Historical
7 After the wall had been rebuilt, I had set the doors in place. Then the gatekeepers, singers and Levites were chosen. 2 I put my brother Hanani, along with Hananiah, in charge of Jerusalem. Hananiah was commander of the palace. He was honest, and he feared God more than most men. 3 I said to them, “The gates of Jerusalem should not be opened until the sun is hot. While the gatekeepers are still on duty, have them shut and bolt the doors. Appoint people who live in Jerusalem as guards. Put some at guard posts and some near their own houses.”
The Captives Who Returned
4 The city was large and full of room. But there were few people in it. And the houses had not yet been rebuilt. 5 So my God caused me to gather the people. I gathered the important men, the leaders and the common people. This was so I could register them by families. I found the family history of those who had returned first. This is what I found written there:
6 These are the people of the area who returned from captivity. Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had taken them captive. Now they returned to Jerusalem and Judah. Each one went back to his own town. 7 These people returned with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum and Baanah.
These are the men from Israel: 8 the descendants of Parosh—2,172; 9 the descendants of Shephatiah—372; 10 the descendants of Arah—652; 11 the descendants of Pahath-Moab (through the family of Jeshua and Joab)—2,818; 12 the descendants of Elam—1,254; 13 the descendants of Zattu—845; 14 the descendants of Zaccai—760; 15 the descendants of Binnui—648; 16 the descendants of Bebai—628; 17 the descendants of Azgad—2,322; 18 the descendants of Adonikam—667; 19 the descendants of Bigvai—2,067; 20 the descendants of Adin—655; 21 the descendants of Ater (through Hezekiah)—98; 22 the descendants of Hashum—328; 23 the descendants of Bezai—324; 24 the descendants of Hariph—112; 25 the descendants of Gibeon—95.
26 These are the men from the towns of Bethlehem and Netophah—188; 27 the men from Anathoth—128; 28 the men from Beth Azmaveth—42; 29 the men from Kiriath Jearim, Kephirah and Beeroth—743; 30 the men from Ramah and Geba—621; 31 the men from Micmash—122; 32 the men from Bethel and Ai—123; 33 the men from the other Nebo—52; 34 the men from the other Elam—1,254; 35 the men from Harim—320; 36 the men from Jericho—345; 37 the men from Lod, Hadid and Ono—721; 38 the men from Senaah—3,930.
39 These are the priests: the descendants of Jedaiah (through the family of Jeshua)—973; 40 the descendants of Immer—1,052; 41 the descendants of Pashhur—1,247; 42 the descendants of Harim—1,017.
43 These are the Levites: the descendants of Jeshua (through Kadmiel through the family of Hodaviah)—74.
44 These are the singers: the descendants of Asaph—148.
45 These are the gatekeepers: the descendants of Shallum, Ater, Talmon, Akkub, Hatita and Shobai—138.
46 These are the Temple servants: the descendants of Ziha, Hasupha, Tabbaoth, 47 Keros, Sia, Padon, 48 Lebana, Hagaba, Shalmai, 49 Hanan, Giddel, Gahar, 50 Reaiah, Rezin, Nekoda, 51 Gazzam, Uzza, Paseah, 52 Besai, Meunim, Nephusim, 53 Bakbuk, Hakupha, Harhur, 54 Bazluth, Mehida, Harsha, 55 Barkos, Sisera, Temah, 56 Neziah and Hatipha.
57 These are the descendants of the servants of Solomon: the descendants of Sotai, Sophereth, Perida, 58 Jaala, Darkon, Giddel, 59 Shephatiah, Hattil, Pokereth-Hazzebaim and Amon.
60 The Temple servants and the descendants of the servants of Solomon totaled 392 people.
61 Some people came to Jerusalem from these towns: Tel Melah, Tel Harsha, Kerub, Addon and Immer. But they could not prove that their families came from the family of Israel. Here are their names and their number: 62 the descendants of Delaiah, Tobiah and Nekoda—642.
