The Book of Ezra

Chapter 1
1 In year one of Cyrus king of Persia, to conclude the word of Yahweh from the mouth of Jeremiah, Yahweh aroused the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia so that he had a proclamation passed throughout his kingdom, and also in writing, saying,
2 Thus speaks Cyrus king of Persia: Yahweh Elohim of the heavens has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and He Himself has committed to me to build for Him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah.
3 Anyone among you of all His people, may his Elohim be with him. Let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and let him rebuild the house of Yahweh Elohim of Israel. He is the One, Elohim, Who is in Jerusalem.
4 As for anyone who is remaining from all the places where he is sojourning, let the men of his place assist him with silver and with gold, with goods and beasts, along with the voluntary offering for the house of the One, Elohim, Who is in Jerusalem.
5 The patriarchal heads of Judah and Benjamin arose, also the priests and the Levites, with everyone whose spirit the One, Elohim, had roused to go up to rebuild the house of Yahweh Who is in Jerusalem.
6 As for all those around them, they encouraged their hands with articles of silver, with gold, with goods and beasts and token presents besides all that was voluntarily given.
7 As for king Cyrus, he brought forth the articles of the house of Yahweh which Nebuchadnezzar had brought forth from Jerusalem and had put them in the house of his elohim.
8 Cyrus king of Persia brought them forth by the hand of the treasurer Mithredath who counted them off to Sheshbazzar prince of Judah.
9 Now these were the numbers of them: thirty vessels of gold, a thousand vessels of silver, twenty-nine alternatives,
10 thirty small bowls of gold, two thousand four hundred ten small bowls of silver, a thousand other articles.
11 All the articles of gold and of silver were five thousand four hundred. Sheshbazzar brought all these up while bringing up the sons of deportation from Babylon to Jerusalem.

Chapter 2
1 These were the sons of the province who came up from the captivity of deportation that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had deported to Babylon; they returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each man to his city,
2 those who came with Zerubbabel: Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum, Baanah. The number of the men of the people of Israel:
3 The sons of Parosh 2,172;
4 the sons of Shephatiah 372;
5 the sons of Arah 775;
6 the sons of Pahath-moab, of the sons of Jeshua and Joab 2,812;
7 the sons of Elam 1,254;
8 the sons of Zattu 945;
9 the sons of Zaccai 760;
10 the sons of Bani 642;
11 the sons of Bebai 623;
12 the sons of Azgad 1,222;
13 the sons of Adonikam 666;
14 the sons of Bigvai 2,056;
15 the sons of Adin 454;
16 the sons of Ater, of Hezekiah 98;
17 the sons of Bezai 323;
18 the sons of Jorah 112;
19 the sons of Hashum 223;
20 the sons of Gibbar 95;
21 the sons of Bethlehem 123;
22 the men of Netophah 56;
23 the men of Anathoth 128;
24 the sons of Azmaveth 42;
25 the sons of Kiriath-jearim, Chephirah and Beeroth 743;
26 the sons of Ramah and Geba 621;
27 the men of Michmas 122;
28 the men of Bethel and Ai 223;
29 the sons of Nebo 52;
30 the sons of Magbish 156;
31 the sons of Elam-ar 1,254;
32 the sons of Harim 320;
33 the sons of Lod, Hadid and Ono 725;
34 the sons of Jericho 345;
35 the sons of Senaah 3,630.
36 The priests: The sons of Jedaiah of the house of Jeshua 973;
37 the sons of Immer 1,052;
38 the sons of Pashhur 1,247;
39 the sons of Harim 1,017.
40 The Levites: The sons of Jeshua and Kadmiel, of the sons of Hodaviah 74.
41 The singers: The sons of Asaph 128.
42 The sons of the gatekeepers: The sons of Shallum, the sons of Ater, the sons of Talmon, the sons of Akkub, the sons of Hatita, the sons of Shobai, all together 139.
43 The Nethinim: The sons of Ziha, the sons of Hasupha, the sons of Tabbaoth,
44 the sons of Keros, the sons of Siaha, the sons of Padon,
45 the sons of Lebanah, the sons of Hagabah, the sons of Akkub,
46 the sons of Hagab, the sons of Shalmai, the sons of Hanan,
47 the sons of Giddel, the sons of Gahar, the sons of Reaiah,
48 the sons of Rezin, the sons of Nekoda, the sons of Gazzam,
49 the sons of Uzza, the sons of Paseah, the sons of Besai,
50 the sons of Asnah, the sons of Meunim, the sons of Nephusim,
51 the sons of Bakbuk, the sons of Hakupha, the sons of Harhur,
52 the sons of Bazluth, the sons of Mehida, the sons of Harsha,
53 the sons of Barkos, the sons of Sisera, the sons of Temah,
54 the sons of Neziah, the sons of Hatipha.
