Nehemiah 7–8

The Exiles Return

7When the wall had been rebuilt and I had the doors installed, ⁱthe gatekeepers, ^jsingers, and Levites were appointed. ²Then I put my brother Hanani ^kin charge of Jerusalem, ^lalong with Hananiah, ^mcommander of the fortress, ⁿbecause he was a faithful man who feared God ^omore than most. ³I said to them, “Do not open the gates of Jerusalem until the sun is hot, and let the doors be shut and securely fastened while the guards are on duty. Station the citizens of Jerusalem as guards, some at their posts and some at their homes.” ^p

⁴The city was large and spacious, but there were few people in it, and no houses had been built yet. ^q5Then my God put it into my mind ^rto assemble the nobles, the officials, and the people to be registered by genealogy. I found the genealogical record of those who came back first, and I found the following written in it: ^s

⁶These are the people of the province who went up among the captive exiles deported by King Nebuchadnezzar ^tof Babylon. Each of them returned to Jerusalem and Judah, to his own town. ^u7They came with Zerubbabel, ^vJeshua, ^wNehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, and Baanah.

The number of the Israelite men included:

⁸Parosh’s descendants ^x2,172

⁹Shephatiah’s descendants 372

¹⁰Arah’s descendants 652

¹¹Pahath-moab’s descendants:

Jeshua’s and Joab’s descendants 2,818

¹²Elam’s descendants 1,254

¹³Zattu’s descendants 845

¹⁴Zaccai’s descendants 760

¹⁵Binnui’s descendants 648

¹⁶Bebai’s descendants 628

¹⁷Azgad’s descendants 2,322

¹⁸Adonikam’s descendants ^y667

¹⁹Bigvai’s descendants 2,067

²⁰Adin’s descendants ^z655

²¹Ater’s descendants: of Hezekiah 98

²²Hashum’s descendants 328

²³Bezai’s descendants 324

²⁴Hariph’s descendants 112

²⁵Gibeon’s ^adescendants 95

²⁶Bethlehem’s ^band Netophah’s ^cmen 188

²⁷Anathoth’s ^dmen 128

²⁸Beth-azmaveth’s men 42

²⁹Kiriath-jearim’s, Chephirah’s, and Beeroth’s men 743

³⁰Ramah’s and Geba’s men 621

³¹Michmas’s men 122

³²Bethel’s and Ai’s men ^e123

³³the other Nebo’s men 52

³⁴the other Elam’s people 1,254

³⁵Harim’s people 320

³⁶Jericho’s people ^f345

³⁷Lod’s, ^gHadid’s, and Ono’s people 721

³⁸Senaah’s people 3,930.

³⁹The priests included:

Jedaiah’s ^hdescendants of the house of Jeshua 973

⁴⁰Immer’s descendants 1,052

⁴¹Pashhur’s descendants 1,247

⁴²Harim’s descendants 1,017.

⁴³The Levites ⁱincluded:

Jeshua’s descendants: of Kadmiel

Hodevah’s descendants 74.

⁴⁴The singers ^jincluded:

Asaph’s descendants 148.

⁴⁵The gatekeepers ^kincluded:

Shallum’s descendants, Ater’s descendants,

Talmon’s descendants, Akkub’s descendants,

Hatita’s descendants, Shobai’s descendants 138.

⁴⁶The temple servants ^lincluded:

Ziha’s descendants, Hasupha’s descendants,

Tabbaoth’s descendants, ⁴⁷Keros’s descendants,

Sia’s descendants, Padon’s descendants,

⁴⁸Lebanah’s descendants, Hagabah’s descendants,

Shalmai’s descendants, ⁴⁹Hanan’s descendants,

Giddel’s descendants, Gahar’s descendants,

⁵⁰Reaiah’s descendants, Rezin’s descendants,

Nekoda’s descendants, ⁵¹Gazzam’s descendants,

Uzza’s descendants, Paseah’s descendants,

⁵²Besai’s descendants, Meunim’s descendants,

Nephishesim’s ^mdescendants, ⁵³Bakbuk’s descendants,

Hakupha’s descendants, Harhur’s descendants,

⁵⁴Bazlith’s descendants, Mehida’s descendants,

Harsha’s descendants, ⁵⁵Barkos’s descendants,

Sisera’s descendants, Temah’s descendants,

⁵⁶Neziah’s descendants, Hatipha’s descendants.

⁵⁷The descendants of Solomon’s servants ⁿincluded:

Sotai’s descendants, Sophereth’s descendants,

Perida’s descendants, ⁵⁸Jaala’s descendants,

Darkon’s descendants, Giddel’s descendants,

⁵⁹Shephatiah’s descendants, Hattil’s descendants,

Pochereth-hazzebaim’s descendants, Amon’s descendants.

