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Ezra New American Standard Bible (NASB)
Chapter 1
Cyrus's Proclamation
1 Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the LORD by the
mouth of Jeremiah, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he sent a
proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying:
2 "Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, 'The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms
of the earth and He has appointed me to build Him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah.
3 'Whoever there is among you of all His people, may his God be with him! Let him go up to
Jerusalem which is in Judah and rebuild the house of the LORD, the God of Israel; He is the God
who is in Jerusalem.
4 'Every survivor, at whatever place he may live, let the men of that place support him with silver
and gold, with goods and cattle, together with a freewill offering for the house of God which is in
Jerusalem.'"
Holy Vessels Restored
5 Then the heads of fathers' households of Judah and Benjamin and the priests and the Levites
arose, even everyone whose spirit God had stirred to go up and rebuild the house of the LORD
which is in Jerusalem.
6 All those about them encouraged them with articles of silver, with gold, with goods, with cattle
and with valuables, aside from all that was given as a freewill offering.
7 Also King Cyrus brought out the articles of the house of the LORD, which Nebuchadnezzar had
carried away from Jerusalem and put in the house of his gods;
8 and Cyrus, king of Persia, had them brought out by the hand of Mithredath the treasurer, and he
counted them out to Sheshbazzar, the prince of Judah.
9 Now this was their number: 30 gold dishes, 1,000 silver dishes, 29 duplicates;
10 30 gold bowls, 410 silver bowls of a second kind and 1,000 other articles.
11 All the articles of gold and silver numbered 5,400. Sheshbazzar brought them all up with the
exiles who went up from Babylon to Jerusalem.
Chapter 2
Number of Those Returning
1 Now these are the people of the province who came up out of the captivity of the exiles whom
Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away to Babylon, and returned to Jerusalem and
Judah, each to his city.
2 These came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar,
Bigvai, Rehum and Baanah. The number of the men of the people of Israel:
3 the sons of Parosh, 2,172;
4 the sons of Shephatiah, 372;
5 the sons of Arah, 775;
6 the sons of Pahath-moab of the sons of Jeshua and Joab, 2,812;
7 the sons of Elam, 1,254;
8 the sons of Zattu, 945;
9 the sons of Zaccai, 760;
10 the sons of Bani, 642;
11 the sons of Bebai, 623;
12 the sons of Azgad, 1,222;
13 the sons of Adonikam, 666;
14 the sons of Bigvai, 2,056;
15 the sons of Adin, 454;
16 the sons of Ater of Hezekiah, 98;
17 the sons of Bezai, 323;
18 the sons of Jorah, 112;
19 the sons of Hashum, 223;
20 the sons of Gibbar, 95;
21 the men of Bethlehem, 123;
22 the men of Netophah, 56;
23 the men of Anathoth, 128;
24 the sons of Azmaveth, 42;
25 the sons of Kiriath-arim, Chephirah and Beeroth, 743;
26 the sons of Ramah and Geba, 621;
27 the men of Michmas, 122;
28 the men of Bethel and Ai, 223;
29 the sons of Nebo, 52;
30 the sons of Magbish, 156;
31 the sons of the other Elam, 1,254;
32 the sons of Harim, 320;
33 the sons of Lod, Hadid and Ono, 725;
34 the men of Jericho, 345;
35 the sons of Senaah, 3,630.
Priests Returning
36 The priests: the sons of Jedaiah of the house of Jeshua, 973;
37 the sons of Immer, 1,052;
38 the sons of Pashhur, 1,247;
39 the sons of Harim, 1,017.
Levites Returning
40 The Levites: the sons of Jeshua and Kadmiel, of the sons of Hodaviah, 74.
41 The singers: the sons of Asaph, 128.
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 139.
43 The temple servants: 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 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 Solomon's servants: the sons of Sotai, the sons of Hassophereth, 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-hazzebaim, the sons of Ami.
