Nehemiah 7

Securing the City

1When the wall had been rebuilt and I had set the doors in place, the gatekeepers, singers, and Levites were appointed.

2Then I put my brother Hanani in charge of Jerusalem, along with Hananiah the commander of the fortress, because he was a faithful man who feared God more than most. 3And I told them, “Do not open the gates of Jerusalem until the sun is hot. While the guards are on duty, keep the doors shut and securely fastened. And appoint the residents of Jerusalem as guards, some at their posts and some at their own homes.”

The List of Returning Exiles
(Ezra 2:1–67)

4Now the city was large and spacious, but there were few people in it, and the houses had not yet been rebuilt. 5Then my God put it into my heart to assemble the nobles, the officials, and the people to be enrolled by genealogy. I found the genealogical register of those who had first returned, and I found the following written in it:

6These are the people of the province who came up from the captivity of the exiles carried away to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar its king. They returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his own town, 7accompanied by Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, and Baanah.+7:7 Parallel text at Ezra 2:2accompanied by Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum, and Baanah

This is the count of the men of Israel:

39The priests:

43The Levites:

44The singers:

45The gatekeepers:

46The temple servants:+7:46 Hebrew The Nethinim; also in verses 60 and 73

57The descendants of the servants of Solomon:

61The following came up from Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Cherub, Addon,+7:61 Addon is a variant of Addan; see Ezra 2:59. and Immer, but they could not prove that their families were descended from Israel:

66The whole assembly numbered 42,360, 67in addition to their 7,337 menservants and maidservants, as well as their 245 male and female singers. 68They had 736 horses, 245 mules,+7:68 Some Hebrew manuscripts (see also Ezra 2:66); most Hebrew manuscripts do not include this verse.69435 camels, and 6,720 donkeys.

Offerings by the Exiles
(Exodus 38:21–31; Ezra 2:68–70)

70Some of the heads of the families contributed to the project. The governor gave to the treasury 1,000 darics of gold,+7:70 Or 1,000 gold drachmas; that is, approximately 18.5 pounds or 8.4 kilograms of gold coins 50 bowls, and 530 priestly garments. 71And some of the heads of the families gave to the treasury for the project 20,000 darics of gold+7:71 Or 20,000 gold drachmas; that is, approximately 370.4 pounds or 168 kilograms of gold coins; also in verse 72 and 2,200 minas of silver.+7:71 Or 2,200 silver minas; that is, approximately 1.38 tons or 1.25 metric tons of silver72The rest of the people gave a total of 20,000 darics of gold, 2,000 minas of silver,+7:72 Or 2,000 silver minas; that is, approximately 1.26 tons or 1.14 metric tons of silver and 67 priestly garments.

73So the priests, Levites, gatekeepers, singers, and temple servants, along with some of the people and the rest of the Israelites, settled in their own towns. And by the seventh month the Israelites had settled in their towns.