Add parallel Print Page Options

Exiles Who Returned with Ezra

Here is a list of the family leaders and the genealogies of those who came with me from Babylon during the reign of King Artaxerxes:

From the family of Phinehas: Gershom.
From the family of Ithamar: Daniel.
From the family of David: Hattush, a descendant of Shecaniah.
From the family of Parosh: Zechariah and 150 other men were registered.
From the family of Pahath-moab: Eliehoenai son of Zerahiah and 200 other men.
From the family of Zattu[a]: Shecaniah son of Jahaziel and 300 other men.
From the family of Adin: Ebed son of Jonathan and 50 other men.
From the family of Elam: Jeshaiah son of Athaliah and 70 other men.
From the family of Shephatiah: Zebadiah son of Michael and 80 other men.
From the family of Joab: Obadiah son of Jehiel and 218 other men.
10 From the family of Bani[b]: Shelomith son of Josiphiah and 160 other men.
11 From the family of Bebai: Zechariah son of Bebai and 28 other men.
12 From the family of Azgad: Johanan son of Hakkatan and 110 other men.
13 From the family of Adonikam, who came later[c]: Eliphelet, Jeuel, Shemaiah, and 60 other men.
14 From the family of Bigvai: Uthai, Zaccur,[d] and 70 other men.

Ezra’s Journey to Jerusalem

15 I assembled the exiles at the Ahava Canal, and we camped there for three days while I went over the lists of the people and the priests who had arrived. I found that not one Levite had volunteered to come along. 16 So I sent for Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah, Elnathan, Jarib, Elnathan, Nathan, Zechariah, and Meshullam, who were leaders of the people. I also sent for Joiarib and Elnathan, who were men of discernment. 17 I sent them to Iddo, the leader of the Levites at Casiphia, to ask him and his relatives and the Temple servants to send us ministers for the Temple of God at Jerusalem.

18 Since the gracious hand of our God was on us, they sent us a man named Sherebiah, along with eighteen of his sons and brothers. He was a very astute man and a descendant of Mahli, who was a descendant of Levi son of Israel.[e] 19 They also sent Hashabiah, together with Jeshaiah from the descendants of Merari, and twenty of his sons and brothers, 20 and 220 Temple servants. The Temple servants were assistants to the Levites—a group of Temple workers first instituted by King David and his officials. They were all listed by name.

21 And there by the Ahava Canal, I gave orders for all of us to fast and humble ourselves before our God. We prayed that he would give us a safe journey and protect us, our children, and our goods as we traveled. 22 For I was ashamed to ask the king for soldiers and horsemen[f] to accompany us and protect us from enemies along the way. After all, we had told the king, “Our God’s hand of protection is on all who worship him, but his fierce anger rages against those who abandon him.” 23 So we fasted and earnestly prayed that our God would take care of us, and he heard our prayer.

24 I appointed twelve leaders of the priests—Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and ten other priests— 25 to be in charge of transporting the silver, the gold, the gold bowls, and the other items that the king, his council, his officials, and all the people of Israel had presented for the Temple of God. 26 I weighed the treasure as I gave it to them and found the totals to be as follows:

24 tons[g] of silver,
7,500 pounds[h] of silver articles,
7,500 pounds of gold,
27 20 gold bowls, equal in value to 1,000 gold coins,[i]
2 fine articles of polished bronze, as precious as gold.

28 And I said to these priests, “You and these treasures have been set apart as holy to the Lord. This silver and gold is a voluntary offering to the Lord, the God of our ancestors. 29 Guard these treasures well until you present them to the leading priests, the Levites, and the leaders of Israel, who will weigh them at the storerooms of the Lord’s Temple in Jerusalem.” 30 So the priests and the Levites accepted the task of transporting these treasures of silver and gold to the Temple of our God in Jerusalem.

31 We broke camp at the Ahava Canal on April 19[j] and started off to Jerusalem. And the gracious hand of our God protected us and saved us from enemies and bandits along the way. 32 So we arrived safely in Jerusalem, where we rested for three days.

33 On the fourth day after our arrival, the silver, gold, and other valuables were weighed at the Temple of our God and entrusted to Meremoth son of Uriah the priest and to Eleazar son of Phinehas, along with Jozabad son of Jeshua and Noadiah son of Binnui—both of whom were Levites. 34 Everything was accounted for by number and weight, and the total weight was officially recorded.

