Ezra 8
New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised Catholic Edition
Heads of Families Who Returned with Ezra
8 These are their family heads, and this is the genealogy of those who went up with me from Babylonia, in the reign of King Artaxerxes: 2 Of the descendants of Phinehas, Gershom. Of Ithamar, Daniel. Of David, Hattush, 3 of the descendants of Shecaniah. Of Parosh, Zechariah, with whom were registered one hundred and fifty males. 4 Of the descendants of Pahath-moab, Eliehoenai son of Zerahiah, and with him two hundred males. 5 Of the descendants of Zattu,[a] Shecaniah son of Jahaziel, and with him three hundred males. 6 Of the descendants of Adin, Ebed son of Jonathan, and with him fifty males. 7 Of the descendants of Elam, Jeshaiah son of Athaliah, and with him seventy males. 8 Of the descendants of Shephatiah, Zebadiah son of Michael, and with him eighty males. 9 Of the descendants of Joab, Obadiah son of Jehiel, and with him two hundred and eighteen males. 10 Of the descendants of Bani,[b] Shelomith son of Josiphiah, and with him one hundred and sixty males. 11 Of the descendants of Bebai, Zechariah son of Bebai, and with him twenty-eight males. 12 Of the descendants of Azgad, Johanan son of Hakkatan, and with him one hundred and ten males. 13 Of the descendants of Adonikam, those who came later, their names being Eliphelet, Jeuel, and Shemaiah, and with them sixty males. 14 Of the descendants of Bigvai, Uthai and Zaccur, and with them seventy males.
Servants for the Temple
15 I gathered them by the river that runs to Ahava, and there we camped for three days. As I reviewed the people and the priests, I found there none of the descendants of Levi. 16 Then I sent for Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah, Elnathan, Jarib, Elnathan, Nathan, Zechariah, and Meshullam, who were leaders, and for Joiarib and Elnathan, who were wise, 17 and sent them to Iddo, the leader at the place called Casiphia, telling them what to say to Iddo and his colleagues the temple servants at Casiphia, namely, to send us ministers for the house of our God. 18 Since the gracious hand of our God was upon us, they brought us a man of discretion, of the descendants of Mahli son of Levi son of Israel, namely Sherebiah, with his sons and kin, eighteen; 19 also Hashabiah and with him Jeshaiah of the descendants of Merari, with his kin and their sons, twenty; 20 besides two hundred and twenty of the temple servants, whom David and his officials had set apart to attend the Levites. These were all mentioned by name.
Fasting and Prayer for Protection
21 Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river Ahava, that we might deny ourselves[c] before our God, to seek from him a safe journey for ourselves, our children, and all our possessions. 22 For I was ashamed to ask the king for a band of soldiers and cavalry to protect us against the enemy on our way, since we had told the king that the hand of our God is gracious to all who seek him, but his power and his wrath are against all who forsake him. 23 So we fasted and petitioned our God for this, and he listened to our entreaty.
Gifts for the Temple
24 Then I set apart twelve of the leading priests: Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and ten of their kin with them. 25 And I weighed out to them the silver and the gold and the vessels, the offering for the house of our God that the king, his counsellors, his lords, and all Israel there present had offered; 26 I weighed out into their hand six hundred and fifty talents of silver, and one hundred silver vessels worth . . . talents,[d] and one hundred talents of gold, 27 twenty gold bowls worth a thousand darics, and two vessels of fine polished bronze as precious as gold. 28 And I said to them, ‘You are holy to the Lord, and the vessels are holy; and the silver and the gold are a freewill-offering to the Lord, the God of your ancestors. 29 Guard them and keep them until you weigh them before the chief priests and the Levites and the heads of families in Israel at Jerusalem, within the chambers of the house of the Lord.’ 30 So the priests and the Levites took over the silver, the gold, and the vessels as they were weighed out, to bring them to Jerusalem, to the house of our God.
The Return to Jerusalem
31 Then we left the river Ahava on the twelfth day of the first month, to go to Jerusalem; the hand of our God was upon us, and he delivered us from the hand of the enemy and from ambushes along the way. 32 We came to Jerusalem and remained there for three days. 33 On the fourth day, within the house of our God, the silver, the gold, and the vessels were weighed into the hands of the priest Meremoth son of Uriah, and with him was Eleazar son of Phinehas, and with them were the Levites, Jozabad son of Jeshua and Noadiah son of Binnui. 34 The total was counted and weighed, and the weight of everything was recorded.
35 At that time those who had come from captivity, the returned exiles, offered burnt-offerings to the God of Israel, twelve bulls for all Israel, ninety-six rams, seventy-seven lambs, and as a sin-offering twelve male goats; all this was a burnt-offering to the Lord. 36 They also delivered the king’s commissions to the king’s satraps and to the governors of the province Beyond the River; and they supported the people and the house of God.
Ezra 8
International Children’s Bible
Leaders Who Returned with Ezra
8 These are the leaders of the family groups who returned with me. And it is a listing of those who were with them. They came back from Babylon during the rule of King Artaxerxes.
