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Now these are the heads of their fathers’ households, and this is the genealogy of those who went up with me from Babylon, in the reign of Artaxerxes the king:

Of the sons of Phinehas, Gershom.

Of the sons of Ithamar, Daniel.

Of the sons of David, Hattush.

Of the sons of Shecaniah, of the sons of Parosh, Zechariah; and with him were listed by genealogy of the males one hundred fifty.

Of the sons of Pahathmoab, Eliehoenai the son of Zerahiah; and with him two hundred males.

Of the sons of Shecaniah, the son of Jahaziel; and with him three hundred males.

Of the sons of Adin, Ebed the son of Jonathan; and with him fifty males.

Of the sons of Elam, Jeshaiah the son of Athaliah; and with him seventy males.

Of the sons of Shephatiah, Zebadiah the son of Michael; and with him eighty males.

Of the sons of Joab, Obadiah the son of Jehiel; and with him two hundred eighteen males.

10 Of the sons of Shelomith, the son of Josiphiah; and with him one hundred sixty males.

11 Of the sons of Bebai, Zechariah the son of Bebai; and with him twenty-eight males.

12 Of the sons of Azgad, Johanan the son of Hakkatan; and with him one hundred ten males.

13 Of the sons of Adonikam, who were the last; and these are their names: Eliphelet, Jeuel, and Shemaiah; and with them sixty males.

14 Of the sons of Bigvai, Uthai and Zabbud; and with them seventy males.

15 I gathered them together to the river that runs to Ahava; and there we encamped three days: and I looked around at the people and the priests, and found there were none of the sons of Levi. 16 Then I sent for Eliezer, for Ariel, for Shemaiah, for Elnathan, for Jarib, for Elnathan, for Nathan, for Zechariah, and for Meshullam, chief men; also for Joiarib and for Elnathan, who were teachers. 17 I sent them out to Iddo the chief at the place Casiphia; and I told them what they should tell Iddo, and his brothers the temple servants, at the place Casiphia, that they should bring to us ministers for the house of our God. 18 According to the good hand of our God on us they brought us a man of discretion, of the sons of Mahli, the son of Levi, the son of Israel; and Sherebiah, with his sons and his brothers, eighteen; 19 and Hashabiah, and with him Jeshaiah of the sons of Merari, his brothers and their sons, twenty; 20 and of the temple servants, whom David and the princes had given for the service of the Levites, two hundred twenty temple servants. All of them were mentioned by name.

21 Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek from him a straight way for us, and for our little ones, and for all our possessions. 22 For I was ashamed to ask of the king a band of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy on the way, because we had spoken to the king, saying, “The hand of our God is on all those who seek him, for good; but his power and his wrath is against all those who forsake him.” 23 So we fasted and begged our God for this: and he granted our request.

24 Then I set apart twelve of the chiefs of the priests, even Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and ten of their brothers with them, 25 and weighed to them the silver, the gold, and the vessels, even the offering for the house of our God, which the king, his counselors, his princes, and all Israel there present, had offered. 26 I weighed into their hand six hundred fifty talents of silver,[a] one hundred talents of silver vessels; one hundred talents of gold, 27 twenty bowls of gold weighing one thousand darics;[b] and two vessels of fine bright bronze, precious as gold. 28 I said to them, “You are holy to Yahweh, and the vessels are holy. The silver and the gold are a free will offering to Yahweh, the God of your fathers. 29 Watch and keep them, until you weigh them before the chiefs of the priests and the Levites, and the princes of the fathers’ households of Israel, at Jerusalem, in the rooms of Yahweh’s house.”

30 So the priests and the Levites received the weight of the silver and the gold, and the vessels, to bring them to Jerusalem to the house of our God. 31 Then we departed from the river Ahava on the twelfth day of the first month, to go to Jerusalem. The hand of our God was on us, and he delivered us from the hand of the enemy and the bandit by the way. 32 We came to Jerusalem, and stayed there three days. 33 On the fourth day the silver and the gold and the vessels were weighed in the house of our God into the hand of Meremoth the son of Uriah the priest; and with him was Eleazar the son of Phinehas; and with them was Jozabad the son of Jeshua, and Noadiah the son of Binnui, the Levite; 34 everything by number and by weight; and all the weight was written at that time.

35 The children of the captivity, who had come out of exile, offered burnt offerings to the God of Israel, twelve bulls for all Israel, ninety-six rams, seventy-seven lambs, and twelve male goats for a sin offering. All this was a burnt offering to Yahweh. 36 They delivered the king’s commissions to the king’s local governors, and to the governors beyond the River. So they supported the people and God’s house.

Footnotes

  1. 8:26 A talent is about 30 kilograms or 66 pounds or 965 Troy ounces
  2. 8:27 a daric was a gold coin issued by a Persian king, weighing about 8.4 grams or about 0.27 troy ounces each.