58 All the temple servants and the sons of Solomon's servants were 392.
59 Now these are those who came up from Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Cherub, Addan and Immer, but
they were not able to give evidence of their fathers' households and their descendants, whether
they were of Israel:
60 the sons of Delaiah, the sons of Tobiah, the sons of Nekoda, 652.
Priests Removed
61 Of the sons of the priests: the sons of Habaiah, the sons of Hakkoz, the sons of Barzillai, who
took a wife from the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite, and he was called by their name.
62 These searched among their ancestral registration, but they could not be located; therefore they
were considered unclean and excluded from the priesthood.
63 The governor said to them that they should not eat from the most holy things until a priest
stood up with Urim and Thummim.
64 The whole assembly numbered 42,360,
65 besides their male and female servants who numbered 7,337; and they had 200 singing men and
women.
66 Their horses were 736; their mules, 245;
67 their camels, 435; their donkeys, 6,720.
68 Some of the heads of fathers' households, when they arrived at the house of the LORD which is
in Jerusalem, offered willingly for the house of God to restore it on its foundation.
69 According to their ability they gave to the treasury for the work 61,000 gold drachmas and
5,000 silver minas and 100 priestly garments.
70 Now the priests and the Levites, some of the people, the singers, the gatekeepers and the
temple servants lived in their cities, and all Israel in their cities.
Chapter 3
Altar and Sacrifices Restored
1 Now when the seventh month came, and the sons of Israel were in the cities, the people gathered
together as one man to Jerusalem.
2 Then Jeshua the son of Jozadak and his brothers the priests, and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel
and his brothers arose and built the altar of the God of Israel to offer burnt offerings on it, as it is
written in the law of Moses, the man of God.
3 So they set up the altar on its foundation, for they were terrified because of the peoples of the
lands; and they offered burnt offerings on it to the LORD, burnt offerings morning and evening.
4 They celebrated the Feast of Booths, as it is written, and offered the fixed number of burnt
offerings daily, according to the ordinance, as each day required;
5 and afterward there was a continual burnt offering, also for the new moons and for all the fixed
festivals of the LORD that were consecrated, and from everyone who offered a freewill offering
to the LORD.
6 From the first day of the seventh month they began to offer burnt offerings to the LORD, but the
foundation of the temple of the LORD had not been laid.
7 Then they gave money to the masons and carpenters, and food, drink and oil to the Sidonians
and to the Tyrians, to bring cedar wood from Lebanon to the sea at Joppa, according to the
permission they had from Cyrus king of Persia.
Temple Restoration Begun
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 who came from the captivity to Jerusalem, began the work and
appointed the Levites from twenty years and older to oversee the work of the house of the
LORD.
9 Then Jeshua with his sons and brothers stood united with Kadmiel and his sons, the sons of
Judah and the sons of Henadad with their sons and brothers the Levites, to oversee the workmen
in the temple of God.
10 Now when the builders had laid the foundation of the temple of the LORD, the priests stood in
their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites, the sons of Asaph, with cymbals, to praise the LORD
according to the directions of King David of Israel.
11 They sang, praising and giving thanks to the LORD, saying, "For He is good, for His
lovingkindness is upon Israel forever." And all the people shouted with a great shout when they
praised the LORD because the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid.
12 Yet many of the priests and Levites and heads of fathers' households, the old men who had seen
the first temple, wept with a loud voice when the foundation of this house was laid before their
eyes, while many shouted aloud for joy,
13 so that the people could not distinguish the sound of the shout of joy from the sound of the
weeping of the people, for the people shouted with a loud shout, and the sound was heard far
away.
Chapter 4
Adversaries Hinder the Work
1 Now when the enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the people of the exile were building a
temple to the LORD God of Israel,
2 they approached Zerubbabel and the heads of fathers' households, and said to them, "Let us
build with you, for we, like you, seek your God; and we have been sacrificing 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 fathers' households of Israel said to them,
"You have nothing in common with us in building a house to our God; but we ourselves will
together build to the LORD God of Israel, as King Cyrus, the king of Persia has commanded us."
