The List of Returning Exiles
Jerusalem stands large but sparsely settled, so Nehemiah is moved to assemble the people by genealogy and consult the old register of those who first returned from Babylon with their leaders.
N4ow 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.
The register lists lay families and town groups in careful number, tracing the returning people household by household and place by place.
8the descendants of Parosh, 2,172; 9the descendants of Shephatiah, 372; 10the descendants of Arah, 652; 11the descendants of Pahath-moab (through the line of Jeshua and Joab), 2,818; 12the descendants of Elam, 1,254; 13the descendants of Zattu, 845; 14the descendants of Zaccai, 760; 15the descendants of Binnui, 648; 16the descendants of Bebai, 628; 17the descendants of Azgad, 2,322; 18the descendants of Adonikam, 667; 19the descendants of Bigvai, 2,067; 20the descendants of Adin, 655; 21the descendants of Ater (through Hezekiah), 98; 22the descendants of Hashum, 328; 23the descendants of Bezai, 324; 24the descendants of Hariph, 112; 25the descendants 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 Michmash, 122; 32the men of Bethel and Ai, 123; 33the men of the other Nebo, 52; 34the descendants of the other Elam, 1,254; 35the descendants of Harim, 320; 36the men of Jericho, 345; 37the men of Lod, Hadid, and Ono, 721; 38and the descendants of Senaah, 3,930.
The list turns to priests, Levites, singers, gatekeepers, temple servants, and Solomon's servants, naming the temple community and summing its servants together.
39The priests: 40the descendants of Immer, 1,052; 41the descendants of Pashhur, 1,247; 42and the descendants of Harim, 1,017. 43The Levites: 44The singers: 45The gatekeepers: 46The temple servants: 47the descendants of Keros, 48the descendants of Lebanah, 49the descendants of Hanan, 50the descendants of Reaiah, 51the descendants of Gazzam, 52the descendants of Besai, 53the descendants of Bakbuk, 54the descendants of Bazlith, 55the descendants of Barkos, 56the descendants of Neziah, 57The descendants of the servants of Solomon: 58the descendants of Jaala, 59the descendants of Shephatiah, 60The temple servants and descendants of the servants of Solomon numbered 392 in all.
Some families cannot prove their Israelite descent, and some priests cannot verify their records, so they are kept from priestly privileges until proper judgment can be made.
61The following came up from Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Cherub, Addon, and Immer, but they could not prove that their families were descended from Israel: 62the descendants of Delaiah, 63And from among the priests: the descendants of Hobaiah, 64These men searched for their family records, but they could not find them and so were excluded from the priesthood as unclean. 65The governor ordered them not to eat the most holy things until there was a priest to consult the Urim and Thummim.
The register closes with the total size of the assembly, their servants and singers, and the count of their animals.
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, 69435 camels, and 6,720 donkeys.