Historical
Hanani, Hananiah and the Returning Exiles
7 After the wall had been rebuilt, the doors set up, and the gatekeepers, singers and Levites appointed, 2 I put in charge over Jerusalem, my brother Hanani along with Hananiah the commander of the fortress, for he was a man of integrity and feared God more than many. 3 I said to them, “The gates of Jerusalem must not be opened until the sun is hot. While those are still on duty, have them shut and bar the doors. Also appoint residents of Jerusalem as guards, some at their post and some near their homes.”
4 Now the city was spacious and large, but there were few people within it and no houses were being built. 5 So my God put into my heart to assemble the nobles, the officials and the people to be registered by genealogy. I found the scroll of the genealogical record of those who formerly returned. I found the following written there:
6 These are the people of the province who returned from the captivity of the exile, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had taken away, and who returned to Jerusalem and to Judah, each man to his own town. 7 Those who came with Zerubbabel were Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, Baanah. The number of the men of Bnei-Yisrael was:
8 The sons of Parosh—2,172
9 The sons of Shephatiah—372
10 The sons of Arah—652
11 The sons of Pahat-moab, from the sons of Jeshua and Joab—2,818
12 The sons of Elam—1,254
13 The sons of Zattu—845
14 The sons of Zaccai—760
15 The sons of Binnui—648
16 The sons of Bebai—628
17 The sons of Azgad—2,328
18 The sons of Adonikam—667
19 The sons of Bigvai—2,067
20 The sons of Adin—655
21 The sons of Ater of Hezekiah—98
22 The sons of Hashum—328
23 The sons of Bezai—324
24 The sons of Hariph—112
25 The sons of Gibeon—95
26 The men of Bethlehem and Neto-phah—188
27 The men of Anathoth—128
28 The men of Beth-azmaveth—42
29 The men of Kiriath-jearim, Kephirah, and Beeroth—743
30 The men of Ramah and Geba—621
31 The men of Michmas—122
32 The men of Bethel and Ai—123
33 The men of the other Nebo—52
34 The sons of the other Elam—1,254
35 The sons of Harim—320
36 The sons of Jericho—345
37 The sons of Lod, Hadid and Ono—721
38 The sons of Senaah—3,930
39 The kohanim:
The sons of Jedaiah, of the house of Jeshua—973
40 The sons of Immer—1,052
41 The sons of Pashhur—1,247
42 The sons of Harim—1,017
43 The Levites: the sons of Jeshua of Kadmiel from the sons of Hodeiah—74
44 The singers: the sons of Asaph—148
45 The gatekeepers: the sons of Shallum, the sons of Ater, the sons of Talmon, the sons of Akkub, the sons of Hatita and the sons of Shobai—138.
46 The sanctuary servants: the sons of Ziha, the sons of Hasupha, the sons of Tabbaot, 47 the sons of Keros, the sons of Sia, the sons of Padon, 48 the sons of Lebanah, the sons of Hagaba, the sons of Salmai, 49 the sons of Hanan, the sons of Giddel, the sons of Gahar, 50 the sons of Reaiah, the sons of Rezin, the sons of Nekoda, 51 the sons of Gazzam, the sons of Uzza, the sons of Paseah, 52 the sons of Besai, the sons of Meunim, the sons of Nephishesim, 53 the sons of Bakbuk, the sons of Hakupha, the sons of Harhur, 54 the sons of Bazlith, the sons of Mehida, the sons of Harsha, 55 the sons of Barkos, the sons of Sisera, the sons of Temah, 56 the sons of Neziah and the sons of Hatipha.
57 The sons of Solomon’s servants: the sons of Sotai, the sons of Sophereth, the sons of Perida, 58 the sons of Jala, the sons of Darkon, the sons of Giddel, 59 the sons of Shephatiah, the sons of Hattil, the sons of Pochereth-hazzebaim and the sons of Amon.
60 All the Temple servants and the sons of Solomon’s servants—392.
61 Now the following were the ones who came up from Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Cherub, Addon and Immer—but they were not able to identify their ancestral houses or whether their descendants were from Israel: 62 the sons of Delaiah, the sons of Tobiah and the sons of Nekoda—642.
