The chat will start when you send the first message.
1The gatekeepers, the singers, and the Levites were assigned their duties after the wall had been rebuilt and I had hung the doors.
2I put my brother Hanani and Hananiah, the commander of the fortress, in charge of Jerusalem. Hananiah was a trustworthy man, and he feared God more than most people do.
3I told them, “The gates of Jerusalem should not be opened at the hottest time of the day. While the ⌞gatekeepers⌟ are still standing there, they should shut the doors and bar them. Order some of the men in Jerusalem to stand guard, some at their posts and others in front of their homes.”
4The city was large and wide-open. Few people were in it, and no houses were being built.
5Then my God put the idea into my head that I should gather the nobles, leaders, and people so that they could check their genealogy. I found the book with the genealogy of those who came back the first time. I found the following written in it:
This is the number of Israelite men from the people in exile:
39These priests returned from exile:
43These Levites returned from exile:
46These temple servants returned from exile: the descendants of Ziha, Hasupha, Tabbaoth,
47Keros, Sia, Padon,
48Lebanah, Hagabah, Shalmai,
49Hanan, Giddel, Gahar,
50Reaiah, Rezin, Nekoda,
51Gazzam, Uzza, Paseah,
52Besai, Meunim, Nephusheshim,
53Bakbuk, Hakupha, Harhur,
54Bazlith, Mehida, Harsha,
55Barkos, Sisera, Temah,
56Neziah, and Hatipha.
57These descendants of Solomon’s servants returned from exile: the descendants of Sotai, Sophereth, Perida,
58Jaala, Darkon, Giddel,
59Shephatiah, Hattil, Pochereth Hazzebaim, and Amon.
60The temple servants and the descendants of Solomon’s servants totaled 392.
61The following people came from Tel Melah, Tel Harsha, Cherub, Addan, and Immer, but they couldn’t prove they were Israelites on the basis of their father’s family or their genealogy:
62the descendants of Delaiah, Tobiah, and Nekoda. These people totaled 642.
63These priests ⌞couldn’t prove they were Israelites⌟ : the descendants of Hobaiah, Hakkoz, and Barzillai (who had married one of the daughters of Barzillai from Gilead and took that ⌞family⌟ name).
64These people searched for their ⌞family⌟ names in the genealogical records, but their names couldn’t be found there. For this reason they were considered contaminated and couldn’t be priests.
65The governor told them not to eat any of the most holy food until a priest could use the Urim and Thummim ⌞to settle the problem⌟ .[#7:65 were used by the chief priest to determine God’s answer to questions.]
66The whole assembly totaled 42,360.
67In addition to the male and female servants who numbered 7,337, they also had 245 male and female singers.
68They had 736 horses, 245 mules,[#7:68 Some Hebrew manuscripts omit “ ” In those manuscripts verses 69–73 are numbered as 68–72.]
69435 camels, and 6,720 donkeys.
70Some of the heads of the families contributed to this work. The governor contributed the following to the treasury: nearly 18 pounds of gold, 50 bowls, and 530 robes for the priests.
71Some of the heads of the families contributed to the treasury for this work: 337 pounds of gold and 3,215 pounds of silver.
72The rest of the people contributed 337 pounds of gold, 2,923 pounds of silver, and 67 robes for the priests.
73The priests, Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, some of the people, the temple servants, and the rest of Israel settled in their own cities. When the seventh month came, the people of Israel were in their own cities.