LXX Ezra

Cyrus’s Decree

1 Now in the first year of Cyrus king of the Persians, so that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah would be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of the Persians, and he issued a proclamation throughout his kingdom, also in writing, as follows:

2 “Cyrus king of the Persians says this: The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he himself has charged me to build him a house in Jerusalem which is in Judea. 3 Who among you is from all his people? His God will be with him, and he will go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judea. Let him build the house of Israel’s God. He is the God in Jerusalem. 4 As for everyone left from all the places where he stays there, the men of his place will receive him with silver, gold, goods, and livestock, along with the voluntary offering for the house of God in Jerusalem.”

Preparing to Return

5 Then the leaders of the families of Judah and Benjamin got up, and the priests, and the Levites, all those whose spirit God had stirred up to go up to build the house of the Lord that is in Jerusalem. 6 All those around them gave support with their hands, with silver vessels, gold, goods, livestock, and gifts, besides the voluntary offerings.

The Vessels from the Lord’s House

7 And King Cyrus brought out the vessels of the house of the Lord, which Nebuchadnezzar had brought from Jerusalem, and put in the house of his god.

8 And Cyrus king of the Persians brought them out into the hand of Mithredath the treasurer, and he counted them for Sheshbazzar, the ruler of Judah.

9 This is their number: thirty gold coolers, one thousand silver coolers, and twenty-nine assorted items, 10 thirty gold kephphoure, and two hundred silver ones, and one thousand other vessels.

11 All the gold and silver vessels totaled five thousand four hundred, all of which went up with Sheshbazzar from the exile, from Babylon to Jerusalem.

The Returning Exiles

1 These are the sons of the country who came up from captivity in the exile that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had taken to Babylon. They returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each man to his own city, 2 those who came with Zerubbabel: Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum, Baana. The number of the men of the people of Israel:
3 The sons of Parosh, two thousand one hundred and seventy-two.
4 The sons of Shephatiah, three hundred and seventy-two.
5 The sons of Arah, seven hundred and seventy-five.
6 The sons of Pahath Moab, belonging to the sons of Jeshua and Joab, two thousand eight hundred and twelve.
7 The sons of Elam, a thousand two hundred and fifty-four.
8 The sons of Zattu, nine hundred and forty-five.
9 The sons of Zaccai, seven hundred and sixty.
10 The sons of Binnui, six hundred and forty-two.
11 The sons of Bebai, six hundred and twenty-three.
12 The sons of Azgad, three thousand two hundred and twenty-two.
13 The sons of Adonikam, six hundred and sixty-six.
14 The sons of Bigvai, two thousand and fifty-six.
15 The sons of Adin, four hundred and fifty-four.
16 The sons of Ater in relation to Hezekiah, ninety-eight.
17 The sons of Bezai, three hundred and twenty-three.
18 The sons of Jorah, one hundred and twelve.
19 The sons of Hashum, two hundred and twenty-three.
20 The sons of Geber, ninety-five.

The Towns

21 The sons of Bethlehem, one hundred and twenty-three.
22 The sons of Netophah, fifty-six.
23 The sons of Anathoth, one hundred and twenty-eight.
24 The sons of Azmaveth, forty-two.
25 The sons of Kiriath Jearim, Kephirah, and Beeroth, seven hundred and forty-three.
26 The sons of Ramah and Gibeah, six hundred and twenty-one.
27 The men of Michmash, one hundred and twenty-two.
28 The men of Bethel and Ai, four hundred and twenty-three.
29 The sons of Nebo, fifty-two.
30 The sons of Magbish, one hundred and fifty-six.
31 The sons of Elam-ar, a thousand two hundred and fifty-four.
32 The sons of Harim, three hundred and twenty.
33 The sons of Lod, Aroth, and Ono, seven hundred and twenty-five.
34 The sons of Jericho, three hundred and forty-five.
35 The sons of Senaah, three thousand six hundred and thirty.

