Ezra 8

Genealogy of Those Who Returned with Ezra

1 These are the heads of their fathers' houses, and this is the genealogy of those who went up with me from Babylonia, in the reign of Artaxerxes the king:2 Of the sons of Phinehas, Gershom. Of the sons of Ithamar, Daniel. Of the sons of David, Hattush.3 Of the sons of Shecaniah, who was of the sons of Parosh, Zechariah, with whom were registered 150 men.4 Of the sons of Pahath-moab, Eliehoenai the son of Zerahiah, and with him 200 men.5 Of the sons of Zattu,t Shecaniah the son of Jahaziel, and with him 300 men.6 Of the sons of Adin, Ebed the son of Jonathan, and with him 50 men.7 Of the sons of Elam, Jeshaiah the son of Athaliah, and with him 70 men.8 Of the sons of Shephatiah, Zebadiah the son of Michael, and with him 80 men.9 Of the sons of Joab, Obadiah the son of Jehiel, and with him 218 men.10 Of the sons of Bani,t Shelomith the son of Josiphiah, and with him 160 men.11 Of the sons of Bebai, Zechariah, the son of Bebai, and with him 28 men.12 Of the sons of Azgad, Johanan the son of Hakkatan, and with him 110 men.13 Of the sons of Adonikam, those who came later, their names being Eliphelet, Jeuel, and Shemaiah, and with them 60 men.14 Of the sons of Bigvai, Uthai and Zaccur, and with them 70 men.

Ezra Sends for Levites

15 I gathered them to the river that runs to Ahava, and there we camped three days. As I reviewed the people and the priests, I found there none of the sons of Levi.16 Then I sent for Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah, Elnathan, Jarib, Elnathan, Nathan, Zechariah, and Meshullam, leading men, and for Joiarib and Elnathan, who were men of insight,17 and sent them to Iddo, the leading man at the place Casiphia, telling them what to say to Iddo and his brothers andt the temple servants at the place Casiphia, namely, to send us ministers for the house of our God.18 And by the good hand of our God on us, they brought us a man of discretion, of the sons of Mahli the son of Levi, son of Israel, namely Sherebiah with his sons and kinsmen, 18;19 also Hashabiah, and with him Jeshaiah of the sons of Merari, with his kinsmen and their sons, 20;20 besides 220 of the temple servants, whom David and his officials had set apart to attend the Levites. These were all mentioned by name.

Fasting and Prayer for Protection

21 Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek from him a safe journey for ourselves, our children, and all our goods.22 For I was ashamed to ask the king for a band of soldiers and horsemen to protect us against the enemy on our way, since we had told the king, "The hand of our God is for good on all who seek him, and the power of his wrath is against all who forsake him."23 So we fasted and implored our God for this, and he listened to our entreaty.

Priests to Guard Offerings

24 Then I set apart twelve of the leading priests: Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and ten of their kinsmen with them.25 And I weighed out to them the silver and the gold and the vessels, the offering for the house of our God that the king and his counselors and his lords and all Israel there present had offered.26 I weighed out into their hand 650 talentst of silver, and silver vessels worth 200 talents,t and 100 talents of gold,27 20 bowls of gold worth 1,000 darics,t and two vessels of fine bright bronze as precious as gold.28 And I said to them, "You are holy to the Lord, and the vessels are holy, and the silver and the gold are a freewill offering to the Lord, the God of your fathers.29 Guard them and keep them until you weigh them before the chief priests and the Levites and the heads of fathers' houses in Israel at Jerusalem, within the chambers of the house of the Lord."30 So the priests and the Levites took over the weight of the silver and the gold and the vessels, to bring them to Jerusalem, to the house of our God.

31 Then we departed from the river Ahava on the twelfth day of the first month, to go to Jerusalem. The hand of our God was on us, and he delivered us from the hand of the enemy and from ambushes by the way.32 We came to Jerusalem, and there we remained three days.33 On the fourth day, within the house of our God, the silver and the gold and the vessels were weighed into the hands of Meremoth the priest, son of Uriah, and with him was Eleazar the son of Phinehas, and with them were the Levites, Jozabad the son of Jeshua and Noadiah the son of Binnui.34 The whole was counted and weighed, and the weight of everything was recorded.

35 At that time those who had come from captivity, the returned exiles, offered burnt offerings to the God of Israel, twelve bulls for all Israel, ninety-six rams, seventy-seven lambs, and as a sin offering twelve male goats. All this was a burnt offering to the Lord.36 They also delivered the king's commissions to the king's satrapst and to the governors of the province Beyond the River, and they aided the people and the house of God.

