Ezra 7-10
New American Standard Bible
Ezra Journeys from Babylon to Jerusalem
7 (A)Now after these things, in the reign of (B)Artaxerxes king of Persia, Ezra went up to Jerusalem; Ezra was the son of Seraiah, son of Azariah, son of Hilkiah, 2 son of Shallum, son of Zadok, son of Ahitub, 3 son of Amariah, son of Azariah, son of Meraioth, 4 son of Zerahiah, son of Uzzi, son of Bukki, 5 son of Abishua, son of Phinehas, son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the chief priest. 6 So this Ezra went up from Babylon, and he was a (C)scribe skilled in the Law of Moses, which the Lord God of Israel had given; and the king granted him all [a]he requested (D)because the hand of the Lord his God was upon him. 7 (E)Some of the sons of Israel and some of the priests, the Levites, the singers, the gatekeepers, and the temple servants went up to Jerusalem in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes.
8 And he came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the king. 9 For on the first day of the first month he began to go up from Babylon; and on the first of the fifth month he came to Jerusalem, (F)because the good hand of his God was upon him. 10 For Ezra had [b]firmly resolved to study the Law of the Lord and to practice it, and (G)to teach His statutes and ordinances in Israel.
King’s Decree on Behalf of Ezra
11 Now this is the copy of the letter which King Artaxerxes gave to Ezra the priest, the scribe, [c]learned in the words of the commandments of the Lord and His statutes to Israel: 12 “[d]Artaxerxes, (H)king of kings, to Ezra the priest, the scribe of the Law of the God of heaven, [e]perfect peace. And now 13 (I)I have issued a decree that any of the people of Israel and their priests and the Levites in my kingdom who are willing to go to Jerusalem, may go with you. 14 Since you are sent [f]on the part of the king and his (J)seven advisers to inquire about Judah and Jerusalem according to the Law of your God which is in your hand, 15 and to bring the silver and gold, which the king and his advisers have voluntarily given to the God of Israel, (K)whose dwelling is in Jerusalem, 16 with (L)all the silver and gold which you find in the entire province of Babylon, along (M)with the [g]voluntary offering of the people and of the priests, who (N)offered willingly for the house of their God which is in Jerusalem; 17 with this money, therefore, you shall diligently buy bulls, rams, and lambs, (O)with their grain offerings and their drink offerings, and (P)offer them on the altar of the house of your God which is in Jerusalem. 18 And whatever seems good to you and your brothers to do with the rest of the silver and gold, you may do according to the will of your God. 19 Also the utensils which are given to you for the service of the house of your God, deliver in full before the God of Jerusalem. 20 And the rest of the needs of the house of your God, for which it may be incumbent upon you to provide, (Q)provide for them from the royal treasury.
21 “I myself, King Artaxerxes, issue a decree to all the treasurers who are in the provinces beyond the Euphrates River, that whatever Ezra the priest, (R)the scribe of the Law of the God of heaven, may require of you, it shall be done diligently, 22 up to [h]a hundred talents of silver, [i]a hundred kors of wheat, [j]a hundred baths of wine, [k]a hundred baths of anointing oil, and salt [l]as needed. 23 Whatever is [m]commanded by the God of heaven, it shall be done with zeal for the house of the God of heaven, (S)so that there will not be wrath against the kingdom of the king and his sons. 24 We also inform you that (T)it is not allowed to impose tax, tribute, or toll (U)on any of the priests, Levites, singers, doorkeepers, temple servants, or other servants of this house of God.
25 “And you, Ezra, according to the wisdom of your God which is in your hand, (V)appoint magistrates and judges so that they may judge all the people who are in the province beyond the Euphrates River, that is, all those who know the laws of your God; and you may (W)teach anyone who is ignorant of them. 26 And (X)whoever does not comply with the Law of your God and the law of the king, judgment is to be executed upon him strictly, whether for death or for banishment, or for [n]confiscation of property or for imprisonment.”
The King’s Kindness
27 Blessed be the Lord, the God of our fathers, (Y)who has put such a thing as this in the king’s heart, to glorify the house of the Lord which is in Jerusalem, 28 and (Z)has extended favor to me before the king and his counselors and before all the king’s mighty officials. So I was strengthened according to (AA)the hand of the Lord my God that was upon me, and I gathered [o]leading men from Israel to go up with me.
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, (AB)Hattush; 3 of the sons of Shecaniah who was of the sons of (AC)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 [p]Zattu, Shecaniah, the son of Jahaziel and three hundred males with him; 6 and of the sons of (AD)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 [q]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, [r]Jeiel, and Shemaiah, and sixty males with them; 14 and of the sons of Bigvai, Uthai and [s]Zabbud, and seventy males with [t]them.
