Nehemiah 7–8

7TH CHAPTER

Nehemiah Places Hanani and Hananiah in Charge of Guarding the City Gates

¹The gatekeepers, the singers, and the Levites were assigned their duties after the wall had been rebuilt and I had hung the doors. ²I 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. ³I 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.” ⁴The 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

⁵Then 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: 

⁶These 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. ⁷They 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

²⁶the 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

³⁹These 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

⁴³These Levites returned from exile: 

the descendants of Jeshua, that is, of Kadmiel ⸤and⸥ of Hodeiah 

74 

⁴⁴These singers returned from exile: 

the descendants of Asaph 

148 

⁴⁵These gatekeepers returned from exile: 

the descendants of Shallum, Ater, Talmon, Akkub, Hatita, and Shobai 

138 

Temple Servants—Ezra 2:43–54

⁴⁶These temple servants returned from exile: the descendants of Ziha, Hasupha, Tabbaoth, ⁴⁷Keros, Sia, Padon, ⁴⁸Lebanah, Hagabah, Shalmai, ⁴⁹Hanan, Giddel, Gahar, ⁵⁰Reaiah, Rezin, Nekoda, ⁵¹Gazzam, Uzza, Paseah, ⁵²Besai, Meunim, Nephusheshim, ⁵³Bakbuk, Hakupha, Harhur, ⁵⁴Bazlith, Mehida, Harsha, ⁵⁵Barkos, Sisera, Temah, ⁵⁶Neziah, and Hatipha. 

Descendants of Solomon’s Servants—Ezra 2:55–58

⁵⁷These descendants of Solomon’s servants returned from exile: 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 totaled 392. 

Those of Unknown Origin—Ezra 2:59–63

⁶¹The 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: ⁶²the descendants of Delaiah, Tobiah, and Nekoda. These people totaled 642. 

⁶³These 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). ⁶⁴These 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. ⁶⁵The governor told them not to eat any of the most holy food until a priest could use the Urim and Thummim^a⸤to settle the problem⸥. 

The Total of the People and Animals Returning from Exile—Ezra 2:64–67

⁶⁶The whole assembly totaled 42,360. ⁶⁷In addition to the male and female servants who numbered 7,337, they also had 245 male and female singers. ⁶⁸They had 736 horses, 245 mules,^b69435 camels, and 6,720 donkeys. 

Gifts Given for the Temple—Ezra 2:68–70

⁷⁰Some 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. ⁷¹Some of the heads of the families contributed to the treasury for this work: 337 pounds of gold and 3,215 pounds of silver. ⁷²The rest of the people contributed 337 pounds of gold, 2,923 pounds of silver, and 67 robes for the priests. 

⁷³The 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. 

8TH CHAPTER

The Public Reading of Moses’ Teachings

¹⸤When the seventh month came,⸥ all the people gathered together in the courtyard in front of Water Gate. They told Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of Moses’ Teachings, which the Lord had commanded Israel ⸤to follow⸥. ²Then Ezra the priest brought the Teachings in front of the assembly. This included men, women, and any ⸤children⸥ who could understand what they heard. This took place on the first day of the seventh month. ³From daybreak until noon, he read from it in the courtyard in front of Water Gate to the men, women, and ⸤children⸥ who could understand it. All the people listened to the Book of Moses’ Teachings. 

⁴Ezra the scribe stood on a raised wooden platform made for this occasion. Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah stood beside him on his right. Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchiah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam stood beside him on his left. ⁵Ezra, standing higher than all the other people, opened the book in front of all the people. As he opened it, all the people stood up. ⁶Ezra thanked the Lord, the great God. All the people responded, “Amen! Amen!” as they raised their hands and then bowed with their faces to the ground and worshiped the Lord. ⁷The Levites—Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, and Pelaiah—explained the Teachings to the people while they were standing there. ⁸They read the Book of God’s Teachings clearly and explained the meaning so that the people could understand what was read. 

⁹Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people told them, “This is a holy day for the Lord your God. Don’t mourn or cry.” All the people were crying as they listened to the reading of God’s Teachings. ¹⁰Then he told them, “Go, eat rich foods, drink sweet drinks, and send portions to those who cannot provide for themselves. Today is a holy day for the Lord. Don’t be sad because the joy you have in the Lord is your strength.” ¹¹So the Levites calmed all the people by saying, “Listen. Today is a holy day. Don’t be sad.” 

¹²Then all the people went to eat and drink and to send portions. They had a big, joyful celebration because they understood the words that had been explained to them. 

The Festival of Booths Is Observed

¹³On the second day the leaders of the families of all the people, including the priests and the Levites, met with Ezra the scribe to study the words of God’s Teachings. ¹⁴They found written in the Teachings that the Lord had given an order through Moses that the people of Israel should live in booths during a festival in the seventh month. ¹⁵They should announce this command and send this message throughout all their cities and Jerusalem: “Go to the mountains, and get branches—olive and wild olive, myrtle, palm, and other thick-leaved branches—to make booths as it is written.” 

¹⁶So the people went to get branches to make booths for themselves. Some made booths on their roofs, others in their courtyards, in the courtyards of God’s temple, in the open area by Water Gate, or in the open area at Ephraim Gate. 

¹⁷The whole assembly that had come back from exile made booths and lived in them. From the time of Jeshua (son of Nun) to that day, the people of Israel had not done this. There was a big, joyful celebration. ¹⁸Day by day, from the first day of the festival to the last day, Ezra continued to read from the Book of God’s Teachings. The people celebrated the festival for seven days, and on the eighth day, they had a closing festival assembly in accordance with the regulations.