Ezra 8:15-21

English Standard Version

Ezra Sends for Levites

¹⁵ I gathered them to the river that runs to ^(A)Ahava, and there we camped three days. As I reviewed the people and the priests, I found there ^(B)none of the sons of Levi. ¹⁶ Then I sent for Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah, Elnathan, Jarib, Elnathan, Nathan, Zechariah, and ^(C)Meshullam, leading men, and for Joiarib and Elnathan, who were men of insight, ¹⁷ and sent them to Iddo, the leading man at the place Casiphia, telling them what to say to Iddo and his brothers and^[a] the temple servants at the place Casiphia, namely, to send us ministers for the house of our God. ¹⁸ And ^(D)by the good hand of our God on us, they brought us a man of discretion, of the sons of ^(E)Mahli the son of Levi, son of Israel, namely Sherebiah with his sons and kinsmen, 18; ¹⁹ also ^(F)Hashabiah, and with him Jeshaiah of ^(G)the sons of Merari, with his kinsmen and their sons, 20; ^20 (H)besides 220 of the temple servants, whom David and his officials had set apart to attend the Levites. These were all ^(I)mentioned by name.

Fasting and Prayer for Protection

^21 (J)Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river ^(K)Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, ^(L)to seek from him a safe journey for ourselves, our children, and all our goods.