Nehemiah 7-9
New King James Version
List of Returning Exiles
7 Then it was, when the wall was built and I had (A)hung the doors, when the gatekeepers, the singers, and the Levites had been appointed, 2 that I gave the charge of Jerusalem to my brother (B)Hanani, and Hananiah the leader (C)of the [a]citadel, for he was a faithful man and (D)feared God more than many.
3 And I said to them, “Do not let the gates of Jerusalem be opened until the sun is hot; and while they stand guard, let them shut and bar the doors; and appoint guards from among the inhabitants of Jerusalem, one at his watch station and another in front of his own house.”
The Captives Who Returned to Jerusalem(E)
4 Now the city was large and spacious, but the people in it were (F)few, and the houses were not rebuilt. 5 Then my God put it into my heart to gather the nobles, the rulers, and the people, that they might be registered by genealogy. And I found a register of the genealogy of those who had come up in the first return, and found written in it:
6 (G)These are the people of the province who came back from the captivity, of those who had been carried away, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away, and who returned to Jerusalem and Judah, everyone to his city.
7 Those who came with (H)Zerubbabel were Jeshua, Nehemiah, [b]Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, [c]Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, and Baanah.
The number of the men of the people of Israel: 8 the sons of Parosh, two thousand one hundred and seventy-two;
9 the sons of Shephatiah, three hundred and seventy-two;
10 the sons of Arah, six hundred and fifty-two;
11 the sons of Pahath-Moab, of the sons of Jeshua and Joab, two thousand eight hundred and eighteen;
12 the sons of Elam, one thousand two hundred and fifty-four;
13 the sons of Zattu, eight hundred and forty-five;
14 the sons of Zaccai, seven hundred and sixty;
15 the sons of [d]Binnui, six hundred and forty-eight;
16 the sons of Bebai, six hundred and twenty-eight;
17 the sons of Azgad, two thousand three hundred and twenty-two;
18 the sons of Adonikam, six hundred and sixty-seven;
19 the sons of Bigvai, two thousand and sixty-seven;
20 the sons of Adin, six hundred and fifty-five;
21 the sons of Ater of Hezekiah, ninety-eight;
22 the sons of Hashum, three hundred and twenty-eight;
23 the sons of Bezai, three hundred and twenty-four;
24 the sons of [e]Hariph, one hundred and twelve;
25 the sons of [f]Gibeon, ninety-five;
26 the men of Bethlehem and Netophah, one hundred and eighty-eight;
27 the men of Anathoth, one hundred and twenty-eight;
28 the men of [g]Beth Azmaveth, forty-two;
29 the men of [h]Kirjath Jearim, Chephirah, and Beeroth, seven hundred and forty-three;
30 the men of Ramah and Geba, six hundred and twenty-one;
31 the men of Michmas, one hundred and twenty-two;
32 the men of Bethel and Ai, one hundred and twenty-three;
33 the men of the other Nebo, fifty-two;
34 the sons of the other (I)Elam, one thousand two hundred and fifty-four;
35 the sons of Harim, three hundred and twenty;
36 the sons of Jericho, three hundred and forty-five;
37 the sons of Lod, Hadid, and Ono, seven hundred and twenty-one;
38 the sons of Senaah, three thousand nine hundred and thirty.
39 The priests: the sons of (J)Jedaiah, of the house of Jeshua, nine hundred and seventy-three;
40 the sons of (K)Immer, one thousand and fifty-two;
41 the sons of (L)Pashhur, one thousand two hundred and forty-seven;
42 the sons of (M)Harim, one thousand and seventeen.
43 The Levites: the sons of Jeshua, of Kadmiel,
and of the sons of [i]Hodevah, seventy-four.
44 The singers: the sons of Asaph, one hundred and forty-eight.
45 The gatekeepers: the sons of Shallum,
the sons of Ater,
the sons of Talmon,
the sons of Akkub,
the sons of Hatita,
the sons of Shobai, one hundred and thirty-eight.
