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These are now the Rashei Avoteihem, and this is the register of them that went up with me from Babylon, in the reign of Artachshasta the Melech:

Of the Bnei Pinchas, Gershom; of the Bnei Itamar, Daniel; of the Bnei Dovid, Chattush;

Of the Bnei Shechanyah, of the Bnei Parosh, Zecharyah; and with him were reckoned by register of the zakhar 150.

Of the Bnei Pachat-Moav, Elyehoeinai ben Zerachyah, and with him 200 zakhar.

Of the Bnei Shechanyah, ben Yachziel, and with him 300 zakhar.

Of the banim also of Adin, Eved ben Yonatan, and with him 50 zakhar.

And of the Bnei Elam, Yeshayah ben Atalyah, and with him 70 zakhar.

And of the Bnei Shephatyah, Zevadyah ben Michael, and with him 80 zakhar.

Of the Bnei Yoav, Ovadyah ben Yechiel, and with him 218 zakhar.

10 And of the Bnei Shlomit, ben Yosiphyah, and with him 160 zakhar.

11 And of the Bnei Bevai, Zecharyah ben Bevai, and with him 28 zakhar.

12 And of the Bnei Azgad, Yochanan ben Hakkatan, and with him 110 zakhar.

13 And of the younger Bnei Adonikam, whose shmot are these, Eliphelet, Ye’i’el, and Shemayah, and with them 60 zakhar.

14 Of the banim also of Bigvai, Utai, and Zakkur, and with them 70 zakhar.

15 And I gathered them together by the river that runneth to Ahava, and there abode we in tents three days; and I reviewed the people, and the Kohanim, and found there none of the Bnei Levi.

16 Then sent I for Eliezer, for Ariel, for Shemayah, and for Elnatan, and for Yariv, and for Elnatan, and for Natan, and for Zecharyah, and for Meshullam, chief men; also for Yoyariv, and for Elnatan, men of discernment.

17 And I sent them with commandment unto Iddo the chief at the place called Casiphya, and I told them what they should say unto Iddo, and to his brethren the Netinim, at the place Casiphya, that they should bring unto us ministers for the Beis Eloheinu.

18 And by the good Yad of Eloheinu upon us they brought us an Ish Seichel, of the Bnei Machli, ben Levi, ben Yisroel; and Sherevyah, with his banim and his brethren, eighteen;

19 And Chashavyah, and with him Yeshayah of the Bnei Merari, his brethren and their banim, twenty;

20 Also of the Netinim, whom Dovid and the sarim (princes) had appointed for the Avodas HaLevi’im, two hundred and twenty Netinim; all of them were registered by shemot.

21 Then I proclaimed a tzom there, at the Ahava River, that we might afflict ourselves before Eloheinu, to seek of Him a derech yesharah for us, and for our little ones, and for all our possessions.

22 For I was ashamed to require of the Melech a band of soldiers and parashim to protect us against the enemy on the road; because we had spoken unto the Melech, saying, The Yad Eloheinu is upon all them for tovah that seek Him, but His power and His wrath is against all them that forsake Him.

23 So we did a tzom and besought Eloheinu for this, and He was entreated of us.

24 Then I separated twelve of the chief of the Kohanim, Sherevyah, Chashavyah, and ten of their brethren with them,

25 And weighed out unto them the kesef, and the zahav, and the vessels, even the terumat Beis Eloheinu, which the Melech, and his counselors, and his officials, and kol Yisroel there present, had given as an offering.

26 I even weighed out unto their hand six hundred and fifty talents of kesef, and vessels of kesef one hundred talents, and of zahav one hundred talents;

27 Also twenty bowls of zahav, of a thousand darics; and two vessels of nechoshet, precious as zahav.

28 And I said unto them, Ye are kodesh unto Hashem; the vessels are kodesh also; and the kesef and the zahav are a nedavah unto Hashem Elohei Avoteichem.

29 Watch ye, and guard them, until ye weigh them before the chief of the Kohanim and the Levi’im, and chief of the avot of Yisroel, at Yerushalayim, in the chambers of the Beis Hashem.

30 So took the kohanim and the Levi’im the weight of the kesef, and the zahav, and the vessels, to bring them to Yerushalayim unto the Beis Eloheinu.

31 Then we departed from the Ahava River on the twelfth day of the first month, to go unto Yerushalayim; and the Yad Eloheinu was upon us, and delivered us from the hand of the enemy, and the bandit laying in wait along the Derech (road).

32 And we came to Yerushalayim, and abode there three days.

33 Now on the fourth day was the kesef and the zahav and the vessels weighed in the Beis Eloheinu by the yad of Meremot ben Uriyah HaKohen; and with him was Eleazar ben Pinchas; and with them was Yozavad ben Yeshua, and Noadyah ben Binnui, the Levi’im;

34 By mispar (number) and by weight of every one; and all the weight was written at that time.

35 Also the children of those that had been carried away, the Bnei HaGolus, offered olot unto Elohei Yisroel, twelve bulls for kol Yisroel, ninety and six rams, seventy and seven lambs, twelve he-goats for a sin offering; all this was an olah unto Hashem.

