2 Now these are the people of the province [of Judah] who went up out of the captivity of those exiles whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away to Babylon, but who came again to Jerusalem and Judah, everyone to his own city.
2 These came with Zerubbabel: Jeshua, Nehemiah [not the author], Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai [not Esther’s relative], Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum, Baanah. The number of the men of Israel:
3 The sons [meaning male descendants] of Parosh, 2,172.
4 The sons of Shephatiah, 372.
5 The sons of Arah, 775.
6 The sons of Pahath-moab, namely of the sons of Jeshua and Joab, 2,812.
7 The sons of Elam, 1,254.
8 The sons of Zattu, 945.
9 The sons of Zaccai, 760.
10 The sons of Bani, 642.
11 The sons of Bebai, 623.
12 The sons of Azgad, 1,222.
13 The sons of Adonikam, 666.
14 The sons of Bigvai, 2,056.
15 The sons of Adin, 454.
16 The sons of Ater, namely of Hezekiah, 98.
17 The sons of Bezai, 323.
18 The sons of Jorah, 112.
19 The sons of Hashum, 223.
20 The sons of Gibbar, 95.
21 The sons of Bethlehem, 123.
22 The men of Netophah, 56.
23 The men of Anathoth, 128.
24 The sons of Azmaveth, 42.
25 The sons of Kiriath-arim, Chephirah, and Beeroth, 743.
26 The sons of Ramah and Geba, 621.
27 The men of Michmas, 122.
28 The men of Bethel and Ai, 223.
29 The sons of Nebo, 52.
30 The sons of Magbish, 156.
31 The sons of the other Elam, 1,254.
32 The sons of Harim, 320.
33 The sons of Lod, Hadid, and Ono, 725.
34 The sons of Jericho, 345.
35 The sons of Senaah, 3,630.
36 The priests: the sons of Jedaiah, of the house of Jeshua, 973.
37 The sons of Immer, 1,052.
38 The sons of Pashhur, 1,247.
39 The sons of Harim, 1,017.
40 The Levites: the sons of Jeshua and Kadmiel, of the house of Hodaviah, 74.
41 The singers: the sons of Asaph, 128.
42 The sons of the gatekeepers: of Shallum, Ater, Talmon, Akkub, Hatita, and Shobai, in all 139.
43 The Nethinim [the temple servants]: the sons of Ziba, Hasupha, Tabbaoth,
44 The sons of Keros, Siaha, Padon,
45 The sons of Lebanah, Hagabah, Akkub,
46 The sons of Hagab, Shalmai, Hanan,
47 The sons of Giddel, Gahar, Reaiah,
48 The sons of Rezin, Nekoda, Gazzam,
49 The sons of Uzza, Paseah, Besai,
50 The sons of Asnah, Meunim, Nephisim,
51 The sons of Bakbuk, Hakupha, Harhur,
52 The sons of Bazluth, Mehida, Harsha,
53 The sons of Barkos, Sisera, Temah,
54 The sons of Neziah [and] of Hatipha.
55 The sons of [King] Solomon’s servants: the sons of Sotai, Sophereth (Hassophereth), Peruda,
56 The sons of Jaalah, Darkon, Giddel,
57 The sons of Shephatiah, Hattil, Pochereth-hazzebaim, Ami.
58 All the Nethinim [the temple servants] and the sons of Solomon’s servants were 392.
59 And these were they who came up from Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Cherub, Addan, and Immer, but they could not show a record of their fathers’ houses or prove their descent, whether they were of Israel:
60 The sons of Delaiah, Tobiah, and Nekoda, 652.
61 And of the sons of the priests: the sons of Habaiah, of Hakkoz, and of Barzillai, who had taken a wife from the daughters of Barzillai the [noted] Gileadite and had assumed their name.(A)
62 These sought their names among those enrolled in the genealogies, but they were not found; so they were excluded from the priesthood as [ceremonially] unclean.
63 [Zerubbabel] the governor told them they should not eat of the most holy things [the priests’ food] until there should be a priest with Urim and Thummim [who by consulting these articles in his breastplate could [a]know God’s will in the matter].
64 The whole congregation numbered 42,360,
65 Besides their menservants and maidservants, 7,337; and among them they had 200 men and women singers.
66 Their horses were 736; their mules, 245;
67 Their camels were 435; their donkeys, 6,720.
68 Some of the heads of families, when they came to the house of the Lord in Jerusalem, made freewill offerings for the house of God to [re]build it on its site.
69 They gave as they were able to the treasury for the work 61,000 darics of gold, 5,000 minas of silver, and 100 priests’ garments.
70 So the priests, the Levites, some of the people, the singers, the gatekeepers, and the temple servants lived in their own towns, and all Israel [gradually settled] into their towns.
Footnotes
- Ezra 2:63 But the effort doubtless would have been in vain. Long-standing disobedience had apparently caused Israel’s priests to forfeit the divine gift of guidance through Urim and Thummim, and it was never recovered. Except for a similar incident in Neh. 7:65, Urim and Thummim are not again mentioned in the Scriptures. The higher revelation by the prophets superseded them as interpreters of the will of God (see also Exod. 28:30; Amos 3:7).