Ezra 8

1 These are the family heads and genealogical records of those who returned with me from Babylon during the reign of King Artaxerxes:

Now these are the chiefs of families, and the genealogy of them, who came up with me from Babylon in the reign of Artaxerxes the king.

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

Of the sons of Phinees, Gersom. Of the sons of Ithamar, Daniel. Of the sons of David, Hattus.

3 of the descendants of Shecaniah; from the descendants of Parosh, Zechariah, and with him were registered 150 men;

Of the sons of Sechenias, the son of Pharos, Zacharias, and with him were numbered a hundred and fifty men.

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

Of the sons of Phahath Moab, Eleoenai the son of Zareha, and with him two hundred men.

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

Of the sons of Sechenias, the son of Ezechiel, and with him three hundred men.

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

Of the sons of Adan, Abed the son of Jonathan, and with him fifty men.

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

Of the sons of Alam, Isaias the son of Athalias, and with him seventy men.

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

Of the sons of Saphatia: Zebodia the son of Michael, and with him eighty men.

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

Of the sons of Joab, Obedia the son of Jahiel, and with him two hundred and eighteen men.

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

Of the sons of Selomith, the son of Josphia, and with him a hundred and sixty men.

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

Of the sons of Bebai, Zacharias the son of Bebai: and with him eight and twenty men.

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

Of the sons of Azgad, Joanan the son of Eccetan, and with him a hundred and ten men.

13 from the later descendants of Adonikam, these were their names: Eliphelet, Jeiel, and Shemaiah, and with them 60 men;

Of the sons of Adonicam, who were the last: and these are their names: Eliphelet, and Jehiel, and Samaias, and with them sixty men.

14 and from the descendants of Bigvai, both Uthai and Zaccur, and with them 70 men.

Of the sons of Begui, Uthai and Zachur, and with them seventy men.

15 Now I assembled these exiles at the canal that flows to Ahava, and we camped there three days. And when I searched among the people and priests, I found no Levites there.

And I gathered them together to the river, which runneth down to Ahava, and we stayed there three days: and I sought among the people and among the priests for the sons of Levi, and found none there.

16 Then I summoned the leaders: Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah, Elnathan, Jarib, Elnathan, Nathan, Zechariah, and Meshullam, as well as the teachers Joiarib and Elnathan.

So I sent Eliezer, and Ariel, and Semeias, and Elnathan, and Jarib, and another Elnathan, and Nathan, and Zacharias, and Mosollam, chief men: and Joiarib, and Elnathan, wise men.

17 And I sent them to Iddo, the leader at Casiphia, with a message for him and his kinsmen, the temple servants at Casiphia, that they should bring to us ministers for the house of our God.

And I sent them to Eddo, who is chief in the place of Chasphia, and I put in their mouth the words that they should speak to Eddo, and his brethren the Nathinites in the place of Chasphia, that they should bring us ministers of the house of our God.

18 And since the gracious hand of our God was upon us, they brought us Sherebiah—a man of insight from the descendants of Mahli son of Levi, the son of Israel—along with his sons and brothers, 18 men;

And by the good hand of our God upon us, they brought us a most learned man of the sons of Moholi the son of Levi the son of Israel, and Sarabias and his sons, and his brethren eighteen,

19 also Hashabiah, together with Jeshaiah, from the descendants of Merari, and his brothers and their sons, 20 men.

And Hasabias, and with him Isaias of the sons of Merari, and his brethren, and his sons twenty.

20 They also brought 220 of the temple servants, all designated by name. David and the officials had appointed them to assist the Levites.

And of the Nathinites, whom David, and the princes gave for the service of the Levites, Nathinites two hundred and twenty: all these were called by their names.

21 And there by the Ahava Canal I proclaimed a fast, so that we might humble ourselves before our God and ask Him for a safe journey for us and our children, with all our possessions.

And I proclaimed there a fast by the river Ahava, that we might afflict ourselves before the Lord our God, and might ask of him a right way for us and for our children, and for all our substance.