Ezra 8

The Leaders Who Returned with Ezra

1 These are the leaderst and those enrolled with them by genealogy who were coming up with me from Babylon during the reign of King Artaxerxes:

2 from the descendants of Phinehas, Gershom;
from the descendants of Ithamar, Daniel;
from the descendants of David, Hattush

3 the son of Shecaniah;s
from the descendants of Parosh, Zechariah, and with him were enrolled by genealogy 150 men;

4 from the descendants of Pahath-Moab, Eliehoenai son of Zerahiah, and with him 200 men;

5 from the descendants of Zattu,s Shecaniah son of Jahaziel, and with him 300 men;

6 from the descendants of Adin, Ebed son of Jonathan, and with him 50 men;

7 from the descendants of Elam, Jeshaiah son of Athaliah, and with him 70 men;

8 from the descendants of Shephatiah, Zebadiah son of Michael, and with him 80 men;

9 from the descendants of Joab, Obadiah son of Jehiel, and with him 218 men;

10 from the descendants of Bani,s Shelomith son of Josiphiah, and with him 160 men;

11 from the descendants of Bebai, Zechariah son of Bebai, and with him 28 men;

12 from the descendants of Azgad, Johanan son of Hakkatan, and with him 110 men;

13 from the descendants of Adonikam there were the latter ones.t Their names were Eliphelet, Jeuel, and Shemaiah, and with them 60 men;

14 from the descendants of Bigvai, Uthai, and Zaccur,s and with themt 70 men.

The Exiles Travel to Jerusalem

15 I had them assemblet at the canalt that flows toward Ahava, and we camped there for three days. I observed that the people and the priests were present, but I found no Levites there.16 So I sent for Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah, Elnathan, Jarib, Elnathan,s Nathan, Zechariah, and Meshullam, who were leaders, and Joiarib and Elnathan, who were teachers.

17 I sent them to Iddo, who was the leader in the place called Casiphia. I told themt what to say to Iddo and his relatives,s who were the temple servants int Casiphia, so they would bring us attendants for the temple of our God.
18 Due to the fact that the good hand of our God was on us, they brought us a skilled man, from the descendants of Mahli the son of Levi son of Israel. This man was Sherebiah,t who was accompanied by his sons and brothers,t 18 men,19 and Hashabiah, along with Jeshaiah from the descendants of Merari, with his brothers and their sons, 20 men,

20 and some of the temple servants that David and his officials had established for the work of the Levites – 220 of them. They were all designated by name.
21 I called for a fast there by the Ahava Canal, so that we might humble ourselves before our God and seek from him a safe journeyt for us, our children, and all our property.22 I was embarrassed to request soldiers and horsemen from the king to protect us from the enemyt along the way, because we had said to the king, “The good hand of our God is on everyone who is seeking him, but his great angert is against everyone who forsakes him.”

23 So we fasted and prayed to our God about this, and he answered us.
24 Then I set apart twelve of the leading priests, together withs Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and ten of their brothers,t25 and I weighed out to them the silver, the gold, and the vessels intended for the temple of our God – items that the king, his advisers, his officials, and all Israel who were present had contributed.26 I weighed out to themt 650 talents of silver, silver vessels worth 100 talents,t 100 talents of gold,27 20 gold bowls worth 1,000 darics, and two exquisite vessels of gleaming bronze, as valuable as gold.28 Then I said to them, “You are holy to the Lord, just as these vessels are holy. The silver and the gold are a voluntary offering to the Lord, the God of your fathers.

29 Be careful with them and protect them, until you weigh them out before the leading priests and the Levites and the family leaders of Israel in Jerusalem,s in the storerooms of the temple of the Lord.”

30 Then the priests and the Levites took charge oft the silver, the gold, and the vessels that had been weighed out, to transport them to Jerusalem to the temple of our God.
31 On the twelfth day of the first month we began traveling from the Ahava Canal to go to Jerusalem. The hand of our God was on us, and he delivered us from our enemy and from banditst along the way.32 So we came to Jerusalem, and we stayed there for three days.33 On the fourth day we weighed out the silver, the gold, and the vessels in the house of our God into the caret of Meremoth son of Uriah, the priest, and Eleazar son of Phinehas, who were accompanied by Jozabad son of Jeshua and Noadiah son of Binnui, who were Levites.

34 Everything was verifiedt by number and by weight, and the total weight was written down at that time.
35 The exiles who were returning from the captivity offered burnt offerings to the God of Israel – twelve bulls for all Israel, ninety-six rams, seventy-seven male lambs, along with twelve male goats as a sin offering. All this was a burnt offering to the Lord.

36 Then they presented the decrees of the king to the king’s satraps and to the governors of Trans-Euphrates, who gave help to the people and to the temple of God.