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Nehemiah 7

The Exiles Return

1When the wall had been rebuilt and I had the doors installed, the gatekeepers, singers, and Levites were appointed. 2Then I put my brother Hanani in charge of Jerusalem, along with Hananiah, commander of the fortress, because he was a faithful man who feared God more 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.”

4The city was large and spacious, but there were few people in it, and no houses had been built yet. 5Then my God put it into my mind to 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:

6These are the people of the province who went up among the captive exiles deported by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. Each of them returned to Jerusalem and Judah, to his own town. 7They came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, and Baanah.

The number of the Israelite men included

8Parosh’s descendants2,1729Shephatiah’s descendants37210Arah’s descendants65211Pahath-moab’s descendants:Jeshua’s and Joab’s descendants2,81812Elam’s descendants1,25413Zattu’s descendants84514Zaccai’s descendants76015Binnui’s descendants64816Bebai’s descendants62817Azgad’s descendants2,32218Adonikam’s descendants66719Bigvai’s descendants2,06720Adin’s descendants65521Ater’s descendants: of Hezekiah9822Hashum’s descendants32823Bezai’s descendants32424Hariph’s descendants11225Gibeon’s descendants9526Bethlehem’s and Netophah’s men18827Anathoth’s men12828Beth-azmaveth’s men4229Kiriath-jearim’s, Chephirah’s, and Beeroth’s men74330Ramah’s and Geba’s men62131Michmas’s men12232Bethel’s and Ai’s men12333the other Nebo’s men5234the other Elam’s people1,25435Harim’s people32036Jericho’s people34537Lod’s, Hadid’s, and Ono’s people72138Senaah’s people3,930.

39The priests included

Jedaiah’s descendants of the house of Jeshua97340Immer’s descendants1,05241Pashhur’s descendants1,24742Harim’s descendants1,017.

43The Levites included

Jeshua’s descendants: of KadmielHodevah’s descendants74.

44The singers included

Asaph’s descendants148.

45The gatekeepers included

Shallum’s descendants, Ater’s descendants,Talmon’s descendants, Akkub’s descendants,Hatita’s descendants, Shobai’s descendants138.

46The temple servants included

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 descendants, 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 included

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 servantsand the descendants of Solomon’s servants392.

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

62Delaiah’s descendants,Tobiah’s descendants,and Nekoda’s descendants642

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 who bore 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 ordered them not to eat the most holy things until there was a priest who could consult the Urim and Thummim.

66The whole combined assembly numbered42,36067not including their 7,337 male and female servants,as well as their 245 male and female singers.68They had 736 horses, 245 mules,69435 camels, and 6,720 donkeys.

70Some of the family heads contributed to the project. The governor gave 1,000 gold coins, 50 bowls, and 530 priestly garments to the treasury. 71Some of the family heads gave 20,000 gold coins and 2,200 silver minas to the treasury for the project. 72The rest of the people gave 20,000 gold coins, 2,000 silver minas, and 67 priestly garments. 73The priests, Levites, gatekeepers, temple singers, some of the people, temple servants, and all Israel settled in their towns.

Public Reading of the Law

When the seventh month came and the Israelites had settled in their towns,

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