Nehemiah 11

1 And the rulers of the people dwelt in Jerusalem, —and, the rest of the people, cast lots, to bring in one out of ten to dwell in Jerusalem, the holy city, and nine parts in [other] cities.

The [Israeli] leaders [and their families] settled in the sacred city, Jerusalem. The other people (cast lots/threw marked stones) to determine which family from each ten families would live in Jerusalem. The other people continued to live in the other towns and cities [in Judea].

2 And the people bestowed a blessing on all the men, who willingly offered themselves to dwell in Jerusalem.

Those people [asked God to] bless those who volunteered to [be among the 10% who] moved to Jerusalem.

3 Now, these, are the chiefs of the province, who dwelt in Jerusalem, but, in the cities of Judah, dwelt every man in his possession throughout their cities, Israel, the priests, and the Levites and the Nethinim, and the Sons of the Servants of Solomon.

[Some of] the priests, [some of] the [other] descendants of Levi, [some of] the temple workers, and the descendants of King Solomon’s servants, and many of the other people lived on their own property in the towns [where their ancestors had lived].

4 And, in Jerusalem, dwelt certain of the sons of Judah and of the sons of Benjamin, —Of the sons of Judah, Athaiah son of Uzziah, son of Zechariah, son of Amariah, son of Shephatiah, son of Mahalalel, of the sons of Perez;

But some people from the tribes of Judah and Benjamin [decided to] live in Jerusalem. One of them from the tribe of Judah was Athaiah. He was the son of Uzziah, who was the son of Zechariah, who was the son of Amariah, who was the son of Shephatiah, who was the son of Mahalalel, who was a descendant of [Judah’s son] Perez.

5 and Maaseiah son of Baruch, son of Col-hozeh, son of Hazaiah, son of Adaiah, son of Joiarib, son of Zechariah, son of the Shilonite.

[Another one from the tribe of Judah was] Maaseiah, [who was] the son of Baruch, [who was] the son of Colhozeh, [who was] the son of Hazaiah, [who was] the son of Adaiah, [who was] the son of Joiarib, [who was] the son of Zechariah, [who was] a descendant of [Judah’s son] Shelah.

6 All the sons of Perez who were dwelling in Jerusalem, four hundred and sixty-eight, men of ability.

There were 468 men who were descendants of Perez who were valiant/courageous soldiers who lived in Jerusalem.

7 And, 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;

[One of the men] of the tribe of Benjamin who decided to live in Jerusalem was 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, the son of Jeshaiah.

8 and, after him, Gabbai, Sallai, —nine hundred and twenty-eight.

Two of Sallu’s relatives, Gabbai and Sallai, also settled in Jerusalem. Altogether, 928 people from the tribe of Benjamin settled in Jerusalem

9 And, Joel son of Zichri, was in charge over them, —and, Judah son of Hassenuah, was over the city, as second.

Their leader was Joel, son of Zichri. The official who was second in command in Jerusalem was Hassenuah.

10 Of the priests, Jedaiah son of Joiarib, Jachin;

The priests [who settled in Jerusalem] were Jedaiah the son of Joiarib, Jakin,

11 Seraiah son of Hilkiah, son of Meshullam, son of Zadok, son of Meraioth, son of Ahitub, chief ruler of the house of God;

Seraiah, the son of Hilkiah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Zadok, the son of Meraioth, the son of Ahitub [who had previously been] the Supreme Priest.

12 and their brethren who were doing the work of the house, eight hundred and twenty-two, —and Adaiah son of Jeroham, son of Pelaliah, son of Amzi, son of Zechariah, son of Pashhur, son of Malchijah;

Altogether, 822 members of that clan worked in the temple. Another [priest who settled in Jerusalem] was 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.

13 and his brethren, ancestral chiefs, two hundred and forty-two, —and Amashsai son of Azarel, son of Ahzai, son of Meshillemoth, son of Immer;

Altogether, there were 242 members of that clan who were leaders of the clan [who settled in Jerusalem]. Another [priest who settled in Jerusalem] was Amashsai the son of Azarel, the son of Ahzai, the son of Meshillemoth, the son of Immer.

14 and their brethren, strong men of ability, a hundred and twenty-eight, —and, he who was in charge of them, was Zabdiel, son of Haggedolim.

There were 128 members of that clan who were valiant soldiers [who settled in Jerusalem]. Their leader was Zabdiel the son of Haggedolim.

15 And, of the Levites, Shemaiah son of Hasshub, son of Azrikam, son of Hashabiah, son of Bunni;

Another descendant of Levi who settled in Jerusalem was Shemaiah the son of Hasshub, the son of Azrikam, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Bunni.

16 and Shabbethai and Jozabad, over the outside business of the house of God, of the chiefs of the Levites;

Two others were Shabbethai and Jozabad, who were prominent men who supervised the work outside the temple.

