Chronological
Enemies Foiled
6 Now when it was reported to Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab, and to the rest of our enemies that I had built the wall and that no gap was left in it—though up to that time I had not erected doors in the gates— 2 Sanballat and Geshem sent to me, saying, “Come and let us meet together in one of the villages in the plain of Ono.” But they planned to do evil to me. 3 So I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work and I am not able to come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and come down to you all?” 4 And they sent a message to me four times like this, and I returned an answer like this to them. 5 And Sanballat sent his servant with an open letter, another word like this to me a fifth time, in his hand. 6 In it was written, “It has been reported among the nations, and Gashmu also is saying it, that you and the Jews are considering rebellion. Therefore, truly you are building the wall and you are becoming their king, according to these words. 7 You have also set up prophets to proclaim in Jerusalem concerning you, saying, ‘There is a king in Judah.’ And now it will be proclaimed to the king according to these words. Now, come and we will plan together.” 8 So I sent to him saying, “None of these words you have spoken has happened. You are indeed saying things created in your own mind”— 9 for all of them sought to frighten us, saying, “their hands will not do the work.” And now, God, strengthen my hands.
10 Now I went into the house of Shemaiah son of Delaiah, son of Mehetabel, who was confined at home, and he said, “Let us meet in the house of God, inside the temple, and let us close the doors of the temple; for they are coming to kill you—during the night they are coming to kill you.” 11 But I said, “Should a man like me run away? And would a man like me go into the temple so that he can save his life? I will not go in!” 12 Then I look and realized God had not sent him; rather, he had spoken the prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. 13 For this reason he was hired: to frighten me so that I would act and sin, so that they would have a bad report so they could taunt me. 14 Remember, O my God, Tobiah and Sanballat according to their works, and also Noadiah the prophetess, and the remainder of the prophets who were frightening me.
The Wall is Completed
15 So the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of Elul, in fifty-two days. 16 When our enemies heard of this, all of the nations surrounding us were afraid and lost their confidence.[a] They knew that this work had been done with the help of our God. 17 Also, in those days the nobles of Judah increasingly sent their letters to Tobiah, and letters from Tobiah returned to them. 18 For many in Judah were bound by oath to him because he was the son-in-law of Shecaniah son of Arah. His son Jehohanan took as a wife the daughter of Meshullam son of Berekiah. 19 They also were speaking of his good deeds in my presence, and they were sending my words out to him. Tobiah sent letters to intimidate me.
7 Now when the wall had been built and I had erected the doors and appointed the gatekeepers, singers, and the Levites, 2 I gave command over Jerusalem to my brother Hanani and Hananiah the commander of the citadel. For he was a faithful man and feared God more than many. 3 I said to them, “Do not open the gates of Jerusalem until the sun is hot. While they are standing guard let them shut and fasten the doors. And appoint guards from the inhabitants of Jerusalem, one at his post and another opposite his house.” 4 The city was widespread and large, but the people in it were few and no houses were rebuilt.
Lists of the Exiles Who Returned
5 Then my God put into my heart to assemble the nobles, the prefects, and the people to be enrolled. I found the book of the genealogy of those who first came back, and I found this written upon it:
6 These are the people of the province who came up from captivity of the exiles whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had carried into exile. They returned to Jerusalem and to Judah, each one to his city. 7 These came with Zerubbabel, Joshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, Baanah.
The number of the men of the people of Israel: 8 the descendants[b] of Parosh, two thousand one hundred and seventy-two. 9 The descendants[c] of Shephatiah, three hundred and seventy-two. 10 The descendants[d] of Arah, six hundred and fifty-two. 11 The descendants[e] of Pahath-Moab, of the descendants[f] of Jeshua and Joab, two thousand eight hundred and eighteen. 12 The descendants[g] of Elam, one thousand two hundred and fifty-four. 13 The descendants[h] of Zattu, eight hundred and forty-five. 14 The descendants[i] of Zaccai, seven hundred and sixty. 15 The descendants[j] of Binnui, six hundred and forty-eight. 16 The descendants[k] of Bebai, six hundred and twenty-eight. 17 The descendants[l] of Azgad, two thousand three hundred and twenty-two. 18 The descendants[m] of Adonikam, six hundred and sixty-seven. 19 The descendants[n] of Bigvai, two thousand and sixty-seven. 20 The descendants[o] of Adin, six hundred and fifty-five. 21 The descendants[p] of Ater, namely of Hezekiah, ninety-eight. 22 The descendants[q] of Hashum, three hundred and twenty-eight. 23 The descendants[r] of Bezai, three hundred and twenty-four. 24 The descendants[s] of Hariph, one hundred and twelve. 25 The descendants[t] of 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 Beth-azmaveth, forty-two. 29 The men of Kiriath-Jearim, Kephirah, and Beeroth, seven hundred and forty-three. 30 The men of Ramah and Geba, six hundred and twenty-one. 31 The men of Micmash, 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 people[u] of the other Elam, one thousand two hundred and fifty-four. 35 The people[v] of Harim, three hundred and twenty. 36 The people[w] of Jericho, three hundred and forty-five. 37 The people[x] of Lod, Hadid, and Ono, seven hundred and twenty-one. 38 The people[y] of Senaah, three thousand nine hundred and thirty.
