Nehemiah 7
New Living Translation
7 After the wall was finished and I had set up the doors in the gates, the gatekeepers, singers, and Levites were appointed. 2 I gave the responsibility of governing Jerusalem to my brother Hanani, along with Hananiah, the commander of the fortress, for he was a faithful man who feared God more than most. 3 I said to them, “Do not leave the gates open during the hottest part of the day.[a] And even while the gatekeepers are on duty, have them shut and bar the doors. Appoint the residents of Jerusalem to act as guards, everyone on a regular watch. Some will serve at sentry posts and some in front of their own homes.”
Nehemiah Registers the People
4 At that time the city was large and spacious, but the population was small, and none of the houses had been rebuilt. 5 So my God gave me the idea to call together all the nobles and leaders of the city, along with the ordinary citizens, for registration. I had found the genealogical record of those who had first returned to Judah. This is what was written there:
6 Here is the list of the Jewish exiles of the provinces who returned from their captivity. King Nebuchadnezzar had deported them to Babylon, but now they returned to Jerusalem and the other towns in Judah where they originally lived. 7 Their leaders were Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah,[b] Reelaiah,[c] Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar,[d] Bigvai, Rehum,[e] and Baanah.
This is the number of the men of Israel who returned from exile:
| 8 The family of Parosh | 2,172 |
| 9 The family of Shephatiah | 372 |
| 10 The family of Arah | 652 |
| 11 The family of Pahath-moab (descendants of Jeshua and Joab) | 2,818 |
| 12 The family of Elam | 1,254 |
| 13 The family of Zattu | 845 |
| 14 The family of Zaccai | 760 |
| 15 The family of Bani[f] | 648 |
| 16 The family of Bebai | 628 |
| 17 The family of Azgad | 2,322 |
| 18 The family of Adonikam | 667 |
| 19 The family of Bigvai | 2,067 |
| 20 The family of Adin | 655 |
| 21 The family of Ater (descendants of Hezekiah) | 98 |
| 22 The family of Hashum | 328 |
| 23 The family of Bezai | 324 |
| 24 The family of Jorah[g] | 112 |
| 25 The family of Gibbar[h] | 95 |
| 26 The people of Bethlehem and Netophah | 188 |
| 27 The people of Anathoth | 128 |
| 28 The people of Beth-azmaveth | 42 |
| 29 The people of Kiriath-jearim, Kephirah, and Beeroth | 743 |
| 30 The people of Ramah and Geba | 621 |
| 31 The people of Micmash | 122 |
| 32 The people of Bethel and Ai | 123 |
| 33 The people of West Nebo[i] | 52 |
| 34 The citizens of West Elam[j] | 1,254 |
| 35 The citizens of Harim | 320 |
| 36 The citizens of Jericho | 345 |
| 37 The citizens of Lod, Hadid, and Ono | 721 |
| 38 The citizens of Senaah | 3,930 |
39 These are the priests who returned from exile:
| The family of Jedaiah (through the line of Jeshua) | 973 |
| 40 The family of Immer | 1,052 |
| 41 The family of Pashhur | 1,247 |
| 42 The family of Harim | 1,017 |
43 These are the Levites who returned from exile:
| The families of Jeshua and Kadmiel (descendants of Hodaviah[k]) | 74 |
| 44 The singers of the family of Asaph | 148 |
| 45 The gatekeepers of the families of Shallum, Ater, Talmon, Akkub, Hatita, and Shobai | 138 |
46 The descendants of the following Temple servants returned from exile:
Ziha, Hasupha, Tabbaoth,
47 Keros, Siaha,[l] Padon,
48 Lebanah, Hagabah, Shalmai,
49 Hanan, Giddel, Gahar,
50 Reaiah, Rezin, Nekoda,
51 Gazzam, Uzza, Paseah,
52 Besai, Meunim, Nephusim,[m]
53 Bakbuk, Hakupha, Harhur,
54 Bazluth,[n] Mehida, Harsha,
55 Barkos, Sisera, Temah,
56 Neziah, and Hatipha.
57 The descendants of these servants of King Solomon returned from exile:
Sotai, Hassophereth, Peruda,[o]
58 Jaalah,[p] Darkon, Giddel,
59 Shephatiah, Hattil, Pokereth-hazzebaim, and Ami.[q]
60 In all, the Temple servants and the descendants of Solomon’s servants numbered 392.
61 Another group returned at this time from the towns of Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Kerub, Addan,[r] and Immer. However, they could not prove that they or their families were descendants of Israel. 62 This group included the families of Delaiah, Tobiah, and Nekoda—a total of 642 people.