Ezra Sends for Levites
15 Now I assembled them at (AE)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 (AF)did not find any Levites there. 16 So I sent for Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah, Elnathan, Jarib, Elnathan, Nathan, Zechariah, and Meshullam, [u]leading men, and for Joiarib and Elnathan, teachers. 17 And I sent them to Iddo the [v]leading man at the place called Casiphia; and I [w]told them what to say to [x]Iddo and his brothers, (AG)the temple servants at the place Casiphia, that is, to bring ministers to us for the house of our God. 18 (AH)And as the good hand of our God was upon us, they brought us a (AI)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 [y]Jeshaiah of the sons of Merari, with his brothers and their sons, twenty men; 20 and 220 of (AJ)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 (AK)a fast there at (AL)the river of Ahava, to (AM)humble ourselves before our God, to seek from Him a [z]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 [aa]protect us from the enemy on the way, because we had said to the king, “(AN)The hand of our God is [ab]favorably disposed to all who seek Him, but (AO)His power and His anger are against all those who (AP)abandon Him.” 23 So we fasted and sought our God concerning this matter, and He [ac](AQ)listened to our pleading.
24 Then I selected twelve of the leading priests: (AR)Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and with them ten of their brothers; 25 and I (AS)weighed out to them (AT)the silver, the gold, and the utensils, the offering for the house of our God which the king, (AU)his counselors, his officials, and all Israel who were present there had contributed. 26 (AV)So I weighed into their hands [ad]650 talents of silver, and silver utensils worth [ae]a hundred talents, and a hundred gold talents, 27 and twenty gold bowls worth a thousand [af]darics, and two utensils of fine shiny bronze, precious as gold. 28 Then I said to them, “(AW)You are holy to the Lord, and the (AX)utensils are holy; and the silver and the gold are a [ag]voluntary offering to the Lord God of your fathers. 29 Watch and keep them (AY)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 (AZ)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 (BA)the river Ahava on (BB)the twelfth of the first month to go to Jerusalem; and (BC)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 (BD)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 (BE)were weighed out in the house of our God into the hand of (BF)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 (BG)The exiles who had come from the captivity offered burnt offerings to the God of Israel: (BH)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 (BI)they delivered the king’s edicts to (BJ)the king’s satraps and the governors in the provinces beyond the Euphrates River, and they supported the people and the house of God.
Mixed Marriages
9 Now when these things had been completed, the officials approached me, saying, “The people of Israel and the priests and the Levites have not (BK)separated themselves from the peoples of the lands, (BL)as to their abominations, those of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites. 2 For (BM)they have taken some of their daughters as wives for themselves and for their sons, so that (BN)the holy [ah]race has (BO)intermingled with the peoples of the lands; indeed, the hands of the officials and the leaders have taken the lead in this unfaithfulness.” 3 When I heard about this matter, I (BP)tore my garment and my robe, and pulled out some of the hair from my head and my beard, and (BQ)sat down [ai]appalled. 4 Then (BR)everyone who was frightened by the words of the God of Israel on account of the unfaithfulness of the exiles gathered to me, and I sat [aj]appalled until (BS)the evening offering.
Prayer of Confession
5 But at the evening offering I stood up from my [ak]humiliation, even with my garment and my robe torn, and I bowed down on my knees and (BT)spread out my [al]hands to the Lord my God; 6 and I said, “My God, I am ashamed and humiliated to lift up my face to You, my God, for our wrongful deeds have [am]risen above our heads, and our (BU)guilt has grown even to the heavens. 7 (BV)Since the days of our fathers to this day we have been in great guilt, and because of our wrongful deeds we, our kings, and our priests have been handed over to the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, to plunder, and to [an](BW)open shame, as it is this day. 8 But now for a brief moment grace has been shown from the Lord our God, (BX)to leave us an escaped remnant and to give us a [ao](BY)peg in His holy place, so that our God may (BZ)enlighten our eyes and grant us a little reviving in our bondage. 9 (CA)For we are slaves; yet in our bondage our God has not abandoned us, but (CB)has extended favor to us in the sight of the kings of Persia, to give us reviving to erect the house of our God, to restore its ruins, and to give us a wall in Judah and Jerusalem.
10 “And now, our God, what shall we say after this? For we have abandoned Your commandments, 11 which You have commanded by Your servants the prophets, saying, ‘The land which you are entering to possess is an unclean land with the uncleanness of the peoples of the lands, with their abominations which have filled it from end to end, and (CC)with their impurity. 12 So now do not (CD)give your daughters to their sons nor take their daughters for your sons, and (CE)never seek their peace or their prosperity, so that you may be strong and may eat the good things of the land, and (CF)leave it as an inheritance to your sons forever.’ 13 And after everything that has come upon us for our evil deeds and (CG)our great guilt, since You our God have spared us by inflicting less than our wrongdoing deserves, and have given us such (CH)an escaped remnant as this, 14 (CI)shall we again break Your commandments and intermarry with the peoples [ap]who commit these abominations? (CJ)Would You not be angry with us [aq]to the point of destruction, until there would be no remnant nor any who would escape? 15 Lord God of Israel, (CK)You are righteous, for we have been left an escaped remnant, as it is this day; behold, we are before You in (CL)our guilt, for (CM)no one can stand before You because of this.”
Reconciliation with God
10 Now (CN)while Ezra was praying and making confession, weeping and prostrating himself (CO)before the house of God, a very large assembly, men, women, and children, gathered to him from Israel; for the people wept greatly. 2 Shecaniah the son of Jehiel, one of the sons of Elam, said to Ezra, “(CP)We have been unfaithful to our God and have [ar]married foreign women from the peoples of the land; yet now there is hope for Israel in spite of this. 3 So now (CQ)let’s make a covenant with our God to send away all the wives and [as](CR)their children, following the counsel of [at]my lord and of (CS)those who fear the commandment of our God; and let it be done (CT)according to the Law. 4 Arise! For this matter is [au]your responsibility, but we will be with you; (CU)be courageous and act.”