55 The sons of the servants of Solomon: The sons of Sotai, the sons of Sophereth, the sons of Peruda,
56 the sons of Jaalah, the sons of Darkon, the sons of Giddel,
57 the sons of Shephatiah, the sons of Hattil, the sons of Pochereth, the sons of Hazzebaim, the sons of Ami.
58 All the Nethinim and the sons of the servants of Solomon 392.
59 These were the ones coming up from Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Cherub, Addan and Immer; yet they were not able to tell the house of their fathers or their seed, whether they were descended from Israel:
60 The sons of Delaiah, the sons of Tobiah, the sons of Nekoda 652.
61 And from the sons of the priests: The sons of Habaiah, the sons of Hakkoz, the sons of Barzillai who took a wife from the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite and was called by their name.
62 These sought their registration; yet they were not found as being registered. So they were disqualified from the priesthood.
63 Hence the Tirshatha said to them that they should not eat from the holy of holies until a priest would stand up with Urim and Thummim.
64 The entire assembly as one group was 42,360,
65 besides their manservants and their maidservants, those being 7,337; They also had 200 male singers and female singers.
66 Their horses were 736; their mules 245;
67 their camels 435; their donkeys 6,720.
68 As for some of the patriarchal heads, when they came to the site of the house of Yahweh Who is in Jerusalem, they gave voluntarily for the house of the One, Elohim, to make it stand on its site.
69 According to their fortune they gave to the treasury of the work: gold 61,000 darics, silver 5,000 minas, and tunics for priests 100.
70 The priests, the Levites and some of the people, the singers, the gatekeepers and the Nethinim were dwelling in their cities, and all Israel in their cities.

Chapter 3
1 When the seventh month was attained and the sons of Israel had settled in their cities, then the people gathered as one man in Jerusalem.
2 Then Jeshua son of Jozadak arose with his brother priests and Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, and his brothers. They built the altar of the Elohim of Israel, to offer up on it ascent offerings as it is written in the law of Moses the man of Elohim.
3 They established the altar on its bases, for dread was on them because of the peoples of the lands; and they brought up on it ascent offerings to Yahweh, the ascent offerings for the morning and for the evening.
4 Then they held the festival of booths as it is written, with the ascent offering day by day, in number according to the custom, the requirement of a day in its day.
5 Afterward there was the regular ascent offering for the sabbaths and for the new months, for all the hallowed appointed seasons of Yahweh and for everyone who willingly brought a voluntary offering to Yahweh.
6 From day one of the seventh month they started to bring up ascent offerings to Yahweh, though for Yahweh’s temple itself no foundation had yet been laid.
7 Then they gave silver to hewers of stone and to craftsmen, and food, drink and oil to the Sidonians and to the Tyrians for bringing cedar timbers from the Lebanon by sea to Joppa, according to the permission given them by Cyrus king of Persia.
8 In the second year of their coming to the site of the house of Elohim at Jerusalem, in the second month, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Jeshua son of Jozadak and the remnants of their brother priests and Levites started with all who had come from the captivity to Jerusalem. They installed Levites from twenty years of age and above to oversee the work on the house of Yahweh.
9 So Jeshua and his sons and his brothers stood as one group with Kadmiel and his sons, of the sons of Hodaviah, to oversee those doing the work on the house of Elohim, also the sons of Henadad, their sons and their brothers, the Levites.
10 When the builders laid the foundation of the temple of Yahweh, then priests clothed in their vestments, with bugles, and Levites (sons of Asaph) with cymbals, took their stand to praise Yahweh according to the acclamation directions of David king of Israel.
11 They responded by praising and acclaiming Yahweh: For He is good; indeed His benignity toward Israel is for the eon. As for all the people, they shouted a loud shout in praising Yahweh because the foundation of the house of Yahweh had been laid.
12 Many of the older priests and Levites and patriarchal heads who had seen the former house were lamenting with a loud voice when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes. Many others raised up the voice in shouting and rejoicing.
13 There was no one of the people recognizing the sound of the rejoicing shout from the sound of the lamenting of the people, for the people were shouting a loud shout, and the sound itself was heard even from afar.

