6cThese are the people of the province who came up from among the captive exiles that Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, had deported, and who returned to Jerusalem and to Judah, each to his own city, 7who came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, Baanah.
The number of the men of the people of Israel: 8the sons of Parosh— 2,172; 9the sons of Shephatiah—372; 10the sons of Arah—652; 11the sons of Pahath-moab: the sons of Jeshua and Joab—2,818; 12the sons of Elam—1,254; 13the sons of Zattu—845; 14the sons of Zaccai—760; 15the sons of Binnui—648; 16the sons of Bebai—628; 17the sons of Azgad— 2,322; 18the sons of Adonikam—667; 19the sons of Bigvai—2,067; 20the sons of Adin—655; 21the sons of Ater: Hezekiah—98; 22the sons of Hashum—328; 23the sons of Bezai—324; 24the sons of Hariph—112; 25the sons of Gibeon—95; 26the men of Bethlehem and Netophah—188; 27the men of Anathoth—128; 28the men of Beth-azmaveth—42; 29the men of Kiriath-jearim, Chephirah, and Beeroth—743; 30the men of Ramah and Geba—621; 31the men of Michmas—122; 32the men of Bethel and Ai—123; 33the men of the other Nebo—52; 34the sons of the other Elam—1,254; 35the sons of Harim—320; 36the sons of Jericho—345; 37the sons of Lod, Hadid, and Ono—721; 38the sons of Senaah—3,930.
39The priests: the sons of Jedaiah: the house of Jeshua—973; 40the sons of Immer—1,052; 41the sons of Pashhur—1,247; 42the sons of Harim— 1,017.
43The Levites: the sons of Jeshua: Kadmiel, the sons of Hodeiah—74.
44The singers: the sons of Asaph—148.
45The gatekeepers: the sons of Shallum, the sons of Ater, the sons of Talmon, the sons of Akkub, the sons of Hatita, the sons of Shobai—138.
46The temple servants: the sons of Ziha, the sons of Hasupha, the sons of Tabbaoth, 47the sons of Keros, the sons of Siah, the sons of Padon, 48the sons of Lebanah, the sons of Hagabah, the sons of Shalmai, 49the sons of Hanan, the sons of Giddel, the sons of Gahar, 50the sons of Reaiah, the sons of Rezin, the sons of Nekoda, 51the sons of Gazzam, the sons of Uzza, the sons of Paseah, 52the sons of Besai, the sons of Meunim, the sons of Nephishesim, 53the sons of Bakbuk, the sons of Hakupha, the sons of Harhur, 54the sons of Bazlith, the sons of Mehida, the sons of Harsha, 55the sons of Barkos, the sons of Sisera, the sons of Temah, 56the sons of Neziah, the sons of Hatipha.
57The sons of Solomon’s servants: the sons of Sotai, the sons of Sophereth, the sons of Perida, 58the sons of Jala, the sons of Darkon, the sons of Giddel, 59the sons of Shephatiah, the sons of Hattil, the sons of Pochereth-hazzebaim, the sons of Amon.
60The total of temple servants and the sons of Solomon’s servants— 392.
61The following were those who came up from Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Cherub, Addon, and Immer—they were unable to tell whether their father’s house and descent were Israelite: 62the sons of Delaiah, the sons of Tobiah, the sons of Nekoda—642.
63Of the priests: the sons of Habaiah, the sons of Hakkoz, the sons of Barzillai who had married a daughter of Barzillai the Gileadite and had taken hisd name—64these searched for their genealogical records, but they could not be found, so they were disqualified for the priesthood. 65The Tirshathae ordered them not to eat of the most holy things until a priest with Urim and Thummim should appear.
66The sum of the entire community was 42,360, 67not counting their male and female servants, these being 7,337; they also had 245 male and female singers. 68f-[Their horses—736, their mules—245,]-f camels—435, asses—6,720.
69Some of the heads of the clans made donations for the work. The Tirshatha donated to the treasury: gold—1,000 drachmas, basins—50, priestly robes—530.
70Some of the heads of the clans donated to the work treasury: gold— 20,000 drachmas, and silver—2,200 minas.
