1. After the wall had been rebuilt, I had set the doors in place. Then the gatekeepers, singers and Levites were chosen.
2. I put my brother Hanani, along with Hananiah, in charge of Jerusalem. Hananiah was commander of the palace. He was honest, and he feared God more than most men.
3. I said to them, “The gates of Jerusalem should not be opened until the sun is hot. While the gatekeepers are still on duty, have them shut and bolt the doors. Appoint people who live in Jerusalem as guards. Put some at guard posts and some near their own houses.”
4. The city was large and full of room. But there were few people in it. And the houses had not yet been rebuilt.
5. So my God caused me to gather the people. I gathered the important men, the leaders and the common people. This was so I could register them by families. I found the family history of those who had returned first. This is what I found written there:
6. These are the people of the area who returned from captivity. Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had taken them captive. Now they returned to Jerusalem and Judah. Each one went back to his own town.
7. These people returned with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum and Baanah.These are the men from Israel:
8. the descendants of Parosh—2,172;
9. the descendants of Shephatiah—372;
10. the descendants of Arah—652;
11. the descendants of Pahath-Moab (through the family of Jeshua and Joab)—2,818;
12. the descendants of Elam—1,254;
13. the descendants of Zattu—845;
14. the descendants of Zaccai—760;
15. the descendants of Binnui—648;
16. the descendants of Bebai—628;