Chapter 4
1 When the foes of Judah and Benjamin heard that the sons of deportation were building a temple for Yahweh Elohim of Israel,
2 they came close to Zerubbabel and to the patriarchal heads and said to them: Let us build together with you; for we seek after your Elohim like you, and to Him we have been sacrificing since the days of Esar-haddon king of Assyria who brought us up here.
3 But Zerubbabel and Jeshua and the remnants of the patriarchal heads of Israel said to them, You have nothing in common with us to build the house for our Elohim; for only we ourselves shall build it for Yahweh Elohim of Israel, just as the king, Cyrus king of Persia, has instructed us.
4 So it came to be that the people of the land were holding back the hands of the people of Judah, thus deterring them from building.
5 They were hiring counselors against them to have their purpose quashed all the days of Cyrus king of Persia and until the reign of Darius king of Persia.
6 And during the reign of Ahasuerus, at the start of his reign, they wrote an accusation against those dwelling in Judah and Jerusalem.
7 Then in the days of Artaxerxes, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel and the remainder of his colleagues wrote to Artaxerxes king of Persia; the writing of the dispatch was written in Aramaic and interpreted. Aramaic text:
8 High commissioner Rehum and scribe Shimshai, they wrote one letter against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king, as follows:
9 (Then they wrote, high commissioner Rehum and scribe Shimshai, and the rest of their colleagues, the adjudicators and the officials over the Tarpelites, the Apharsites, the Erechites, the Babylonians, the Susaites, that is, the Elamites,
10 and the rest of the leagues whom the great and esteemed Osnappar deported and caused them to settle in the towns of Samaria and the rest of Beyond-the-Stream. And now,
11 this is a transcript of the letter that they sent to him): To king Artaxerxes from your servants, the men Beyond-the-Stream. And now,
12 let it become known to the king that the Judeans who came up here from you to us, have arrived at Jerusalem. They are rebuilding the revolting and stinking town. They are completing the walls and are repairing the foundations.
13 Now let it become known to the king that, if this town should be rebuilt and the walls be completed, they shall not pay tribute, tax or toll, and it shall cause damage to the revenue of the kings.
14 Now forasmuch as we have salted the salt of the palace, and it is not proper for us to perceive the denuding of the king, we have sent and have let the king know of this,
15 that one should make a quest in the scroll of the memoranda of your fathers. Then you shall find in the scroll of the memoranda, and you shall know that this town is a revolting town, causing damage to kings and provinces. Those making insurrections were in its midst from the days of the eon. On this account this town was laid waste.
16 We are making known to the king, if this town should be rebuilt and the walls should be completed, in view of this there will be no portion for you in the province Beyond-the-Stream.
17 The king sent this rescript to high commissioner Rehum and scribe Shimshai, and the rest of their colleagues who were settled in Samaria and the rest Beyond-the-Stream: Peace! Now
18 the dispatch that you sent to us has been read before me in translation.
19 So a decree was promulgated from me, and they have made a quest and have found that this town had lifted itself up against kings from the days of the eon and that revolting and insurrection were made in it.
20 There were mighty kings over Jerusalem with authority over the whole province Beyond-the-Stream; and tribute, tax and toll were granted to them.
21 Now issue an order for these masters to halt. This town may not be rebuilt until an order from me is promulgated.
22 And be warned against acting carelessly in this matter. Why let this harm grow great so as to cause damage to the kings?
23 Then after a transcript of the dispatch of king Artaxerxes had been read before Rehum and scribe Shimshai and their colleagues, they departed in a fluster to Jerusalem to the Judeans and made them halt by force of arms.
24 Then the work on the house of Eloah in Jerusalem was halted. And it remained halted until the year two of the reign of Darius king of Persia.

Chapter 5
1 Then the prophets, Haggai the prophet and Zechariah son of Iddo, prophesied to the Judeans in Judah and in Jerusalem in the Name of Eloah of Israel Who was over them.
2 Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Jeshua son of Jozadak arose and began to rebuild the house of Eloah in Jerusalem; and with them were the prophets of the One, Eloah, giving them aid.
3 At the same stated time Tattenai viceroy Beyond-the-Stream came hither to them with Shethar-bozenai and their colleagues. This is what they were saying to them: Who promulgated a decree for you to rebuild this house and to complete this beam structure?