5 Then Ezra stood and (CV)made the leading priests, the Levites, and all Israel take an oath that they would do according to this [av]proposal; so they took the oath. 6 Then Ezra (CW)rose from before the house of God and went into the chamber of Jehohanan the son of Eliashib. Although he went there, (CX)he did not eat bread nor drink water, because he was mourning over the unfaithfulness of the exiles. 7 So they made a proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem to all the exiles, that they were to assemble at Jerusalem, 8 and that whoever did not come within three days, in accordance with the counsel of the leaders and the elders, all his property would be forfeited, and he himself would be excluded from the assembly of the exiles.
9 So all the men of Judah and Benjamin assembled at Jerusalem within the three days. It was the ninth month on the twentieth of the month, and all the people sat in the public square before the house of God, (CY)trembling because of this matter and the heavy rain. 10 Then Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, “You have been unfaithful and have married foreign wives, adding to the guilt of Israel. 11 Now therefore, (CZ)make confession to the Lord God of your fathers and (DA)do His will; and (DB)separate yourselves from the peoples of the land and from the foreign wives.” 12 Then all the assembly replied with a loud voice, “It is [aw]our duty to do exactly as you have said! 13 However, there are many people, it is the rainy season, and we are not able to stand in the open. Nor can the task be done in one or two days, because we have done a great wrong in this matter. 14 Please let our leaders [ax]represent all the assembly and have all those in our cities who have married foreign wives come at appointed times, together with the elders and judges of each city, until the (DC)fierce anger of our God on account of this matter is turned away from us.” 15 Only Jonathan the son of Asahel and Jahzeiah the son of Tikvah [ay]opposed this, with Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite supporting them.
16 But the exiles did so. And [az]Ezra the priest selected men who were the heads of fathers’ households for each of their father’s households, all of them by name. So they [ba]convened on the first day of the tenth month to investigate the matter. 17 And they finished investigating all the men who had married foreign wives by the first day of the first month.
List of Offenders
18 Now among the sons of the priests who had married foreign wives were found of the sons of (DD)Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and his brothers: Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib, and Gedaliah. 19 They [bb]pledged to send away their wives, and being guilty, (DE)they offered a ram of the flock for their guilt. 20 Of the sons of Immer, there were Hanani and Zebadiah; 21 and of the sons of Harim: Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel, and Uzziah; 22 and of the sons of Pashhur: Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad, and Elasah.
23 Of the Levites there were Jozabad, Shimei, Kelaiah (that is, Kelita), Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer.
24 Of the singers there was Eliashib; and of the gatekeepers: Shallum, Telem, and Uri.
25 Of Israel, of the sons of (DF)Parosh there were Ramiah, Izziah, Malchijah, Mijamin, Eleazar, Malchijah, and Benaiah; 26 and of the sons of Elam: Mattaniah, Zechariah, Jehiel, Abdi, Jeremoth, and Elijah; 27 and of the sons of (DG)Zattu: Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Jeremoth, Zabad, and Aziza; 28 and of the sons of Bebai: Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Athlai; 29 and of the sons of Bani: Meshullam, Malluch and Adaiah, Jashub, Sheal, and Jeremoth; 30 and of the sons of Pahath-moab: Adna and Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui, and Manasseh; 31 and of the sons of Harim: Eliezer, Isshijah, (DH)Malchijah, Shemaiah, Shimeon, 32 Benjamin, Malluch, and Shemariah; 33 of the sons of Hashum: Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and Shimei; 34 of the sons of Bani: Maadai, Amram, Uel, 35 Benaiah, Bedeiah, Cheluhi, 36 Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib, 37 Mattaniah, Mattenai, Jaasu, 38 Bani, Binnui, Shimei, 39 Shelemiah, Nathan, Adaiah, 40 Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai, 41 Azarel, Shelemiah, Shemariah, 42 Shallum, Amariah, and Joseph. 43 Of the sons of (DI)Nebo there were Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jaddai, Joel, and Benaiah. 44 All of these men had married (DJ)foreign wives, and some of them had wives by whom they had children.
Notas al pie
- Ezra 7:6 Lit his request
- Ezra 7:10 Lit set his heart
- Ezra 7:11 Or the scribe of
- Ezra 7:12 Ch 7:12-26 is in Aram
- Ezra 7:12 Or perhaps it is determined
- Ezra 7:14 Lit from before
- Ezra 7:16 Or freewill offering
- Ezra 7:22 About 3.75 tons or 3.4 metric tons
- Ezra 7:22 About 770 cubic feet or 22 cubic meters
- Ezra 7:22 About 600 gallons or 2,271 liters
- Ezra 7:22 About 600 gallons or 2,271 liters
- Ezra 7:22 Lit without instruction
- Ezra 7:23 Lit from the command of
- Ezra 7:26 Or fines
- Ezra 7:28 Lit heads
- 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
- Ezra 9:2 Lit seed
- Ezra 9:3 Or shattered
- Ezra 9:4 Or shattered
- Ezra 9:5 Or penitence
- Ezra 9:5 Lit palms
- Ezra 9:6 Lit increased over the head
- Ezra 9:7 Lit shame of faces
- Ezra 9:8 I.e., a foothold
- Ezra 9:14 Lit of these abominations
- Ezra 9:14 Lit to destroy
- Ezra 10:2 Lit given dwelling to
- Ezra 10:3 Lit that which is born of them
- Ezra 10:3 Or the Lord
- Ezra 10:4 Lit upon you
- Ezra 10:5 Lit word; or thing
- Ezra 10:12 Lit upon us
- Ezra 10:14 Lit stand for
- Ezra 10:15 Lit stood against
- Ezra 10:16 Heb there were set apart Ezra the priest, men...
