Nehemiah 7:66-8:8

New International Version

⁶⁶The whole company numbered 42,360, ⁶⁷besides their 7,337 male and female slaves; and they also had 245 male and female singers. ⁶⁸There were 736 horses, 245 mules,^[a] ⁶⁹435 camels and 6,720 donkeys.

⁷⁰Some of the heads of the families contributed to the work. The governor gave to the treasury 1,000 darics^[b] of gold, 50 bowls and 530 garments for priests. ⁷¹Some of the heads of the families^(A) gave to the treasury for the work 20,000 darics^[c] of gold and 2,200 minas^[d] of silver. ⁷²The total given by the rest of the people was 20,000 darics of gold, 2,000 minas^[e] of silver and 67 garments for priests.^(B)

⁷³The priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the musicians and the temple servants,^(C) along with certain of the people and the rest of the Israelites, settled in their own towns.^(D)

Ezra Reads the Law

When the seventh month came and the Israelites had settled in their towns,^(E) 8 ¹all the people came together as one in the square before the Water Gate.^(F) They told Ezra the teacher of the Law to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses,^(G) which the Lord had commanded for Israel.

²So on the first day of the seventh month^(H) Ezra the priest brought the Law^(I) before the assembly, which was made up of men and women and all who were able to understand. ³He read it aloud from daybreak till noon as he faced the square before the Water Gate^(J) in the presence of the men, women and others who could understand. And all the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law.

⁴Ezra the teacher of the Law stood on a high wooden platform^(K) built for the occasion. Beside him on his right stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah and Maaseiah; and on his left were Pedaiah, Mishael, Malkijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah and Meshullam.

⁵Ezra opened the book. All the people could see him because he was standing^(L) above them; and as he opened it, the people all stood up. ⁶Ezra praised the Lord, the great God; and all the people lifted their hands^(M) and responded, “Amen! Amen!” Then they bowed down and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground.

⁷The Levites^(N)—Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan and Pelaiah—instructed^(O) the people in the Law while the people were standing there. ⁸They read from the Book of the Law of God, making it clear^[f] and giving the meaning so that the people understood what was being read.

Footnotes

Nehemiah 7:68 Some Hebrew manuscripts (see also Ezra 2:66); most Hebrew manuscripts do not have this verse.
Nehemiah 7:70 That is, about 19 pounds or about 8.4 kilograms
Nehemiah 7:71 That is, about 375 pounds or about 170 kilograms; also in verse 72
Nehemiah 7:71 That is, about 1 1/3 tons or about 1.2 metric tons
Nehemiah 7:72 That is, about 1 1/4 tons or about 1.1 metric tons
Nehemiah 8:8 Or God, translating it