods or any grain on the Sabbath day to sell, we will not buy from them on the Sabbath or on a holy day. And we will forego the crops of the s seventh year and the t exaction of every debt.

32 "We also take on ourselves the obligation to give yearly u a third part of a shekel 1 for the service of the house of our God: 33 v for the showbread, w the regular grain offering, w the regular burnt offering, the Sabbaths, the new moons, the appointed feasts, the holy things, and the sin offerings to make atonement for Israel, and for all the work of the house of our God. 34 x We, the priests, the Levites, and the people, have likewise cast lots y for the wood offering, to bring it into the house of our God, according to our fathers' houses, at times appointed, year by year, to burn on the altar of the Lord our God, z as it is written in the Law. 35 We obligate ourselves a to bring the firstfruits of our ground and the firstfruits of all fruit of every tree, year by year, to the house of the Lord; 36 also to bring to the house of our God, to the priests who minister in the house of our God, the firstborn of our sons and of our cattle, b as it is written in the Law, and the firstborn of our herds and of our flocks; 37 c and to bring the first of our dough, and our contributions, the fruit of every tree, the wine and the oil, to the priests, d to the chambers of the house of our God; and to bring to the Levites the tithes from our ground, for it is the Levites who collect the tithes in all our towns where we labor. 38 And the priest, the son of Aaron, shall be with the Levites when the Levites receive the tithes. And the Levites shall bring up the tithe of the tithes to the house of our God, to the chambers of e the storehouse. 39 For the people of Israel and the sons of Levi f shall bring the contribution of grain, wine, and oil to the chambers, where the vessels of the sanctuary are, as well as the priests who minister, and the gatekeepers and the singers. g We will not neglect the house of our God."

  1. Cross References
    Ezra 2:36 - 54
    The priests: the sons of Jedaiah, of the house of Jeshua, 973.
  2. Cross References
    Nehemiah 9:2
    And the Israelites separated themselves from all foreigners and stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers.
  3. Cross References
    Nehemiah 5:12 - 13
    Then they said, "We will restore these and require nothing from them. We will do as you say." And I called the priests and made them swear to do as they had promised.
    Deuteronomy 29:12
    So that you may enter into the sworn covenant of the Lord your God, which the Lord your God is making with you today.
    Deuteronomy 29:14
    It is not with you alone that I am making this sworn covenant.
    Psalms 119:106
    I have sworn an oath and confirmed it, to keep your righteous rules.
  4. Cross References
    2 Kings 23:3
    And the king stood by the pillar and made a covenant before the Lord, to walk after the Lord and to keep his commandments and his testimonies and his statutes with all his heart and all his soul, to perform the words of this covenant that were written in this book. And all the people joined in the covenant.
    2 Chronicles 34:31
    And the king stood in his place and made a covenant before the Lord, to walk after the Lord and to keep his commandments and his testimonies and his statutes, with all his heart and all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant that were written in this book.
  5. Cross References
    Exodus 34:16
    And you take of their daughters for your sons, and their daughters whore after their gods and make your sons whore after their gods.
    Deuteronomy 7:3
    You shall not intermarry with them, giving your daughters to their sons or taking their daughters for your sons.
    Ezra 9:12
    Therefore do not give your daughters to their sons, neither take their daughters for your sons, and never seek their peace or prosperity, that you may be strong and eat the good of the land and leave it for an inheritance to your children forever.
    Ezra 9:14
    Shall we break your commandments again and intermarry with the peoples who practice these abominations? Would you not be angry with us until you consumed us, so that there should be no remnant, nor any to escape?
  6. Cross References
    Exodus 20:10
    But the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates.
    Leviticus 23:3
    Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation. You shall do no work. It is a Sabbath to the Lord in all your dwelling places.
    Deuteronomy 5:12
    'Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, as the Lord your God commanded you.
    Nehemiah 13:15 - 22
    In those days I saw in Judah people treading winepresses on the Sabbath, and bringing in heaps of grain and loading them on donkeys, and also wine, grapes, figs, and all kinds of loads, which they brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. And I warned them on the day when they sold food.
  7. Cross References
    Exodus 23:10 - 11
    For six years you shall sow your land and gather in its yield.
    Leviticus 25:4
    But in the seventh year there shall be a Sabbath of solemn rest for the land, a Sabbath to the Lord. You shall not sow your field or prune your vineyard.
  8. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 15:1 - 2
    At the end of every seven years you shall grant a release.
    Nehemiah 5:12
    Then they said, "We will restore these and require nothing from them. We will do as you say." And I called the priests and made them swear to do as they had promised.
  9. Cross References
    Matthew 17:24
    When they came to Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma tax went up to Peter and said, "Does your teacher not pay the tax?
  10. Cross References
    2 Chronicles 2:4
    Behold, I am about to build a house for the name of the Lord my God and dedicate it to him for the burning of incense of sweet spices before him, and for the regular arrangement of the showbread, and for burnt offerings morning and evening, on the Sabbaths and the new moons and the appointed feasts of the Lord our God, as ordained forever for Israel.
