Chapter 2

The List of Returning Exiles

Nehemiah 7:4–69

¹Now these 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, ²accompanied by Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum, and Baanah.^a

This is the count of the men of Israel:

³the descendants of Parosh, 2,172;

⁴the descendants of Shephatiah, 372;

⁵the descendants of Arah, 775;

⁶the descendants of Pahath-moab (through the line of Jeshua and Joab), 2,812;

⁷the descendants of Elam, 1,254;

⁸the descendants of Zattu, 945;

⁹the descendants of Zaccai, 760;

¹⁰the descendants of Bani,^b 642;

¹¹the descendants of Bebai, 623;

¹²the descendants of Azgad, 1,222;

¹³the descendants of Adonikam, 666;

¹⁴the descendants of Bigvai, 2,056;

¹⁵the descendants of Adin, 454;

¹⁶the descendants of Ater (through Hezekiah), 98;

¹⁷the descendants of Bezai, 323;

¹⁸the descendants of Jorah,^c 112;

¹⁹the descendants of Hashum, 223;

²⁰the descendants of Gibbar,^d 95;

²¹the men^e of Bethlehem, 123;

²²the men of Netophah, 56;

²³the men of Anathoth, 128;

²⁴the descendants of Azmaveth,^f 42;

²⁵the men of Kiriath-jearim,^g Chephirah, and Beeroth, 743;

²⁶the men of Ramah and Geba, 621;

²⁷the men of Michmash, 122;

²⁸the men of Bethel and Ai, 223;

²⁹the descendants of Nebo, 52;

³⁰the descendants of Magbish, 156;

³¹the descendants of the other Elam,^h 1,254;

³²the descendants of Harim, 320;

³³the men of Lod, Hadid, and Ono, 725;

³⁴the men of Jericho, 345;

³⁵and the descendants of Senaah, 3,630.

³⁶The priests:

The descendants of Jedaiah (through the house of Jeshua), 973;

³⁷the descendants of Immer, 1,052;

³⁸the descendants of Pashhur, 1,247;

³⁹and the descendants of Harim, 1,017.

⁴⁰The Levites:

the descendants of Jeshua and Kadmiel (through the line of Hodaviahⁱ), 74.

⁴¹The singers:

the descendants of Asaph, 128.

⁴²The gatekeepers:

the descendants of Shallum,

the descendants of Ater,

the descendants of Talmon,

the descendants of Akkub,

the descendants of Hatita,

and the descendants of Shobai,

139 in all.

⁴³The temple servants:^j

the descendants of Ziha,

the descendants of Hasupha,

the descendants of Tabbaoth,

⁴⁴the descendants of Keros,

the descendants of Siaha,^k

the descendants of Padon,

⁴⁵the descendants of Lebanah,

the descendants of Hagabah,

the descendants of Akkub,

⁴⁶the descendants of Hagab,

the descendants of Shalmai,^l

the descendants of Hanan,

⁴⁷the descendants of Giddel,

the descendants of Gahar,

the descendants of Reaiah,

⁴⁸the descendants of Rezin,

the descendants of Nekoda,

the descendants of Gazzam,

⁴⁹the descendants of Uzza,

the descendants of Paseah,

the descendants of Besai,

⁵⁰the descendants of Asnah,

the descendants of Meunim,

the descendants of Nephusim,^m

⁵¹the descendants of Bakbuk,

the descendants of Hakupha,

the descendants of Harhur,

⁵²the descendants of Bazluth,ⁿ

the descendants of Mehida,

the descendants of Harsha,

⁵³the descendants of Barkos,

the descendants of Sisera,

the descendants of Temah,

⁵⁴the descendants of Neziah,

and the descendants of Hatipha.

⁵⁵The descendants of the servants of Solomon:

the descendants of Sotai,

the descendants of Sophereth,

the descendants of Peruda,^o

⁵⁶the descendants of Jaala,

the descendants of Darkon,

the descendants of Giddel,

⁵⁷the descendants of Shephatiah,

the descendants of Hattil,

the descendants of Pochereth-hazzebaim,

and the descendants of Ami.^p

⁵⁸The temple servants and descendants of the servants of Solomon numbered 392 in all.

⁵⁹The following came up from Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Cherub, Addan,^q and Immer, but could not prove that their families were descended from Israel:

⁶⁰the descendants of Delaiah,

the descendants of Tobiah,

and the descendants of Nekoda,

652 in all.

⁶¹And from among the priests: the descendants of Hobaiah,

the descendants of Hakkoz,

and the descendants of Barzillai (who had married a daughter of Barzillai the Gileadite and was called by their name).

⁶²These men searched for their family records, but they could not find them and so were excluded from the priesthood as unclean. ⁶³The governor ordered them not to eat the most holy things until there was a priest to consult the Urim and Thummim.^r

⁶⁴The whole assembly numbered 42,360, ⁶⁵in addition to their 7,337 menservants and maidservants, as well as their 200 male and female singers. ⁶⁶They had 736 horses, 245 mules, ⁶⁷435 camels, and 6,720 donkeys.

Offerings by the Exiles

Exodus 38:21–31; Nehemiah 7:70–73

⁶⁸When they arrived at the house of the LORD in Jerusalem, some of the heads of the families gave freewill offerings to rebuild the house of God on its original site. ⁶⁹According to their ability, they gave to the treasury for this work 61,000 darics of gold,^s 5,000 minas of silver,^t and 100 priestly garments.

⁷⁰So the priests, the Levites, the singers, the gatekeepers, and the temple servants, along with some of the people, settled in their own towns; and the rest of the Israelites^u settled in their towns.