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.

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Footnotes

  1. Ezra 8:17 Hebrew lacks and

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.[a] 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.

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Footnotes

  1. 8:18 Israel is the name that God gave to Jacob.