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Securing the City

Verse1When the wall had been rebuilt and I had set the doors in place, the gatekeepers, singers, and Levites were appointed.

Verse2Then I put my brother Hanani in charge of Jerusalem, along with Hananiah the commander of the fortress, because he was a faithful man who feared God more than most.

Verse3And I told them, “Do not open the gates of Jerusalem until the sun is hot. While the guards are on duty, keep the doors shut and securely fastened. And appoint the residents of Jerusalem as guards, some at their posts and some at their own homes.”

The List of Returning Exiles

Verse4Now the city was large and spacious, but there were few people in it, and the houses had not yet been rebuilt.

Verse5Then my God put it into my heart to assemble the nobles, the officials, and the people to be enrolled by genealogy. I found the genealogical register of those who had first returned, and I found the following written in it:

Verse6These are the people of the province who came up from the captivity of the exiles carried away to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar its king. They returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his own town,

Verse7accompanied by Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, and Baanah. This is the count of the men of Israel:

Verse8the descendants of Parosh, 2,172;

Verse9the descendants of Shephatiah, 372;

Verse10the descendants of Arah, 652;

Verse11the descendants of Pahath-moab (through the line of Jeshua and Joab), 2,818;

Verse12the descendants of Elam, 1,254;

Verse13the descendants of Zattu, 845;

Verse14the descendants of Zaccai, 760;

Verse15the descendants of Binnui, 648;

Verse16the descendants of Bebai, 628;

Verse17the descendants of Azgad, 2,322;

Verse18the descendants of Adonikam, 667;

Verse19the descendants of Bigvai, 2,067;

Verse20the descendants of Adin, 655;

Verse21the descendants of Ater (through Hezekiah), 98;

Verse22the descendants of Hashum, 328;

Verse23the descendants of Bezai, 324;

Verse24the descendants of Hariph, 112;

Verse25the descendants of Gibeon, 95;

Verse26the men of Bethlehem and Netophah, 188;

Verse27the men of Anathoth, 128;

Verse28the men of Beth-azmaveth, 42;

Verse29the men of Kiriath-jearim, Chephirah, and Beeroth, 743;

Verse30the men of Ramah and Geba, 621;

Verse31the men of Michmash, 122;

Verse32the men of Bethel and Ai, 123;

Verse33the men of the other Nebo, 52;

Verse34the descendants of the other Elam, 1,254;

Verse35the descendants of Harim, 320;

Verse36the men of Jericho, 345;

Verse37the men of Lod, Hadid, and Ono, 721;

Verse38and the descendants of Senaah, 3,930.

Verse39The priests: the descendants of Jedaiah (through the house of Jeshua), 973;

Verse40the descendants of Immer, 1,052;

Verse41the descendants of Pashhur, 1,247;

Verse42and the descendants of Harim, 1,017.

Verse43The Levites: the descendants of Jeshua (through Kadmiel, through the line of Hodevah ), 74.

Verse44The singers: the descendants of Asaph, 148.

Verse45The 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 in all.

Verse46The temple servants: the descendants of Ziha, the descendants of Hasupha, the descendants of Tabbaoth,

Verse47the descendants of Keros, the descendants of Sia, the descendants of Padon,

Verse48the descendants of Lebanah, the descendants of Hagabah, the descendants of Shalmai,

Verse49the descendants of Hanan, the descendants of Giddel, the descendants of Gahar,

Verse50the descendants of Reaiah, the descendants of Rezin, the descendants of Nekoda,

Verse51the descendants of Gazzam, the descendants of Uzza, the descendants of Paseah,

Verse52the descendants of Besai, the descendants of Meunim, the descendants of Nephushesim,

Verse53the descendants of Bakbuk, the descendants of Hakupha, the descendants of Harhur,

Verse54the descendants of Bazlith, the descendants of Mehida, the descendants of Harsha,

Verse55the descendants of Barkos, the descendants of Sisera, the descendants of Temah,

Verse56the descendants of Neziah, and the descendants of Hatipha.

Verse57The descendants of the servants of Solomon: the descendants of Sotai, the descendants of Sophereth, the descendants of Perida,

Verse58the descendants of Jaala, the descendants of Darkon, the descendants of Giddel,

Verse59the descendants of Shephatiah, the descendants of Hattil, the descendants of Pochereth-hazzebaim, and the descendants of Amon.

Verse60The temple servants and descendants of the servants of Solomon numbered 392 in all.

Verse61The following came up from Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Cherub, Addon, and Immer, but they could not prove that their families were descended from Israel:

Verse62the descendants of Delaiah, the descendants of Tobiah, and the descendants of Nekoda, 642 in all.

Verse63And from among the priests: the descendants of Hobaiah, the descendants of Hakkoz, and the descendants of Barzillai (who had married a daughter of Barzillai the Gileadite and was called by their name).

Verse64These men searched for their family records, but they could not find them and so were excluded from the priesthood as unclean.

Verse65The governor ordered them not to eat the most holy things until there was a priest to consult the Urim and Thummim.

Verse66The whole assembly numbered 42,360,

Verse67in addition to their 7,337 menservants and maidservants, as well as their 245 male and female singers.

Verse68They had 736 horses, 245 mules,

Verse69435 camels, and 6,720 donkeys.

Offerings by the Exiles

Verse70Some of the heads of the families contributed to the project. The governor gave to the treasury 1,000 darics of gold, 50 bowls, and 530 priestly garments.

Verse71And some of the heads of the families gave to the treasury for the project 20,000 darics of gold and 2,200 minas of silver.

Verse72The rest of the people gave a total of 20,000 darics of gold, 2,000 minas of silver, and 67 priestly garments.

Verse73So the priests, Levites, gatekeepers, singers, and temple servants, along with some of the people and the rest of the Israelites, settled in their own towns. And by the seventh month the Israelites had settled in their towns.