1 After this, the heads of clans were chosen, tribe by tribe, to go to Jerusalem with their wives, children, slaves, and animals.
2 Darius sent a thousand cavalry troops to escort them safely back to Jerusalem.
3 He sent them off to the music of drums and flutes, while all their fellow-Israelites danced for joy.
4 These are the names, by tribes, clans, and families, of the men who returned:
5 Among the priests, descendants of Phinehas son of Aaron, was Joshua, son of Jozadak and grandson of Seraiah. He was accompanied by Zerubbabel, who was the son of Shealtiel of the family of David, of the line of Perez, of the tribe of Judah.
6 He was the one who had spoken the wise words before Darius, emperor of Persia. They left Babylon in the second year of his reign in Nisan, the first month.
7 These are the Jewish men who returned from exile. Their families had been living in Babylonia since King Nebuchadnezzar had taken them there as prisoners.
8 They returned to Jerusalem and the rest of Judah, each to his own home town. Their leaders were Zerubbabel, Joshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Resaiah, Eneneus, Mordecai, Beelsarus, Aspharasus, Reeliah, Rehum, and Baanah.
9-17a The following is a list of the clans of Israel, with the number of those from each clan who returned with their leaders from exile:Parosh — 2,172Shephatiah — 472Arah — 756Pahath Moab (descendants of Jeshua and Joab) — 2,812Elam — 1,254Zattu — 945Chorbe — 705Bani — 648Bebai — 623Azgad — 1,322Adonikam — 667Bigvai — 2,066Adin — 454Ater (also called Hezekiah) — 92Kilan and Azetas — 67Azaru — 432Annias — 101Arom — …Bezai — 323Arsiphurith — 112Baiterus — 3,005
17b-23 People whose ancestors had lived in the following towns also returned:Bethlehem — 123Netophah — 55Anathoth — 158Beth Azmaveth — 42Kiriath Jearim — 25Chephirah and Beeroth — 743The towns of the Chadiasans and the Ammidians — 422Ramah and Geba — 621Michmash — 122Bethel — 52Magbish — 156The other Elam and Ono — 725Jericho — 345Senaah — 3,330
24-25 The following is the list of the priestly clans that returned from exile:Jedaiah (descendants of Jeshua and Anasib) — 972Immer — 1,052Pashhur — 1,247Harim — 1,017
26-28 Clans of Levites who returned from exile:Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bannas, and Sudias — 74Temple musicians (descendants of Asaph) — 128Temple guards (descendants of Shallum, Ater, Talmon, Akkub, Hatita, and Shobai) — 139
29-32 Clans of Temple workmen who returned from exile:Esau, Hasupha, Tabbaoth,Keros, Siaha, Padon,Lebanah, Hagabah, Akkub,Uthai, Ketab, Hagab,Shamlai, Hanan, Cathua,Geddur, Jairus, Daisan,Noeba, Chaseba, Gazera,Uzza, Phinoe, Asara,Besai, Asnah, Meunim,Nephisim, Akub, Hakupha,Asur, Pharakim, Bazluth,Mehida, Cutha, Charea,Barkos, Sisera, Temah,Neziah, Hatipha
33-34 Clans of Solomon's servants who returned from exile:Hassophereth, Peruda, Jaalah,Lozon, Giddel, Shephatiah,Agia, Phochereth Hazzebaim,Sarothie, Masiah, Gas,Addus, Subas, Apherra,Barodis, Shaphat, Adlon
35 The total number of descendants of the Temple workmen and of Solomon's servants who returned from exile was 372.
36-37 There were 652 belonging to the clans of Delaiah (descendants of Tobiah) and Nekoda who returned from the towns of Tel Melah and Tel Harsha, with their leaders Cherub, Addan, and Immer; but these could not prove that they were descendants of the Israelites.
38-39 The following clans, who claimed to be priestly clans, could find no record to prove their ancestry: Habaiah, Hakkoz, Jaddus (the ancestor of the clan of Jaddus had married Agia, one of the daughters of Barzillai, and had taken the name of his father-in-law's clan). Since they were unable to prove who their ancestors were, they were not allowed to function as priests.
40 Nehemiah the governor told them that they could not eat the food offered to God until there was a High Priest who could use the Revelation and Truth.