46 The Nethinim: the sons of Ziha,
the sons of Hasupha,
the sons of Tabbaoth,
47 the sons of Keros,
the sons of [j]Sia,
the sons of Padon,
48 the sons of [k]Lebana,
the sons of [l]Hagaba,
the sons of [m]Salmai,
49 the sons of Hanan,
the sons of Giddel,
the sons of Gahar,
50 the sons of Reaiah,
the sons of Rezin,
the sons of Nekoda,
51 the sons of Gazzam,
the sons of Uzza,
the sons of Paseah,
52 the sons of Besai,
the sons of Meunim,
the sons of [n]Nephishesim,
53 the sons of Bakbuk,
the sons of Hakupha,
the sons of Harhur,
54 the sons of [o]Bazlith,
the sons of Mehida,
the sons of Harsha,
55 the sons of Barkos,
the sons of Sisera,
the sons of Tamah,
56 the sons of Neziah,
and the sons of Hatipha.
57 The sons of Solomon’s servants: the sons of Sotai,
the sons of Sophereth,
the sons of [p]Perida,
58 the sons of Jaala,
the sons of Darkon,
the sons of Giddel,
59 the sons of Shephatiah,
the sons of Hattil,
the sons of Pochereth of Zebaim,
and the sons of [q]Amon.
60 All the Nethinim, and the sons of Solomon’s servants, were three hundred and ninety-two.
61 And these were the ones who came up from Tel Melah, Tel Harsha, Cherub, [r]Addon, and Immer, but they could not identify their father’s house nor their lineage, whether they were of Israel: 62 the sons of Delaiah,
the sons of Tobiah,
the sons of Nekoda, six hundred and forty-two;
63 and of the priests: the sons of Habaiah,
the sons of [s]Koz,
the sons of Barzillai, who took a wife of the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite, and was called by their name.
64 These sought their listing among those who were registered by genealogy, but it was not found; therefore they were excluded from the priesthood as defiled. 65 And the [t]governor said to them that they should not eat of the most holy things till a priest could consult with the Urim and Thummim.
66 Altogether the whole assembly was forty-two thousand three hundred and sixty, 67 besides their male and female servants, of whom there were seven thousand three hundred and thirty-seven; and they had two hundred and forty-five men and women singers. 68 Their horses were seven hundred and thirty-six, their mules two hundred and forty-five, 69 their camels four hundred and thirty-five, and donkeys six thousand seven hundred and twenty.
70 And some of the heads of the fathers’ houses gave to the work. (N)The [u]governor gave to the treasury one thousand gold drachmas, fifty basins, and five hundred and thirty priestly garments. 71 Some of the heads of the fathers’ houses gave to the treasury of the work (O)twenty thousand gold drachmas, and two thousand two hundred silver minas. 72 And that which the rest of the people gave was twenty thousand gold drachmas, two thousand silver minas, and sixty-seven priestly garments.
73 So the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, some of the people, the Nethinim, and all Israel dwelt in their cities.
Ezra Reads the Law
(P)When the seventh month came, the children of Israel were in their cities.
Ezra Reads and Explains the Law
8 Now all (Q)the people gathered together as one man in the open square that was (R)in front of the Water Gate; and they told Ezra the (S)scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded Israel. 2 So Ezra the priest brought (T)the Law before the assembly of men and women and all who could hear with understanding (U)on the first day of the seventh month. 3 Then he (V)read from it in the open square that was in front of the Water Gate [v]from morning until midday, before the men and women and those who could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law.
4 So Ezra the scribe stood on a platform of wood which they had made for the purpose; and beside him, at his right hand, stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Urijah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah; and at his left hand Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbadana, Zechariah, and Meshullam. 5 And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was standing above all the people; and when he opened it, all the people (W)stood up. 6 And Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God.