63 Three families of priests—Hobaiah, Hakkoz, and Barzillai—also returned. (This Barzillai had married a woman who was a descendant of Barzillai of Gilead, and he had taken her family name.) 64 They searched for their names in the genealogical records, but they were not found, so they were disqualified from serving as priests. 65 The governor told them not to eat the priests’ share of food from the sacrifices until a priest could consult the Lord about the matter by using the Urim and Thummim—the sacred lots.
66 So a total of 42,360 people returned to Judah, 67 in addition to 7,337 servants and 245 singers, both men and women. 68 They took with them 736 horses, 245 mules,[s] 69 435 camels, and 6,720 donkeys.
70 Some of the family leaders gave gifts for the work. The governor gave to the treasury 1,000 gold coins,[t] 50 gold basins, and 530 robes for the priests. 71 The other leaders gave to the treasury a total of 20,000 gold coins[u] and some 2,750 pounds[v] of silver for the work. 72 The rest of the people gave 20,000 gold coins, about 2,500 pounds[w] of silver, and 67 robes for the priests.
73 So the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, the Temple servants, and some of the common people settled near Jerusalem. The rest of the people returned to their own towns throughout Israel.
Ezra Reads the Law
In October,[x] when the Israelites had settled in their towns,
Footnotes
- 7:3 Or Keep the gates of Jerusalem closed until the sun is hot.
- 7:7a As in parallel text at Ezra 2:2; Hebrew reads Azariah.
- 7:7b As in parallel text at Ezra 2:2; Hebrew reads Raamiah.
- 7:7c As in parallel text at Ezra 2:2; Hebrew reads Mispereth.
- 7:7d As in parallel text at Ezra 2:2; Hebrew reads Nehum.
- 7:15 As in parallel text at Ezra 2:10; Hebrew reads Binnui.
- 7:24 As in parallel text at Ezra 2:18; Hebrew reads Hariph.
- 7:25 As in parallel text at Ezra 2:20; Hebrew reads Gibeon.
- 7:33 Or of the other Nebo.
- 7:34 Or of the other Elam.
- 7:43 As in parallel text at Ezra 2:40; Hebrew reads Hodevah.
- 7:47 As in parallel text at Ezra 2:44; Hebrew reads Sia.
- 7:52 As in parallel text at Ezra 2:50; Hebrew reads Nephushesim.
- 7:54 As in parallel text at Ezra 2:52; Hebrew reads Bazlith.
- 7:57 As in parallel text at Ezra 2:55; Hebrew reads Sotai, Sophereth, Perida.
- 7:58 As in parallel text at Ezra 2:56; Hebrew reads Jaala.
- 7:59 As in parallel text at Ezra 2:57; Hebrew reads Amon.
- 7:61 As in parallel text at Ezra 2:59; Hebrew reads Addon.
- 7:68 As in some Hebrew manuscripts (see also Ezra 2:66); most Hebrew manuscripts lack this verse. Verses 7:69-73 are numbered 7:68-72 in Hebrew text.
- 7:70 Hebrew 1,000 darics of gold, about 19 pounds or 8.6 kilograms in weight.
- 7:71a Hebrew 20,000 darics of gold, about 375 pounds or 170 kilograms in weight; also in 7:72.
- 7:71b Hebrew 2,200 minas [1,300 kilograms].
- 7:72 Hebrew 2,000 minas [1,200 kilograms].
- 7:73 Hebrew In the seventh month. This month of the ancient Hebrew lunar calendar occurred within the months of October and November 445 B.c.
Nehemiah 7
Common English Bible
The wall is complete
7 When the wall had been built and I had hung the doors, the gatekeepers, singers, and Levites were appointed. 2 Then I put my brother Hanani and Hananiah the commander of the fortress in charge of Jerusalem. Hananiah was a faithful man who revered God more than many.
3 I[a] said to them, “The gates of Jerusalem aren’t to be opened during the hottest time of the day. While the gatekeepers[b] are still on duty, have them shut and bar the doors. Also, appoint guards from among those who live in Jerusalem. Station some at their watch posts and some in front of their own houses.”
Nehemiah registers the families
4 Now although the city was wide and large, only a few people were living within it, and no[c] houses had been rebuilt. 5 My God then prompted me to assemble the officials, the officers, and the people so that they could be registered by families. I found the record of the families who were the first to return, and I found the following written in it:
6 These are the people of the province who returned from the captivity of those exiles whom Babylon’s King Nebuchadnezzar had taken into exile. They all returned to Jerusalem and Judah, everyone to their own town.
