TORAH
FIVE BOOKS OF MOSES
NEVI'IM
PROPHETS
KETUVIM
WRITINGS

Chapter 11

Listen to this chapter in Hebrew:

1The officers of the people settled in Yerushalayim; the rest of the people cast lots for one out of ten to come and settle in the holy city of Yerushalayim, and the other nine-tenths to stay in the towns.

va-yay-sh'-VU sa-RAY ha-AM bee-ru-sha-LA-im ush-AR ha-AM hi-PEE-lu go-ra-LOT l'-ha-VEE e-KHAD min ha-a-sa-RAH la-SHE-vet bee-ru-sha-LA-im EER ha-KO-desh v'-TAY-sha ha-ya-DOT be-a-REEM

אוַיֵּשְׁבוּ שָׂרֵי־הָעָם בִּירוּשָׁלָ ִם וּשְׁאָר הָעָם הִפִּילוּ גוֹרָלוֹת לְהָבִיא אֶחָד מִן־הָעֲשָׂרָה לָשֶׁבֶת בִּירוּשָׁלַ ִם עִיר הַקֹּדֶשׁ וְתֵשַׁע הַיָּדוֹת בֶּעָרִים׃

 11:1   In the holy city of Yerushalayim

Rooftops of a Tzfat neighborhood.

In addition to Yerushalayim, Jews recognize three other holy cities, Tzfat (Safed), Teveria (Tiberias), and Chevron (Hebron). The idea of four holy cities originated after the Ottoman conquest of Israel, and corresponds to the four centers of Jewish life at the time. Each city is holy for a different reason, and each corresponds to one of the four elements from which the ancients believed the world was created. Chevron is the burial site of the Patriarchs and Matriarchs, symbolic of earth. Teveria, where the Jerusalem Talmud was compiled, resides by the shores of the Kinneret and corresponds to water. Tzfat, located high up on the mountains, is the renowned center of mystical Judaism, the Kabbalah, and is therefore associated with air. And Yerushalayim, the site of the Temples which contained the altars and the menorah lamp, is associated with fire. In this way, the four holy cities of Israel contain all the elements for everything in heaven and earth.

2The people gave their blessing to all the men who willingly settled in Yerushalayim.

בוַיְבָרֲכוּ הָעָם לְכֹל הָאֲנָשִׁים הַמִּתְנַדְּבִים לָשֶׁבֶת בִּירוּשָׁלָ ִם׃

3These are the heads of the province who lived in Yerushalayim—in the countryside of Yehuda, the people lived in their towns, each on his own property, Israelites, Kohanim, Leviim, temple servants, and the sons of Shlomo's servants,

גוְאֵלֶּה רָאשֵׁי הַמְּדִינָה אֲשֶׁר יָשְׁבוּ בִּירוּשָׁלָ ִם וּבְעָרֵי יְהוּדָה יָשְׁבוּ אִישׁ בַּאֲחֻזָּתוֹ בְּעָרֵיהֶם יִשְׂרָאֵל הַכֹּהֲנִים וְהַלְוִיִּם וְהַנְּתִינִים וּבְנֵי עַבְדֵי שְׁלֹמֹה׃

4while in Yerushalayim some of the Judahites and some of the Benjaminites lived: Of the Judahites: Athaiah son of Uzziyahu son of Zecharya son of Amariah son of Shephatiah son of Mehalalel, of the clan of Periz,

דוּבִירוּשָׁלַ ִם יָשְׁבוּ מִבְּנֵי יְהוּדָה וּמִבְּנֵי בִנְיָמִן מִבְּנֵי יְהוּדָה עֲתָיָה בֶן־עֻזִּיָּה בֶּן־זְכַרְיָה בֶן־אֲמַרְיָה בֶּן־שְׁפַטְיָה בֶן־מַהֲלַלְאֵל מִבְּנֵי־פָרֶץ׃

5and Maaseiah son of Baruch son of Col-hozeh son of Hazaiah son of Adaiah son of Joiarib son of Zecharya son of the Shilohite.

הוּמַעֲשֵׂיָה בֶן־בָּרוּךְ בֶּן־כָּל־חֹזֶה בֶּן־חֲזָיָה בֶן־עֲדָיָה בֶן־יוֹיָרִיב בֶּן־זְכַרְיָה בֶּן־הַשִּׁלֹנִי׃

6All the clan of Periz who were living in Yerushalayim—468 valorous men.

וכָּל־בְּנֵי־פֶרֶץ הַיֹּשְׁבִים בִּירוּשָׁלָ ִם אַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת שִׁשִּׁים וּשְׁמֹנָה אַנְשֵׁי־חָיִל׃

7These are the Binyaminites: Sallu son of Meshullam son of Joed son of Pedaiah son of Kolaiah son of Maaseiah son of Itiel son of Jesaiah.

