Ezra 8
Expanded Bible
Leaders Who Returned with Ezra
8 These are the ·leaders [heads] of the family groups and ·those who were listed with them [the genealogies of those] who ·came back [L went up] with me from Babylon during the ·rule [reign] of King Artaxerxes [C ruled 464–425 bc].
2 From the ·descendants [family; sons; C and so on throughout the list] of Phinehas [Num. 25:7, 11]: Gershom.
From the descendants of Ithamar: Daniel.
From the descendants of David: Hattush 3 of the descendants of Shecaniah.
From the descendants of Parosh: Zechariah, with one hundred fifty registered men.
4 From the descendants of Pahath-Moab: Eliehoenai son of Zerahiah, with two hundred men.
5 From the descendants of Zattu: Shecaniah son of Jahaziel, with three hundred men.
6 From the descendants of Adin: Ebed son of Jonathan, with fifty men.
7 From the descendants of Elam: Jeshaiah son of Athaliah, with seventy men.
8 From the descendants of Shephatiah: Zebadiah son of Michael, with eighty men.
9 From the descendants of Joab: Obadiah son of Jehiel, with two hundred eighteen men.
10 From the descendants of Bani: Shelomith son of Josiphiah, with one hundred sixty men.
11 From the descendants of Bebai: Zechariah son of Bebai, with twenty-eight men.
12 From the descendants of Azgad: Johanan son of Hakkatan, with one hundred ten men.
13 From the descendants of Adonikam, these were the last ones: Eliphelet, Jeuel, and Shemaiah, with sixty men.
14 From the descendants of Bigvai: Uthai and Zaccur, with seventy men.
The Return to Jerusalem
15 I ·called [assembled; gathered] all those people together [C he lists 1,513 males, probably over 5,000 total with women and children] at the ·canal [river] that flows toward Ahava, where we camped for three days. I ·checked [reviewed; observed] all the people and the priests, but I did not find any Levites [C needed for service at a rebuilt Temple]. 16 So I called these leaders: Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah, Elnathan, Jarib, Elnathan, Nathan, Zechariah, and Meshullam. And I called Joiarib and Elnathan, who were ·teachers [wise; judicious; men of learning/discernment]. 17 I sent these men to Iddo, the leader [C of the Levites] at Casiphia, and told them what to say to Iddo and his ·relatives [or collegues; L brothers], who are the Temple servants in Casiphia. I sent them to bring ·servants [ministers; attendants] to us for the ·Temple [L house] of our God. 18 The ·good [gracious] hand of our God was ·helping [L on] us, so ·Iddo’s relatives [L they] ·gave [brought; sent] us Sherebiah, a ·wise [skilled; capable; astute] man from the ·descendants [sons] of Mahli ·son [descendant] of Levi, who was the son of Israel. And they brought Sherebiah’s sons and brothers, for a total of eighteen men. 19 And they brought to us Hashabiah and Jeshaiah from the ·descendants [sons] of Merari, and his brothers and ·nephews [their sons]. In all there were twenty men. 20 They also brought two hundred twenty of the Temple servants, a group David and ·the officers [his officials] had ·set up [established; instituted] to ·help [assist; serve] the Levites. All of those men were ·listed [designated] by name.
21 There by the Ahava ·Canal [River], I announced we would all fast and ·deny [humble] ourselves before our God. We would ask God for a safe ·trip [journey] for ourselves, our children, and all our possessions. 22 I was ashamed to ask the king for soldiers and ·horsemen [cavalry] to protect us from enemies on the ·road [way]. We had said to the king, “The hand of our God ·helps [L is on] everyone who ·obeys [seeks] him, but ·he is very angry with [his power and anger are against] all who reject him.” 23 So we fasted and ·prayed to [petitioned; pleaded with; T sought] our God about our trip, and he ·answered [heard; listened to] our prayers.
24 Then I ·chose [appointed; set apart] twelve of the priests who were leaders, Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and ten of their ·relatives [colleagues; L brothers]. 25 I weighed the offering of silver and gold and the ·utensils [articles; vessels] given for the ·Temple [L house] of our God, and I gave them to the twelve priests I had chosen. The king, ·the people who advised him [his counselors], his ·officers [officials], and all the Israelites there with us had given these things. 26 I weighed out ·and gave them [L into their hands] ·about fifty thousand pounds [L 650 talents] of silver, ·about seventy-five hundred pounds [L 100 talents] of silver objects, and ·about seventy-five hundred pounds [L 100 talents] of gold. 27 I gave them twenty gold bowls ·that weighed [or worth] ·about nineteen pounds [L 1,000 darics] and two fine pieces of polished bronze that were as ·valuable [precious] as gold.
