Ezra 8

1 This is a list of the family leaders and genealogical records of those who came back with me from Babylon during the reign of King Artaxerxes:

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

2 From the sons of Phinehas, Gershom. From the sons of Ithamar, Daniel. From the sons of David, Hattush,

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

3 son of Shecaniah. From the sons of Parosh, Zechariah, and with him 150 men were registered.

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

4 From the sons of Pahath-moab, Eliehoenai, son of Zerahiah, and with him 200 men.

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

5 From the sons of Zattu, Shecaniah, son of Jahaziel, and with him 300 men.

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

6 From the sons of Adin, Ebed, son of Jonathan, and with him 50 men.

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

7 From the sons of Elam, Jeshaiah, son of Athaliah, and with him 70 men.

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

8 From the sons of Shephatiah, Zebadiah, son of Michael, and with him 80 men.

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

9 From the sons of Joab, Obadiah, son of Jehiel, and with him 218 men.

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

10 From the sons of Bani, Shelomith, son of Josiphiah, and with him 160 men.

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

11 From the sons of Bebai, Zechariah, son of Bebai, and with him 28 men.

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

12 From the sons of Azgad, Johanan, son of Hakkatan, and with him 110 men.

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

13 From the sons of Adonikam, those who were last, their names being Eliphelet, Jeuel, and Shemaiah, and with them 60 men.

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

14 From the sons of Bigvai, Uthai and Zaccur, and with them 70 men.

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

15 I gathered the returning exiles together at the Ahava Canal. We camped there for three days while I reviewed who had come—the ordinary people, the priests, and the Levites. I discovered there wasn't a single Levite

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.

16 so I sent for Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah, Elnathan, Jarib, Elnathan, Nathan, Zechariah, and Meshullam, who were leaders, and for Joiarib and Elnathan, who were men with good insight.

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

17 I told them to go to Iddo, the leader of the Temple servants at Casiphia, asking him and his relatives to send us ministers for the Temple of our God.

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.

18 Since our gracious God was with us, they brought us Sherebiah, a man with good insight from the sons of Mahli, son of Levi, son of Israel, together with his sons and brothers, a total of eighteen men;

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;

19 and Hashabiah, along with Jeshaiah, from the sons of Merari, and his brothers and their sons, a total of twenty men.

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

20 In addition they brought 220 of the Temple servants, a group appointed by David and his officials to help the Levites. These were all registered by name.

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

21 At the Ahava Canal I called for a fast so we could confess our sins before God and ask him for a safe journey for us and our children, along with all our possessions.

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.

22 I had been reluctant to ask the king to give us a military escort to protect us from enemies on the way. We had told the king, “Our gracious God takes care of everyone who follows him, but shows his anger against anyone who abandons him.”

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.”

23 So we fasted and asked God to protect us, and he answered our prayers.

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

24 Then I designated twelve of the leading priests, and Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and ten of their brothers,

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

25 and I weighed out and handed them the donations of silver and gold, and the items that the king, his counselors, his leaders, and all the people of Israel there had given for the Temple of our God.

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.

26 I weighed out and placed in their hands 650 talents of silver, silver Temple items weighing 100 talents, 100 talents of gold,

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

27 20 gold bowls worth 1,000 darics, and two articles of highly-polished bronze, as valuable as gold.

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

28 I told them, “You are set apart for the Lord, and these Temple items are too. The silver and gold are a voluntary offering to the Lord, the God of your forefathers.

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.

29 You are to guard them and keep them safe until you hand them over, weighing them before the high priests, the Levites and the family leaders in Israel at Jerusalem, in the treasury rooms within the Lord's Temple.”

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.”

30 The priests and Levites took responsibility for the silver and gold and the Temple items that had been weighed out to be brought to the Temple of our God in Jerusalem.

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.

31 On the twelfth day of the first month, we left the Ahava Canal to go to Jerusalem, and our God was with us to protect us from enemy ambushes along the way.

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.

32 Eventually we arrived in Jerusalem and rested there for three days.

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

33 On the fourth day the silver and the gold and the Temple items were weighed out in the Temple of our God and handed over to Meremoth, son of Uriah the priest, accompanied by Eleazar, son of Phinehas. Also present were the Levites, Jozabad, son of Jeshua, and Noadiah, son of Binnui.

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.

34 Everything was checked, both by number and weight, and the total weight was written down at the time.

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

35 Then the exiles who had returned from captivity sacrificed burnt offerings to the God of Israel—twelve bulls for all of Israel, ninety-six rams, seventy-seven lambs, and a sin offering of twelve goats. All were sacrificed as a burnt offering to the Lord.

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.

36 They also delivered the king's decrees to the chief officers of the king and the governors of the province west of the Euphrates, who then provided assistance to the people and to God's Temple.

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.