- Ezra 10:16 Lit sat
- Ezra 10:19 Lit gave their hand
Ezra 7-10
New King James Version
The Arrival of Ezra
7 Now after these things, in the reign of (A)Artaxerxes king of Persia, Ezra the (B)son of Seraiah, (C)the son of Azariah, the son of (D)Hilkiah, 2 the son of Shallum, the son of Zadok, the son of Ahitub, 3 the son of Amariah, the son of Azariah, the son of Meraioth, 4 the son of Zerahiah, the son of Uzzi, the son of Bukki, 5 the son of Abishua, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the chief priest— 6 this Ezra came up from Babylon; and he was (E)a skilled scribe in the Law of Moses, which the Lord God of Israel had given. The king granted him all his request, (F)according to the hand of the Lord his God upon him. 7 (G)Some of the children of Israel, the priests, (H)the Levites, the singers, the gatekeepers, and (I)the Nethinim came up to Jerusalem in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes. 8 And Ezra came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the king. 9 On the first day of the first month he began his journey from Babylon, and on the first day of the fifth month he came to Jerusalem, (J)according to the good hand of his God upon him. 10 For Ezra had prepared his heart to (K)seek[a] the Law of the Lord, and to do it, and to (L)teach statutes and ordinances in Israel.
The Letter of Artaxerxes to Ezra
11 This is a copy of the letter that King Artaxerxes gave Ezra the priest, the scribe, expert in the words of the commandments of the Lord, and of His statutes to Israel:
To Ezra the priest, a scribe of the Law of the God of heaven:
13 I issue a decree that all those of the people of Israel and the priests and Levites in my realm, who volunteer to go up to Jerusalem, may go with you. 14 And whereas you are being sent [d]by the king and his (O)seven counselors to inquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem, with regard to the Law of your God which is in your hand; 15 and whereas you are to carry the silver and gold which the king and his counselors have freely offered to the God of Israel, (P)whose dwelling is in Jerusalem; 16 (Q)and whereas all the silver and gold that you may find in all the province of Babylon, along with the freewill offering of the people and the priests, are to be (R)freely offered for the [e]house of their God in Jerusalem— 17 now therefore, be careful to buy with this money bulls, rams, and lambs, with their (S)grain offerings and their drink offerings, and (T)offer them on the altar of the house of your God in Jerusalem.
18 And whatever seems good to you and your brethren to do with the rest of the silver and the gold, do it according to the will of your God. 19 Also the articles that are given to you for the service of the house of your God, deliver in full before the God of Jerusalem. 20 And whatever more may be needed for the house of your God, which you may have occasion to provide, pay for it from the king’s treasury.
21 And I, even I, Artaxerxes the king, issue a decree to all the treasurers who are in the region beyond the River, that whatever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the Law of the God of heaven, may require of you, let it be done diligently, 22 up to one hundred talents of silver, one hundred kors of wheat, one hundred baths of wine, one hundred baths of oil, and salt without prescribed limit. 23 Whatever [f]is commanded by the God of heaven, let it diligently be done for the [g]house of the God of heaven. For why should there be wrath against the realm of the king and his sons?
24 Also we inform you that it shall not be lawful to impose tax, tribute, or custom on any of the priests, Levites, singers, gatekeepers, Nethinim, or servants of this house of God. 25 And you, Ezra, according to your God-given wisdom, (U)set magistrates and judges who may judge all the people who are in the region beyond the River, all such as know the laws of your God; and (V)teach those who do not know them. 26 Whoever will not observe the law of your God and the law of the king, let judgment be executed speedily on him, whether it be death, or [h]banishment, or confiscation of goods, or imprisonment.
27 (W)Blessed[i] be the Lord God of our fathers, (X)who has put such a thing as this in the king’s heart, to beautify the house of the Lord which is in Jerusalem, 28 and (Y)has extended mercy to me before the king and his counselors, and before all the king’s mighty princes.
So I was encouraged, as (Z)the hand of the Lord my God was upon me; and I gathered leading men of Israel to go up with me.