4 Then the people of the land discouraged the people of Judah, and frightened them from building,
5 and hired counselors against them to frustrate their counsel all the days of Cyrus king of Persia,
even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.
6 Now in the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, they wrote an accusation against
the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.
7 And in the days of Artaxerxes, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel and the rest of his colleagues wrote
to Artaxerxes king of Persia; and the text of the letter was written in Aramaic and translated from
Aramaic.
The Letter to King Artaxerxes
8 Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter against Jerusalem to King
Artaxerxes, as follows--
9 then wrote Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe and the rest of their colleagues, the
judges and the lesser governors, the officials, the secretaries, the men of Erech, the Babylonians,
the men of Susa, that is, the Elamites,
10 and the rest of the nations which the great and honorable Osnappar deported and settled in the
city of Samaria, and in the rest of the region beyond the River. Now
11 this is the copy of the letter which they sent to him: "To King Artaxerxes: Your servants, the
men in the region beyond the River, and now
12 let it be known to the king that the Jews who came up from you have come to us at Jerusalem;
they are rebuilding the rebellious and evil city and are finishing the walls and repairing the
foundations.
13 "Now let it be known to the king, that if that city is rebuilt and the walls are finished, they will
not pay tribute, custom or toll, and it will damage the revenue of the kings.
14 "Now because we are in the service of the palace, and it is not fitting for us to see the king's
dishonor, therefore we have sent and informed the king,
15 so that a search may be made in the record books of your fathers. And you will discover in the
record books and learn that that city is a rebellious city and damaging to kings and provinces, and
that they have incited revolt within it in past days; therefore that city was laid waste.
16 "We inform the king that if that city is rebuilt and the walls finished, as a result you will have no
possession in the province beyond the River."
The King Replies and Work Stops
17 Then the king sent an answer to Rehum the commander, to Shimshai the scribe, and to the rest
of their colleagues who live in Samaria and in the rest of the provinces beyond the River: "Peace.
And now
18 the document which you sent to us has been translated and read before me.
19 "A decree has been issued by me, and a search has been made and it has been discovered that
that city has risen up against the kings in past days, that rebellion and revolt have been perpetrated
in it,
20 that mighty kings have ruled over Jerusalem, governing all the provinces beyond the River, and
that tribute, custom and toll were paid to them.
21 "So, now issue a decree to make these men stop work, that this city may not be rebuilt until a
decree is issued by me.
22 "Beware of being negligent in carrying out this matter; why should damage increase to the
detriment of the kings?"
23 Then as soon as the copy of King Artaxerxes' document was read before Rehum and Shimshai
the scribe and their colleagues, they went in haste to Jerusalem to the Jews and stopped them by
force of arms.
24 Then work on the house of God in Jerusalem ceased, and it was stopped until the second year
of the reign of Darius king of Persia.
Chapter 5
Temple Work Resumed
1 When the prophets, Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews
who were 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 arose and began to rebuild
the house of God which is in Jerusalem; and the prophets of God were with them supporting
them.
3 At that time Tattenai, the governor of the province beyond the River, and Shethar-bozenai and
their colleagues came to them and spoke to them thus, "Who issued you a decree to rebuild this
temple and to finish this structure?"
4 Then we told them accordingly what the names of the men were who were reconstructing this
building.
5 But the eye of their God was on the elders of the Jews, and they did not stop them until a report
could come to Darius, and then a written reply be returned concerning it.
Adversaries Write to Darius
6 This is the copy of the letter which Tattenai, the governor of the province beyond the River, and
Shethar-bozenai and his colleagues the officials, who were beyond the River, sent to Darius the
king.
7 They sent a report to him in which it was written thus: "To Darius the king, all peace.
8 "Let it be known to the king that we have gone to the province of Judah, to the house of the
great God, which is being built with huge stones, and beams are being laid in the walls; and this
work is going on with great care and is succeeding in their hands.
9 "Then we asked those elders and said to them thus, 'Who issued you a decree to rebuild this
temple and to finish this structure?'