63 Also of the kohanim: the sons of Habaiah, the sons of Hakkoz, the sons of Barzillai. (Their ancestor took a wife from the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite and subsequently was called by their name.) 64 These sought their names in the genealogies, but were not found; so they were disqualified from the priesthood. 65 The governor said to them that they should not eat any of the most holy things until a kohen arose with Urim and Thummim[a].
66 The whole congregation together was 42,360, 67 not including their male and female servants—these were 7,337—as well as 245 male and female singers.
68 There were 435 camels and 6,720 donkeys.
69 Some from among the family leaders contributed to the work. The governor gave to the treasury: gold drachmas—1,000; bowls—50; and priestly tunics—500. 70 Those from the heads of ancestral lines gave to the treasury for the work: gold drachmas—20,000; silver minas—2,000. 71 The rest of the people gave: gold drachmas—20,000; silver minas—2,000; and priestly tunics—67.
72 So the kohanim, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, some of the people, and the Temple servants, even all Israel, dwelt in their towns.
Ezra Reads the Torah
Then the seventh month came and Bnei-Yisrael were in their towns.
8 Then all the people were brought as a single body into the plaza that was before the Water Gate. They said to Ezra the scribe, “Bring out the Torah scroll of Moses that Adonai had commanded Israel.”
2 Ezra the kohen brought the Torah before the assembly, which included men and women and all who could understand what they heard. This happened on the first day of the seventh month. 3 So he read from it before the plaza in front of the Water Gate from first light until midday, in the presence of the men and women, and others who could understand. And all the people listened attentively to the scroll of the Torah. 4 Ezra the scribe stood on a high wooden platform constructed for this purpose. Standing near him at his right hand were Mattitiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah and Maaseiah and at his left hand were Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah and Meshullam.
5 Ezra opened the scroll in the sight of all the people for he was above all the people. When he opened it, all the people stood up. 6 Ezra blessed Adonai, the great God, and all the people answered, “Amen, amen!” as they lifted up of their hands. Then they bowed down and worshiped Adonai with their faces to the ground.
7 The Levites—Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbetai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan and Pelaiah—instructed the people in the Torah while the people were standing in their place. 8 They read from the Torah scroll of God, distinctly explaining[b] it and giving insight. Thus they understood what was read.
9 Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the kohen-scribe, and the Levites who were teaching the people said to all the people, “Today is kadosh to Adonai your God. Do not mourn or weep!” For all the people had been weeping when they heard the words of the Torah.
10 So he said to them, “Go! Eat choice food, drink sweet drinks, and send portions to those who have nothing ready. For today is kadosh to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of Adonai is your strength.”
11 Then the Levites quieted all the people, saying, “Hush! For today is kadosh. Do not grieve.” 12 So all the people departed to eat and drink, to send portions and to celebrate with great joy, because they came to understand the words that were explained to them.
Sukkot Joy
13 On the second day, the heads of the families along with the kohanim and the Levites gathered around Ezra to ponder the words of the Torah. 14 They found written in the Torah that Adonai had commanded through Moses that Bnei-Yisrael should dwell in sukkot during the feast of the seventh month. 15 So that they should proclaim and spread this message in all their towns and in Jerusalem saying, “Go out to the hill country and bring olive branches and wild olive branches, myrtle branches, palm branches and branches of other leafy trees to make sukkot, just as it is written.” 16 So the people went out and brought branches, and made sukkot for themselves, each on their own roof, in their courtyards, in the courtyards of the House of God, in the plaza before the Water Gate and in the plaza of the Ephraim Gate. 17 The entire assembly who had returned from the captivity made sukkot and dwelt in the sukkot. Since the days of Joshua the son of Nun until that day Bnei-Yisrael had not done so—and the joy was very great.
18 Day after day from the first day to the last day, he read from the scroll of the Torah of God. So they kept the festival for seven days, and on the eighth day, according to the regulation, there was a solemn assembly.
Tree of Life (TLV) Translation of the Bible. Copyright © 2015 by The Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society.