Nehemiah 10:30,31

The people promised God that *Jews would not marry people from other nations. Most foreigners served other gods, which were not real gods. God knew that the *Jews would follow the ways of the foreigners. They would serve other gods and they would not serve him. So he warned them not to marry these foreigners (Nehemiah 13:1-3; Nehemiah 13:24-27). God had sent their *ancestors into *exile because they had served other gods.

The people also promised to keep the 7th day of the week special and holy for God. God had told them to rest on the 7th day. He told them to allow their animals and their foreign servants to rest also (Exodus 23:12). God himself had rested on the 7th day after he had made the world. So he made it a special day (Genesis 2:1-3).

It was a special day when the people *worshipped God. He told them not to work on that day. He also told them not to farm their land each 7th year. Then they would not be able to grow crops, because God wanted them to depend on him.

If the people rested on the 7th day, then the nations near them would notice. Then the other nations would know that the *Jews loved the real God.

Just before the people went into *exile, God warned them by his *prophet Jeremiah. God made a promise if the people obeyed his command about the 7th day. He promised that the people would be a great nation (Jeremiah 17:24-25). But they did not obey his command. So God sent them into *exile and he allowed enemies to destroy Jerusalem.

v32 ‘We will make a law for ourselves. That law will oblige us to pay the *temple tax each year. That money will pay for the work of God’s house, called the *temple.

v33 This money will pay for the special bread and for the grain and meat for the regular *sacrifices. It will also pay for the *sacrifices on holy days. These *sacrifices happen every 7th day of the week and at the start of every month. The money will also pay for the special meetings and the holy *sacrifices. The money will also pay for the *sacrifices when the *Israelite people ask God to forgive their *sins. And it will pay for all the work of God’s house, that is, the *temple.

v34 We all threw *lots. This included the priests, the *Levites and the rest of the people. By this method, we have decided which families will bring the gift of wood. They will bring the wood at certain times in the year. The priests will use this wood to burn the *sacrifices to the *Lord our God. This is what God’s law orders.

v35 We also promise that we will bring the first of our crops and the first of our fruit. We will bring these every year to the house of the *Lord.

v36 We will also bring the first of our sons to be born and the first of our cows and sheep. God’s law says that we should do this. We will bring them to the house of our God. We will bring them to the priests who serve there. v37 And we will bring the first of our grain and our gifts. We will bring the fruit of all our trees and wine and oil to the priests. We will bring these to the special rooms in the house of our God. We will bring one tenth (1/10th) of our crops to the *Levites. The *Levites will receive the *tithes in all the towns where we work.

v38 And a priest, who is a *descendant of Aaron will be with the *Levites. He will be with the *Levites when they receive the *tithes. Then the *Levites will bring a 10th part of the *tithes to the house of our God. They will bring it to the special rooms at the *temple.

v39 So the people of *Israel and the *Levites will bring the gifts of grain, wine and oil to the rooms. These special rooms contain the equipment for the *temple. The priests stay in these rooms when they are serving in the *temple. The singers and the people who guard the gates also stay there.

We promise that we will not neglect the house of our God.’