36 And they delivered the orders of the Melech unto the Satraps of the Melech, and to the governors of Beyond-the-River [Euphrates] and they gave support to HaAm, and the Beis HaElohim.

Genealogy of Those 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 Babylonia, in the reign of Artaxerxes the king: Of the sons of Phinehas, Gershom. Of the sons of (A)Ithamar, Daniel. Of the sons of David, (B)Hattush. Of the sons of Shecaniah, who was of the sons of (C)Parosh, Zechariah, with whom were registered 150 men. (D)Of the sons of Pahath-moab, Eliehoenai the son of Zerahiah, and with him 200 men. Of the sons of Zattu,[a] Shecaniah the son of Jahaziel, and with him 300 men. Of the sons of Adin, Ebed the son of Jonathan, and with him 50 men. Of the sons of Elam, Jeshaiah the son of Athaliah, and with him 70 men. Of the sons of Shephatiah, Zebadiah the son of Michael, and with him 80 men. Of the sons of Joab, Obadiah the son of Jehiel, and with him 218 men. 10 Of the sons of Bani,[b] Shelomith the son of Josiphiah, and with him 160 men. 11 (E)Of the sons of Bebai, Zechariah, the son of Bebai, and with him 28 men. 12 Of the sons of Azgad, Johanan the son of Hakkatan, and with him 110 men. 13 Of the sons of Adonikam, those who came later, their names being Eliphelet, Jeuel, and Shemaiah, and with them 60 men. 14 Of the sons of Bigvai, Uthai and Zaccur, and with them 70 men.

Ezra Sends for Levites

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

Fasting and Prayer for Protection

21 (O)Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river (P)Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, (Q)to seek from him a safe journey for ourselves, our children, and all our goods. 22 For I was ashamed to ask the king for a band of soldiers and horsemen to protect us against the enemy on our way, since we had told the king, (R)“The hand of our God is for good on (S)all who seek him, and the power of his wrath is against all who forsake him.” 23 So we fasted and implored our God for this, and he listened to our entreaty.

Priests to Guard Offerings

24 Then I set apart twelve of the leading priests: (T)Sherebiah, (U)Hashabiah, and ten of their kinsmen with them. 25 And I weighed out to them the (V)silver and the gold and the vessels, the offering for the house of our God that the king and his (W)counselors and his lords and all Israel there present had offered. 26 (X)I weighed out into their hand 650 talents[d] of silver, and silver vessels worth 200 talents,[e] and 100 talents of gold, 27 20 bowls of gold worth 1,000 darics,[f] and two vessels of fine bright bronze as precious as gold. 28 And I said to them, (Y)“You are holy to the Lord, and (Z)the vessels are holy, and the silver and the gold are a freewill offering to the Lord, the God of your fathers. 29 Guard them and keep them until you weigh them before the chief priests and the Levites and the heads of fathers' houses in Israel at Jerusalem, (AA)within the chambers of the house of the Lord.” 30 So the priests and the Levites (AB)took over the weight of the silver and the gold and the vessels, to bring them to Jerusalem, to the house of our God.

31 Then we departed from the river Ahava (AC)on the twelfth day of the first month, to go to Jerusalem. (AD)The hand of our God was on us, and he delivered us from the hand of the enemy and from ambushes by the way. 32 (AE)We came to Jerusalem, and there we remained three days. 33 On the fourth day, within the house of our God, the silver and the gold and the vessels were (AF)weighed into the hands of (AG)Meremoth the priest, son of Uriah, and with him was Eleazar the son of Phinehas, and with them were the Levites, (AH)Jozabad the son of Jeshua and Noadiah the son of (AI)Binnui. 34 The whole was counted and weighed, and the weight of everything was recorded.

35 At that time (AJ)those who had come from captivity, the returned exiles, offered burnt offerings to the God of Israel, (AK)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 (AL)They also delivered the king's commissions to the king's (AM)satraps[g] and to the governors of the province Beyond the River, and they aided the people and the house of God.

Footnotes

  1. Ezra 8:5 Septuagint; Hebrew lacks of Zattu
  2. Ezra 8:10 Septuagint; Hebrew lacks Bani
  3. Ezra 8:17 Hebrew lacks and
  4. Ezra 8:26 A talent was about 75 pounds or 34 kilograms
  5. Ezra 8:26 Revocalization; the number is missing in the Masoretic Text
  6. Ezra 8:27 A daric was a coin weighing about 1/4 ounce or 8.5 grams
  7. Ezra 8:36 A satrap was a Persian official