III. Dedication of the Wall; Other Reforms

Resettlement of Jerusalem. 1* a The administrators took up residence in Jerusalem, and the rest of the people cast lots to bring one man in ten to reside in Jerusalem, the holy city, while the other nine would remain in the other cities. 2The people blessed all those who willingly agreed to take up residence in Jerusalem.

3b These are the heads of the province who took up residence in Jerusalem. In the cities of Judah dwelt Israelites, priests, Levites, temple servants, and the descendants of Solomon’s servants, each on the property they owned in their own cities.

4In Jerusalem dwelt both Judahites and Benjaminites. Of the Judahites: Athaiah, son of Uzziah, son of Zechariah, son of Amariah, son of Shephatiah, son of Mehallalel, of the sons of Perez; 5Maaseiah, son of Baruch, son of Colhozeh, son of Hazaiah, son of Adaiah, son of Joiarib, son of Zechariah, a son of the Shelanites. 6The total of the descendants of Perez who dwelt in Jerusalem was four hundred and sixty-eight people of substance.

7These were the Benjaminites: Sallu, son of Meshullam, son of Joed, son of Pedaiah, son of Kolaiah, son of Maaseiah, son of Ithiel, son of Jeshaiah, 8and his kinsmen, warriors, nine hundred and twenty-eight in number. 9Joel, son of Zichri, was their commander, and Judah, son of Hassenuah, was second in command of the city.

10Among the priests were: Jedaiah; Joiarib; Jachin; 11Seraiah, son of Hilkiah, son of Meshullam, son of Zadok, son of Meraioth, son of Ahitub, the ruler of the house of God, 12and their kinsmen who carried out the temple service, eight hundred and twenty-two; Adaiah, son of Jeroham, son of Pelaliah, son of Amzi, son of Zechariah, son of Pashhur, son of Malchijah, 13and his kinsmen, heads of ancestral houses, two hundred and forty-two; and Amasai, son of Azarel, son of Ahzai, son of Meshillemoth, son of Immer, 14and his kinsmen, warriors, one hundred and twenty-eight. Their commander was Zabdiel, son of Haggadol.

15Among the Levites were Shemaiah, son of Hasshub, son of Azrikam, son of Hashabiah, son of Bunni; 16Shabbethai and Jozabad, levitical chiefs who were placed over the external affairs of the house of God; 17Mattaniah, son of Micah, son of Zabdi, son of Asaph, director of the psalms, who led the thanksgiving at prayer; Bakbukiah, second in rank among his kinsmen; and Abda, son of Shammua, son of Galal, son of Jeduthun. 18The total of the Levites in the holy city was two hundred and eighty-four.

19The gatekeepers were Akkub, Talmon, and their kinsmen, who kept watch over the gates; one hundred and seventy-two in number.

20The rest of Israel, including priests and Levites, were in all the other cities of Judah in their own inheritances.

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

22c The prefect of the Levites in Jerusalem was Uzzi, son of Bani, son of Hashabiah, son of Mattaniah, son of Micah; he was one of the descendants of Asaph, the singers appointed to the service of the house of God—23for they had been appointed by royal decree, and there was a fixed schedule for the singers assigning them their daily duties.

24Pethahiah, son of Meshezabel, a descendant of Zerah, son of Judah, was royal deputy in all affairs that concerned the people.

Other Settlements. 25As concerns their villages with their fields: Judahites lived in Kiriath-arba and its dependencies, in Dibon and its dependencies, in Jekabzeel and its villages, 26in Jeshua, Moladah, Beth-pelet, 27in Hazarshual, in Beer-sheba and its dependencies, 28in Ziklag, in Meconah and its dependencies, 29in En-rimmon, Zorah, Jarmuth, 30Zanoah, Adullam, and their villages, Lachish and its fields, Azekah and its dependencies. They were settled from Beer-sheba to Ge-hinnom.

31Benjaminites were in Geba, Michmash, Aija, Bethel and its dependencies, 32Anathoth, Nob, Ananiah, 33Hazor, Ramah, Gittaim, 34Hadid, Zeboim, Neballat, 35Lod, Ono, and the Valley of the Artisans.

36Some divisions of the Levites from Judah were attached to Benjamin.