1. All the people of Israel were listed according to their families, and this information was recorded in The Book of the Kings of Israel.The people of Judah had been deported to Babylon as punishment for their sins.
2. The first to return to their property in the cities included Israelite citizens, priests, Levites, and temple workers.
3. People from the tribes of Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh went to live in Jerusalem.
4-6. There were 690 families of the tribe of Judah who lived in Jerusalem.The descendants of Judah's son Perez had as their leader Uthai, the son of Ammihud and grandson of Omri. His other ancestors included Imri and Bani.The descendants of Judah's son Shelah had as their leader Asaiah, who was the head of his family.The descendants of Judah's son Zerah had Jeuel as their leader.
7-8. The following members of the tribe of Benjamin lived in Jerusalem:Sallu son of Meshullam, who was the son of Hodaviah, the son of HassenuahIbneiah son of JerohamElah, the son of Uzzi and grandson of MichriMeshullam son of Shephatiah, who was the son of Reuel, the son of Ibnijah
9. There were 956 families of this tribe living there. All the men named above were heads of families.
10-12. The following priests lived in Jerusalem:Jedaiah, Jehoiarib, and JachinAzariah son of Hilkiah (the chief official in the Temple), whose ancestors included Meshullam, Zadok, Meraioth, and AhitubAdaiah son of Jeroham, whose ancestors included Pashhur and MalchijahMaasai son of Adiel, whose ancestors included Jahzerah, Meshullam, Meshillemith, and Immer
13. The priests who were heads of families totalled 1,760. They were experts in all the work carried on in the Temple.
14-16. The following Levites lived in Jerusalem:Shemaiah son of Hasshub, whose ancestors included Azrikam and Hashabiah, of the clan of MerariBakbakkar, Heresh, and GalalMattaniah son of Mica, whose ancestors included Zichri and AsaphObadiah son of Shemaiah, whose ancestors included Galal and JeduthunBerechiah, the son of Asa and grandson of Elkanah, who lived in the territory that belonged to the town of Netophah.
17. The following temple guards lived in Jerusalem: Shallum, Akkub, Talmon, and Ahiman. Shallum was their leader.
18. Down to that time members of their clans had been stationed at the eastern entrance to the King's Gate. Formerly they had stood guard at the gates to the camps of the Levites.
19. Shallum, the son of Kore and grandson of Ebiasaph, together with his fellow-members of the clan of Korah, was responsible for guarding the entrance to the Tent of the Lord's presence, just as their ancestors had been when they were in charge of the Lord's camp.
20. Phineas son of Eleazar — may the Lord be with him! — had supervised them at one time.
21. Zechariah son of Meshelemiah was also a guard at the entrance to the Tent of the Lord's presence.
22. In all, 212 men were chosen as guards for the entrances and gates. They were registered according to the villages where they lived. It was King David and the prophet Samuel who had put their ancestors in these responsible positions.
23. They and their descendants continued to guard the gates to the Temple.