Ezra 2

1 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.

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,

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

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

3 2,172 descendants of Parosh

the descendants of Parosh, 2,172;

4 372 descendants of Shephatiah

the descendants of Shephatiah, 372;

5 775 descendants of Arah

the descendants of Arah, 775;

6 2,812 descendants of Pahath-Moab, from the families of Jeshua and Joab

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

7 1,254 descendants of Elam

the descendants of Elam, 1,254;

8 945 descendants of Zattu

the descendants of Zattu, 945;

9 760 descendants of Zaccai

the descendants of Zaccai, 760;

10 642 descendants of Bani

the descendants of Bani, 642;

11 623 descendants of Bebai

the descendants of Bebai, 623;

12 1,222 descendants of Azgad

the descendants of Azgad, 1,222;

13 666 descendants of Adonikam

the descendants of Adonikam, 666;

14 2,056 descendants of Bigvai

the descendants of Bigvai, 2,056;

15 454 descendants of Adin

the descendants of Adin, 454;

16 98 descendants of Ater, whose other name was Hezekiah

the descendants of Ater (through Hezekiah), 98;

17 323 descendants of Bezai

the descendants of Bezai, 323;

18 112 descendants of Jorah

the descendants of Jorah, 112;

19 223 descendants of Hashum

the descendants of Hashum, 223;

20 95 descendants of Gibbar. [People whose ancestors had lived in these towns in Judah: ]

the descendants of Gibbar, 95;

21 123 from Bethlehem

the men of Bethlehem, 123;

22 56 from Netophah

the men of Netophah, 56;

23 128 from Anathoth

the men of Anathoth, 128;

24 42 from Azmaveth

the descendants of Azmaveth, 42;

25 743 from Kiriath-Jearim, Kephirah, and Beeroth

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

26 621 from Ramah and Geba

the men of Ramah and Geba, 621;

27 122 from Micmash

the men of Michmash, 122;

28 223 from Bethel and Ai

the men of Bethel and Ai, 223;

29 52 from Nebo

the descendants of Nebo, 52;

30 156 from Magbish

the descendants of Magbish, 156;

31 1,254 from Elam

the descendants of the other Elam, 1,254;

32 320 from Harim

the descendants of Harim, 320;

33 725 from Lod, Hadid, and Ono

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

34 345 from Jericho

the men of Jericho, 345;

35 3,630 from Senaah.

and the descendants of Senaah, 3,630.

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

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

37 1,052 descendants of Immer

the descendants of Immer, 1,052;

38 1,247 descendants of Pashhur

the descendants of Pashhur, 1,247;

39 1,017 descendants of Harim. The ones from the [rest of the] tribe of Levi who returned were:

and the descendants of Harim, 1,017.

40 74 descendants of Jeshua and Kadmiel, who were from the family of Hodaviah

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

41 128 singers who were descendants of Asaph

The singers: the descendants of Asaph, 128.

42 139 (gatekeepers/men who guarded the gates of the temple) who were descendants of Shallum, Ater, Talmon, Akkub, Hatita, and Shobai.

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.

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

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

44 Keros, Siaha, Padon,

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

45 Lebanah, Hagabah, Akkub,

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

46 Hagab, Shalmai, Hanan,

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

47 Giddel, Gahar, Reaiah,

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

48 Rezin, Nekoda, Gazzam,

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

49 Uzza, Paseah, Besai,

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

50 Asnah, Meunim, Nephusim,

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

51 Bakbuk, Hakupha, Harhur,

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

52 Bazluth, Mehida, Harsha,

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

53 Barkos, Sisera, Temah,

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

54 Neziah, and Hatipha.

the descendants of Neziah, and the descendants of Hatipha.

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

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

56 Jaalah, Darkon, Giddel,

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

57 Shephatiah, Hattil, Pokereth-Hazzebaim, and Ami.

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

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

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

59 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.

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

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

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

61 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.

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).

62 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.

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

63 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.

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

64 Altogether 42,360 Israeli people who returned to Judah.

The whole assembly numbered 42,360,

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

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

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

They had 736 horses, 245 mules,

67 435 camels, and 6,720 donkeys.

435 camels, and 6,720 donkeys.

68 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.

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.

69 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.

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.

70 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.

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.