Nehemiah - The Old Testament

¹ Now the leaders of the people took up residence in Jerusalem; so the rest of the people drew lots: one man in ten was to come and live in Jerusalem, the holy city, while the other nine were to stay in the towns outside.

² The people praised all those who volunteered to live in Jerusalem.

³ In the towns of Judah each man lived on his own property, but these are the provincial leaders, the Israelites, the priests, the Levites, the temple slaves and the descendants of Solomon's slaves, who made their homes in Jerusalem:

⁴ Of the sons of Judah and the sons of Benjamin who made their homes in Jerusalem there were: Of the sons of Judah: Athaiah son of Uzziah, son of Zechariah, son of Amariah, son of Shephatiah, son of Mehalalel, of the descendants of Perez;

⁵ and Maaseiah son of Baruch, son of Col-Hozeh, son of Hazaiah, son of Adaiah, son of Joiarib, son of Zechariah, descendant of Shelah.

⁶ The total number of the descendants of Perez living in Jerusalem was four hundred and sixty-eight outstanding people.

⁷ These are the sons of Benjamin: Sallu son of Meshullam, son of Joed, son of Pedaiah, son of Kolaiah, son of Maaseiah, son of Ithiel, son of Jeshaiah,

⁸ and his brothers Gabbai and Sallai; nine hundred and twenty-eight.

⁹ Joel son of Zichri was their chief, and Judah son of Hassenuah was second in command of the city.

¹⁰ Of the priests there were Jedaiah son of Joiakim, son of

¹¹ Seraiah, son of Hilkiah, son of Meshullam, son of Zadok, son of Meraioth, son of Ahitub, the chief of the Temple of God,

¹² and their kinsmen who performed the Temple liturgy: eight hundred and twenty-two; Adaiah son of Jeroham, son of Pelaliah, son of Amzi, son of Zechariah, son of Pashhur, son of Malchijah,

¹³ and his kinsfolk, heads of families: two hundred and forty-two; and Amashai son of Azarel, son of Ahzai, son of Meshillemoth, son of Immer,

¹⁴ and his kinsfolk, outstanding people: one hundred and twenty-eight. Their chief was Zabdiel son of Haggadol.

¹⁵ Of the Levites there were Shemaiah son of Hasshub, son of Azrikam, son of Hashabiah, son of Bunni;

¹⁶ Shabbethai and Jozabad, the levitical leaders responsible for work outside the Temple of God;

¹⁷ Mattaniah son of Mica, son of Zabdi, son of Asaph, who led the praises and intoned the thanksgiving associated with the prayer, Bakbukiah being his junior colleague; and Obadiah son of Shammua, son of Galal, son of Jeduthun.

¹⁸ The total number of Levites in the holy city was two hundred and eighty-four.

¹⁹ The gatekeepers: Akkub, Talmon and their kinsmen, who kept watch at the gates: one hundred and seventy-two.

²⁰ The rest of Israel, including the priests and Levites, made their homes throughout the towns of Judah, each man on his own inheritance,

²¹ The temple slaves lived on Ophel; Ziha and Gishpa were in charge of the temple slaves.

²² The official in charge of the Levites in Jerusalem was Uzzi son of Bani, son of Hashabiah, son of Mattaniah, son of Mica, of the sons of Asaph, who led the singing in the liturgy of the Temple of God;

²³ for the singers were under royal orders, with regulations laying down what was required of them day by day.

²⁴ Petahiah son of Meshezabel, of the sons of Zerah son of Judah, was the king's minister for all matters connected with the people.

²⁵ and in the villages near their lands. Some of the sons of Judah made their homes in Kiriath-Arba and its dependencies, Dibon and its dependencies, Jekabzeel and its dependencies,

²⁶ Jeshua, Moladah, Beth-Pelet,

²⁷ Hazar-Shual, Beersheba and its dependencies,

²⁸ Ziklag, Meconah and its dependencies,

²⁹ En-Rimmon, Zorah, Jarmuth,

³⁰ Zanoah, Adullam and their villages, Lachish and its lands, and Azekah and its dependencies; thus, they settled from Beersheba as far as the Valley of Hinnom.

³¹ And some Benjaminites made their homes in Geba, Michmash, Aija, Bethel and its dependencies,

³² Anathoth, Nob, Ananiah,

³³ Hazor, Ramah, Gittaim,

³⁴ Hadid, Zeboim, Neballat,

³⁵ Lod, Ono and the Valley of Craftsmen.

³⁶ Some levitical groups lived in Judah, some in Benjamin.