10 "We also asked them their names so as to inform you, and that we might write down the names
of the men who were at their head.
11 "Thus they answered us, saying, 'We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth and are
rebuilding the temple that was built many years ago, which a great king of Israel built and
finished.
12 'But because our fathers had provoked the God of heaven to wrath, He gave them into the hand
of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, the Chaldean, who destroyed this temple and deported the
people to Babylon.
13 'However, in the first year of Cyrus king of Babylon, King Cyrus issued a decree to rebuild this
house of God.
14 'Also the gold and silver utensils of the house of God which Nebuchadnezzar had taken from
the temple in Jerusalem, and brought them to the temple of Babylon, these King Cyrus took from
the temple of Babylon and they were given to one whose name was Sheshbazzar, whom he had
appointed governor.
15 'He said to him, "Take these utensils, go and deposit them in the temple in Jerusalem and let the
house of God be rebuilt in its place."
16 'Then that Sheshbazzar came and laid the foundations of the house of God in Jerusalem; and
from then until now it has been under construction and it is not yet completed.'
17 "Now if it pleases the king, let a search be conducted in the king's treasure house, which is there
in Babylon, if it be that a decree was issued by King Cyrus to rebuild this house of God at
Jerusalem; and let the king send to us his decision concerning this matter."
Chapter 6
Darius Finds Cyrus's Decree
1 Then King Darius issued a decree, and search was made in the archives, where the treasures
were stored in Babylon.
2 In Ecbatana in the fortress, which is in the province of Media, a scroll was found and there was
written in it as follows: "Memorandum--
3 "In the first year of King Cyrus, Cyrus the king issued a decree: 'Concerning the house of God at
Jerusalem, let the temple, the place where sacrifices are offered, be rebuilt and let its foundations
be retained, its height being 60 cubits and its width 60 cubits;
4 with three layers of huge stones and one layer of timbers. And let the cost be paid from the royal
treasury.
5 'Also let the gold and silver utensils of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took from the
temple in Jerusalem and brought to Babylon, be returned and brought to their places in the temple
in Jerusalem; and you shall put them in the house of God.'
6 "Now therefore, Tattenai, governor of the province beyond the River, Shethar-bozenai and your
colleagues, the officials of the provinces beyond the River, keep away from there.
7 "Leave this work on the house of God alone; let the governor of the Jews and the elders of the
Jews rebuild this house of God on its site.
8 "Moreover, I issue a decree concerning what you are to do for these elders of Judah in the
rebuilding of this house of God: the full cost is to be paid to these people from the royal treasury
out of the taxes of the provinces beyond the River, and that without delay.
9 "Whatever is needed, both young bulls, rams, and lambs for a burnt offering to the God of
heaven, and wheat, salt, wine and anointing oil, as the priests in Jerusalem request, it is to be
given to them daily without fail,
10 that they may offer acceptable sacrifices to the God of heaven and pray for the life of the king
and his sons.
11 "And I issued a decree that any man who violates this edict, a timber shall be drawn from his
house and he shall be impaled on it and his house shall be made a refuse heap on account of this.
12 "May the God who has caused His name to dwell there overthrow any king or people who
attempts to change it, so as to destroy this house of God in Jerusalem. I, Darius, have issued this
decree, let it be carried out with all diligence!"
The Temple Completed and Dedicated
13 Then Tattenai, the governor of the province beyond the River, Shethar-bozenai and their
colleagues carried out the decree with all diligence, just as King Darius had sent.
14 And the elders of the Jews were successful in building through the prophesying of Haggai the
prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. And they finished building according to the command of
the God of Israel and the decree of Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia.
15 This temple was completed on the third day of the month Adar; it was the sixth year of the
reign of King Darius.
16 And the sons of Israel, the priests, the Levites and the rest of the exiles, celebrated the
dedication of this house of God with joy.
17 They offered for the dedication of this temple of God 100 bulls, 200 rams, 400 lambs, and as a
sin offering for all Israel 12 male goats, corresponding to the number of the tribes of Israel.
