Historical
7 When the wall had been rebuilt and I had positioned the doors, and the gatekeepers, the singers, and the Levites had been appointed, 2 I then put in charge over Jerusalem my brother Hanani and Hananiah[a] the chief of the citadel, for he was a faithful man and feared God more than many do. 3 I[b] said to them, “The gates of Jerusalem must not be opened in the early morning,[c] until those who are standing guard close the doors and lock them.[d] Position residents of Jerusalem as guards, some at their guard stations and some near their homes.” 4 Now the city was spread out[e] and large, and there were not a lot of people in it.[f] At that time houses had not been rebuilt. 5 My God placed it on my heart to gather the leaders,[g] the officials, and the ordinary people so they could be enrolled on the basis of genealogy. I found the genealogical records[h] of those who had formerly returned. Here is what I found written in that record:[i]
6 These are the people[j] of the province who returned[k] from the captivity of the exiles, whom King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon had forced into exile.[l] They returned to Jerusalem and to Judah, each to his own city. 7 They came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, and Baanah.
The number of Israelite men[m] was as follows:
8 the descendants[n] of Parosh: 2,172;
9 the descendants of Shephatiah: 372;
10 the descendants of Arah: 652;
11 the descendants of Pahath Moab (from the line[o] 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 Harif: 112;
25 the descendants of Gibeon: 95;
26 The men of Bethlehem and Netophah: 188;
27 the men of Anathoth: 128;
28 the men of the family[p] of Azmaveth: 42;
29 the men of Kiriath Jearim, Kephirah, and Beeroth: 743;
30 the men of Ramah and Geba: 621;
31 the men of Micmash: 122;
32 the men of Bethel and Ai: 123;
33 the men of the other Nebo: 52;
34 the descendants of the other Elam: 1,254;
35 the descendants of Harim: 320;
36 the descendants of Jericho: 345;
37 the descendants of Lod, Hadid, and Ono: 721;
38 the descendants of Senaah: 3,930;
39 The priests: the descendants of Jedaiah (through the family[q] 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 The Levites: the descendants of Jeshua (through Kadmiel, through the line of Hodaviah): 74.
44 The singers: the descendants of Asaph: 148.
45 The gatekeepers: the descendants of Shallum, the descendants of Ater, the descendants of Talmon, the descendants of Akkub, the descendants of Hatita, and the descendants of Shobai: 138.
46 The temple servants: the descendants of Ziha, the descendants of Hasupha, the descendants of Tabbaoth, 47 the descendants of Keros, the descendants of Sia, the descendants of Padon, 48 the descendants of Lebanah, the descendants of Hagabah, the descendants of Shalmai, 49 the descendants of Hanan, the descendants of Giddel, the descendants of Gahar, 50 the descendants of Reaiah, the descendants of Rezin, the descendants of Nekoda, 51 the descendants of Gazzam, the descendants of Uzzah, the descendants of Paseah, 52 the descendants of Besai, the descendants of Meunim, the descendants of Nephussim, 53 the descendants of Bakbuk, the descendants of Hakupha, the descendants of Harhur, 54 the descendants of Bazluth, the descendants of Mehida, the descendants of Harsha, 55 the descendants of Barkos, the descendants of Sisera, the descendants of Temah, 56 the descendants of Neziah, the descendants of Hatipha.
57 The descendants of the servants of Solomon: the descendants of Sotai, the descendants of Sophereth, the descendants of Perida, 58 the descendants of Jaala, the descendants of Darkon, the descendants of Giddel, 59 the descendants of Shephatiah, the descendants of Hattil, the descendants of Pokereth Hazzebaim, and the descendants of Amon.
60 All the temple servants and the descendants of the servants of Solomon, 392.
61 These are the ones who came up from Tel Melah, Tel Harsha, Kerub, Addon, and Immer (although they were unable to certify[r] their family connection[s] or their ancestry,[t] as to whether they were really from Israel):
62 the descendants of Delaiah, the descendants of Tobiah, and the descendants of Nekoda, 642.
