NEH C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 C6 C7 C8 C9 C10 C11 C12 C13

UST NEH Chapter 7

7 Once we had finished rebuilding the wall and we had put the doors in the gates, we assigned the gatekeepers and singers and Levites to their tasks. 2 I appointed two men to help me govern Jerusalem, my brother Hanani and Hananiah, the commander of the fortress in Jerusalem. I appointed Hananiah because he was trustworthy, and because he showed God more reverence and respect than most people do.

3 I told them, “Do not open the gates of Jerusalem until broad daylight. That way we will be able to see anything our enemies are doing. Have the gatekeepers close the gates and put the bars across the doors while they are still guarding the gates before they go home for the night.” I also told them, “Have the men who live in Jerusalem take turns keeping watch in their own neighborhoods.”

4 The city of Jerusalem covered a large area, but at that time not many people lived in the city, and they had not yet built houses for themselves. 5 So as a first step towards filling Jerusalem with people again, God led me to gather together the leading citizens and the city officials and the other people living in the city to register them according to their family histories. I also found a book containing the records of the first group of people who had returned to Jerusalem from the exile. This is what those records said.

6 “These are the names of the people from Judah who returned home from exile. Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had taken their ancestors away to Babylon. But they returned to Jerusalem and to other places in Judah. They returned to the same towns where their ancestors had lived.

7 The people who came back were following Zerubbabel, Joshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, and Baanah.

This is a list of the number of men from each Israelite clan who returned:

8 2172 men from the clan of Parosh;

9 372 men from the clan of Shephatiah;

10 652 men from the clan of Arah;

11 2818 men from the clan of Pahath-Moab, who are descendants of Jeshua and Joab;

12 1254 men from the clan of Elam;

13 845 men from the clan of Zattu;

14 760 men from the clan of Zakkai;

15 648 men from the clan of Binnui;

16 628 men from the clan of Bebai;

17 2322 men from the clan of Azgad;

18 667 men from the clan of Adonikam;

19 2067 men from the clan of Bigvai;

20 655 men from the clan of Adin;

21 98 men from the clan of Ater who were descendants of Hezekiah;

22 328 men from the clan of Hashum;

23 324 men from the clan of Bezai;

24 112 men from the clan of Hariph;

25 95 men from the clan of Gibeon.

26 Some other men also returned, whose ancestors had lived in these towns:

188 men from Bethlehem and Netophah;

27 128 men from Anathoth;

28 42 men from Beth-Azmaveth;

29 743 men from Kiriath-Jearim, Kephirah and Beeroth;

30 621 men from Ramah and Geba;

31 122 men from Michmas;

32 123 men from Bethel and Ai;

33 52 men from a small town called Nebo;

34 1254 men from a small town called Elam;

35 320 men from Harim;

36 345 men from Jericho;

37 721 men from Lod, Hadid, and Ono;

38 3930 men from Senaah.

39 These priests also returned:

973 men from the clan of Jedaiah who are descendants of Jeshua;

40 1052 men from the clan of Immer;

41 1247 men from the clan of Pashhur;

42 1017 men from the clan of Harim.

43 These Levites also returned:

74 men from the clan of Jeshua and the clan of Kadmiel, all of them descendants of Hodevah.

44 148 members of the sacred choir also returned. All of them were from the clan of Asaph.

45 138 temple gatekeepers also returned. They were from the clan of Shallum, the clan of Ater, the clan of Talmon, the clan of Akkub, the clan of Hatita, and the clan of Shobai.

46 Some temple workers also returned. They were from the clan of Ziha, the clan of Hasupha, the clan of Tabbaoth, 47 the clan of Keros, the clan of Sia, the clan of Padon, 48 the clan of Lebanah, the clan of Hagabah, the clan of Shalmai, 49 the clan of Hanan, the clan of Giddel, the clan of Gahar, 50 the clan of Reaiah, the clan of Rezin, the clan of Nekoda, 51 the clan of Gazzam, the clan of Uzza, the clan of Paseah, 52 the clan of Besai, the clan of Meunim, the clan of Nephushesim, 53 the clan of Bakbuk, the clan of Hakupha, the clan of Harhur, 54 the clan of Bazlith, the clan of Mehida, the clan of Harsha, 55 the clan of Barkos, the clan of Sisera, the clan of Temah, 56 the clan of Neziah, and the clan of Hatipha.

57 Some descendants of the laborers that King Solomon first conscripted also returned.

These were from the clan of Sotai, the clan of Sophereth, the clan of Perida, 58 the clan of Jaalah, the clan of Darkon, the clan of Giddel, 59 the clan of Shephatiah, the clan of Hattil, the clan of Pochereth-Hazzebaim, and the clan of Amon. 60 Altogether, there were 392 descendants of the temple workers and conscripted laborers who returned.

61 Another group also returned that came from the towns of Tel-Melah, Tel-Harsha, Kerub, Addon, and Immer in Babylonia. But they could not prove that they were descendants of Israelites.

62 These 642 men were from the clan of Delaiah, the clan of Tobiah, and the clan of Nekoda.

63 Some priests also returned who were from the clan of Hobaiah, the clan of Hakkoz, and the clan of Barzillai. Barzillai had married a woman who was a descendant of a man named Barzillai from the region of Gilead. He had taken the family name of his wife. 64 These priests searched the records that contained the names of the Israelite ancestors, but they could not find the names of their families. They did not qualify to be priests because they could not trace their family history, so they were not allowed to have the rights and duties of priests. 65 The governor told them that they must not eat any of the share of food taken from the sacrifices and kept for the priests. They would have to wait until the priest in charge of the temple had begun his duties and could ask God what to do about this situation. 66 Altogether, 42360 people returned to Judea.

67 There were also 7337 male servants and female servants, and 245 male singers and female singers.

68 The Israelites also brought back from Babylonia 736 horses, 245 mules, 69 435 camels, and 6720 donkeys.

70 Some of the leaders of the ancestral clans gave gifts for the work of rebuilding the temple.

The governor gave into the treasury more than 8 kilograms of gold, 50 bowls to be used in the temple, and 530 robes for the priests.

71 Some of the leaders of the ancestral clans also gave into the temple treasury for the work of rebuilding the temple a total of 153 kilograms of gold, and 1460 kilograms of silver.

72 And the remainder of the people gave a total of 153 kilograms of gold, 1330 kilograms of silver, and 67 robes for the priests.” 73 So the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, the temple workers, and many ordinary people started to live in the towns and cities of Judea where their ancestors had lived. All these people were Israelites. By the seventh month all of the Israelites had gone to their cities and had started living in them.

◄ NEH 7 ► ║ ©

NEH C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 C6 C7 C8 C9 C10 C11 C12 C13