18 Then they appointed the priests to their divisions and the Levites in their orders for the service
of God in Jerusalem, as it is written in the book of Moses.
The Passover Observed
19 The exiles observed the Passover on the fourteenth of the first month.
20 For the priests and the Levites had purified themselves together; all of them were pure. Then
they slaughtered the Passover lamb for all the exiles, both for their brothers the priests and for
themselves.
21 The sons of Israel who returned from exile and all those who had separated themselves from the
impurity of the nations of the land to join them, to seek the LORD God of Israel, ate the
Passover.
22 And they observed the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with joy, for the LORD had
caused them to rejoice, and had turned the heart of the king of Assyria toward them to encourage
them in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.
Chapter 7
Ezra Journeys from Babylon to Jerusalem
1 Now after these things, in the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia, there went up Ezra son of
Seraiah, son of Azariah, son of Hilkiah,
2 son of Shallum, son of Zadok, son of Ahitub,
3 son of Amariah, son of Azariah, son of Meraioth,
4 son of Zerahiah, son of Uzzi, son of Bukki,
5 son of Abishua, son of Phinehas, son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the chief priest.
6 This Ezra went up from Babylon, and he was a scribe skilled in the law of Moses, which the
LORD God of Israel had given; and the king granted him all he requested because the hand of the
LORD his God was upon him.
7 Some of the sons of Israel and some of the priests, the Levites, the singers, the gatekeepers and
the temple servants went up to Jerusalem in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes.
8 He came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the king.
9 For on the first of the first month he began to go up from Babylon; and on the first of the fifth
month he came to Jerusalem, because the good hand of his God was upon him.
10 For Ezra had set his heart to study the law of the LORD and to practice it, and to teach His
statutes and ordinances in Israel.
King's Decree on Behalf of Ezra
11 Now this is the copy of the decree which King Artaxerxes gave to Ezra the priest, the scribe,
learned in the words of the commandments of the LORD and His statutes to Israel:
12 "Artaxerxes, king of kings, to Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven,
perfect peace. And now
13 I have issued a decree that any of the people of Israel and their priests and the Levites in my
kingdom who are willing to go to Jerusalem, may go with you.
14 "Forasmuch as you are sent by the king and his seven counselors to inquire concerning Judah
and Jerusalem according to the law of your God which is in your hand,
15 and to bring the silver and gold, which the king and his counselors have freely offered to the
God of Israel, whose dwelling is in Jerusalem,
16 with all the silver and gold which you find in the whole province of Babylon, along with the
freewill offering of the people and of the priests, who offered willingly for the house of their God
which is in Jerusalem;
17 with this money, therefore, you shall diligently buy bulls, rams and lambs, with their grain
offerings and their drink offerings and offer them on the altar of the house of your God which is in
Jerusalem.
18 "Whatever seems good to you and to your brothers to do with the rest of the silver and gold,
you may do according to the will of your God.
19 "Also the utensils which are given to you for the service of the house of your God, deliver in
full before the God of Jerusalem.
20 "The rest of the needs for the house of your God, for which you may have occasion to provide,
provide for it from the royal treasury.
21 "I, even I, King Artaxerxes, issue a decree to all the treasurers who are in the provinces beyond
the River, that whatever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven, may require
of you, it shall be done diligently,
22 even up to 100 talents of silver, 100 kors of wheat, 100 baths of wine, 100 baths of oil, and salt
as needed.
23 "Whatever is commanded by the God of heaven, let it be done with zeal for the house of the
God of heaven, so that there will not be wrath against the kingdom of the king and his sons.
24 "We also inform you that it is not allowed to impose tax, tribute or toll on any of the priests,
Levites, singers, doorkeepers, Nethinim or servants of this house of God.
25 "You, Ezra, according to the wisdom of your God which is in your hand, appoint magistrates
and judges that they may judge all the people who are in the province beyond the River, even all
those who know the laws of your God; and you may teach anyone who is ignorant of them.