List of the Family Heads Returning With Ezra

These are the family heads and those registered with them who came up with me from Babylon during the reign of King Artaxerxes:(A)

of the descendants of Phinehas, Gershom;

of the descendants of Ithamar, Daniel;

of the descendants of David, Hattush of the descendants of Shekaniah;(B)

of the descendants of Parosh,(C) Zechariah, and with him were registered 150 men;

of the descendants of Pahath-Moab,(D) Eliehoenai son of Zerahiah, and with him 200 men;

of the descendants of Zattu,[a] Shekaniah son of Jahaziel, and with him 300 men;

of the descendants of Adin,(E) Ebed son of Jonathan, and with him 50 men;

of the descendants of Elam, Jeshaiah son of Athaliah, and with him 70 men;

of the descendants of Shephatiah, Zebadiah son of Michael, and with him 80 men;

of the descendants of Joab, Obadiah son of Jehiel, and with him 218 men;

10 of the descendants of Bani,[b] Shelomith son of Josiphiah, and with him 160 men;

11 of the descendants of Bebai, Zechariah son of Bebai, and with him 28 men;

12 of the descendants of Azgad, Johanan son of Hakkatan, and with him 110 men;

13 of the descendants of Adonikam,(F) the last ones, whose names were Eliphelet, Jeuel and Shemaiah, and with them 60 men;

14 of the descendants of Bigvai, Uthai and Zakkur, and with them 70 men.

The Return to Jerusalem

15 I assembled them at the canal that flows toward Ahava,(G) and we camped there three days. When I checked among the people and the priests, I found no Levites(H) there. 16 So I summoned Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah, Elnathan, Jarib, Elnathan, Nathan, Zechariah and Meshullam, who were leaders, and Joiarib and Elnathan, who were men of learning, 17 and I ordered them to go to Iddo, the leader in Kasiphia. I told them what to say to Iddo and his fellow Levites, the temple servants(I) in Kasiphia, so that they might bring attendants to us for the house of our God. 18 Because the gracious hand of our God was on us,(J) they brought us Sherebiah,(K) a capable man, from the descendants of Mahli son of Levi, the son of Israel, and Sherebiah’s sons and brothers, 18 in all; 19 and Hashabiah, together with Jeshaiah from the descendants of Merari, and his brothers and nephews, 20 in all. 20 They also brought 220 of the temple servants(L)—a body that David and the officials had established to assist the Levites. All were registered by name.

21 There, by the Ahava Canal,(M) I proclaimed a fast, so that we might humble ourselves before our God and ask him for a safe journey(N) for us and our children, with all our possessions. 22 I was ashamed to ask the king for soldiers(O) and horsemen to protect us from enemies on the road, because we had told the king, “The gracious hand of our God is on everyone(P) who looks to him, but his great anger is against all who forsake him.(Q) 23 So we fasted(R) and petitioned our God about this, and he answered our prayer.

24 Then I set apart twelve of the leading priests, namely, Sherebiah,(S) Hashabiah and ten of their brothers, 25 and I weighed out(T) to them the offering of silver and gold and the articles that the king, his advisers, his officials and all Israel present there had donated for the house of our God. 26 I weighed out to them 650 talents[c] of silver, silver articles weighing 100 talents,[d] 100 talents[e] of gold, 27 20 bowls of gold valued at 1,000 darics,[f] and two fine articles of polished bronze, as precious as gold.

28 I said to them, “You as well as these articles are consecrated to the Lord.(U) The silver and gold are a freewill offering to the Lord, the God of your ancestors. 29 Guard them carefully until you weigh them out in the chambers of the house of the Lord in Jerusalem before the leading priests and the Levites and the family heads of Israel.” 30 Then the priests and Levites received the silver and gold and sacred articles that had been weighed out to be taken to the house of our God in Jerusalem.

31 On the twelfth day of the first month we set out from the Ahava Canal(V) to go to Jerusalem. The hand of our God was on us,(W) and he protected us from enemies and bandits along the way. 32 So we arrived in Jerusalem, where we rested three days.(X)

33 On the fourth day, in the house of our God, we weighed out(Y) the silver and gold and the sacred articles into the hands of Meremoth(Z) son of Uriah, the priest. Eleazar son of Phinehas was with him, and so were the Levites Jozabad(AA) son of Jeshua and Noadiah son of Binnui.(AB) 34 Everything was accounted for by number and weight, and the entire weight was recorded at that time.

35 Then the exiles who had returned from captivity sacrificed burnt offerings to the God of Israel: twelve bulls(AC) for all Israel,(AD) ninety-six rams, seventy-seven male lambs and, as a sin offering,[g] twelve male goats.(AE) All this was a burnt offering to the Lord. 36 They also delivered the king’s orders(AF) to the royal satraps and to the governors of Trans-Euphrates,(AG) who then gave assistance to the people and to the house of God.(AH)

Footnotes

  1. Ezra 8:5 Some Septuagint manuscripts (also 1 Esdras 8:32); Hebrew does not have Zattu.
  2. Ezra 8:10 Some Septuagint manuscripts (also 1 Esdras 8:36); Hebrew does not have Bani.
  3. Ezra 8:26 That is, about 24 tons or about 22 metric tons
  4. Ezra 8:26 That is, about 3 3/4 tons or about 3.4 metric tons
  5. Ezra 8:26 That is, about 3 3/4 tons or about 3.4 metric tons
  6. Ezra 8:27 That is, about 19 pounds or about 8.4 kilograms
  7. Ezra 8:35 Or purification offering