Àzrah (Ezra) — 8

Heads of Families Who Returned with Ázrah

1 These are the heads of their fathers’ houses, and this is the genealogy of those who went up with me from Babylun, in the reign of King Artaxarxas: 

2 of the sons of Phinahas, Garshum; of the sons of Ithamar, Dany'AL; of the sons of Daud, Hattush; 

3 of the sons of Shacanyahu, of the sons of Parush, Zacharyahu; and registered with him were one hundred and fifty males; 

4 of the sons of Pahath-Muab, Aliahuanai the son of Zarahyahu, and with him two hundred males; 

5 of the sons of Shachanyahu, Ban-Yahazial, and with him three hundred males; 

6 of the sons of Adin, Abad the son of Yunathan, and with him fifty males; 

7 of the sons of Alam, Yashayahu the son of Athalyahu, and with him seventy males; 

8 of the sons of Shaphatyahu, Zabadyahu the son of Michaal, and with him eighty males; 

9 of the sons of Yuab, Ubadyahu the son of Yahial, and with him two hundred and eighteen males; 

10 of the sons of Shalumith, Ban-Yusiphyahu, and with him one hundred and sixty males; 

11 of the sons of Babai, Zacharyahu the son of Babai, and with him twenty-eight males; 

12 of the sons of Azgad, Yuhanan the son of Hakkatan, and with him one hundred and ten males; 

13 of the last sons of Adunikam, whose names are these, Aliphalat, Yaial, and Shamayahu and with them sixty males; 

14 also of the sons of Bigbai, Uthai and Zabbud, and with them seventy males.

Servants for the Temple

15 Now I gathered them by the river that flows to Ahaba, and we camped there three days. And I looked among the people and the Kuhanym, and found none of the sons of Lauy there. 

16 Then I sent for Aliazar, Arial, Shamayahu, Alnathan, Yarib, Alnathan, Nathan, Zacharyahu, and Mashullam, leaders; also for Yuiarib and Alnathan, men of understanding. 

17 And I gave them a command for Iddu the chief man at the place Casiphia, and I told them what they should say to Iddu and his brethren the Nathinim at the place Casiphia that they should bring us servants for the house of our  𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH. 

18 Then, by the good hand of our 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH upon us, they brought us a man of understanding, of the sons of Mahli the son of Lauy, the son of Yashar'AL, namely Sharabyahu, with his sons and brothers, eighteen men; 

19 and Hashabyahu, and with him Yashayahu of the sons of Marari, his brothers and their sons, twenty men; 

20 also of the Nathinim, whom Daud and the leaders had appointed for the service of the Lauym, two hundred and twenty Nathinim. All of them were designated by name.

Fasting and Prayer for Protection

21 Then I proclaimed a fast there at the river of Ahaba, that we might humble ourselves before our 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH, to seek from Him the right way for us and our little ones and all our possessions. 

22 For I was ashamed to request of the king an escort of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy on the road, because we had spoken to the king, saying, “The hand of our 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH is upon all those for good who seek Him, but His power and His wrath are against all those who forsake Him.” 

23 So we fasted and entreated our 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH for this, and He answered our prayer.

Gifts for the Temple

24 And I separated twelve of the leaders of the Kuhanym, Sharabyahu, Hashabyahu, and ten of their brethren with them,

25 and weighed out to them the silver, the gold, and the articles, the offering for the house of our 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH which the king and his counselors and his princes, and all Yashar'AL who were present, had offered. 

26 I weighed into their hand six hundred and fifty talents of silver, silver articles weighing one hundred talents, one hundred talents of gold, 

27 twenty gold basins worth a thousand drachmas, and two vessels of fine polished bronze, precious as gold. 

28 And I said to them, “You are qadash to 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH; the articles are Qadash also; and the silver and the gold are a freewill offering to 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH  the 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH of your fathers. 

29 Watch and keep them until you weigh them before the leaders of the Kuhanym and the Lauym and heads of the fathers’ houses of Yashar'AL in Yahushalam, in the chambers of the house of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH.” 

30 So the Kuhanym and the Lauym received the silver and the gold and the articles by weight, to bring them to Yahushalam to the house of our 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH.

The Return to Yahushalam 

31 Then we departed from the river of Ahaba on the twelfth day of the first month, to go to Yahushalam. And the hand of our 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH was upon us, and He delivered us from the hand of the enemy and from ambush along the road. 

32 So we came to Yahushalam, and stayed there three days.

33 Now on the fourth day the silver and the gold and the articles were weighed in the house of our 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH by the hand of Maramuth the son of Uryahu the Kuhan, and with him was Alaazar the son of Phinahas; with them were the Lauym, Yuzabad the son of Yashua and Nuadyahu the son of Binnui, 

34 with the number and weight of everything. All the weight was written down at that time.

35 The children of those who had been carried away captive, who had come from the captivity, offered burnt offerings to the 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH of Yashar'AL: twelve bulls for all Yashar'AL, ninety-six rams, seventy-seven lambs, and twelve male goats as a sin offering. All this was a burnt offering to 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH.

36 And they delivered the king’s orders to the king’s satraps and the governors in the region beyond the River. So they gave support to the people and the house of 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH.