The Book of
EZRA
-- Literal Translation of the Holy Bible - Copyright © 1976 - 2000 --

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Ezra 1
1 ¶ And in the first year of Cyrus King of Persia, so that the Word of Jehovah by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, Jehovah stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, and he caused a voice to pass in all his kingdom, and also in writing, saying,
2 So says Cyrus king of Persia, Jehovah God of Heaven has given me all the kingdoms of the earth. And He has commanded me to build Him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah.
3 Who is there among you of all His people? His God is with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of Jehovah, God of Israel (He is God) which is in Jerusalem.
4 And all who remain in any of the places where he resides, let the men of his place lift him up with silver, and with gold, and with property, and with animals, besides the freewill offering for the house of God that is in Jerusalem.
5 ¶ Then the chiefs of the fathers of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests, and the Levites, and everyone whose spirit God had awakened, rose up to go up to build the house of Jehovah which is in Jerusalem.
6 And all those who were around them made their hands strong with vessels of silver, with gold, with property, and with animals, and with precious things, besides all that was willingly offered.
7 Also Cyrus the king brought forth the vessels of the house of Jehovah, which Nebuchadnezzar had brought out of Jerusalem and had put them in the house of his gods.
8 Even those, Cyrus king of Persia brought forth by the hand of Mithredath the treasurer, and numbered them to Sheshbazzar, the prince of Judah.
9 And this is the number of them: thirty platters of gold, a thousand platters of silver, twenty one knives,
10 thirty basins of gold, four hundred and ten silver basins of a second kind, and a thousand other vessels.
11 All the vessels of gold and of silver (five thousand and four hundred) Sheshbazzar made to go up, all, when the exiled were caused to go up from Babylon to Jerusalem.

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Ezra 2
1 ¶ Now these are the sons of the province who went up out of the captivity, of those who had been exiled, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had exiled to Babylon. And they came again to Jerusalem and Judah, each one to his own city,
2 who came with Zerubbabel: Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum, Baanah. This is 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 Pahathmoab, of 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 Bani, six hundred and forty two.
11 The sons of Bebai, six hundred and twenty three.
12 The sons of Azgad, a 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 of Hezekiah, ninety eight.
17 The sons of Bezai, three hundred and twenty three.
18 The sons of Jorah, a hundred and twelve.
19 The sons of Hashum, two hundred and twenty three.
20 The sons of Gibbar, ninety five.
21 The sons of Bethlehem, a hundred and twenty three.
22 The men of Netophah, fifty six.
23 The men of Anathoth, a hundred and twenty eight.
24 The sons of Azmaveth, forty two.
25 The sons of Kirjath-arim, Chephirah, and Beeroth, seven hundred and forty three.
26 The sons of Ramah and Geba, six hundred and twenty one.
27 The men of Michmas, a hundred and twenty two.
28 The men of Bethel and Ai, two hundred and twenty three.
29 The men of Nebo, fifty two.
30 The men of Magbish, a hundred and fifty six.
31 The sons of the other Elam, a thousand, two hundred and fifty four.
32 The sons of Harim, three hundred and twenty.
33 The sons of Lod, Hadid 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.
36 ¶ The priests: The sons of Jedaiah, of the house of Jeshua, nine hundred and seventy three.
37 The sons of Immer, a thousand and fifty two.
38 The sons of Pashur, a thousand, two hundred and forty seven.
39 The sons of Harim, a thousand and seventeen.
40 The Levites: The sons of Jeshua and Kadmiel, of the sons of Hodaviah, seventy four.
41 The singers: The sons of Asaph, a hundred and twenty eight.
42 The sons of the porters: The sons of Shallum, the sons of Ater, the sons of Talmon, the sons of Akkub, the sons of Hatita, the sons of Shobai, a hundred and thirty nine.
43 The temple-slaves: 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 Mehunim, 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 Thamah,
54 the sons of Neziah, the sons of Hatipha.