35 Then the exiles who had come out of captivity sacrificed burnt offerings to the God of Israel. They presented twelve bulls for all the people of Israel, as well as ninety-six rams and seventy-seven male lambs. They also offered twelve male goats as a sin offering. All this was given as a burnt offering to the Lord. 36 The king’s decrees were delivered to his highest officers and the governors of the province west of the Euphrates River,[k] who then cooperated by supporting the people and the Temple of God.

Footnotes

  1. 8:5 As in some Greek manuscripts (see also 1 Esdras 8:32); Hebrew lacks Zattu.
  2. 8:10 As in some Greek manuscripts (see also 1 Esdras 8:36); Hebrew lacks Bani.
  3. 8:13 Or who were the last of his family.
  4. 8:14 As in Greek and Syriac versions and an alternate reading of the Masoretic Text; the other alternate reads Zabbud.
  5. 8:18 Israel is the name that God gave to Jacob.
  6. 8:22 Or charioteers.
  7. 8:26a Hebrew 650 talents [22 metric tons].
  8. 8:26b Hebrew 100 talents [3,400 kilograms]; also in 8:26c.
  9. 8:27 Hebrew 1,000 darics, about 19 pounds or 8.6 kilograms in weight.
  10. 8:31 Hebrew on the twelfth day of the first month, of the ancient Hebrew lunar calendar. This day was April 19, 458 B.c.; also see note on 6:15.
  11. 8:36 Hebrew the province beyond the river.

Heads of Families Who Returned with Ezra

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: of the sons of Phinehas, Gershom; of the sons of Ithamar, Daniel; of the sons of David, (A)Hattush; of the sons of Shecaniah, of the sons of (B)Parosh, Zechariah; and registered with him were one hundred and fifty males; of the sons of (C)Pahath-Moab, Eliehoenai the son of Zerahiah, and with him two hundred males; of [a]the sons of Shechaniah, Ben-Jahaziel, and with him three hundred males; of the sons of Adin, Ebed the son of Jonathan, and with him fifty males; of the sons of Elam, Jeshaiah the son of Athaliah, and with him seventy males; of the sons of Shephatiah, Zebadiah the son of Michael, and with him eighty males; of the sons of Joab, Obadiah the son of Jehiel, and with him two hundred and eighteen males; 10 of [b]the sons of Shelomith, Ben-Josiphiah, and with him one hundred and sixty males; 11 of the sons of (D)Bebai, Zechariah the son of Bebai, and with him twenty-eight males; 12 of the sons of Azgad, Johanan [c]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 [d]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 (E)sons of Levi there. 16 Then I sent for Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah, Elnathan, Jarib, Elnathan, Nathan, Zechariah, and (F)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 [e]I told them what they should say to [f]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 (G)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 (H)Hashabiah, and with him Jeshaiah of the sons of Merari, his brothers and their sons, twenty men; 20 (I)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 (J)proclaimed a fast there at the river of Ahava, that we might (K)humble ourselves before our God, to seek from Him the (L)right way for us and our little ones and all our possessions. 22 For (M)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, (N)“The hand of our God is upon all those for (O)good who seek Him, but His power and His wrath are (P)against all those who (Q)forsake Him.” 23 So we fasted and entreated our God for this, and He (R)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 (S)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 (T)holy[g] to the Lord; the articles are (U)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 (V)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 (W)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 (X)came to Jerusalem, and stayed there three days.

33 Now on the fourth day the silver and the gold and the articles were (Y)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, (Z)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 (AA)carried away captive, who had come from the captivity, (AB)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 (AC)orders to the king’s satraps and the governors in the region beyond [h]the River. So they gave support to the people and the [i]house of God.

Footnotes

  1. Ezra 8:5 So with MT, Vg.; LXX the sons of Zatho, Shechaniah
  2. Ezra 8:10 So with MT, Vg.; LXX the sons of Banni, Shelomith
  3. Ezra 8:12 Or the youngest son,
  4. Ezra 8:14 Or Zakkur
  5. Ezra 8:17 Lit. I put words in their mouths to say
  6. Ezra 8:17 So with Vg.; MT to Iddo his brother; LXX to their brethren
  7. Ezra 8:28 consecrated
  8. Ezra 8:36 The Euphrates
  9. Ezra 8:36 Temple

These are the heads of their fathers’ houses and this is the genealogy of those who went up with me from Babylonia in the reign of King Artaxerxes:

Of the sons of Phinehas, Gershom; of Ithamar, Daniel; of David, Hattush

Of the sons of Shecaniah; of the sons of Parosh, Zechariah, and with him were registered 150 men by genealogy;