4 Then they asked them this: What are the names of the masters who are building this structure?
5 Yet the eye of their Eloah was over the greyhaired elders of the Judeans; so they did not make them halt while a report went to Darius; then they would reply with a dispatch about this matter.
6 This is a transcript of the letter that Tattenai viceroy Beyond-the-Stream, and Shethar-bozenai and their colleagues, the officials Beyond-the-Stream, sent to king Darius.
7 They sent the rescript to him, and this was written within it: To king Darius: Peace at all times!
8 Let it become known to the king that we departed to the province of Judah to the great house of Eloah. It is being rebuilt of dressed stone and timber placed in the sidewalls. This work is thoroughly done and prospering under their hands.
9 Then we asked these greyhaired elders (this is what we said to them): Who promulgated a decree for you to rebuild this house and to complete this beam structure?
10 And we also asked them their names to let you know, so that we could write down the names of the masters who were over their heads.
11 This is the rescript of what they replied to us saying: We are the servants of Him Who is Eloah of the heavens and the earth. And we are rebuilding the house that had been built a huge number of years before this, when a great king of Israel built it and completed it.
12 Only because our fathers angered Eloah of the heavens, He granted them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the Chaldean, king of Babylon; and he demolished this house and deported the people to Babylon.
13 But in year one of king Cyrus of Babylon, king Cyrus promulgated a decree to rebuild this house of Eloah.
14 And also the vessels of gold and silver of the house of Eloah that Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple in Jerusalem and had transferred them to the temple in Babylon king Cyrus removed them from the temple in Babylon, and they were granted to Sheshbazzar; this was the name of him whom he had appointed viceroy.
15 And he said to him: Carry these vessels with you; depart and put them down in the temple in Jerusalem, and let the house of Eloah be rebuilt on its site.
16 Then this Sheshbazzar arrived and laid the foundations of the house of Eloah in Jerusalem. From then on until now it is being rebuilt; but it is not yet accomplished.
17 And now, if it seems good to the king, let a quest be made in the house of storerooms of the king there in Babylon to see whether a decree was actually promulgated from king Cyrus to rebuild this house of Eloah in Jerusalem. Then let the king send his decision in this matter to us.

Chapter 6
1 Then king Darius promulgated a decree, and they made a quest for the scrolls that were put down in the house of storerooms there in Babylon.
2 But it was in the castle of Ecbatana in the province of Media that one scroll was found, and this was written within it: Memorandum:
3 In year one of king Cyrus, king Cyrus promulgated a decree concerning the house of Eloah in Jerusalem: Let the house be rebuilt, a place for sacrificing sacrifices, and its foundations should be retained. Let its height be sixty cubits and its breadth be sixty cubits,
4 three courses of dressed stone and one course of timber; and let disbursement be granted from the king’s house.
5 Also, the gold and silver vessels of the house of Eloah should be returned that Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple in Jerusalem and had transferred to Babylon. Let each go back to the temple in Jerusalem to its place; you shall put it down in the house of Eloah.
6 Now you, Tattenai viceroy Beyond-the-Stream, Shetharbo-zenai, and you, their colleagues, the officials of Beyond-the-Stream, stay away from there.
7 Leave the viceroy of the Judeans and the greyhaired elders of the Judeans alone for the work on this house of Eloah. Let them rebuild this house of Eloah on its site.
8 So a decree is being promulgated from me as to what you shall do for these greyhaired elders of the Judeans in the rebuilding of this house of Eloah. Out of the king’s resources, from the tribute of the province Beyond-the-Stream, disbursement shall be fully granted to these masters, so as not to halt the work.
9 And what is needed, such as young bulls, rams and lambs for ascent offerings to Eloah of the heavens, wheat, salt, turbid wine and oil, according to the word of the priests in Jerusalem, let it be granted to them day by day without fail,
10 so that they may be offering fragrant incense to Eloah of the heavens and be praying for the life of the king and his sons.
11 So a decree is being promulgated from me that, as for any man who alters this rescript, a timber beam shall be torn out of his house; and lifted up, he shall be impaled on it. And his house shall be turned into ruins on account of this.
12 May Eloah Who made His Name tabernacle there, overturn any king or people that stretches out his hand to alter this rescript by harming this house of Eloah in Jerusalem. I, Darius, have promulgated the decree. Let it be carried out thoroughly.
13 Then Tattenai viceroy Beyond-the-Stream, Shethar-bozenai and their colleagues carried this out thoroughly, just as king Darius had sent word.
