- This chapter provides a very long list of the different families and descendants who returned to Jerusalem from exile in Babylon. It lists single ancestors and the number of their descendants who've journeyed back.
- The list includes: the Israelite people as a whole, the priests, the Levites, the singers, the gatekeepers, and the descendants of Solomon's servants.
- It also lists people who couldn't prove their descent from Israel but still claimed it, including the descendants of some priests who were excluded since their names weren't found in the genealogical records and they were thus considered "unclean."
- The governor tells the questionable priests not to eat any holy food, until an approved priest can consult the seer stones Urim and Thummim and see if these guys are the real deal.
- The entire assembly of people is 42,360 members strong, not counting their 7,337 servants. There are also 200 male and female singers.
- There's also an accounting of the number of horses, camels, mules, and donkeys.
- When they arrive in Jerusalem, some of the heads of the family make offerings to the temple building fund. They also donate lots of gold, silver, and priestly robes.
- The priests, Levites, and some of the people live inside the Jerusalem city limits. Some of the singers, gatekeepers, temple servants, and the rest of Israel settle in their respective towns in the suburbs.