1The wall had been rebuilt. I had put up the gates at the main entrances to the city. The people who guarded the gates were appointed to their positions. So were the musicians and the Levites. 2I put my brother Hanani in charge of Jerusalem. Hananiah helped him. Hananiah was commander of the fort that was by the temple. Hanani was an honest man. He had more respect for God than most people do. 3I said to Hanani and Hananiah, “Don’t open the gates of Jerusalem until the hottest time of the day. Tell the men who guard the gates to shut them before they go off duty. Make sure they lock them up tight. Also appoint as guards some people who live in Jerusalem. Station some of them at their appointed places. Station others near their own homes.”
A List of People Who Returned to Judah
4Jerusalem was large. It had a lot of room. But only a few people lived there. The houses hadn’t been rebuilt yet. 5So my God gave me the idea and encouraged me to gather the people together. He also encouraged me to gather the nobles and officials together with them. He wanted me to list them by families. I found the family history of those who had been the first to return. Here is what I found written in it.
6Nebuchadnezzar had taken many Jews away from the land of Judah. He had forced them to go to Babylon as prisoners. Now they returned to Jerusalem and Judah. All of them went back to their own towns. Nebuchadnezzar was king of Babylon. 7The leaders of the Jews included Zerubbabel, Joshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah and Nahamani. They also included Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum and Baanah.
Here is a list of the men of Israel who returned home.
8There were 2,172 from the family line of Parosh.
9There were 372 from Shephatiah.
10There were 652 from Arah.
11There were 2,818 from Pahath-Moab through the family line of Jeshua and Joab.
12There were 1,254 from Elam.
13There were 845 from Zattu.
14There were 760 from Zakkai.
15There were 648 from Binnui.
16There were 628 from Bebai.
17There were 2,322 from Azgad.
18There were 667 from Adonikam.
19There were 2,067 from Bigvai.
20There were 655 from Adin.
21There were 98 from Ater through the family line of Hezekiah.
22There were 328 from Hashum.
23There were 324 from Bezai.
24There were 112 from Hariph.
25There were 95 from Gibeon.
26There were 188 from the men of Bethlehem and Netophah.
27There were 128 from Anathoth.
28There were 42 from Beth Azmaveth.
29There were 743 from Kiriath Jearim, Kephirah and Beeroth.
30There were 621 from Ramah and Geba.
31There were 122 from Mikmash.
32There were 123 from Bethel and Ai.
33There were 52 from the other Nebo.
34There were 1,254 from the other Elam.
35There were 320 from Harim.
36There were 345 from Jericho.
37There were 721 from Lod, Hadid and Ono.
38There were 3,930 from Senaah.
39Here is a list of the priests.
There were 973 from the family line of Jedaiah through the line of Jeshua.
40There were 1,052 from Immer.
41There were 1,247 from Pashhur.
42There were 1,017 from Harim.
43The Levites belonged to
the family line of Jeshua through Kadmiel through the line of Hodaviah. The total number of men was 74.
44The musicians belonged to
the family line of Asaph. The total number of men was 148.
45The men who guarded the temple gates belonged to
the family lines of Shallum, Ater, Talmon, Akkub, Hatita and Shobai. The total number of men was 138.
46Here is a list of the members of the family lines of the temple servants.
Ziha, Hasupha, Tabbaoth,
47Keros, Sia, Padon,
48Lebana, Hagaba, Shalmai,
49Hanan, Giddel, Gahar,
50Reaiah, Rezin, Nekoda,
51Gazzam, Uzza, Paseah,
52Besai, Meunim, Nephusim,
53Bakbuk, Hakupha, Harhur,
54Bazluth, Mehida, Harsha,
55Barkos, Sisera, Temah,
56Neziah, Hatipha
57Here is a list of the members of the family lines of the servants of Solomon.
