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Nehemiah 7

7 Once the wall was built and the gates erected and the warders, the singers, and the Levites appointed, 2 I put Jerusalem in charge of my kinsman Hanani and of Hananiah the captain of the castle--for he was a truly reliable man, who reverenced God more than most. 3 I said to them, “The gates of Jerusalem are not to be opened till the sun is high, and ... let the doors be closed and barred. Arrange guards from the inhabitants of Jerusalem, every man to take his own watch, and every man to be posted opposite his house.” 4 (The city was wide and large, but there were few people, for houses had not been built.)

5 Now my God put it into my mind to assemble the authorities and the deputies and the people, in order to take a census of them. And I found a census record of those who had come up first of all, as follows:

6 The following belonged to the province of Judah among the deported who returned from exile after being carried away by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; they came back to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his own town, 7 in the company of Zerubbabel, Joshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, and Baanah.

8 A list of the laity of Israel: the clan of Parosh, two thousand one hundred and seventy-two; 9 the clan of Shephatiah, three hundred and seventy-two; 10 the clan of Arah, six hundred and fifty-two; 11 the clan of Pahath-moab . . . ; the clan of Jeshua and Joab, two thousand eight hundred and eighteen; 12 the clan of Elam, one thousand two hundred and fifty-four; 13 the clan of Zattu, eight hundred and forty-five; 14 the clan of Zakkai, seven hundred and sixty; 15 the clan of Binnui, six hundred and forty-eight; 16 the clan of Bebai, six hundred and twenty-eight; 17 the clan of Azgad, two thousand three hundred and twenty-two; 18 the clan of Adonikam, six hundred and sixty-seven; 19 the clan of Bigvai, two thousand and sixty-seven; 20 the clan of Adin, six hundred and fifty-five; 21 the clan of Ater . . . ; the clan of Hezekiah, ninety-eight; 22 the clan of Hashum, three Hundred and twenty-eight; 23 the clan of Bezai, three hundred and twenty-four; 24 the clan of Haripli, one hundred and twelve; 25 the clan of Gibeon, ninety-five; 26 the men of Bethlehem and Netophah, one hundred and eighty-eight; 27 the men of Anathoth, one hundred and twenty-eight; 28 the men of Bethazmaveth, forty-two; 29 the men of Kiriath-jearim, Kefirah, and Beeroth, seven hundred and forty-three; 30 the men of Ramah and Geba, six hundred and twenty-one; 31 the men of Michmas, one hundred and twenty-two; 32 the men of Bethel and Ai, one hundred and twenty-three; 33 the men of Nebo, fifty-two; 35 the clan of Harim, three hundred and twenty; 36 the clan of Jericho, three hundred and forty-five; 37 the clan of Lod, Hadid, and Ono, seven hundred and twenty-one; 38 the clan of Senaah, three thousand nine hundred and thirty. 39 The priests: the clan of Jedaiah, from the household of Jeshua, nine hundred and seventy-three; 40 the clan of Immer, one thousand and fifty-two; 41 the clan of Pashhur, one thousand two hundred and forty-seven; 42 the clan of Harim, one thousand and seventeen.

43 The Levites: the clan of Jeshua and Kadmiel, from the clan of Hodeiah, seventy-four. 44 The singers: the clan of Asaph, one hundred and forty-eight. 45 The warders: a hundred and thirty-eight from the clans of Shallum, Ater, Talmon, Akkub, Hatita, and Shobai.

46 The temple-attendants: the clans of Ziha, Hasupha, Tabbaoth, 47 Keros, Sia, Padon, 48 Lebanah, Hagaba, Salmai, 49 Hanan, Giddel, Gahar, 50 Reaiah, Rezin, Nekoda, 51 Gazzam, Uzza, Paseah, 52 Besai, Meunim, Nephishesliim, 53 Bakbuk, Hakupha, Harhur, 54 Bazlith, Mehida, Harsha, 55 Barkos, Sisera, Tema, 56 Neziah, and Hatipha.

57 The sons of Solomon’s servants: the clans of Sotai, Sophereth, Perida, 58 Jaala, Darkon, Giddel, 59 Shephatiah, Hat- til, Poehereth-hazzebaim, and Amon.

