Nehemia 7,1 | New International Reader’s Version

1 The wall had been rebuilt. I had put up the gates at the main entrances to the city. The people who guarded the gates were appointed to their positions. So were the musicians and the Levites.

2 I put my brother Hanani in charge of Jerusalem. Hananiah helped him. Hananiah was commander of the fort that was by the temple. Hanani was an honest man. He had more respect for God than most people do.

3 I said to Hanani and Hananiah, ‘Don’t open the gates of Jerusalem until the hottest time of the day. Tell the men who guard the gates to shut them before they go off duty. Make sure they lock them up tight. Also appoint as guards some people who live in Jerusalem. Station some of them at their appointed places. Station others near their own homes.’

A list of people who returned to Judah

4 Jerusalem was large. It had a lot of room. But only a few people lived there. The houses hadn’t been rebuilt yet.

5 So my God gave me the idea and encouraged me to gather the people together. He also encouraged me to gather the nobles and officials together with them. He wanted me to list them by families. I found the family history of those who had been the first to return. Here is what I found written in it.

6 Nebuchadnezzar had taken many Jews away from the land of Judah. He had forced them to go to Babylon as prisoners. Now they returned to Jerusalem and Judah. All of them went back to their own towns. Nebuchadnezzar was king of Babylon.

7 The leaders of the Jews included Zerubbabel, Joshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah and Nahamani. They also included Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum and Baanah. Here is a list of the men of Israel who returned home.

8 There were 2,172 from the family line of Parosh.

9 There were 372 from Shephatiah.

10 There were 652 from Arah.

11 There were 2,818 from Pahath-Moab through the family line of Jeshua and Joab.

12 There were 1,254 from Elam.

13 There were 845 from Zattu.

14 There were 760 from Zakkai.

15 There were 648 from Binnui.

16 There were 628 from Bebai.

17 There were 2,322 from Azgad.

18 There were 667 from Adonikam.

19 There were 2,067 from Bigvai.

20 There were 655 from Adin.

21 There were 98 from Ater through the family line of Hezekiah.

22 There were 328 from Hashum.

23 There were 324 from Bezai.

24 There were 112 from Hariph.

25 There were 95 from Gibeon.

26 There were 188 from the men of Bethlehem and Netophah.

27 There were 128 from Anathoth.

28 There were 42 from Beth Azmaveth.

29 There were 743 from Kiriath Jearim, Kephirah and Beeroth.

30 There were 621 from Ramah and Geba.

31 There were 122 from Mikmash.

32 There were 123 from Bethel and Ai.

33 There were 52 from the other Nebo.

34 There were 1,254 from the other Elam.

35 There were 320 from Harim.

36 There were 345 from Jericho.

37 There were 721 from Lod, Hadid and Ono.

38 There were 3,930 from Senaah.

39 Here is a list of the priests. There were 973 from the family line of Jedaiah through the line of Jeshua.

40 There were 1,052 from Immer.

41 There were 1,247 from Pashhur.

42 There were 1,017 from Harim.

43 The Levites belonged to the family line of Jeshua through Kadmiel through the line of Hodaviah. The total number of men was 74.

44 The musicians belonged to the family line of Asaph. The total number of men was 148.

45 The men who guarded the temple gates belonged to the family lines of Shallum, Ater, Talmon, Akkub, Hatita and Shobai. The total number of men was 138.

46 Here is a list of the members of the family lines of the temple servants. 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, Hatipha

57 Here is a list of the members of the family lines of the servants of Solomon. Sotai, Sophereth, Perida,

58 Jaala, Darkon, Giddel,

59 Shephatiah, Hattil, Pokereth-Hazzebaim, Amon

60 The total number of the members of the family lines of the temple servants and the servants of Solomon was 392.

61 Many people came up to Judah from the towns of Tel Melah, Tel Harsha, Kerub, Addon and Immer. But they weren’t able to prove that their families belonged to the people of Israel.

62 There were 642 of them from the family lines of Delaiah, Tobiah and Nekoda.

63 Here is a list of the members of the family lines of the priests. They were Hobaiah, Hakkoz and Barzillai. Barzillai had married a daughter of Barzillai from Gilead. So he was also called Barzillai.

64 The priests looked for their family records. But they couldn’t find them. So they weren’t able to serve as priests. They weren’t ‘clean’.

65 The governor gave them an order. He told them not to eat any of the most sacred food. They had to wait until there was a priest who could use the Urim and Thummim. The priest would use them to get decisions from the LORD.

66 The total number of the entire group that returned was 42,360.

67 That didn’t include their 7,337 male and female slaves. There were also 245 male and female singers.

68 And there were 736 horses, 245 mules,

69 435 camels and 6,720 donkeys.

