1 T hese are the leaders of family groups and the family names of those who went up with me from Babylon during the rule of King Artaxerxes:

Now these are the heads of their fathers’ households and the genealogical enrollment of those who went up with me from Babylon in the reign of King Artaxerxes:

2 t here was Gershom of the sons of Phinehas, Daniel of the sons of Ithamar, and from the house of David, Hattush,

of the sons of Phinehas, Gershom; of the sons of Ithamar, Daniel; of the sons of David, Hattush;

3 t he son of Shecaniah. There was Zechariah of the sons of Parosh, and with him were 150 men whose family names were written down.

of the sons of Shecaniah who was of the sons of Parosh, Zechariah and with him 150 males who were in the genealogical list;

4 O f the sons of Pahath-moab, there was Eliehoenai the son of Zerahiah, and 200 men with him.

of the sons of Pahath-moab, Eliehoenai the son of Zerahiah and 200 males with him;

5 O f the sons of Zattu, there was Shecaniah the son of Jahaziel, and 300 men with him.

of the sons of Zattu, Shecaniah, the son of Jahaziel and 300 males with him;

6 O f the sons of Adin, there was Ebed the son of Jonathan, and fifty men with him.

and of the sons of Adin, Ebed the son of Jonathan and 50 males with him;

7 O f the sons of Elam, there was Jeshaiah the son of Athaliah, and seventy men with him.

and of the sons of Elam, Jeshaiah the son of Athaliah and 70 males with him;

8 O f the sons of Shephatiah, there was Zebadiah the son of Michael, and eighty men with him.

and of the sons of Shephatiah, Zebadiah the son of Michael and 80 males with him;

9 O f the sons of Joab, there was Obadiah the son of Jehiel, and 218 men with him.

of the sons of Joab, Obadiah the son of Jehiel and 218 males with him;

10 O f the sons of Shelomith there was the son of Josiphiah, and 160 men with him.

and of the sons of Bani, Shelomith, the son of Josiphiah and 160 males with him;

11 O f the sons of Bebai, there was Zechariah the son of Bebai, and twenty-eight men with him.

and of the sons of Bebai, Zechariah the son of Bebai and 28 males with him;

12 O f the sons of Azgad, there was Johanan the son of Hakkatan, and 110 men with him.

and of the sons of Azgad, Johanan the son of Hakkatan and 110 males with him;

13 O f the sons of Adonikam, the last to come, there were Eliphelet, Jeuel, and Shemaiah, and sixty men with them.

and of the sons of Adonikam, the last ones, these being their names, Eliphelet, Jeuel and Shemaiah, and 60 males with them;

14 O f the sons of Bigvai, there were Uthai and Zabbud, and seventy men with them. Ezra Finds Levites for the House of God

and of the sons of Bigvai, Uthai and Zabbud, and 70 males with them. Ezra Sends for Levites

15 I gathered them at the river that flows to Ahava, where we had our camp for three days. When I saw the people and the religious leaders, I did not find any Levites there.

Now I assembled them at the river that runs to Ahava, where we camped for three days; and when I observed the people and the priests, I did not find any Levites there.

16 S o I sent for Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah, Elnathan, Jarib, Elnathan, Nathan, Zechariah, and Meshullam, who were leaders, and for Joiarib and Elnathan, who were teachers.

So I sent for Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah, Elnathan, Jarib, Elnathan, Nathan, Zechariah and Meshullam, leading men, and for Joiarib and Elnathan, teachers.

17 I sent them to Iddo, the leader at Casiphia. I told them what to say to Iddo and his brothers, servants in the house of worship at Casiphia. They were to bring men to us to care for the house of our God.

I sent them to Iddo the leading man at the place Casiphia; and I told them what to say to Iddo and his brothers, the temple servants at the place Casiphia, that is, to bring ministers to us for the house of our God.

18 A nd by the good hand of our God upon us, they brought us a man of wisdom, of the sons of Mahli, the son of Levi, the son of Israel. His name is Sherebiah, and with him came his sons and brothers, eighteen men.

According to the good hand of our God upon us they brought us a man of insight of the sons of Mahli, the son of Levi, the son of Israel, namely Sherebiah, and his sons and brothers, 18 men;

19 T hey also brought Hashabiah and Jeshaiah of the sons of Morari, with his brothers and their sons, twenty men.

and Hashabiah and Jeshaiah of the sons of Merari, with his brothers and their sons, 20 men;

20 T hey brought 220 men to work in the house of God, whom David and the leaders had chosen to help the Levites. All of them were chosen by name. The People Pray

and 220 of the temple servants, whom David and the princes had given for the service of the Levites, all of them designated by name. Protection of God Invoked

21 T hen I set apart a time there at the river of Ahava when we would not eat any food. This was so we might put away our pride before our God, and pray that He would keep us and our children and all our things safe as we traveled.

