The Exiles Who Returned with Ezra

1These are the family heads and genealogical records of those who returned with me from Babylon (confusion by mixing) during the reign of King Artaxerxes (I will make the spoiled to boil):

2from the descendants of Phinehas (mouth of brass), Gershom (foreigner);

from the descendants of Ithamar (coast of palms), Daniel (God is my judge);

from the descendants of David (beloved), Hattush (assembled) 3of the descendants of Shecaniah (dweller with YHWH);

from the descendants of Parosh (flea), Zechariah (YHWH remembers), and with him were registered 150 men;

4from the descendants of Pahath-Moab (pit of Moab), Eliehoenai (unto YHWH are my eyes) son of Zerahiah (YHWH has risen), and with him 200 men;

5from the descendants of Zattu, Shecaniah (dweller with YHWH) son of Jahaziel,a and with him 300 men;

6from the descendants of Adin (delicate), Ebed (servant) son of Jonathan (YHWH has given), and with him 50 men;

7from the descendants of Elam (eternity), Jeshaiah (YHWH has saved) son of Athaliah (afflicted of YHWH), and with him 70 men;

8from the descendants of Shephatiah (YHWH has judged), Zebadiah (endowment of YHWH) son of Michael (who is like God), and with him 80 men;

9from the descendants of Joab (YHWH is father), Obadiah (servant of YHWH) son of Jehiel (God lives), and with him 218 men;

10from the descendants of Bani, Shelomith (peaceful) son of Josiphiah,b and with him 160 men;

11from the descendants of Bebai (my cavities), Zechariah (YHWH remembers) son of Bebai, and with him 28 men;

12from the descendants of Azgad (Gad is mighty), Johanan (YHWH has graced) son of Hakkatan (the small), and with him 110 men;

13from the later (the last)c descendants of Adonikam (my lord arose), these were their names: Eliphelet (God is deliverance), Jeiel (God sweeps away), and Shemaiah (heard by YHWH), and with them 60 men;

14and from the descendants of Bigvai (in my bodies), both Uthai (helpful) and Zaccur [Zabbud],d and with them 70 men.

Ezra Sends for the Levites

15Now I assembled these exiles at the canal that flows to Ahava (I shall subsist), and we camped there three days. And when I searched among the people and priests, I found no Levites there.

16Then I summoned the leaders: Eliezer (God is my helper), Ariel (lion of God), Shemaiah (heard by YHWH), Elnathan (Elnathan),e Jarib (he contends), Elnathan (God has given), Nathan (giver), Zechariah (YHWH remembers), and Meshullam (friend), as well as the teachers Joiarib (YHWH contends) and Elnathan. 17And I sent them to Iddo (I will praise him), the leader at Casiphia (silvery), with a message for him and his kinsmen, the temple servants \the Nethinim/f at Casiphia, that they should bring to us ministers for the house of our God {Elohenu}.

18And since the gracious hand of our God {Elohenu} was upon us, they brought us Sherebiah (YHWH has scorched)—a man of insight from the descendants of Mahli (sick) son of Levi, the son of Israel (he wrestles with God)—along with his sons and brothers, 18 men; 19also Hashabiah (YHWH has considered), together with Jeshaiah (YHWH has saved), from the descendants of Merari (bitter), and his brothers and their sons, 20 men. 20They also brought 220 of the temple servants, all designated by name. David (beloved) and the officials had appointed them to assist the Levites.

Fasting for Protection

21And there by the Ahava (I shall subsist) Canal I proclaimed a fast, so that we might humble ourselves before our God {Elohenu} and ask Him for a safe journey for us and our children, with all our possessions. 22For I was ashamed to ask the king for an escort of soldiers and horsemen to protect us from our enemies on the road, since we had told him, “The hand of our God {Elohenu} is gracious to all who seek Him, but His great anger is against all who forsake Him.”

23So we fasted and petitioned our God {Elohenu} about this, and He granted our request.

Priests to Guard the Offerings

24Then I set apart twelve of the leading priests, together with Sherebiah (YHWH has scorched), Hashabiah (YHWH has considered), and ten of their brothers, 25and I weighed out to them the contribution of silver and gold and the articles that the king, his counselors, his leaders, and all the Israelites (God prevails) there had offered for the house of our God {Elohenu}.

26I weighed out into their hands 650 talents of silver <24.5 t / 22.2 mt>,g articles of silver weighing 100 talents <3.77 t / 3.42 mt>,h 100 talents of gold,i 2720 gold bowls valued at 1,000 darics <18.5 lb / 8.4 kg>,j and two articles of fine polished bronze, as precious as gold.

28Then I told them, “You⁺ are holy to the LORD {YHWH}, and these articles are holy. The silver and gold are a freewill offering to the LORD, the God {Elohe} of your⁺ fathers. 29Guard them carefully until you⁺ weigh them out in the chambers of the house of the LORD {YHWH} in Jerusalem (city of peace) before the leading priests, Levites, and heads of the Israelite (he wrestles with God) families.”

30So the priests and Levites took charge of the silver and gold and sacred articles that had been weighed out to be taken to the house of our God {Elohenu} in Jerusalem (city of peace).

31On the twelfth day of the first month we set out from the Ahava (I shall subsist) Canal to go to Jerusalem (city of peace), and the hand of our God {Elohenu} was upon us to protect us from the hands of the enemies and bandits along the way.

Arrival in Jerusalem

32So we arrived at Jerusalem (city of peace) and rested there for three days.

33On the fourth day, in the house of our God {Elohenu}, we weighed out the silver and gold and sacred articles into the hand of Meremoth (elevations) son of Uriah (YHWH is my light), the priest. Eleazar (God has helped) son of Phinehas (mouth of brass) was with him, along with the Levites Jozabad (YHWH has endowed) son of Jeshua (he is saved) and Noadiah (meeting with YHWH) son of Binnui (built up). 34Everything was verified by number and weight, and the total weight was recorded at that time.

35Then the exiles who had returned from captivity sacrificed burnt offerings to the God {Elohe} of Israel (he wrestles with God): 12 bulls for all Israel, 96 rams, 77 lambs, and a sin offering of 12 male goats. All this was a burnt offering to the LORD {YHWH}.

36They also delivered the king’s edicts to the royal satraps (Persian official)k and governors of the region west of the Euphrates \governors beyond the River/,l who proceeded to assist the people and the house of God {Elohim}.