14 So the greyhaired elders of the Judeans and the Levites were rebuilding and prospering because of the prophecy of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah son of Iddo. Thus they rebuilt and completed the work due to the order of Eloah of Israel and due to a decree of Cyrus and Darius and Artaxerxes king of Persia.
15 This house was finished on day three of the month of Adar, that is, in the year six of the reign of king Darius.
16 The sons of Israel, the priests, the Levites and the rest of the sons of the deportation held the dedication of this house of Eloah with exhilaration.
17 And they offered for the dedication of this house of Eloah a hundred bulls, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs, and as a sin offering for all Israel, twelve he-goats of the goats, according to the number of the tribes of Israel.
18 They set up the priests in their distributions and the Levites in their apportionments for the service of Eloah in Jerusalem, as prescribed in the scroll of Moses.
19 The sons of deportation held the Passover on the fourteenth of the first month.
20 For the priests and the Levites had cleansed themselves as one man; all of them were clean. Then they slayed the passover for all the sons of deportation and for their brother priests and for themselves.
21 So they ate, that is the sons of Israel who had returned from the deportation, and everyone who had joined them by separating himself from the uncleanness of the nations of the land, to seek after Yahweh Elohim of Israel.
22 They held the festival of unleavened bread seven days with rejoicing; for Yahweh made them rejoice, since He had turned the heart of the king of Assyria around toward them to reinforce their hands in the work of the house of Elohim, the Elohim of Israel.

Chapter 7
1 After these things, in the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Ezra son of Seraiah, son of Azariah, son of Hilkiah,
2 son of Shallum, son of Zadok, son of Ahitub,
3 son of Amariah, son of Azariah, son of Meraioth,
4 son of Zerahiah, son of Uzzi, son of Bukki,
5 son of Abishua, son of Phinehas, son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the principal priest,
6 even that Ezra himself came up from Babylon. He was a scribe, expert in the law of Moses that Yahweh Elohim of Israel had given. And the king granted him all his urgent appeal, according to the hand of Yahweh his Elohim on him.
7 Some of the sons of Israel and some of the priests, the Levites and the singers, the gatekeepers and the Nethinim also came up to Jerusalem in the seventh year of king Artaxerxes.
8 They came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, that is, in the seventh year of the king.
9 For on day one of the first month this Ezra had deliberately determined the departure from Babylon; and on day one of the fifth month he came to Jerusalem, according to the good hand of his Elohim on him.
10 For Ezra himself had prepared his heart to inquire of the law of Yahweh and to observe it and to teach in Israel statute and ordinance.
11 Now this is a transcript of the dispatch that king Artaxerxes gave Ezra the priest and scribe, a scholar in matters concerning the instructions of Yahweh and His statutes for Israel:
12 Artaxerxes king of kings, to Ezra the priest, scholar in the edict of the Eloah of the heavens. Peace being perfected! And now
13 a decree is being promulgated from me, that anyone in my kingdom who is from the people of Israel and its priests and Levites and who is willing to go to Jerusalem with you, may go.
14 Forasmuch as you are being sent from before the king and his seven counselors to make a quest about Judah and Jerusalem in accord with the edict of your Eloah which is under your hand,
15 and to transfer the silver and gold that the king and his counselors have voluntarily given to the Eloah of Israel Whose tabernacle is in Jerusalem,
16 together with all the silver and gold that you may obtain in the whole province of Babylon along with the voluntary offering that the people and the priests are willingly giving to the house of their Eloah in Jerusalem.
17 Wherefore you shall buy promptly with this money bulls, rams, lambs, their approach presents and their libations; and you shall offer them on the altar of the house of your Eloah in Jerusalem.
18 Whatever may seem good to you and to your brothers to do with the rest of the silver and the gold, you may do according to the decision of your Eloah.
19 The vessels that are provided for you for the service of the house of your Eloah, convey them before the Eloah in Jerusalem.
20 The remaining requirements for the house of your Eloah which it falls to you to provide, you may provide from the king’s house of storerooms.
21 Now from me, king Artaxerxes, a decree is being promulgated to all the treasurers in the province Beyond-the-Stream, that everything that Ezra the priest, scholar in the edict of the Eloah of the heavens, may request from you, should be done promptly,
22 up to a hundred talents of silver, up to a hundred cors of wheat, up to a hundred baths of turbid wine, up to a hundred baths of oil, and salt without prescribed limit.
23 Let all that is by the order of the Eloah of the heavens be done diligently for the house of the Eloah of the heavens, lest there be wrath against the realm of the king and his sons.
