Nehemiah 7 (UDB)

1After the wall had been finished and we had put the gates in their places, we assigned to the temple guards and to the members of the sacred choir and the other descendants of Levi the work that they were to do.When the wall had been rebuilt and I had set the doors in place, the gatekeepers, singers, and Levites were appointed.

2I appointed my brother Hanani as governor of Jerusalem. He was a faithful man who respected God and honored him, more than many others. In addition, Hananiah was appointed commander of the fortress there in Jerusalem.Then I put my brother Hanani in charge of Jerusalem, along with Hananiah the 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 close the gates and put the bars across the doors only when gatekeepers are guarding the gates." I also told them to appoint some people who live in Jerusalem to be guards, and to assign some of them to guard stations around the city, and some would guard near their own houses."And I told them, “Do not open the gates of Jerusalem until the sun is hot. While the guards are on duty, keep the doors shut and securely fastened. And appoint the residents of Jerusalem as guards, some at their posts and some at their own homes.”

4The city of Jerusalem covered a large area, but at that time not many people lived in the city, and they had not rebuilt any of the houses.Now the city was large and spacious, but there were few people in it, and the houses had not yet been rebuilt.

5God gave me the idea to summon the leaders and officials and other people, and to enroll them by their families in the books of the records of the families. I also found the records of the people who had been the first ones to return to Jerusalem. This is what I found written in those records.Then my God put it into my heart to assemble the nobles, the officials, and the people to be enrolled by genealogy. I found the genealogical register of those who had first returned, and I found the following written in it:

6"This is a list of the people who returned to Jerusalem and to other places in Judea. They had been living in Babylonia. Nebuchadnezzar had taken them there. They returned to Jerusalem and to Judah. Each one who returned went back to his own city where his ancestors had lived before the exile.These are the people of the province who came up from the captivity of the exiles carried away to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar its king. They returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his own town,

7They came back with Zerubbabel, Joshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, and Baanah. The number of men from the people who returned to Judah are listed next.accompanied by Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, and Baanah. This is the count of the men of Israel:

8From the descendants of Parosh, 2,172,the descendants of Parosh, 2,172;

9from the descendants of Shephatiah, 372,the descendants of Shephatiah, 372;

10from the descendants of Arah, 652.the descendants of Arah, 652;

11From the descendants of Pahathmoab, the descendants of Jeshua and Joab, 2,818,the descendants of Pahath-moab (through the line of Jeshua and Joab), 2,818;

12from the descendants of Elam, 1,254,the descendants of Elam, 1,254;

13from the descendants of Zattu, 845,the descendants of Zattu, 845;

14from the descendants of Zakkai, 760.the descendants of Zaccai, 760;

15From the descendants of Bani, 648,the descendants of Binnui, 648;

16from the descendants of Bebai, 628,the descendants of Bebai, 628;

17from the descendants of Azgad, 2,322,the descendants of Azgad, 2,322;

18from the descendants of Adonikam, 667.the descendants of Adonikam, 667;

19From the descendants of Bigvai, 2,067,the descendants of Bigvai, 2,067;

20from the descendants of Adin, 655,the descendants of Adin, 655;

21from the descendants of Ater, whose other name is Hezekiah, 98,the descendants of Ater (through Hezekiah), 98;

22from the descendants of Hashum, 328.the descendants of Hashum, 328;

23From the descendants of Bezai, 324,the descendants of Bezai, 324;

24from the descendants of Hariph, whose other name is Jorah, 112,the descendants of Hariph, 112;

25from the descendants of Gibeon, whose other name is Gibbar, ninety-five.the descendants of Gibeon, 95;

26Men whose ancestors had lived in these towns also returned: Men from Bethlehem and Netophah, 188.the men of Bethlehem and Netophah, 188;

27There were also men from Anathoth, 128,the men of Anathoth, 128;

28men from Beth Azmaveth, forty-two,the men of Beth-azmaveth, 42;

29men from Kiriath Jearim, Kephirah and Beeroth, 743,the men of Kiriath-jearim, Chephirah, and Beeroth, 743;

30men from Ramah and Geba, 621.the men of Ramah and Geba, 621;

31There were men from Micmash, 122,the men of Michmash, 122;

32men from Bethel and Ai, 123,the men of Bethel and Ai, 123;

33men from Nebo, fifty-two,the men of the other Nebo, 52;

34men from Elam, 1,254.the descendants of the other Elam, 1,254;

35There were men from Harim, 320,the descendants of Harim, 320;

36men from Jericho, 345,the men of Jericho, 345;

37men from Lod, Hadid, and Ono, 721,the men of Lod, Hadid, and Ono, 721;

38men from Senaah, 3,930. These priests also returned:and the descendants of Senaah, 3,930.

39The descendants of Jedaiah, who are the family of Jeshua, 973,The priests: the descendants of Jedaiah (through the house of Jeshua), 973;

40the descendants of Immer, 1,052,the descendants of Immer, 1,052;

41the descendants of Pashhur, 1,247,the descendants of Pashhur, 1,247;

42the descendants of Harim, 1,017.and the descendants of Harim, 1,017.

43Descendants of Levi who returned were: the descendants of Jeshua, Kadmiel, Binnui, and Hodeva, seventy-four,The Levites: the descendants of Jeshua (through Kadmiel, through the line of Hodevah), 74.

44singers who were descendants of Asaph, 148.The singers: the descendants of Asaph, 148.