2 From the descendants of Phinehas, there was Gershom.
From the descendants of Ithamar, there was Daniel.
From the descendants of David, there was Hattush 3 of the descendants of Shecaniah.
From the descendants of Parosh, there was Zechariah. And 150 men came with him.
4 From the descendants of Pahath-Moab, there was Eliehoenai son of Zerahiah, with 200 men.
5 From the descendants of Zattu, there was Shecaniah son of Jahaziel, with 300 men.
6 From the descendants of Adin, there was Ebed son of Jonathan, with 50 men.
7 From the descendants of Elam, there was Jeshaiah son of Athaliah, with 70 men.
8 From the descendants of Shephatiah, there was Zebadiah son of Michael, with 80 men.
9 From the descendants of Joab, there was Obadiah son of Jehiel, with 218 men.
10 From the descendants of Bani, there was Shelomith son of Josiphiah, with 160 men.
11 From the descendants of Bebai, there was Zechariah son of Bebai, with 28 men.
12 From the descendants of Azgad, there was Johanan son of Hakkatan, with 110 men.
13 From the descendants of Adonikam, these were the last ones: Eliphelet, Jeuel and Shemaiah. With them were 60 men.
14 From the descendants of Bigvai, there were Uthai and Zaccur, with 70 men.
The Return to Jerusalem
15 I, Ezra, called all those people together at the canal. It flows toward Ahava. We camped there for three days. I checked all the people and the priests. But I did not find any Levites. 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. 17 I sent those men to Iddo, the leader at Casiphia. I told them what to say to Iddo and his relatives, who are the Temple servants in Casiphia. I sent them to bring servants to us for the Temple of our God. 18 Our God was helping us. So Iddo’s relatives gave us Sherebiah, a wise man from the descendants of Mahli. Mahli was the son of Levi. And Levi was the son of Israel. And they brought Sherebiah’s sons and brothers. In all there were 18 men. 19 And they brought to us Hashabiah and Jeshaiah from the descendants of Merari. And they also brought his brothers and nephews. In all there were 20 men. 20 They also brought 220 of the Temple servants. This is a group David and the officers had set up to help the Levites. All of those men were listed by name.
21 There by the Ahava Canal, I announced we would all give up eating. We would make ourselves humble before our God. And we would ask God for a safe trip for ourselves, our children and all our possessions. 22 I was ashamed to ask the king for soldiers and horsemen. They could have protected us from enemies on the road. But we had said to the king, “Our God helps everyone who obeys him. But God is very angry with all who reject him.” 23 So we gave up eating and prayed to our God about our trip. He answered our prayers.
24 Then I chose 12 of the priests who were leaders. They were Sherebiah and Hashabiah and 10 of their relatives. 25 I weighed the offering of silver and gold. And I weighed the things given for the Temple of our God. I gave them to the 12 priests I had chosen. The king, the people who advised him, his officers and all the Israelites there with us had given these things for the Temple. 26 I weighed out and gave them about 50,000 pounds of silver, about 7,500 pounds of silver objects and about 7,500 pounds of gold. 27 I gave them 20 gold bowls that weighed about 19 pounds. And I gave them 2 fine pieces of polished bronze that were as valuable as gold.
28 Then I said to the priests, “You and these things belong to the Lord for his service. The silver and gold are gifts to the Lord, the God of your ancestors. 29 Guard these things carefully. In Jerusalem, weigh them in front of the leading priests, Levites and the leaders of the family groups of Israel. Do this in the rooms of the Temple of the Lord.” 30 So the priests and Levites took the silver, the gold and the special things that had been weighed out. They were to take them to the Temple of our God in Jerusalem.
31 On the twelfth day of the first month we left the Ahava Canal. We started toward Jerusalem. Our God helped us. He protected us from enemies and robbers along the way. 32 Then we arrived in Jerusalem. We rested there three days.
33 On the fourth day we weighed out the silver, the gold and the special things in the Temple of our God. We handed them to the priest Meremoth son of Uriah. Eleazar son of Phinehas was with Meremoth. Also the Levites Jozabad son of Jeshua and Noadiah son of Binnui were with them. 34 We checked everything by number and by weight. And the total weight was written down at that time.
35 Then the captives who returned made burnt offerings to the God of Israel. They sacrificed 12 bulls for all Israel, 96 male sheep and 77 male lambs. All these animals were burned as sacrifices to the Lord. For a sin offering to the Lord there were 12 male goats. 36 They took King Artaxerxes’ orders to the royal officers and to the governors west of the Euphrates. Then these men gave help to the people and the Temple of God.
Ezra 8
New King James Version
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, (A)Hattush; 3 of the sons of Shecaniah, of the sons of (B)Parosh, Zechariah; and registered with him were one hundred and fifty males; 4 of the sons of (C)Pahath-Moab, Eliehoenai the son of Zerahiah, and with him two hundred males; 5 of [a]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 [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
- 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
New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicised Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993, 1995 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.