28 Then I said to the priests, “You and these utensils ·belong [are set apart/holy] to the Lord. The silver and gold are ·gifts [a freewill/voluntary offering] to the Lord, the God of your ·ancestors [fathers]. 29 ·Guard [Watch] these things carefully. In Jerusalem, weigh them in front of the ·leading [chief] priests, Levites, and the ·leaders [heads] of the family groups of Israel in the ·rooms [chambers; storerooms] of the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord.” 30 So the priests and Levites accepted the silver, the gold, and the ·utensils [articles; vessels] that had been weighed to take them to the ·Temple [L house] of our God in Jerusalem.
31 On the twelfth day of the first month [C April 19] we left the Ahava ·Canal [River] ·and started toward [to travel/journey to] Jerusalem. The hand of our God ·helped us [was over us] and ·protected [saved; T delivered] us from enemies and ·robbers [ambushes] along the way. 32 Finally we arrived in Jerusalem where we ·rested [stayed] three days.
33 On the fourth day we weighed out the silver, the gold, and the ·utensils [articles; vessels] in the ·Temple [L house] of our God. We handed them to the priest Meremoth son of Uriah. Eleazar son of Phinehas was with him, as were the Levites Jozabad son of Jeshua and Noadiah son of Binnui. 34 We checked everything by number and by weight, and the total weight was ·written down [recorded].
35 Then the ·captives [exiles] who returned from captivity made burnt offerings [Lev. 1:1–17] to the God of Israel. They sacrificed twelve bulls for all Israel, ninety-six ·male sheep [rams], and seventy-seven lambs. For a ·sin [or purification] offering [Lev. 4:3] there were twelve male goats. All this was a burnt offering [Lev. 1:1–17] to the Lord. 36 They ·took [delivered] King Artaxerxes’ ·orders [decrees] to the royal officers and to the governors of Trans-Euphrates [C provinces west of the Euphrates River]. Then these men gave help to the people and the ·Temple [L house] of God.
Ezra 8
New American Standard Bible
People Who Went with Ezra
8 Now these are the heads of their fathers’ households and the genealogical enrollment of those who went up with me from Babylon in the reign of King Artaxerxes: 2 of the sons of Phinehas, Gershom; of the sons of Ithamar, Daniel; of the sons of David, (A)Hattush; 3 of the sons of Shecaniah who was of the sons of (B)Parosh, Zechariah, and with him 150 males who were in the genealogical list; 4 of the sons of Pahath-moab, Eliehoenai the son of Zerahiah and two hundred males with him; 5 of the sons of [a]Zattu, Shecaniah, the son of Jahaziel and three hundred males with him; 6 and of the sons of (C)Adin, Ebed the son of Jonathan and fifty males with him; 7 and of the sons of Elam, Jeshaiah the son of Athaliah and seventy males with him; 8 and of the sons of Shephatiah, Zebadiah the son of Michael and eighty males with him; 9 of the sons of Joab, Obadiah the son of Jehiel and 218 males with him; 10 and of the sons of [b]Bani, Shelomith, the son of Josiphiah and 160 males with him; 11 and of the sons of Bebai, Zechariah the son of Bebai and twenty-eight males with him; 12 and of the sons of Azgad, Johanan the son of Hakkatan and 110 males with him; 13 and of the sons of Adonikam, the last ones, these being their names: Eliphelet, [c]Jeiel, and Shemaiah, and sixty males with them; 14 and of the sons of Bigvai, Uthai and [d]Zabbud, and seventy males with [e]them.