⁶⁰All the temple servants

and the descendants of Solomon’s servants ^o392.

⁶¹The following ^pare those who came from Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Cherub, Addon, and Immer, but were unable to prove that their families and ancestors were Israelite:

⁶²Delaiah’s descendants,

Tobiah’s descendants,

and Nekoda’s descendants 642

⁶³and from the priests: the descendants of Hobaiah, the descendants of Hakkoz, and the descendants of Barzillai—who had taken a wife from the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite and was called by their name. ⁶⁴These searched for their entries in the genealogical records, but they could not be found, so they were disqualified from the priesthood. ⁶⁵The governor ^qordered them not to eat the most holy things until there was a priest who could consult the Urim and Thummim. ^r

⁶⁶The whole combined assembly numbered 42,360

⁶⁷not including their 7,337 male and female slaves,

as well as their 245 male and female singers.

⁶⁸They had 736 horses, 245 mules, ^s

⁶⁹435 camels, and 6,720 donkeys. ^t

⁷⁰Some of the family leaders gave to the project. The governor gave 1,000 gold coins, ^u50 bowls, and 530 priestly garments to the treasury. ⁷¹Some of the family leaders gave 20,000 gold coins and 2,200 silver minas ^vto the treasury for the project. ⁷²The rest of the people gave 20,000 gold coins, 2,000 silver minas, and 67 priestly garments. ⁷³So the priests, Levites, gatekeepers, temple singers, some of the people, temple servants, and all Israel settled in their towns. ^wx

Public Reading of the Law

When the seventh month ^ycame and the Israelites had settled in their towns, 8¹all the people gathered together ^zat the square in front of the Water Gate. ^aThey asked Ezra the scribe ^bto bring the book of the law of Moses ^cthat the Lord had given Israel. ²On the first day of the seventh month, ^dEzra the priest ^ebrought the law ^fbefore the assembly of men, women, and all who could listen with understanding. ³While he was facing the square in front of the Water Gate, ^ghe read out of it from daybreak until noon before the men, the women, and those who could understand. All the people listened attentively ^hto the book of the law. ⁱ⁴Ezra the scribe stood on a high wooden platform ^jmade for this purpose. Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah stood beside him on his right; to his left were Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hash-baddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam. ⁵Ezra opened the book in full view of all the people, since he was elevated above everyone. As he opened it, all the people stood up. ⁶Ezra praised the Lord, the great God, and with their hands uplifted ^kall the people said, “Amen, Amen!” ^lThen they bowed down and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground. ^m

⁷Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, and Pelaiah, ⁿwho were Levites, ^opexplained the law ^qto the people as they stood in their places. ⁸They read out of the book of the law of God, translating and giving the meaning so that the people could understand what was read. ⁹Nehemiah the governor, ^rEzra the priest and scribe, ^sand the Levites who were instructing the people said to all of them, “This day ^tis holy to the Lord your God. Do not mourn or weep.” ^uFor all the people were weeping as they heard the words of the law. ¹⁰Then he said to them, “Go and eat what is rich, drink what is sweet, and send portions to those who have nothing prepared, ^vsince today ^wis holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, because the joy of the Lord is your stronghold.” ^x11And the Levites quieted all the people, saying, “Be still, ^ysince today ^zis holy. Do not grieve.” ¹²Then all the people began to eat and drink, send portions, and have a great celebration, ^abecause they had understood the words that were explained to them.

Festival of Booths Observed

¹³On the second day, the family leaders of all the people, along with the priests and Levites, ^bassembled before Ezra the scribe ^cto study the words of the law. ¹⁴They found written in the law how the Lord had commanded through Moses that the Israelites should dwell in booths during the festival of the seventh month. ^d15So they proclaimed and spread this news throughout their towns and in Jerusalem, saying, “Go out to the hill country and bring back branches of olive, wild olive, myrtle, palm, and other leafy trees to make booths, just as it is written.” ^e16The people went out, brought back branches, and made booths for themselves on each of their rooftops, ^fand courtyards, the court of the house of God, the square by the Water Gate, ^gand the square by the Gate of Ephraim. ^h17The whole community that had returned from exile ⁱmade booths and lived in them. They had not celebrated like this from the days of Joshua son of Nun until that day. ^jAnd there was tremendous joy. ^k18Ezra ^lread out of the book of the law of God ^mevery day, from the first day to the last. The Israelites celebrated the festival for seven days, and on the eighth day there was an assembly, according to the ordinance. ⁿ