Nehemiah 7

1 When the wall had been rebuilt, I had the doors set up, and the gatekeepers (and the singers and the Levites) were put in charge of them.
2 Over Jerusalem I placed Hanani, my brother, and Hananiah, the commander of the citadel, who was a more trustworthy and God-fearing man than most.
3 I said to them: The gates of Jerusalem are not to be opened until the sun is hot, and while the sun is still shining they shall shut and bar the doors. Appoint as watchmen the inhabitants of Jerusalem, some at their watch posts, and others before their own houses.
4 Now the city was quite wide and spacious, but its population was small, and none of the houses had been rebuilt.
5 When my God had put it into my mind to gather together the nobles, the magistrates, and the common people, and to examine their family records, I came upon the family list of those who had returned in the earliest period. There I found the following written:
6 These are the inhabitants of the province who returned from the captivity of the exiles whom Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, had carried away, and who came back to Jerusalem and Judah, each man to his own city
7 (those who returned with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, and Baanah). The census of the men of Israel:
8 sons of Parosh, two thousand one hundred and seventy-two;
9 sons of Shephatiah, three hundred and seventy-two;
10 sons of Arah, six hundred and fifty-two;
11 sons of Pahath-moab who were sons of Jeshua and Joab, two thousand eight hundred and eighteen;
12 sons of Elam, one thousand two hundred and fifty-four;
13 sons of Zattu, eight hundred and forty-five;
14 sons of Zaccai, seven hundred and sixty;
15 sons of Binnui, six hundred and forty-eight;
16 sons of Bebai, six hundred and twenty-eight;
17 sons of Azgad, two thousand three hundred and twenty-two;
18 sons of Adonikam, six hundred and sixty-seven;
19 sons of Bigvai, two thousand and sixty-seven;
20 sons of Adin, six hundred and fifty-five;
21 sons of Ater who were sons of Hezekiah, ninety-eight;
22 sons of Hashum, three hundred and twenty-eight;
23 sons of Bezai, three hundred and twenty-four;
24 sons of Hariph, one hundred and twelve;
25 sons of Gibeon, ninety-five;
26 men of Bethlehem and Netophah, one hundred and eighty-eight;
27 men of Anathoth, one hundred and twenty-eight;
28 men of Beth-azmaveth, forty-two;
29 men of Kiriath-jearim, Chephirah, and Beeroth, seven hundred and forty-three;
30 men of Ramah and Geba, six hundred and twenty-one;
31 men of Michmas, one hundred and twenty-two;
32 men of Bethel and Ai, one hundred and twenty-three;
33 men of Nebo, fifty-two;
34 sons of another Elam, one thousand two hundred and fifty-four;
35 sons of Harim, three hundred and twenty;
36 sons of Jericho, three hundred and forty-five;
37 sons of Lod, Hadid, and Ono, seven hundred and twenty-one;
38 sons of Senaah, three thousand nine hundred and thirty.
39 The priests: sons of Jedaiah who were of the house of Jeshua, nine hundred and seventy-three;
40 sons of Immer, one thousand and fifty-two;
41 sons of Pashhur, one thousand two hundred and forty-seven;
42 sons of Harim, one thousand and seventeen.
43 The Levites: sons of Jeshua, Kadmiel, Binnui, Hodeviah, seventy-four.
44 The singers: sons of Asaph, one hundred and forty-eight.
45 The gatekeepers: sons of Shallum, sons of Ater, sons of Talmon, sons of Akkub, sons of Hatita, sons of Shobai, one hundred and thirty-eight.
46 The temple slaves: sons of Ziha, sons of Hasupha, sons of Tabbaoth,
47 sons of Keros, sons of Sia, sons of Padon,
48 sons of Lebana, sons of Hagaba, sons of Shalmai,
49 sons of Hanan, sons of Giddel, sons of Gahar,
50 sons of Reaiah, sons of Rezin, sons of Nekoda,
51 sons of Gazzam, sons of Uzza, sons of Paseah,
52 sons of Besai, sons of the Meunites, sons of the Nephusites,
53 sons of Bakbuk, sons of Hakupha, sons of Harhur,
54 sons of Bazlith, sons of Mehida, sons of Harsha,
55 sons of Barkos, sons of Sisera, sons of Temah,
56 sons of Neziah, sons of Hatipha.
57 Descendants of the slaves of Solomon: sons of Sotai, sons of Sophereth, sons of Perida,
58 sons of Jaala, sons of Darkon, sons of Giddel,
59 sons of Shephatiah, sons of Hattil, sons of Pochereth-hazzebaim, sons of Amon.
60 The total of the temple slaves and the descendants of the slaves of Solomon was three hundred and ninety-two.
61 The following who returned from Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Cherub, Addon, and Immer were unable to prove that their ancestral houses and their descent were Israelite:
62 sons of Delaiah, sons of Tobiah, sons of Nekoda, six hundred and forty-two.
63 Also, of the priests: sons of Hobaiah, sons of Hakkoz, sons of Barzillai (he had married one of the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite and became known by his name).
64 These men searched their family records, but their names could not be found written there; hence they were degraded from the priesthood,
65 and His Excellency ordered them not to partake of the most holy foods until there should be a priest bearing the Urim and Thummim.
66 The entire assembly taken together came to forty-two thousand three hundred and sixty,
67 not counting their male and female slaves, who were seven thousand three hundred and thirty-seven. They also had two hundred male and female singers. Their horses were seven hundred and thirty-six, their mules two hundred and forty-five,
68 their camels four hundred and thirty-five, their asses six thousand seven hundred and twenty.
69 Certain of the family heads contributed to the service. His Excellency put into the treasury one thousand drachmas of gold, fifty basins, thirty garments for priests, and five hundred minas of silver.
70 Some of the family heads contributed to the treasury for the temple service: twenty thousand drachmas of gold and two thousand two hundred minas of silver.
71 The contributions of the rest of the people amounted to twenty thousand drachmas of gold, two thousand minas of silver, and sixty-seven garments for priests.
72 The priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, the temple slaves, and all Israel took up residence in their cities.
73 (OMITTED TEXT)

