7
Nehemiah Places Hanani and Hananiah in Charge of Guarding the City Gates
1 The gatekeepers, the singers, and the Levites were assigned their duties after the wall had been rebuilt and I had hung the doors. 2 I put my brother Hanani and Hananiah, the commander of the fortress, in charge of Jerusalem. Hananiah was a trustworthy man, and he feared God more than most people do. 3 I told them, “The gates of Jerusalem should not be opened at the hottest time of the day. While the ⌞gatekeepers⌟ are still standing there, they should shut the doors and bar them. Order some of the men in Jerusalem to stand guard, some at their posts and others in front of their homes.” 4 The city was large and wide-open. Few people were in it, and no houses were being built.
The First Jewish Exiles Who Returned to Jerusalem
5 Then my God put the idea into my head that I should gather the nobles, leaders, and people so that they could check their genealogy. I found the book with the genealogy of those who came back the first time. I found the following written in it:
6 These were the people in the province. They were the ones who left the place where the exiles had been taken captive. King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon had taken them captive. They returned to Jerusalem and Judah. All of them went to their own cities. 7 They went with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, and Baanah.
Families Listed by Ancestor
(Ezra 2:3–20)
This is the number of Israelite men from the people in exile:
8 the descendants of Parosh … 2,172
9 of Shephatiah … 372
10 of Arah … 652
11 of Pahath Moab, that is, of Jeshua and Joab … 2,818
12 of Elam … 1,254
13 of Zattu … 845
14 of Zaccai … 760
15 of Binnui … 648
16 of Bebai … 628
17 of Azgad … 2,322
18 of Adonikam … 667
19 of Bigvai … 2,067
20 of Adin … 655
21 of Ater, that is, Hezekiah … 98
22 of Hashum … 328
23 of Bezai … 324
24 of Hariph … 112
25 of Gibeon … 95
Families Listed by Towns
(Ezra 2:21–35)
26 the people of Bethlehem and Netophah … 188
27 of Anathoth … 128
28 of Beth Azmaveth … 42
29 of Kiriath Jearim, Chephirah, and Beeroth … 743
30 of Ramah and Geba … 621
31 of Michmas … 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
Priests
(Ezra 2:36–39)
39 These priests returned from exile:
the descendants of Jedaiah (through the family of Jeshua) … 973
40 of Immer … 1,052
41 of Pashhur … 1,247
42 of Harim … 1,017
Levites
(Ezra 2:40–42)
43 These Levites returned from exile:
the descendants of Jeshua, that is, of Kadmiel ⌞and⌟ of Hodeiah … 74
44 These singers returned from exile:
the descendants of Asaph … 148
45 These gatekeepers returned from exile:
the descendants of Shallum, Ater, Talmon, Akkub, Hatita, and Shobai … 138
Temple Servants
(Ezra 2:43–54)
46 These temple servants returned from exile: the descendants of Ziha, Hasupha, Tabbaoth, 47 Keros, Sia, Padon, 48 Lebanah, Hagabah, Shalmai, 49 Hanan, Giddel, Gahar, 50 Reaiah, Rezin, Nekoda, 51 Gazzam, Uzza, Paseah, 52 Besai, Meunim, Nephusheshim, 53 Bakbuk, Hakupha, Harhur, 54 Bazlith, Mehida, Harsha, 55 Barkos, Sisera, Temah, 56 Neziah, and Hatipha.
Descendants of Solomon’s Servants
(Ezra 2:55–58)
57 These descendants of Solomon’s servants returned from exile: the descendants of Sotai, Sophereth, Perida, 58 Jaala, Darkon, Giddel, 59 Shephatiah, Hattil, Pochereth Hazzebaim, and Amon.
60 The temple servants and the descendants of Solomon’s servants totaled 392.
Those of Unknown Origin
(Ezra 2:59–63)
61 The following people came from Tel Melah, Tel Harsha, Cherub, Addan, and Immer, but they couldn’t prove they were Israelites on the basis of their father’s family or their genealogy: 62 the descendants of Delaiah, Tobiah, and Nekoda. These people totaled 642.
63 These priests ⌞couldn’t prove they were Israelites⌟: the descendants of Hobaiah, Hakkoz, and Barzillai (who had married one of the daughters of Barzillai from Gilead and took that ⌞family⌟ name). 64 These people searched for their ⌞family⌟ names in the genealogical records, but their names couldn’t be found there. For this reason they were considered contaminated and couldn’t be priests. 65 The governor told them not to eat any of the most holy food until a priest could use the Urim and Thummim*⌞to settle the problem⌟.
The Total of the People and Animals Returning from Exile
(Ezra 2:64–67)
66 The whole assembly totaled 42,360. 67 In addition to the male and female servants who numbered 7,337, they also had 245 male and female singers. 68 They had 736 horses, 245 mules,† 69 435 camels, and 6,720 donkeys.
Gifts Given for the Temple
(Ezra 2:68–70)
70 Some of the heads of the families contributed to this work. The governor contributed the following to the treasury: nearly 18 pounds of gold, 50 bowls, and 530 robes for the priests. 71 Some of the heads of the families contributed to the treasury for this work: 337 pounds of gold and 3,215 pounds of silver. 72 The rest of the people contributed 337 pounds of gold, 2,923 pounds of silver, and 67 robes for the priests.
73 The priests, Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, some of the people, the temple servants, and the rest of Israel settled in their own cities. When the seventh month came, the people of Israel were in their own cities.
* 7:65 The Urim and Thummim were used by the chief priest to determine God’s answer to questions. † 7:68 Some Hebrew manuscripts omit “They had … mules.” In those manuscripts verses 69–73 are numbered as 68–72.