24 And let it be known to you treasurers: As for any of the priests and the Levites, the musicians, the gatekeepers, the Nethinim and others serving at this house of Eloah, you have no authority to impose tribute, tax or toll on them.
25 And you, Ezra, by the wisdom of your Eloah that is in your hand, assign judges and adjudicators who shall be adjudicating all the people in the province Beyond-the-Stream, all who are knowing the edicts of your Eloah; and you all shall teach anyone who does not know them.
26 As for everyone who is not doing what the edict of your Eloah and the edict of the king says, adjudication shall be promptly done to him, whether by death or by banishment, whether by a fine from his resources or by imprisonment.
27 Blessed be Yahweh Elohim of our fathers, Who has put such as this into the heart of the king to beautify the house of Yahweh in Jerusalem.
28 And He has stretched out kindness toward me from before the king and his counselors and all the masterful chief officials of the king. So I encouraged myself according to the hand of Yahweh my Elohim on me, and I convened the heads out of Israel to go up with me.

Chapter 8
1 These were their patriarchal heads and those registered with them who came up with me from Babylon in the reign of king Artaxerxes:
2 From the sons of Phinehas, Gershom; from the sons of Ithamar, Daniel; from the sons of David, Hattush
3 son of Shecaniah; from the sons of Parosh, Zechariah, and with him were registered 150 males;
4 from the sons of Pahath-moab, Eliehoenai son of Zerahiah, and with him 200 males;
5 from the sons of Zattu, Shecaniah son of Jahaziel, and with him 300 males;
6 and from the sons of Adin, Ebed son of Jonathan, and with him 50 males;
7 and from the sons of Elam, Jeshaiah son of Athaliah, and with him 70 males;
8 and from the sons of Shephatiah, Zebadiah son of Michael, and with him 80 males;
9 from the sons of Joab, Obadiah son of Jehiel, and with him 218 males;
10 and from the sons of Bani, Shelomith son of Josiphiah, and with him 160 males;
11 and from the sons of Bebai, Zechariah son of Bebai, and with him 28 males;
12 and from the sons of Azgad, Johanan son of Hakkatan, and with him 110 males;
13 and from the sons of Adonikam, who were the last ones, and these are their names: Eliphelet, Jeiel and Shemaiah, and with them 60 males;
14 and from the sons of Bigvai, Uthai and Zaccur, and with them 70 males.
15 I convened them at the stream that comes to Ahava; and we encamped there for three days, that I might review the people and the priests, yet I did not find there anyone from the sons of Levi.
16 So I sent for Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah and Elnathan and Jarib and Elnathan and Nathan and Zechariah and Meshullam, heads, and for Joiarib and Elnathan, men of understanding.
17 Then I gave them instructions concerning Iddo the head at the place called Casiphia. I put in their mouth words to speak to Iddo and his brother and the Nethinim at the place called Casiphia, to bring to us ministers for the house of our Elohim.
18 Because of the good hand of our Elohim upon us, they brought to us a man of intelligence from the sons of Mahli son of Levi son of Israel, namely Sherebiah and his sons and his brothers, eighteen in all;
19 and Hashabiah and with him Jeshaiah from the sons of Merari, his brothers and their sons, twenty in all;
20 and from the Nethinim, whom David and the chief officials gave to the service of the Levites, two hundred and twenty Nethinim; all of them were specified by name.
21 Then I proclaimed a fast there by the stream Ahava to humble ourselves before our Elohim so as to seek from Him a straight journey for us and for our little ones and for all our goods.
22 For I was ashamed to ask the king for soldiers and horsemen to help us against enemy attack on the way, since we had told the king, saying: The hand of our Elohim is over all those seeking Him for good; yet His strength and His anger are against all those forsaking Him.
23 So we fasted and besought our Elohim for this, and He let Himself be entreated by us.
24 From the priests’ chiefs I then separated twelve, namely Sherebiah and Hashabiah, and with them ten of their brothers.
25 To them I weighed out the silver, the gold and the vessels the heave offering for the house of our Elohim that the king and his counselors and his chief officials and all of Israel who were available had donated.
26 Thus I weighed out into their hand six hundred fifty talents of silver, a hundred silver vessels valued at . . . talents, a hundred talents of gold,
27 twenty small bowls of gold valued at a thousand darics, and two vessels of good glistening copper, as desirable as gold.