22 For I was ashamed to ask the king for an escort of soldiers and horsemen to protect us from our enemies on the road, since we had told him, “The hand of our God is gracious to all who seek Him, but His great anger is against all who forsake Him.”

For I was ashamed to ask the king for aid and for horsemen, to defend us from the enemy in the way: because we had said to the king: The hand of our God is upon all them that seek him in goodness: and his power and strength, and wrath upon all them that forsake him.

23 So we fasted and petitioned our God about this, and He granted our request.

And we fasted, and besought our God for this: and it fell out prosperously unto us.

24 Then I set apart twelve of the leading priests, together with Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and ten of their brothers,

And I separated twelve of the chief of the priests, Sarabias, and Hasabias, and with them ten of their brethren,

25 and I weighed out to them the contribution of silver and gold and the articles that the king, his counselors, his leaders, and all the Israelites there had offered for the house of our God.

And I weighed unto them the silver and gold, and the vessels consecrated for the house of our God, which the king and his counsellors, and his princes, and all Israel, that were found had offered.

26 I weighed out into their hands 650 talents of silver, articles of silver weighing 100 talents, 100 talents of gold,

And I weighed to their hands six hundred and fifty talents of silver, and a hundred vessels of silver, and a hundred talents of gold,

27 20 gold bowls valued at 1,000 darics, and two articles of fine polished bronze, as precious as gold.

And twenty cups of gold, of a thousand solids, and two vessels of the best shining brass, beautiful as gold.

28 Then I told them, “You are holy to the LORD, and these articles are holy. The silver and gold are a freewill offering to the LORD, the God of your fathers.

And I said to them: You are the holy ones of the Lord, and the vessels are holy, and the silver and gold, that is freely offered to the Lord the God of our fathers.

29 Guard them carefully until you weigh them out in the chambers of the house of the LORD in Jerusalem before the leading priests, Levites, and heads of the Israelite families.”

Watch ye and beep them, till you deliver them by weight before the chief of the priests, and of the Levites, and the heads of the families of Israel in Jerusalem, into the treasure of the house of the Lord.

30 So the priests and Levites took charge of the silver and gold and sacred articles that had been weighed out to be taken to the house of our God in Jerusalem.

And the priests and the Levites received the weight of the silver and gold, and the vessels, to carry them to Jerusalem to the house of our God.

31 On the twelfth day of the first month we set out from the Ahava Canal to go to Jerusalem, and the hand of our God was upon us to protect us from the hands of the enemies and bandits along the way.

Then we set forward from the river Ahava on the twelfth day of the first month to go to Jerusalem: and the hand of our God was upon us, and delivered us from the hand of the enemy, and of such as lay in wait by the way.

32 So we arrived at Jerusalem and rested there for three days.

And we came to Jerusalem, and we stayed there three days.

33 On the fourth day, in the house of our God, we weighed out the silver and gold and sacred articles into the hand of Meremoth son of Uriah, the priest. Eleazar son of Phinehas was with him, along with the Levites Jozabad son of Jeshua and Noadiah son of Binnui.

And on the fourth day the silver and the gold, and the vessels were weighed in the house of our God by the hand of Meremoth the son of Urias the priest, and with him was Eleazar the son of Phinees, and with them Jozabad the son of Josue, and Noadaia the son of Benoi, Levites.

34 Everything was verified by number and weight, and the total weight was recorded at that time.

According to the number and weight of every thing: and all the weight was written at that time.

35 Then the exiles who had returned from captivity sacrificed burnt offerings to the God of Israel: 12 bulls for all Israel, 96 rams, 77 lambs, and a sin offering of 12 male goats. All this was a burnt offering to the LORD.

Moreover the children of them that had been carried away that were come out of the captivity, offered holocausts to the God of Israel, twelve calves for all the people of Israel, ninety-six rams, seventy-seven lambs, and twelve he goats for sin: all for a holocaust to the Lord.

36 They also delivered the king’s edicts to the royal satraps and governors of the region west of the Euphrates, who proceeded to assist the people and the house of God.

And they gave the king’s edicts to the lords that were from the king’s court, and the governors beyond the river, and they furthered the people and the house of God.