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Chapter 7
1After the wall had been rebuilt and I had set the doors in place, the gatekeepers and the singers and the Levites were appointed.
2I put in charge of Jerusalem my brother Hanani, along withOr Hanani, that is, Hananiah the commander of the citadel, because he was a man of integrity and feared God more than most men do.
3I said to them, “The gates of Jerusalem are not to be opened until the sun is hot. While the gatekeepers are still on duty, have them shut the doors and bar them. Also appoint residents of Jerusalem as guards, some at their posts and some near their own houses.”
The List of the Exiles Who Returned
4Now the city was large and spacious, but there were few people in it, and the houses had not yet been rebuilt.
5So my God put it into my heart to assemble the nobles, the officials and the common people for registration by families. I found the genealogical record of those who had been the first to return. This is what I found written there:
6These are the people of the province who came up from the captivity of the exiles whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had taken captive (they returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his own town,
7in company with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum and Baanah):
The list of the men of Israel:
8the descendants of Parosh2,172
9of Shephatiah372
10of Arah652
11of Pahath-Moab (through the line of Jeshua and Joab)2,818
12of Elam1,254
13of Zattu845
14of Zaccai760
15of Binnui648
16of Bebai628
17of Azgad2,322
18of Adonikam667
19of Bigvai2,067
20of Adin655
21of Ater (through Hezekiah)98
22of Hashum328
23of Bezai324
24of Hariph112
25of Gibeon95
26the men of Bethlehem and Netophah188
27of Anathoth128
28of Beth Azmaveth42
29of Kiriath Jearim, Kephirah and Beeroth743
30of Ramah and Geba621
31of Micmash122
32of Bethel and Ai123
33of the other Nebo52
34of the other Elam1,254
35of Harim320
36of Jericho345
37of Lod, Hadid and Ono721
38of Senaah3,930
39The priests:
the descendants of Jedaiah (through the family of Jeshua)973
40of Immer1,052
41of Pashhur1,247
42of Harim1,017
43The Levites:
the descendants of Jeshua (through Kadmiel through the line of Hodaviah)74
44The singers:
the descendants of Asaph148
45The gatekeepers:
the descendants of
Shallum, Ater, Talmon, Akkub, Hatita and Shobai138
46The temple servants:
the descendants of
Ziha, Hasupha, Tabbaoth,
47Keros, Sia, Padon,
48Lebana, Hagaba, Shalmai,
49Hanan, Giddel, Gahar,
50Reaiah, Rezin, Nekoda,
51Gazzam, Uzza, Paseah,
52Besai, Meunim, Nephussim,
53Bakbuk, Hakupha, Harhur,
54Bazluth, Mehida, Harsha,
55Barkos, Sisera, Temah,
56Neziah and Hatipha
57The descendants of the servants of Solomon:
the descendants of
Sotai, Sophereth, Perida,
58Jaala, Darkon, Giddel,
59Shephatiah, Hattil,
Pokereth-Hazzebaim and Amon
60The temple servants and the descendants of the servants of Solomon392
61The following came up from the towns of Tel Melah, Tel Harsha, Kerub, Addon and Immer, but they could not show that their families were descended from Israel:
62the descendants of
Delaiah, Tobiah and Nekoda642
63And from among the priests:
the descendants of
Hobaiah, Hakkoz and Barzillai (a man who had married a daughter of Barzillai the Gileadite and was called by that name).
64These searched for their family records, but they could not find them and so were excluded from the priesthood as unclean.
65The governor, therefore, ordered them not to eat any of the most sacred food until there should be a priest ministering with the Urim and Thummim.
66The whole company numbered 42,360,
67besides their 7,337 menservants and maidservants; and they also had 245 men and women singers.
68There were 736 horses, 245 mules,Some Hebrew manuscripts (see also Ezra 2:66); most Hebrew manuscripts do not have this verse.
69435 camels and 6,720 donkeys.
70Some of the heads of the families contributed to the work. The governor gave to the treasury 1,000 drachmasThat is, about 19 pounds (about 8.5 kilograms) of gold, 50 bowls and 530 garments for priests.
