Ezra 2

1 Now these are the people of the province who came up from the captivity of the exiles carried away to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar its king. They returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his own town,

King Nebuchadnezzar’s [soldiers] had captured many [Israeli] people and taken them to Babylonia. [Many years later, ] some Israeli people returned to Judah. Some returned to Jerusalem, and some returned to [other places in] Judah. They went to the towns where their ancestors had lived. This is a list of the groups who returned.

2 accompanied by Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum, and Baanah. This is the count of the men of Israel:

The leaders of those groups were Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum, and Baanah. There were:

3 the descendants of Parosh, 2,172;

2,172 descendants of Parosh

4 the descendants of Shephatiah, 372;

372 descendants of Shephatiah

5 the descendants of Arah, 775;

775 descendants of Arah

6 the descendants of Pahath-moab (through the line of Jeshua and Joab), 2,812;

2,812 descendants of Pahath-Moab, from the families of Jeshua and Joab

7 the descendants of Elam, 1,254;

1,254 descendants of Elam

8 the descendants of Zattu, 945;

945 descendants of Zattu

9 the descendants of Zaccai, 760;

760 descendants of Zaccai

10 the descendants of Bani, 642;

642 descendants of Bani

11 the descendants of Bebai, 623;

623 descendants of Bebai

12 the descendants of Azgad, 1,222;

1,222 descendants of Azgad

13 the descendants of Adonikam, 666;

666 descendants of Adonikam

14 the descendants of Bigvai, 2,056;

2,056 descendants of Bigvai

15 the descendants of Adin, 454;

454 descendants of Adin

16 the descendants of Ater (through Hezekiah), 98;

98 descendants of Ater, whose other name was Hezekiah

17 the descendants of Bezai, 323;

323 descendants of Bezai

18 the descendants of Jorah, 112;

112 descendants of Jorah

19 the descendants of Hashum, 223;

223 descendants of Hashum

20 the descendants of Gibbar, 95;

95 descendants of Gibbar. [People whose ancestors had lived in these towns in Judah: ]

21 the men of Bethlehem, 123;

123 from Bethlehem

22 the men of Netophah, 56;

56 from Netophah

23 the men of Anathoth, 128;

128 from Anathoth

24 the descendants of Azmaveth, 42;

42 from Azmaveth

25 the men of Kiriath-jearim, Chephirah, and Beeroth, 743;

743 from Kiriath-Jearim, Kephirah, and Beeroth

26 the men of Ramah and Geba, 621;

621 from Ramah and Geba

27 the men of Michmash, 122;

122 from Micmash

28 the men of Bethel and Ai, 223;

223 from Bethel and Ai

29 the descendants of Nebo, 52;

52 from Nebo

30 the descendants of Magbish, 156;

156 from Magbish

31 the descendants of the other Elam, 1,254;

1,254 from Elam

32 the descendants of Harim, 320;

320 from Harim

33 the men of Lod, Hadid, and Ono, 725;

725 from Lod, Hadid, and Ono

34 the men of Jericho, 345;

345 from Jericho

35 and the descendants of Senaah, 3,630.

3,630 from Senaah.

36 The priests: The descendants of Jedaiah (through the house of Jeshua), 973;

Priests who returned: 973 descendants of Jedaiah (that is, those from the family of Jeshua)

37 the descendants of Immer, 1,052;

1,052 descendants of Immer

38 the descendants of Pashhur, 1,247;

1,247 descendants of Pashhur

39 and the descendants of Harim, 1,017.

1,017 descendants of Harim. The ones from the [rest of the] tribe of Levi who returned were:

40 The Levites: the descendants of Jeshua and Kadmiel (through the line of Hodaviah ), 74.

74 descendants of Jeshua and Kadmiel, who were from the family of Hodaviah

41 The singers: the descendants of Asaph, 128.

128 singers who were descendants of Asaph

42 The gatekeepers: the descendants of Shallum, the descendants of Ater, the descendants of Talmon, the descendants of Akkub, the descendants of Hatita, and the descendants of Shobai, 139 in all.

139 (gatekeepers/men who guarded the gates of the temple) who were descendants of Shallum, Ater, Talmon, Akkub, Hatita, and Shobai.