Then all the people (X)answered, “Amen, Amen!” while (Y)lifting up their hands. And they (Z)bowed their heads and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground.
7 Also Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodijah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites, (AA)helped the people to understand the Law; and the people (AB)stood in their place. 8 So they read distinctly from the book, in the Law of God; and they gave the sense, and helped them to understand the reading.
9 (AC)And Nehemiah, who was the [w]governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, (AD)“This day is holy to the Lord your God; (AE)do not mourn nor weep.” For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the Law.
10 Then he said to them, “Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, (AF)and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”
11 So the Levites quieted all the people, saying, “Be still, for the day is holy; do not be grieved.” 12 And all the people went their way to eat and drink, to (AG)send portions and rejoice greatly, because they (AH)understood the words that were declared to them.
The Feast of Tabernacles(AI)
13 Now on the second day the heads of the fathers’ houses of all the people, with the priests and Levites, were gathered to Ezra the scribe, in order to understand the words of the Law. 14 And they found written in the Law, which the Lord had commanded by Moses, that the children of Israel should dwell in (AJ)booths[x] during the feast of the seventh month, 15 and (AK)that they should announce and proclaim in all their cities and (AL)in Jerusalem, saying, “Go out to the mountain, and (AM)bring olive branches, branches of oil trees, myrtle branches, palm branches, and branches of leafy trees, to make booths, as it is written.”
16 Then the people went out and brought them and made themselves booths, each one on the (AN)roof of his house, or in their courtyards or the courts of the house of God, and in the open square of the (AO)Water Gate (AP)and in the open square of the Gate of Ephraim. 17 So the whole assembly of those who had returned from the captivity made [y]booths and sat under the booths; for since the days of Joshua the son of Nun until that day the children of Israel had not done so. And there was very (AQ)great gladness. 18 Also (AR)day by day, from the first day until the last day, he read from the Book of the Law of God. And they kept the feast (AS)seven days; and on the (AT)eighth day there was a sacred assembly, according to the prescribed manner.
The People Confess Their Sins
9 Now on the twenty-fourth day of (AU)this month the children of Israel were assembled with fasting, in sackcloth, (AV)and with [z]dust on their heads. 2 Then (AW)those of Israelite lineage separated themselves from all foreigners; and they stood and (AX)confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers. 3 And they stood up in their place and (AY)read from the Book of the Law of the Lord their God for one-fourth of the day; and for another fourth they confessed and worshiped the Lord their God.
4 Then Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Chenani stood on the [aa]stairs of the Levites and cried out with a loud voice to the Lord their God. 5 And the Levites, Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabniah, Sherebiah, Hodijah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah, said:
“Stand up and bless the Lord your God
Forever and ever!
“Blessed be (AZ)Your glorious name,
Which is exalted above all blessing and praise!
6 (BA)You alone are the Lord;
(BB)You have made heaven,
(BC)The heaven of heavens, with (BD)all their host,
The earth and everything on it,
The seas and all that is in them,
And You (BE)preserve them all.
The host of heaven worships You.
7 “You are the Lord God,
Who chose (BF)Abram,
And brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans,
And gave him the name (BG)Abraham;
8 You found his heart (BH)faithful before You,
And made a (BI)covenant with him
To give the land of the Canaanites,
The Hittites, the Amorites,
The Perizzites, the Jebusites,
And the Girgashites—
To give it to his descendants.
You (BJ)have performed Your words,
For You are righteous.
9 “You(BK) saw the affliction of our fathers in Egypt,
And (BL)heard their cry by the Red Sea.
10 You (BM)showed signs and wonders against Pharaoh,
Against all his servants,
And against all the people of his land.
For You knew that they (BN)acted [ab]proudly against them.
So You (BO)made a name for Yourself, as it is this day.
11 (BP)And You divided the sea before them,
So that they went through the midst of the sea on the dry land;
And their persecutors You threw into the deep,
(BQ)As a stone into the mighty waters.
