Nehemiah 7
1When the wall had been rebuilt and I had set the doors in place, the gatekeepers, singers, and Levites were appointed. 2Then I put my brother Hanani in charge of Jerusalem, along with Hananiah the commander of the fortress, because he was a faithful man who feared God more than most. 3And I told them, “Do not open the gates of Jerusalem until the sun is hot. While the guards are on duty, keep the doors shut and securely fastened. And appoint the residents of Jerusalem as guards, some at their posts and some at their own homes.” 4Now the city was large and spacious, but there were few people in it, and the houses had not yet been rebuilt. 5Then my God put it into my heart to assemble the nobles, the officials, and the people to be enrolled by genealogy. I found the genealogical register of those who had first returned, and I found the following written in it: 6These are the people of the province who came up from the captivity of the exiles carried away to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar its king. They returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his own town, 7accompanied by Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, and Baanah. This is the count of the men of Israel: 8the descendants of Parosh, 2,172; 9the descendants of Shephatiah, 372; 10the descendants of Arah, 652; 11the descendants of Pahath-moab (through the line of Jeshua and Joab), 2,818; 12the descendants of Elam, 1,254; 13the descendants of Zattu, 845; 14the descendants of Zaccai, 760; 15the descendants of Binnui, 648; 16the descendants of Bebai, 628; 17the descendants of Azgad, 2,322; 18the descendants of Adonikam, 667; 19the descendants of Bigvai, 2,067; 20the descendants of Adin, 655; 21the descendants of Ater (through Hezekiah), 98; 22the descendants of Hashum, 328; 23the descendants of Bezai, 324; 24the descendants of Hariph, 112; 25the descendants of Gibeon, 95; 26the men of Bethlehem and Netophah, 188; 27the men of Anathoth, 128; 28the men of Beth-azmaveth, 42; 29the men of Kiriath-jearim, Chephirah, and Beeroth, 743; 30the men of Ramah and Geba, 621; 31the men of Michmash, 122; 32the men of Bethel and Ai, 123; 33the men of the other Nebo, 52; 34the descendants of the other Elam, 1,254; 35the descendants of Harim, 320; 36the men of Jericho, 345; 37the men of Lod, Hadid, and Ono, 721; 38and the descendants of Senaah, 3,930. 39The priests: the descendants of Jedaiah (through the house of Jeshua), 973; 40the descendants of Immer, 1,052; 41the descendants of Pashhur, 1,247; 42and the descendants of Harim, 1,017. 43The Levites: the descendants of Jeshua (through Kadmiel, through the line of Hodevah), 74. 44The singers: the descendants of Asaph, 148. 45The gatekeepers: the descendants of Shallum, the descendants of Ater, the descendants of Talmon, the descendants of Akkub, the descendants of Hatita, and the descendants of Shobai, 138 in all. 46The temple servants: the descendants of Ziha, the descendants of Hasupha, the descendants of Tabbaoth, 47the descendants of Keros, the descendants of Sia, the descendants of Padon, 48the descendants of Lebanah, the descendants of Hagabah, the descendants of Shalmai, 49the descendants of Hanan, the descendants of Giddel, the descendants of Gahar, 50the descendants of Reaiah, the descendants of Rezin, the descendants of Nekoda, 51the descendants of Gazzam, the descendants of Uzza, the descendants of Paseah, 52the descendants of Besai, the descendants of Meunim, the descendants of Nephushesim, 53the descendants of Bakbuk, the descendants of Hakupha, the descendants of Harhur, 54the descendants of Bazlith, the descendants of Mehida, the descendants of Harsha, 55the descendants of Barkos, the descendants of Sisera, the descendants of Temah, 56the descendants of Neziah, and the descendants of Hatipha. 57The descendants of the servants of Solomon: the descendants of Sotai, the descendants of Sophereth, the descendants of Perida, 58the descendants of Jaala, the descendants of Darkon, the descendants of Giddel, 59the descendants of Shephatiah, the descendants of Hattil, the descendants of Pochereth-hazzebaim, and the descendants of Amon. 60The temple servants and descendants of the servants of Solomon numbered 392 in all. 61The following came up from Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Cherub, Addon, and Immer, but could not prove that their families were descended from Israel: 62the descendants of Delaiah, the descendants of Tobiah, and the descendants of Nekoda, 642 in all. 63And from among the priests: the descendants of Hobaiah, the descendants of Hakkoz, and the descendants of Barzillai (who had married a daughter of Barzillai the Gileadite and was called by their name). 64These men searched for their family records, but they could not find them and so were excluded from the priesthood as unclean. 