Priests and Temple Workers

36 The priests: the sons of Jedaiah, belonging to the house of Jeshua, nine hundred and seventy-three.
37 The sons of Immer, a thousand and fifty-two.
38 The sons of Pashhur, a thousand two hundred and forty-seven.
39 The sons of Harim, a thousand and seven.
40 The Levites: the sons of Jeshua and Kadmiel, belonging to the sons of Hodaviah, seventy-four.
41 The singers, the sons of Asaph, one hundred and twenty-eight.
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, in all one hundred and thirty-nine.
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 Akkaboth,
46 the sons of Hagab, the sons of Shamlai, the sons of Anan,
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 Nephisim,
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 Abdeselma: the sons of Sotai, the sons of Hassophereth, the sons of Peruda,
56 the sons of Jaala, the sons of Darkon, the sons of Giddel,
57 the sons of Shephatiah, the sons of Hattil, the sons of Pochereth-Hazzebaim, the sons of Ami.
58 All the Nethinim, and the sons of Abdeselma were three hundred and ninety-two.

Uncertain Ancestry

59 These are the ones who came up from Tel Melah, Tel Harsha, Cherub, Addan, Immer: and they could not declare their ancestral family and their descendants, whether they were from Israel:
60 The sons of Delaiah, the sons of Bua, the sons of Tobiah, the sons of Nekoda, six hundred and fifty-two.

61 From the sons of the priests: the sons of Habaiah, the sons of Hakkoz, the sons of Barzillai, who took a wife of the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite, and was called by their name. 62 These, the methoesim, looked for their records, but they were not found, and they were dismissed from the priesthood. 63 Athersatha told them not to eat from the most holy things until a priest came forward for what gives light and what is perfect.⁠a

Totals and Offerings

64 The whole assembly, as one, numbered forty-two thousand three hundred and sixty.
65 besides their male slaves and female servants, and these were seven thousand three hundred and thirty-seven. And these included two hundred singing men and singing women.
66 Their horses were seven hundred and thirty-six, their mules, two hundred and forty-five.
67 Their camels, four hundred and thirty-five, their donkeys, six thousand seven hundred and twenty.

68 Some of the leaders of the ancestral families, when they went into the house of the Lord which is in Jerusalem, made voluntary offerings for the house of God, to erect it on its prepared site. 69 As much as they were able they gave into the treasury of the work sixty-one thousand minas of pure gold and five thousand minas of silver, and one hundred priests’ garments.

70 So the priests, and the Levites, and some of the people, and the singers, and the gatekeepers, and the Nethinim, settled in their cities, and all Israel in their cities.

The Altar and the Offerings

1 And the seventh month arrived, and the sons of Israel were in their cities, and the people gathered as one man at Jerusalem. 2 Then Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and his brothers the priests, and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and his brothers got up and built the altar of the God of Israel, to offer on it whole burnt offerings, as written in the law of Moses the man of God. 3 And they prepared the altar on its prepared site, because terror had come over them from the peoples of the lands, and the whole burnt offering was offered on it to the Lord morning and evening. 4 And they celebrated the Festival of Shelters, as written, and offered whole burnt offerings day by day, in the number required by the rule for each day. 5 After this came the regular whole burnt offerings, those for the new moons and all the festivals made holy, and the voluntary offering of everyone making a voluntary offering to the Lord.

6 On the first day of the seventh month they began to offer whole burnt offerings to the Lord, and the foundation of the house of the Lord had not been laid. 7 And they gave silver to the stonecutters and carpenters, and food and drink, and oil, to the Sidonians, and Tyrians, to bring cedar trees from Lebanon to the sea of Joppa, according to the grant of Cyrus king of the Persians to them.

The Temple Foundation

8 In the second month of the second year after their arrival at the house of God in Jerusalem, Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, Jeshua the son of Jozadak, the rest of their brothers, the priests and Levites, and everyone coming from captivity to Jerusalem began. They appointed the Levites twenty years old and older to oversee the people doing the work in the Lord’s house. 9 Jeshua and his sons and his brothers, Kadmiel and his sons, the sons of Judah, the sons of Henadad, their sons and their brothers the Levites stood over those doing the work in God’s house.

10 And they laid a foundation for building the house of the Lord. The priests stood in their robes with trumpets and the Levites the sons of Asaph with cymbals, to praise the Lord, under the direction of David king of Israel. 11 And they answered each other with praise and thanksgiving to the Lord, “For it is good, for his mercy toward Israel lasts forever.” And all the people shouted with a loud voice to praise the Lord at the laying of the foundation of the house of the Lord.