12 Moreover You (BR)led them by day with a cloudy pillar,
And by night with a pillar of fire,
To give them light on the road
Which they should travel.
13 “You(BS) came down also on Mount Sinai,
And spoke with them from heaven,
And gave them (BT)just ordinances and true laws,
Good statutes and commandments.
14 You made known to them Your (BU)holy Sabbath,
And commanded them precepts, statutes and laws,
By the hand of Moses Your servant.
15 You (BV)gave them bread from heaven for their hunger,
And (BW)brought them water out of the rock for their thirst,
And told them to (BX)go in to possess the land
Which You had [ac]sworn to give them.
16 “But(BY) they and our fathers acted [ad]proudly,
(BZ)Hardened[ae] their necks,
And did not heed Your commandments.
17 They refused to obey,
And (CA)they were not mindful of Your wonders
That You did among them.
But they hardened their necks,
And [af]in their rebellion
They appointed (CB)a leader
To return to their bondage.
But You are God,
Ready to pardon,
(CC)Gracious and merciful,
Slow to anger,
Abundant in kindness,
And did not forsake them.
18 “Even (CD)when they made a molded calf for themselves,
And said, ‘This is your god
That brought you up out of Egypt,’
And worked great provocations,
19 Yet in Your (CE)manifold mercies
You did not forsake them in the wilderness.
The (CF)pillar of the cloud did not depart from them by day,
To lead them on the road;
Nor the pillar of fire by night,
To show them light,
And the way they should go.
20 You also gave Your (CG)good Spirit to instruct them,
And did not withhold Your (CH)manna from their mouth,
And gave them (CI)water for their thirst.
21 (CJ)Forty years You sustained them in the wilderness;
They lacked nothing;
Their (CK)clothes did not wear out
And their feet did not swell.
22 “Moreover You gave them kingdoms and nations,
And divided them into [ag]districts.
So they took possession of the land of (CL)Sihon,
[ah]The land of the king of Heshbon,
And the land of Og king of Bashan.
23 You also multiplied (CM)their children as the stars of heaven,
And brought them into the land
Which You had told their fathers
To go in and possess.
24 So (CN)the [ai]people went in
And possessed the land;
(CO)You subdued before them the inhabitants of the land,
The Canaanites,
And gave them into their hands,
With their kings
And the people of the land,
That they might do with them as they wished.
25 And they took strong cities and a (CP)rich land,
And possessed (CQ)houses full of all goods,
Cisterns already dug, vineyards, olive groves,
And [aj]fruit trees in abundance.
So they ate and were filled and (CR)grew fat,
And delighted themselves in Your great (CS)goodness.
26 “Nevertheless they (CT)were disobedient
And rebelled against You,
(CU)Cast Your law behind their backs
And killed Your (CV)prophets, who [ak]testified against them
To turn them to Yourself;
And they worked great provocations.
27 (CW)Therefore You delivered them into the hand of their enemies,
Who oppressed them;
And in the time of their trouble,
When they cried to You,
You (CX)heard from heaven;
And according to Your abundant mercies
(CY)You gave them deliverers who saved them
From the hand of their enemies.
28 “But after they had rest,
(CZ)They again did evil before You.
Therefore You left them in the hand of their enemies,
So that they had dominion over them;
Yet when they returned and cried out to You,
You heard from heaven;
And (DA)many times You delivered them according to Your mercies,
29 And [al]testified against them,
That You might bring them back to Your law.
Yet they acted [am]proudly,
And did not heed Your commandments,
But sinned against Your judgments,
(DB)‘Which if a man does, he shall live by them.’
And they shrugged their shoulders,
[an]Stiffened their necks,
And would not hear.
30 Yet for many years You had patience with them,
And [ao]testified (DC)against them by Your Spirit (DD)in Your prophets.
Yet they would not listen;
(DE)Therefore You gave them into the hand of the peoples of the lands.
