Nehemiah 7

The Exiles Return

1 When the wall had been rebuilt and I had the doors installed, the gatekeepers, singers, and Levites were appointed. 2 Then I put my brother Hanani in charge of Jerusalem, along with Hananiah, commander of the fortress, because he was a faithful man who feared God more than most.

3 I said to them, "Do not open the gates of Jerusalem until the sun is hot, and let the doors be shut and securely fastened while the guards are on duty. Station the citizens of Jerusalem as guards, some at their posts and some at their homes."
4 The city was large and spacious, but there were few people in it, and no houses had been built yet.

5 Then my God put it into my mind to assemble the nobles, the officials, and the people to be registered by genealogy. I found the genealogical record of those who came back first, and I found [the following] written in it:
6 These are the people of the province who went up among the captive exiles deported by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. Each of them returned to Jerusalem and Judah, to his own town.

7 They came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, and Baanah.
The number of the Israelite men [included]:

8 Parosh's descendants 2,172

9 Shephatiah's descendants 372

10 Arah's descendants 652

11 Pahath-moab's descendants:

Jeshua's and Joab's descendants 2,818

12 Elam's descendants 1,254

13 Zattu's descendants 845

14 Zaccai's descendants 760

15 Binnui's descendants 648

16 Bebai's descendants 628

17 Azgad's descendants 2,322

18 Adonikam's descendants 667

19 Bigvai's descendants 2,067

20 Adin's descendants 655

21 Ater's descendants: of Hezekiah 98

22 Hashum's descendants 328

23 Bezai's descendants 324

24 Hariph's descendants 112

25 Gibeon's descendants 95

26 Bethlehem's and Netophah's men 188

27 Anathoth's men 128

28 Beth-azmaveth's men 42

29 Kiriath-jearim's, Chephirah's, and Beeroth's men 743

30 Ramah's and Geba's men 621

31 Michmas's men 122

32 Bethel's and Ai's men 123

33 the other Nebo's men 52

34 the other Elam's people 1,254

35 Harim's people 320

36 Jericho's people 345

37 Lod's, Hadid's, and Ono's people 721

38 Senaah's people 3,930.
39 The priests [included]:

Jedaiah's descendants of the house of Jeshua 973

40 Immer's descendants 1,052

41 Pashhur's descendants 1,247

42 Harim's descendants 1,017.

43 The Levites [included]:

Jeshua's descendants: of Kadmiel

Hodevah's descendants 74.

44 The singers [included]:

Asaph's descendants 148.

45 The gatekeepers [included]:

Shallum's descendants, Ater's descendants,

Talmon's descendants, Akkub's descendants,

Hatita's descendants, Shobai's descendants 138.
46 The temple servants [included]:
Ziha's descendants, Hasupha's descendants,
Tabbaoth's descendants, 47 Keros's descendants,
Sia's descendants, Padon's descendants,
48 Lebanah's descendants, Hagabah's descendants,
Shalmai's descendants, 49 Hanan's descendants,
Giddel's descendants, Gahar's descendants,
50 Reaiah's descendants, Rezin's descendants,
Nekoda's descendants, 51 Gazzam's descendants,
Uzza's descendants, Paseah's descendants,
52 Besai's descendants, Meunim's descendants,
Nephishesim's descendants, 53 Bakbuk's descendants,
Hakupha's descendants, Harhur's descendants,
54 Bazlith's descendants, Mehida's descendants,
Harsha's descendants, 55 Barkos's descendants,
Sisera's descendants, Temah's descendants,

56 Neziah's descendants, Hatipha's descendants.
57 The descendants of Solomon's servants [included]:
Sotai's descendants, Sophereth's descendants,
Perida's descendants, 58 Jaala's descendants,
Darkon's descendants, Giddel's descendants,
59 Shephatiah's descendants, Hattil's descendants,
Pochereth-hazzebaim's descendants, Amon's descendants.

60 All the temple servants

and the descendants of Solomon's servants 392.
61 The following are those who came from Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Cherub, Addon, and Immer, but were unable to prove that their families and ancestors were Israelite:

62 Delaiah's descendants,

Tobiah's descendants,

and Nekoda's descendants 642
63 and from the priests: the descendants of Hobaiah, the descendants of Hakkoz, and the descendants of Barzillai-who had taken a wife from the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite and was called by their name. 64 These searched for their entries in the genealogical records, but they could not be found, so they were disqualified from the priesthood. 65 The governor ordered them not to eat the most holy things until there was a priest who could consult the Urim and Thummim.

66 The whole combined assembly numbered 42,360

67 not including their 7,337 male and female slaves,

as well as their 245 male and female singers.

