The Message Bible MSG
King James Version KJV
1 After the wall was rebuilt and I had installed the doors, and the security guards, the singers, and the Levites were appointed,
1
Now it came to pass, when the wall was built, and I had set up the doors, and the porters and the singers and the Levites were appointed,
2 I put my brother Hanani, along with Hananiah the captain of the citadel, in charge of Jerusalem because he was an honest man and feared God more than most men.
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That I gave my brother Hanani, and Hananiah the ruler of the palace, charge over Jerusalem: for he was a faithful man, and feared God above many.
3 I gave them this order: "Don't open the gates of Jerusalem until the sun is up. And shut and bar the gates while the guards are still on duty. Appoint the guards from the citizens of Jerusalem and assign them to posts in front of their own homes."
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And I said unto them, Let not the gates of Jerusalem be opened until the sun be hot; and while they stand by, let them shut the doors, and bar them: and appoint watches of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, every one in his watch, and every one to be over against his house.
4 The city was large and spacious with only a few people in it and the houses not yet rebuilt.
4
Now the city was large and great: but the people were few therein, and the houses were not builded.
5 God put it in my heart to gather the nobles, the officials, and the people in general to be registered. I found the genealogical record of those who were in the first return from exile. This is the record I found:
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And my God put into mine heart to gather together the nobles, and the rulers, and the people, that they might be reckoned by genealogy. And I found a register of the genealogy of them which came up at the first, and found written therein,
6 These are the people of the province who returned from the captivity of the Exile, the ones Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had carried off captive; they came back to Jerusalem and Judah, each going to his own town.
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These are the children of the province, that went up out of the captivity, of those that had been carried away, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away, and came again to Jerusalem and to Judah, every one unto his city;
7 They came back in the company of Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, and Baanah. The numbers of the men of the People of Israel by families of origin:
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Who came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, Baanah. The number, I say, of the men of the people of Israel was this;
8 Parosh, 2,172
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The children of Parosh, two thousand an hundred seventy and two.
9 Shephatiah, 372
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The children of Shephatiah, three hundred seventy and two.
10 Arah, 652
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The children of Arah, six hundred fifty and two.
11 Pahath-Moab (sons of Jeshua and Joab), 2,818
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The children of Pahathmoab, of the children of Jeshua and Joab, two thousand and eight hundred and eighteen.
12 Elam, 1,254
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The children of Elam, a thousand two hundred fifty and four.
13 Zattu, 845
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The children of Zattu, eight hundred forty and five.
14 Zaccai, 760
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The children of Zaccai, seven hundred and threescore.
15 Binnui, 648
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The children of Binnui, six hundred forty and eight.
16 Bebai, 628
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The children of Bebai, six hundred twenty and eight.
17 Azgad, 2,322
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The children of Azgad, two thousand three hundred twenty and two.
18 Adonikam, 667
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The children of Adonikam, six hundred threescore and seven.
19 Bigvai, 2,067
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The children of Bigvai, two thousand threescore and seven.
20 Adin, 655
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The children of Adin, six hundred fifty and five.
21 Ater (sons of Hezekiah), 98
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The children of Ater of Hezekiah, ninety and eight.
22 Hashum, 328
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The children of Hashum, three hundred twenty and eight.
23 Bezai, 324
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The children of Bezai, three hundred twenty and four.
24 Hariph, 112
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The children of Hariph, an hundred and twelve.
25 Gibeon, 95.
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The children of Gibeon, ninety and five.
26 Israelites identified by place of origin: Bethlehem and Netophah, 188
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The men of Bethlehem and Netophah, an hundred fourscore and eight.
27 Anathoth, 128
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The men of Anathoth, an hundred twenty and eight.
28 Beth Azmaveth, 42
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The men of Bethazmaveth, forty and two.
29 Kiriath Jearim, Kephirah, and Beeroth, 743
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The men of Kirjathjearim, Chephirah, and Beeroth, seven hundred forty and three.
30 Ramah and Geba, 621
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The men of Ramah and Geba, six hundred twenty and one.
31 Micmash, 122
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The men of Michmas, an hundred and twenty and two.
32 Bethel and Ai, 123
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The men of Bethel and Ai, an hundred twenty and three.
33 Nebo (the other one), 52
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The men of the other Nebo, fifty and two.
34 Elam (the other one), 1,254
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The children of the other Elam, a thousand two hundred fifty and four.
35 Harim, 320
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The children of Harim, three hundred and twenty.
36 Jericho, 345
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The children of Jericho, three hundred forty and five.
37 Lod, Hadid, and Ono, 721
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The children of Lod, Hadid, and Ono, seven hundred twenty and one.
38 Senaah, 3,930.
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The children of Senaah, three thousand nine hundred and thirty.
39 Priestly families: Jedaiah (sons of Jeshua), 973
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The priests: the children of Jedaiah, of the house of Jeshua, nine hundred seventy and three.
40 Immer, 1,052
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The children of Immer, a thousand fifty and two.
41 Pashhur, 1,247
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The children of Pashur, a thousand two hundred forty and seven.
42 Harim, 1,017.
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The children of Harim, a thousand and seventeen.
43 Levitical families: Jeshua (sons of Kadmiel and of Hodaviah), 74.
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The Levites: the children of Jeshua, of Kadmiel, and of the children of Hodevah, seventy and four.