55 The sons of Solomon's servants: 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 of Zebaim, the sons of Ami.
58 All the temple-slaves, and the sons of Solomon's servants were three hundred and ninety two.
59 And these were they who went up from Telmelah, Telharsa, Cherub, Addan and Immer (but they were not able to declare their father's house and their seed, whether they were of Israel):
60 the sons of Delaiah, the sons of Tobiah, the sons of Nekoda, six hundred and fifty two.
61 And of the sons of the priests were the sons of Habaiah, the sons of Koz, the sons of Barzillai who took a wife of the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite, and was called after their name.
62 These looked for their register among those who were counted by genealogy, but they were not found. And they were polluted from the priesthood.
63 And the governor said to them that they should not eat of the most holy things until a priest stood up with Urim and Thummim.
64 ¶ The whole congregation together was forty two thousand, three hundred and sixty,
65 besides their male slaves and their slave-girls, these were seven thousand, three hundred and thirty seven; and among them 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 asses six thousand, seven hundred and twenty.
68 And some of the heads of the fathers, when they came to the house of Jehovah at Jerusalem, offered freely for the house of God to set it up in its place.
69 They gave according to their ability to the treasury of the ministry, sixty one thousand drachmas of gold, and five thousand minas of silver, and one hundred garments for the priests.
70 And the priests, and the Levites, and many of the people, and the singers, and the gatekeepers, and the temple-slaves lived in their cities, and all Israel in their cities.

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Ezra 3
1 ¶ And when the seventh month had come, and the sons of Israel were in the cities, the people assembled as one man to Jerusalem.
2 Then Jeshua the son of Jozadak stood up, and his brothers the priests, and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and his brothers, and built the altar of the God of Israel in order to offer burnt offerings on it, as it is written in the Law of Moses the man of God.
3 And they set the altar on its bases, for fear was on them because of the people of those lands. And he offered burnt offerings on it to Jehovah, burnt offerings morning and evening.
4 They also performed the Feast of Booths, as it is written, and the burnt offerings by number, days by days, according to the ordinance, the thing of days in its day.
5 And afterward the continual burnt offering, both of the new moons, and of all the set feasts of Jehovah that were set apart, and of everyone who willingly offered a freewill offering to Jehovah.
6 From the first day of the seventh month they began to offer burnt offerings to Jehovah. But the foundation of the temple of Jehovah was not laid.
7 They also gave silver to the hewers and to the craftsmen; and food and drink and oil to the Sidonians and to the Tyrians, to bring cedar trees from Lebanon to the sea of Joppa, according to the grant which they had from Cyrus king of Persia.
8 ¶ Now in the second year of their coming to the house of God at Jerusalem, in the second month, Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and the rest of their brothers the priests, and the Levites, and all they who had come out of the captivity to Jerusalem, began. And they made to stand the Levites from a son of twenty years and over, to oversee the work of the house of Jehovah.
9 Then Jeshua stood up together with his sons and his brothers, Kadmiel and his sons, the sons of Judah, to oversee the workmen in the house of God, the sons of Henadad with their sons, and their brothers the Levites.
10 And when the builders laid the foundation of the temple of Jehovah, they made stand the priests in their robes with trumpets, and the Levites, the sons of Asaph, with cymbals to praise Jehovah, according to the ordinance of David king of Israel.
11 And they sang, praising and giving thanks to Jehovah, because He is good, for His mercy endures forever toward Israel. And all the people shouted with a great shout when they praised Jehovah because the foundation of the house of Jehovah was laid.
12 But many of the priests and Levites, and heads of the fathers, the aged men who had seen the first house, when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, wept with a loud voice. And many shouted aloud for joy,
13 So that the people could not tell the noise of the shout of joy from the noise of weeping of the people. For the people shouted with a loud shout, and the noise was heard afar off.

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Ezra 4
1 ¶ And when the enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the sons of the exile built the temple to Jehovah the God of Israel,
2 then they came to Zerubbabel and to the head of the fathers and said to them, Let us build with you, for we seek your God, as you. And we have not sacrificed to Him since the days of Esarhaddon king of Assyria, who brought us up here.
