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Ezra 8
Christian Standard Bible

Those Returning with Ezra

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

2 Gershom, from Phinehas’s descendants;

Daniel, from Ithamar’s descendants;

Hattush, from David’s descendants,

3 who was of Shecaniah’s descendants;(B)

Zechariah, from Parosh’s(C) descendants,

and 150 men[a] with him who were registered by genealogy;

4 Eliehoenai son of Zerahiah

from Pahath-moab’s descendants,(D)

and 200 men with him;

5 Shecaniah[b] son of Jahaziel

from Zattu’s descendants,

and 300 men with him;

6 Ebed son of Jonathan

from Adin’s descendants,(E)

and 50 men with him;

7 Jeshaiah son of Athaliah

from Elam’s descendants,

and 70 men with him;

8 Zebadiah son of Michael

from Shephatiah’s descendants,

and 80 men with him;

9 Obadiah son of Jehiel

from Joab’s descendants,

and 218 men with him;

10 Shelomith[c] son of Josiphiah

from Bani’s descendants,

and 160 men with him;

11 Zechariah son of Bebai

from Bebai’s descendants,

and 28 men with him;

12 Johanan son of Hakkatan

from Azgad’s descendants,

and 110 men with him;

13 these are the last ones, from Adonikam’s descendants,(F)

and their names are

Eliphelet, Jeuel, and Shemaiah,

and 60 men with them;

14 Uthai and Zaccur[d]

from Bigvai’s descendants,

and 70 men with them.

15 I gathered them at the river[e] that flows to Ahava,(G) and we camped there for three days. I searched among the people and priests, but found no Levites(H) there. 16 Then I summoned the leaders: Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah, Elnathan, Jarib, Elnathan, Nathan, Zechariah, and Meshullam,(I) as well as the teachers Joiarib and Elnathan. 17 I sent them to Iddo, the leader at Casiphia, with a message for[f] him and his brothers, the temple servants(J) at Casiphia, that they should bring us ministers for the house of our God. 18 Since the gracious hand of our God was on us,(K) they brought us Sherebiah(L)—a man of insight from the descendants of Mahli, a descendant of Levi son of Israel—along with his sons and brothers, 18 men, 19 plus Hashabiah,(M) along with Jeshaiah, from the descendants of Merari, and his brothers and their sons, 20 men. 20 There were also 220 of the temple servants,(N) who had been appointed by David and the leaders for the work of the Levites. All were identified by name.

Preparing to Return

21 I proclaimed a fast(O) by the Ahava River,[g] so that we might humble ourselves before our God and ask him for a safe journey for us, our dependents, and all our possessions. 22 I did this because I was ashamed to ask the king for infantry and cavalry to protect us from enemies during the journey, since we had told him, “The hand of our God is gracious to all who seek him, but his fierce anger is against all who abandon him.”(P) 23 So we fasted and pleaded with our God about this, and he was receptive to our prayer.

24 I selected twelve of the leading priests, along with Sherebiah,(Q) Hashabiah, and ten of their brothers. 25 I weighed out to them the silver, the gold, and the articles—the contribution for the house of our God that the king, his counselors, his leaders, and all the Israelites who were present had offered. 26 I weighed out to them 24 tons[h] of silver, silver articles weighing 7,500 pounds,[i] 7,500 pounds of gold, 27 twenty gold bowls worth a thousand gold coins,[j] and two articles of fine gleaming bronze, as valuable as gold.(R) 28 Then I said to them, “You are holy to the Lord, and the articles are holy. The silver and gold are a freewill offering(S) to the Lord God of your ancestors. 29 Guard them carefully until you weigh them out in the chambers of the Lord’s house before the leading priests, Levites, and heads of the Israelite families in Jerusalem.” 30 So the priests and Levites took charge of the silver, the gold, and the articles that had been weighed out, to bring them to the house of our God in Jerusalem.(T)

Arrival in Jerusalem

31 We set out from the Ahava River on the twelfth day of the first month to go to Jerusalem. We were strengthened by our God,[k](U) and he kept us from the grasp of the enemy and from ambush along the way.(V) 32 So we arrived at Jerusalem and rested there for three days.(W) 33 On the fourth day the silver, the gold, and the articles were weighed out in the house of our God into the care of the priest Meremoth son of Uriah. Eleazar son of Phinehas was with him. The Levites Jozabad(X) son of Jeshua and Noadiah son of Binnui were also with them. 34 Everything was verified by number and weight, and the total weight was recorded at that time.