60 The temple-attendants and the sons of Solomon’s servants, all told, were three hundred and ninety-two.

61 The following, who went from Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Kherub, Addon, and Immer, were unable to prove that their descent and pedigree belonged to Israel: 62 the families of Delaiah, Tobiah, and Nekodah, six hundred and forty-two of them. 63 Among the priests also, the families of Habaiah, Hakkoz, and Barzillai (he had married a daughter of Barzillai the Gileadite and had taken his name) 64 made search for their record, but the genealogy was not to be found; so they were barred and banished from the priesthood. 65 The governor declared that they were not to partake of the most sacred food till a priest appeared with the oracles.

66 The entire company numbered forty-two thousand three hundred and sixty, 67 besides seven thousand three hundred and thirty-seven servants, male and female, and two hundred and forty-five singers, male and female; 68 they had seven hundred and thirty-six horses, two hundred and forty-five mules, 69 four hundred and thirty-five camels, and six thousand seven hundred and twenty asses.

70 Some of the chiefs of the clans contributed to the work. The governor paid into the funds a thousand guineas in gold, fifty bowls, and five hundred and thirty priestly vestments. 71 Some of the family chiefs paid into the building fund twenty thousand guineas in gold, and fifteen thousand pounds in silver. 72 What the rest of the people gave was twenty thousand guineas in gold, over thirteen thousand pounds in silver, and sixty-seven priestly vestments. 73 Now the priests, the Levites, the warders, the singers, the temple-attendants, and some of the people were living in Jerusalem, and all Israel in their towns; but when the seventh month arrived, 8  7 all the people gathered like one man in the open space in front of the water gate, calling upon Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the Eternal had imposed upon Israel. 2 So on the first day of the seventh month, Ezra the priest and scribe laid the law before the community, both men and women and all who could listen intelligently; 3 he read from it, in the open space in front of the water gate, from early morning till noon, in presence of the men and the women and all who could understand it; they all listened closely to the book of the law. 4 Ezra the scribe stood on a wooden platform made for the purpose; on his right hand stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah, and on his left Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanali, and Zechariah.

5 Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people (for he stood above them all), and when he opened it, all the people rose; 6 then Ezra blessed the Eternal, the great God, and all the people answered “Amen! Amen!” raising their hands; they bowed their heads and fell down before the Eternal with their faces to the ground. 7 Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, and Pelaiah, who were Levites, also explained the meaning of the law to the people as they stood; 8 they read from the book, from the law of God, translating as they went and explaining the meaning, so that the people understood what was read.

9 Then Nehemiah the governor and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who instructed the people, said to all the people, “This is a day sacred to the Eternal your God; do not mourn and do not weep” (for all the people were weeping as they heard the words of the law). 10 Ezra added, “Come, eat the dainty pieces and drink sweet wine, and send a portion to him who has nothing ready, for this is a day sacred to our Lord; do not be downcast,for to rejoice in the Eternal is your strength.” 11 And the Levites quieted all the people, saying, “Hush, it is a sacred day; do not be downcast.” 12 So all the people went away to eat and drink and send portions and make merry, because they had understood the meaning of what they heard.

13 On the second day all the chiefs of the clans, the priests, and the Levites gathered round Ezra the scribe to study the words of the law. 14 And in the law they found it written how the Eternal had given orders, through Moses, that the Israelites were to live in booths on the festival of the seventh month. 15 On hearing this, they issued a proclamation throughout all their towns and throughout Jerusalem: “Go to the hill-country and bring in branches of olive, oleaster, myrtle, palm, and evergreens, to make booths as prescribed.” 16 So the people went out and brought them, and made booths on the roof of each house and in the courts, in the courts of the house of God, in the open space at the water gate and in the open space at the gate of Ephraim. 17 All the community of those who had returned from exile made booths and sat under them (which the Israelites had never done since the days of Joshua the son of Nun); there was great rejoicing.

18 And every day, from the first day to the last, Ezra read from the book of the law of God. They celebrated the festival for seven days, and on the eighth day there was a closing celebration, in terms of the enactment.

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