Ezra 2

Living Bible

2 Here is the list of the Jewish exiles who now returned to Jerusalem and to the other cities of Judah, from which their parents^[a] had been deported to Babylon by King Nebuchadnezzar.

²The leaders were: Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum, Baanah.

Here is a census of those who returned (listed by subclans):

^3-35From the subclan of Parosh, 2,172;

From the subclan of Shephatiah, 372;

From the subclan of Arah, 775;

From the subclan of Pahath-moab (the descendants of Jeshua and Joab), 2,812;

From the subclan of Elam, 1,254;

From the subclan of Zattu, 945;

From the subclan of Zaccai, 760;

From the subclan of Bani, 642;

From the subclan of Bebai, 623;

From the subclan of Azgad, 1,222;

From the subclan of Adonikam, 666;

From the subclan of Bigvai, 2,056;

From the subclan of Adin, 454;

From the subclan of Ater (the descendants of Hezekiah), 98;

From the subclan of Bezai, 323;

From the subclan of Jorah, 112;

From the subclan of Hashum, 223;

From the subclan of Gibbar, 95;

From the subclan of Bethlehem, 123;

From the subclan of Netophah, 56;

From the subclan of Anathoth, 128;

From the subclan of Azmaveth, 42;

From the subclans of Kiriath-arim, Chephirah, and Beeroth, 743;

From the subclans of Ramah and Geba, 621;

From the subclan of Michmas, 122;

From the subclans of Bethel and Ai, 223;

From the subclan of Nebo, 52;

From the subclan of Magbish, 156;

From the subclan of Elam, 1,254;

From the subclan of Harim, 320;

From the subclans of Lod, Hadid, and Ono, 725;

From the subclan of Jericho, 345;

From the subclan of Senaah, 3,630.

^36-39Here are the statistics concerning the returning priests:

From the families of Jedaiah of the subclan of Jeshua, 973;

From the subclan of Immer, 1,052;

From the subclan of Pashhur, 1,247;

From the subclan of Harim, 1,017.

^40-42Here are the statistics concerning the Levites who returned:

From the families of Jeshua and Kadmiel of the subclan of Hodaviah, 74;

The choir members from the clan of Asaph, 128;

From the descendants of the gatekeepers (the families of Shallum, Ater, Talmon, Akkub, Hatita, and Shobai), 139.

^43-54The following families of the Temple assistants were represented:

Ziha, Hasupha, Tabbaoth, Keros, Siaha, Padon, Lebanah, Hagabah, Akkub, Hagab, Shamlai, Hanan, Giddel, Gahar, Reaiah, Rezin, Nekoda, Gazzam, Uzza, Paseah, Besai, Asnah, Meunim, Nephisim, Bakbuk, Hakupha, Harhur, Bazluth, Mehida, Harsha, Barkos, Sisera, Temah, Neziah, Hatipha.

^55-57Those who made the trip also included the descendants of King Solomon’s officials:

Sotai, Hassophereth, Peruda, Jaalah, Darkon, Giddel, Shephatiah, Hattil, Pochereth-hazzebaim, Ami.

⁵⁸The Temple assistants and the descendants of Solomon’s officers numbered 392.

⁵⁹Another group returned to Jerusalem at this time from the Persian cities of Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Cherub, Addan, and Immer. However, they had lost their genealogies and could not prove that they were really Israelites. ⁶⁰This group included the subclans of Delaiah, Tobiah, and Nekoda—a total of 652.

⁶¹Three subclans of priests—Habaiah, Hakkoz, and Barzillai (he married one of the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite and took her family name)—also returned to Jerusalem. ^62-63But they too had lost their genealogies, so the leaders refused to allow them to continue as priests; they would not even allow them to eat the priests’ share of food from the sacrifices until the Urim and Thummim could be consulted to find out from God whether they actually were descendants of priests or not.

^64-65So a total of 42,360 persons returned to Judah; in addition to 7,337 slaves and 200 choir members, both men and women. ^66-67They took with them 736 horses, 245 mules, 435 camels, and 6,720 donkeys.

⁶⁸Some of the leaders were able to give generously toward the rebuilding of the Temple, ⁶⁹and each gave as much as he could. The total value of their gifts amounted to $300,000 of gold, $170,000 of silver, and 100 robes for the priests.

⁷⁰So the priests and Levites and some of the common people settled in Jerusalem and its nearby villages; and the singers, the gatekeepers, the Temple workers, and the rest of the people returned to the other cities of Judah from which they had come.