NehemiahChapter 7
Tap any verse to comment or suggest a better wording.
1The wall was rebuilt, and I had hung the doors in place. Then the gatekeepers, singers, and Levites were given their jobs. 2I put my brother Hanani in charge of Jerusalem. Hananiah, the commander of the fortress, was in charge with him, because Hananiah was a faithful man. He feared God more than most people did. 3I told them, "Don't open the gates of Jerusalem until the sun is hot. While the guards are still on duty, shut the doors and lock them tight. Choose people who live in Jerusalem to be guards. Put some at their posts and some in front of their own homes." 4The city was large, with lots of room. But few people lived in it, and the houses had not been rebuilt yet. 5Then my God put an idea in my heart. I gathered the nobles, the officials, and the people to be listed by their family lines. I found the family record of the people who had come back first. This is what I found written in it: 6These are the people of the province who came back from captivity. They were among the exiles that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had carried away. They came back to Jerusalem and Judah. Each one went to his own town. 7They came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, and Baanah. This is the number of the men of Israel: 8the descendants of Parosh, 2,172; 9the descendants of Shephatiah, 372; 10the descendants of Arah, 652; 11the descendants of Pahath-moab (through the family of Jeshua and Joab), 2,818; 12the descendants of Elam, 1,254; 13the descendants of Zattu, 845; 14the descendants of Zaccai, 760; 15the descendants of Binnui, 648; 16the descendants of Bebai, 628; 17the descendants of Azgad, 2,322; 18the descendants of Adonikam, 667; 19the descendants of Bigvai, 2,067; 20the descendants of Adin, 655; 21the descendants of Ater (through Hezekiah), 98; 22the descendants of Hashum, 328; 23the descendants of Bezai, 324; 24the descendants of Hariph, 112; 25the descendants of Gibeon, 95; 26the men of Bethlehem and Netophah, 188; 27the men of Anathoth, 128; 28the men of Beth-azmaveth, 42; 29the men of Kiriath-jearim, Chephirah, and Beeroth, 743; 30the men of Ramah and Geba, 621; 31the men of Michmash, 122; 32the men of Bethel and Ai, 123; 33the men of the other Nebo, 52; 34the descendants of the other Elam, 1,254; 35the descendants of Harim, 320; 36the men of Jericho, 345; 37the men of Lod, Hadid, and Ono, 721; 38and the descendants of Senaah, 3,930. 39These were the priests: the descendants of Jedaiah (through the family of Jeshua), 973; 40the descendants of Immer, 1,052; 41the descendants of Pashhur, 1,247; 42and the descendants of Harim, 1,017. 43These were the Levites: the descendants of Jeshua (through Kadmiel, through the family of Hodevah), 74. 44These were the singers: the descendants of Asaph, 148. 45These were the gatekeepers: the descendants of Shallum, Ater, Talmon, Akkub, Hatita, and Shobai. There were 138 in all. 46These were the temple servants: the descendants of Ziha, Hasupha, Tabbaoth, 47Keros, Sia, Padon, 48Lebanah, Hagabah, Shalmai, 49Hanan, Giddel, Gahar, 50Reaiah, Rezin, Nekoda, 51Gazzam, Uzza, Paseah, 52Besai, Meunim, Nephushesim, 53Bakbuk, Hakupha, Harhur, 54Bazlith, Mehida, Harsha, 55Barkos, Sisera, Temah, 56Neziah, and Hatipha. 57These were the descendants of Solomon's servants: the descendants of Sotai, Sophereth, Perida, 58Jaala, Darkon, Giddel, 59Shephatiah, Hattil, Pochereth-hazzebaim, and Amon. 60The temple servants and the descendants of Solomon's servants were 392 in all. 61Some people came up from Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Cherub, Addon, and Immer. But they could not prove that their families came from Israel. 62They were the descendants of Delaiah, Tobiah, and Nekoda. There were 642 in all. 63Some priests could not prove it either. They were the descendants of Hobaiah, Hakkoz, and Barzillai. (Barzillai had married a daughter of Barzillai from Gilead. He was called by that family's name.) 64These men looked for their family records, but they could not find them. So they were not allowed to serve as priests. They were treated as unclean. 65The governor told them not to eat the most holy food. They had to wait until there was a priest who could ask God by using the Urim and Thummim. 66The whole group added up to 42,360. 67Besides them, there were 7,337 male and female servants. There were also 245 men and women who sang. 68They had 736 horses, 245 mules, 69435 camels, and 6,720 donkeys. 70Some of the family leaders gave gifts for the work. The governor gave 1,000 gold darics to the treasury. He also gave 50 bowls and 530 robes for the priests.a 71Some of the family leaders gave 20,000 gold darics to the treasury for the work. They also gave 2,200 minas of silver.b 72The rest of the people gave a total of 20,000 gold darics and 2,000 minas of silver. They also gave 67 robes for the priests.c 73So the priests, Levites, gatekeepers, singers, and temple servants settled in their own towns. Some of the people and the rest of the Israelites did too. By the seventh month, the Israelites had settled in their towns.