7 They came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, and Baanah.
The number of the people of Israel:
| 8 The family of Parosh | 2,172 |
| 9 of Shephatiah | 372 |
| 10 of Arah | 652 |
| 11 of Pahath-moab, that is, of the descendants of Jeshua and Joab | 2,818 |
| 12 of Elam | 1,254 |
| 13 of Zattu | 845 |
| 14 of Zaccai | 760 |
| 15 of Binnui | 648 |
| 16 of Bebai | 628 |
| 17 of Azgad | 2,322 |
| 18 of Adonikam | 667 |
| 19 of Bigvai | 2,067 |
| 20 of Adin | 655 |
| 21 of Ater, that is, of the descendants of Hezekiah | 98 |
| 22 of Hashum | 328 |
| 23 of Bezai | 324 |
| 24 of Hariph | 112 |
| 25 of Gibeon | 95 |
| 26 The people of Bethlehem and Netophah | 188 |
| 27 of Anathoth | 128 |
| 28 of Beth-azmaveth | 42 |
| 29 of Kiriath-jearim, Chephirah, and Beeroth | 743 |
| 30 of Ramah and Geba | 621 |
| 31 of Michmas | 122 |
| 32 of Bethel and Ai | 123 |
| 33 of the other Nebo | 52 |
| 34 the inhabitants of the other Elam | 1,254 |
| 35 of Harim | 320 |
| 36 of Jericho | 345 |
| 37 of Lod, Hadid, and Ono | 721 |
| 38 of Senaah | 3,930 |
| 39 The priests: the descendants of Jedaiah, that is, of the house of Jeshua | 973 |
| 40 of Immer | 1,052 |
| 41 of Pashhur | 1,247 |
| 42 of Harim | 1,017 |
| 43 The Levites: the descendants of Jeshua, that is, of Kadmiel, of the descendants of Hodaviah | 74 |
| 44 The singers: the descendants of Asaph | 148 |
| 45 The descendants of gatekeepers: of Shallum, Ater, Talmon, Akkub, Hatita, and Shobai | 138 |
46 The temple servants: the descendants of Ziha, Hasupha, Tabbaoth,
| 47 Keros, Sia, Padon, |
| 48 Lebanah, Hagabah, Shalmai, |
| 49 Hanan, Giddel, Gahar, |
| 50 Reaiah, Rezin, Nekoda, |
| 51 Gazzam, Uzza, Paseah, |
| 52 Besai, Meunim, Nephushesim, |
| 53 Bakbuk, Hakupha, Harhur, |
| 54 Bazlith, Mehida, Harsha, |
| 55 Barkos, Sisera, Temah, |
| 56 Neziah, and Hatipha. |
57 The descendants of Solomon’s servants: Sotai, Sophereth, Perida,
58 Jaala, Darkon, Giddel, 59 Shephatiah, Hattil, Pochereth-hazzebaim, and Amon.
60 All of the temple servants and the descendants of Solomon’s servants totaled 392.
61 The following came up from Tel-Melah, Tel-harsha, Cherub, Addon, and Immer, but were unable to prove that their family or their descent was from Israel:
62 the descendants of Delaiah, Tobiah, and Nekoda, 642.
63 And of the priests: the descendants of Hobaiah, Hakkoz, and Barzillai (who had married one of the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite and was called by his[d] name) 64 looked for their entries in the genealogical records, but they weren’t found there, so they were excluded from the priesthood as unclean.
65 The governor ordered that they shouldn’t eat of the most holy food until a priest arose who could consult Urim and Thummim.
66 The whole assembly together totaled 42,360. 67 This number doesn’t include their 7,337 male and female servants; they also had 245 male and female singers, 68 736 horses, 245 mules,[e] 69 [f] 435 camels, and 6,720 donkeys.
70 [g] Some of the heads of families made a donation for the work. The governor gave to the treasury 1,000 darics of gold, 50 bowls, and 530 priestly robes. 71 Some of the heads of families gave 20,000 darics of gold and 2,200 manehs of silver to the treasury for the work. 72 The rest of the people gave 20,000 darics of gold, 2,000 manehs of silver, and 67 priestly robes.
73 So the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, some of the people, the temple servants, and all Israel settled in their towns.
Footnotes
- Nehemiah 7:3 Or He
- Nehemiah 7:3 Or while they
- Nehemiah 7:4 Or not enough
- Nehemiah 7:63 Or their
- Nehemiah 7:68 Ezra 2:66; MT lacks they also…mules.
- Nehemiah 7:69 7:68 in Heb
- Nehemiah 7:70 7:69 in Heb
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