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Ezra 8
Those Who Went Up with Ezra
These are the heads of their ancestral houses, with the genealogical registration of those who went up with me from Babylon in the reign of King Artaxerxes: from the descendants of Phinehas, Gershom; from the descendants of Ithamar, Daniel; from the descendants of David, Hattush; from the descendants of Shecaniah, from the descendants of Parosh, Zechariah, and with him one hundred fifty males registered by genealogy; from the descendants of Pahath-Moab, Eliehoenai son of Zerahiah, and with him two hundred males; from the descendants of Shecaniah, the son of Jahaziel, and with him three hundred males; from the descendants of Adin, Ebed son of Jonathan, and with him fifty males; from the descendants of Elam, Jeshaiah son of Athaliah, and with him seventy males; from the descendants of Shephatiah, Zebadiah son of Michael, and with him eighty males; from the descendants of Joab, Obadiah son of Jehiel, and with him two hundred eighteen males; from the descendants of Shelomith, the son of Josiphiah, and with him one hundred sixty males; from the descendants of Bebai, Zechariah son of Bebai, and with him twenty-eight males; from the descendants of Azgad, Johanan son of Hakkatan, and with him one hundred ten males; from the descendants of Adonikam, those who came last, whose names were Eliphelet, Jeuel, and Shemaiah, and with them sixty males; from the descendants of Bigvai, Uthai and Zabbud, and with them seventy males.
Levites Are Recruited at Ahava
I gathered them at the river that runs to Ahava, and we camped there three days. I examined the people and the priests, but I found none of the descendants of Levi there. So I sent for Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah, Elnathan, Jarib, Elnathan, Nathan, Zechariah, and Meshullam, leaders, and for Joiarib and Elnathan, teachers. I sent them to Iddo, the leader at the place called Casiphia, and I put in their mouths the words they were to speak to Iddo and his brothers, the temple servants at Casiphia, to bring us ministers for the house of our God. By the good hand of our God upon us, they brought us a man of insight from the descendants of Mahli son of Levi, son of Israel: Sherebiah, with his sons and brothers, eighteen; and Hashabiah, and with him Jeshaiah from the descendants of Merari, with his brothers and their sons, twenty; and from the temple servants, whom David and the officials had appointed for the service of the Levites, two hundred twenty temple servants. All of them were designated by name.
A Fast for a Safe Journey
Then I proclaimed a fast there at the river Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God and seek from him a straight way for us, for our little children, and for all our possessions. For I was ashamed to ask the king for a force of soldiers and horsemen to help us against enemies on the way, because we had spoken to the king, saying, “The hand of our God is for good upon all who seek him, but his power and his anger are against all who abandon him.” So we fasted and sought our God concerning this, and he received our plea.
The Holy Silver, Gold, and Vessels
Then I set apart twelve of the leading priests, together with Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and ten of their brothers, and I weighed out to them the silver, gold, and vessels—the contribution for the house of our God that the king, his counselors, his officials, and all Israel who were present had contributed. I weighed into their hands six hundred fifty talents of silver, silver vessels worth one hundred talents, one hundred talents of gold, twenty gold bowls worth one thousand darics, and two vessels of fine gleaming bronze, precious as gold. I said to them, “You are holy to the LORD, and the vessels are holy. The silver and gold are a freewill offering to the LORD, the God of your ancestors. Guard them and keep them until you weigh them before the leading priests and Levites and the heads of the ancestral houses of Israel in Jerusalem, in the chambers of the house of the LORD.” So the priests and Levites received the weighed silver, gold, and vessels to bring them to Jerusalem, to the house of our God.
The Hand of Our God Was upon Us
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 upon us, and he rescued us from the hand of enemies and ambushers along the way. We came to Jerusalem and remained there three days. On the fourth day the silver, gold, and vessels were weighed in the house of our God into the hand of Meremoth son of Uriah the priest, and with him was Eleazar son of Phinehas, and with them Jozabad son of Jeshua and Noadiah son of Binnui, the Levites. Everything was counted and weighed, and the entire weight was recorded at that time.
Offerings after the Journey
The returned exiles who had come from captivity offered burnt offerings to the God of Israel: twelve bulls for all Israel, ninety-six rams, seventy-seven lambs, and twelve male goats as a sin offering. All of these were a burnt offering to the LORD. They delivered the king’s commissions to the king’s satraps and to the governors of the province Beyond the River, and they supported the people and the house of God.