Heads of Families Who Returned with Ezra
8 These are the heads of their fathers’ houses, and this is the genealogy 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, (AA)Hattush; 3 of the sons of Shecaniah, of the sons of (AB)Parosh, Zechariah; and registered with him were one hundred and fifty males; 4 of the sons of (AC)Pahath-Moab, Eliehoenai the son of Zerahiah, and with him two hundred males; 5 of [j]the sons of Shechaniah, Ben-Jahaziel, and with him three hundred males; 6 of the sons of Adin, Ebed the son of Jonathan, and with him fifty males; 7 of the sons of Elam, Jeshaiah the son of Athaliah, and with him seventy males; 8 of the sons of Shephatiah, Zebadiah the son of Michael, and with him eighty males; 9 of the sons of Joab, Obadiah the son of Jehiel, and with him two hundred and eighteen males; 10 of [k]the sons of Shelomith, Ben-Josiphiah, and with him one hundred and sixty males; 11 of the sons of (AD)Bebai, Zechariah the son of Bebai, and with him twenty-eight males; 12 of the sons of Azgad, Johanan [l]the son of Hakkatan, and with him one hundred and ten males; 13 of the last sons of Adonikam, whose names are these—Eliphelet, Jeiel, and Shemaiah—and with them sixty males; 14 also of the sons of Bigvai, Uthai and [m]Zabbud, and with them seventy males.
Servants for the Temple
15 Now I gathered them by the river that flows to Ahava, and we camped there three days. And I looked among the people and the priests, and found none of the (AE)sons of Levi there. 16 Then I sent for Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah, Elnathan, Jarib, Elnathan, Nathan, Zechariah, and (AF)Meshullam, leaders; also for Joiarib and Elnathan, men of understanding. 17 And I gave them a command for Iddo the chief man at the place Casiphia, and [n]I told them what they should say to [o]Iddo and his brethren the Nethinim at the place Casiphia—that they should bring us servants for the house of our God. 18 Then, by the good hand of our God upon us, they (AG)brought us a man of understanding, of the sons of Mahli the son of Levi, the son of Israel, namely Sherebiah, with his sons and brothers, eighteen men; 19 and (AH)Hashabiah, and with him Jeshaiah of the sons of Merari, his brothers and their sons, twenty men; 20 (AI)also of the Nethinim, whom David and the leaders had appointed for the service of the Levites, two hundred and twenty Nethinim. All of them were designated by name.
Fasting and Prayer for Protection
21 Then I (AJ)proclaimed a fast there at the river of Ahava, that we might (AK)humble ourselves before our God, to seek from Him the (AL)right way for us and our little ones and all our possessions. 22 For (AM)I was ashamed to request of the king an escort of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy on the road, because we had spoken to the king, saying, (AN)“The hand of our God is upon all those for (AO)good who seek Him, but His power and His wrath are (AP)against all those who (AQ)forsake Him.” 23 So we fasted and entreated our God for this, and He (AR)answered our prayer.
Gifts for the Temple
24 And I separated twelve of the leaders of the priests—Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and ten of their brethren with them— 25 and weighed out to them (AS)the silver, the gold, and the articles, the offering for the house of our God which the king and his counselors and his princes, and all Israel who were present, had offered. 26 I weighed into their hand six hundred and fifty talents of silver, silver articles weighing one hundred talents, one hundred talents of gold, 27 twenty gold basins worth a thousand drachmas, and two vessels of fine polished bronze, precious as gold. 28 And I said to them, “You are (AT)holy[p] to the Lord; the articles are (AU)holy also; and the silver and the gold are a freewill offering to the Lord God of your fathers. 29 Watch and keep them until you weigh them before the leaders of the priests and the Levites and (AV)heads of the fathers’ houses of Israel in Jerusalem, in the chambers of the house of the Lord.” 30 So the priests and the Levites received the silver and the gold and the articles by weight, to bring them to Jerusalem to the house of our God.
The Return to Jerusalem
31 Then we departed from the river of Ahava on the twelfth day of the first month, to go to Jerusalem. And (AW)the hand of our God was upon us, and He delivered us from the hand of the enemy and from ambush along the road. 32 So we (AX)came to Jerusalem, and stayed there three days.
33 Now on the fourth day the silver and the gold and the articles were (AY)weighed in the house of our God by the hand of Meremoth the son of Uriah the priest, and with him was Eleazar the son of Phinehas; with them were the Levites, (AZ)Jozabad the son of Jeshua and Noadiah the son of Binnui, 34 with the number and weight of everything. All the weight was written down at that time.
35 The children of those who had been (BA)carried away captive, who had come from the captivity, (BB)offered burnt offerings to the God of Israel: twelve bulls for all Israel, ninety-six rams, seventy-seven lambs, and twelve male goats as a sin offering. All this was a burnt offering to the Lord.
36 And they delivered the king’s (BC)orders to the king’s satraps and the governors in the region beyond [q]the River. So they gave support to the people and the [r]house of God.
Intermarriage with Pagans
9 When these things were done, the leaders came to me, saying, “The people of Israel and the priests and the Levites have not (BD)separated themselves from the peoples of the lands, (BE)with respect to the abominations of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites. 2 For they have (BF)taken some of their daughters as wives for themselves and their sons, so that the (BG)holy seed is (BH)mixed with the peoples of those lands. Indeed, the hand of the leaders and rulers has been foremost in this [s]trespass.” 3 So when I heard this thing, (BI)I tore my garment and my robe, and plucked out some of the hair of my head and beard, and sat down (BJ)astonished. 4 Then everyone who (BK)trembled at the words of the God of Israel assembled to me, because of the transgression of those who had been carried away captive, and I sat astonished until the (BL)evening sacrifice.