35 The exiles who had returned from the captivity(Y) offered burnt offerings to the God of Israel: twelve bulls for all Israel, ninety-six rams, and seventy-seven lambs, along with twelve male goats as a sin offering. All this was a burnt offering for the Lord.(Z) 36 They also delivered the king’s edicts to the royal satraps and governors of the region west of the Euphrates,(AA) so that they would support the people and the house of God.(AB)

Footnotes

  1. 8:3 Or males; also in vv. 4–14
  2. 8:5 LXX, 1 Esdras 8:32; MT reads the descendants of Shecaniah
  3. 8:10 Some LXX mss, 1 Esdras 8:36; MT reads the descendants of Shelomith
  4. 8:14 Alt Hb tradition, some LXX mss read Zabud
  5. 8:15 Or canal
  6. 8:17 Lit Casiphia, and I put in their mouth the words to speak to
  7. 8:21 Or Canal, also in v. 31
  8. 8:26 Lit 650 talents
  9. 8:26 Lit 100 talents
  10. 8:27 Or 1,000 drachmas, or 1,000 darics
  11. 8:31 Lit The hand of our God was on us
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Ezra 8
New English Translation

The Leaders Who Returned with Ezra

8 These are the leaders[a] and those enrolled with them by genealogy who were coming up with me from Babylon during the reign of King Artaxerxes:

2 from the descendants of Phinehas, Gershom;

from the descendants of Ithamar, Daniel;

from the descendants of David, Hattush 3 the son of Shecaniah;[b]

from the descendants of Parosh, Zechariah, and with him were enrolled by genealogy 150 men;

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

5 from the descendants of Zattu,[c] Shecaniah son of Jahaziel, and with him 300 men;

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

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

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

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

10 from the descendants of Bani,[d] Shelomith son of Josiphiah, and with him 160 men;

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

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

13 from the descendants of Adonikam there were the latter ones.[e] Their names were Eliphelet, Jeuel, and Shemaiah, and with them 60 men;

14 from the descendants of Bigvai, Uthai, and Zaccur,[f] and with them[g] 70 men.

The Exiles Travel to Jerusalem

15 I had them assemble[h] at the canal[i] that flows toward Ahava, and we camped there for three days. I observed that the people and the priests were present, but I found no Levites there. 16 So I sent for Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah, Elnathan, Jarib, Elnathan,[j] Nathan, Zechariah, and Meshullam, who were leaders, and Joiarib and Elnathan, who were teachers. 17 I sent them to Iddo, who was the leader in the place called Casiphia. I told them[k] what to say to Iddo and his relatives,[l] who were the temple servants in[m] Casiphia, so they would bring us attendants for the temple of our God.

18 Due to the fact that the good hand of our God was on us, they brought us a skilled man, from the descendants of Mahli the son of Levi son of Israel. This man was Sherebiah,[n] who was accompanied by his sons and brothers,[o] 18 men; 19 and Hashabiah, along with Jeshaiah from the descendants of Merari, with his brothers and their sons, 20 men; 20 and some of the temple servants that David and his officials had established for the work of the Levites—220 of them. They were all designated by name.

21 I called for a fast there by the Ahava Canal, so that we might humble ourselves before our God and seek from him a safe journey[p] for us, our children, and all our property. 22 I was embarrassed to request soldiers and horsemen from the king to protect us from the enemy[q] along the way, because we had said to the king, “The good hand of our God is on everyone who is seeking him, but his great anger[r] is against everyone who forsakes him.” 23 So we fasted and prayed to our God about this, and he answered us.

24 Then I set apart twelve of the leading priests, together with[s] Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and ten of their brothers,[t] 25 and I weighed out to them the silver, the gold, and the vessels intended for the temple of our God—items that the king, his advisers, his officials, and all Israel who were present had contributed. 26 I weighed out to them:[u] 650 talents of silver, silver vessels worth 100 talents,[v] 100 talents of gold, 27 20 gold bowls worth 1,000 darics, and 2 exquisite vessels of gleaming bronze, as valuable as gold. 28 Then I said to them, “You are holy to the Lord, just as these vessels are holy. The silver and the gold are a voluntary offering to the Lord, the God of your fathers. 29 Be careful with them and protect them, until you weigh them out before the leading priests and the Levites and the family leaders of Israel in Jerusalem, in the storerooms of the temple of the Lord.

30 Then the priests and the Levites took charge of[w] the silver, the gold, and the vessels that had been weighed out, to transport them to Jerusalem to the temple of our God.

31 On the twelfth day of the first month we began traveling from the Ahava Canal to go to Jerusalem. The hand of our God was on us, and he delivered us from our enemies and from bandits[x] along the way. 32 So we came to Jerusalem, and we stayed there for three days. 33 On the fourth day we weighed out the silver, the gold, and the vessels in the house of our God into the care[y] of Meremoth son of Uriah, the priest, and Eleazar son of Phinehas, who were accompanied by Jozabad son of Jeshua and Noadiah son of Binnui, who were Levites. 34 Everything was verified[z] by number and by weight, and the total weight was written down at that time.