12 But many of the priests and the Levites, and the older leaders of the ancestral families, who had seen the former house on its foundation, and who saw this house with their eyes, were weeping with a loud voice. And the crowd gave a joyful shout to raise a song. 13 And the people did not distinguish the sound of the joyful shout from the sound of the weeping of the people. For the people shouted with a loud voice, and the sound could be heard far away.

Opposition to the Building

1 And those oppressing Judah and Benjamin heard that the sons of the exile were building a house to the Lord God of Israel. 2 And they came to Zerubbabel, and to the leaders of the ancestral families, and said to them, “We will build with you, because we seek your God as you do. We have sacrificed to him since the days of Esarhaddon king of Assyria, who brought us here.”

3 Zerubbabel, and Jeshua and the rest of the leaders of the ancestral families of Israel said to them, “It is not for us and you to build a house to our God, for we ourselves will build together to the Lord our God, as Cyrus the king of the Persians commanded us.”

4 And the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah, and hindered them in building, 5 and hired people against them, plotting to disrupt their plans, throughout the days of Cyrus king of the Persians, and until the reign of Darius king of the Persians.

The Letter to Artaxerxes

6 And in the reign of Ahasuerus, at the beginning of his reign, they wrote a letter against the people living in of Judah and Jerusalem.

7 In the days of Artaxerxes, Tabeel wrote in peace⁠a to Mithredath, together with the rest of his fellow slaves, to Artaxerxes king of the Persians. The tax collector wrote a document in Syrian, also translated. 8 Rehum the chancellor, and Shimshai the scribe wrote one letter against Jerusalem to King Artaxerxes. 9 This is what Rehum the chancellor, Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of our fellow slaves decided: the Dinians, the Apharsathachians, the Tarphallians, the Apharsians, the Archyians, the Babylonians, the Susanachians, who are Elamites, 10 and the rest of the nations whom the great and honored Osnappar deported, and settled them in the cities of Samaria, and the rest of them beyond the river.

11 This is the directive in the letter they sent him: “To King Artaxerxes, from your servants, the men beyond the river. 12 Let it be known to the king that the Jews who came up from you to us have come to Jerusalem the rebellious and wicked city, which they are building, and its walls are set in order, and they have raised its foundations.

13 “Now let it be known to the king that if that city is built up, and its walls completed, no tribute will come to you, neither will they pay anything, and this harms kings. 14 We are not permitted to see the king dishonored.⁠b That is why we have sent and reported the matter to the king, 15 so that he may examine your ancestors’ book of records. You will find and know that this is a rebellious city that harms kings and countries, and that there have been groups of runaway slaves within it since ancient times. That is why this city was laid waste. 16 We therefore inform the king that if that city is built, and its walls are set up, you will have no peace.”

The King’s Reply

17 Then the king sent to Rehum the chancellor, and Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their fellow slaves who lived in Samaria, and the rest beyond the river, greetings, and he says:

18 “The tax collector you sent to us has been summoned before me.⁠c 19 I issued a decision, and we searched and found that this city has risen against kings since ancient times, and that rebellions and groups of runaways occur within it. 20 And there were powerful kings in Jerusalem, and they ruled over all the territory west of the river, and full tribute and a share were given to them.

21 “Now issue a decision to stop the work of those men, and that city will no longer be built, in accordance with the decision. 22 Be careful not to relax your efforts in this matter, so that destruction does not multiply and harm kings.”

23 Then the tax collector of King Artaxerxes read before Rehum, and Shimshai the scribe, and his fellow slaves. They went quickly to Jerusalem and in Judah, and stopped them with horses and an armed force.

24 Then the work on the house of God in Jerusalem stopped, and it remained stopped until the second year of the reign of Darius king of the Persians.

Building Resumes

1 And Haggai the prophet, and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophesied a prophecy to the Jews in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, who was over them. 2 Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak, got up and began to build the house of God which is in Jerusalem. And with them were the prophets of God helping them.

3 At the same time Tattenai, the governor beyond the river, Shethar-Bozenai, and their fellow slaves came to them and said, “Who issued you a decision to build this house and provide these supplies?” 4 Then they said to them, “What are the names of the men building this city?” 5 The eyes of God were on the captives of Judah,⁠a and they did not stop them until a decision was brought to Darius. Then a message about this was sent to the tax collector.

