7 After the wall had been rebuilt and I had set the doors in ·place [the gates], the gatekeepers, ·singers [musicians], and Levites were chosen. 2 I put my brother Hanani, along with Hananiah, the commander of the ·palace [fortress; citadel], ·in charge of [to administer] Jerusalem. Hananiah was ·honest [L a faithful man] and feared God more than ·most [many] people. 3 I said to them, “The gates of Jerusalem should not be opened ·until [or while] the sun is hot [C either don’t open until later in the day, or shut them at midday while people are resting from the heat]. ·While [Even while] the gatekeepers are still on duty, have them shut and bolt the doors. Appoint people who live in Jerusalem as guards, and put some at guard posts and some near their own houses.”
The Captives Who Returned
4 The city was large and ·roomy [spacious; spread out; L wide of two hands], but there were few people in it, and the houses had not yet been rebuilt. 5 Then my God ·caused me [L put it in my heart/mind] to ·gather [assemble] the ·important people [nobles], ·leaders [officials], and the common people so I could ·register [enroll] them by ·families [genealogy]. I found the ·family history [genealogical records] of those who had returned first. This is what I found written there:
6 These are the people of the ·area [province] who returned from ·captivity [exile], whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had ·taken [carried] ·away [into exile]. They returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his own town. 7 These people returned with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, and Baanah.
These are the [L men from the; C the following numbers likely reflect only males] people from Israel: 8 the ·descendants [sons; C and so throughout the following list] of Parosh—2,172; 9 the descendants of Shephatiah—372; 10 the descendants of Arah—652; 11 the descendants of Pahath-Moab (through the ·family [line; sons] 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 Hariph—112; 25 the descendants of Gibeon—95.
26 These are the ·people [or men] from the towns of Bethlehem and Netophah—188; 27 of Anathoth—128; 28 of Beth Azmaveth—42; 29 of Kiriath Jearim, Kephirah, and Beeroth—743; 30 of Ramah and Geba—621; 31 of Micmash—122; 32 of Bethel and Ai—123; 33 of the other Nebo—52; 34 of the other Elam—1,254; 35 of Harim—320; 36 of Jericho—345; 37 of Lod, Hadid, and Ono—721; 38 of Senaah—3,930.
39 These are the priests: the descendants of Jedaiah (through the ·family [L house] 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 These are the Levites: the descendants of Jeshua (through Kadmiel through the ·family [line; sons] of Hodaviah)—74.
44 These are the singers: the descendants of Asaph—148.
45 These are the gatekeepers: the descendants of Shallum, Ater, Talmon, Akkub, Hatita, and Shobai—138.
46 These are the Temple servants: the descendants of Ziha, Hasupha, Tabbaoth, 47 Keros, Sia, Padon, 48 [L the descendants/sons of] Lebana, Hagaba, Shalmai, 49 [L the descendants/sons of] Hanan, Giddel, Gahar, 50 [L the descendants/sons of] Reaiah, Rezin, Nekoda, 51 [L the descendants/sons of] Gazzam, Uzza, Paseah, 52 [L the descendants/sons of] Besai, Meunim, Nephussim, 53 [L the descendants/sons of] Bakbuk, Hakupha, Harhur, 54 Bazluth, Mehida, Harsha, 55 [L the descendants/sons of] Barkos, Sisera, Temah, 56 [L the descendants/sons of] Neziah, and Hatipha.
57 These are the descendants of the servants of Solomon: the descendants of Sotai, Sophereth, Perida, 58 [L the descendants/sons of] Jaala, Darkon, Giddel, 59 [L the descendants/sons of] Shephatiah, Hattil, Pokereth-Hazzebaim, and Amon.
60 The Temple servants and the descendants of the servants of Solomon totaled 392 people.
61 Some people came to Jerusalem from the towns of Tel Melah, Tel Harsha, Kerub, Addon, and Immer, but they could not prove that ·their ancestors [L the house of their fathers] came from Israel. They were as follows: 62 the descendants of Delaiah, Tobiah, and Nekoda—642.
63 And these priests were in that group: the descendants of Hobaiah, Hakkoz, and Barzillai. (He had married a daughter of Barzillai from Gilead and ·was called by [adopted; took] her family name.)
64 These people searched ·for [in] their ·family [genealogical] records, but they could not find ·them [themselves there]. So they ·could not be priests [were excluded/disqualified from the priesthood], because they were ·thought to be unclean [L desecrated]. 65 The governor ordered them not to eat any of the ·holy [sacred; L most holy; Lev. 2:3; 7:21–36] food until a priest settled this matter by using the Urim and Thummim [C sacred lots used to determine God’s will; Ex. 28:30].
66 The total ·number of those who returned was [assembly/group numbered] 42,360. 67 This is not counting their 7,337 male and female servants and the 245 male and female singers with them. 68 They had 736 horses, 245 mules, 69 435 camels, and 6,720 donkeys.
70 Some of the ·family leaders [L heads of the fathers] ·gave [contributed] to the work. The governor gave to the treasury ·about 19 pounds [L 1,000 drachmas/or darics] of gold, 50 ·bowls [basins], and 530 ·pieces of clothing [robes; garments] for the priests. 71 Some of the family ·leaders [heads] gave ·about 375 pounds [20,000 drachmas/or darics] of gold and ·about 2,660 pounds [2,200 minas] of silver to the treasury for the work. 72 The total of what the other people gave was ·about 375 pounds [2,000 drachmas/or darics] of gold, about ·2,250 pounds [2,000 minas] of silver, and 67 ·pieces of clothing [robes; garments] for the priests. 73 So these people all settled in their own towns: the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, the Temple servants, and all the other people of Israel.
By the seventh month [C October-November 445 bc] the Israelites were settled in their own towns.