Ezra 8:20-22

Contemporary English Version

²⁰In addition, 220 others came to help the Levites in the temple. The ancestors of these workers had been chosen years ago by King David^[a] and his officials, and they were all listed by name.

Ezra Asks the People To Go without Eating and To Pray

²¹Beside the Ahava River,^[b] I^[c] asked the people to go without eating^[d] and to pray. We humbled ourselves and asked God to bring us and our children safely to Jerusalem with all of our possessions. ²²I was ashamed to ask the king to send soldiers and cavalry to protect us against enemies along the way. After all, we had told the king that our God takes care of everyone who truly worships him, but that he gets very angry and punishes anyone who refuses to obey.

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Footnotes

8.20 King David: See the note at 3.10.
8.21 River: See the note at 8.15.
8.21 I: See the note at 8.1.
8.21 to go without eating: The Jews often went without eating as a way of worshiping God. This is sometimes called “fasting.”