65The governor ordered them not to eat the most holy things until there was a priest to consult the Urim and Thummim. 66The whole assembly numbered 42,360, 67in addition to their 7,337 menservants and maidservants, as well as their 245 male and female singers. 68They had 736 horses, 245 mules, 69435 camels, and 6,720 donkeys. 70Some of the heads of the families contributed to the project. The governor gave to the treasury 1,000 darics of gold, 50 bowls, and 530 priestly garments. 71And some of the heads of the families gave to the treasury for the project 20,000 darics of gold and 2,200 minas of silver. 72The rest of the people gave a total of 20,000 darics of gold, 2,000 minas of silver, and 67 priestly garments. 73So the priests, Levites, gatekeepers, singers, and temple servants, along with some of the people and the rest of the Israelites, settled in their own towns. And by the seventh month the Israelites had settled in their towns.
Life is short. Where are you going?
You just read God’s own words, and one day every one of us will stand before Him. “What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes” (James 4:14). This life will be over sooner than you think — do you know where you are going when it is?
The Bible says, “Man is appointed to die once, and after that to face judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). If you died today, would you be ready?
Are you a good person?
Most of us think we are. But God doesn’t measure us against other people — He measures us by His Law. Look honestly at the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:3–17):
- You shall have no other gods before Me.
- You shall not make for yourself an idol.
- You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain.
- Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.
- Honor your father and mother.
- You shall not murder.
- You shall not commit adultery.
- You shall not steal.
- You shall not bear false witness.
- You shall not covet.
Have you ever told a lie — even a small one? Have you ever taken something that wasn’t yours? Have you ever used God’s name as a curse word? Have you ever wanted what belongs to someone else? Jesus said that anyone who looks with lust “has already committed adultery … in his heart” (Matthew 5:28), and the Bible says “everyone who hates his brother is a murderer” (1 John 3:15).
If we’re honest, we have all broken God’s Law — and “whoever keeps the whole law but stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it” (James 2:10). “There is no one righteous, not even one … there is no one who does good, not even one” (Romans 3:10–12).
That leaves every one of us guilty before a holy God. “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23), and “whoever rejects the Son will not see life. Instead, the wrath of God remains on him” (John 3:36). This is why our world is full of tragedy — and without Christ, every life ends in the greatest tragedy of all.
But God made a way
“God proves His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). Jesus lived the perfect life we never could, and on the cross He took the punishment we deserved: “God made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). Three days later He rose from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:3–4).
It’s like standing guilty in court when the judge steps down and pays your fine himself. Forgiveness is a free gift — you can’t earn it: “It is by grace you have been saved through faith … it is the gift of God, not by works” (Ephesians 2:8–9). “The gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come that they may have life, and have it in all its fullness.” Jesus — John 10:10
What will you do with Jesus?
“Repent and believe in the gospel!” (Mark 1:15). Turn from your sin, and put your trust in Jesus alone — “if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9). Don’t put it off — “now is the time of favor; now is the day of salvation!” (2 Corinthians 6:2).
And when you turn to Him, you won’t be met with a frown — you’ll be met with a celebration. Jesus said, “there is joy in the presence of God’s angels over one sinner who repents” (Luke 15:10). God says, “I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked should turn from their ways and live” (Ezekiel 33:11). He is “mighty to save. He will rejoice over you with gladness … He will rejoice over you with singing” (Zephaniah 3:17). Like the father who ran to embrace his lost son, He is waiting with open arms — and heaven throws a party when you come home (Luke 15:20–24).
If you died today, where would you spend eternity? Today you can be forgiven, made new, and have real, abundant life — now and forever.
Scripture quotations are from the Berean Standard Bible (BSB), which is in the public domain.