63 And these priests could not prove that their families came from Israel: the descendants of Hobaiah, Hakkoz and Barzillai. (He had married a daughter of Barzillai from Gilead and was called by her family name.)
64 These people searched for their family records. But they could not find them. So they could not be priests because they were thought to be unclean. 65 So the governor ordered them not to eat any of the food offered to God. First a priest had to settle this matter by using the Urim and Thummim.
66 The total number of those who returned was 42,360. 67 This is not counting their 7,337 male and female servants. They also had 245 men and women singers with them. 68 They had 736 horses, 245 mules, 69 435 camels and 6,720 donkeys.
70 Some of the family leaders gave to the work. The governor gave to the treasury about 19 pounds of gold. He also gave 50 bowls and 530 pieces of clothing for the priests. 71 Some of the family leaders gave about 375 pounds of gold to the treasury for the work. They also gave about 2,660 pounds of silver. 72 This is the total of what the other people gave: about 375 pounds of gold, about 2,250 pounds of silver and 67 pieces of clothing for the priests. 73 So these people all settled in their own towns: the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, the Temple servants and all the other people of Israel.
Ezra Reads the Teachings
By the seventh month the Israelites were settled in their own towns.
8 All the people of Israel gathered together in the square by the Water Gate. They asked Ezra the teacher to bring out the Book of the Teachings of Moses. These are the Teachings the Lord had given to Israel.
2 So Ezra the priest brought out the Teachings for the crowd. This was on the first day of the seventh month. Men, women and all who could listen and understand had gathered. 3 Ezra read the Teachings out loud. He read from early morning until noon. He was facing the square by the Water Gate. He read to the men, women and everyone who could listen and understand. All the people listened carefully to the Book of the Teachings.
4 Ezra the teacher stood on a high wooden platform. It had been built just for this time. On his right were Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah and Maaseiah. And on his left were Pedaiah, Mishael, Malkijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah and Meshullam.
5 Ezra opened the book. All the people could see him because he was above them. As he opened it, all the people stood up. 6 Ezra praised the Lord, the great God. And all the people held up their hands and said, “Amen! Amen!” Then they bowed down and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground.
7 These Levites taught the people the Teachings as they stood there: Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan and Pelaiah. 8 They read the Book of the Teachings of God. They read so the people could understand. And they explained what it meant. Then the people understood what was being read.
9 Then Nehemiah the governor and Ezra the priest and teacher spoke up. And the Levites who were teaching spoke up. They said to all the people, “This is a holy day to the Lord your God. Don’t be sad or cry.” All the people had been crying as they listened to the words of the Teachings.
10 Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy good food and sweet drinks. Send some to people who have none. Today is a holy day to the Lord. Don’t be sad. The joy of the Lord will make you strong.”
11 The Levites helped calm the people. They said, “Be quiet. This is a holy day. Don’t be sad.”
12 Then all the people went away to eat and drink. They sent some of their food to others. And they celebrated with great joy. They finally understood what they had been taught.
13 On the second day of the month, the leaders of all the families met with Ezra the teacher. The priests and Levites also met with him. They gathered to study the words of the Teachings. 14 This is what they found written in the Teachings: The Lord had commanded through Moses that the people of Israel were to live in shelters. This was during the feast of the seventh month. 15 The people were supposed to preach this message. They were to spread it through all of their towns and in Jerusalem: “Go out into the mountains. Bring back branches from olive and wild olive trees, myrtle trees, palms and shade trees. Make shelters with them. It is written in the Law.”
16 So the people went out and got tree branches. They built shelters on their roofs[a] and in their courtyards. They built shelters in the courtyards of the Temple. And they built them in the square by the Water Gate and the square next to the Gate of Ephraim. 17 The whole group that had come back from captivity built shelters. And they lived in them. The Israelites had not done this since the time of Joshua son of Nun. And they were very happy.
18 Ezra read to them from the Book of the Teachings. He read every day, from the first day to the last. The people of Israel celebrated the feast for seven days. Then on the eighth day the people gathered as the law said.
The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.