26 "Whoever will not observe the law of your God and the law of the king, let judgment be
executed upon him strictly, whether for death or for banishment or for confiscation of goods or
for imprisonment."
The King's Kindness
27 Blessed be the LORD, the God of our fathers, who has put such a thing as this in the king's
heart, to adorn the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem,
28 and has extended lovingkindness to me before the king and his counselors and before all the
king's mighty princes. Thus I was strengthened according to the hand of the LORD my God upon
me, and I gathered leading men from Israel to go up with me.
Chapter 8
People Who Went with Ezra
1 Now these are the heads of their fathers' households and the genealogical enrollment of those
who went up with me from Babylon in the reign of King Artaxerxes:
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 who was of the sons of Parosh, Zechariah and with him 150 males who
were in the genealogical list;
4 of the sons of Pahath-moab, Eliehoenai the son of Zerahiah and 200 males with him;
5 of the sons of Zattu, Shecaniah, the son of Jahaziel and 300 males with him;
6 and of the sons of Adin, Ebed the son of Jonathan and 50 males with him;
7 and of the sons of Elam, Jeshaiah the son of Athaliah and 70 males with him;
8 and of the sons of Shephatiah, Zebadiah the son of Michael and 80 males with him;
9 of the sons of Joab, Obadiah the son of Jehiel and 218 males with him;
10 and of the sons of Bani, Shelomith, the son of Josiphiah and 160 males with him;
11 and of the sons of Bebai, Zechariah the son of Bebai and 28 males with him;
12 and of the sons of Azgad, Johanan the son of Hakkatan and 110 males with him;
13 and of the sons of Adonikam, the last ones, these being their names, Eliphelet, Jeuel and
Shemaiah, and 60 males with them;
14 and of the sons of Bigvai, Uthai and Zabbud, and 70 males with them.
Ezra Sends for Levites
15 Now I assembled them at the river that runs to Ahava, where we camped for three days; and
when I observed the people and the priests, I did not find any Levites there.
16 So I sent for Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah, Elnathan, Jarib, Elnathan, Nathan, Zechariah and
Meshullam, leading men, and for Joiarib and Elnathan, teachers.
17 I sent them to Iddo the leading man at the place Casiphia; and I told them what to say to Iddo
and his brothers, the temple servants at the place Casiphia, that is, to bring ministers to us for the
house of our God.
18 According to the good hand of our God upon us they brought us a man of insight of the sons of
Mahli, the son of Levi, the son of Israel, namely Sherebiah, and his sons and brothers, 18 men;
19 and Hashabiah and Jeshaiah of the sons of Merari, with his brothers and their sons, 20 men;
20 and 220 of the temple servants, whom David and the princes had given for the service of the
Levites, all of them designated by name.
Protection of God Invoked
21 Then I proclaimed a fast there at the river of Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our
God to seek from Him a safe journey for us, our little ones, and all our possessions.
22 For I was ashamed to request from the king troops and horsemen to protect us from the enemy
on the way, because we had said to the king, "The hand of our God is favorably disposed to all
those who seek Him, but His power and His anger are against all those who forsake Him."
23 So we fasted and sought our God concerning this matter, and He listened to our entreaty.
24 Then I set apart twelve of the leading priests, Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and with them ten of their
brothers;
25 and I weighed out to them the silver, the gold and the utensils, the offering for the house of our
God which the king and his counselors and his princes and all Israel present there had offered.
26 Thus I weighed into their hands 650 talents of silver, and silver utensils worth 100 talents, and
100 gold talents,
27 and 20 gold bowls worth 1,000 darics, and two utensils of fine shiny bronze, precious as gold.
28 Then I said to them, "You are holy to the LORD, and the utensils are holy; and the silver and
the gold are a freewill offering to the LORD God of your fathers.
29 "Watch and keep them until you weigh them before the leading priests, the Levites and the
heads of the fathers' households of Israel at Jerusalem, in the chambers of the house of the
LORD."