31 Nevertheless in Your great mercy
(DF)You did not utterly consume them nor forsake them;
For You are God, gracious and merciful.
32 “Now therefore, our God,
The great, the (DG)mighty, and awesome God,
Who keeps covenant and mercy:
Do not let all the [ap]trouble seem small before You
That has come upon us,
Our kings and our princes,
Our priests and our prophets,
Our fathers and on all Your people,
(DH)From the days of the kings of Assyria until this day.
33 However (DI)You are just in all that has befallen us;
For You have dealt faithfully,
But (DJ)we have done wickedly.
34 Neither our kings nor our princes,
Our priests nor our fathers,
Have kept Your law,
Nor heeded Your commandments and Your testimonies,
With which You testified against them.
35 For they have (DK)not served You in their kingdom,
Or in the many good things that You gave them,
Or in the large and rich land which You set before them;
Nor did they turn from their wicked works.
36 “Here (DL)we are, servants today!
And the land that You gave to our fathers,
To eat its fruit and its bounty,
Here we are, servants in it!
37 And (DM)it yields much increase to the kings
You have set over us,
Because of our sins;
Also they have (DN)dominion over our bodies and our cattle
At their pleasure;
And we are in great distress.
38 “And because of all this,
We (DO)make a sure covenant and write it;
Our leaders, our Levites, and our priests (DP)seal it.”
Footnotes
- Nehemiah 7:2 palace
- Nehemiah 7:7 Seraiah, Ezra 2:2
- Nehemiah 7:7 Mispar, Ezra 2:2
- Nehemiah 7:15 Bani, Ezra 2:10
- Nehemiah 7:24 Jorah, Ezra 2:18
- Nehemiah 7:25 Gibbar, Ezra 2:20
- Nehemiah 7:28 Azmaveth, Ezra 2:24
- Nehemiah 7:29 Kirjath Arim, Ezra 2:25
- Nehemiah 7:43 Hodaviah, Ezra 2:40; or Judah, Ezra 3:9
- Nehemiah 7:47 Siaha, Ezra 2:44
- Nehemiah 7:48 MT Lebanah
- Nehemiah 7:48 MT Hogabah
- Nehemiah 7:48 Shalmai, Ezra 2:46; or Shamlai
- Nehemiah 7:52 Nephusim, Ezra 2:50
- Nehemiah 7:54 Bazluth, Ezra 2:52
- Nehemiah 7:57 Peruda, Ezra 2:55
- Nehemiah 7:59 Ami, Ezra 2:57
- Nehemiah 7:61 Addan, Ezra 2:59
- Nehemiah 7:63 Or Hakkoz
- Nehemiah 7:65 Heb. Tirshatha
- Nehemiah 7:70 Heb. Tirshatha
- Nehemiah 8:3 Lit. from the light
- Nehemiah 8:9 Heb. Tirshatha
- Nehemiah 8:14 Temporary shelters
- Nehemiah 8:17 Temporary shelters
- Nehemiah 9:1 Lit. earth on them
- Nehemiah 9:4 Lit. ascent
- Nehemiah 9:10 presumptuously or insolently
- Nehemiah 9:15 Lit. raised Your hand to
- Nehemiah 9:16 presumptuously
- Nehemiah 9:16 Stiffened their necks, became stubborn
- Nehemiah 9:17 So with MT, Vg.; LXX in Egypt
- Nehemiah 9:22 Lit. corners
- Nehemiah 9:22 So with MT, Vg.; LXX omits The land of
- Nehemiah 9:24 Lit. sons
- Nehemiah 9:25 Lit. trees for eating
- Nehemiah 9:26 admonished or warned them
- Nehemiah 9:29 admonished them
- Nehemiah 9:29 presumptuously
- Nehemiah 9:29 Became stubborn
- Nehemiah 9:30 admonished or warned them
- Nehemiah 9:32 hardship
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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