Ezra 7-8

Good News Translation

Ezra Arrives in Jerusalem

7 Many years later, when Artaxerxes was emperor of Persia, there was a man named Ezra. He traced his ancestors back to Aaron, the High Priest, as follows: 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.

^6-7 Ezra was a scholar with a thorough knowledge of the Law which the Lord, the God of Israel, had given to Moses. Because Ezra had the blessing of the Lord his God, the emperor gave him everything he asked for. In the seventh year of the reign of Artaxerxes, Ezra set out from Babylonia for Jerusalem with a group of Israelites which included priests, Levites, Temple musicians, Temple guards, and workers. ^8-9 They left Babylonia on the first day of the first month, and with God's help they arrived in Jerusalem on the first day of the fifth month. ¹⁰ Ezra had devoted his life to studying the Law of the Lord, to practicing it, and to teaching all its laws and regulations to the people of Israel.

The Document Which Emperor Artaxerxes Gave to Ezra

¹¹ Emperor Artaxerxes gave the following document to Ezra, the priest and scholar, who had a thorough knowledge of the laws and commands which the Lord had given to Israel:

Ezra Praises God

²⁷ Ezra said, “Praise the Lord, the God of our ancestors! He has made the emperor willing to honor in this way the Temple of the Lord in Jerusalem. ²⁸ By God's grace I have won the favor of the emperor, of his counselors, and of all his powerful officials; the Lord my God has given me courage, and I have been able to persuade many of the heads of the clans of Israel to return with me.”

The People Who Returned from Exile

8 This is the list of the heads of the clans who had been in exile in Babylonia and who returned with Ezra to Jerusalem when Artaxerxes was emperor:

• ^2-14 Gershom, of the clan of Phinehas
• Daniel, of the clan of Ithamar
• Hattush son of Shecaniah, of the clan of David
• Zechariah, of the clan of Parosh, with 150 men of his clan (there were records of their family lines)
• Eliehoenai son of Zerahiah, of the clan of Pahath Moab, with 200 men
• Shecaniah son of Jahaziel, of the clan of Zattu,^[c] with 300 men
• Ebed son of Jonathan, of the clan of Adin, with 50 men
• Jeshaiah son of Athaliah, of the clan of Elam, with 70 men
• Zebadiah son of Michael, of the clan of Shephatiah, with 80 men
• Obadiah son of Jehiel, of the clan of Joab, with 218 men
• Shelomith son of Josiphiah, of the clan of Bani,^[d] with 160 men
• Zechariah son of Bebai, of the clan of Bebai, with 28 men
• Johanan son of Hakkatan, of the clan of Azgad, with 110 men
• Eliphelet, Jeuel, and Shemaiah, of the clan of Adonikam, with 60 men (they returned at a later date)
• Uthai and Zaccur, of the clan of Bigvai, with 70 men

Ezra Finds Levites for the Temple

¹⁵ I assembled the entire group by the canal that runs to the town of Ahava, and we camped there three days. I found that there were priests in the group, but no Levites. ¹⁶ I sent for nine of the leaders: Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah, Elnathan, Jarib, Elnathan, Nathan, Zechariah, and Meshullam, and for two teachers, Joiarib and Elnathan. ¹⁷ I sent them to Iddo, head of the community at Casiphia, to ask him and his associates, the Temple workers, to send us people to serve God in the Temple. ¹⁸ Through God's grace they sent us Sherebiah, an able man, a Levite from the clan of Mahli; and eighteen of his sons and brothers came with him. ¹⁹ They also sent Hashabiah and Jeshaiah of the clan of Merari, with twenty of their relatives. ²⁰ In addition there were 220 Temple workers whose ancestors had been designated by King David and his officials to assist the Levites. They were all listed by name.

Ezra Leads the People in Fasting and Prayer

²¹ There by the Ahava Canal I gave orders for us all to fast and humble ourselves before our God and to ask him to lead us on our journey and protect us and our children and all our possessions. ²² I would have been ashamed to ask the emperor for a troop of cavalry to guard us from any enemies during our journey, because I had told him that our God blesses everyone who trusts him, but that he is displeased with and punishes anyone who turns away from him. ²³ So we fasted and prayed for God to protect us, and he answered our prayers.

The Gifts for the Temple

²⁴ From among the leading priests I chose Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and ten others. ²⁵ Then I weighed out the silver, the gold, and the utensils which the emperor, his advisers and officials, and the people of Israel had given to be used in the Temple, and I gave it to the priests. ^26-27 This is what I gave them:

• silver - 25 tons
• 100 silver utensils - 150 pounds
• gold - 7,500 pounds
• 20 gold bowls - 270 ounces
• fine bronze bowls, equal in value to gold bowls

²⁸ I said to them, “You are sacred to the Lord, the God of your ancestors, and so are all the silver and gold utensils brought to him as freewill offerings. ²⁹ Guard them carefully until you reach the Temple. There in the priests' rooms weigh them and turn them over to the leaders of the priests and of the Levites, and to the leaders of the people of Israel in Jerusalem.” ³⁰ So the priests and the Levites took charge of the silver, the gold, and the utensils, to take them to the Temple in Jerusalem.

The Return to Jerusalem

³¹ It was on the twelfth day of the first month that we left the Ahava Canal to go to Jerusalem. Our God was with us and protected us from enemy attacks and from ambush as we traveled. ³² When we reached Jerusalem, we rested three days. ³³ Then on the fourth day we went to the Temple, weighed the silver, the gold, and the utensils, and turned them over to Meremoth the priest, son of Uriah. With him were Eleazar son of Phinehas and two Levites, Jozabad son of Jeshua and Noadiah son of Binnui. ³⁴ Everything was counted and weighed, and a complete record was made at the same time.

³⁵ All those who had returned from exile then brought offerings to be burned as sacrifices to the God of Israel. They offered 12 bulls for all Israel, 96 rams, and 77 lambs; they also offered 12 goats to purify themselves from sin. All these animals were burned as sacrifices to the Lord. ³⁶ They also took the document the emperor had given them and gave it to the governors and officials of West-of-Euphrates Province, who then gave their support to the people and the Temple worship.