The Exiles Return

Nehemiah 7   

1 When the wall had been rebuilt and I had the doors installed, q the gatekeepers, r singers, and Levites were appointed. 2 Then I put my brother Hanani s in charge of Jerusalem, t along with Hananiah, u commander of the fortress, v because he was a faithful man who feared God w 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.” x

4 The city was large and spacious, but there were few people in it, and no houses had been built yet. y 5 Then my God put it into my mind z 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: a

6 These are the people of the province who went up among the captive exiles deported by King Nebuchadnezzar b of Babylon. Each of them returned to Jerusalem and Judah, to his own town. c 7 They came with Zerubbabel, d Jeshua, e Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, and Baanah.

The number of the Israelite men included K

8   Parosh’s descendants f

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 g

667 

19   Bigvai’s descendants

2,067 

20   Adin’s descendants h

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 L descendants

95 

26   Bethlehem’s i and Netophah’s j men

188 

27   Anathoth’s k 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 l

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 m

345 

37   Lod’s, n Hadid’s, and Ono’s people

721 

38   Senaah’s people

3,930.

39 The priests included

Jedaiah’s o 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 p included

Jeshua’s descendants: of Kadmiel

Hodevah’s descendants

74.

44 The singers q included

Asaph’s descendants

148.

45 The gatekeepers r included

Shallum’s descendants, Ater’s descendants,

Talmon’s descendants, Akkub’s descendants,

Hatita’s descendants, Shobai’s descendants

138.

46 The temple servants s 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 M 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 t 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 u

392.

61 The following v are those who came from Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Cherub, Addon, and Immer, but were unable to prove that their ancestral families N and their lineage 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 who bore 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 w ordered them not to eat the most holy things until there was a priest who could consult the Urim and Thummim. x

66   The whole combined assembly numbered42,360

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

as well as their 245 male and female singers.

68   They had 736 horses, 245 mules, O

69   435 camels, and 6,720 donkeys. y

70 Some of the family heads contributed to the project. The governor gave 1,000 gold coins, P 50 bowls, and 530 priestly garments to the treasury. 71 Some of the family heads 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 The priests, Levites, gatekeepers, temple singers, some of the people, temple servants, and all Israel settled in their towns. z

Public Reading of the Law

When the seventh month a came and the Israelites had settled in their towns,