Nehemiah 7–8

¹And it cometh to pass, when the wall hath been built, that I set up the doors, and the gatekeepers are appointed, and the singers, and the Levites, ²and I charge Hanani my brother, and Hananiah head of the palace, concerning Jerusalem—for he is as a man of truth, and fearing God above many— ³and I say to them, ‘Let not the gates of Jerusalem be opened till the heat of the sun, and while they are standing by let them shut the doors, and fasten, and appoint guards of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, each in his guard, and each over-against his house.’ ⁴And the city is broad on both sides, and great, and the people are few in its midst, and there are no houses builded.

⁵And my God putteth it unto my heart, and I gather the freeman, and the prefects, and the people, for the genealogy, and I find a book of the genealogy of those coming up at the beginning, and I find written in it:— ⁶These are sons of the province, those coming up of the captives of the removal that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon removed—and they turn back to Jerusalem and to Judah, each to his city— ⁷who are coming in with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, Baanah. Number of the men of the people of Israel: ⁸Sons of Parosh: two thousand a hundred and seventy and two. ⁹Sons of Shephatiah: three hundred seventy and two. ¹⁰Sons of Arah: six hundred fifty and two. ¹¹Sons of Pahath-Moab, of the sons of Jeshua and Joab: two thousand and eight hundred and eighteen. ¹²Sons of Elam: a thousand two hundred fifty and four. ¹³Sons of Zattu: eight hundred forty and five. ¹⁴Sons of Zaccai: seven hundred and sixty. ¹⁵Sons of Binnui: six hundred forty and eight. ¹⁶Sons of Bebai: six hundred twenty and eight. ¹⁷Sons of Azgad: two thousand three hundred twenty and two. ¹⁸Sons of Adonikam: six hundred sixty and seven. ¹⁹Sons of Bigvai: two thousand sixty and seven. ²⁰Sons of Adin: six hundred fifty and five. ²¹Sons of Ater of Hezekiah: ninety and eight. ²²Sons of Hashum: three hundred twenty and eight. ²³Sons of Bezai: three hundred twenty and four. ²⁴Sons of Hariph: a hundred and twelve. ²⁵Sons of Gibeon: ninety and five. ²⁶Men of Beth-Lehem and Netophah: a hundred eighty and eight. ²⁷Men of Anathoth: a hundred twenty and eight. ²⁸Men of Beth-Azmaveth: forty and two. ²⁹Men of Kirjath-Jearim, Chephirah, and Beeroth: seven hundred forty and three. ³⁰Men of Ramah and Gaba: six hundred twenty and one. ³¹Men of Michmas: a hundred and twenty and two. ³²Men of Bethel and Ai: a hundred twenty and three. ³³Men of the other Nebo: fifty and two. ³⁴Sons of the other Elam: a thousand two hundred fifty and four. ³⁵Sons of Harim: three hundred and twenty. ³⁶Sons of Jericho: three hundred forty and five. ³⁷Sons of Lod, Hadid, and Ono: seven hundred and twenty and one. ³⁸Sons of Senaah: three thousand nine hundred and thirty. ³⁹The priests: sons of Jedaiah: of the house of Jeshua: nine hundred seventy and three; ⁴⁰sons of Immer: a thousand fifty and two; ⁴¹sons of Pashur: a thousand two hundred forty and seven; ⁴²sons of Harim: a thousand and seventeen. ⁴³The Levites: sons of Jeshua, of Kadmiel: of sons of Hodevah: seventy and four. ⁴⁴The singers: sons of Asaph: a hundred forty and eight. ⁴⁵The gatekeepers: sons of Shallum, sons of Ater, sons of Talmon, sons of Akkub, sons of Hatita, sons of Shobai: a hundred thirty and eight. ⁴⁶The Nethinim: sons of Ziha, sons of Hasupha, sons of Tabbaoth, ⁴⁷sons of Keros, sons of Sia, sons of Padon, ⁴⁸sons of Lebanah, sons of Hagaba, sons of Shalmai, ⁴⁹sons of Hanan, sons of Giddel, sons of Gahar, ⁵⁰sons of Reaiah, sons of Rezin, sons of Nekoda, ⁵¹sons of Gazzam, sons of Uzza, sons of Phaseah, ⁵²sons of Bezai, sons of Meunim, sons of Nephishesim, ⁵³sons of Bakbuk, sons of Hakupha, sons of Harhur, ⁵⁴sons of Bazlith, sons of Mehida, sons of Harsha, ⁵⁵sons of Barkos, sons of Sisera, sons of Tamah, ⁵⁶sons of Neziah, sons of Hatipha. ⁵⁷Sons of the servants of Solomon: sons of Sotai, sons of Sophereth, sons of Perida, ⁵⁸sons of Jaala, sons of Darkon, sons of Giddel, ⁵⁹sons of Shephatiah, sons of Hattil, sons of Pochereth of Zebaim, sons of Amon. ⁶⁰All the Nethinim and the sons of the servants of Solomon are three hundred ninety and two. ⁶¹And these are those coming up from Tel-Melah, Tel-Harsha, Cherub, Addon, and Immer—and they have not been able to declare the house of their fathers, and their seed, whether they are of Israel— ⁶²sons of Delaiah, sons of Tobiah, sons of Nekoda, six hundred forty and two. ⁶³And of the priests: sons of Habaiah sons of Koz, sons of Barzillai, who hath taken from the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite a wife, and is called by their name. ⁶⁴These have sought their register among those reckoning themselves by genealogy, and it hath not been found, and they are redeemed from the priesthood, ⁶⁵and the Tirshatha saith to them that they eat not of the most holy things till the standing up of the priest with Urim and Thummim. ⁶⁶All the assembly together is four myriads two thousand three hundred and sixty, ⁶⁷apart from their servants and their handmaids—these are seven thousand three hundred thirty and seven; and of them are singers and songstresses, two hundred forty and five. ⁶⁸Their horses are seven hundred thirty and six; their mules, two hundred and forty and five; ⁶⁹camels, four hundred thirty and five; asses, six thousand seven hundred and twenty. ⁷⁰And from the extremity of the heads of the fathers they have given to the work; the Tirshatha hath given to the treasure, of gold, drams a thousand, bowls fifty, priests’ coats thirty and five hundred. ⁷¹And of the heads of the fathers they have given to the treasure of the work, of gold, drams two myriads, and of silver, pounds two thousand and two hundred. ⁷²And that which the rest of the people have given is of gold, drams two myriads, and of silver, pounds two thousand, and of priests coats, sixty and seven. ⁷³And they dwell—the priests, and the Levites, and the gatekeepers, and the singers, and some of the people, and the Nethinim, and all Israel—in their cities, and the seventh month cometh, and the sons of Israel are in their cities.