68 They had 736 horses, 245 mules,

69 435 camels, and 6,720 donkeys.
70 Some of the family leaders gave to the project. The governor gave 1,000 gold coins, 50 bowls, and 530 priestly garments to the treasury. 71 Some of the family leaders gave 20,000 gold coins and 2,200 silver minas to the treasury for the project. 72 The rest of the people gave 20,000 gold coins, 2,000 silver minas, and 67 priestly garments.

73 So the priests, Levites, gatekeepers, temple singers, some of the people, temple servants, and all Israel settled in their towns.
When the seventh month came and the Israelites had settled in their towns,

Nehemiah 7

1 After the wall had been rebuilt and the gates hung, then the temple guards, the singers, and the other Levites were assigned their work. 2 I put my brother Hanani in charge of Jerusalem, along with Hananiah, the commander of the fortress, because Hananiah could be trusted, and he respected God more than most people did.

3 I said to them, “Don't let the gates to the city be opened until the sun has been up for a while. And make sure that they are closed and barred before the guards go off duty at sunset. Choose people from Jerusalem to stand guard at different places around the wall and others to stand guard near their own houses.”

Exiles who returned

A list of exiles who returned

(Ezra 2.1-70)

7 and that they had come with Zerubbabel, Joshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, and Baanah.

8-25 Here is how many had returned from each family group: 2,172 from Parosh; 372 from Shephatiah; 652 from Arah; 2,818 from Pahath Moab, who were all descendants of Jeshua and Joab; 1,254 from Elam; 845 from Zattu; 760 from Zaccai; 648 from Binnui; 628 from Bebai; 2,322 from Azgad; 667 from Adonikam; 2,067 from Bigvai; 655 from Adin; 98 from Ater, also known as Hezekiah; 328 from Hashum; 324 from Bezai; 112 from Hariph; and 95 from Gibeon.

26-38 Here is how many people returned whose ancestors had come from the following towns: 188 from Bethlehem and Netophah; 128 from Anathoth; 42 from Beth-Azmaveth; 743 from Kiriath-Jearim, Chephirah, and Beeroth; 621 from Ramah and Geba; 122 from Michmas; 123 from Bethel and Ai; 52 from Nebo;t 1,254 from Elam;t 320 from Harim; 345 from Jericho; 721 from Lod, Hadid, and Ono; and 3,930 from Senaah.

39-42 Here is how many returned from each family of priests: 973 descendants of Jeshua from Jedaiah; 1,052 from Immer; 1,247 from Pashhur; and 1,017 from Harim.

43-45 Here is how many returned from the families of Levites: 74 descendants of Hodevah from the families of Jeshua and Kadmiel; 148 descendants of Asaph from the temple musicians; and 138 descendants of Shallum, Ater, Talmon, Akkub, Hatita, and Shobai from the temple guards.

46-56 Here are the names of the families of temple workers whose descendants returned: Ziha, Hasupha, Tabbaoth, Keros, Sia, Padon, Lebana, Hagaba, Shalmai, Hanan, Giddel, Gahar, Reaiah, Rezin, Nekoda, Gazzam, Uzza, Paseah, Besai, Meunim, Nephushesim, Bakbuk, Hakupha, Harhur, Bazlith, Mehida, Harsha, Barkos, Sisera, Temah, Neziah, and Hatipha.

57-59 Here are the names of Solomon's servants whose descendants returned: Sotai, Sophereth, Perida, Jaala, Darkon, Giddel, Shephatiah, Hattil, Pochereth Hazzebaim, and Amon.

60 A total of 392 descendants of temple workers and of Solomon's servants returned.

61-62 There were 642 who returned from the families of Delaiah, Tobiah, and Nekoda, though they could not prove they were Israelites. They had lived in the Babylonian towns of Tel-Melah, Tel-Harsha, Cherub, Addon, and Immer.
63-64 The families of Hobaiah, Hakkoz, and Barzillai could not prove they were priests. The ancestor of the family of Barzillai had married the daughter of Barzillai from Gilead and had taken his wife's family name. But the records of these three families could not be found, and none of them were allowed to serve as priests.

65 In fact, the governor told them, “You cannot eat the food offered to God until he lets us know if you really are priests.”tt

66-69 There were 42,360 who returned, in addition to 7,337 servants, and 245 musicians. Altogether, they brought with them 736 horses, 245 mules,t 435 camels, and 6,720 donkeys.

70-72 Many people gave gifts to help pay for the materials to rebuild the temple. The governor himself gave 8 kilogrammes of gold, 50 bowls to be used in the temple, and 530 robes for the priests. Family leaders gave 153 kilogrammes of gold and 1,458 kilogrammes of silver. The rest of the people gave 153 kilogrammes of gold, 1,325 kilogrammes of silver, and 67 robes for the priests.
73 And so, by the seventh month,t priests, Levites, temple guards, musicians, workers, and many of the ordinary people had settled in the towns of Judah.t