71Some of the heads of the families gave to the treasury for the work 20,000 drachmasThat is, about 375 pounds (about 170 kilograms); also in verse 72 of gold and 2,200 minasThat is, about 1 1/3 tons (about 1.2 metric tons) of silver.
72The total given by the rest of the people was 20,000 drachmas of gold, 2,000 minasThat is, about 1 1/4 tons (about 1.1 metric tons) of silver and 67 garments for priests.
73The priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers and the temple servants, along with certain of the people and the rest of the Israelites, settled in their own towns.
Ezra Reads the Law
When the seventh month came and the Israelites had settled in their towns,
Chapter 8
1all the people assembled as one man in the square before the Water Gate. They told Ezra the scribe to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded for Israel.
2So on the first day of the seventh month Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, which was made up of men and women and all who were able to understand.
3He read it aloud from daybreak till noon as he faced the square before the Water Gate in the presence of the men, women and others who could understand. And all the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law.
4Ezra the scribe stood on a high wooden platform built for the occasion. Beside him on his right stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah and Maaseiah; and on his left were Pedaiah, Mishael, Malkijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah and Meshullam.
5Ezra opened the book. All the people could see him because he was standing above them; and as he opened it, the people all stood up.
6Ezra praised the LORD, the great God; and all the people lifted their hands and responded, “Amen! Amen!” Then they bowed down and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground.
7The Levites—Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan and Pelaiah—instructed the people in the Law while the people were standing there.
8They read from the Book of the Law of God, making it clearOr God, translating it and giving the meaning so that the people could understand what was being read.
9Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who were instructing the people said to them all, “This day is sacred to the LORD your God. Do not mourn or weep.” For all the people had been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law.
10Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is sacred to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”
11The Levites calmed all the people, saying, “Be still, for this is a sacred day. Do not grieve.”
12Then all the people went away to eat and drink, to send portions of food and to celebrate with great joy, because they now understood the words that had been made known to them.
13On the second day of the month, the heads of all the families, along with the priests and the Levites, gathered around Ezra the scribe to give attention to the words of the Law.
14They found written in the Law, which the LORD had commanded through Moses, that the Israelites were to live in booths during the feast of the seventh month
15and that they should proclaim this word and spread it throughout their towns and in Jerusalem: “Go out into the hill country and bring back branches from olive and wild olive trees, and from myrtles, palms and shade trees, to make booths”—as it is written.See Lev. 23:37-40.
16So the people went out and brought back branches and built themselves booths on their own roofs, in their courtyards, in the courts of the house of God and in the square by the Water Gate and the one by the Gate of Ephraim.
17The whole company that had returned from exile built booths and lived in them. From the days of Joshua son of Nun until that day, the Israelites had not celebrated it like this. And their joy was very great.
18Day after day, from the first day to the last, Ezra read from the Book of the Law of God. They celebrated the feast for seven days, and on the eighth day, in accordance with the regulation, there was an assembly.
Chapter 9
The Israelites Confess Their Sins
1On the twenty-fourth day of the same month, the Israelites gathered together, fasting and wearing sackcloth and having dust on their heads.
2Those of Israelite descent had separated themselves from all foreigners. They stood in their places and confessed their sins and the wickedness of their fathers.
3They stood where they were and read from the Book of the Law of the LORD their God for a quarter of the day, and spent another quarter in confession and in worshiping the LORD their God.
4Standing on the stairs were the Levites—Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani and Kenani—who called with loud voices to the LORD their God.
5And the Levites—Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah and Pethahiah—said: “Stand up and praise the LORD your God, who is from everlasting to everlasting.Or God for ever and ever”
“Blessed be your glorious name, and may it be exalted above all blessing and praise.
6You alone are the LORD. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you.
7“You are the LORD God, who chose Abram and brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans and named him Abraham.
8You found his heart faithful to you, and you made a covenant with him to give to his descendants the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Jebusites and Girgashites. You have kept your promise because you are righteous.
9“You saw the suffering of our forefathers in Egypt; you heard their cry at the Red Sea.Hebrew Yam Suph; that is, Sea of Reeds
10You sent miraculous signs and wonders against Pharaoh, against all his officials and all the people of his land, for you knew how arrogantly the Egyptians treated them. You made a name for yourself, which remains to this day.
