OET interlinear EZRA 8:15

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

וָֽ⁠אֶקְבְּצֵ֗⁠ם אֶל־הַ⁠נָּהָר֙ הַ⁠בָּ֣א אֶֽל־אַהֲוָ֔א וַ⁠נַּחֲנֶ֥ה שָׁ֖ם יָמִ֣ים שְׁלֹשָׁ֑ה

and,gathered,them to/towards the=river the,runs to/near Ahava and,camped there days three

Them means everyone listed in 8:2–14, everyone who would be traveling with Ezra. The implication is that they all packed for the trip and set out from their homes, but then assembled at a location outside of the city of Babylon where Ezra could make sure the group was ready for the trip. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could say that explicitly. Alternate translation: “I had everyone who was going to be traveling with me assemble on the banks of the river that flows from Babylon to Ahava. We camped there for three days so that I could make sure that we had enough temple personnel with us and that we could transport the gold and silver safely”

Note 2 topic: translate-names

הַ⁠נָּהָר֙ הַ⁠בָּ֣א אֶֽל־אַהֲוָ֔א

the=river the,runs to/near Ahava

The exact location of this river on whose banks the group assembled can no longer be identified. In 8:21 and 8:31, Ezra calls it the Ahava River, and you could use that same name here if that would be helpful to your readers. Alternate translation: “the Ahava River”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / exclusive

וַ⁠נַּחֲנֶ֥ה

and,camped

As Ezra tells his story, he uses we in the exclusive sense, that is, it excludes the reader.

Note 4 topic: grammar-connect-time-simultaneous

וָ⁠אָבִ֤ינָ⁠ה

and,reviewed,

The word And at the beginning of this phrase indicates that this event took place at the same time as the event the story has just related. If it would be helpful in your language, you could show this relationship in this case by using a phrase such as “while we were there.”

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

וָ⁠אָבִ֤ינָ⁠ה בָ⁠עָם֙ וּ⁠בַ⁠כֹּ֣הֲנִ֔ים וּ⁠מִ⁠בְּנֵ֥י לֵוִ֖י לֹא־מָצָ֥אתִי שָֽׁם

and,reviewed, in/on/at/with,people and,in/on/at/with,priests and,of,sons Lēvīh not found there

Here, we learn that one purpose of this preliminary encampment was for Ezra to see whether he had all the temple personnel that he needed. The implication behind this statement is that Ezra looked over the whole group to make sure of this. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could say that explicitly. (We learn in 8:25 that a further purpose of the encampment was to make arrangements for the safe transportation of the money and objects that had been donated for the temple.) Alternate translation: “I looked over the whole group and discovered that it consisted of lay people and priests, but there were no Levites in our group”

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

וּ⁠מִ⁠בְּנֵ֥י לֵוִ֖י

and,of,sons Lēvīh

Here, sons means “descendants.” The Levites were descendants of Levi. Alternate translation: “Levites”