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 Hananiin charge of Jerusalem,along with Hananiah,commander of the fortress,because he was a faithful man who feared Godmore 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 mindto 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 Nebuchadnezzarof 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’sdescendants 95
26 Bethlehem’sand Netophah’smen 188
27 Anathoth’smen 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’sdescendants 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 Levitesincluded:
Jeshua’s descendants: of Kadmiel
Hodevah’s descendants 74.
44 The singersincluded:
Asaph’s descendants 148.
45 The gatekeepersincluded:
Shallum’s descendants, Ater’s descendants,
Talmon’s descendants, Akkub’s descendants,
Hatita’s descendants, Shobai’s descendants 138.
46 The temple servantsincluded:
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’sdescendants,
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 servantsincluded:
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 followingare 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 governorordered 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 minasto 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.
Public Reading of the Law
When the seventh monthcame and the Israelites had settled in their towns,
—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/17/32k/NEH/7-c85af56d05984db161ad9dc0ab1701ac.mp3?version_id=72—