39 The priests: The descendants[z] of Jedaiah, of the house of Jeshua, nine hundred and seventy-three. 40 The descendants[aa] of Immer, one thousand and fifty-two. 41 The descendants[ab] of Pashhur, one thousand two hundred and forty-seven. 42 The descendants[ac] of Harim, one thousand and seventeen.
43 The Levites: the descendants[ad] of Jeshua, namely of Kadmiel of the descendants[ae] of Hodaviah, seventy-four. 44 The singers: the descendants[af] of Asaph, one hundred and forty-eight. 45 The gatekeepers: the descendants[ag] of Shallum, the descendants[ah] of Ater, the descendants[ai] of Talmon, the descendants[aj] of Akkub, the descendants[ak] of Hatita, the descendants[al] of Shobai, one hundred and thirty-eight.
46 The temple servants: the descendants[am] of Ziha, the descendants[an] of Hasupha, the descendants[ao] of Tabbaoth, 47 the descendants[ap] of Keros, the descendants[aq] of Siaha, the descendants[ar] of Padon, 48 the descendants[as] of Lebanah, the descendants[at] of Hagaba, the descendants[au] of Shalmai, 49 the descendants[av] of Hanan, the descendants[aw] of Giddel, the descendants[ax] of Gahar, 50 the descendants[ay] of Reaiah, the descendants[az] of Rezin, the descendants[ba] of Nekoda, 51 the descendants[bb] of Gazzam, the descendants[bc] of Uzza, the descendants[bd] of Paseah, 52 the descendants[be] of Besai, the descendants[bf] of Meunim, the descendants[bg] of Nephushesim, 53 the descendants[bh] of Bakbuk, the descendants[bi] of Hakupha, the descendants[bj] of Harhur, 54 the descendants[bk] of Bazlith, the descendants[bl] of Mehida, the descendants[bm] of Harsha, 55 the descendants[bn] of Barkos, the descendants[bo] of Sisera, the descendants[bp] of Temah, 56 the descendants[bq] of Neziah, the descendants[br] of Hatipha.
57 The descendants[bs] of Solomon’s servants: the descendants[bt] of Sotai, the descendants[bu] of Sophereth, the descendants[bv] of Perida, 58 the descendants[bw] of Jaala, the descendants[bx] of Darkon, the descendants[by] of Giddel, 59 the descendants[bz] of Shephatiah, the descendants[ca] of Hattil, the descendants[cb] of Pochereth-Hazzebaim, the descendants[cc] of Amon.
60 All the temple servants and the descendants[cd] of Solomon’s servants were three hundred and ninety-two.
61 These were the ones who came up from Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Cherub, Addon, and Immer, but they were not able to prove their ancestral houses or their descent, whether they were from Israel: 62 the descendants[ce] of Delaiah, the descendants[cf] of Tobiah, the descendants[cg] of Nekoda, six hundred and forty-two. 63 And from the priests: the descendants[ch] of Hobaiah, the descendants[ci] of Hakkoz, the descendants[cj] of Barzillai (who had taken as a wife from the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite and was called by their name). 64 These sought their record among those enrolled in the genealogy, but it was not found there, so they were excluded as unclean from the priesthood. 65 So the governor said to them that they could not eat the most holy food until a priest could come with Urim and Thummim.
66 All of the assembly together was forty-two thousand three hundred and sixty, 67 besides their servants and female slaves—these were seven thousand three hundred and thirty-seven. And the male and female singers were two hundred and forty-five,[ck] 69 [cl] there were four hundred and thirty-five camels and six thousand seven hundred and twenty male donkeys.
70 Now some from the heads of the families[cm] gave to the work. The governor gave to the storehouse one thousand darics of gold, fifty basins, and five hundred and thirty priestly tunics. 71 Now some of the heads of the families[cn] gave to the storehouse of the work twenty thousand gold darics and two thousand two hundred silver minas. 72 And what the rest of the people gave was twenty thousand darics of gold, and two thousand silver minas, and sixty-seven priestly tunics.
73 So the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, some of the people, the temple servants, and all Israel settled in their cities. When the seventh month came, the Israelites[co] were in their cities.
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