Ezra Sends for Levites
15 Now I assembled them at (D)the river that runs to Ahava, where we camped for three days; and when I paid close attention to the people and the priests, I (E)did not find any Levites there. 16 So I sent for Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah, Elnathan, Jarib, Elnathan, Nathan, Zechariah, and Meshullam, [f]leading men, and for Joiarib and Elnathan, teachers. 17 And I sent them to Iddo the [g]leading man at the place called Casiphia; and I [h]told them what to say to [i]Iddo and his brothers, (F)the temple servants at the place Casiphia, that is, to bring ministers to us for the house of our God. 18 (G)And as the good hand of our God was upon us, they brought us a (H)man of insight from the sons of Mahli, the son of Levi, the son of Israel, namely Sherebiah, and his sons and brothers, eighteen men; 19 and Hashabiah and [j]Jeshaiah of the sons of Merari, with his brothers and their sons, twenty men; 20 and 220 of (I)the temple servants, whom David and the officials had provided for the service of the Levites, all of them designated by name.
Protection of God Invoked
21 Then I proclaimed (J)a fast there at (K)the river of Ahava, to (L)humble ourselves before our God, to seek from Him a [k]safe journey for us, our little ones, and all our possessions. 22 For I was ashamed to request from the king troops and horsemen to [l]protect us from the enemy on the way, because we had said to the king, “(M)The hand of our God is [m]favorably disposed to all who seek Him, but (N)His power and His anger are against all those who (O)abandon Him.” 23 So we fasted and sought our God concerning this matter, and He [n](P)listened to our pleading.
24 Then I selected twelve of the leading priests: (Q)Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and with them ten of their brothers; 25 and I (R)weighed out to them (S)the silver, the gold, and the utensils, the offering for the house of our God which the king, (T)his counselors, his officials, and all Israel who were present there had contributed. 26 (U)So I weighed into their hands [o]650 talents of silver, and silver utensils worth [p]a hundred talents, and a hundred gold talents, 27 and twenty gold bowls worth a thousand [q]darics, and two utensils of fine shiny bronze, precious as gold. 28 Then I said to them, “(V)You are holy to the Lord, and the (W)utensils are holy; and the silver and the gold are a [r]voluntary offering to the Lord God of your fathers. 29 Watch and keep them (X)until you weigh them before the leading priests, the Levites, and the leaders of the fathers’ households of Israel in Jerusalem, in the chambers of the house of the Lord.” 30 So the priests and the Levites (Y)accepted the weight of silver and gold and the utensils, to bring them to Jerusalem to the house of our God.
31 Then we journeyed from (Z)the river Ahava on (AA)the twelfth of the first month to go to Jerusalem; and (AB)the hand of our God was upon us, and He rescued us from the hand of the enemy and the ambushes by the road. 32 (AC)So we came to Jerusalem and remained there for three days.
Treasure Placed in the Temple
33 And on the fourth day the silver, the gold, and the utensils (AD)were weighed out in the house of our God into the hand of (AE)Meremoth the son of Uriah the priest, and with him was Eleazar the son of Phinehas; and with them were the Levites, Jozabad the son of Jeshua and Noadiah the son of Binnui. 34 A notation was made for everything by number and weight, and all the weight was recorded at that time.
35 (AF)The exiles who had come from the captivity offered burnt offerings to the God of Israel: (AG)twelve bulls for all Israel, ninety-six rams, seventy-seven lambs, twelve male goats for a sin offering, all as a burnt offering to the Lord. 36 Then (AH)they delivered the king’s edicts to (AI)the king’s satraps and the governors in the provinces beyond the Euphrates River, and they supported the people and the house of God.
Footnotes
- Ezra 8:5 As in LXX; MT omits Zattu
- Ezra 8:10 As in LXX; MT omits Bani
- Ezra 8:13 Or Jeuel
- Ezra 8:14 Or Zakkur
- Ezra 8:14 Or him
- Ezra 8:16 Lit heads
- Ezra 8:17 Lit head
- Ezra 8:17 Lit put words in their mouth to say
- Ezra 8:17 As in LXX; MT Iddo his brother
- Ezra 8:19 As in LXX; MT with him Jeshaiah
- Ezra 8:21 Lit smooth way
- Ezra 8:22 Lit help
- Ezra 8:22 Lit upon all...for good
- Ezra 8:23 Lit was entreated by us
- Ezra 8:26 About 24 tons or 22 metric tons
- Ezra 8:26 About 3.75 tons or 3.4 metric tons
- Ezra 8:27 A coin weighing about 0.25 oz. or 7 gm
- Ezra 8:28 Or freewill offering
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