28 And I said to them: You are holy to Yahweh, and the vessels are holy; and the silver and the gold are a voluntary offering to Yahweh Elohim of your fathers.
29 Be alert and guard them until you weigh them out in the rooms of the house of Yahweh before the priests’ chiefs and the Levites and the heads of the fathers’ houses of Israel in Jerusalem.
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 Elohim.
31 Then we journeyed from the Ahava stream on the twelfth of the first month to go to Jerusalem; and the hand of our Elohim was over us: He rescued us from the palm of the enemy and the ambush on the way.
32 When we came to Jerusalem, we sat there three days.
33 On the fourth day the silver and the gold and the vessels were weighed out in the house of our Elohim into the hand of Meremoth son of Uriah the priest, with whom was Eleazar son of Phinehas; with them were also Jozabad son of Jeshua, and Noadiah son of Binnui, the Levites.
34 Everything was checked by number and by weight; and the entire weight was listed. At that time
35 those who had come from the captivity, the sons of deportation, offered ascent offerings to the Elohim of Israel: twelve young bulls on behalf of all Israel, ninety-six rams, seventy-two he-lambs (and twelve he-goats as a sin offering); all this was an ascent offering to Yahweh.
36 They also delivered the king’s edicts to the satraps of the king and the viceroys Beyond-the-Stream who then assisted the people and the house of the One, Elohim.

Chapter 9
1 After the conclusion of these events, the chief officials came close to me, saying: The people of Israel and the priests and the Levites have not kept themselves separate from the peoples of the lands despite their abhorrent acts, those of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Jebusite, the Ammonite, the Moabite, the Egyptian and the Amorite.
2 For they have taken up some of their daughters for themselves and for their sons, so that the holy seed has become mixed with the peoples of these lands. And the hand of the chief officials and the prefects has been first in this offense.
3 When I heard about this matter, I tore my garment and my robe and plucked out some of the hair of my head and my beard and sat down in desolation.
4 Around me were gathering all those trembling at the words of the Elohim of Israel on account of the offense of the sons of deportation. And I continued sitting in desolation until the evening approach present.
5 Then at the time of the evening approach present I arose from my self-abasement, and with my garment and my robe torn on me, I bowed down on my knees and spread out my palms to Yahweh my Elohim
6 and said: My Elohim, I am ashamed and mortified to raise up my face to You, my Elohim, for our depravities, they are abundant, above our heads, and our guilt towers unto the heavens.
7 From the days of our fathers we have been in great guilt until this day; because of our depravities we ourselves, our kings, our priests have been given into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, to plundering and to shame of face, just as this day.
8 Yet now for a little moment, grace from Yahweh our Elohim has come to leave us as a remnant for deliverance and to give us a peg in His holy place, so that our Elohim may enlighten our eyes and give us a little revival in our servitudes.
9 Though we are slaves, our Elohim has not forsaken us in our servitudes; He is stretching out His benignity toward us before the kings of Persia in giving us a revival to raise up the house of our Elohim and to let its deserted places stand firm and in giving us a barrier-wall in Judah and in Jerusalem.
10 And now, what shall we say after this, O our Elohim? For we have forsaken Your instructions
11 that You enjoined on us by means of Your servants the prophets, saying, The land that you are entering to tenant it, a land of impurity is it, because of the impurity of the peoples of the lands and their abhorrences with which they have filled it from edge to edge with their uncleanness.
12 Now then, you must not give your daughters to their sons, and you must not take up their daughters for your sons. And you shall not seek after their well-being and their good until the eon, so that you may be unyielding and eat the good of the land and leave it as a tenancy to your sons until the eon.
13 After all that has come over us because of our evil deeds and our great guilt though You, O our Elohim, have kept back, punishing us less than our depravity deserves, and You have given us a deliverance, such as this
14 shall we again quash Your instructions by intermarrying with the peoples who commit these abhorrences? Are You not angry with us to the point of entirely destroying us until there is no remnant and deliverance?
15 O Yahweh Elohim of Israel, You are the Righteous One! For we are left as a remnant for deliverance, as at this day. Here we are before You in our guilt, though no one can stand before You on account of this.

Chapter 10
1 While Ezra was praying and while he was confessing, lamenting and cast to the ground before the house of the One, Elohim, those from Israel convened around him, a very great assembly, men, women and children; for the people lamented with increased lamentation.
2 Then Shecaniah son of Jehiel of the sons of Elam responded and said to Ezra: We ourselves have offended our Elohim when we located in our houses foreign women from the peoples of the land. Yet now there is expectation for Israel in spite of this.
