Chronological Plan

¹Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab, and the rest of our enemies found out that I had finished rebuilding the wall and that no gaps remained — though we had not yet set up the doors in the gates.

²So Sanballat and Geshem sent a message asking me to meet them at one of the villages in the plain of Ono. But I realized they were plotting to harm me,

³so I replied by sending this message to them: “I am engaged in a great work, so I can’t come. Why should I stop working to come and meet with you?”

⁴Four times they sent the same message, and each time I gave the same reply.

⁵The fifth time, Sanballat’s servant came with an open letter in his hand,

⁶and this is what it said: “There is a rumor among the surrounding nations, and Geshem tells me it is true, that you and the Jews are planning to rebel and that is why you are building the wall. According to his reports, you plan to be their king.

⁷He also reports that you have appointed prophets in Jerusalem to proclaim about you, ‘Look! There is a king in Judah!’ “You can be very sure that this report will get back to the king, so I suggest that you come and talk it over with me.”

⁸I replied, “There is no truth in any part of your story. You are making up the whole thing.”

⁹They were just trying to intimidate us, imagining that they could discourage us and stop the work. So I continued the work with even greater determination.

¹⁰Later I went to visit Shemaiah son of Delaiah and grandson of Mehetabel, who was confined to his home. He said, “Let us meet together inside the Temple of God and bolt the doors shut. Your enemies are coming to kill you tonight.”

¹¹But I replied, “Should someone in my position run from danger? Should someone in my position enter the Temple to save his life? No, I won’t do it!”

¹²I realized that God had not spoken to him, but that he had uttered this prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.

¹³They were hoping to intimidate me and make me sin. Then they would be able to accuse and discredit me.

¹⁴Remember, O my God, all the evil things that Tobiah and Sanballat have done. And remember Noadiah the prophet and all the prophets like her who have tried to intimidate me.

¹⁵So on October 2 the wall was finished — just fifty-two days after we had begun.

¹⁶When our enemies and the surrounding nations heard about it, they were frightened and humiliated. They realized this work had been done with the help of our God.

¹⁷During those fifty-two days, many letters went back and forth between Tobiah and the nobles of Judah.

¹⁸For many in Judah had sworn allegiance to him because his father-in-law was Shecaniah son of Arah, and his son Jehohanan was married to the daughter of Meshullam son of Berekiah.

¹⁹They kept telling me about Tobiah’s good deeds, and then they told him everything I said. And Tobiah kept sending threatening letters to intimidate me.

¹After the wall was finished and I had set up the doors in the gates, the gatekeepers, singers, and Levites were appointed.

²I gave the responsibility of governing Jerusalem to my brother Hanani, along with Hananiah, the commander of the fortress, for he was a faithful man who feared God more than most.

³I said to them, “Do not leave the gates open during the hottest part of the day. And even while the gatekeepers are on duty, have them shut and bar the doors. Appoint the residents of Jerusalem to act as guards, everyone on a regular watch. Some will serve at sentry posts and some in front of their own homes.”

⁴At that time the city was large and spacious, but the population was small, and none of the houses had been rebuilt.

⁵So my God gave me the idea to call together all the nobles and leaders of the city, along with the ordinary citizens, for registration. I had found the genealogical record of those who had first returned to Judah. This is what was written there:

⁶Here is the list of the Jewish exiles of the provinces who returned from their captivity. King Nebuchadnezzar had deported them to Babylon, but now they returned to Jerusalem and the other towns in Judah where they originally lived.