63 And from among the priests: the descendants of Hobaiah, the descendants of Hakkoz, and the descendants of Barzillai (who had married a woman from the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite and was called by that name). 64 They searched for their records in the genealogical materials, but none were found. They were therefore excluded[u] from the priesthood. 65 The governor[v] instructed them not to eat any of the sacred food until there was a priest who could consult[w] the Urim and Thummim.
66 The entire group numbered 42,360— 67 not counting their 7,337 male and female servants. They also had 245 male and female singers. 68 They had 736 horses, 245 mules, 69 (7:68)[x] 435 camels, and 6,720 donkeys. 70 Some of the family leaders[y] contributed to the work. The governor contributed to the treasury 1,000 gold drachmas,[z] 50 bowls, and 530 priestly garments. 71 Some of the family leaders gave to the project treasury 20,000 gold drachmas and 2,200 silver minas. 72 What the rest of the people gave amounted to 20,000 gold drachmas, 2,000 silver minas, and 67 priestly garments.
73 The priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, some of the people, the temple servants, and all the rest of Israel lived in their cities.
The People Respond to the Reading of the Law
When the seventh month arrived and the Israelites[aa] were settled in their towns,[ab] 8 1 all the people gathered together[ac] in the plaza which was in front of the Water Gate. They asked[ad] Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses which the Lord had commanded Israel. 2 So Ezra the priest brought the law before the assembly which included men and women and all those able to understand what they heard. (This happened on the first day of the seventh month.) 3 So he read it before the plaza in front of the Water Gate from dawn till noon[ae] before the men and women and those children who could understand.[af] All the people were eager to hear[ag] the book of the law.
4 Ezra the scribe stood on a towering wooden platform[ah] constructed for this purpose. Standing near him on his right were Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Masseiah. On his left were Pedaiah, Mishael, Malkijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam. 5 Ezra opened the book in plain view[ai] of all the people, for he was elevated above all the people. When he opened the book,[aj] all the people stood up. 6 Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God, and all the people replied “Amen! Amen!” as they lifted their hands. Then they bowed down and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground.
7 Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, and Pelaiah—all of whom were Levites[ak]—were teaching the people the law, as the people remained standing. 8 They read from the book of God’s law, explaining it[al] and imparting insight. Thus the people[am] gained understanding from what was read.
9 Then Nehemiah the governor,[an] Ezra the priestly scribe,[ao] and the Levites who were imparting understanding to the people said to all of them,[ap] “This day is holy to the Lord your God. Do not mourn or weep.” For all the people had been weeping when they heard the words of the law. 10 He said to them, “Go and eat delicacies and drink sweet drinks and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared. For this day is holy to our Lord.[aq] Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”
11 Then the Levites quieted all the people saying, “Be quiet, for this day is holy. Do not grieve.” 12 So all the people departed to eat and drink and to share their food[ar] with others[as] and to enjoy tremendous joy,[at] for they had gained insight in the matters that had been made known to them.
13 On the second day of the month the family leaders[au] met with[av] Ezra the scribe, together with all the people, the priests, and the Levites, to consider the words of the law. 14 They discovered written in the law that the Lord had commanded through[aw] Moses that the Israelites should live in temporary shelters during the festival of the seventh month, 15 and that they should make a proclamation and disseminate this message[ax] in all their cities and in Jerusalem: “Go to the hill country and bring back olive branches and branches of wild olive trees, myrtle trees, date palms, and other leafy trees to construct temporary shelters, as it is written.”
16 So the people went out and brought these things[ay] back and constructed temporary shelters for themselves, each on his roof and in his courtyard and in the courtyards of the temple[az] of God and in the plaza of the Water Gate and the plaza of the Ephraim Gate. 17 So all the assembly which had returned from the exile constructed temporary shelters and lived in them. The Israelites had not done so from the days of Joshua son of Nun until that day. Everyone experienced very great joy.[ba] 18 Ezra[bb] read in the book of the law of God day by day, from the first day to the last.[bc] They observed the festival for seven days, and on the eighth day they held an assembly[bd] as was required.[be]
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