5 At the evening sacrifice I arose from my fasting; and having torn my garment and my robe, I fell on my knees and (BM)spread out my hands to the Lord my God. 6 And I said: “O my God, I am too (BN)ashamed and humiliated to lift up my face to You, my God; for (BO)our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has (BP)grown up to the heavens. 7 Since the days of our fathers to this day (BQ)we have been very guilty, and for our iniquities (BR)we, our kings, and our priests have been delivered into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the (BS)sword, to captivity, to plunder, and to (BT)humiliation,[t] as it is this day. 8 And now for a little while grace has been shown from the Lord our God, to leave us a remnant to escape, and to give us a peg in His holy place, that our God may (BU)enlighten our eyes and give us a measure of revival in our bondage. 9 (BV)For we were slaves. (BW)Yet our God did not forsake us in our bondage; but (BX)He extended mercy to us in the sight of the kings of Persia, to revive us, to repair the house of our God, to rebuild its ruins, and to give us (BY)a wall in Judah and Jerusalem. 10 And now, O our God, what shall we say after this? For we have forsaken Your commandments, 11 which You commanded by Your servants the prophets, saying, ‘The land which you are entering to possess is an unclean land, with the (BZ)uncleanness of the peoples of the lands, with their abominations which have filled it from one end to another with their impurity. 12 Now therefore, (CA)do not give your daughters as wives for their sons, nor take their daughters to your sons; and (CB)never seek their peace or prosperity, that you may be strong and eat the good of the land, and (CC)leave it as an inheritance to your children forever.’ 13 And after all that has come upon us for our evil deeds and for our great guilt, since You our God (CD)have punished us less than our iniquities deserve, and have given us such deliverance as this, 14 should we (CE)again break Your commandments, and (CF)join in marriage with the people committing these abominations? Would You not be (CG)angry with us until You had [u]consumed us, so that there would be no remnant or survivor? 15 O Lord God of Israel, (CH)You are righteous, for we are left as a remnant, as it is this day. (CI)Here we are before You, (CJ)in our guilt, though no one can stand before You because of this!”
Confession of Improper Marriages
10 Now (CK)while Ezra was praying, and while he was confessing, weeping, and bowing down (CL)before the house of God, a very large assembly of men, women, and children gathered to him from Israel; for the people wept very (CM)bitterly. 2 And Shechaniah the son of Jehiel, one of the sons of Elam, spoke up and said to Ezra, “We have (CN)trespassed[v] against our God, and have taken pagan wives from the peoples of the land; yet now there is hope in Israel in spite of this. 3 Now therefore, let us make (CO)a covenant with our God to put away all these wives and those who have been born to them, according to the advice of my master and of those who (CP)tremble at (CQ)the commandment of our God; and let it be done according to the (CR)law. 4 Arise, for this matter is your responsibility. We also are with you. (CS)Be of good courage, and do it.”
5 Then Ezra arose, and made the leaders of the priests, the Levites, and all Israel (CT)swear an oath that they would do according to this word. So they swore an oath. 6 Then Ezra rose up from before the house of God, and went into the chamber of Jehohanan the son of Eliashib; and when he came there, he (CU)ate no bread and drank no water, for he mourned because of the guilt of those from the captivity.
7 And they issued a proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem to all the descendants of the captivity, that they must gather at Jerusalem, 8 and that whoever would not come within three days, according to the instructions of the leaders and elders, all his property would be confiscated, and he himself would be separated from the assembly of those from the captivity.
9 So all the men of Judah and Benjamin gathered at Jerusalem within three days. It was the ninth month, on the twentieth of the month; and (CV)all the people sat in the open square of the house of God, trembling because of this matter and because of heavy rain. 10 Then Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, “You have [w]transgressed and [x]have taken pagan wives, adding to the guilt of Israel. 11 Now therefore, (CW)make confession to the Lord God of your fathers, and do His will; (CX)separate yourselves from the peoples of the land, and from the pagan wives.”
12 Then all the assembly answered and said with a loud voice, “Yes! As you have said, so we must do. 13 But there are many people; it is the season for heavy rain, and we are not able to stand outside. Nor is this the work of one or two days, for there are many of us who have transgressed in this matter. 14 Please, let the leaders of our entire assembly stand; and let all those in our cities who have taken pagan wives come at appointed times, together with the elders and judges of their cities, until (CY)the fierce wrath of our God is turned away from us in this matter.” 15 Only Jonathan the son of Asahel and Jahaziah the son of Tikvah opposed this, and (CZ)Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite gave them support.
16 Then the descendants of the captivity did so. And Ezra the priest, with certain (DA)heads of the fathers’ households, were set apart by the fathers’ households, each of them by name; and they sat down on the first day of the tenth month to examine the matter. 17 By the first day of the first month they finished questioning all the men who had taken pagan wives.
Pagan Wives Put Away
18 And among the sons of the priests who had taken pagan wives the following were found of the sons of (DB)Jeshua the son of [y]Jozadak, and his brothers: Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib, and Gedaliah. 19 And they (DC)gave their promise that they would put away their wives; and being (DD)guilty, they presented a ram of the flock as their (DE)trespass offering.