30 So the priests and the Levites accepted the weighed out silver and gold and the utensils, to
bring them to Jerusalem to the house of our God.
31 Then we journeyed from the river Ahava on the twelfth of the first month to go to Jerusalem;
and the hand of our God was over us, and He delivered us from the hand of the enemy and the
ambushes by the way.
32 Thus we came to Jerusalem and remained there three days.
Treasure Placed in the Temple
33 On the fourth day the silver and the gold and the utensils were weighed out 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 were the Levites, Jozabad the son of Jeshua and Noadiah the son of
Binnui.
34 Everything was numbered and weighed, and all the weight was recorded at that time.
35 The exiles who had come from the captivity offered burnt offerings to the God of Israel: 12
bulls for all Israel, 96 rams, 77 lambs, 12 male goats for a sin offering, all as a burnt offering to
the LORD.
36 Then they delivered the king's edicts to the king's satraps and to the governors in the provinces
beyond the River, and they supported the people and the house of God.
Chapter 9
Mixed Marriages
1 Now when these things had been completed, the princes approached me, saying, "The people of
Israel and the priests and the Levites have not separated themselves from the peoples of the lands,
according to their abominations, those of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites,
the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians and the Amorites.
2 "For they have taken some of their daughters as wives for themselves and for their sons, so that
the holy race has intermingled with the peoples of the lands; indeed, the hands of the princes and
the rulers have been foremost in this unfaithfulness."
3 When I heard about this matter, I tore my garment and my robe, and pulled some of the hair
from my head and my beard, and sat down appalled.
4 Then everyone who trembled at the words of the God of Israel on account of the unfaithfulness
of the exiles gathered to me, and I sat appalled until the evening offering.
Prayer of Confession
5 But at the evening offering I arose from my humiliation, even with my garment and my robe
torn, and I fell on my knees and stretched out my hands to the LORD my God;
6 and I said, "O my God, I am ashamed and embarrassed to lift up my face to You, my God, for
our iniquities have risen above our heads and our guilt has grown even to the heavens.
7 "Since the days of our fathers to this day we have been in great guilt, and on account of our
iniquities we, our kings and our priests have been given into the hand of the kings of the lands, to
the sword, to captivity and to plunder and to open shame, as it is this day.
8 "But now for a brief moment grace has been shown from the LORD our God, to leave us an
escaped remnant and to give us a peg in His holy place, that our God may enlighten our eyes and
grant us a little reviving in our bondage.
9 "For we are slaves; yet in our bondage our God has not forsaken us, but has extended
lovingkindness to us in the sight of the kings of Persia, to give us reviving to raise up the house of
our God, to restore its ruins and to give us a wall in Judah and Jerusalem.
10 "Now, 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 which you are
entering to possess is an unclean land with the uncleanness of the peoples of the lands, with their
abominations which have filled it from end to end and with their impurity.
12 'So now do not give your daughters to their sons nor take their daughters to your sons, and
never seek their peace or their prosperity, that you may be strong and eat the good things of the
land and leave it as an inheritance to your sons forever.'
13 "After all that has come upon us for our evil deeds and our great guilt, since You our God have
requited us less than our iniquities deserve, and have given us an escaped remnant as this,
14 shall we again break Your commandments and intermarry with the peoples who commit these
abominations? Would You not be angry with us to the point of destruction, until there is no
remnant nor any who escape?
15 "O LORD God of Israel, You are righteous, for we have been left an escaped remnant, as it is
this day; behold, we are before You in our guilt, for no one can stand before You because of this."
Chapter 10
Reconciliation with God
1 Now while Ezra was praying and making confession, weeping and prostrating himself before the
house of God, a very large assembly, men, women and children, gathered to him from Israel; for
the people wept bitterly.
2 Shecaniah the son of Jehiel, one of the sons of Elam, said to Ezra, "We have been unfaithful to
our God and have married foreign women from the peoples of the land; yet now there is hope for
Israel in spite of this.
