and in the presence of his associates and the army of Samaria, he said, “What are those feeble Jews doing? Will they restore their wall? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they finish in a day? Can they bring the stones back to life from those heaps of rubble—burned as they are?”

Although we are of the same flesh and blood as our fellow Jews and though our children are as good as theirs, yet we have to subject our sons and daughters to slavery. Some of our daughters have already been enslaved, but we are powerless, because our fields and our vineyards belong to others.”

Four times they sent me the same message, and each time I gave them the same answer.

Then, the fifth time, Sanballat sent his aide to me with the same message, and in his hand was an unsealed letter

the descendants of Parosh 2,172

of Pahath-Moab (through the line of Jeshua and Joab) 2,818

of Zattu 845

of Azgad 2,322

of Bigvai 2,067

besides their 7,337 male and female slaves; and they also had 245 male and female singers.

There were 736 horses, 245 mules,

Some of the heads of the families gave to the treasury for the work 20,000 darics of gold and 2,200 minas of silver.

The total given by the rest of the people was 20,000 darics of gold, 2,000 minas of silver and 67 garments for priests.

The Israelites Confess Their Sins

On the twenty-fourth day of the same month, the Israelites gathered together, fasting and wearing sackcloth and putting dust on their heads.

and their associates, who carried on work for the temple—822 men; Adaiah son of Jeroham, the son of Pelaliah, the son of Amzi, the son of Zechariah, the son of Pashhur, the son of Malkijah,

and his associates, who were heads of families—242 men; Amashsai son of Azarel, the son of Ahzai, the son of Meshillemoth, the son of Immer,

The Levites in the holy city totaled 284.

Didn’t your ancestors do the same things, so that our God brought all this calamity on us and on this city? Now you are stirring up more wrath against Israel by desecrating the Sabbath.”