Nehemiah 7

The Exiles Return

1When the wall had been rebuilt and I had the doors installed, the gatekeepers, singers, and Levites were appointed.

2Then 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.

3I 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.”

4The city was large and spacious, but there were few people in it, and no houses had been built yet.

5Then 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:

6These 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.

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

8Parosh’s descendants 2,172

9Shephatiah’s descendants 372

10Arah’s descendants 652

11Pahath-moab’s descendants: Jeshua’s and Joab’s descendants 2,818

12Elam’s descendants 1,254

13Zattu’s descendants 845

14Zaccai’s descendants 760

15Binnui’s descendants 648

16Bebai’s descendants 628

17Azgad’s descendants 2,322

18Adonikam’s descendants 667

19Bigvai’s descendants 2,067

20Adin’s descendants 655

21Ater’s descendants: of Hezekiah 98

22Hashum’s descendants 328

23Bezai’s descendants 324

24Hariph’s descendants 112

25Gibeon’sdescendants 95

26Bethlehem’sand Netophah’smen 188

27Anathoth’smen 128

28Beth-azmaveth’s men 42

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

30Ramah’s and Geba’s men 621

31Michmas’s men 122

32Bethel’s and Ai’s men 123

33the other Nebo’s men 52

34the other Elam’s people 1,254

35Harim’s people 320

36Jericho’s people 345

37Lod’s,Hadid’s, and Ono’s people 721

38Senaah’s people 3,930.

39The priests included Jedaiah’sdescendants of the house of Jeshua 973

40Immer’s descendants 1,052

41Pashhur’s descendants 1,247

42Harim’s descendants 1,017.

43The Levites included Jeshua’s descendants: of Kadmiel Hodevah’s descendants 74.

44The singers included Asaph’s descendants 148.

45The gatekeepers included Shallum’s descendants, Ater’s descendants, Talmon’s descendants, Akkub’s descendants, Hatita’s descendants, Shobai’s descendants 138.

46The temple servants included Ziha’s descendants, Hasupha’s descendants, Tabbaoth’s descendants,

47Keros’s descendants, Sia’s descendants, Padon’s descendants,

48Lebanah’s descendants, Hagabah’s descendants, Shalmai’s descendants,

49Hanan’s descendants, Giddel’s descendants, Gahar’s descendants,

50Reaiah’s descendants, Rezin’s descendants, Nekoda’s descendants,

51Gazzam’s descendants, Uzza’s descendants, Paseah’s descendants,

52Besai’s descendants, Meunim’s descendants, Nephishesim’s descendants,

53Bakbuk’s descendants, Hakupha’s descendants, Harhur’s descendants,

54Bazlith’s descendants, Mehida’s descendants, Harsha’s descendants,

55Barkos’s descendants, Sisera’s descendants, Temah’s descendants,

56Neziah’s descendants, Hatipha’s descendants.

57The descendants of Solomon’s servants included Sotai’s descendants, Sophereth’s descendants, Perida’s descendants,

58Jaala’s descendants, Darkon’s descendants, Giddel’s descendants,

59Shephatiah’s descendants, Hattil’s descendants, Pochereth-hazzebaim’s descendants, Amon’s descendants.

60All the temple servants and the descendants of Solomon’s servants 392.

61The following are those who came from Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Cherub, Addon, and Immer, but were unable to prove that their ancestral families and their lineage were Israelite:

62Delaiah’s descendants, Tobiah’s descendants, and Nekoda’s descendants 642

63and 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 who bore their name.

64These searched for their entries in the genealogical records, but they could not be found, so they were disqualified from the priesthood.

65The governor ordered them not to eat the most holy things until there was a priest who could consult the Urim and Thummim.

66The whole combined assembly numbered 42,360

67not including their 7,337 male and female servants, as well as their 245 male and female singers.

68They had 736 horses, 245 mules,

69435 camels, and 6,720 donkeys.

70Some of the family heads contributed to the project. The governor gave 1,000 gold coins, 50 bowls, and 530 priestly garments to the treasury.

71Some of the family heads gave 20,000 gold coins and 2,200 silver minas to the treasury for the project.

72The rest of the people gave 20,000 gold coins, 2,000 silver minas, and 67 priestly garments.

Public Reading of the Law

73The 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,