The Report to Darius

6 This is the explanation of the letter that Tattenai, the governor of the territory beyond the river, and Shethar-Bozenai, and their fellow slaves the Apharsachians who were beyond the river, sent to King Darius.

7 They sent him a report, and this was written in it: “To King Darius, complete peace! 8 Let it be known to the king that we went into the land of Judea, to the house of the great God, and it is being built with choice stones, and they are laying timbers in the walls, and that work is prospering, and is progressing well in their hands. 9 Then we asked those elders, and said to them, ‘Who gave you the order to build this house, and to provide these supplies?’ 10 And we asked them their names, to inform you, so that we could write down for you the names of the men leading them.

11 They gave us this answer: ‘We are the slaves of the God of heaven and earth, and we are building the house which had been built many years before this, and a great king of Israel built it, and completed it for them. 12 But after that our ancestors angered the God of heaven, he gave them into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar the Chaldean, king of Babylon, and he destroyed this house, and exiled the people to Babylon. 13 But in the first year of King Cyrus, King Cyrus issued a decision that this house of God should be built. 14 And the gold and silver vessels of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar brought out from the house which is in Jerusalem, and carried them into the temple of the king, these King Cyrus brought out from the temple of the king, and gave them to Sheshbazzar the treasurer, who was over the treasury, 15 and said to him, “Take all the vessels, and go. Put them in the house that is in Jerusalem in their own place.” 16 Then this Sheshbazzar came, and laid the foundations of the house of God in Jerusalem, and from then until now it has been under construction, and has not been finished.’

17 “Now, if it seems good to the king, let a search be made in the treasure house of the king of Babylon, so that you may know that King Cyrus issued a decision to build that house of God in Jerusalem. Once the king knows about this, let him send word to us.”

The Record of Cyrus’s Decision

1 Then Darius the king issued a decision and searched the libraries, where the treasure is stored in Babylon. 2 In the city,⁠a in the fortress of the city of the Medes, a scroll was found with this written in it: “A record.

3 In the first year of King Cyrus, King Cyrus issued a decision concerning the house of God which is in Jerusalem, “Let the house be built, and the place where they sacrifice the sacrifices. He set its elevation at sixty cubits high and sixty cubits wide, 4 with three strong layers of stone, and one layer of timber. The expense will be paid from the king’s house. 5 And the silver and the gold vessels of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar carried off from the house which is in Jerusalem, and carried to Babylon, let these also be handed over and taken to the temple that is in Jerusalem, to the place where they were set in the house of God.”

Darius’s Orders

6 “Now, governors beyond the river, Shethar-Bozenai, and their fellow slaves, the Apharsachians beyond the river, you will give these things, though you are far from there. 7 Leave the work on God’s house alone. Let the rulers of the Jews and the elders of the Jews build that house of God on its site.

8 “I have also issued a decision so that you do not do anything with the elders of the Jews to build that house of God. From the king’s property, the tribute from beyond the river, let the expenses be paid carefully to those men, so that they are not stopped. 9 Whatever is needed, young bulls and rams and male lambs for whole burnt offerings to the God of heaven, wheat, salt, wine, and oil, let it be given to them as directed by the priests in Jerusalem, day by day, whatever they request, 10 so that they may offer sweet aromas to the God of heaven, and that they may pray for the life of the king and his sons.

11 “I have issued a decision that if anyone changes this word, a beam will be pulled from his house, and he will be raised up and impaled on it, and his house will become mine.⁠b 12 The God whose name dwells there will overthrow every king and people who stretch out a hand to alter or destroy the house of God which is in Jerusalem. I, Darius, have issued a decision. It is to be carried out with care.”

The Temple Completed

13 Then Tattenai the governor beyond the river, Shethar-Bozenai, and his fellow slaves carefully did what King Darius had sent word to do. 14 And the elders of the Jews and the Levites kept building during the prophesying of Haggai the prophet, and Zechariah the son of Iddo. They rebuilt, and finished it, by the decision of the God of Israel, and by the decision of Cyrus, and Darius, and Artaxerxes, kings of the Persians. 15 And they completed this house by the third day of the month Adar, which is the sixth year of the reign of Darius the king.

