Nehemiah 7

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7 <1> After we finished building the wall and put the doors in the gates, we chose the men who would guard the gates and the men to sing in the Temple[22] and help the priests. <2> Next, I put my brother Hanani in charge of Jerusalem. I chose another man named Hananiah to be the commander of the fort. I picked Hanani because he was a very honest man and he feared God more than most men do. <3> Then I said to Hanani and Hananiah, "Each day you must wait until the sun has been up for several hours before you open the gates of Jerusalem. You must shut and lock the gates before the sun goes down. Also choose people who live in Jerusalem as guards. Put some of them at special places to guard the city, and put the other people near their own houses."

The List of Captives Who Returned

<4> Now the city was large and there was plenty of room. But there were few people in it, and the houses had not yet been rebuilt. <5> So my God put it in my heart to have all the people meet together. I called together all the important people, the officials, and the common people. I did this so that I could make a list of all the families. I found the family lists[23] of the people who had been the first to return from captivity. This is what I found written there:

<6> These are the people of the province who came back from captivity. In the past, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon took them as prisoners to Babylon. These people came back to Jerusalem and Judah. They all went to their own towns. <7> They returned with Zerubbabel,[24] Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, and Baanah. This is the list of names and numbers of men from Israel who came back:

<8> The descendants of Parosh: 2172

<9> the descendants of Shephatiah: 372

<10> the descendants of Arah: 652

<11> the descendants of Pahath Moab of the family line of Jeshua and Joab: 2818

<12> the descendants of Elam: 1254

<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: 2322

<18> the descendants of Adonikam: 667

<19> the descendants of Bigvai: 2067

<20> the descendants of Adin: 655

<21> the descendants of Ater through the family of 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> from the towns of Bethlehem and Netophah: 188

<27> from the town of Anathoth: 128

<28> from the town of Beth Azmaveth: 42

<29> from the towns of Kiriath Jearim, Kephirah, and Beeroth: 743

<30> from the towns of Ramah and Geba: 621

<31> from the town of Micmash: 122

<32> from the towns of Bethel and Ai: 123

<33> from the other town of Nebo: 52

<34> from the other town of Elam: 1254

<35> from the town of Harim: 320

<36> from the town of Jericho: 345

<37> from the towns of Lod, Hadid, and Ono: 721

<38> from the town of Senaah: 3930

<39> These are the priests:

The descendants of Jedaiah through the family of Jeshua: 973

<40> the descendants of Immer: 1052

<41> the descendants of Pashhur: 1247

<42> the descendants of Harim: 1017

<43> These are the people from the tribe of Levi:

The descendants of Jeshua through Kadmiel through the family of Hodeiah[25]: 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 special Temple[26] servants:

The descendants of Ziha, Hasupha, Tabbaoth,

<47> Keros, Sia, Padon,

<48> Lebana, Hagaba, Shalmai,

<49> Hanan, Giddel, Gaher,

<50> Reaiah, Rezin, Nekoda,

<51> Gazzam, Uzza, Paseah,

<52> Besai, Meunim, Nephussim,

<53> Bakbuk, Hakupha, Harhur,

<54> Bazluth, Mehida, Harsha,

<55> Barkos, Sisera, Temah,

<56> Neziah and Hatipha.

<57> These are the descendants of the servants of Solomon:

Sotai, Sophereth, Perida,

<58> Jaala, Darkon, Giddel,

<59> Shephatiah, Hattil, Pokereth Hazzebaim, and Amon.

<60> The Temple servants and the descendants of Solomon's servants: 392

<61> Some people came to Jerusalem from these towns of Tel Melah, Tel Harsha, Kerub, Addon, and Immer. But these people could not prove that their families really came from the Israelites:

<62> The descendants of Delaiah, Tobiah and Nekoda: 642

<63> From the family of priests there were the descendants of:

Hobaiah, Hakkoz, and Barzillai (If a man married a daughter of Barzillai from Gilead, he was counted as a descendant of Barzillai.)

<64> These people searched for their family histories, but they could not find them. They could not prove that their ancestors[27] were priests, so they could serve as priests. Their names were not included in the list of priests. <65> The governor ordered them not eat any of the most holy food until the [high] priest could use the Urim[28] and Thummim[29] to ask God what to do.

<66-67> All together, there were 42,360 people in the group who came back. This is not counting their 7337 men and women slaves. They also had 245 men and women singers with them. <68-69> They had 736 horses, 245 mules, 435 camels, and 6720 donkeys.

<70> Some of the family leaders gave money to support the work. The governor gave 19 pounds[30] of gold to the treasury. He also gave 50 bowls and 530 pieces of clothing for the priests. <71> The family leaders gave 375 pounds[31] of gold to the treasury to support the work. They also gave 2750 pounds[32] of silver. <72> All together the other people gave 375 pounds of gold, 2500 pounds[33] of silver, and 67 pieces of clothing for the priests.

<73> So the priests, the people from the tribe of Levi, the gatekeepers, the singers, and the Temple servants settled down in their own towns. And all the other Israelites settled down in their own towns. By the seventh month[34] of the year, all the Israelites had settled down in their own towns.