41-43 The total number of Israelites (twelve years old or older, not counting servants) — 42,360Male and female servants — 7,337Male and female musicians — 245Camels — 435Horses — 7,036Mules — 245Donkeys — 5,525
44 When the exiles arrived at the place of God's Temple in Jerusalem, some of the leaders of the clans took a vow to rebuild the Temple on its old site, to the best of their ability.
45 They promised to contribute for the rebuilding and the service of the Temple 500 kilogrammes of gold, 2.5 tonnes of silver, and 100 robes for priests.
46 The priests, the Levites, and some of the people settled in or near Jerusalem; the musicians and the Temple guards settled in nearby towns; and the rest of the Israelites settled in the towns where their ancestors had lived.
47 By the seventh month the people of Israel were all settled in their towns. Then they all assembled in the open square in front of the first gate on the east side of the Temple area.
48 Joshua son of Jehozadak, his fellow-priests, and Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, together with his relatives, prepared the altar of the God of Israel,
49 so that they could burn sacrifices on it according to the instructions written in the Law of Moses, the man of God.
50 Some of the local people, even though they were stronger than the Jews and opposed to them, joined them in rebuilding the altar where it had stood before. Then the Jews began once again to burn the regular morning and evening sacrifices on the altar.
51 They celebrated the Festival of Shelters, according to the regulations, each day offering the sacrifices required for that day.
52 They also offered the normal daily sacrifices, as well as those required for the Sabbath, the New Moon Festival, and the other regular assemblies for worship.
53 Although the people had not yet rebuilt God's Temple, everyone who had made a vow to God began to offer sacrifices on the first day of the seventh month.
54 The people gave money to pay the stonemasons and the carpenters; they gave food, drink,
55 and carts to be sent to the cities of Tyre and Sidon in exchange for cedar logs from Lebanon, which were to be floated to the harbour at Joppa. All this was done according to the orders given by Cyrus, emperor of Persia.
56-57 So in the second month of the year after they came back to the site of the Temple in Jerusalem, they started the work and began laying the foundation. Zerubbabel, Joshua, and the rest of their fellow-Israelites, the priests, and the Levites — in fact, all the exiles who had come back to Jerusalem, joined in the work.
58 The Levites twenty years of age or older were put in charge of rebuilding the Temple for the Lord. The Levite Jeshua and his sons and relatives, his brother Kadmiel, the sons of Jeshua Emadabun, the sons of Joda son of Iliadun, and all their sons and relatives — in fact, all the Levites joined together to take charge of the rebuilding of the Temple.While the workers were building the Temple of the Lord,
59 the priests in their robes took their places with trumpets and other musical instruments in their hands, and the Levites of the clan of Asaph stood there with cymbals.
60 They praised the Lord and gave thanks to him according to the instructions handed down from the time of King David.
61 They sang psalms praising the Lord, repeating the refrain: “The goodness of the Lord and his glorious presence are with all Israel for ever.”
62 All the people blew trumpets and shouted with all their might, praising the Lord because the Temple was being rebuilt.
63 Some of the older priests, Levites, and heads of clans had seen the first Temple, and when they came and saw the building of this Temple, they cried and wailed.
64 Others who were there blew trumpets and shouted for joy.
65 The crowd blew the trumpets so loudly that the blast could be heard far away, but no one near by could hear the blast of the trumpets because the sound made by those who were crying and wailing was so loud.
66 The enemies of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin heard the sound of the trumpets and came to see what it meant.
67 When they learnt that those who had returned from exile were rebuilding the Temple of the Lord, the God of Israel,
68 they went to Zerubbabel, Joshua, and the heads of the clans, and said, “Let us join you in building the Temple.
69 We worship the same Lord you worship and we have been offering sacrifices to him ever since Esarhaddon, emperor of Assyria, sent us here to live.”
70 Zerubbabel, Joshua, and the heads of clans said to them, “We don't need your help in building the Temple for the Lord our God.
71 We will build it ourselves, just as Cyrus, emperor of Persia, commanded us.”
72 Then the people who had been living in the land began to harass the Jews; they cut off their supplies and kept them from building.
73 These people plotted, agitated, and rioted so much that they prevented the Temple from being completed during the reign of Cyrus. The work was halted until Darius became emperor, two years later.