16 And the sons of Israel, the priests, and the Levites, and the rest of the sons of the exile, celebrated the rededication of the house of God with joy. 17 And they offered for the rededication of the house of God one hundred calves, two hundred rams, four hundred male lambs, and twelve male goats as a sin offering for all Israel, according to the number of the tribes of Israel. 18 And they set the priests in their divisions, and the Levites in their separate orders, for the service of God who is in Jerusalem, according to the writing of the book of Moses.

The Passover

19 And the sons of the exile celebrated the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month. 20 For the priests and Levites were purified, all were clean, every one, and they slaughtered the Passover for all the sons of the exile, and for their brothers the priests, and for themselves. 21 The sons of Israel ate the Passover, those from the exile and everyone who separated himself from the impurity of the nations of the land and joined them to seek the Lord God of Israel. 22 They celebrated the Festival of Unleavened Bread for seven days with joy, because the Lord made them joyful, and he turned the heart of the king of Assyria to them, to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of the God of Israel.

Ezra’s Arrival

1 After these events, during the reign of Artaxerxes king of the Persians, Ezra came up, the son of Seraiah, the son of Azariah, the son of Hilkiah, 2 the son of Shallum, the son of Zadok, the son of Ahitub, 3 the son of Shemariah, the son of Ezria, the son of Meraioth, 4 the son of Zerahiah, the son of Sauia, the son of Bukki, 5 the son of Abishua, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the first priest.

6 Ezra himself came up from Babylon. He was a skilled scribe in the law of Moses, which the Lord God of Israel had given. The king granted him everything he asked, because the hand of the Lord his God was on him.

7 And some of the sons of Israel went up, and some of the priests, and of the Levites, and the singers, and the gatekeepers, and the Nethinim, to Jerusalem, in the seventh year of Artaxerxes the king. 8 And they came to Jerusalem in the fifth month. This was the seventh year of the king. 9 On the first day of the first month he began the going up from Babylon, and on the first day of the fifth month they came to Jerusalem, because the hand of his God was good to him. 10 For Ezra had determined in his heart to study the law, practice it, and teach its rules and judgments in Israel.

Artaxerxes’s Letter

11 And this is the explanation of the edict which Artaxerxes gave to Ezra the priest, the scribe of the book of the words of the commandments of the Lord, and of his ordinances to Israel.

12 “Artaxerxes, king of kings, to Ezra, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven. The message and its answer have been completed.

13 “I have issued a decision that anyone in my kingdom from the people of Israel, the priests, and the Levites who volunteers to go to Jerusalem is to go with you. 14 It was sent by the king and the seven counselors to inspect Judea and Jerusalem according to the law of their God in your hand, 15 and the silver and gold for the Lord’s house that the king and counselors have freely given to the God of Israel who dwells in Jerusalem, 16 and all the silver and gold that you find throughout the land of Babylon, along with the voluntary offering of the people and the priests who give willingly for the house of God in Jerusalem. 17 Promptly record in this document everything that comes in, calves, rams, male lambs, their offerings, and their drink offerings. You will offer them on the altar of the house of your God in Jerusalem. 18 Whatever seems good to you and your brothers to do with the rest of the silver and the gold, do as it is pleasing to your God. 19 And deliver the vessels that are given you for the service of the house of God, before God in Jerusalem. 20 As for the remaining needs of the house of your God, whatever you think should be provided, you will provide from the king’s treasure houses.

21 “I, King Artaxerxes, have issued a decision to all the treasuries beyond the river. Whatever Ezra, the priest and scribe of the law of the God of heaven, asks you for is to be supplied promptly, 22 to the amount of one hundred talents of silver, and one hundred kors of wheat, and one hundred baths of wine, and one hundred baths of oil, and salt with no written account. 23 Let everything in the decision of the God of heaven be done. Take care that no one makes an attack on the house of the God of heaven, so that anger does not come against the kingdom of the king and his sons. 24 This has also been made known to you concerning all the priests and Levites, singers, gatekeepers, Nethinim, and ministers of this house of God. Let no tribute be paid to you. You will have no authority to enslave them.

25 “You, Ezra, in keeping with the wisdom of God in your hand, appoint scribes and judges to judge for all the people beyond the river, everyone who knows the law of your God. You are to teach anyone who does not know it. 26 For anyone who does not follow the law of God and the law of the king, judgment is to be carried out promptly, whether death, discipline, loss of livelihood, or imprisonment.”

