Ezra and the others prepared to return to Jerusalem

15 I gathered all of them together at the canal that goes from Babylon to Ahava town. We set up our tents there and stayed there for three days. During that time I checked the lists of names and found out that there were priests going with us, but no other descendants of Levi who could help them in the temple. 16 So I summoned Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah, two men whose names were Elnathan, and Jarib, Nathan, Zechariah, and Meshullam, who were all leaders of the people. I also summoned Joiarib and another Elnathan, who were wise. 17 I sent them all to Iddo, the leader of the descendants of Levi, who was living in Casiphia town, to request that he and his relatives and other men who had worked in the temple send to us some men who would go/come with us to work in God’s new temple in Jerusalem.

18 Because God was kind to us, they brought to us a man named Sherebiah and 18 of his sons and other relatives. Sherebiah was a very wise man, a descendant of Mahli, who was a grandson of Levi. 19 They also sent to us Hashabiah, along with Jeshaiah, descendants of Levi’s son Merari, and 20 of their relatives. 20 They also sent 220 other men to work in the temple. Those men’s ancestors had been appointed by King David to assist the descendants of Levi who helped the priests in the temple. I listed/wrote the names of all those men.

21 There alongside the Ahava Canal, I told them that we all would ◄fast/abstain from eating food► and pray. I also told them that we should humble ourselves in the presence of our God. We prayed that God would protect us while we traveled, and also protect our children and our possessions/belongings. 22 Previously we had told the king that our God takes care of all those who truly trust in him, but that he becomes very angry with those who refuse to obey him. So I would have been ashamed if I had asked the king to send soldiers and men riding on horses to protect us from our enemies while we were traveling along the road. 23 So we ◄fasted/abstained from eating food► and requested God to protect us, and he ◄answered our prayers/did what we requested.►