זוְאֵלֶּה בְּנֵי בִנְיָמִן סַלֻּא בֶּן־מְשֻׁלָּם בֶּן־יוֹעֵד בֶּן־פְּדָיָה בֶן־קוֹלָיָה בֶן־מַעֲשֵׂיָה בֶּן־אִיתִיאֵל בֶּן־יְשַׁעְיָה׃

8After him, Gabbai and Sallai—928.

חוְאַחֲרָיו גַּבַּי סַלָּי תְּשַׁע מֵאוֹת עֶשְׂרִים וּשְׁמֹנָה׃

9Yoel son of Zichri was the official in charge of them, and Yehuda son of Hassenuah was the second-in-command of the city.

טוְיוֹאֵל בֶּן־זִכְרִי פָּקִיד עֲלֵיהֶם וִיהוּדָה בֶן־הַסְּנוּאָה עַל־הָעִיר מִשְׁנֶה׃

10Of the Kohanim: Jedaiah son of Joiarib, Jachin,

ימִן־הַכֹּהֲנִים יְדַעְיָה בֶן־יוֹיָרִיב יָכִין׃

11Seraya son of Chilkiyahu son of Meshullam son of Tzadok son of Meraioth son of Achituv, chief officer of the House of Hashem,

יאשְׂרָיָה בֶן־חִלְקִיָּה בֶּן־מְשֻׁלָּם בֶּן־צָדוֹק בֶּן־מְרָיוֹת בֶּן־אֲחִיטוּב נְגִד בֵּית הָאֱלֹהִים׃

12and their brothers, who did the work of the House—822; and Adaiah son of Jeroham son of Pelaliah son of Amzi son of Zecharya son of Pashhur son of Malchijah,

יבוַאֲחֵיהֶם עֹשֵׂי הַמְּלָאכָה לַבַּיִת שְׁמֹנֶה מֵאוֹת עֶשְׂרִים וּשְׁנָיִם וַעֲדָיָה בֶּן־יְרֹחָם בֶּן־פְּלַלְיָה בֶּן־אַמְצִי בֶן־זְכַרְיָה בֶּן־פַּשְׁחוּר בֶּן־מַלְכִּיָּה׃

13and his brothers, heads of clans—242; and Amashsai son of Azarel son of Ahzai son of Meshillemoth son of Immer,

יגוְאֶחָיו רָאשִׁים לְאָבוֹת מָאתַיִם אַרְבָּעִים וּשְׁנָיִם וַעֲמַשְׁסַי בֶּן־עֲזַרְאֵל בֶּן־אַחְזַי בֶּן־מְשִׁלֵּמוֹת בֶּן־אִמֵּר׃

14and their brothers, valorous warriors—128. Zabdiel son of Haggedolim was the official in charge of them.

ידוַאֲחֵיהֶם גִּבּוֹרֵי חַיִל מֵאָה עֶשְׂרִים וּשְׁמֹנָה וּפָקִיד עֲלֵיהֶם זַבְדִּיאֵל בֶּן־הַגְּדוֹלִים׃

15Of the Leviim: Shemaya son of Hasshub son of Azrikam son of Hashabiah son of Bunni,

טווּמִן־הַלְוִיִּם שְׁמַעְיָה בֶן־חַשּׁוּב בֶּן־עַזְרִיקָם בֶּן־חֲשַׁבְיָה בֶּן־בּוּנִּי׃

16and Shabbethai and Yozavad of the heads of the Leviim were in charge of the external work of the House of Hashem.

טזוְשַׁבְּתַי וְיוֹזָבָד עַל־הַמְּלָאכָה הַחִיצֹנָה לְבֵית הָאֱלֹהִים מֵרָאשֵׁי הַלְוִיִּם׃

17Mattaniah son of Micha son of Zabdi son of Asaf was the head; at prayer, he would lead off with praise; and Bakbukiah, one of his brothers, was his second-in-command; and Abda son of Shammua son of Galal son of Yedutun.

יזוּמַתַּנְיָה בֶן־מִיכָה בֶּן־זַבְדִּי בֶן־אָסָף רֹאשׁ הַתְּחִלָּה יְהוֹדֶה לַתְּפִלָּה וּבַקְבֻּקְיָה מִשְׁנֶה מֵאֶחָיו וְעַבְדָּא בֶּן־שַׁמּוּעַ בֶּן־גָּלָל בֶּן־ידיתון [יְדוּתוּן׃]

18All the Leviim in the holy city—284.

יחכָּל־הַלְוִיִּם בְּעִיר הַקֹּדֶשׁ מָאתַיִם שְׁמֹנִים וְאַרְבָּעָה׃

19And the gatekeepers: Akkub, Talmon, and their brothers, who stood watch at the gates—172.