Then I proclaimed a fast there at the river of Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God to seek from Him a safe journey for us, our little ones, and all our possessions.

22 F or I was ashamed to ask the king for soldiers and horsemen to keep us safe from those who hate us on the way, because we had said to the king, “The hand of our God brings good to all who look for Him. But His power and His anger are against all who turn away from Him.”

For I was ashamed to request from the king troops and horsemen to protect us from the enemy on the way, because we had said to the king, “ The hand of our God is favorably disposed to all those who seek Him, but His power and His anger are against all those who forsake Him.”

23 S o we did not eat, and prayed to God about this. And He listened to our prayer. Gifts for the House of God

So we fasted and sought our God concerning this matter, and He listened to our entreaty.

24 T hen I set apart twelve of the head religious leaders: Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and ten of their brothers.

Then I set apart twelve of the leading priests, Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and with them ten of their brothers;

25 A nd I weighed and gave to them the silver, the gold and the dishes and objects, which had been given for the house of our God by the king and his wise men and leaders, and all the people of Israel who were there.

and I weighed out to them the silver, the gold and the utensils, the offering for the house of our God which the king and his counselors and his princes and all Israel present there had offered.

26 I gave them silver weighing as much as 650 men, silver dishes and objects weighing as much as 100 men, and gold weighing as much as 100 men.

Thus I weighed into their hands 650 talents of silver, and silver utensils worth 100 talents, and 100 gold talents,

27 I gave them twenty deep, gold dishes, worth 1, 000 gold-pieces, and two pots of fine shining brass, worth as much as gold.

and 20 gold bowls worth 1, 000 darics, and two utensils of fine shiny bronze, precious as gold.

28 T hen I said to them, “You are holy to the Lord, and these objects are holy. The silver and the gold are a free-will gift to the Lord God of your fathers.

Then I said to them, “ You are holy to the Lord, and the utensils are holy; and the silver and the gold are a freewill offering to the Lord God of your fathers.

29 W atch and keep them until you weigh them in front of the head religious leaders, the Levites, and the heads of the family groups of Israel at Jerusalem, in the house of the Lord.”

Watch and keep them until you weigh them before the leading priests, the Levites and the heads of the fathers’ households of Israel at Jerusalem, in the chambers of the house of the Lord.”

30 S o the religious leaders and the Levites took the weight of silver and gold and objects, to bring them to the house of our God at Jerusalem.

So the priests and the Levites accepted the weighed out silver and gold and the utensils, to bring them to Jerusalem to the house of our God.

31 T hen we left the river Ahava on the twelfth day of the first month to go to Jerusalem. And God helped us and kept us safe from those who hated us and from those who hid waiting to fight us on the way.

Then we journeyed from the river Ahava on the twelfth of the first month to go to Jerusalem; and the hand of our God was over us, and He delivered us from the hand of the enemy and the ambushes by the way.

32 W e came to Jerusalem and stayed there for three days.

Thus we came to Jerusalem and remained there three days. Treasure Placed in the Temple

33 O n the fourth day the silver and gold and objects were weighed in the house of our God and given to Meremoth the son of Uriah the religious leader. With him was Eleazar the son of Phinehas. And with them were the Levites, Jozabad the son of Jeshua and Noadiah the son of Binnui.

On the fourth day the silver and the gold and the utensils were weighed out 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 were the Levites, Jozabad the son of Jeshua and Noadiah the son of Binnui.

34 E verything was numbered and weighed, and all the weight was written down.

Everything was numbered and weighed, and all the weight was recorded at that time.

35 T he people who had returned from Babylon gave burnt gifts in worship to the God of Israel. They gave 12 bulls for all Israel, 96 rams, 77 lambs, and 12 male goats for a sin gift. All this was a burnt gift to the Lord.

The exiles who had come from the captivity offered burnt offerings to the God of Israel: 12 bulls for all Israel, 96 rams, 77 lambs, 12 male goats for a sin offering, all as a burnt offering to the Lord.

36 T hen they let the king’s rulers and leaders in the lands on the other side of the River know what the king said for them to do. And they helped the people and the house of God.

Then they delivered the king’s edicts to the king’s satraps and to the governors in the provinces beyond the River, and they supported the people and the house of God.