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Nehemiah Registers the People

At that time the city was large and spacious, but the population was small, and none of the houses had been rebuilt. 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:

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. Their leaders were Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah,[a] Reelaiah,[b] Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar,[c] Bigvai, Rehum,[d] and Baanah.

This is the number of the men of Israel who returned from exile:

The family of Parosh2,172
The family of Shephatiah372
10 The family of Arah652
11 The family of Pahath-moab (descendants of Jeshua and Joab)2,818
12 The family of Elam1,254
13 The family of Zattu845
14 The family of Zaccai760
15 The family of Bani[e]648
16 The family of Bebai628
17 The family of Azgad2,322
18 The family of Adonikam667
19 The family of Bigvai2,067
20 The family of Adin655
21 The family of Ater (descendants of Hezekiah)98
22 The family of Hashum328
23 The family of Bezai324
24 The family of Jorah[f]112
25 The family of Gibbar[g]95
26 The people of Bethlehem and Netophah188
27 The people of Anathoth128
28 The people of Beth-azmaveth42
29 The people of Kiriath-jearim, Kephirah, and Beeroth743
30 The people of Ramah and Geba621
31 The people of Micmash122
32 The people of Bethel and Ai123
33 The people of West Nebo[h]52
34 The citizens of West Elam[i]1,254
35 The citizens of Harim320
36 The citizens of Jericho345
37 The citizens of Lod, Hadid, and Ono721
38 The citizens of Senaah3,930

39 These are the priests who returned from exile:

The family of Jedaiah (through the line of Jeshua)973
40 The family of Immer1,052
41 The family of Pashhur1,247
42 The family of Harim1,017

43 These are the Levites who returned from exile:

The families of Jeshua and Kadmiel (descendants of Hodaviah[j])74
44 The singers of the family of Asaph148
45 The gatekeepers of the families of Shallum, Ater, Talmon, Akkub, Hatita, and Shobai138

46 The descendants of the following Temple servants returned from exile:

Ziha, Hasupha, Tabbaoth,
47 Keros, Siaha,[k] Padon,
48 Lebanah, Hagabah, Shalmai,
49 Hanan, Giddel, Gahar,
50 Reaiah, Rezin, Nekoda,
51 Gazzam, Uzza, Paseah,
52 Besai, Meunim, Nephusim,[l]
53 Bakbuk, Hakupha, Harhur,
54 Bazluth,[m] 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,[n]
58 Jaalah,[o] Darkon, Giddel,
59 Shephatiah, Hattil, Pokereth-hazzebaim, and Ami.[p]

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,[q] 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,[r] 69 435 camels, and 6,720 donkeys.

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Footnotes

  1. 7:7a As in parallel text at Ezra 2:2; Hebrew reads Azariah.
  2. 7:7b As in parallel text at Ezra 2:2; Hebrew reads Raamiah.
  3. 7:7c As in parallel text at Ezra 2:2; Hebrew reads Mispereth.
  4. 7:7d As in parallel text at Ezra 2:2; Hebrew reads Nehum.
  5. 7:15 As in parallel text at Ezra 2:10; Hebrew reads Binnui.
  6. 7:24 As in parallel text at Ezra 2:18; Hebrew reads Hariph.
  7. 7:25 As in parallel text at Ezra 2:20; Hebrew reads Gibeon.
  8. 7:33 Or of the other Nebo.
  9. 7:34 Or of the other Elam.
  10. 7:43 As in parallel text at Ezra 2:40; Hebrew reads Hodevah.
  11. 7:47 As in parallel text at Ezra 2:44; Hebrew reads Sia.
  12. 7:52 As in parallel text at Ezra 2:50; Hebrew reads Nephushesim.
  13. 7:54 As in parallel text at Ezra 2:52; Hebrew reads Bazlith.
  14. 7:57 As in parallel text at Ezra 2:55; Hebrew reads Sotai, Sophereth, Perida.
  15. 7:58 As in parallel text at Ezra 2:56; Hebrew reads Jaala.
  16. 7:59 As in parallel text at Ezra 2:57; Hebrew reads Amon.
  17. 7:61 As in parallel text at Ezra 2:59; Hebrew reads Addon.
  18. 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.