3 But Zerubbabel, and Jeshua, and the rest of the heads of the fathers of Israel said to them, It is not for you and for us to build a house to our God. But we ourselves will together build to Jehovah the God of Israel, as King Cyrus the king of Persia has commanded us.
4 Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah and terrified them in building.
5 And they hired counselors against them to break their purpose all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.
6 ¶ And in the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, they wrote an accusation against the people of Judah and Jerusalem.
7 And in the days of Artaxerxes, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of their companions wrote to Artaxerxes the king of Persia. And the letter was written in Aramaic, and translated from Aramaic.
8 Rehum, the master of counsel in charge, and Shimshai the scribe, wrote a letter against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king, thus:
9 Then Rehum the master of counsel, and Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their associates, the judges and the emissaries, the consuls, the officials, the Erechites, the Babylonians, the men of Susa, (that is, the Elamites),
10 and the rest of the nations whom the great and noble Asnappar exiled and set in the cities of Samaria, and the rest of the province Beyond the River, and now,
11 this is the copy of the letter which they sent to him, to Artaxerxes the king: Your servants, the men of the province Beyond the River, and now,
12 let it be known to the king that the Jews who came up from you to us have come to Jerusalem. They are rebuilding the rebellious and the evil city and are completing its walls, and have joined the foundations.
13 Now let it be known to the king that if this city is rebuilt, and the walls completed, they will not give tax, tribute, and forced labor, and it will cause the king's revenue to suffer.
14 Now because we have eaten of the palace salt, and it is not right for us to see the king's dishonor, therefore we have sent and notified the king,
15 so that he may search in the book of the records of your fathers, and you shall discover in the book of the records and shall know that this city is a rebellious city, and hurtful to kings and to provinces; and insurrection was stirred up in it in the past; for which reason this city was destroyed.
16 We notify the king that if that city is built, and its walls completed, then you shall have no portion Beyond the River.
17 ¶ The message the king sent to Rehum the master of counsel, and to Shimshai the scribe, and to the rest of their associates who dwell in Samaria, and to the rest Beyond the River: Peace! And now,
18 the letter which you sent to us has been plainly read before me.
19 And I gave a decree, and search has been made, and it is found that this city has lifted up itself against kings in the past, and rebellion and revolt have been made in it.
20 There have been mighty kings also over Jerusalem, who have ruled over all Beyond the River. And tax, tribute, and forced labor were paid to them.
21 Now make a decree to cause these men to cease, and that this city not be rebuilt until the decree shall be given from me.
22 And beware of being at fault, to act on this. Why should damage grow to the hurt of the kings?
23 Then as soon as the copy of the letter of Artaxerxes the king was read before Rehum, and Shimshai the scribe, and their associates, they hurried to Jerusalem to the Jews, and made them stop working by force and power.
24 Then the work of the house of God in Jerusalem stopped. So it ceased until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.

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Ezra 5
1 ¶ And the prophets, Haggai the prophet, and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophesied 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 rose up and began to build the house of God in Jerusalem. And with them were the prophets of God helping them.
3 ¶ At that time Tatnai, governor of the province Beyond the River, and Shethar-boznai, and their associates, came to them, and said this to them: Who has commanded you to build this house and to complete this structure?
4 Then we spoke to them in this way, What are they, the names of the men building this building?
5 But the eye of their God was on the elders of the Jews, and they could not cause them to stop until the matter came to Darius. And then they sent back a letter concerning this.
6 The copy of the letter which Tatnai, governor of the province Beyond the River, and Shethar-boznai, and his associates the officials who were Beyond the River, sent to Darius the king:
7 They sent a letter to him, and this was written in it: To Darius the king, all peace.
8 Let it be known to the king that we went into the province of Judah, to the house of the great God, and it is being built with rolling stones, and timber is being laid in the walls, and that work is being done perfectly, and is prospering in their hands.
9 Then we asked those elders, saying this to them, Who commanded you to rebuild this house, and to complete this structure?
