Ezra 8

1 This is a list of the names of the leaders of the clans who came with me up [to Jerusalem] from Babylonia when Artaxerxes was the king [of Persia]:

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 Gershom, from the clan descended from [Aaron’s grandson] Phinehas Daniel, from the clan descended from [Aaron’s son] Ithamar Hattush, the son of Shecaniah, from the clan descended from King David

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

3 Zechariah and 150 [other] men from the clan descended from Parosh

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

4 Eliehoenai the son of Zerahiah and 200 other men from the clan descended from Pahath-Moab

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

5 Shecaniah the son of Jahaziel and 300 other men from the clan descended from Zattu

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

6 Ebed the son of Jonathan and 50 other men from the clan descended from Adin

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

7 Jeshaiah the son of Athaliah and 70 other men from the clan descended from Elam

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

8 Zebadiah the son of Michael and 80 other men from the clan descended from Shephatiah

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

9 Obadiah the son of Jehiel and 218 other men from the clan descended from Joab

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

10 Shelomith the son of Josiphiah and 160 other men from the clan descended from Bani

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

11 Zechariah the son of Bebai and 28 other men from the clan descended from [another man whose name was] Bebai

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

12 Johanan the son of Hakkatan and 110 other men from the clan descended from Azgad

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

13 Also Eliphelet, Jeuel, and Shemaiah, who returned [here] later with 60 men from the clan descended from Adonikam

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 Uthai and Zaccur and 70 other men from the clan descended from Bigvai.

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

15 I gathered all of them together at the canal that goes [from Babylon] to Ahava [town]. We set up our tents there and stayed there for three days. [During that time] I checked the lists of names and found out that there were priests [going with us], but no [other] descendants of Levi [who could help them in the temple].

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 So I summoned Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah, two men whose names were Elnathan, and Jarib, Nathan, Zechariah, and Meshullam, who were all leaders [of the people]. I also summoned Joiarib and another Elnathan, who were wise.

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 I sent them all to Iddo, the leader of the descendants of Levi, who was living in Casiphia [town], to request that he and his relatives and other men who had worked in the temple send to us some men who would [go/come with us to] work in God’s new temple [in Jerusalem].

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 Because God was kind to us, they brought to us a man named Sherebiah and 18 of his sons and other relatives. Sherebiah was a very wise man, a descendant of Mahli, [who was a grandson] of Levi.

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 They also sent to us Hashabiah, along with Jeshaiah, descendants of [Levi’s son] Merari, and 20 of their relatives.

And Asebia, and Isaia of the sons of Merari, his brethren and his sons, twenty.

20 They also sent 220 other men to work in the temple. Those men’s ancestors had been appointed by King David to assist the descendants of Levi [who helped the priests in the temple]. I listed/wrote the names of all those men.

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 There alongside the Ahava Canal, I told them that we all would (fast/abstain from eating food) and pray. I also told them that we should humble ourselves in the presence of our God. We prayed that God would protect us while we traveled, and also protect our children and our possessions/belongings.

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 Previously we had told the king that our God takes care of all those who truly trust in him, but that he becomes very angry with those who refuse to obey him. So I would have been ashamed if I had asked the king to send soldiers and men riding on horses to protect us from our enemies while we were traveling along the road.

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/abstained from eating food) and requested God to protect us, and he (answered our prayers/did what we requested.)

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

24 I chose twelve of the leaders of the priests, Sherebiah and Hashabiah and ten of their relatives.

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

25 I appointed them to supervise carrying to Jerusalem the gifts of silver and gold and the other valuable items that the king and his advisors and other officials, and the Israeli people [who were living in Babylonia], had contributed for the temple 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 As I gave these various items to those priests, I weighed each of the items. This was the total: 25 tons of silver, 100 items made from silver that altogether weighed 7,500 pounds, (7,500 pounds/3,400 kg.) 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 that altogether weighed (19 pounds/8.6 kg.), and two items made of polished bronze that were as valuable as ones made of gold.

and twenty golden bowls, [weighing] about a thousand drachmas, and superior vessels of fine shining brass, [precious] as gold.

28 I said to those priests, “You belong to Yahweh, the God whom our ancestors (worshiped/also belonged to), and these valuable things also belong to him. The people themselves gave these things to be offerings to Yahweh (voluntarily/because they wanted to).

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 So guard them carefully, and [when we arrive] in Jerusalem, weigh them in the presence of the priests, the descendants of Levi [who will help the priests], and the other Israeli leaders there. They will then put them in the storerooms in the new temple.”

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 [other] descendants of Levi took from me all the gifts of silver and gold and the other valuable items, in order to carry them to the temple 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 April 19, we left the Ahava Canal and started to travel to Jerusalem. Our God took care of us, and while we traveled, he prevented our enemies and bandits from (ambushing us/suddenly attacking us).

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 After we arrived in Jerusalem, we rested for three days.

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

33 Then on the fourth/next day we went to the temple. There the silver and gold and the other items were weighed and given to the priest Meremoth, the son of Uriah. Eleazar the son of Phinehas and two descendants of Levi, Jozabad the son of Jeshua and Noadiah the son of Binnui, were with him.

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 They counted everything, and wrote down how much they weighed, and wrote [a description of] each item.

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

35 We who had returned from Babylonia offered to God sacrifices on the altar. We offered twelve bulls for all us Israeli people. We also offered 96 rams and 27 lambs. We also sacrificed twelve goats [to atone] for the sins that all the people had committed. These were all completely burned on the altar.

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 Some of us who returned [from Babylonia] took to the governors and other officials of the province west of the [Euphrates] River the letter that the king had given to us. [After they read the letter, ] they did all [that they were able to do] for us Israeli people and for the temple 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.