Ezra Gives Thanks

27 Praise the Lord God of our ancestors, who has put this into the heart of the king, to bring glory to the house of the Lord which is in Jerusalem, 28 and has shown me mercy in the eyes of the king, and of his counselors, and all the king’s high-ranking rulers. And I was strengthened because the good hand of God was on me, and I gathered leaders of Israel to go up with me.

Those Traveling with Ezra

1 And these are the leaders of their ancestral families, the guides who went up with me in the reign of Artaxerxes the king of Babylon.
2 Of the sons of Phinehas, Gershom; of the sons of Ithamar, Daniel; of the sons of David, Hattush.
3 Of the sons of Shecaniah, of the sons of Parosh, Zechariah, and with him a company of one hundred and fifty.
4 Of the sons of Pahath Moab, Eliehoenai the son of Zerahiah, and with him two hundred males.
5 And of the sons of Zattu, Shecaniah the son of Aziel, and with him three hundred males.
6 And of the sons of Adin, Ebed the son of Jonathan, and with him fifty males.
7 And of the sons of Elam, Jeshaiah the son of Athaliah, and with him seventy males.
8 And of the sons of Shephatiah, Zebadiah the son of Michael, and with him eighty males.
9 And of the sons of Joab, Obadiah the son of Jeiel, and with him two hundred and eighteen males.
10 And of the sons of Bani, Shelomith the son of Josiphiah, and with him one hundred and sixty males.
11 And of the sons of Bebai, Zechariah the son of Bebai, and with him seventy-eight males.
12 And of the sons of Azgad, Johanan the son of Hakkatan, and with him one hundred and ten males.
13 The last ones were from the sons of Adonikam. Their names were Eliphelet, Jeiel, and Shemaiah, and with them sixty males.
14 And of the sons of Bigvai, Uthai, and with him seventy males.

Gathering by the River

15 And I gathered them to the river that comes to Evi, and we camped there three days. I reviewed the people and the priests, and found none of the sons of Levi there. 16 And I sent men with understanding to Eleazar, to Ariel, to Shemaiah, and to Alonam, and to Jarib, and to Elnathan, and to Nathan, and to Zechariah, and to Meshullam, and to Joiarib, and to Elnathan. 17 And I brought them out to the ruler with the silver of the place,⁠a and I put words in their mouths to speak to their brothers the Nethinim with the silver of the place, so that they would bring us singers for the house of our God. 18 Since the good hand of our God was on us, a man with understanding came to us from the sons of Mahli, the son of Levi, the son of Israel. At the beginning his sons and his brothers came, eighteen in all. 19 And Hashabiah, and Hoshaiah of the sons of Merari, his brothers and their sons, twenty. 20 And of the Nethinim, whom David and the leaders had appointed for the service of the Levites there were two hundred and twenty Nethinim, all were gathered by name.

Fasting for the Journey

21 I proclaimed a fast there at the river Ahava, so that we might humble ourselves before our God and ask him for a straight path for ourselves, our children, and all our possessions. 22 For I was ashamed to ask the king for a force and cavalry to save us from the enemy on the way, because we had spoken to the king, “The hand of our God is on everyone who seeks him, for good, and his power and anger are on everyone who abandons him.” 23 So we fasted, and asked our God about this, and he listened to us.

The Offerings Entrusted to the Priests

24 And I set apart twelve of the leaders of the priests, in relation to Seraiah and Hashabiah, with ten of their brothers. 25 And I weighed to them the silver, and the gold, and the vessels of the firstfruits of the house of our God, which the king, and his counselors, and his leaders, and all Israel that were found, had dedicated. 26 I even weighed into their hands six hundred and fifty talents of silver, and one hundred silver vessels, and one hundred talents of gold, 27 and twenty gold kaphoure for the journey, one thousand chamanim, and superior vessels of fine shining bronze, precious as gold.

28 And I said to them, “You are holy to the Lord, and the vessels are holy, and the silver and the gold are voluntary offerings to the Lord God of your ancestors. 29 Be watchful and keep them, until you weigh them before the leaders of the priests and the Levites, and the leaders of the ancestral families in Jerusalem, at the tents of the Lord’s house.”

