Nehemiah 7 – NIRV & VCB

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,