Nehemiah 7:3-5

International Children’s Bible

³ I said to them, “The gates of Jerusalem should not be opened until the sun is hot. While the gatekeepers are still on duty, have them shut and bolt the doors. Appoint people who live in Jerusalem as guards. Put some at guard posts and some near their own houses.”

The Captives Who Returned

⁴ The city was large and full of room. But there were few people in it. And the houses had not yet been rebuilt. ⁵ So my God caused me to gather the people. I gathered the important men, the leaders and the common people. This was so I could register them by families. I found the family history of those who had returned first. This is what I found written there: