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After the wall had been rebuilt, and I had set up its doors, and the gatekeepers, singers and L’vi’im had been appointed, I put my kinsman Hanani in charge of Yerushalayim, along with Hananyah the commander of the citadel. For he was a faithful man, and he feared God more than most. I said to them, “The gates of Yerushalayim are not to be opened until the sun is hot; and while the gatekeepers are still on duty, have them shut the doors; and you, put up the bars. Appoint watchmen from among those living in Yerushalayim; assign each one his time to guard, and have each one serving near his own house.”

The city was large and spacious, but there were few people in it, and the houses had not been rebuilt. My God put it in my heart to assemble the nobles, the leaders and the people, so that they could be registered according to their genealogies. I located the record of the genealogies of those who had come up at the beginning and found written in it:

“Here is a list of the people of the province who had been exiled, carried off to Bavel by N’vukhadnetzar king of Bavel, but who later returned from exile and went up to Yerushalayim and Y’hudah, each to his own city; they went with Z’rubavel, Yeshua, Nechemyah, ‘Azaryah, Ra‘amyah, Nachmani, Mordekhai, Bilshan, Misperet, Bigvai, N’chum and Ba‘anah.

“The number of men from the people of Isra’el:

descendants of Par‘osh2,172
descendants of Sh’fatyah372
10 descendants of Arach652
11 descendants of Pachat-Mo’av,
from the descendants of Yeshua and Yo’av2,818
12 descendants of ‘Eilam1,254
13 descendants of Zatu845
14 descendants of Zakkai760
15 descendants of Binui648
16 descendants of B’vai628
17 descendants of ‘Azgad2,322
18 descendants of Adonikam667
19 descendants of Bigvai2,067
20 descendants of ‘Adin655
21 descendants of Ater, of Y’chizkiyah98
22 descendants of Hashum328
23 descendants of Betzai324
24 descendants of Harif112
25 descendants of Giv‘on95
26 people of Beit-Lechem and N’tofah188
27 people of ‘Anatot128
28 people of Beit-‘Azmavet42
29 people of Kiryat-Ye‘arim, K’firah and Be’erot743
30 people of Ramah and Geva621
31 people of Mikhmas122
32 people of Beit-El and ‘Ai123
33 people from the other N’vo52
34 people from the other ‘Eilam1,254
35 descendants of Harim320
36 descendants of Yericho345
37 descendants of Lod, Hadid and Ono721
38 descendants of S’na’ah3,930

39 “The cohanim:

descendants of Y’da‘yah, of the house of Yeshua973
40 descendants of Immer1,052
41 descendants of Pash’chur1,247
42 descendants of Harim1,017

43 “The L’vi’im:

descendants of Yeshua, of Kadmi’el,
of the descendants of Hodvah74
44 “The singers:
descendants of Asaf148
45 “The gatekeepers:
descendants of Shalum,
descendants of Ater,
descendants of Talmon,
descendants of ‘Akuv,
descendants of Hatita, and
descendants of Shovai138
46 “The temple servants:
descendants of Tzicha,
descendants of Hasufa,
descendants of Taba‘ot,
47 descendants of Keros,
descendants of Si‘a,
descendants of Padon,
48 descendants of L’vanah,
descendants of Hagava,
descendants of Salmai,
49 descendants of Hanan,
descendants of Giddel,
descendants of Gachar,
50 descendants of Re’ayah,
descendants of Retzin,
descendants of N’koda,
51 descendants of Gazam,
descendants of ‘Uza,
descendants of Paseach,
52 descendants of Besai,
descendants of Me‘unim,
descendants of N’fish’sim,
53 descendants of Bakbuk,
descendants of Hakufa,
descendants of Harhur,
54 descendants of Batzlit,
descendants of M’chida,
descendants of Harsha,
55 descendants of Barkos,
descendants of Sisra,
descendants of Temach,
56 descendants of N’tziach, and
descendants of Hatifa.
57 “The descendants of Shlomo’s servants:
descendants of Sotai,
descendants of Soferet,
descendants of P’rida,
58 descendants of Ya‘lah,
descendants of Darkon,
descendants of Giddel,
59 descendants of Sh’fatyah,
descendants of Hatil,
descendants of Pokheret-Hatzvayim, and
descendants of Amon.
60 “All the temple servants and the
descendants of Shlomo’s servants numbered392

61 “The following went up from Tel-Melach, Tel-Harsha, K’ruv, Adon and Immer; but they could not state which fathers’ clan they and their children belonged to, [so it was not clear] whether they were from Isra’el:

62 descendants of D’layah,
descendants of Toviyah, and
descendants of N’koda642

63 and of the cohanim:

descendants of Havayah,
descendants of Hakotz, and

descendants of Barzillai, who took a wife from the
daughters of Barzillai the Gil‘adi and was named after them.

64 “These tried to locate their geneaolgical records, but they weren’t found. Therefore they were considered defiled and were not allowed to serve as cohanim. 65 The Tirshata told them not to eat any of the especially holy food until a cohen appeared who could consult the urim and tumim.

66 “The entire assembly numbered 42,360, 67 not including their male and female slaves, of whom there were 7,337. They also had 245 male and female singers. 68 Their horses numbered 736; their mules, 245; * 69 their camels, 435; and their donkeys, 6,720.

70 “Some from among the heads of fathers’ clans made contributions for the work. The Tirshata contributed to the treasury a thousand gold darkmonim [twenty-one pounds], fifty basins and 530 tunics for the cohanim. 71 Some of the heads of fathers’ clans gave into the treasury for the work 20,000 gold darkmonim [420 pounds] and 2,200 silver manim [one-and-a-third tons]. 72 The rest of the people gave 20,000 gold darkmonim, 2,000 silver manim [about one-and-a-quarter tons] and sixty-seven tunics for the cohanim.