For the city was large, but the population was small; and only a few houses were scattered throughout the city.

Then the Lord told me to call together all the leaders of the city, along with the ordinary citizens, for registration. For I had found the record of the genealogies of those who had returned to Judah before, and this is what was written in it:

“The following is a list of the names of the Jews who returned to Judah after being exiled by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon.

“Their leaders were: Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, Baanah.

“The others who returned at that time were:

8-38 From the subclan of Parosh, 2,172;

From the subclan of Shephatiah, 372;

From the subclan of Arah, 652;

From the families of Jeshua and Joab of the subclan of Pahath-moab, 2,818;

From the subclan of Elam, 1,254;

From the subclan of Zattu, 845;

From the subclan of Zaccai, 760;

From the subclan of Binnui, 648;

From the subclan of Bebai, 628;

From the subclan of Azgad, 2,322;

From the subclan of Adonikam, 667;

From the subclan of Bigvai, 2,067;

From the subclan of Adin, 655;

From the family of Hezekiah of the subclan of Ater, 98;

From the subclan of Hashum, 328;

From the subclan of Bezai, 324;

From the subclan of Hariph, 112;

From the subclan of Gibeon, 95;

From the subclans of Bethlehem and Netophah, 188;

From the subclan of Anathoth, 128;

From the subclan of Beth-azmaveth, 42;

From the subclans of Kiriath-jearim, Chephirah, and Beeroth, 743;

From the subclans of Ramah and Geba, 621;

From the subclan of Michmas, 122;

From the subclans of Bethel and Ai, 123;

From the subclan of Nebo, 52;

From the subclan of Elam, 1,254;

From the subclan of Harim, 320;

From the subclan of Jericho, 345;

From the subclans of Lod, Hadid, and Ono, 721;

From the subclan of Senaah, 3,930.

39-42 “Here are the statistics concerning the returning priests:

From the family of Jeshua of the subclan of Jedaiah, 973;

From the subclan of Immer, 1,052;

From the subclan of Pashhur, 1,247;

From the subclan of Harim, 1,017.

43-45 “Here are the statistics concerning the Levites:

From the family of Kadmiel of the subclan of Hodevah of the clan of Jeshua, 74;

The choir members from the clan of Asaph, 148;

From the clans of Shallum, (all of whom were gatekeepers), 138.

46-56 “Of the Temple assistants, the following subclans were represented: Ziha, Hasupha, Tabbaoth, Keros, Sia, Padon, Lebana, Hagaba, Shalmai, Hanan, Giddel, Gahar, Reaiah, Rezin, Nekoda, Gazzam, Uzza, Paseah, Besai, Asnah, Meunim, Nephushesim, Bakbuk, Hakupha, Harhur, Bazlith, Mehida, Harsha, Barkos, Sisera, Temah, Neziah, Hatipha.

57-59 “Following is a list of the descendants of Solomon’s officials who returned to Judah: Sotai, Sophereth, Perida, Jaala, Darkon, Giddel, Shephatiah, Hattil, Pochereth-hazzebaim, Amon.

60 “In all, the Temple assistants and the descendants of Solomon’s officers numbered 392.”

61 Another group returned to Jerusalem at that time from the Persian cities of Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Cherub, Addon, and Immer. But they had lost their genealogies and could not prove their Jewish ancestry; 62 these were the subclans of Delaiah, Tobiah, and Nekoda—a total of 642.

63 There were also several subclans of priests named after Hobaiah, Hakkoz, and Barzillai (he married one of the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite and took her family name), 64-65 whose genealogies had been lost. So they were not allowed to continue as priests or even to receive the priests’ share of food from the sacrifices until the Urim and Thummim had been consulted to find out from God whether or not they actually were descendants of priests.

66 There was a total of 42,360 citizens who returned to Judah at that time; 67 also, 7,337 slaves and 245 choir members, both men and women. 68-69 They took with them 736 horses, 245 mules, 435 camels, and 6,720 donkeys.

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