20 Also of the sons of Immer: Hanani and Zebadiah; 21 of the sons of Harim: Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel, and Uzziah; 22 of the sons of Pashhur: Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad, and Elasah.
23 Also of the Levites: Jozabad, Shimei, Kelaiah (the same is Kelita), Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer.
24 Also of the singers: Eliashib; and of the gatekeepers: Shallum, Telem, and Uri.
25 And others of Israel: of the (DF)sons of Parosh: Ramiah, Jeziah, Malchiah, Mijamin, Eleazar, Malchijah, and Benaiah; 26 of the sons of Elam: Mattaniah, Zechariah, Jehiel, Abdi, Jeremoth, and Eliah; 27 of the sons of Zattu: Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Jeremoth, Zabad, and Aziza; 28 of the (DG)sons of Bebai: Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Athlai; 29 of the sons of Bani: Meshullam, Malluch, Adaiah, Jashub, Sheal, and [z]Ramoth; 30 of the (DH)sons of Pahath-Moab: Adna, Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui, and Manasseh; 31 of the sons of Harim: Eliezer, Ishijah, Malchijah, Shemaiah, Shimeon, 32 Benjamin, Malluch, and Shemariah; 33 of the sons of Hashum: Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and Shimei; 34 of the sons of Bani: Maadai, Amram, Uel, 35 Benaiah, Bedeiah, [aa]Cheluh, 36 Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib, 37 Mattaniah, Mattenai, [ab]Jaasai, 38 Bani, Binnui, Shimei, 39 Shelemiah, Nathan, Adaiah, 40 Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai, 41 Azarel, Shelemiah, Shemariah, 42 Shallum, Amariah, and Joseph; 43 of the sons of Nebo: Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, [ac]Jaddai, Joel, and Benaiah.
44 All these had taken pagan wives, and some of them had wives by whom they had children.
Notas al pie
- Ezra 7:10 Study
- Ezra 7:12 The original language of Ezra 7:12–26 is Aramaic.
- Ezra 7:12 Lit. and now
- Ezra 7:14 from before
- Ezra 7:16 Temple
- Ezra 7:23 Lit. is from the decree
- Ezra 7:23 Temple
- Ezra 7:26 Lit. rooting out
- Ezra 7:27 The Hebrew language resumes in Ezra 7:27.
- Ezra 8:5 So with MT, Vg.; LXX the sons of Zatho, Shechaniah
- Ezra 8:10 So with MT, Vg.; LXX the sons of Banni, Shelomith
- Ezra 8:12 Or the youngest son,
- Ezra 8:14 Or Zakkur
- Ezra 8:17 Lit. I put words in their mouths to say
- Ezra 8:17 So with Vg.; MT to Iddo his brother; LXX to their brethren
- Ezra 8:28 consecrated
- Ezra 8:36 The Euphrates
- Ezra 8:36 Temple
- Ezra 9:2 unfaithfulness
- Ezra 9:7 Lit. shame of faces
- Ezra 9:14 destroyed
- Ezra 10:2 been unfaithful to
- Ezra 10:10 acted unfaithfully
- Ezra 10:10 Heb. have caused to dwell or have brought back
- Ezra 10:18 Jehozadak, 1 Chr. 6:14
- Ezra 10:29 Or Jeremoth
- Ezra 10:35 Or Cheluhi or Cheluhu
- Ezra 10:37 Or Jaasu
- Ezra 10:43 Or Jaddu
Revelation 4
New American Standard Bible
Scene in Heaven
4 After (A)these things I looked, and behold, (B)a door standing open in heaven, and the first voice which I had heard, (C)like the sound of a trumpet speaking with me, said, “(D)Come up here, and I will (E)show you what must take place after these things.” 2 Immediately I was (F)in the [a]Spirit; and behold, (G)a throne was standing in heaven, and (H)someone was sitting on the throne. 3 And He who was sitting was like a (I)jasper stone and a (J)sardius in appearance; and there was a [b](K)rainbow around the throne, like an (L)emerald in appearance. 4 (M)Around the throne were (N)twenty-four thrones; and upon the thrones I saw (O)twenty-four elders (P)sitting, clothed in (Q)white garments, and (R)golden crowns on their heads.
The Throne and Worship of the Creator
5 Out from the throne *came (S)flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder. And there were (T)seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are [c](U)the seven spirits of God; 6 and before the throne there was something like a (V)sea of glass, like crystal; and in the [d]center and (W)around the throne, (X)four living creatures (Y)full of eyes in front and behind. 7 (Z)The first living creature was like a lion, the second creature like a calf, the third creature had a face like that of a man, and the fourth creature was like a flying eagle. 8 And the (AA)four living creatures, each one of them having (AB)six wings, are (AC)full of eyes around and within; and (AD)day and night [e]they do not cease to say,
“(AE)Holy, holy, holy is the (AF)Lord God, the Almighty, (AG)who was and who is and who [f]is to come.”
9 And when the living creatures give glory, honor, and thanks to Him who (AH)sits on the throne, to (AI)Him who lives forever and ever, 10 the (AJ)twenty-four elders will (AK)fall down before Him who (AL)sits on the throne, and they will worship (AM)Him who lives forever and ever, and will cast their (AN)crowns before the throne, saying,
11 “(AO)Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You (AP)created all things, and because of Your will they [g]existed, and were created.”