73 “So the cohanim, the L’vi’im, the gatekeepers, the singers, some of the people, the temple servants and all Isra’el lived in their towns.”

(8:1) When the seventh month arrived, after the people of Isra’el had resettled in their towns,

After the wall had been rebuilt and I had set the doors in place, the gatekeepers,(A) the musicians(B) and the Levites(C) were appointed. I put in charge of Jerusalem my brother Hanani,(D) along with Hananiah(E) the commander of the citadel,(F) because he was a man of integrity and feared(G) God more than most people do. I said to them, “The gates of Jerusalem are not to be opened until the sun is hot. While the gatekeepers are still on duty, have them shut the doors and bar them. Also appoint residents of Jerusalem as guards, some at their posts and some near their own houses.”

The List of the Exiles Who Returned(H)

Now the city was large and spacious, but there were few people in it,(I) and the houses had not yet been rebuilt. So my God put it into my heart to assemble the nobles, the officials and the common people for registration by families. I found the genealogical record of those who had been the first to return. This is what I found written there:

These are the people of the province who came up from the captivity of the exiles(J) whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had taken captive (they returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his own town, in company with Zerubbabel,(K) Joshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum and Baanah):

The list of the men of Israel:

the descendants of Parosh2,172
of Shephatiah372
10 of Arah652
11 of Pahath-Moab (through the line of Jeshua and Joab)2,818
12 of Elam1,254
13 of Zattu845
14 of Zakkai760
15 of Binnui648
16 of Bebai628
17 of Azgad2,322
18 of Adonikam667
19 of Bigvai2,067
20 of Adin(L)655
21 of Ater (through Hezekiah)98
22 of Hashum328
23 of Bezai324
24 of Hariph112
25 of Gibeon95
26 the men of Bethlehem and Netophah(M)188
27 of Anathoth(N)128
28 of Beth Azmaveth42
29 of Kiriath Jearim, Kephirah(O) and Beeroth(P)743
30 of Ramah and Geba621
31 of Mikmash122
32 of Bethel and Ai(Q)123
33 of the other Nebo52
34 of the other Elam1,254
35 of Harim320
36 of Jericho(R)345
37 of Lod, Hadid and Ono(S)721
38 of Senaah3,930

39 The priests:

the descendants of Jedaiah (through the family of Jeshua)973
40 of Immer1,052
41 of Pashhur1,247
42 of Harim1,017

43 The Levites:

the descendants of Jeshua (through Kadmiel through the line of Hodaviah)74

44 The musicians:(T)

the descendants of Asaph148

45 The gatekeepers:(U)

the descendants of
Shallum, Ater, Talmon, Akkub, Hatita and Shobai138

46 The temple servants:(V)

the descendants of
Ziha, Hasupha, Tabbaoth,
47 Keros, Sia, Padon,
48 Lebana, Hagaba, Shalmai,
49 Hanan, Giddel, Gahar,
50 Reaiah, Rezin, Nekoda,
51 Gazzam, Uzza, Paseah,
52 Besai, Meunim, Nephusim,
53 Bakbuk, Hakupha, Harhur,
54 Bazluth, Mehida, Harsha,
55 Barkos, Sisera, Temah,
56 Neziah and Hatipha

57 The descendants of the servants of Solomon:

the descendants of
Sotai, Sophereth, Perida,
58 Jaala, Darkon, Giddel,
59 Shephatiah, Hattil,
Pokereth-Hazzebaim and Amon
60 The temple servants and the descendants of the servants of Solomon(W)392

61 The following came up from the towns of Tel Melah, Tel Harsha, Kerub, Addon and Immer, but they could not show that their families were descended from Israel:

62 the descendants of
Delaiah, Tobiah and Nekoda642

63 And from among the priests:

the descendants of
Hobaiah, Hakkoz and Barzillai (a man who had married a daughter of Barzillai the Gileadite and was called by that name).

64 These searched for their family records, but they could not find them and so were excluded from the priesthood as unclean. 65 The governor, therefore, ordered them not to eat any of the most sacred food until there should be a priest ministering with the Urim and Thummim.(X)

66 The whole company numbered 42,360, 67 besides their 7,337 male and female slaves; and they also had 245 male and female singers. 68 There were 736 horses, 245 mules,[a] 69 435 camels and 6,720 donkeys.

70 Some of the heads of the families contributed to the work. The governor gave to the treasury 1,000 darics[b] of gold, 50 bowls and 530 garments for priests. 71 Some of the heads of the families(Y) gave to the treasury for the work 20,000 darics[c] of gold and 2,200 minas[d] of silver. 72 The total given by the rest of the people was 20,000 darics of gold, 2,000 minas[e] of silver and 67 garments for priests.(Z)

73 The priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the musicians and the temple servants,(AA) along with certain of the people and the rest of the Israelites, settled in their own towns.(AB)

Ezra Reads the Law

When the seventh month came and the Israelites had settled in their towns,(AC)

Footnotes

  1. Nehemiah 7:68 Some Hebrew manuscripts (see also Ezra 2:66); most Hebrew manuscripts do not have this verse.
  2. Nehemiah 7:70 That is, about 19 pounds or about 8.4 kilograms
  3. Nehemiah 7:71 That is, about 375 pounds or about 170 kilograms; also in verse 72
  4. Nehemiah 7:71 That is, about 1 1/3 tons or about 1.2 metric tons
  5. Nehemiah 7:72 That is, about 1 1/4 tons or about 1.1 metric tons