Nehemiah 7

The Exiles Return

1When the wall had been rebuilt and I had the doors installed, the gatekeepers, singers, and Levites were appointed.23Then 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.45I 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.”6

7The city was large and spacious, but there were few people in it, and no houses had been built yet.89Then 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:10

11These 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.1213They came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, and Baanah. The number of the Israelite men included14

15Parosh’s descendants2,172

1617Shephatiah’s descendants372

1819Arah’s descendants652

2021Pahath-moab’s descendants: Jeshua’s and Joab’s descendants2,818

2223Elam’s descendants1,254

2425Zattu’s descendants845

2627Zaccai’s descendants760

2829Binnui’s descendants648

3031Bebai’s descendants628

3233Azgad’s descendants2,322

3435Adonikam’s descendants667

3637Bigvai’s descendants2,067

3839Adin’s descendants655

4041Ater’s descendants: of Hezekiah98

4243Hashum’s descendants328

4445Bezai’s descendants324

4647Hariph’s descendants112

4849Gibeon’s descendants95

5051Bethlehem’s and Netophah’s men188

5253Anathoth’s men128

5455Beth-azmaveth’s men42

5657Kiriath-jearim’s, Chephirah’s, and Beeroth’s men743

5859Ramah’s and Geba’s men621

6061Michmas’s men122

6263Bethel’s and Ai’s men123

6465the other Nebo’s men52

6667the other Elam’s people1,254

6869Harim’s people320

7071Jericho’s people345

7273Lod’s, Hadid’s, and Ono’s people721

7475Senaah’s people3,930.

7677The priests included Jedaiah’s descendants of the house of Jeshua973

7879Immer’s descendants1,052

8081Pashhur’s descendants1,247

8283Harim’s descendants1,017.

8485The Levites included Jeshua’s descendants: of Kadmiel Hodevah’s descendants74.

8687The singers included Asaph’s descendants148.

8889The gatekeepers included Shallum’s descendants, Ater’s descendants, Talmon’s descendants, Akkub’s descendants, Hatita’s descendants, Shobai’s descendants138.

9091The temple servants included Ziha’s descendants, Hasupha’s descendants, Tabbaoth’s descendants,9293Keros’s descendants, Sia’s descendants, Padon’s descendants,94

95Lebanah’s descendants, Hagabah’s descendants, Shalmai’s descendants,9697Hanan’s descendants, Giddel’s descendants, Gahar’s descendants,98

99Reaiah’s descendants, Rezin’s descendants, Nekoda’s descendants,100101Gazzam’s descendants, Uzza’s descendants, Paseah’s descendants,102

103Besai’s descendants, Meunim’s descendants, Nephishesim’s descendants,104105Bakbuk’s descendants, Hakupha’s descendants, Harhur’s descendants,106

107Bazlith’s descendants, Mehida’s descendants, Harsha’s descendants,108109Barkos’s descendants, Sisera’s descendants, Temah’s descendants,110

111Neziah’s descendants, Hatipha’s descendants.112

113The descendants of Solomon’s servants included Sotai’s descendants, Sophereth’s descendants, Perida’s descendants,114115Jaala’s descendants, Darkon’s descendants, Giddel’s descendants,116

117Shephatiah’s descendants, Hattil’s descendants, Pochereth-hazzebaim’s descendants, Amon’s descendants.118

119All the temple servants and the descendants of Solomon’s servants392.

120121The 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:122

123Delaiah’s descendants, Tobiah’s descendants, and Nekoda’s descendants642

124125and 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.126127These searched for their entries in the genealogical records, but they could not be found, so they were disqualified from the priesthood.128129The governor ordered them not to eat the most holy things until there was a priest who could consult the Urim and Thummim.130

131The whole combined assembly numbered42,360

132133not including their 7,337 male and female servants, as well as their 245 male and female singers.

134135They had 736 horses, 245 mules,

136137435 camels, and 6,720 donkeys.

138139Some of the family heads contributed to the project. The governor gave 1,000 gold coins, 50 bowls, and 530 priestly garments to the treasury.140141Some of the family heads gave 20,000 gold coins and 2,200 silver minas to the treasury for the project.142143The rest of the people gave 20,000 gold coins, 2,000 silver minas, and 67 priestly garments.144145The 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,

Public Reading of the Law

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