30 So the priests and the Levites took the weight of the silver, and the gold, and the vessels, to bring to Jerusalem into the house of our God.

Arrival in Jerusalem

31 And we set out from the river of Ahava on the twelfth day of the first month, to come to Jerusalem, and the hand of our God was on us, and delivered us from the hand of the enemy and adversary on the way. 32 And we came to Jerusalem, and stayed there three days.

33 And on the fourth day we weighed the silver, and the gold, and the vessels, 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 Jozabad the son of Jeshua, and Noadiah the son of Benaiah, the Levites. 34 Everything was counted by number and weight, and the whole weight was written down at that time.

35 The sons of those living abroad who came from captivity offered whole burnt offerings to the God of Israel, twelve calves for all Israel, ninety-six rams, seventy-seven male lambs, twelve male goats as a sin offering, all whole burnt offerings to the Lord. 36 And they gave the king’s mandate to the king’s administrators, and the governors beyond the river, and they honored the people and the house of God.

The Report of Intermarriage

1 When these things were finished, the leaders came to me and said, “The people of Israel, and the priests, and the Levites, have not separated themselves from the peoples of the lands, with their things set far away, even the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Jebusite, the Ammonite, the Moabite, and the Moserite and the Amorite. 2 For they have taken some of their daughters for themselves and their sons, and the holy seed has been led away among the nations of the lands,⁠a and the hand of the rulers has been first in this faithlessness.”

3 And when I heard this report, I tore my clothes, and trembled, and pulled out some of the hairs of my head and of my beard, and sat in silence. 4 Then everyone who pursued the word of the God of Israel gathered to me because of the faithlessness of the exile. I remained sitting in silence until the evening sacrifice.

Ezra’s Prayer

5 And at the evening sacrifice I got up from my humiliation. And when I had torn my clothes, then I trembled, and I got down on my knees, and spread out my hands to the Lord God,

6 and said, “Lord, I was ashamed and reluctant to raise my face to you, because our lawless acts have multiplied above our heads, and our offenses have grown as high as heaven. 7 From the days of our ancestors we have been guilty of serious wrongdoing to this day, and because of our lawless acts we, and our kings, and our sons, have been handed over into the hand of the kings of the nations by the sword, and by captivity, and by looting, and with shame on our faces, as on this day. 8 Now the Lord our God has treated us gently, leaving us a way to salvation and giving us support in the place of his sanctuary, to brighten our eyes and give us a little life in our slavery. 9 For we are slaves, yet in our slavery the Lord our God has not deserted us, and he has shown mercy to us in the sight of the kings of the Persians, to give us life, so that they might raise up the house of our God, and rebuild its ruins, and to give us a fence in Judah and Jerusalem.

10 “What can we say after this, our God? We have abandoned your commandments, 11 which you have given us through your slaves the prophets, saying, ‘The land, into which you go to inherit it, is a land in upheaval through the upheaval of the peoples of the nations, with their things set far away, with which they have filled it from mouth to mouth with their impurities. 12 And now do not give your daughters to their sons, and do not take any of their daughters for your sons, you will never seek their peace or their good, so that you may be strong, and eat the good things of the land, and pass them on to your sons as an inheritance forever.’

13 “After everything that has come on us for our evil deeds and our serious wrongdoing, because there is no one like our God, because you lifted our lawless acts away and gave us salvation, 14 because we returned to breaking your commandments and intermarrying with the peoples of the lands, do not become so angry with us that we are completely destroyed, with no remnant or survivor. 15 Lord God of Israel, you are righteous, because we have been left as survivors, as on this day. Look, we are before you in our offenses, because we cannot stand before you on account of this.”

The Pledge to Separate

1 As Ezra prayed and confessed, weeping and praying before the house of God, a very great assembly of Israel came together to him, men and women and young men, because the people wept, and wept aloud.

2 And Shecaniah the son of Jehiel, of the sons of Elam, answered and said to Ezra, “We have been faithless to our God and settled foreign women from the peoples of the land. Yet Israel has endurance in this matter.

3 “Now let us make a covenant with our God, to send away all the wives, and their offspring, as you wish. Get up and frighten them with our God’s commands, and let it be done according to the law. 4 Get up, because this matter rests on you, and we are with you. Be strong and act.”