10 And we also asked their names in order to inform you so that we might write the names of the men who are at their heads.
11 And they returned the answer to us this way, saying, We are servants of the God of Heaven and earth. And we are rebuilding the house that was built many years before this, and the great king of Israel built it and finished it.
12 But because our fathers had provoked to wrath the God of Heaven, He gave them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, the Chaldean, and he tore down this house, and he exiled its people to Babylon.
13 But in the first year of Cyrus the king of Babylon, King Cyrus placed an order to build this house of God.
14 And also the vessels of gold and silver from the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took out of the temple in Jerusalem, and brought them into the temple of Babylon, those Cyrus the king took out of the temple of Babylon, and they were delivered to one whose name was Sheshbazzar, whom he had made governor.
15 And he said to him, Take these vessels and go. Deposit them in the temple in Jerusalem, and let the house of God be built on its place.
16 Then that Sheshbazzar came and laid the foundation of the house of God in Jerusalem. And from then even until now it has been building, but is not finished.
17 Now, therefore, if it is good to the king, let there be a search made in the king's treasure house which is there at Babylon, whether it is so that a decree was given from Cyrus the king to build this house of God at Jerusalem. And let the will of the king concerning this be sent to us.

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Ezra 6
1 ¶ Then Darius the king made a decree, and they searched in the house of the scrolls, where the treasures were laid up in Babylon.
2 And there was found in Achmetha, in the palace that is in the province of the Medes, a scroll. And in it was a record written thus:
3 In the first year of Cyrus the king, Cyrus the king placed a decree concerning the house of God in Jerusalem: let the house be built, the place where they offered sacrifices and let the foundations of it be strongly laid. Its height shall be sixty cubits; its breadth sixty cubits;
4 with three layers of rolling stones, and a layer of new timber. And let the expenses be given out of the king's house.
5 And also let the gold and silver vessels of the house of God, that Nebuchadnezzar took out of the temple in Jerusalem, and brought to Babylon, be given back and go to the temple in Jerusalem, to their place. And put them in the house of God.
6 Now, Tatnai, governor of the province Beyond the River, Shethar-boznai, and your associates, the officials who are Beyond the River, you be far from there.
7 Let the work of this house of God alone. Let the governor of the Jews, and the elders of the Jews, build this house of God in its place.
8 Also I make a decree as to what you shall do to the elders of these Jews for the building of that house of God, that the exact expense be given to these men from the king's property, out of the tax Beyond the River, so that they may not have to cease working.
9 And that which they need, both young bulls and rams and lambs, for the burnt offerings of the God of Heaven; wheat, salt, wine, and oil, as say the priests in Jerusalem, let it be given them day by day without fail,
10 so that they may offer sacrifices of sweet odor to the God of Heaven, and pray for the life of the king and of his sons.
11 Also I have given a decree that whoever shall change this word, let timber be torn out from his house, and let him be impaled and hanged on it. And let his house be made an outhouse for this.
12 And may the God who has caused His name to dwell there destroy any kings and people who shall put their hand to change or to destroy this house of God in Jerusalem. I, Darius, have placed a decree. Let it be done exactly.
13 ¶ Then Tatnai, governor of the province Beyond the River, Shethar-boznai, and their associates exactly did so, according to that which Darius the king had sent.
14 And the elders of the Jews were building. And they were succeeding through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet, and Zechariah the son of Iddo. And they built, and finished, according to the commandment of the God of Israel and according to the command of Cyrus, and Darius, and Artaxerxes the king of Persia.
15 And this house was finished on the third day of the month Adar, which was in 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 captivity, kept the dedication of this house of God with joy.
17 And they offered at the dedication of this house of God a hundred bulls, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs, and twelve male goats, for a sin offering for all Israel, according to the number of the tribes of Israel.
18 And they raised up the priests in their sections, and the Levites in their divisions, for the service of God which is in Jerusalem, as it is written in the book of Moses.
