“1 These [are] now the chief of their fathers, and [this is] the
genealogy of them that went up with me from Babylon, in the reign of Artaxerxes the king. 2 Of the sons of Phinehas; Gershom: of the sons of
Ithamar; Daniel: of the sons of David; Hattush. 3 Of the sons of
Shechaniah, of the sons of Pharosh; Zechariah: and with him were
reckoned by genealogy of the males an hundred and fifty. 4 Of the sons
of Pahathmoab; Elihoenai the son of Zerahiah, and with him two hundred
males. 5 Of the sons of Shechaniah; the son of Jahaziel, and with him
three hundred males. 6 Of the sons also 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 fourscore males. 9
Of the sons of Joab; Obadiah the son of Jehiel, and with him two hundred
and eighteen males. 10 And of the sons of Shelomith; the son of
Josiphiah, and with him an hundred and threescore males. 11 And of the
sons of Bebai; Zechariah the son of Bebai, and with him twenty and eight
males. 12 And of the sons of Azgad; Johanan the son of Hakkatan, and
with him an hundred and ten males. 13 And of the last sons of Adonikam,
whose names [are] these, Eliphelet, Jeiel, and Shemaiah, and with them
threescore males. 14 Of the sons also of Bigvai; Uthai, and Zabbud, and
with them seventy males. 15 And I gathered them together to the river
that runneth to Ahava; and there abode we in tents three days: and I
viewed the people, and the priests, and found there none of the sons of
Levi. 16 Then sent I for Eliezer, for Ariel, for Shemaiah, and for
Elnathan, and for Jarib, and for Elnathan, and for Nathan, and for
Zechariah, and for Meshullam, chief men; also for Joiarib, and for
Elnathan, men of understanding. 17 And I sent them with commandment unto
Iddo the chief at the place Casiphia, and I told them what they should
say unto Iddo, [and] to his brethren the Nethinims, at the place
Casiphia, that they should bring unto us ministers for the house of our
God. 18 And by the good hand of our God upon us they brought us a man of
understanding, of the sons of Mahli, the son of Levi, the son of Israel;
and Sherebiah, with his sons and his brethren, eighteen; 19 And
Hashabiah, and with him Jeshaiah of the sons of Merari, his brethren and
their sons, twenty; 20 Also of the Nethinims, whom David and the princes
had appointed for the service of the Levites, two hundred and twenty
Nethinims: all of them were expressed by name.”
“21 Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river of Ahava, that we
might afflict ourselves before our God, to seek of him a right way for
us, and for our little ones, and for all our substance. 22 For I was
ashamed to require of the king a band of soldiers and horsemen to help
us against the enemy in the way: because we had spoken unto the king,
saying, The hand of our God [is] upon all them for good that seek 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 he was intreated of us.”
“24 Then I separated twelve of the chief of the priests, Sherebiah,
Hashabiah, and ten of their brethren with them, 25 And weighed unto them
the silver, and the gold, and the vessels, [even] the offering of the
house of our God, which the king, and his counsellors, and his lords,
and all Israel [there] present, had offered: 26 I even weighed unto
their hand six hundred and fifty talents of silver, and silver vessels
an hundred talents, [and] of gold an hundred talents; 27 Also twenty
basons of gold, of a thousand drams; and two vessels of fine copper,
precious as gold. 28 And I said unto them, Ye [are] holy unto the LORD;
the vessels [are] holy also; and the silver and the gold [are] a
freewill offering unto the LORD God of your fathers. 29 Watch ye, and
keep [them], until ye weigh [them] before the chief of the priests and
the Levites, and chief of the fathers of Israel, at Jerusalem, in the
chambers of the house of the LORD. 30 So took the priests and the
Levites the weight of the silver, and the gold, and the vessels, to
bring [them] to Jerusalem unto the house of our God.”
“31 Then we departed from the river of Ahava on the twelfth [day] of
the first month, to go unto Jerusalem: and the hand of our God was upon
us, and he delivered us from the hand of the enemy, and of such as lay
in wait by the way. 32 And we came to Jerusalem, and abode there three
days. 33 Now on the fourth day was the silver and the gold and the
vessels weighed in the house of our God by the hand of Meremoth the son
of Uriah the priest; and with him [was] Eleazar the son of Phinehas; and
with them [was] Jozabad the son of Jeshua, and Noadiah the son of
Binnui, Levites; 34 By number [and] by weight of every one: and all the
weight was written at that time. 35 [Also] the children of those that
had been carried away, which were come out of the captivity, offered
burnt offerings unto the God of Israel, twelve bullocks for all Israel,
ninety and six rams, seventy and seven lambs, twelve he goats [for] a
sin offering: all [this was] a burnt offering unto the LORD. 36 And they
delivered the king’s commissions unto the king’s lieutenants, and to the
governors on this side the river: and they furthered the people, and the
house of God.” (Ezra 8:1-36 AV)
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