Nehemiah 7 - Easy To Read Version

¹ So, we finished building the wall. Then we put the doors in the gates. Then we chose the men that would guard the gates. And we chose the men to sing in the temple {\cf2\super [21]} and help the priests.

² Next, I put my brother Hanani in charge of Jerusalem. I chose another man named Hananiah to be the commander of the fort. I picked Hanani because he was a very honest man and he feared God more than most men do.

³ Then I said to Hanani and Hananiah, “Each day you must wait until the sun has been up for several hours before you open the gates of Jerusalem. And you must shut and lock the gates before the sun goes down. Also choose people that live in Jerusalem as guards. Put some of those people at special places to guard the city. And put the other people near their own houses.”

⁴ Now the city was large and there was plenty of room. But there were few people in it and the houses had not yet been built again.

⁵ So my God put it in my heart to have all the people meet together. I called together all the important people, the officials, and the common people. I did this so I could make a list of all the families. I found the family lists {\cf2\super [22]} of the people that had been the first to return from captivity. This is what I found written there:

⁶ These are the people of the province that came back from captivity. In the past, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon took these people as prisoners to Babylon. These people came back to Jerusalem and Judah. Each person went to his own town.

⁷ These people returned with Zerubbabel {\cf2\super [23]} : Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, and Baanah. This is the list of names and numbers of men from Israel that came back:

⁸ The descendants {\cf2\super [24]} of Parosh2,172\par

⁹ the descendants of Shephatiah372\par

¹⁰ the descendants of Arah652\par

¹¹ the descendants of Pahath Moab\par of the family line of Jeshua\par and Joab2,818\par

¹² the descendants of Elam1,254\par

¹³ the descendants of Zattu845\par

¹⁴ the descendants of Zaccai760\par

¹⁵ the descendants of Binnui648\par

¹⁶ the descendants of Bebai628\par

¹⁷ the descendants of Azgad2,322\par

¹⁸ They sent those letters because many people in Judah had promised to be loyal to him. The reason for this is because Tobiah was son-in-law to Shecaniah son of Arah. And Tobiah’s son Jehohanan had married the daughter of Meshullam. Meshullam is the son of Berekiah.

¹⁹ the descendants of Bigvai2,067\par

²⁰ the descendants of Adin655\par

²¹ the descendants of Ater through\par the family of Hezekiah98\par

²² the descendants of Hashum328\par

²³ the descendants of Bezai324\par

²⁴ the descendants of Hariph112\par

²⁵ the descendants of Gibeon95\par

²⁶ from the towns of Bethlehem and Netophah188\par

²⁷ from the town of Anathoth128\par

²⁸ from the town of Beth Azmaveth42\par

²⁹ from the towns of Kiriath Jearim, Kephirah, and Beeroth743\par

³⁰ from the towns of Ramah and Geba621\par

³¹ from the town of Micmash122\par

³² from the towns of Bethel and Ai123\par

³³ from the other town of Nebo52\par

³⁴ from the other town of Elam1,254\par

³⁵ from the town of Harim320\par

³⁶ from the town of Jericho345\par

³⁷ from the towns of Lod, Hadid,\par and Ono721\par

³⁸ from the town of Senaah3,930\par

³⁹ These are the priests:

⁴⁰ the descendants of Immer1,052\par

⁴¹ the descendants of Pashhur1,247\par

⁴² the descendants of Harim1,017\par

⁴³ These are the people from the family group of Levi:

⁴⁴ These are the singers:

⁴⁵ These are the gatekeepers:

⁴⁶ These are the special temple servants:

⁴⁷ Keros, Sia, Padon,\par

⁴⁸ Lebana, Hagaba, Shalmai,\par

⁴⁹ Hanan, Giddel, Gaher,\par

⁵⁰ Reaiah, Rezin, Nekoda,\par

⁵¹ Gazzam, Uzza, Paseah,\par

⁵² Besai, Meunim, Nephussim,\par

⁵³ Bakbuk, Hakupha, Harhur,\par

⁵⁴ Bazluth, Mehida, Harsha,\par

⁵⁵ Barkos, Sisera, Temah,\par

⁵⁶ Neziah and Hatipha.\par

⁵⁷ These are the descendants {\cf2\super [31]} of the servants of Solomon:

⁵⁸ Jaala, Darkon, Giddel,\par

⁵⁹ Shephatiah, Hattil, Pokereth Hazzebaim,\par and Amon.\par

⁶⁰ The temple servants and the\par descendants of Solomon’s servants392\par

⁶¹ Some people came to Jerusalem from these towns of Tel Melah, Tel Harsha, Kerub, Addon, and Immer. But these people could not prove that their families really came from the people of Israel:

⁶² The descendants {\cf2\super [32]} of Delaiah, Tobiah\par and Nekoda642\par

⁶³ From the family of priests there were the descendants {\cf2\super [33]} of:

⁶⁴ These people searched for their family histories, but they could not find them. They could not prove that their ancestors {\cf2\super [34]} were priests, so they could serve as priests. Their names were not included in the list of priests.

^65-69 The governor ordered these people not eat any of the most holy food. They could not eat any of this food until the \{high\} priest could use the Urim and Thummim {\cf2\super [35]} to ask God what to do.

⁷⁰ Some of the family leaders gave money to support the work. The governor gave 19 pounds {\cf2\super [36]} of gold to the treasury. He also gave 50 bowls and 530 pieces of clothing for the priests.

⁷¹ The family leaders gave 375 pounds {\cf2\super [37]} of gold to the treasury to support the work. And they also gave 1 1/3 tons {\cf2\super [38]} of silver.

⁷² And all together the other people gave 375 pounds {\cf2\super [39]} of gold, 1 1/3 tons {\cf2\super [40]} of silver, and 67 pieces of clothing for the priests.

⁷³ So, the priests, the people from the family group of Levi, the gatekeepers, the singers, and the temple servants settled down in their own towns. And all the other people of Israel settled down in their own towns. And by the seventh month {\cf2\super [41]} of the year all the people of Israel had settled down in their own towns.