19 And the sons of the exile performed the Passover on the fourteenth of the first month.
20 For the priests and the Levites were purified together; all of them were pure. And they slaughtered the passover lamb for all the sons of the exile, and for their brothers the priests, and for themselves.
21 And the sons of Israel ate, those who had returned from the exile, and who had all separated themselves to them from the impurity of the nations of the land, to seek Jehovah the God of Israel.
22 And they performed the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with joy. For Jehovah had made them joyful, and had turned the heart of the king of Assyria to them, to make their hands strong in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.

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Ezra 7
1 ¶ And after these things, in the reign of Artaxerxes the king of Persia, Ezra 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 Amariah, the son of Azariah, the son of Meraioth,
4 the son of Zerahiah, the son of Uzzi, the son of Bukki,
5 the son of Abishua, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the head priest:
6 this Ezra went up from Babylon. And he was a skilled scribe in the Law of Moses, which Jehovah the God of Israel had given. And the king granted him all he asked, according to the hand of Jehovah his God on him.
7 And of the sons of Israel went up some of the priests, and the Levites, and the singers, and the gatekeepers, and the temple-slaves to Jerusalem in the seventh year of Artaxerxes the king.
8 And he came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, in the seventh year of the king.
9 For on the first of the first month, he laid the foundation in order to go up from Babylon, and on the first of the fifth month he came to Jerusalem, according to the good hand of God on him.
10 For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the Law of Jehovah, and to do it, and to teach statutes and judgments in Israel.
11 ¶ And this is the copy of the letter which the king, Artaxerxes, gave to Ezra the priest, the scribe, a scribe of the words of the commands of Jehovah, and of His statutes to Israel:
12 Artaxerxes, king of kings, to Ezra the priest, a scribe of the Law of the God of Heaven, perfect peace, and now:
13 From me was made a decree that any one of the people of Israel, and their priests and Levites in my kingdom who volunteers to go up to Jerusalem, may go with you;
14 since you have been sent by the king, and by his seven counselors to ask about Judah and Jerusalem, according to the Law of your God in your hand;
15 and to carry the silver and gold which the king and his counselors have freely offered to the God of Israel, whose house is in Jerusalem:
16 even all the silver and gold which you can find in all the province of Babylon, with the free offering of the people, and of the priests, freely offering for the house of their God in Jerusalem.
17 Therefore of this you shall diligently buy with this silver: bulls, rams, lambs, with their food offerings, and their drink offerings, and offer them on the altar of the house of your God in Jerusalem.
18 And whatever shall seem good to you and to your brothers to do with the rest of the silver and the gold, do that after the will of your God.
19 Also the vessels which are given to you for the service of the house of your God, deliver before the God of Jerusalem.
20 And the rest of the needs of the house of your God which falls to you to give, give it out of the king's treasure house.
21 And I, Artaxerxes the king, made a decree to all the treasurers who are Beyond the River, that whatever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the Law of the God of Heaven, shall ask of you, it shall be done exactly,
22 to a hundred talents of silver, and to a hundred kors of wheat, and to a hundred baths of wine, and to a hundred baths of oil, and salt without stipulation.
23 Whatever is commanded by the God of Heaven, let it be carefully done for the house of the God of Heaven. For why should there be wrath against the realm of the king and his sons?
24 Also, we notify you that in regard to any of the priests and the Levites, singers, gatekeepers, temple-slaves, or ministers of this house of God, it shall not be lawful to impose toll, taxes, or forced labor on them.
25 And you, Ezra, according to the wisdom of your God in your hand, you appoint judges and magistrates who may judge all the people who are Beyond the River; all who know the laws of your God; and those who do not know, you cause to know.
26 And whoever will not do the Law of your God, and the law of the king, let judgment be executed diligently on him, whether to death, or to exile, or to confiscation of goods, or imprisonment.
27 ¶ Blessed be Jehovah, the God of our fathers, who has put this in the king's heart, to beautify the house of Jehovah in Jerusalem.