44 Singers: Asaph's family line, 148.
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The singers: the children of Asaph, an hundred forty and eight.
45 Security guard families: Shallum, Ater, Talmon, Akkub, Hatita, and Shobai, 138.
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The porters: the children of Shallum, the children of Ater, the children of Talmon, the children of Akkub, the children of Hatita, the children of Shobai, an hundred thirty and eight.
46 Families of support staff: Ziha, Hasupha, Tabbaoth,
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The Nethinims: the children of Ziha, the children of Hashupha, the children of Tabbaoth,
47 Keros, Sia, Padon,
47
The children of Keros, the children of Sia, the children of Padon,
48 Lebana, Hagaba, Shalmai,
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The children of Lebana, the children of Hagaba, the children of Shalmai,
49 Hanan, Giddel, Gahar,
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The children of Hanan, the children of Giddel, the children of Gahar,
50 Reaiah, Rezin, Nekoda,
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The children of Reaiah, the children of Rezin, the children of Nekoda,
51 Gazzam, Uzza, Paseah,
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The children of Gazzam, the children of Uzza, the children of Phaseah,
52 Besai, Meunim, Nephussim,
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The children of Besai, the children of Meunim, the children of Nephishesim,
53 Bakbuk, Hakupha, Harhur,
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The children of Bakbuk, the children of Hakupha, the children of Harhur,
54 Bazluth, Mehida, Harsha,
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The children of Bazlith, the children of Mehida, the children of Harsha,
55 Barkos, Sisera, Temah,
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The children of Barkos, the children of Sisera, the children of Tamah,
56 Neziah, and Hatipha.
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The children of Neziah, the children of Hatipha.
57 Families of Solomon's servants: Sotai, Sophereth, Perida,
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The children of Solomon's servants: the children of Sotai, the children of Sophereth, the children of Perida,
58 Jaala, Darkon, Giddel,
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The children of Jaala, the children of Darkon, the children of Giddel,
59 Shephatiah, Hattil, Pokereth-Hazzebaim, and Amon.
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The children of Shephatiah, the children of Hattil, the children of Pochereth of Zebaim, the children of Amon.
60 The Temple support staff and Solomon's servants added up to 392.
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All the Nethinims, and the children of Solomon's servants, were three hundred ninety and two.
61 These are those who came from Tel Melah, Tel Harsha, Kerub, Addon, and Immer. They weren't able to prove their ancestry, whether they were true Israelites or not:
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And these were they which went up also from Telmelah, Telharesha, Cherub, Addon, and Immer: but they could not shew their father's house, nor their seed, whether they were of Israel.
62 The sons of Delaiah, Tobiah, and Nekoda, 642.
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The children of Delaiah, the children of Tobiah, the children of Nekoda, six hundred forty and two.
63 Likewise with these priestly families: -The sons of Hobaiah, Hakkoz, and Barzillai, who had married a daughter of Barzillai the Gileadite and took that name.
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And of the priests: the children of Habaiah, the children of Koz, the children of Barzillai, which took one of the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite to wife, and was called after their name.
64 They looked high and low for their family records but couldn't find them. And so they were barred from priestly work as ritually unclean.
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These sought their register among those that were reckoned by genealogy, but it was not found: therefore were they, as polluted, put from the priesthood.
65 The governor ruled that they could not eat from the holy food until a priest could determine their status by using the Urim and Thummim.
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And the Tirshatha said unto them, that they should not eat of the most holy things, till there stood up a priest with Urim and Thummim.
66 The total count for the congregation was 42,360.
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The whole congregation together was forty and two thousand three hundred and threescore,
67 That did not include the male and female slaves who numbered 7,337. There were also 245 male and female singers.
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Beside their manservants and their maidservants, of whom there were seven thousand three hundred thirty and seven: and they had two hundred forty and five singing men and singing women.
68 And there were 736 horses, 245 mules,
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Their horses, seven hundred thirty and six: their mules, two hundred forty and five:
69 435 camels, and 6,720 donkeys.
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Their camels, four hundred thirty and five: six thousand seven hundred and twenty asses.
70 Some of the heads of families made voluntary offerings for the work. The governor made a gift to the treasury of 1,000 drachmas of gold (about nineteen pounds), 50 bowls, and 530 garments for the priests.
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And some of the chief of the fathers gave unto the work. The Tirshatha gave to the treasure a thousand drams of gold, fifty basons, five hundred and thirty priests' garments.
71 Some of the heads of the families made gifts to the treasury for the work; it came to 20,000 drachmas of gold and 2,200 minas of silver (about one and a third tons).
71
And some of the chief of the fathers gave to the treasure of the work twenty thousand drams of gold, and two thousand and two hundred pound of silver.
72 Gifts from the rest of the people totaled 20,000 drachmas of gold (about 375 pounds), 2,000 minas of silver, and 67 garments for the priests.
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And that which the rest of the people gave was twenty thousand drams of gold, and two thousand pound of silver, and threescore and seven priests' garments.
73 The priests, Levites, security guards, singers, and Temple support staff, along with some others, and the rest of the People of Israel, all found a place to live in their own towns.
73
So the priests, and the Levites, and the porters, and the singers, and some of the people, and the Nethinims, and all Israel, dwelt in their cities; and when the seventh month came, the children of Israel were in their cities.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.
The King James Version is in the public domain.