3 Let us now contract a covenant with our Elohim to send forth all our foreign women and the children born of them, in accordance with the counsel of Yahweh and of those who are trembling at the instruction of our Elohim; and let it be done according to the law.
4 Arise, for the matter devolves on you, and we are with you. Be steadfast and act.
5 So Ezra arose and made the priests’ chiefs, the Levites and all Israel swear to do according to this word. And they swore.
6 When Ezra rose from his place before the house of the One, Elohim, he went to the room of Jehohanan son of Eliashib; while he lodged there, he ate no bread and drank no water, for he was mourning over the offense of the sons of deportation.
7 Then they let a proclamation pass in Judah and in Jerusalem to all the sons of deportation to convene to Jerusalem;
8 and anyone who did not come within three days might, on the counsel of the chiefs and the elders, have all his goods doomed and he himself be separated from the assembly of the sons of deportation.
9 So within the three days all the men of Judah and Benjamin convened in Jerusalem; it was in the ninth month on the twentieth day of the month. All the people were sitting in the square of the house of the One, Elohim, quivering on account of the matter and because of the downpours.
10 Then Ezra the priest arose and said to them: You yourselves have offended and located in your houses foreign women, thus adding to the guilt of Israel.
11 So now make confession to Yahweh Elohim of your fathers and get His approval, and separate yourselves from the peoples of the land and from the foreign women.
12 The entire assembly responded and avowed with a loud voice: Just so; it is on us to act according to your word.
13 Nevertheless, the people are numerous, and it is the season of downpours. No one has the vigor to stand outdoors; and the work is not for one day and not for two, for many of us have transgressed in this matter.
14 Let now our chief officials stay on behalf of the entire assembly, and let everyone who is in our cities who located in his house foreign women come at stated times, together with them the elders, city by city, and its judges, until the hot anger of our Elohim on account of this matter is turned away from us.
15 (Only Jonathan son of Asahel and Jahzeiah son of Tikvah stood up against this, and Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite were backing up their opposition.)
16 So that is what the sons of deportation did. Ezra the priest set apart various men who were the patriarchal heads of their fathers’ house, all of them by name; and they sat down on day one of the tenth month to inquire into the matter.
17 By day one of the first month they had concluded dealing with all the men who located in their houses foreign women.
18 Among the sons of priests who had located in their houses foreign women were found, of the sons of Jeshua son of Jozadak and his brothers: Maaseiah and Eliezer and Jarib and Gedaliah.
19 They gave their hand to send forth their foreign women and, being guilty, offered a ram of the flock for their guilt.
20 Of the sons of Immer: Hanani and Zebadiah.
21 Of the sons of Harim: Maaseiah and Elijah and Shemaiah and Jehiel and Uzziah.
22 Of the sons of Pashhur: Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad and Elasah.
23 Of the Levites: Jozabad and Shimei and Kelaiah (that is Kelita), Pethahiah, Judah and Eliezer.
24 Of the singers: Eliashib; and of the gatekeepers: Shallum and Telem and Uri.
25 Of Israel of the sons of Parosh: Ramiah, Izziah, Malchijah, Mijamin, Eleazar, Malchijah and Benaiah.
26 Of the sons of Elam: Mattaniah, Zechariah, Jehiel, Abdi, Jeremoth and Elijah.
27 Of the sons of Zattu: Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Jeremoth, Zabad and Aziza.
28 Of the sons of Bebai: Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai and Athlai.
29 Of the sons of Bani: Meshullam, Malluch, Adaiah, Jashub, Sheal and Ramoth.
30 Of the sons of Pahath-moab: Adna, Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui and Manasseh.
31 Of the sons of Harim: Eliezer, Isshiah, Malchijah, Shemaiah, Shimeon,
32 Benjamin, Malluch and Shemariah.
33 Of the sons of Hashum: Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh and Shimei.
34 Of the sons of Bani: Maadai, Amram and Uel,
35 also Benaiah, Bedeiah, Cheluhi,
36 Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib,
37 Mattaniah, Mattenai and Jaasai.
38 Of the sons of Binnui: Shimei,
39 Shelemiah, Nathan, Adaiah,
40 Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai,
41 Azarel, Shelemiah, Shemariah,
42 Shallum, Amariah and Joseph.
43 Of the sons of Nebo: Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jaddai, Joel and Benaiah.
44 All of these had taken up foreign women, and among them there were women who had even borne sons.