Of the sons of Pahath-moab, Eliehoenai son of Zerahiah, with 200 men;

Of the sons of Zattu, Shecaniah son of Jahaziel, with 300 men;

Of the sons of Adin, Ebed son of Jonathan, with 50 men;

Of the sons of Elam, Jeshaiah son of Athaliah, with 70 men;

Of the sons of Shephatiah, Zebadiah son of Michael, with 80 men;

Of the sons of Joab, Obadiah son of Jehiel, with 218 men;

10 Of the sons of [Bani], Shelomith son of Josiphiah, with 160 men;

11 Of the sons of Bebai, Zechariah son of Bebai, with 28 men;

12 Of the sons of Azgad, Johanan son of Hakkatan, with 110 men;

13 Of the sons of Adonikam, the last to come, their names are Eliphelet, Jeuel, and Shemaiah, with 60 men;

14 Of the sons of Bigvai, Uthai and Zabbud [Zaccur], with 70 men.

15 I [Ezra] gathered them together at the river that runs to Ahava, and there we encamped three days. I reviewed the people and the priests, and found no Levites.

16 Then I sent for Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah, Elnathan, Jarib, Elnathan, Nathan, Zechariah, Meshullam, who were chief men, and also for Joiarib and Elnathan,who were teachers.

17 And I sent them to Iddo, the leading man at the place Casiphia, telling them to say to Iddo and his brethren the Nethinim [temple servants] at the place Casiphia, Bring to us servants for the house of our God.

18 And by the good hand of our God upon us, they brought us a man of understanding, of the sons of Mahli son of Levi, the son of Israel, named Sherebiah, with his sons and his kinsmen, 18;

19 And Hashabiah, and with him Jeshaiah of the sons of Merari, with his kinsmen and their sons, 20;

20 Also 220 of the Nethinim, whose forefathers David and the officials had set apart [with their descendants] to attend the Levites. They were all mentioned by name.

21 Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God to seek from Him a straight and right way for us, our little ones, and all our possessions.

22 For I was ashamed to request of the king a band of soldiers and horsemen to protect us against the enemy along the way, because we had told the king, The hand of our God is upon all them for good who seek Him, but His power and His wrath are against all those who forsake Him.

23 So we fasted and besought our God for this, and He heard our entreaty.

24 Then I set apart twelve leading priests, Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and ten of their kinsmen,

25 And weighed out to them the silver, the gold, and the vessels, the offering for the house of our God which the king, his counselors, his lords, and all Israel there present had offered.

26 I weighed into their hands 650 talents of silver, and silver vessels valued at 100 talents, and 100 talents of gold;

27 Also 20 basins of gold worth 1,000 darics, and two vessels of fine bright bronze, precious as gold.

28 And I said to them, You are holy to the Lord, the vessels are holy also, and the silver and the gold are a freewill offering to the Lord, the God of your fathers.

29 Guard and keep them until you weigh them before the chief priests and Levites and 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 weight of the silver, the gold, and the vessels to bring them to Jerusalem into the house of our God.

31 We left the river Ahava on the twelfth day of the first month to go to Jerusalem; and the hand of our God was upon us, and He delivered us from the enemy and those who lay in wait by the way.

32 And we came to Jerusalem, and [had been] there three days.

33 On the fourth day, the silver, the gold, and the vessels were weighed in the house of our God into the hands of Meremoth the priest, son of Uriah, and with him was Eleazar son of Phinehas, and with them were Jozabad son of Jeshua and Noadiah son of Binnui—the Levites.

34 Every piece was counted and weighed, and all the weight was recorded at once.

35 Also those returned exiles whose parents had been carried into captivity offered burnt offerings to the God of Israel: twelve young bulls for all Israel, ninety-six rams, seventy-seven lambs, and twelve he-goats for a sin offering. All this was a burnt offering to the Lord.

36 And they delivered the king’s commissions to the king’s lieutenants and to the governors west of the River, and they aided the people and God’s house.

List of the Family Heads Returning With Ezra

These are the family heads and those registered with them who came up with me from Babylon during the reign of King Artaxerxes:(A)

of the descendants of Phinehas, Gershom;

of the descendants of Ithamar, Daniel;

of the descendants of David, Hattush of the descendants of Shekaniah;(B)

of the descendants of Parosh,(C) Zechariah, and with him were registered 150 men;

of the descendants of Pahath-Moab,(D) Eliehoenai son of Zerahiah, and with him 200 men;

of the descendants of Zattu,[a] Shekaniah son of Jahaziel, and with him 300 men;

of the descendants of Adin,(E) Ebed son of Jonathan, and with him 50 men;

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

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

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

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

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

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

13 of the descendants of Adonikam,(F) the last ones, whose names were Eliphelet, Jeuel and Shemaiah, and with them 60 men;

14 of the descendants of Bigvai, Uthai and Zakkur, and with them 70 men.

