Ezra 8:1-36

1 The companions of Ezra, who returned from Babylon.

15 He sendeth to Iddo for ministers for the Temple.

21 He keepeth a fast.

24 He committeth the treasures to the custodie of the Priests.

31 From Ahaua they come to Ierusalem.

33 The treasure is weighed in the Temple.

36 The commission is deliuered.

1 These are now the chiefe of their fathers, and this is the genealogie of them that went vp with mee from Babylon, in the reigne of Artaxerxes the king.

2 Of the sonnes of Phinehas, Gershom: of the sonnes of Ithamar, Daniel: of the sonnes of Dauid, Hattush.

3 Of the sonnes of Shechaniah, of the sonnes of Pharosh, Zechariah, and with him were reckoned, by genealogie of the males, an hundred and fiftie.

4 Of the sonnes of Pahath Moab, Elihoenai the sonne of Zerahiah: and with him, two hundred males.

5 Of the sonnes of Shechaniah, the sonne of Iahaziel, and with him three hundred males.

6 Of the sonnes also of Adin, Ebed the sonne of Ionathan, and with him fiftie males.

7 And of the sonnes of Elam, Ieshaiah the sonne of Athaliah, and with him seuentie males.

8 And of the sonnes of Shephatiah, Zebadiah the sonne of Michael, and with him fourescore males.

9 Of the sonnes of Ioab, Obadiah the sonne of Iehiel: and with him two hundred and eighteene males.

[A fast proclaimed.]

10 And of the sonnes of Shelomith, the sonne of Iosiphiah, and with him an hundred and threescore males.

11 And of the sonnes of Bebai, Zechariah the sonne of Bebai, and with him twenty and eight males.

12 And of the sonnes of Azgad, Iohanan [Note: Or, the youngest son.] the sonne of Hakkatan, and with him an hundred and ten males.

13 And of the last sonnes of Adonikam, whose names are these: Eliphelet, Iehiel, and Shemaiah, and with them threescore males.

14 Of the sonnes also of Biguai, Uthai, and [Note: Or, Zaccur, as some read.] Zabbud, and with them seuentie males.

15 And I gathered them together to the riuer, that runneth to Ahaua, and there [Note: Or pitched.] abode wee in tents three dayes: and I viewed the people, and the Priests, and found there none of the sonnes of Leui.

16 Then sent I for Eliezer, for Ariel, for Shemaiah, and for Elnathan, and for Iarib, and for Elnathan, and for Nathan, and for Zechariah, and for Meshullam, chiefe men; also for Iarib, and for Elnathan, men of vnderstanding.

17 And I sent them with commandement vnto Iddo the chiefe at the place Casiphia, and I [Note: Hebrew: I put words in their mouth.] told them what they should say vnto Iddo, and to his brethren the Nethinims, at the place Casiphia, that they should bring vnto vs ministers for the house of our God.

18 And by the good hand of our God vpon vs, they brought vs a man of vnderstanding, of the sonnes of Mahli the sonne of Leui, the sonne of Israel, and Sherebiah, with his sonnes, and his brethren, eighteene.

19 And Hashabiah, and with him Ieshaiah of the sonnes of Merari, his brethren, and their sonnes, twentie.

20 [Note: See Ezra 2:43.] Also of the Nethinims, whom Dauid, and the Princes had appointed for the seruice of the Leuites, two hundred and twentie Nethinims: all of them were expressed by name.

21 Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the riuer Ahaua, that we might afflict our selues before our God, to seeke of him a right way for vs, and for our little ones, and for all our substance.

22 For I was ashamed to require of the king a band of souldiers and horsmen, to helpe vs against the enemie in the way: because wee had spoken vnto

[The Leuites charge.]

the king, saying, The hand of our God is vpon all them for good, that seeke him, but his power and his wrath is against all them that forsake him.

23 So we fasted, and besought our God for this, and hee was intreated of vs.

24 Then I separated twelue of the chiefe of the Priests, Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and ten of their brethren with them,

25 And weighed vnto them the siluer and the gold, and the vessels, euen the offering of the house of our God, which the king and his counsellours, and his lords, and all Israel there present, had offered:

26 I euen weighed vnto their hand, sixe hundred and fifty talents of siluer, and siluer vessels an hundred talents, and of gold an hundred talents:

27 Also twenty basons of gold, of a thousand drammes, and two vessels of [Note: Hebrew: yellow or shining brasse.] fine copper, [Note: Hebrew: desireable.] precious as gold.

28 And I said vnto them, Yee are holy vnto the Lord, the vessels are holy also, and the siluer and the gold are a free-will offring vnto the Lord God of your fathers.

29 Watch ye, and keepe them, vntill yee weigh them before the chiefe of the Priests, and the Leuites, and chiefe of the fathers of Israel at Ierusalem, in the chambers of the house of the Lord.

30 So tooke the Priests and the Leuites the weight of the siluer and the gold, and the vessels, to bring them to Ierusalem, vnto the house of our God.

31 Then wee departed from the riuer of Ahaua, on the twelfth day of the first moneth, to goe vnto Ierusalem; and the hand of our God was vpon vs, and hee deliuered vs from the hand of the enemie, and of such as lay in wait by the way.

32 And we came to Ierusalem, and abode there three dayes.

33 Now on the fourth day was the siluer and the gold, and the vessels weighed in the house of our God, by the hand of Meremoth the sonne of Uriah the Priest, and with him was Eleazar the sonne of Phinehas, and with them was Iozabad the sonne of Ieshua, and Noadiah the sonne of Binnui, Leuites:

34 By number, and by weight of

[Ezras confession and prayer.]

uery one: and all the weight was written at that time.

35 Also the children of those that had bene caried away which were come out of the captiuitie, offered burnt offrings vnto the God of Israel, twelue bullocks for all Israel, ninetie and sixe rammes, seuentie and seuen lambes, twelue hee goates for a sinne offering: All this was a burnt offering vnto the Lord.

36 And they deliuered the Kings commissions vnto the kings lieuteuants, and to the gouernours on this side the riuer, and they furthered the people, and the house of God.