3 "So now let us make a covenant with our God to put away all the wives and their children,
according to the counsel of my lord and of those who tremble at the commandment of our God;
and let it be done according to the law.
4 "Arise! For this matter is your responsibility, but we will be with you; be courageous and act."
5 Then Ezra rose and made the leading priests, the Levites and all Israel, take oath that they would
do according to this proposal; so they took the oath.
6 Then Ezra rose from before the house of God and went into the chamber of Jehohanan the son
of Eliashib. Although he went there, he did not eat bread nor drink water, for he was mourning
over the unfaithfulness of the exiles.
7 They made a proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem to all the exiles, that they should
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 possessions should be forfeited and he himself excluded from the assembly of the
exiles.
9 So all the men of Judah and Benjamin assembled at Jerusalem within the three days. It was the
ninth month on the twentieth of the month, and all the people sat in the open square before the
house of God, trembling because of this matter and the heavy rain.
10 Then Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, "You have been unfaithful and have married
foreign wives adding to the guilt of Israel.
11 "Now therefore, make confession to the LORD God of your fathers and do His will; and
separate yourselves from the peoples of the land and from the foreign wives."
12 Then all the assembly replied with a loud voice, "That's right! As you have said, so it is our duty
to do.
13 "But there are many people; it is the rainy season and we are not able to stand in the open. Nor
can the task be done in one or two days, for we have transgressed greatly in this matter.
14 "Let our leaders represent the whole assembly and let all those in our cities who have married
foreign wives come at appointed times, together with the elders and judges of each city, until the
fierce anger of our God on account of this matter is turned away from us."
15 Only Jonathan the son of Asahel and Jahzeiah the son of Tikvah opposed this, with Meshullam
and Shabbethai the Levite supporting them.
16 But the exiles did so. And Ezra the priest selected men who were heads of fathers' households
for each of their father's households, all of them by name. So they convened on the first day of the
tenth month to investigate the matter.
17 They finished investigating all the men who had married foreign wives by the first day of the
first month.
List of Offenders
18 Among the sons of the priests who had married foreign wives were found of the sons of Jeshua
the son of Jozadak, and his brothers: Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib and Gedaliah.
19 They pledged to put away their wives, and being guilty, they offered a ram of the flock for their
offense.
20 Of the sons of Immer there were Hanani and Zebadiah;
21 and of the sons of Harim: Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel and Uzziah;
22 and of the sons of Pashhur: Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad and Elasah.
23 Of Levites there were Jozabad, Shimei, Kelaiah (that is, Kelita), Pethahiah, Judah and Eliezer.
24 Of the singers there was Eliashib; and of the gatekeepers: Shallum, Telem and Uri.
25 Of Israel, of the sons of Parosh there were Ramiah, Izziah, Malchijah, Mijamin, Eleazar,
Malchijah and Benaiah;
26 and of the sons of Elam: Mattaniah, Zechariah, Jehiel, Abdi, Jeremoth and Elijah;
27 and of the sons of Zattu: Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Jeremoth, Zabad and Aziza;
28 and of the sons of Bebai: Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai and Athlai;
29 and of the sons of Bani: Meshullam, Malluch and Adaiah, Jashub, Sheal and Jeremoth;
30 and of the sons of Pahath-moab: Adna, Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui
and Manasseh;
31 and of the sons of Harim: Eliezer, Isshijah, Malchijah, Shemaiah, Shimeon,
32 Benjamin, Malluch and Shemariah;
33 of the sons of Hashum: Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh and Shimei;
34 of the sons of Bani: Maadai, Amram, Uel,
35 Benaiah, Bedeiah, Cheluhi,
36 Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib,
37 Mattaniah, Mattenai, Jaasu,
38 Bani, Binnui, Shimei,
39 Shelemiah, Nathan, Adaiah,
40 Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai,
41 Azarel, Shelemiah, Shemariah,
42 Shallum, Amariah and Joseph.
43 Of the sons of Nebo there were Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jaddai, Joel and Benaiah.
44 All these had married foreign wives, and some of them had wives by whom they had children.