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)

Ezra’s Prayer About Intermarriage

After these things had been done, the leaders came to me and said, “The people of Israel, including the priests and the Levites, have not kept themselves separate(AI) from the neighboring peoples with their detestable practices, like those of the Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Jebusites,(AJ) Ammonites,(AK) Moabites,(AL) Egyptians and Amorites.(AM) They have taken some of their daughters(AN) as wives for themselves and their sons, and have mingled(AO) the holy race(AP) with the peoples around them. And the leaders and officials have led the way in this unfaithfulness.”(AQ)

When I heard this, I tore(AR) my tunic and cloak, pulled hair from my head and beard and sat down appalled.(AS) Then everyone who trembled(AT) at the words of the God of Israel gathered around me because of this unfaithfulness of the exiles. And I sat there appalled(AU) until the evening sacrifice.

Then, at the evening sacrifice,(AV) I rose from my self-abasement, with my tunic and cloak torn, and fell on my knees with my hands(AW) spread out to the Lord my God and prayed:

“I am too ashamed(AX) and disgraced, my God, to lift up my face to you, because our sins are higher than our heads and our guilt has reached to the heavens.(AY) From the days of our ancestors(AZ) until now, our guilt has been great. Because of our sins, we and our kings and our priests have been subjected to the sword(BA) and captivity,(BB) to pillage and humiliation(BC) at the hand of foreign kings, as it is today.

“But now, for a brief moment, the Lord our God has been gracious(BD) in leaving us a remnant(BE) and giving us a firm place[h](BF) in his sanctuary, and so our God gives light to our eyes(BG) and a little relief in our bondage. Though we are slaves,(BH) our God has not forsaken us in our bondage. He has shown us kindness(BI) in the sight of the kings of Persia: He has granted us new life to rebuild the house of our God and repair its ruins,(BJ) and he has given us a wall of protection in Judah and Jerusalem.

10 “But now, our God, what can we say after this? For we have forsaken the commands(BK) 11 you gave through your servants the prophets when you said: ‘The land you are entering(BL) to possess is a land polluted(BM) by the corruption of its peoples. By their detestable practices(BN) they have filled it with their impurity from one end to the other. 12 Therefore, do not give your daughters in marriage to their sons or take their daughters for your sons. Do not seek a treaty of friendship with them(BO) at any time, that you may be strong(BP) and eat the good things(BQ) of the land and leave it to your children as an everlasting inheritance.’(BR)

13 “What has happened to us is a result of our evil(BS) deeds and our great guilt, and yet, our God, you have punished us less than our sins deserved(BT) and have given us a remnant like this. 14 Shall we then break your commands again and intermarry(BU) with the peoples who commit such detestable practices? Would you not be angry enough with us to destroy us,(BV) leaving us no remnant(BW) or survivor? 15 Lord, the God of Israel, you are righteous!(BX) We are left this day as a remnant. Here we are before you in our guilt, though because of it not one of us can stand(BY) in your presence.(BZ)

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
  8. Ezra 9:8 Or a foothold

Jesus Sends Out the Seventy-Two(A)(B)(C)

10 After this the Lord(D) appointed seventy-two[a] others(E) and sent them two by two(F) ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go.(G) He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.(H) Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves.(I) Do not take a purse or bag or sandals; and do not greet anyone on the road.

“When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ If someone who promotes peace is there, your peace will rest on them; if not, it will return to you. Stay there, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages.(J) Do not move around from house to house.

“When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is offered to you.(K) Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God(L) has come near to you.’ 10 But when you enter a town and are not welcomed, go into its streets and say, 11 ‘Even the dust of your town we wipe from our feet as a warning to you.(M) Yet be sure of this: The kingdom of God has come near.’(N) 12 I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom(O) than for that town.(P)

13 “Woe to you,(Q) Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth(R) and ashes. 14 But it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you. 15 And you, Capernaum,(S) will you be lifted to the heavens? No, you will go down to Hades.[b]

16 “Whoever listens to you listens to me; whoever rejects you rejects me; but whoever rejects me rejects him who sent me.”(T)

17 The seventy-two(U) returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.”(V)

18 He replied, “I saw Satan(W) fall like lightning from heaven.(X) 19 I have given you authority to trample on snakes(Y) and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. 20 However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”(Z)

21 At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.(AA) Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do.

22 “All things have been committed to me by my Father.(AB) No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and no one knows who the Father is except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”(AC)

23 Then he turned to his disciples and said privately, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. 24 For I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.”(AD)

The Parable of the Good Samaritan(AE)

25 On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”(AF)

26 “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”

27 He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’[c];(AG) and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[d](AH)

28 “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”(AI)

29 But he wanted to justify himself,(AJ) so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

30 In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side.(AK) 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan,(AL) as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii[e] and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’

36 “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”

37 The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”

Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

At the Home of Martha and Mary

38 As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha(AM) opened her home to him. 39 She had a sister called Mary,(AN) who sat at the Lord’s feet(AO) listening to what he said. 40 But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care(AP) that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”

41 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried(AQ) and upset about many things, 42 but few things are needed—or indeed only one.[f](AR) Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

Footnotes

  1. Luke 10:1 Some manuscripts seventy; also in verse 17
  2. Luke 10:15 That is, the realm of the dead
  3. Luke 10:27 Deut. 6:5
  4. Luke 10:27 Lev. 19:18
  5. Luke 10:35 A denarius was the usual daily wage of a day laborer (see Matt. 20:2).
  6. Luke 10:42 Some manuscripts but only one thing is needed

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