Open English Translation EZRA Chapter 8

8 Now these are the family heads and their descendants by number who went with me from Bavel (Babylon) to Yerushalem (Jerusalem) in the reign of King Artahshashta (Artaxerxes):

• 2 from the descendants of Pinhas: Gereshom,
• from the descendants of Itamar: Daniyel,
• from the descendants of David: Hatush,
• 3 from the descendants of Shekanyah and Par’osh: Zekaryah (Zechariah) and a hundred and fifty other men,
• 4 from the descendants of Pahat-Moav: Zerahyah’s son Elyehoeynay and two hundred other men,
• 5 from the descendants of Shekanyah: Yahaziel’s son and three hundred other men,
• 6 from the descendants of Adin: Yonatan’s (Jonathan) son Eved and fifty other men,
• 7 from the descendants of Eylam: Atalyah’s (Athaliah) son Yeshayah (Isaiah) and seventy other men,
• 8 from the descendants of Shefatyah: Mika’el’s (Michael) son Zevadyah and eighty other men;
• 9 from the descendants of Yoav (Joab): Yehiel’s son Ovadyah (Obadiah) and 218 other men,
• 10 from the descendants of Shelomit: Yosifyah’s son and one hundred and sixty other men,
• 11 from the descendants of Bevay: his son Zekaryah (Zechariah) and twenty-eight other men,
• 12 from the descendants of Azgad: Hakatan’s son Yohanan and one hundred and ten other men,
• 13 from the later descendants of Adonikam: Elifelet, Yeiel, and Shemayah, and sixty other men,
• 14 and from the descendants of Bigvay: Utay and Zakur and seventy other men.

15 Firstly, I gathered them near the river that goes to Ahava, and we camped there for three days. I interviewed the people and the priests and discovered that we didn’t have any Levites included in the group. 16 So I summoned the following leaders: Eliezer, Ariel, Shemayah, Elnatan, Yariv, a second Elnatan, Natan (Nathan), Zekaryah (Zechariah), and Meshulam, as well as the wise men: Yoyariv and a third Elnatan. 17 I commanded them to go to Ido, the leader at Kasifya, and I told them to tell Ido and his relatives (temple servants in Kasifya) to send us some Levites who would go to Yerushalem (Jerusalem) to serve in our god’s temple. 18 Then since we had God’s favour, they sent us a talented man (from the sons of Mahli, son of Levi, son of Yisrael (Israel)) and eighteen of his sons and other relatives. 19 They also sent Hashavyah and Yeshayah (Isaiah) (from Merari’s sons), and their relatives and sons—some twenty men—20 plus two hundred and twenty descendants of Levite temple servants that King David and his officials had appointed for service—all designated by name.

21 Then right there by the river Ahava, I proclaimed a fast to humble ourselves in front of our god to request that he’d smooth the way ahead for us, and for our children, and for all our property, 22 because I was ashamed to request an army and horsemen from the king to help us from possible enemies on the way. Also, you see, we had previously told the king, “Our god does good to all those who honour him, but his might and his anger are against all those who abandon him.” 23 So we fasted and asked for wisdom from our god concerning this, and he listened to our requests.

24 Then I chose twelve of the leaders of the priests along with Shereveyah and Hashavyah and ten of the other Levites, 25 and as they watched, I weighed out the gold and silver, and the valuable utensils—the offering for the house of our god that the king, and his counsellors and officials, and all the exiled Israelis who could be contacted, had offered. 26 It came to three tonnes of gold, twenty-one tonnes of silver, and another three tonnes of silver containers, 27 as well as twenty gold bowls that weighed another eight kilograms, and two polished bronze containers that were as valuable as gold.

28 “You are sacred to Yahweh,” I told them all, “and the containers and utensils are sacred, and the gold and silver are a freewill offering to Yahweh, the god of your ancestors. 29 Look after them all carefully until you weigh them out in front of the leaders of the priests and Levites and the leaders of the Israeli elders in the chambers of Yahweh’s house in Yerushalem (Jerusalem).” 30 So the priests and the Levites accepted the receipt of the gold and silver, and the containers, to take them to Yerushalem—to the house of our god.

31 Then in mid-April, we set out from the river Ahava to go to Yerushalem (Jerusalem), and we had God’s favour as he kept us safe from any enemies or ambushes on the way. 32 So we arrived at Yerushalem, and rested there for three days. 33 On the fourth day, the gold and silver and the containers and utensils were weighed out in the temple—being handed over to Uriyah’s son Meremot, the priest, and with him was Pinhas’s son Eleazar (and with them were Yeshua’s son Yozavad, and Binuy’s son Noadyah, the Levites). 34 They recorded all the items with their weights.

35 The descendants of the former captives who had returned from exile offered burnt offerings to Yisrael’s (Israel) god: twelve bulls for all Yisrael, 96 rams, 77 lambs, then twelve male goats for a sin offering. The whole was presented as a burnt offering to Yahweh. 36 They relayed the king’s orders to the governors and officials of the province beyond the river, and so they honoured the people and God’s house.