Notas al pie
- Revelation 4:2 Or spirit
- Revelation 4:3 Or halo
- Revelation 4:5 Possibly a symbolic reference to the Holy Spirit in His fullness, or to seven key angels
- Revelation 4:6 Lit middle of the throne and around
- Revelation 4:8 Lit they have no rest, saying,
- Revelation 4:8 Or is coming
- Revelation 4:11 Lit were
Revelation 4
New King James Version
The Throne Room of Heaven(A)
4 After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing (B)open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard was like a (C)trumpet speaking with me, saying, “Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this.”
2 Immediately (D)I was in the Spirit; and behold, (E)a throne set in heaven, and One sat on the throne. 3 [a]And He who sat there was (F)like a jasper and a sardius stone in appearance; (G)and there was a rainbow around the throne, in appearance like an emerald. 4 (H)Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and on the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, (I)clothed in white [b]robes; and they had crowns of gold on their heads. 5 And from the throne proceeded (J)lightnings, [c]thunderings, and voices. (K)Seven lamps of fire were burning before the throne, which are (L)the[d] seven Spirits of God.
6 Before the throne there [e]was (M)a sea of glass, like crystal. (N)And in the midst of the throne, and around the throne, were four living creatures full of eyes in front and in back. 7 (O)The first living creature was like a lion, the second living creature like a calf, the third living creature had a face like a man, and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle. 8 The four living creatures, each having (P)six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying:
9 Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, (T)who lives forever and ever, 10 (U)the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying:
11 “You(V) are worthy, [g]O Lord,
To receive glory and honor and power;
(W)For You created all things,
And by (X)Your will they [h]exist and were created.”
Notas al pie
- Revelation 4:3 M omits And He who sat there was, making the following a description of the throne.
- Revelation 4:4 NU, M robes, with crowns
- Revelation 4:5 NU, M voices, and thunderings.
- Revelation 4:5 M omits the
- Revelation 4:6 NU, M add something like
- Revelation 4:8 M has holy nine times.
- Revelation 4:11 NU, M our Lord and God
- Revelation 4:11 NU, M existed
Psalm 97
New American Standard Bible
The Lord’s Power and Dominion.
97 (A)The Lord [a]reigns, may the (B)earth rejoice;
May the many [b](C)islands be joyful.
2 (D)Clouds and thick darkness surround Him;
(E)Righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne.
3 (F)Fire goes before Him
And (G)burns up His enemies all around.
4 His (H)lightning lit up the world;
The earth saw it and (I)trembled.
5 The mountains (J)melted like wax at the presence of the Lord,
At the presence of the (K)Lord of the whole earth.
6 The (L)heavens declare His righteousness,
And (M)all the peoples have seen His glory.
7 May all those be ashamed who serve (N)carved images,
Who boast in (O)idols;
[c](P)Worship Him, all you [d]gods.
8 Zion [e]heard this and (Q)was joyful,
And the daughters of Judah have rejoiced
Because of Your judgments, Lord.
9 For You are the Lord (R)Most High over all the earth;
You are exalted far (S)above all [f]gods.
10 (T)Hate evil, you who love the Lord,
Who (U)watches over the souls of His godly ones;
He (V)saves them from the hand of the wicked.
11 (W)Light is sown like seed for the righteous,
And (X)gladness for the upright in heart.
12 Be (Y)joyful in the Lord, you righteous ones,
And (Z)praise [g]the mention of His holy name.
Notas al pie
- Psalm 97:1 Or has assumed Kingship
- Psalm 97:1 Or coastlands
- Psalm 97:7 Or All the gods have worshiped Him
- Psalm 97:7 Or supernatural powers
- Psalm 97:8 Or possibly hears and is glad
- Psalm 97:9 Or supernatural powers
- Psalm 97:12 Lit for the memory of His holiness
Psalm 97
New King James Version
A Song of Praise to the Sovereign Lord
2 (B)Clouds and darkness surround Him;
(C)Righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne.
3 (D)A fire goes before Him,
And burns up His enemies round about.
4 (E)His lightnings light the world;
The earth sees and trembles.
5 (F)The mountains melt like wax at the presence of the Lord,
At the presence of the Lord of the whole earth.
6 (G)The heavens declare His righteousness,
And all the peoples see His glory.
7 (H)Let all be put to shame who serve carved images,
Who boast of idols.
(I)Worship Him, all you gods.
8 Zion hears and is glad,
And the daughters of Judah rejoice
Because of Your judgments, O Lord.
9 For You, Lord, are (J)most high above all the earth;
(K)You are exalted far above all gods.
10 You who love the Lord, (L)hate evil!
(M)He preserves the souls of His saints;
(N)He delivers them out of the hand of the wicked.
11 (O)Light is sown for the righteous,
And gladness for the upright in heart.
12 (P)Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous,
(Q)And give thanks [b]at the remembrance of [c]His holy name.
Notas al pie
- Psalm 97:1 Or coastlands
- Psalm 97:12 Or for the memory
- Psalm 97:12 Or His holiness
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