⁷Their leaders were Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum, and Baanah. This is the number of the men of Israel who returned from exile:

⁸The family of Parosh — 2,172

⁹The family of Shephatiah — 372

¹⁰The family of Arah — 652

¹¹The family of Pahath-moab (descendants of Jeshua and Joab) — 2,818

¹²The family of Elam — 1,254

¹³The family of Zattu — 845

¹⁴The family of Zaccai — 760

¹⁵The family of Bani — 648

¹⁶The family of Bebai — 628

¹⁷The family of Azgad — 2,322

¹⁸The family of Adonikam — 667

¹⁹The family of Bigvai — 2,067

²⁰The family of Adin — 655

²¹The family of Ater (descendants of Hezekiah) — 98

²²The family of Hashum — 328

²³The family of Bezai — 324

²⁴The family of Jorah — 112

²⁵The family of Gibbar — 95

²⁶The people of Bethlehem and Netophah — 188

²⁷The people of Anathoth — 128

²⁸The people of Beth-azmaveth — 42

²⁹The people of Kiriath-jearim, Kephirah, and Beeroth — 743

³⁰The people of Ramah and Geba — 621

³¹The people of Micmash — 122

³²The people of Bethel and Ai — 123

³³The people of West Nebo — 52

³⁴The citizens of West Elam — 1,254

³⁵The citizens of Harim — 320

³⁶The citizens of Jericho — 345

³⁷The citizens of Lod, Hadid, and Ono — 721

³⁸The citizens of Senaah — 3,930

³⁹These are the priests who returned from exile: The family of Jedaiah (through the line of Jeshua) — 973

⁴⁰The family of Immer — 1,052

⁴¹The family of Pashhur — 1,247

⁴²The family of Harim — 1,017

⁴³These are the Levites who returned from exile: The families of Jeshua and Kadmiel (descendants of Hodaviah ) — 74

⁴⁴The singers of the family of Asaph — 148

⁴⁵The gatekeepers of the families of Shallum, Ater, Talmon, Akkub, Hatita, and Shobai — 138

⁴⁶The descendants of the following Temple servants returned from exile: Ziha, Hasupha, Tabbaoth,

⁴⁷Keros, Siaha, Padon,

⁴⁸Lebanah, Hagabah, Shalmai,

⁴⁹Hanan, Giddel, Gahar,

⁵⁰Reaiah, Rezin, Nekoda,

⁵¹Gazzam, Uzza, Paseah,

⁵²Besai, Meunim, Nephusim,

⁵³Bakbuk, Hakupha, Harhur,

⁵⁴Bazluth, Mehida, Harsha,

⁵⁵Barkos, Sisera, Temah,

⁵⁶Neziah, and Hatipha.

⁵⁷The descendants of these servants of King Solomon returned from exile: Sotai, Hassophereth, Peruda,

⁵⁸Jaalah, Darkon, Giddel,

⁵⁹Shephatiah, Hattil, Pokereth-hazzebaim, and Ami.

⁶⁰In all, the Temple servants and the descendants of Solomon’s servants numbered 392.

⁶¹Another group returned at this time from the towns of Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Kerub, Addan, and Immer. However, they could not prove that they or their families were descendants of Israel.

⁶²This group included the families of Delaiah, Tobiah, and Nekoda — a total of 642 people.

⁶³Three families of priests — Hobaiah, Hakkoz, and Barzillai — also returned. (This Barzillai had married a woman who was a descendant of Barzillai of Gilead, and he had taken her family name.)

⁶⁴They searched for their names in the genealogical records, but they were not found, so they were disqualified from serving as priests.

⁶⁵The governor told them not to eat the priests’ share of food from the sacrifices until a priest could consult the LORD about the matter by using the Urim and Thummim — the sacred lots.

⁶⁶So a total of 42,360 people returned to Judah,

⁶⁷in addition to 7,337 servants and 245 singers, both men and women.

⁶⁸They took with them 736 horses, 245 mules,

⁶⁹435 camels, and 6,720 donkeys.

⁷⁰Some of the family leaders gave gifts for the work. The governor gave to the treasury 1,000 gold coins, 50 gold basins, and 530 robes for the priests.

⁷¹The other leaders gave to the treasury a total of 20,000 gold coins and some 2,750 pounds of silver for the work.

⁷²The rest of the people gave 20,000 gold coins, about 2,500 pounds of silver, and 67 robes for the priests.

⁷³So the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, the Temple servants, and some of the common people settled near Jerusalem. The rest of the people returned to their own towns throughout Israel. Ezra Reads the Law In October, when the Israelites had settled in their towns,