28 And He has extended mercy to me before the king and his counselors, and before all the king's mighty leaders. And I was made strong, as the hand of Jehovah my God was on me. And I gathered out of Israel chief men to go up with me.

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Ezra 8
1 ¶ Now these are the heads of the fathers, and the genealogy of those who went up with me from Babylon, in the reign of Artaxerxes the king:
2 From the sons of Phinehas, Gershom. From the sons of Ithamar, Daniel. From the sons of David, Hattush.
3 From the sons of Shechaniah, from the sons of Parosh, Zechariah. And with him were counted by genealogy a hundred and fifty of the males.
4 From the sons of Pahathmoab, Elihoenai the son of Zerahiah, and two hundred males with him.
5 From the sons of Shechaniah, the son of Jahaziel, and three hundred males with him.
6 And from the sons of Adin, Ebed the son of Jonathan, and with him fifty males.
7 And from the sons of Elam, Jeshaiah the son of Athaliah, and seventy males with him.
8 And from the sons of Shephatiah, Zebadiah the son of Michael, and eighty males with him.
9 From the sons of Joab, Obadiah the son of Jehiel, and two hundred and eighteen males with him.
10 And from the sons of Shelomith, the son of Josiphiah, and a hundred and sixty males with him.
11 And from the sons of Bebai, Zechariah the son of Bebai, and twenty eight males with him.
12 And from the sons of Azgad, Johanan the son of Hakkatan, and a hundred and ten males with him.
13 And from the last sons of Adonikam, these: Eliphelet, Jeiel, and Shemaiah, and sixty males with them.
14 And from the sons of Bigvai, Uthai, Zabbud, and seventy males with them.
15 And I gathered them to the river which runs to Ahava. And we camped there in tents three days. And I considered the people and the priests, and did not find there any of the sons of Levi.
16 Then I sent 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 command to Iddo, the chief of the place Casiphia, and I put in their mouth words to say to Iddo, to his brothers the temple-slaves, at the place Casiphia; that they should bring to us ministers for the house of our God.
18 And by the good hand of our God on us, they brought us a man of understanding from the sons of Mahli, the son of Levi, the son of Israel, and Sherebiah, with his sons and his brothers, eighteen.
19 Also came Hashabiah, and with him Jeshaiah from the sons of Merari, his brothers and their sons, twenty.
20 Also came of the temple-slaves whom David and the leaders had chosen for the service of the Levites, two hundred and twenty temple-slaves. All of them were called by name.
21 ¶ Then I called a fast there at the river Ahava, so that we might humble ourselves before our God, in order to seek from Him a right way for us, and for our little ones, and for all our goods.
22 For I was ashamed to ask of the king troops and horsemen to help us against the enemy of the way, because we had spoken to the king, saying, The hand of our God is on all those who seek Him for good; but His power and His wrath are against all those who forsake Him.
23 So we fasted and prayed to our God for good. And He was pleased to hear us.
24 ¶ Then I separated twelve of the chiefs of the priests, Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and ten of their brothers with them.
25 And I weighed to them the silver, and the gold, and the vessels, the offering of the house of our God, which the king and his counselors, and his lords, and all Israel who were there had lifted up.
26 I even weighed into their hands six hundred and fifty talents of silver, and silver vessels of a hundred talents, a hundred talents of gold,
27 also twenty basins of gold of a thousand drams, and two vessels of shining copper as precious as gold.
28 And I said to them, You are holy to Jehovah, and the articles also are holy. And the silver and the gold are a free gift to Jehovah, the God of your fathers.
29 Watch and keep them until you weigh before the chief of the priests and the Levites, and the chief of the fathers of Israel in Jerusalem, in the rooms of the house of Jehovah.
30 So the priests and the Levites took the weight of the silver, and the gold, and the articles, to bring them to Jerusalem, to the house of our God.
31 ¶ And we departed from the river Ahava on the twelfth of the first month, to go to Jerusalem. And the hand of our God was on us, and He delivered us from the hand of the enemy, and ambushers along the way.