17 and Mattaniah son of Mica, son of Zabdi, son of Asaph, leader of the praise who giveth thanks, in prayer, and Bakbukiah the second among his brethren, —and Obadiah son of Shemaiah, son of Galal, son of Jeduthun.

Another one was Mattaniah, the son of Mica, the son of Zabdi, the son of Asaph. Mattaniah directed the temple choir when they sang the prayers to thank [God]. His assistant was Bakbukiah. Another one was Abda, the son of Shammua, the son of Galal, the son of Jeduthun.

18 All the Levites in the holy city, were two hundred and eighty-four.

Altogether, there were 284 descendants of Levi who settled in Jerusalem.

19 And, the door-keepers—Akkub, Talmon, and their brethren who were keeping watch in the gates, were a hundred and seventy-two.

The men who guarded the temple gates were Akkub and Talmon and 172 of their relatives who settled in Jerusalem.

20 But, the residue of Israel, the priests, the Levites, were in all the cities of Judah, every one in his inheritance.

The other Israeli people including priests and [other] descendants of Levi lived on their own property in other towns and cities in Judea.

21 Howbeit, the Nethinim, were dwelling in Ophel, —and, Ziha and Gishpa, were over the Nethinim.

But the temple workers lived on Ophel [Hill in Jerusalem]. They were supervised by Ziha and Gishpa.

22 And, the overseer of the Levites in Jerusalem, was Uzzi son of Bani, son of Hashabiah, son of Mattaniah, son of Mica, —of the sons of Asaph the singers, to take lead in the business of the house of God.

The man who supervised the [other] descendants of Levi who [helped the priests and] lived in Jerusalem was Uzzi, the son of Bani, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Mica. Uzzi belonged to the clan of Asaph, the clan that was in charge of the music in the temple.

23 For, the commandment of the king, was upon them, —as to a fixed provision for the singers, the need of a day upon its day.

The king [of Persia] had commanded that the clans should decide what each clan should do to lead the music in the temple each day.

24 And, Pethahiah son of Meshezabel, of the sons of Zerah, son of Judah, was at the hand of the king, in every matter pertaining to the people.

Pethahiah, the son of Meshezabel, [who was] from the clan of Zerah and a descendant of Judah, was the ambassador [of the Israelis] to the king of Persia.

25 And, as for the villages in their fields, some of the sons of Judah, dwelt in Kiriath-arba, and the hamlets thereof, and in Dibon, and the hamlets thereof, and in Jekabzeel, and the villages thereof;

Some of the people [who did not settle in Jerusalem] lived in villages close to their farms. Some from the tribe of Judah lived in villages near Kiriath-Arba, Dibon, and Jekabzeel [cities].

26 and in Jeshua, and in Moladah, and in Beth-pelet;

Some lived in Jeshua [city], in Moladah [city], in Beth-Pelet [city],

27 and in Hazar-shual, and in Beer-sheba, and the hamlets thereof;

in Hazar-Shual [city], and in Beersheba [city] and the villages near it.

28 and in Ziklag, and in Meconah, and in the hamlets thereof,

Others lived in Ziklag [city], in Meconah [city] and the villages near it,

29 and in En-rimmmon, and in Zorah, and in Jarmuth;

in En-Rimmon [city], in Zorah [city], in Jarmuth [city],

30 Zanoah, Adullam and their villages, Lachish, and the fields thereof, Azekah, and the hamlets thereof, —so they encamped from Beer-sheba, unto the valley of Hinnom.

in Zanoah [city], in Adullam [city], and in the villages near those cities. Some lived in Lachish [city] and in the nearby villages, and some lived in Azekah [town] and the villages near it. All of those people lived in Judea, in the area between Beersheba [in the south] and Hinnom Valley [in the north, at the edge of Jerusalem].

31 And, the sons of Benjamin, [dwelt] from Geba, to Michmas and Aija, and Bethel, and the hamlets thereof:

The people of the tribe of Benjamin lived in Geba [city], Micmash [city], Aija [city which is also known as Ai], Bethel [city] and in nearby villages,

32 Anathoth, Nob, Ananiah;

in Anathoth [city], in Nob [city], in Ananiah [town],

33 Hazor, Ramah, Gittaim;

in Hazor [city], in Ramah [city], in Gittaim [city],

34 Hadid, Zeboim, Neballat;

in Hadid [city], in Zeboim [town], in Neballat [town],

35 Lod and Ono, the valley of craftsmen.

in Lod [town], in Ono [town], and in Craftsmen’s Valley.

36 Howbeit, of the Levites, certain courses of Judah, pertained unto Benjamin.

Some of the groups of the descendants of Levi who had lived in Judea were sent to live with [the people of the tribe of] Benjamin.