    1 Chronicles 9:32
    Also some of their kinsmen of the Kohathites had charge of the showbread, to prepare it every Sabbath.
    Leviticus 24:5 - 9
    You shall take fine flour and bake twelve loaves from it; two tenths of an ephah shall be in each loaf.
  11. Cross References
    Numbers 28:1
    The Lord spoke to Moses, saying.
    Numbers 29:1
    On the first day of the seventh month you shall have a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work. It is a day for you to blow the trumpets.
  12. Cross References
    Numbers 28:1
    The Lord spoke to Moses, saying.
    Numbers 29:1
    On the first day of the seventh month you shall have a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work. It is a day for you to blow the trumpets.
  13. Cross References
    Nehemiah 11:1
    Now the leaders of the people lived in Jerusalem. And the rest of the people cast lots to bring one out of ten to live in Jerusalem the holy city, while nine out of ten remained in the other towns.
  14. Cross References
    Nehemiah 13:31
    And I provided for the wood offering at appointed times, and for the firstfruits. Remember me, O my God, for good.
    Isaiah 40:16
    Lebanon would not suffice for fuel, nor are its beasts enough for a burnt offering.
  15. Cross References
    Leviticus 6:12
    The fire on the altar shall be kept burning on it; it shall not go out. The priest shall burn wood on it every morning, and he shall arrange the burnt offering on it and shall burn on it the fat of the peace offerings.
  16. Cross References
    Exodus 23:19
    The best of the firstfruits of your ground you shall bring into the house of the Lord your God. "You shall not boil a young goat in its mother's milk.
    Exodus 34:26
    The best of the firstfruits of your ground you shall bring to the house of the Lord your God. You shall not boil a young goat in its mother's milk.
    Leviticus 19:23 - 24
    When you come into the land and plant any kind of tree for food, then you shall regard its fruit as forbidden. Three years it shall be forbidden to you; it must not be eaten.
    Numbers 18:12
    All the best of the oil and all the best of the wine and of the grain, the firstfruits of what they give to the Lord, I give to you.
    Deuteronomy 26:2
    You shall take some of the first of all the fruit of the ground, which you harvest from your land that the Lord your God is giving you, and you shall put it in a basket, and you shall go to the place that the Lord your God will choose, to make his name to dwell there.
  17. Cross References
    Exodus 13:2
    "Consecrate to me all the firstborn. Whatever is the first to open the womb among the people of Israel, both of man and of beast, is mine."
    Exodus 13:12 - 13
    You shall set apart to the Lord all that first opens the womb. All the firstborn of your animals that are males shall be the Lord 's.
    Leviticus 27:26 - 27
    But a firstborn of animals, which as a firstborn belongs to the Lord, no man may dedicate; whether ox or sheep, it is the Lord 's.
    Numbers 18:15 - 16
    Everything that opens the womb of all flesh, whether man or beast, which they offer to the Lord, shall be yours. Nevertheless, the firstborn of man you shall redeem, and the firstborn of unclean animals you shall redeem.
  18. Cross References
    Leviticus 23:17
    You shall bring from your dwelling places two loaves of bread to be waved, made of two tenths of an ephah. They shall be of fine flour, and they shall be baked with leaven, as firstfruits to the Lord.
    Numbers 15:20 - 21
    Of the first of your dough you shall present a loaf as a contribution; like a contribution from the threshing floor, so shall you present it.
    Numbers 18:12
    All the best of the oil and all the best of the wine and of the grain, the firstfruits of what they give to the Lord, I give to you.
    Deuteronomy 18:4
    The firstfruits of your grain, of your wine and of your oil, and the first fleece of your sheep, you shall give him.
  19. Cross References
    1 Chronicles 9:26
    For the four chief gatekeepers, who were Levites, were entrusted to be over the chambers and the treasures of the house of God.
    2 Chronicles 31:11
    Then Hezekiah commanded them to prepare chambers in the house of the Lord, and they prepared them.
  20. Cross References
    1 Chronicles 26:20
    And of the Levites, Ahijah had charge of the treasuries of the house of God and the treasuries of the dedicated gifts.
  21. Cross References
    Nehemiah 13:12
    Then all Judah brought the tithe of the grain, wine, and oil into the storehouses.
    Deuteronomy 12:6
    And there you shall bring your burnt offerings and your sacrifices, your tithes and the contribution that you present, your vow offerings, your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herd and of your flock.
    Deuteronomy 12:11
    Then to the place that the Lord your God will choose, to make his name dwell there, there you shall bring all that I command you: your burnt offerings and your sacrifices, your tithes and the contribution that you present, and all your finest vow offerings that you vow to the Lord.
    2 Chronicles 31:12
    And they faithfully brought in the contributions, the tithes, and the dedicated things. The chief officer in charge of them was Conaniah the Levite, with Shimei his brother as second.
  22. Cross References
    Nehemiah 13:11
    So I confronted the officials and said, "Why is the house of God forsaken?" And I gathered them together and set them in their stations.
English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.
Next Book Next Book