32 And we came to Jerusalem, and remained there three days.
33 And on the fourth day the silver and the gold and the articles were 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, the Levites.
34 By number, or by weight of all, and all the weight was written at that time.
35 Those who came out of the captivity of the sons of exile offered burnt offerings to the God of Israel: twelve young bulls for all Israel, ninety six rams, seventy seven lambs, twelve he goats for a sin offering. All was a burnt offering to Jehovah.
36 And they delivered the king's edicts to the king's satraps, and to the governors of the province Beyond the River. And they supported the people and the house of God.

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Ezra 9
1 ¶ And at the end of these things, the leaders came near to me, saying, The people of Israel, and the priests, and the Levites, have not separated themselves from the people of the lands, as to their idolatries, even the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites.
2 For they have taken from their daughters for themselves, and for their sons. So the holy seed have mixed themselves with the people of the lands. Yes, the hand of the leaders and the overseers has been foremost in this treachery.
3 And when I heard this thing, I tore my garments and my robe, and plucked off the hair of my head and of my beard, and sat down stunned.
4 Then everyone who trembled at the Words of the God of Israel were gathered to me, because of the perfidy of the exiles. And I remained stunned until the evening offering.
5 ¶ And at the evening offering I rose up from my fasting, and with my garment and my robe torn, I even fell on my knees and spread out my hands to Jehovah my God.
6 And I said, O my God, I am ashamed and wounded to lift up my face to You, O my God. For our iniquities have increased over our head, and our guiltiness has grown to the heavens.
7 Since the days of our fathers we have been in great guilt until this day. And for our iniquities we, our kings, our priests, have been delivered into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, and to plunder, and to shame of faces to this day.
8 And now, for a little time grace has been shown from Jehovah our God to leave us a remnant to escape, and to give us a nail in His holy place, so that our God may enlighten our eyes and give us a little reviving in our bondage.
9 For we were slaves, yet our God has not left us in our bondage, but has given mercy to us in the sight of the kings of Persia, to give us a reviving, to raise up the house of our God, and to make stand its ruins, and to give to us a wall in Judah and in Jerusalem.
10 And now, O our God, what shall we say after this? For we have forsaken Your commandments
11 which You have commanded by Your servants the prophets, saying, The land into which you go, to possess it, it is an unclean land with the impurity of the people of the lands, with their abominations with which they have filled it, from mouth to mouth with their uncleanness.
12 And now do not give your daughters to their sons, and do not take their daughters to your sons, or seek their peace, or their wealth forever, so that you may be strong and eat the good of the land, and leave it for an inheritance to your sons forever.
13 And after all that has come on us for our evil deeds, and for our great guilt, since You our God have held back the rod on our iniquities, and have given us such an escape as this,
14 shall we again turn back to break Your commandments and intermarry with the people of these abominations? Would You not be angry with us until You had finished us, until there is no remnant or escapee?
15 O Jehovah the God of Israel, You are righteous. For we are left an escapee, as it is this day. Behold, we are before You in our guilt, for none is able to stand before You because of this.

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Ezra 10
1 ¶ And while Ezra was praying and making his confession, weeping and casting himself down before the house of God, a very great congregation of men and women and children gathered to him out of Israel. For the people wept with a great weeping.
2 And Shechaniah the son of Jehiel, of the sons of Elam, answered and said to Ezra, We have sinned against our God, and have dwelt with foreign women from the peoples of the land. Yet now there is hope in Israel concerning this thing.
3 And now let us cut a covenant with our God to cause to go out all the women, and those born of them, according to the counsel of the Lord and of those who tremble at the command of our God. And let it be done according to the Law.
4 Rise up, for the matter is on you. We also will be with you. Be strong and act.
5 Then Ezra rose up and made the chief priests, the Levites, and all Israel to swear that they would do according to this word. And they swore.
6 ¶ Then Ezra rose up from before the house of God and went into the room of Johanan the son of Eliashib. And he went there, and he did not eat food, nor did he drink, for he mourned for the perfidy of the exiles.