35 The exiles who were returning from the captivity offered burnt offerings to the God of Israel—twelve bulls for all Israel, ninety-six rams, seventy-seven male lambs, along with twelve male goats as a sin offering. All this was a burnt offering to the Lord. 36 Then they presented the decrees of the king to the king’s satraps and to the governors of Trans-Euphrates, who assisted the people and the temple of God.

Footnotes

  1. Ezra 8:1 tn Heb “the heads of their families.”
  2. Ezra 8:3 tc The MT reads here “from the sons of Shecaniah” with no descendant identified in what follows, contrary to the pattern of the context elsewhere. However, it seems better to understand the first phrase of v. 3 with the end of v. 2; the phrase would then modify the name “Hattush.” This understanding requires emending the reading מִבְּנֵי (mibbene, “from the sons of”) in the MT to בֵּן (ben, “[the] son of”). Cf. NAB, TEV, CEV, NLT.
  3. Ezra 8:5 tc The MT lacks “of Zattu.” The translation adopted above follows the LXX in including the words.
  4. Ezra 8:10 tc The MT lacks “Bani.” It is restored on the basis of certain LXX mss.
  5. Ezra 8:13 tn Or “those who came later.” The exact meaning of this Hebrew phrase is uncertain. It may refer to the last remaining members of Adonikam’s family who were in Babylon. So, for example, H. G. M. Williamson, Ezra, Nehemiah (WBC), 108; cf. NASB, NIV, NCV. The phrase has also been taken to mean “the younger sons (so NAB), or the ones who “returned at a later date” (so TEV).
  6. Ezra 8:14 tc The translation reads with the Qere, the Lucianic Greek recension, the Syriac Peshitta, and the Vulgate וְזַּכּוּר (vezakkur, “and Zaccur”) rather than the Kethib of the MT, וְזַבוּד (vezavud, “and Zabbud”).
  7. Ezra 8:14 tn The MT has “with him” (so NAB). The present translation (“with them”) is based on the reading of many medieval Hebrew mss, the Lucianic Greek recension, the Syriac Peshitta, and the Vulgate (so also KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
  8. Ezra 8:15 tn Or “I gathered them.”
  9. Ezra 8:15 tn Heb “river.” So also in vv. 21, 31.
  10. Ezra 8:16 tc The name “Elnathan” occurs twice in this list. Some, assuming an accidental repetition, would include it only once (cf. NAB).
  11. Ezra 8:17 tn Heb “I placed in their mouth words.”
  12. Ezra 8:17 tc The translation reads with the LXX and Vulgate וְאֶחָיו (veʾekhayv, “and his brethren” = “relatives”; so NCV, NLT) rather than the reading אָחִיו (ʾakhiv, “his brother”) of the MT.
  13. Ezra 8:17 tn Heb “in the place called.” This phrase has not been repeated in the translation for stylistic reasons.
  14. Ezra 8:18 tn Heb “and Sherebiah.” The words “this man was” are not in the Hebrew text, but have been supplied in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons.
  15. Ezra 8:18 tn Or “relatives” (so CEV; NRSV “kin”); also in v. 19.
  16. Ezra 8:21 tn Heb “a straight way.”
  17. Ezra 8:22 tn A number of modern translations regard this as a collective singular and translate “from enemies” (also in v. 31).
  18. Ezra 8:22 tn Heb “his strength and his anger.” The expression is a hendiadys (one concept expressed through two terms).
  19. Ezra 8:24 tc The translation reads וַחֲשַׁבְיָה וְשֵׁרֵבְיָה (veshereveyah vakhashavyah, “and Sherebiah and Hashabiah”) rather than the reading חֲשַׁבְיָה לְשֵׁרֵבְיָה (leshereveyah khashavyah, “to Sherebiah Hashabiah”) of the MT.
  20. Ezra 8:24 tn Or “relatives”; or “colleagues” (cf. NLT “ten other priests”).
  21. Ezra 8:26 tn Heb “upon their hand.”
  22. Ezra 8:26 tn Possibly “100 silver vessels worth [?] talents” or “silver vessels weighing 100 talents.”
  23. Ezra 8:30 tn Heb “received.”
  24. Ezra 8:31 tn Heb “from the hand of the enemy and the one who lies in wait.” Some modern English versions render the latter phrase as “ambushes” (cf. NASB, NRSV).
  25. Ezra 8:33 tn Heb “upon the hand of.”
  26. Ezra 8:34 tn The words “was verified” are not in the Hebrew text but have been supplied in the translation for clarity.
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