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

Voyage to Jerusalem

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 no Levites there. 16 So I called for Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah, Elnathan, Jarib, Elnathan, Nathan, Zechariah, and Meshullam, all leaders, together with Joiarib and Elnathan, who were wise. 17 I sent them[a] to Iddo, the leader at the place named Casiphia, telling them what to say to Iddo and his colleagues the temple servants at Casiphia, namely, to send us ministers for God’s house. 18 Because we were favored by God, they brought us Sherebiah, a skillful man of the family of Mahli, Levi’s son and Israel’s grandson, together with his sons and relatives so that there were eighteen in total. 19 They also brought us Hashabiah and with him Jeshaiah of the family of Merari, together with his relatives and their sons so that there were twenty in total. 20 In addition, there were two hundred twenty temple servants whom David and the princes had appointed to serve the Levites. These were all recorded by name.

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Footnotes

  1. Ezra 8:17 Kethib I ordered them