7 And they passed a call throughout Judah and Jerusalem to all the sons of the exile, to assemble at Jerusalem;
8 and that whoever would not come within three days according to the counsel of the leaders and the elders, all his property would be forfeited, and he would be excluded from the congregation of the exiles.
9 Then all the men of Judah and Benjamin gathered to Jerusalem within three days. It was the ninth month, on the twentieth of the month. And all the people sat in the plaza of the house of God, trembling because of the matter, and because of the heavy rain.
10 And Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, You have trespassed and have dwelt with foreign women, to increase the guilt of Israel.
11 And now make confession to Jehovah God of your fathers and do His will. And separate yourselves from the peoples of the land and from the foreign women.
12 Then all the congregation answered and said with a loud voice, Right! According to your word it is on us to do.
13 But the people are many, and it is a time of heavy rain. And we are not able to stand outside. And the work is not of one or two days. For we have greatly sinned in this thing.
14 Please let our rulers for all the congregation stand, and let all those who have dwelt with foreign women in our cities come at a set time, and with them the elders of every city, and its judges, until the fierce wrath of our God for this matter has turned from us.
15 ¶ Only Jonathan the son of Asahel, and Jahaziah the son of Tikvah made a stand against this. And Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite supported them.
16 And the sons of the exile did so. And Ezra the priest with men, heads of the fathers, according to the house of their fathers, and all of them by names, were separated. And they sat down in the first day of the tenth month to examine the matter.
17 And they finished with all the men who had dwelt with foreign women by the first day of the first month.
18 And among the sons of the priests, these were found who had dwelt with foreign women: From the sons of Jeshua the son of Jozadak and his brothers: Maaseiah, and Eliezer, and Jarib, and Gedaliah.
19 And they gave their hands that they would put away their women. And being guilty they offered a ram of the flock for their sin.
20 And from the sons of Immer were Hanani and Zebadiah.
21 And from the sons of Harim: Maaseiah, and Elijah, and Shemaiah, and Jehiel, and Uzziah.
22 And from the sons of Pashur: Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethaneel, Jozabad, and Elasah.
23 Also from the Levites: Jozabad, and Shimei, and Kelaiah (he was Kelita), Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer.
24 From the singers also were Eliashib; and from the gatekeepers, Shallum, and Telem, and Uri.
25 And from Israel: From the sons of Parosh: Ramiah, and Jeziah, and Malchiah, and Miamin, and Eleazar, and Malchijah, and Benaiah.
26 And from the sons of Elam: Mattaniah, Zechariah, and Jehiel, and Abdi, and Jeremoth, and Eliah.
27 And from the sons of Zattu: Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah and Jeremoth, and Zabad, and Aziza.
28 And from the sons of Bebai: Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, Athlai.
29 And from the sons of Bani: Meshullam, Malluch, and Adaiah, Jashub, and Sheal, Jeremoth.
30 And from the sons of Pahath-moab: Adna, and Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezaleel, and Binnui, and Manasseh.
31 And from the sons of Harim: Eliezer, Ishijah, Malchiah, Shemaiah, Shimeon,
32 Benjamin, Malluch, and Shemariah.
33 From the sons of Hashum: Mattenai, Mattathah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and Shimei.
34 From the sons of Bani: Maadai, Amram, and Uel,
35 Benaiah, Bedeiah, Chelluh,
36 Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib,
37 Mattaniah, Mattenai, and Jaasau,
38 and Bani, and Binnui, Shimei,
39 and Shelemiah, Nathan, and Adaiah,
40 Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai,
41 Azareel, Shelemiah, Shemariah,
42 Shallum, Amariah, and Joseph.
43 From the sons of Nebo: Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jadau, and Joel, Benaiah.
44 All these had risen with foreign women; and there were some of them with women, and they put forth sons.

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Scripture taken from the Literal Translation of the Holy Bible
Copyright © 1976 - 2000
By Jay P. Green, Sr.
Used by permission of the copyright holder

[Policy for Reprint & Quoting from the Literal Translation]