71The rest of the people donated: gold—20,000 drachmas, silver— 2,000, and priestly robes—67.
72The priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, some of the people, the temple servants, and all Israel took up residence in their towns.
8 When the seventh month arrived—the Israelites being [settled] in their towns—1the entire people assembled as one man in the square before the Water Gate, and they asked Ezra the scribe to bring the scroll of the Teaching of Moses with which the LORD had charged Israel. 2On the first day of the seventh month, Ezra the priest brought the Teaching before the congregation, men and women and all who could listen with understanding. 3He read from it, facing the square before the Water Gate, from the first light until midday, to the men and the women and those who could understand; the ears of all the people were given to the scroll of the Teaching.
4Ezra the scribe stood upon a wooden tower made for the purpose, and beside him stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah at his right, and at his left Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, Meshullam. 5Ezra opened the scroll in the sight of all the people, for he was above all the people; as he opened it, all the people stood up. 6Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God, and all the people answered, “Amen, Amen,’’ with hands upraised. Then they bowed their heads and prostrated themselves before the LORD with their faces to the ground. 7Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites explained the Teaching to the people, while the people stood in their places. 8They read from the scroll of the Teaching of God, translating it and giving the sense; so they understood the reading.
9Nehemiah the Tirshatha, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who were explaining to the people said to all the people, This day is holy to the LORD your God: you must not mourn or weep,’’ for all the people were weeping as they listened to the words of the Teaching. 10He further said to them,Go, eat choice foods and drink sweet drinks and send portions to whoever has nothing prepared, for the day is holy to our Lord. Do not be sad, for your rejoicing in the LORD is the source of your strength.’’ 11The Levites were quieting the people, saying, Hush, for the day is holy; do not be sad.’’ 12Then all the people went to eat and drink and send portions and make great merriment, for they understood the things they were told. 13On the second day, the heads of the clans of all the people and the priests and Levites gathered to Ezra the scribe to study the words of the Teaching. 14They found written in the Teaching that the LORD had commanded Moses that the Israelites must dwell in booths during the festival of the seventh month, 15and that they must announce and proclaim throughout all their towns and Jerusalem as follows,Go out to the mountains and bring leafy branches of olive trees, pinea trees, myrtles, palms and [other] leafya trees to make booths, as it is written.’’ 16So the people went out and brought them, and made themselves booths on their roofs, in their courtyards, in the courtyards of the House of God, in the square of the Water Gate and in the square of the Ephraim Gate. 17The whole community that returned from the captivity made booths and dwelt in the booths—the Israelites had not done so from the days of Joshuab son of Nun to that day—and there was very great rejoicing. 18He read from the scroll of the Teaching of God each day, from the first to the last day. They celebrated the festival seven days, and there was a solemn gathering on the eighth, as prescribed.
9 On the twenty-fourth day of this month, the Israelites assembled, fasting, in sackcloth, and with earth upon them. 2Those of the stock of Israel separated themselves from all foreigners, and stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers. 3Standing in their places, they read from the scroll of the Teaching of the LORD their God for one-fourth of the day, and for another fourth they confessed and prostrated themselves before the LORD their God. 4On the raised platform of the Levites stood Jeshua and Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Chenani, and cried in a loud voice to the LORD their God. 5The Levites Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabniah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, and Pethahiah said, `Rise, bless the LORD your God who is from eternity to eternity:May Your glorious name be blessed, exalted though it is above every blessing and praise!’
6“You alone are the LORD. You made the heavens, the highesta heavens, and all their host, the earth and everything upon it, the seas and everything in them. You keep them all alive, and the host of heaven prostrate themselves before You. 7You are the LORD God, who chose Abram, who brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans and changed his name to Abraham. 8Finding his heart true to You, You made a covenant with him to give the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Jebusite, and the Girgashite—to give it to his descendants. And You kept Your word, for You are righteous. 9You took note of our fathers’ affliction in Egypt, and heard their cry at the Sea of Reeds. 10You performed signs and wonders against Pharaoh, all his servants, and all the people of his land, for You knew that they acted presumptuously toward them. You made a name for Yourself that endures to this day. 11You
