Time Passes; Heads of Provinces

1Now the leaders of the people lived in Jerusalem; but the rest of the people cast lots to bring one [person] out of ten to live in Jerusalem, the holy city, while nine-tenths remained in the other cities. 2And the people blessed all the men who volunteered to live in Jerusalem.

3These are the heads of the provinces who lived in Jerusalem, but in the cities of Judah everyone lived on his property in their cities--the Israelites, the priests, the Levites, the temple servants, and the descendants of Solomon’s servants. 4And some of the sons of Judah and some of the sons of Benjamin lived in Jerusalem. From the sons of Judah: Athaiah the son of Uzziah, the son of Zechariah, the son of Amariah, the son of Shephatiah, the son of Mahalalel, of the sons of Perez; 5Maaseiah the son of Baruch, the son of Col-hozeh, the son of Hazaiah, the son of Adaiah, the son of Joiarib, the son of Zechariah, the son of the Shilonite. 6All the sons of Perez who lived at Jerusalem were 468 able men.

7These are the sons of Benjamin: Sallu the son of Meshullam, the son of Joed, the son of Pedaiah, the son of Kolaiah, the son of Maaseiah, the son of Ithiel, son of Jeshaiah; 8and after him Gabbai and Sallai, 928. 9Joel the son of Zichri was their overseer, and Judah the son of Hassenuah was second in command of the city.

10Of the priests: Jedaiah the son of Joiarib, Jachin, 11Seraiah the son of Hilkiah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Zadok, the son of Meraioth, the son of Ahitub, the leader of the house of God, 12and their brothers (relatives, fellow workers) who did the work of the house, 822; and Adaiah the son of Jeroham, the son of Pelaliah, the son of Amzi, the son of Zechariah, the son of Pashhur, the son of Malchijah, 13and his brothers, heads of fathers’ households, 242; and Amashsai the son of Azarel, the son of Ahzai, the son of Meshillemoth, the son of Immer, 14and their brothers, brave men, 128. Their overseer was Zabdiel the son of Haggedolim [one of the great men].

15Now from the Levites: Shemaiah the son of Hasshub, the son of Azrikam, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Bunni; 16and Shabbethai and Jozabad, from the leaders of the Levites, who were in charge of the outside work of the house of God; 17Mattaniah the son of Mica, the son of Zabdi, the son of Asaph, who was the leader to begin the thanksgiving in prayer, and Bakbukiah, second among his brothers; and Abda the son of Shammua, the son of Galal, the son of Jeduthun. 18All the Levites in the holy city totaled 284.

19The gatekeepers: Akkub, Talmon, and their kinsmen, who kept watch at the gates, totaled 172.

Outside Jerusalem

20Now the rest of Israel, the priests and the Levites, were in all the cities of Judah, each on his own inheritance. 21But the temple servants were living in Ophel; Ziha and Gishpa were in charge of the temple servants.

22The overseer of the Levites in Jerusalem was Uzzi the son of Bani, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Mica, from Asaph’s sons, who were the singers in regard to the work of the house of God. 23For there was a [a]command from the [[b]Persian] king regarding the singers, as to their daily task. 24Pethahiah the son of Meshezabel, of the sons of Zerah the son of Judah, was the king’s representative in all matters concerning the people.

25As for the villages with their fields, some sons (descendants) of Judah lived in Kiriath-arba and its [c]towns, Dibon and its towns, and Jekabzeel and its villages, 26in Jeshua, in Moladah, in Beth-pelet, 27in Hazar-shual and in Beersheba and its towns, 28in Ziklag and in Meconah and its towns, 29in En-rimmon, in Zorah, and in Jarmuth, 30Zanoah, Adullam, and their villages, Lachish and its fields, and Azekah and its towns. So they camped from Beersheba as far as the Hinnom Valley. 31The sons (descendants) of Benjamin also lived from Geba onward, at Michmash, Aija, Bethel and its towns, 32at Anathoth, Nob, Ananiah, 33Hazor, Ramah, Gittaim, 34Hadid, Zeboim, Neballat, 35Lod, and Ono, the Valley of the Craftsmen. 36And certain divisions of the Levites in Judah belonged to Benjamin.

[a] 23 Some believe this refers to the regulations established by King David instead of the Persian king; however, Ezra 6:9, 10 records the fact that King Darius supplied appropriate items for sacrifice and requested daily prayers for “...the king and his sons.” Artaxerxes may have continued this practice.
[b] 23 Artaxerxes.
[c] 25 Lit daughters, and so throughout the chapter.