מִצְוָה

But they conspired against Zechariah, and by order of the king, they stoned him in the courtyard of the house of the LORD.

When they had assembled their brothers and consecrated themselves, they went in to cleanse the house of the LORD, according to the command of the king by the words of the LORD.

Hezekiah stationed the Levites in the house of the LORD with cymbals, harps, and lyres according to the command of David, of Gad the king’s seer, and of Nathan the prophet. For the command had come from the LORD through His prophets.

At the command of the king, the couriers went throughout Israel and Judah with letters from the king and his officials, which read: “Children of Israel, return to the LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, so that He may return to those of you who remain, who have escaped the grasp of the kings of Assyria.

Moreover, the power of God was on the people in Judah to give them one heart to obey the command of the king and his officials according to the word of the LORD.

He acted with all his heart in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, and in the law and the commandments, in order to seek his God. And so he prospered.

So the king stood by the pillar and made a covenant before the LORD to follow the LORD and to keep His commandments, decrees, and statutes with all his heart and all his soul, and to carry out the words of the covenant that were written in this book.

So the service was prepared; the priests stood in their places and the Levites in their divisions according to the king’s command.

The singers, the descendants of Asaph, were at their stations according to the command of David, Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun the king’s seer. And the gatekeepers at each gate did not need to leave their posts, because their fellow Levites made preparations for them.

So on that day the entire service of the LORD was carried out for celebrating the Passover and offering burnt offerings on the altar of the LORD, according to the command of King Josiah.

This is the text of the letter King Artaxerxes had given to Ezra the priest and scribe, an expert in the commandments and statutes of the LORD to Israel:

And now, our God, what can we say after this? For we have forsaken the commandments

…shall we again break Your commandments and intermarry with the peoples who commit these abominations? Would You not become so angry with us as to wipe us out, leaving no remnant or survivor?

So now let us make a covenant before our God to send away all the foreign wives and their children, according to the counsel of my lord and of those who tremble at the command of our God. Let it be done according to the Law.

Then I said: “O LORD, God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps His covenant of loving devotion with those who love Him and keep His commandments,

We have behaved corruptly against You and have not kept the commandments, statutes, and ordinances that You gave Your servant Moses.

…but if you return to Me and keep and practice My commandments, then even if your exiles have been banished to the farthest horizon, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for My Name.’

You came down on Mount Sinai and spoke with them from heaven. You gave them just ordinances, true laws, and good statutes and commandments.

You revealed to them Your holy Sabbath and gave them commandments and statutes and laws through Your servant Moses.

But they and our fathers became arrogant and stiff-necked and did not obey Your commandments.

You admonished them to turn back to Your law, but they were arrogant and disobeyed Your commandments. They sinned against Your ordinances, by which a man will live if he practices them. They turned a stubborn shoulder; they stiffened their necks and would not obey.

Our kings and leaders and priests and fathers did not obey Your law or listen to Your commandments and warnings that You gave them.

…hereby join with their noble brothers and commit themselves with a sworn oath to follow the Law of God given through His servant Moses and to obey carefully all the commandments, ordinances, and statutes of the LORD our Lord.

We also place ourselves under the obligation to contribute a third of a shekel yearly for the service of the house of our God:

For there was a command from the king concerning the singers, an ordinance regulating their daily activities.

The leaders of the Levites were Hashabiah, Sherebiah, and Jeshua son of Kadmiel, along with their associates, who stood across from them to give praise and thanksgiving as one section alternated with the other, as prescribed by David the man of God.

They performed the service of their God and the service of purification, along with the singers and gatekeepers, as David and his son Solomon had prescribed.

…and had prepared for Tobiah a large room where they had previously stored the grain offerings, the frankincense, the temple articles, and the tithes of grain, new wine, and oil prescribed for the Levites, singers, and gatekeepers, along with the contributions for the priests.

Then the royal servants at the king’s gate asked Mordecai, “Why do you disobey the command of the king?”

I have not departed from the command of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my daily bread.

The precepts of the LORD are right, bringing joy to the heart; the commandments of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes.

…that they should put their confidence in God, not forgetting His works, but keeping His commandments.

…if they violate My statutes and fail to keep My commandments,

Hallelujah! Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who greatly delights in His commandments.

Then I would not be ashamed when I consider all Your commandments.

With all my heart I have sought You; do not let me stray from Your commandments.

I am a stranger on the earth; do not hide Your commandments from me.

You rebuke the arrogant—the cursed who stray from Your commandments.

I run in the path of Your commandments, for You will enlarge my heart.

Direct me in the path of Your commandments, for there I find delight.

I delight in Your commandments because I love them.

I lift up my hands to Your commandments, which I love, and I meditate on Your statutes.

I hurried without hesitating to keep Your commandments.

Teach me good judgment and knowledge, for I believe in Your commandments.

Your hands have made me and fashioned me; give me understanding to learn Your commandments.

All Your commandments are faithful; I am persecuted without cause—help me!

I have seen a limit to all perfection, but Your commandment is without limit.

Your commandments make me wiser than my enemies, for they are always with me.

Depart from me, you evildoers, that I may obey the commandments of my God.