Sotai, Sophereth, Perida,
58Jaala, Darkon, Giddel,
59Shephatiah, Hattil,
Pokereth-Hazzebaim, Amon
60The total number of the members of the family lines of the temple servants and the servants of Solomon was 392.
61Many people came up to Judah from the towns of Tel Melah, Tel Harsha, Kerub, Addon and Immer. But they weren’t able to prove that their families belonged to the people of Israel.
62There were 642 of them from the family lines of
Delaiah, Tobiah and Nekoda.
63Here is a list of the members of the family lines of the priests.
They were
Hobaiah, Hakkoz and Barzillai. Barzillai had married a daughter of Barzillai from Gilead. So he was also called Barzillai.
64The priests looked for their family records. But they couldn’t find them. So they weren’t able to serve as priests. They weren’t “clean.” 65The governor gave them an order. He told them not to eat any of the most sacred food. They had to wait until there was a priest who could use the Urim and Thummim. The priest would use them to get decisions from the Lord.
66The total number of the entire group that returned was 42,360. 67That didn’t include their 7,337 male and female slaves. There were also 245 male and female singers. 68And there were 736 horses, 245 mules, 69435 camels and 6,720 donkeys.
70Some of the family leaders helped pay for the work. The governor gave 19 pounds of gold to be added to the temple treasure. He also gave 50 bowls and 530 sets of clothes for the priests. 71Some of the family leaders gave 375 pounds of gold for the work. They also gave one and a third tons of silver. All of that was added to the temple treasure. 72The rest of the people gave a total of 375 pounds of gold and one and a fourth tons of silver. They also gave 67 sets of clothes for the priests.
73The priests and Levites made their homes in their own towns. So did the musicians, the temple servants and the men who guarded the gates. The rest of the Israelites also made their homes in their own towns.
Ezra Reads the Law to the People
The Israelites had made their homes in their towns. In the seventh month,
1Efter at muren var færdig og portfløjene sat på plads, udpegede jeg tempelvagter og korsangere blandt levitterne. 2Derefter overdrog jeg ansvaret for Jerusalem til min bror Hanani og til Hananja, der var kommandant for tropperne i tempelborgen, en mand, der tjente Gud mere trofast end de fleste. 3Jeg gav dem instrukser om ikke at åbne byens porte før et godt stykke efter solopgang, og at lukke og låse dem i god tid inden solnedgang, mens vagterne endnu var på deres poster. Desuden indprentede jeg dem, at alle Jerusalems indbyggere skulle være med til at holde vagt ved muren, og at de, der boede umiddelbart op til muren, skulle holde vagt på den strækning, der lå ud for deres hus. 4Indbyggertallet var på det tidspunkt lille i forhold til byens udstrækning, og der var endnu ikke bygget nye huse i byen.
Fortegnelse over dem, som vendte hjem fra eksilet
5Gud gav mig den tanke at samle byens ledere, embedsmænd og den menige befolkning, så vi kunne registrere dem slægt for slægt. Jeg var nemlig kommet i besiddelse af slægtstavlerne over dem, der i sin tid var vendt hjem fra eksilet.
6De judæere, der var vendt tilbage fra eksilet, havde bosat sig enten i Jerusalem eller i de byer i Judas land, de oprindeligt stammede fra. De nedstammede alle fra dem, som kong Nebukadnezar i sin tid havde taget til fange og ført i eksil. 7Lederne for de hjemvendte var Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemias, Azarja, Ra’amja, Nahamani, Mordokaj, Bilshan, Misperet, Bigvaj, Nehum og Ba’ana.