יטוְהַשּׁוֹעֲרִים עַקּוּב טַלְמוֹן וַאֲחֵיהֶם הַשֹּׁמְרִים בַּשְּׁעָרִים מֵאָה שִׁבְעִים וּשְׁנָיִם׃

20And the rest of the Israelites, the Kohanim, and the Leviim in all the towns of Yehuda [lived] each on his estate.

כוּשְׁאָר יִשְׂרָאֵל הַכֹּהֲנִים הַלְוִיִּם בְּכָל־עָרֵי יְהוּדָה אִישׁ בְּנַחֲלָתוֹ׃

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

כאוְהַנְּתִינִים יֹשְׁבִים בָּעֹפֶל וְצִיחָא וְגִשְׁפָּא עַל־הַנְּתִינִים׃

22The overseer of the Leviim in Yerushalayim was Uzzi son of Bani son of Hashabiah son of Mattaniah son of Micha, of the Asaphite singers, over the work of the House of Hashem.

כבוּפְקִיד הַלְוִיִּם בִּירוּשָׁלַ ִם עֻזִּי בֶן־בָּנִי בֶּן־חֲשַׁבְיָה בֶּן־מַתַּנְיָה בֶּן־מִיכָא מִבְּנֵי אָסָף הַמְשֹׁרְרִים לְנֶגֶד מְלֶאכֶת בֵּית־הָאֱלֹהִים׃

23There was a royal order concerning them, a stipulation concerning the daily duties of the singers.

כגכִּי־מִצְוַת הַמֶּלֶךְ עֲלֵיהֶם וַאֲמָנָה עַל־הַמְשֹׁרְרִים דְּבַר־יוֹם בְּיוֹמוֹ׃

24Petahiah son of Meshezabel, of the sons of Zerach son of Yehuda, advised the king concerning all the affairs of the people.

כדוּפְתַחְיָה בֶּן־מְשֵׁיזַבְאֵל מִבְּנֵי־זֶרַח בֶּן־יְהוּדָה לְיַד הַמֶּלֶךְ לְכָל־דָּבָר לָעָם׃

25As concerns the villages with their fields: Some of the Judahites lived in Kiryat Arba and its outlying hamlets, in Dibon and its outlying hamlets, and in Jekabzeel and its villages;

כהוְאֶל־הַחֲצֵרִים בִּשְׂדֹתָם מִבְּנֵי יְהוּדָה יָשְׁבוּ בְּקִרְיַת הָאַרְבַּע וּבְנֹתֶיהָ וּבְדִיבֹן וּבְנֹתֶיהָ וּבִיקַּבְצְאֵל וַחֲצֵרֶיהָ׃

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

כווּבְיֵשׁוּעַ וּבְמוֹלָדָה וּבְבֵית פָּלֶט׃

27in Hazar-shual, in Be'er Sheva and its outlying hamlets;

כזוּבַחֲצַר שׁוּעָל וּבִבְאֵר שֶׁבַע וּבְנֹתֶיהָ׃

28and in Tziklag and in Meconah and its outlying hamlets;

כחוּבְצִקְלַג וּבִמְכֹנָה וּבִבְנֹתֶיהָ׃

29in En-rimmon, in Tzora and in Yarmut;

כטוּבְעֵין רִמּוֹן וּבְצָרְעָה וּבְיַרְמוּת׃

30Zanoach, Adulam, and their villages; Lachish and its fields; Azeika and its outlying hamlets. They settled from Be'er Sheva to the Valley of Hinnom.

לזָנֹחַ עֲדֻלָּם וְחַצְרֵיהֶם לָכִישׁ וּשְׂדֹתֶיהָ עֲזֵקָה וּבְנֹתֶיהָ וַיַּחֲנוּ מִבְּאֵר־שֶׁבַע עַד־גֵּיא־הִנֹּם׃

31The Benjaminites: from Geba, Michmash, Aija, and Beit El and its outlying hamlets;

לאוּבְנֵי בִנְיָמִן מִגָּבַע מִכְמָשׂ וְעַיָּה וּבֵית־אֵל וּבְנֹתֶיהָ׃

32Anatot, Nov, Ananiah,

לבעֲנָתוֹת נֹב עֲנָנְיָה׃

33Hazor, Rama, Gittaim,

לגחָצוֹר רָמָה גִּתָּיִם׃

34Hadid, Zeboim, Neballat,

לדחָדִיד צְבֹעִים נְבַלָּט׃

35Lod, Ono, Ge-harashim.

להלֹד וְאוֹנוֹ גֵּי הַחֲרָשִׁים׃

36Some of the Judahite divisions of Leviim were [shifted] to Binyamin.

לווּמִן־הַלְוִיִּם מַחְלְקוֹת יְהוּדָה לְבִנְיָמִין׃