5 Then Ezra got up and made the rulers, the priests, and Levites, and all Israel, to swear to act according to this word, and they swore.

The Assembly in Jerusalem

6 And Ezra got up from before the house of God, and went to the treasury of Jehohanan the son of Eliashib. He went there. He did not eat bread or drink water, because he was mourning over the faithlessness of the exile.

7 They made a proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem to all the sons of the exile, to gather at Jerusalem: 8 “For anyone who does not arrive within three days, according to the decision of the leaders and elders, all his property will be put under a ban, and he will be excluded from the assembly of the exile.”

9 So all the men of Judah and Benjamin assembled at Jerusalem within the three days. This was the ninth month. On the twentieth day of the month all the people sat down in the square of the house of God, because of their commotion about the matter, and because of the winter weather.

10 And Ezra the priest got up, and said to them, “You have been faithless and settled foreign women, adding to Israel’s offense. 11 Now give praise to the Lord God of your ancestors, and do what pleases him, and separate yourselves from the peoples of the land, and from the foreign women.”

12 The whole assembly answered, “This word of yours is a great thing for us to do. 13 But there are many people, and it is winter, and we cannot stand outside, and this is not a task for one day or two, because we have greatly sinned in this matter. 14 Let our leaders stand for the whole assembly, and let everyone in our cities who has settled foreign women come at the appointed times, along with the elders of each city and the judges, to turn our God’s fierce anger away from us over this matter.”

15 Only Jonathan the son of Asahel, and Jahzeiah the son of Tekoa were with me concerning this,⁠a and Meshullam, and Shabbethai the Levite helped them.

16 The sons of the exile did this. Ezra the priest and the men who led the ancestral families were set apart by household, all by name, because they returned on the first day of the tenth month to investigate the matter. 17 And they finished with all the men who had settled foreign women by the first day of the first month.

Those Who Had Foreign Wives

18 Some of the sons of the priests were found to have settled foreign women: of the sons of Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and his brothers, Maaseiah, and Eliezer, and Jarib, and Gedaliah. 19 They pledged to send their wives away and to give a ram from the flock as a guilt offering because of their offense.
20 And of the sons of Immer, Anani, and Zebadiah.
21 And of the sons of Harim, Maaseiah, and Elijah, and Shemaiah, and Jehiel, and Uzziah.
22 And of the sons of Pashhur, Elioenai, Maaseiah, and Ishmael, and Nethanel, and Jozabad, and Elasah.
23 And of the Levites, Jozabad, and Shammua, and Kelaiah who is Kelita, and Pethahiah, and Jodom, and Eliezer.
24 And of the singers, Eliasaph; and of the gatekeepers, Shallum, and Telem, and Odue.
25 Also of Israel: of the sons of Parosh, Ramiah, and Izziah, and Malchijah, and Mijamin, and Eleazar, and Hashabiah, and Benaiah.
26 And of the sons of Elam, Mattaniah, and Zechariah, and Jehiel, and Obadiah, and Jeremoth, and Elijah.
27 And of the sons of Zattu, Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, and Jeremoth, and Zabad, and Aziza.
28 And of the sons of Bebai, Jehohanan, Hananiah, and Zabbai, Athlai.
29 And of the sons of Binnui, Meshullam, Malluch, Adaiah, Jashub, and Salouia, and Ramoth.
30 And of the sons of Pahath Moab, Adna, and Chelal, and Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, and Binnui, and Manasseh.
31 And of the sons of Harim, Eliezer, Ishijah, Malchijah, Shemaiah, Shimeon,
32 Benjamin, Malluch, Shemariah.
33 And of the sons of Hashum, Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, Shimei.
34 And of the sons of Bani, Maadai, Amram, Uel,
35 Benaiah, Bedeiah, Keluhi,
36 Uiechoa, Jeremoth, Eliashib,
37 Mattaniah, Mattenai, and so did
38 the sons of Binnui, and the sons of Shimei,
39 and Shelemiah, and Nathan, and Adaiah,
40 Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai,
41 Ezriel, and Shelemiah, and Shemariah,
42 and Shallum, Amariah, Joseph.
43 Of the sons of Nebo, Jeiel, Mattithiah, Sedem, Zebina, Jaddai, and Joel, and Benaiah.

44 All these had married foreign women, and had fathered sons by them.