Ezra 8

1 These are the leaders of their ancestors' families who left Babylon with me 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 Of the descendants of Phinehas, Gershom. Of the descendants of Ithamar, Daniel. Of the descendants of David, Hattush,

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

3 who was of the descendants of Shecaniah, who was from the descendants of Parosh; and Zechariah, and with him there were 150 males listed in the record of his genealogy.

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

4 Of the descendants of Pahath-Moab, Eliehoenai son of Zerahiah and with him were two hundred males.

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

5 Of the descendants of Zattu, Ben Jahaziel and with him were three hundred males.

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

6 Of the descendants of Adin, Ebed son of Jonathan and with him were listed fifty males.

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

7 Of the descendants of Elam, Jeshaiah son of Athaliah and with him were listed seventy males.

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

8 Of the descendants of Shephatiah, Zebadiah son of Michael and with him were listed eighty males.

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

9 Of the descendants of Joab, Obadiah son of Jehiel and with him were listed 218 males.

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

10 Of the descendants of Bani, Shelomith son of Josiphiah and with him were listed 160 males.

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

11 Of the descendants of Bebai, Zechariah son of Bebai and with him were listed twenty-eight males.

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

12 Of the descendants of Azgad, Johanan son of Hakkatan and with him were listed 110 males.

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

13 Those of the descendants of Adonikam came later. These were their names: Eliphelet, Jeuel, and Shemaiah and with them came sixty males.

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 Of the descendants of Bigvai, Uthai and Zaccur and with him were listed seventy males.

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

15 I gathered the travelers at the canal that goes to Ahava, and we camped there three days. I examined the people and priests, but could not find any descendants of Levi 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 So I sent for Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah, Elnathan, Jarib, and Elnathan and Nathan, Zechariah, and Meshullam—who were leaders—and for Joiarib and Elnathan—who were teachers.

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 Next I sent them to Iddo, the leader in Kasiphia. I told them what to say to Iddo and his relatives, the temple servants living in Kasiphia, that is, to send to us servants for the house of 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 So they sent us by our God's good hand a man named Sherebiah, a prudent man. He was a descendant of Mahli son of Levi son of Israel. He came with eighteen sons and brothers.

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 With him came Hashabiah. There also were Jeshaiah, one of the sons of Merari, with his brothers and their sons, twenty men in all.

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

20 Of those assigned to serve in the temple, whom David and his officials gave to serve the Levites: 220, each of them assigned by name.

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 Then I proclaimed a fast at the Ahava Canal to humble ourselves before God, to seek a straight path from him for us, our little ones, and 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 I was ashamed to ask the king for an army or horsemen to protect us against enemies along the way, since we had said to the king, 'The hand of our God is on all who seek him for good, but his might and wrath are on all who forget 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 sought God about this, and we pled to him.

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

24 Next I selected twelve men from the priestly officials: 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 I weighed out for them silver, gold, and the objects and offerings for the house of God that the king, his counselors and officials, and all Israel had freely offered.

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 So I weighed into their hand 650 talents of silver, one hundred talents of silver objects, one hundred 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 twenty gold bowls that were together valued at one thousand darics, and two well-polished bronze vessels 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 said to them, “You are consecrated to Yahweh, and these objects also, and the silver and gold are a freewill offering to Yahweh, the God of your ancestors.

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 Watch over them and keep them until you weigh them out before the priestly officials, Levites, and leaders of the ancestors' clans of Israel in Jerusalem in the rooms of God's house.”

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 The priests and the Levites accepted the weighed silver, gold, and the objects in order to take them to Jerusalem, to our God's house.

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 We went out from the Ahava Canal on the twelfth day of the first month to go to Jerusalem. The hand of our God was on us; he protected us from the hand of the enemy and the ones who wished to ambush us along the road.

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 entered Jerusalem and stayed there for three days.

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

33 Then on the fourth day the silver, gold, and objects were weighed out in our God's house into the hand of Meremoth son of Uriah the priest, and with him were Eleazar son of Phinehas, Jozabad son of Jeshua, and Noadiah son of Binnui the Levite.

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 The number and weight of everything was determined. All the weight was written down at that time.

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

35 The ones who came back from the captivity, the people of exile, offered burnt offerings to the God of Israel: twelve bulls for all of Israel, ninety-six rams, seventy-seven lambs, and twelve male goats as a sin offering. All were a burnt offering for Yahweh.

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 Then they gave the king's decrees to the king's high officials and the governors in the Province Beyond the River, and they helped 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.