43 The temple servants: the descendants of Ziha, the descendants of Hasupha, the descendants of Tabbaoth,

The (temple workers/men who would work in the temple) who were descendants of these men: Ziha, Hasupha, Tabbaoth,

44 the descendants of Keros, the descendants of Siaha, the descendants of Padon,

Keros, Siaha, Padon,

45 the descendants of Lebanah, the descendants of Hagabah, the descendants of Akkub,

Lebanah, Hagabah, Akkub,

46 the descendants of Hagab, the descendants of Shalmai, the descendants of Hanan,

Hagab, Shalmai, Hanan,

47 the descendants of Giddel, the descendants of Gahar, the descendants of Reaiah,

Giddel, Gahar, Reaiah,

48 the descendants of Rezin, the descendants of Nekoda, the descendants of Gazzam,

Rezin, Nekoda, Gazzam,

49 the descendants of Uzza, the descendants of Paseah, the descendants of Besai,

Uzza, Paseah, Besai,

50 the descendants of Asnah, the descendants of Meunim, the descendants of Nephusim,

Asnah, Meunim, Nephusim,

51 the descendants of Bakbuk, the descendants of Hakupha, the descendants of Harhur,

Bakbuk, Hakupha, Harhur,

52 the descendants of Bazluth, the descendants of Mehida, the descendants of Harsha,

Bazluth, Mehida, Harsha,

53 the descendants of Barkos, the descendants of Sisera, the descendants of Temah,

Barkos, Sisera, Temah,

54 the descendants of Neziah, and the descendants of Hatipha.

Neziah, and Hatipha.

55 The descendants of the servants of Solomon: the descendants of Sotai, the descendants of Sophereth, the descendants of Peruda,

These descendants of [King] Solomon’s servants [returned]: Sotai, Hassophereth, Peruda,

56 the descendants of Jaala, the descendants of Darkon, the descendants of Giddel,

Jaalah, Darkon, Giddel,

57 the descendants of Shephatiah, the descendants of Hattil, the descendants of Pochereth-hazzebaim, and the descendants of Ami.

Shephatiah, Hattil, Pokereth-Hazzebaim, and Ami.

58 The temple servants and descendants of the servants of Solomon numbered 392 in all.

Altogether, there were 392 temple workers and descendants of Solomon’s servants who returned.

59 The following came up from Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Cherub, Addan, and Immer, but could not prove that their families were descended from Israel:

There was another group who returned [to Judah] from Tel-Melah, Tel-Harsha, Kerub, Addan, and Immer [towns in Babylonia]. But they could not prove that they were descendants of [people who previously lived in] Israel.

60 the descendants of Delaiah, the descendants of Tobiah, and the descendants of Nekoda, 652 in all.

This group included 652 people who were descendants of Delaiah, Tobiah, and Nekoda.

61 And from among the priests: the descendants of Hobaiah, the descendants of Hakkoz, and the descendants of Barzillai (who had married a daughter of Barzillai the Gileadite and was called by their name).

Hobaiah’s clan, Hakkoz’s clan, and Barzillai’s clan also returned. Barzillai had married a woman who was a descendant of Barzillai from [the] Gilead [region], and he had taken for himself the name of his father-in-law’s clan.

62 These men searched for their family records, but they could not find them and so were excluded from the priesthood as unclean.

The people in that group searched in the documents that had the names of the ancestors of all the clans, but these men’s names were not found. So they were not permitted do the work that priests did.

63 The governor ordered them not to eat the most holy things until there was a priest to consult the Urim and Thummim.

The governor told them that they would need to ask a priest to consult Yahweh by [(casting/throwing] the sacred lots/stones [that had been marked]), to determine if those men were truly Israelis. When the priests did that, [if the stones showed that those men were Israelis], they would be permitted to eat the shares of the sacrifices that were given to the priests.

64 The whole assembly numbered 42,360,

Altogether 42,360 Israeli people who returned to Judah.

65 in addition to their 7,337 menservants and maidservants, as well as their 200 male and female singers.

There were also 7,337 servants and 200 musicians, both men and women, who returned.

66 They had 736 horses, 245 mules,

The Israelis brought with them [from Babylonia] 736 horses, 245 mules,

67 435 camels, and 6,720 donkeys.

435 camels, and 6,720 donkeys.

68 When they arrived at the house of the LORD in Jerusalem, some of the heads of the families gave freewill offerings to rebuild the house of God on its original site.

When they arrived at the temple of Yahweh in Jerusalem, some of the clan leaders gave money [for the supplies needed] to rebuild the temple at the place where the temple had been previously.

69 According to their ability, they gave to the treasury for this work 61,000 darics of gold, 5,000 minas of silver, and 100 priestly garments.

They all gave as much money as they were able to give. Altogether they gave 61,000 gold coins, (6,250 pounds/3,000 kg.) of silver, and 100 robes for the priests.

70 So the priests, the Levites, the singers, the gatekeepers, and the temple servants, along with some of the people, settled in their own towns; and the rest of the Israelites settled in their towns.

Then the priests, the [other] descendants of Levi, the musicians, the temple guards, and some of the [other] people started to live in the towns and villages [near Jerusalem]. The rest of the people went to the other places in Israel where their ancestors had lived.