45Also 138 temple gatekeepers from the descendants of Shallum, Ater, Talmon, Akkub, Hatita, and Shobai, returned.The gatekeepers: the descendants of Shallum, the descendants of Ater, the descendants of Talmon, the descendants of Akkub, the descendants of Hatita, and the descendants of Shobai, 138 in all.

46Temple workers who returned were descendants of these men: Ziha, Hasupha, Tabbaoth,The temple servants: the descendants of Ziha, the descendants of Hasupha, the descendants of Tabbaoth,

47Keros, Sia, Padon,the descendants of Keros, the descendants of Sia, the descendants of Padon,

48Lebanah, Hagabah, Shalmai,the descendants of Lebanah, the descendants of Hagabah, the descendants of Shalmai,

49Hanan, Giddel, Gahar,the descendants of Hanan, the descendants of Giddel, the descendants of Gahar,

50Reaiah, Rezin, Nekoda,the descendants of Reaiah, the descendants of Rezin, the descendants of Nekoda,

51Gazzam, Uzza, Paseah,the descendants of Gazzam, the descendants of Uzza, the descendants of Paseah,

52Besai, Meunim, Ephusesim who is also called Nephushesim,the descendants of Besai, the descendants of Meunim, the descendants of Nephushesim,

53Bakbuk, Hakupha, Harhur,the descendants of Bakbuk, the descendants of Hakupha, the descendants of Harhur,

54Bazluth who is also called Bazluth, Mehida, Harsha,the descendants of Bazlith, the descendants of Mehida, the descendants of Harsha,

55Barkos, Sisera, Temah,the descendants of Barkos, the descendants of Sisera, the descendants of Temah,

56Neziah, and Hatipha.the descendants of Neziah, and the descendants of Hatipha.

57Descendants of the servants of King Solomon who returned were: Sotai, Sophereth, Perida,The descendants of the servants of Solomon: the descendants of Sotai, the descendants of Sophereth, the descendants of Perida,

58Jaalah, Darkon, Giddel,the descendants of Jaala, the descendants of Darkon, the descendants of Giddel,

59the descendants of Shephatiah, the descendants of Hattil, the descendants of Pochereth Hazzebaim, the descendants of Amon.the descendants of Shephatiah, the descendants of Hattil, the descendants of Pochereth-hazzebaim, and the descendants of Amon.

60Altogether, there were 392 temple workers and descendants of Solomon's servants who returned.The temple servants and descendants of the servants of Solomon numbered 392 in all.

61Another group of 642 people from the clans of Delaiah, Tobiah, and Nekoda returned from the towns of Telmelah, Telharsha, Kerub, Addon, also known as Addon, and Immer in Babylonia. But they could not prove that they were descendants of Israel.The following came up from Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Cherub, Addon, and Immer, but they could not prove that their families were descended from Israel:

63Priests from the descendants of Hobaiah, Hakkoz, and Barzillai also returned. Barzillai had married a woman who is a descendant of a man named Barzillai from the region of Gilead, and he had taken his wife's family name.And from among the priests: the descendants of Hobaiah, the descendants of Hakkoz, and the descendants of Barzillai (who had married a daughter of Barzillai the Gileadite and was called by their name).

64They searched in the records that contained the names of people's ancestors, but they could not find the names of those families, so they were not allowed to have the rights and duties that priests had. They did not qualify to be priests because they could not trace their family history.These men searched for their family records, but they could not find them and so were excluded from the priesthood as unclean.

65The governor told them they should not be allowed to eat the priests' share of the food, taken from the sacrifices, and they should come who could use the marked stones to find what God said about their being priests once more.The governor ordered them not to eat the most holy things until there was a priest to consult the Urim and Thummim.

66Altogether, there were 42,360 people who returned to Judea.The whole assembly numbered 42,360,

67There were also 7,337 of their servants, and 245 singers, counting both men and women.in addition to their 7,337 menservants and maidservants, as well as their 245 male and female singers.

68The Israelites also brought back from Babylonia 736 horses, 245 mules,They had 736 horses, 245 mules,

69435 camels, and 6,720 donkeys.435 camels, and 6,720 donkeys.

70Some of the leaders of the clans gave gifts for the work of rebuilding the temple. The governor gave eight and one-half kilograms of gold, fifty bowls to be used in the temple, and 530 robes for the priests.Some of the heads of the families contributed to the project. The governor gave to the treasury 1,000 darics of gold, 50 bowls, and 530 priestly garments.

71The other leaders gave to the treasury 170 kilograms of gold, and the leaders of the clans gave a total of one and 1,200 kilograms of silver.And some of the heads of the families gave to the treasury for the project 20,000 darics of gold and 2,200 minas of silver.

72The rest of the people gave 170 kilograms of gold, and 1,100 kilograms of silver, and sixty-seven robes for the priests.The rest of the people gave a total of 20,000 darics of gold, 2,000 minas of silver, and 67 priestly garments.

73So the priests, the Levites who helped the priests, the temple guards, the musicians, the temple workers, and many ordinary people, who were all Israelites, started to live in the towns and cities of Judea where their ancestors had lived. By the seventh month the people of Israel had gone to their cities and they were living in them.So the priests, Levites, gatekeepers, singers, and temple servants, along with some of the people and the rest of the Israelites, settled in their own towns. And by the seventh month the Israelites had settled in their towns.

Nehemiah 7

Securing the City

The List of Returning Exiles

Offerings by the Exiles

You’ve read Nehemiah 7

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Nehemiah 7

Securing the City

The List of Returning Exiles

Offerings by the Exiles

You’ve read Nehemiah 7

Go Deeper