70 Some of the family leaders helped pay for the work. The governor gave 8.5 kilograms of gold to be added to the temple treasure. He also gave 50 bowls and 530 sets of clothes for the priests.

71 Some of the family leaders gave 170 kilograms of gold for the work. They also gave 1.3 tonnes of silver. All of that was added to the temple treasure.

72 The rest of the people gave a total of 170 kilograms of gold and 1.2 tonnes of silver. They also gave 67 sets of clothes for the priests.

Ezra reads the Law to the people

73 The priests and Levites made their homes in their own towns. So did the musicians, the temple servants and the men who guarded the gates. The rest of the Israelites also made their homes in their own towns. The Israelites had made their homes in their towns. In the seventh month,

Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version®, NIrV® (Anglicised) Copyright © 1995, 1996, 1998, 2014 by Biblica, Inc.® Used with permission. All rights reserved worldwide. “Biblica”, “International Bible Society” and the Biblica Logo are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc. Used with permission.

English Standard Version

1 Now when the wall had been built and I had set up the doors, and the gatekeepers, the singers, and the Levites had been appointed,

2 I gave my brother Hanani and Hananiah the governor of the castle charge over Jerusalem, for he was a more faithful and God-fearing man than many.

3 And I said to them, “Let not the gates of Jerusalem be opened until the sun is hot. And while they are still standing guard, let them shut and bar the doors. Appoint guards from among the inhabitants of Jerusalem, some at their guard posts and some in front of their own homes.”

4 The city was wide and large, but the people within it were few, and no houses had been rebuilt.

Lists of Returned Exiles

5 Then my God put it into my heart to assemble the nobles and the officials and the people to be enrolled by genealogy. And I found the book of the genealogy of those who came up at the first, and I found written in it:

6 These were the people of the province who came up out of the captivity of those exiles whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried into exile. They returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his town.

7 They came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, Baanah. The number of the men of the people of Israel:

8 the sons of Parosh, 2,172.

9 The sons of Shephatiah, 372.

10 The sons of Arah, 652.

11 The sons of Pahath-moab, namely 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, 2,322.

18 The sons of Adonikam, 667.

19 The sons of Bigvai, 2,067.

20 The sons of Adin, 655.

21 The sons of Ater, namely 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 Netophah, 188.

27 The men of Anathoth, 128.

28 The men of Beth-azmaveth, 42.

29 The men of Kiriath-jearim, Chephirah, 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 priests: the sons of Jedaiah, namely 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, namely of Kadmiel of the sons of Hodevah, 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, the sons of Shobai, 138.

46 The temple servants: the sons of Ziha, the sons of Hasupha, the sons of Tabbaoth,

47 the sons of Keros, the sons of Sia, the sons of Padon,

48 the sons of Lebana, the sons of Hagaba, the sons of Shalmai,

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 Nephushesim,

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, 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 Jaala, the sons of Darkon, the sons of Giddel,

59 the sons of Shephatiah, the sons of Hattil, the sons of Pochereth-hazzebaim, the sons of Amon.

60 All the temple servants and the sons of Solomon’s servants were 392.

61 The following were those who came up from Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Cherub, Addon, and Immer, but they could not prove their fathers’ houses nor their descent, whether they belonged to Israel:

62 the sons of Delaiah, the sons of Tobiah, the sons of Nekoda, 642.

63 Also, of the priests: the sons of Hobaiah, the sons of Hakkoz, the sons of Barzillai (who had taken a wife of the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite and was called by their name).

64 These sought their registration among those enrolled in the genealogies, but it was not found there, so they were excluded from the priesthood as unclean.

65 The governor told them that they were not to partake of the most holy food until a priest with Urim and Thummim should arise.

Totals of People and Gifts

66 The whole assembly together was 42,360,

67 besides their male and female servants, of whom there were 7,337. And they had 245 singers, male and female.

68 Their horses were 736, their mules 245,*

69 their camels 435, and their donkeys 6,720.

70 Now some of the heads of fathers’ houses gave to the work. The governor gave to the treasury 1,000 darics* of gold, 50 basins, 30 priests’ garments and 500 minas* of silver.*

71 And some of the heads of fathers’ houses gave into the treasury of the work 20,000 darics of gold and 2,200 minas of silver.

72 And what the rest of the people gave was 20,000 darics of gold, 2,000 minas of silver, and 67 priests’ garments.

73 So the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, some of the people, the temple servants, and all Israel, lived in their towns. And when the seventh month had come, the people of Israel were in their towns.

The ESV^® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version^®) copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV^® Text Edition: 2016. The ESV^® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved. The ESV^® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version^®) is adapted from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. All rights reserved.