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Nehemiah 8

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 month15and 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.

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