Ezra 1; Ezra 2

Ezra 1

1 In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, the word of the Lord spoken through Jeremiah was fulfilled. The Lord put it into the mind of King Cyrus to issue a proclamation throughout his entire kingdom and [to put it] in writing:

2 This is what King Cyrus of Persia says: "The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and has appointed me to build Him a house at Jerusalem in Judah.

3 Whoever is among His people, may his God be with him, and may he go to Jerusalem in Judah and build the house of the Lord, the God of Israel, the God who is in Jerusalem.

4 Let every survivor, wherever he lives, be assisted by the men of that region with silver, gold, goods, and livestock, along with a freewill offering for the house of God in Jerusalem."

5 So the family leaders of Judah and Benjamin, along with the priests and Levites-everyone God had motivated-prepared to go up and rebuild the Lord's house in Jerusalem.

6 All their neighbors supported them with silver articles, gold, goods, livestock, and valuables, in addition to all that was given as a freewill offering.

7 King Cyrus also brought out the articles of the Lord's house that Nebuchadnezzar had taken from Jerusalem and had placed in the house of his gods.

8 King Cyrus of Persia had them brought out under the supervision of Mithredath the treasurer, who counted them out to Sheshbazzar the prince of Judah.

9 This was the inventory: 30 gold basins, 1,000 silver basins, 29 silver knives,

10 30 gold bowls, 410 various silver bowls, and 1,000 other articles.

11 The gold and silver articles totaled 5,400. Sheshbazzar brought all of them when the exiles went up from Babylon to Jerusalem.

Ezra 2

1 These now are the people of the province who came from those captive exiles King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon had deported to Babylon. Each of them returned to his hometown Jerusalem and Judah.

2 They came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum, and Baanah. The number of the Israelite men [included]:

3 Parosh's descendants 2,172

4 Shephatiah's descendants 372

5 Arah's descendants 775

6 Pahath-moab's descendants: Jeshua's and Joab's descendants 2,812

7 Elam's descendants 1,254

8 Zattu's descendants 945

9 Zaccai's descendants 760

10 Bani's descendants 642

11 Bebai's descendants 623

12 Azgad's descendants 1,222

13 Adonikam's descendants 666

14 Bigvai's descendants 2,056

15 Adin's descendants 454

16 Ater's descendants: Hezekiah's 98

17 Bezai's descendants 323

18 Jorah's descendants 112

19 Hashum's descendants 223

20 Gibbar's descendants 95

21 Bethlehem's people 123

22 Netophah's men 56

23 Anathoth's men 128

24 Azmaveth's people 42

25 Kiriatharim's, Chephirah's, and Beeroth's people 743

26 Ramah's and Geba's people 621

27 Michmas's men 122

28 Bethel's and Ai's men 223

29 Nebo's people 52

30 Magbish's people 156

31 the other Elam's people 1,254

32 Harim's people 320

33 Lod's, Hadid's, and Ono's people 725

34 Jericho's people 345

35 Senaah's people 3,630

36 The priests [included]: Jedaiah's descendants of the house of Jeshua 973

37 Immer's descendants 1,052

38 Pashhur's descendants 1,247

39 and Harim's descendants 1,017

40 The Levites [included]: Jeshua's and Kadmiel's descendants from Hodaviah's descendants 74

41 The singers [included]: Asaph's descendants 128

42 The gatekeepers' descendants [included]: Shallum's descendants, Ater's descendants, Talmon's descendants, Akkub's descendants, Hatita's descendants, Shobai's descendants, in all 139

43 The temple servants [included]: Ziha's descendants, Hasupha's descendants, Tabbaoth's descendants,

44 Keros's descendants, Siaha's descendants, Padon's descendants,

45 Lebanah's descendants, Hagabah's descendants, Akkub's descendants,

46 Hagab's descendants, Shalmai's descendants, Hanan's descendants,

47 Giddel's descendants, Gahar's descendants, Reaiah's descendants,

48 Rezin's descendants, Nekoda's descendants, Gazzam's descendants,

49 Uzza's descendants, Paseah's descendants, Besai's descendants,

50 Asnah's descendants, Meunim's descendants, Nephusim's descendants,

51 Bakbuk's descendants, Hakupha's descendants, Harhur's descendants,

52 Bazluth's descendants, Mehida's descendants, Harsha's descendants,

53 Barkos's descendants, Sisera's descendants, Temah's descendants,

54 Neziah's descendants, and Hatipha's descendants.

55 The descendants of Solomon's servants [included]: Sotai's descendants, Hassophereth's descendants, Peruda's descendants,

56 Jaalah's descendants, Darkon's descendants, Giddel's descendants,

57 Shephatiah's descendants, Hattil's descendants, Pochereth-hazzebaim's descendants, and Ami's descendants.

58 All the temple servants and the descendants of Solomon's servants 392

59 The following are those who came from Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Cherub, Addan, and Immer but were unable to prove that their families and ancestry were Israelite:

60 Delaiah's descendants, Tobiah's descendants, Nekoda's descendants 652

61 and from the descendants of the priests: the descendants of Habaiah, the descendants of Hakkoz, the descendants of Barzillai- who had taken a wife from the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite and was called by their name.

62 These searched for their entries in the genealogical records, but they could not be found, so they were disqualified from the priesthood.

63 The governor ordered them not to eat the most holy things until there was a priest who could consult the Urim and Thummim.

64 The whole combined assembly numbered 42,360

65 not including their 7,337 male and female slaves, and their 200 male and female singers.

66 They had 736 horses, 245 mules,

67 435 camels, and 6,720 donkeys.

68 After they arrived at the Lord's house in Jerusalem, some of the family leaders gave freewill offerings for the house of God in order to have it rebuilt on its [original] site.

69 Based on what they could give, they gave 61,000 gold coins, 6,250 pounds of silver, and 100 priestly garments to the treasury for the project.

70 The priests, Levites, singers, gatekeepers, temple servants, and some of the people settled in their towns, and [the rest of] Israel [settled] in their towns.