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:

And these [are] the heads of their families, the leaders that went up with me in the reign of Arthasastha the king of Babylon.

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

Of the sons of Phinees; Gerson: of the sons of Ithamar; Daniel: of the sons of David; Attus.

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

Of the sons of Sachania, and the sons of Phoros; Zacharias: and with him a company [of] a hundred and fifty.

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

Of the sons of Phaath-Moab; Eliana the son of Saraia, and with him two hundred that were males.

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

And of the sons of Zathoes; Sechenias the son of Aziel, and with him three hundred males.

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

And of the sons of Adin; Obeth the son of Jonathan, and with him fifty males.

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

And of the sons of Elam; Isaeas the son of Athelia, and with him seventy males.

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

And of the sons of Saphatia; Zabadias the son of Michael, and with him eighty males.

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

And of the sons of Joab; Abadia the son of Jeiel, and with him two hundred and eighteen males.

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

And of the sons of Baani; Selimuth the son of Josephia, and with him a hundred and sixty males.

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

And of the sons of Babi; Zacharias the son of Babi, and with him twenty-eight males.

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

And of the sons of Asgad; Joanan the son of Accatan, and with him a hundred and ten males.

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

And of the sons of Adonicam [were the] last, and these [were] their names, Eliphalat, Jeel, and Samaea, and with them sixty males.

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

And of the sons of Baguae, Uthai, and Zabud, and with him seventy males.

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 to the river that comes to Evi, and we encamped there three days: and I reviewed the people and the priests, and found none of the sons of Levi 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.

And I sent men of understanding to Eleazar, to Ariel, to Semeias, and to Alonam, and to Jarib, and to Elnatham, and to Nathan, and to Zacharias, and to Mesollam, and to Joarim, and to Elnathan.

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 forwarded them to the rulers with the money of the place, and I put words in their mouth to speak to their brethren the Athinim with the money of the place, that they should bring us singers for 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 they came to us, as the good hand of our God was upon us, even a man of understanding of the sons of Mooli, the son of Levi, the son of Israel, and at the commencement came 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 Asebia, and Isaia of the sons of Merari, 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 Nathinim; whom David and the princes had appointed for the service of the Levites [there were] two hundred and twenty Nathinim; all were gathered 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, at the river Aue, that [we] should humble ourselves before our God, to seek of him a straight way for us, and for our children, and for all our property.

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 of the king a guard and horsemen to save us from the enemy in the way: for we had spoken to the king, saying, The hand of our God [is] upon all that seek him, for good; but his power and his wrath [are] upon all that forsake him.

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

So we fasted, and asked of our God concerning this; and he listened to us.

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

And I gave charge to twelve of the chiefs of the priests, to Saraia, to Asabia, and ten of their brethren with them.

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 to them the silver, and the gold, and the vessels of the first fruits of the house of our God, which the king, and his councillors, and his princes, and all Israel that were found, had dedicated.

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

I even weighed into their hands six hundred and fifty talents of silver, and a hundred silver vessels, 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 golden bowls, [weighing] about a thousand drachmas, and superior vessels of fine shining brass, [precious] 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] holy to the Lord; and the vessels [are] holy; and the silver and the gold are free will offerings to the Lord 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.”

Be watchful and keep them, until you weigh [them] before the chief priests and the Levites, and the chiefs of families in Jerusalem, at the chambers 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.

So the priests and the Levites took the weight of the silver, and the gold, and the vessels, to bring to Jerusalem into 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.

And we departed from the river of Aue on the twelfth day of the first month, to come to Jerusalem: and the hand of our God was upon us, and delivered us from the hand of the enemy and adversary in the way.

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

And we came to Jerusalem, and abode 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 it came to pass on the fourth day that we weighed the silver, and the gold, and the vessels, in the house of our God, into the hand of Merimoth the son of Uria the priest; and with him [was] Eleazar the son of Phinees, and with them Jozabad the son of Jesus, and Noadia the son of Banaia, the Levites.

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

All things [were reckoned] by number and weight, and the whole weight was written [down].

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.

At that time the children of the banishment that came from the captivity offered whole burnt offerings to the God of Israel, twelve calves for all Israel, ninety-six rams, seventy-seven lambs, twelve goats for a sin-offering; all whole burnt offerings 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 mandate to the king's lieutenants, and the governors beyond the river: and they honored the people and the house of God.