Chapter 8

¹And all the people are gathered as one man unto the broad place that is before the water-gate, and they say to Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses, that Jehovah commanded Israel. ²And Ezra the priest bringeth the law before the assembly, both of men and women, and every one intelligent to hear, on the first day of the seventh month, ³and he readeth in it before the broad place that is before the water-gate, from the light till the middle of the day, over-against the men, and the women, and those intelligent, and the ears of all the people are unto the book of the law. ⁴And Ezra the scribe standeth on a tower of wood that they made for the purpose, and Mattithiah standeth near him, and Shema, and Anaiah, and Urijah, and Hilkiah, and Maaseiah, on his right; and on his left Pedaiah, and Mishael, and Malchijah, and Hashum, and Hashbaddana, Zechariah, Meshullam. ⁵And Ezra openeth the book before the eyes of all the people—for above all the people he hath been—and at his opening it all the people have stood up, ⁶and Ezra blesseth Jehovah, the great God, and all the people answer, ‘Amen, Amen,’ with lifting up of their hands, and they bow and do obeisance to Jehovah—faces to the earth. ⁷And Jeshua, and Bani, and Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodijah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites, giving the people understanding in the law, and the people, are on their station, ⁸and they read in the book, in the law of God, explaining—so as to give the meaning, and they give understanding to the convocation.

⁹And Nehemiah—he is the Tirshatha—saith (and Ezra the priest, the scribe, and the Levites who are instructing the people) to all the people, ‘To-day is holy to Jehovah your God, do not mourn, nor weep:’ for all the people are weeping at their hearing the words of the law. ¹⁰And he saith to them, ‘Go, eat fat things, and drink sweet things, and sent portions to him for whom nothing is prepared, for to-day is holy to our Lord, and be not grieved, for the joy of Jehovah is your strength.’ ¹¹And the Levites are keeping all the people silent, saying, ‘Be silent, for to-day is holy, and be not grieved.’ ¹²And all the people go to eat, and to drink, and to send portions, and to make great joy, because they have understood concerning the words that they made known to them.

¹³And on the second day have been gathered heads of the fathers of all the people, the priests, and the Levites, unto Ezra the scribe, even to act wisely concerning the words of the law. ¹⁴And they find written in the law that Jehovah commanded by the hand of Moses, that the sons of Israel dwell in booths in the feast, in the seventh month, ¹⁵and that they proclaim and cause to pass over all their cities, (and in Jerusalem,) saying, ‘Go ye out to the mount, and bring leaves of the olive, and leaves of the oil tree, and leaves of the myrtle, and leaves of the palms, and leaves of thick trees, to make booths as it is written.’ ¹⁶And the people go out, and bring in, and make for themselves booths, each on his roof, and in their courts, and in the courts of the house of God, and in the broad place of the water-gate, and in the broad place of the gate of Ephraim. ¹⁷And they make—all the assembly of the captives of the captivity—booths, and they sit in booths; for the sons of Israel had not done, from the days of Jeshua son of Nun, so unto that day, and there is very great joy. ¹⁸And he readeth in the book of the law of God day by day, from the first day till the last day, and they make a feast seven days, and on the eighth day a restraint, according to the ordinance.

Chapter 9