The Return to Jerusalem

15 I assembled them at the canal that flows toward Ahava,(G) and we camped there three days. When I checked among the people and the priests, I found no Levites(H) there. 16 So I summoned Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah, Elnathan, Jarib, Elnathan, Nathan, Zechariah and Meshullam, who were leaders, and Joiarib and Elnathan, who were men of learning, 17 and I ordered them to go to Iddo, the leader in Kasiphia. I told them what to say to Iddo and his fellow Levites, the temple servants(I) in Kasiphia, so that they might bring attendants to us for the house of our God. 18 Because the gracious hand of our God was on us,(J) they brought us Sherebiah,(K) a capable man, from the descendants of Mahli son of Levi, the son of Israel, and Sherebiah’s sons and brothers, 18 in all; 19 and Hashabiah, together with Jeshaiah from the descendants of Merari, and his brothers and nephews, 20 in all. 20 They also brought 220 of the temple servants(L)—a body that David and the officials had established to assist the Levites. All were registered by name.

21 There, by the Ahava Canal,(M) I proclaimed a fast, so that we might humble ourselves before our God and ask him for a safe journey(N) for us and our children, with all our possessions. 22 I was ashamed to ask the king for soldiers(O) and horsemen to protect us from enemies on the road, because we had told the king, “The gracious hand of our God is on everyone(P) who looks to him, but his great anger is against all who forsake him.(Q) 23 So we fasted(R) and petitioned our God about this, and he answered our prayer.

24 Then I set apart twelve of the leading priests, namely, Sherebiah,(S) Hashabiah and ten of their brothers, 25 and I weighed out(T) to them the offering of silver and gold and the articles that the king, his advisers, his officials and all Israel present there had donated for the house of our God. 26 I weighed out to them 650 talents[c] of silver, silver articles weighing 100 talents,[d] 100 talents[e] of gold, 27 20 bowls of gold valued at 1,000 darics,[f] and two fine articles of polished bronze, as precious as gold.

28 I said to them, “You as well as these articles are consecrated to the Lord.(U) The silver and gold are a freewill offering to the Lord, the God of your ancestors. 29 Guard them carefully until you weigh them out in the chambers of the house of the Lord in Jerusalem before the leading priests and the Levites and the family heads of Israel.” 30 Then the priests and Levites received the silver and gold and sacred articles that had been weighed out to be taken to the house of our God in Jerusalem.

31 On the twelfth day of the first month we set out from the Ahava Canal(V) to go to Jerusalem. The hand of our God was on us,(W) and he protected us from enemies and bandits along the way. 32 So we arrived in Jerusalem, where we rested three days.(X)

33 On the fourth day, in the house of our God, we weighed out(Y) the silver and gold and the sacred articles into the hands of Meremoth(Z) son of Uriah, the priest. Eleazar son of Phinehas was with him, and so were the Levites Jozabad(AA) son of Jeshua and Noadiah son of Binnui.(AB) 34 Everything was accounted for by number and weight, and the entire weight was recorded at that time.

35 Then the exiles who had returned from captivity sacrificed burnt offerings to the God of Israel: twelve bulls(AC) for all Israel,(AD) ninety-six rams, seventy-seven male lambs and, as a sin offering,[g] twelve male goats.(AE) All this was a burnt offering to the Lord. 36 They also delivered the king’s orders(AF) to the royal satraps and to the governors of Trans-Euphrates,(AG) who then gave assistance to the people and to the house of God.(AH)

Footnotes

  1. Ezra 8:5 Some Septuagint manuscripts (also 1 Esdras 8:32); Hebrew does not have Zattu.
  2. Ezra 8:10 Some Septuagint manuscripts (also 1 Esdras 8:36); Hebrew does not have Bani.
  3. Ezra 8:26 That is, about 24 tons or about 22 metric tons
  4. Ezra 8:26 That is, about 3 3/4 tons or about 3.4 metric tons
  5. Ezra 8:26 That is, about 3 3/4 tons or about 3.4 metric tons
  6. Ezra 8:27 That is, about 19 pounds or about 8.4 kilograms
  7. Ezra 8:35 Or purification offering