11You divided the sea before them, so that they passed through it on dry ground, but you hurled their pursuers into the depths, like a stone into mighty waters.
12By day you led them with a pillar of cloud, and by night with a pillar of fire to give them light on the way they were to take.
13“You came down on Mount Sinai; you spoke to them from heaven. You gave them regulations and laws that are just and right, and decrees and commands that are good.
14You made known to them your holy Sabbath and gave them commands, decrees and laws through your servant Moses.
15In their hunger you gave them bread from heaven and in their thirst you brought them water from the rock; you told them to go in and take possession of the land you had sworn with uplifted hand to give them.
16“But they, our forefathers, became arrogant and stiff-necked, and did not obey your commands.
17They refused to listen and failed to remember the miracles you performed among them. They became stiff-necked and in their rebellion appointed a leader in order to return to their slavery. But you are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love. Therefore you did not desert them,
18even when they cast for themselves an image of a calf and said, ‘This is your god, who brought you up out of Egypt,’ or when they committed awful blasphemies.
19“Because of your great compassion you did not abandon them in the desert. By day the pillar of cloud did not cease to guide them on their path, nor the pillar of fire by night to shine on the way they were to take.
20You gave your good Spirit to instruct them. You did not withhold your manna from their mouths, and you gave them water for their thirst.
21For forty years you sustained them in the desert; they lacked nothing, their clothes did not wear out nor did their feet become swollen.
22“You gave them kingdoms and nations, allotting to them even the remotest frontiers. They took over the country of SihonOne Hebrew manuscript and Septuagint; most Hebrew manuscripts Sihon, that is, the country of the king of Heshbon and the country of Og king of Bashan.
23You made their sons as numerous as the stars in the sky, and you brought them into the land that you told their fathers to enter and possess.
24Their sons went in and took possession of the land. You subdued before them the Canaanites, who lived in the land; you handed the Canaanites over to them, along with their kings and the peoples of the land, to deal with them as they pleased.
25They captured fortified cities and fertile land; they took possession of houses filled with all kinds of good things, wells already dug, vineyards, olive groves and fruit trees in abundance. They ate to the full and were well-nourished; they reveled in your great goodness.
26“But they were disobedient and rebelled against you; they put your law behind their backs. They killed your prophets, who had admonished them in order to turn them back to you; they committed awful blasphemies.
27So you handed them over to their enemies, who oppressed them. But when they were oppressed they cried out to you. From heaven you heard them, and in your great compassion you gave them deliverers, who rescued them from the hand of their enemies.
28“But as soon as they were at rest, they again did what was evil in your sight. Then you abandoned them to the hand of their enemies so that they ruled over them. And when they cried out to you again, you heard from heaven, and in your compassion you delivered them time after time.
29“You warned them to return to your law, but they became arrogant and disobeyed your commands. They sinned against your ordinances, by which a man will live if he obeys them. Stubbornly they turned their backs on you, became stiff-necked and refused to listen.
30For many years you were patient with them. By your Spirit you admonished them through your prophets. Yet they paid no attention, so you handed them over to the neighboring peoples.
31But in your great mercy you did not put an end to them or abandon them, for you are a gracious and merciful God.
32“Now therefore, O our God, the great, mighty and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love, do not let all this hardship seem trifling in your eyes—the hardship that has come upon us, upon our kings and leaders, upon our priests and prophets, upon our fathers and all your people, from the days of the kings of Assyria until today.
33In all that has happened to us, you have been just; you have acted faithfully, while we did wrong.
34Our kings, our leaders, our priests and our fathers did not follow your law; they did not pay attention to your commands or the warnings you gave them.
35Even while they were in their kingdom, enjoying your great goodness to them in the spacious and fertile land you gave them, they did not serve you or turn from their evil ways.
36“But see, we are slaves today, slaves in the land you gave our forefathers so they could eat its fruit and the other good things it produces.
37Because of our sins, its abundant harvest goes to the kings you have placed over us. They rule over our bodies and our cattle as they please. We are in great distress.
The Agreement of the People
38“In view of all this, we are making a binding agreement, putting it in writing, and our leaders, our Levites and our priests are affixing their seals to it.”

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