Nehemiah 8

1 Now when the seventh month came, the whole people gathered as one man in the open space before the Water Gate, and they called upon Ezra the scribe to bring forth the book of the law of Moses which the LORD prescribed for Israel.
2 On the first day of the seventh month, therefore, Ezra the priest brought the law before the assembly, which consisted of men, women, and those children old enough to understand.
3 Standing at one end of the open place that was before the Water Gate, he read out of the book from daybreak till midday, in the presence of the men, the women, and those children old enough to understand; and all the people listened attentively to the book of the law.
4 Ezra the scribe stood on a wooden platform that had been made for the occasion; at his right side stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah, and on his left Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, Meshullam.
5 Ezra opened the scroll so that all the people might see it (for he was standing higher up than any of the people); and, as he opened it, all the people rose.
6 Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God, and all the people, their hands raised high, answered, Amen, amen! Then they bowed down and prostrated themselves before the LORD, their faces to the ground.
7 (The Levites Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, and Pelaiah explained the law to the people, who remained in their places.)
8 Ezra read plainly from the book of the law of God, interpreting it so that all could understand what was read.
9 Then (Nehemiah, that is, His Excellency, and) Ezra the priest-scribe (and the Levites who were instructing the people) said to all the people: Today is holy to the LORD your God. Do not be sad, and do not weep-for all the people were weeping as they heard the words of the law.
10 He said further: Go, eat rich foods and drink sweet drinks, and allot portions to those who had nothing prepared; for today is holy to our LORD. Do not be saddened this day, for rejoicing in the LORD must be your strength!
11 (And the Levites quieted all the people, saying, Hush, for today is holy, and you must not be saddened.)
12 Then all the people went to eat and drink, to distribute portions, and to celebrate with great joy, for they understood the words that had been expounded to them.
13 On the second day, the family heads of the whole people and also the priests and the Levites gathered around Ezra the scribe and examined the words of the law more closely.
14 They found it written in the law prescribed by the LORD through Moses that the Israelites must dwell in booths during the feast of the seventh month;
15 and that they should have this proclamation made throughout their cities and in Jerusalem: Go out into the hill country and bring in branches of olive trees, oleasters, myrtle, palm, and other leafy trees, to make booths, as the law prescribes.
16 The people went out and brought in branches with which they made booths for themselves, on the roof of their houses, in their courtyards, in the courts of the house of God, and in the open spaces of the Water Gate and the Gate of Ephraim.
17 Thus the entire assembly of the returned exiles made booths and dwelt in them. Now the Israelites had done nothing of this sort from the days of Jeshua, son of Nun, until this occasion; therefore there was very great joy.
18 Ezra read from the book of the law of God day after day, from the first day to the last. They kept the feast for seven days, and the solemn assembly on the eighth day, as was required.