Det følgende er listen over antallet af de mænd, der vendte tilbage. De er optegnet efter navnet på den forfar, de regnede deres slægt efter, eller efter den by, de stammede fra: 8-38Efterkommere af Parosh: 2172, af Shefatja: 372, af Arach: 652, af Pahat-Moab (Jeshuas og Joabs efterkommere): 2818, af Elam: 1254, af Zattu: 845, af Zakkaj: 760, af Binnuj: 648, af Bebaj: 628, af Azgad: 2322, af Adonikam: 667, af Bigvaj: 2067, af Adin: 655, af Ater (Hizkijas efterkommere): 98, af Hashum: 328, af Betzaj: 324, af Harif: 112, af Gibeon: 95. Dem fra Betlehem og Netofa: 188, fra Anatot: 128, fra Bet-Azmavet: 42, fra Kirjat-Jearim, Kefira og Be’erot: 743, fra Rama og Geba: 621, fra Mikmas: 122, fra Betel og Aj: 123. Efterkommere af den anden Nebo: 52, af den anden Elam: 1254, af Harim: 320. Folkene fra Jeriko: 345, fra Lod, Hadid og Ono: 721 og fra Sena’a: 3930.
39-42Nogle af de hjemvendte var af præsteslægt: Efterkommere af Jedaja (Jeshuas klan): 973, af Immer: 1052, Pashhur: 1247 og af Harim: 1017.
43-45Andre hørte til levitterne: Af Hodavjas efterkommere var der 74 fra slægterne Jeshua og Kadmiel. Der var 148 tempelsangere af Asafs slægt og 138 tempelvagter, efterkommere af Shallum, Ater, Talmon, Akkub, Hatita og Shobaj.
46-56Desuden var der tempeltjenerne med følgende slægtsnavne: Ziha, Hasufa, Tabbaot, Keros, Sia, Padon, Lebana, Hagaba, Shalmaj, Hanan, Giddel, Gahar, Reaja, Retzin, Nekoda, Gazzam, Uzza, Pasea, Besaj, meunitterne, nefusitterne, Bakbuk, Hakufa, Harhur, Batzlut, Mehida, Harsha, Barkos, Sisera, Tema, Netziach, og Hatifa.
57-59Efterkommerne efter Salomons tjenere var fra følgende slægter: Sotaj, Soferet, Perida, Ja’ala, Darkon, Giddel, Shefatja, Hattil, Pokeret-ha-Zebajim og Amon. 60Det samlede antal tempeltjenere og Salomons tjenere var 392.
61Der var også en gruppe fra de persiske byer Tel-Mela, Tel-Harsha, Kerub, Addon og Immer, der vendte tilbage fra eksilet, men de var ikke længere i besiddelse af deres stamtavler, så de kunne ikke med sikkerhed bevise, at de var israelitter. 62Den gruppe bestod af 642 mænd, som regnedes for efterkommere af Delaja, Tobija og Nekoda.
63Der var også flere præsteslægter, som hævdede at være efterkommere af Habaja, Hakkotz og Barzillaj. (Sidstnævnte havde giftet sig med en datter af Barzillaj fra Gilead og havde taget sin kones slægtsnavn.) 64-65De havde imidlertid også mistet deres slægtstavler. Derfor nægtede lederne dem at fungere som præster—ja, endog at få præsternes andel af offergaverne—indtil der kom en præst, som havde autoritet til at afgøre spørgsmålet ved hjælp af Urim og Tummim.
66I alt var der 42.360 mænd, som var vendt tilbage til Juda sammen med deres familier. 67Dertil kom 7337 slaver og 245 tempelsangere, både mænd og kvinder. De medbragte 736 heste, 245 muldyr, 68435 kameler og 6720 æsler.
69Nogle af slægtsoverhovederne gav frivillige offergaver til tempelbyggeriet. Guvernøren gav 1000 guldstykker, 50 guldskåle og 530 præstedragter. 70De andre ledere gav i alt 170 kilo guldstykker og 1300 kg sølv. 71Den almindelige befolkning gav i alt 170 kilo guldstykker, 1200 kg sølv og 67 præstedragter.
72Præsterne, levitterne, tempelvagterne, tempelsangerne og resten af de hjemvendte bosatte sig derefter i de byer i Juda de oprindeligt stammede fra.
