Ezra 8

1 These [the chief of their fathers, family leaders] are the family heads [chiefs of families, leaders of clans] and genealogical records [the genealogy, family history] of those who returned [went up, ascended] with me from Babylon [Babel, a city of confusion] during the reign [royal power, kingdom] of King [the monarch, ruler] Artaxerxes [a title given to Persian kings]: word study 2 from the descendants [sons, offspring] of Phinehas [a priest, grandson of Aaron], Gershom; from the descendants [sons, family line] of Ithamar [a son of Aaron, a leader], Daniel; from the descendants [family, lineage] of David [a king], Hattush word study 3 of the descendants [sons, posterity] of Shecaniah; from the descendants [sons, family line] of Parosh, Zechariah [Jehovah remembers, a family head of the descendants of Parosh], and with [together, in company] him were registered [enrolled, reckoned by genealogy] 150 [a hundred and fifty] men [males, male descendants]; word study 4 from the descendants [sons, offspring] of Pahath-Moab [pit of Moab], Eliehoenai [unto Jehovah are my eyes] son [descendant, male child] of Zerahiah [Jehovah has risen], and with [together, in company] him 200 [two hundred] men [males, male persons]; word study 5 from the descendants [sons, or male heirs] of Zattu, Shecaniah [dweller with God] son [a male child or descendant] of Jahaziel [beheld of God], and with [together, in accompaniment] him 300 [three hundred, a multitude] men [males, adult humans]; word study 6 from the descendants [sons, offspring] of Adin [dainty, delicate], Ebed [servant, worshiper] son [descendant, offspring] of Jonathan [Jehovah has given], and with [together, in accompaniment] him 50 [fifty, a multitude of] men [males, masculine ones]; word study 7 from the descendants [sons, offspring] of Elam [a region, a son of Shem], Jeshaiah [Jehovah has saved] son [a descendant, a grandson] of Athaliah [afflicted of the Lord], and with [together, in accompaniment] him 70 [seventy] men [males, male descendants]; word study 8 from the descendants [sons, offspring] of Shephatiah [a leader of Israel], Zebadiah [endowment of Jehovah] son [descendant, male child] of Michael [who is like God], and with [together, in company] him 80 [fourscore] men [males, masculine individuals]; word study 9 from the descendants [sons, offspring] of Joab [Jehovah is father], Obadiah [servant of the Lord] son of Jehiel [God lives], and with [together, in company] him 218 men [males, males of Israelite descent]; word study 10 from the descendants [sons, offspring] of Bani, Shelomith [Shelomoth, peace] son [descendant, male child] of Josiphiah [Jehovah adds], and with [together, in company] him 160 men [males, men of Israel]; word study 11 from the descendants [sons, posterity] of Bebai [my cavities], Zechariah [Jehovah remembers] son [offspring, descendant] of Bebai, and with [together, in company] him 28 [twenty and eight] men [males, male persons]; word study 12 from the descendants [sons, family line] of Azgad, Johanan [Jehovah has graced] son [offspring, descendant] of Hakkatan, and with [together, in accompaniment] him 110 [a hundred and ten] men [males, adult males]; word study 13 from the later [last, western] descendants of Adonikam [my lord arose], these were their names: Eliphelet [God is deliverance], Jeiel [having God’s nature], and Shemaiah [heard by God], and with [together, in company] them 60 [threescore] men [males, male descendants]; word study 14 and from the descendants [sons, offspring] of Bigvai, both Uthai [helpful, assistant] and Zaccur [mindful, remembering], and with [together, in company] them 70 [seventy, a multitude] men [males, masculine]. word study 15 Now I assembled [gathered together, collected] these exiles at the canal [river, waterway] that flows to Ahava [a place in Babylonia], and we camped [encamped, set up tents] there three [a trio, thrice] days. And when I searched [viewed, examined] among the people [a nation, a group] and priests [those who serve God, spiritual leaders], I found [discovered, came across] no [none, not any] Levites [sons of Levi, descendants of the tribe] there [in that place, at that location]. word study 16 Then I summoned [sent for, called upon] the leaders [chief men, heads]: Eliezer [God is help], Ariel [lion of God], Shemaiah [heard by God], Elnathan [God has given], Jarib [he will contend], Elnathan [God has given], Nathan [giver], Zechariah [Jehovah remembers], and Meshullam [blessed], as well as the teachers [men of understanding, wise men] Joiarib [Jehovah contends] and Elnathan [God has given]. word study 17 And I sent them to Iddo [the prophet, a leader], the leader [head, chief] at Casiphia [a place in Babylon], with a message [command, instruction] for him and his kinsmen [brothers, relatives], the temple servants [Nethinim, assistants to the Levites] at Casiphia, that they should bring to us ministers [servants, worship leaders] for the house [dwelling place, sanctuary] of our God [Elohim, the supreme Creator]. word study 18 And since the gracious [good, pleasant] hand [an open hand; strength, a side or share] of our God [Elohim, the supreme Creator] was upon [over, above] us, they brought us Sherebiah—a man [individual, person] of insight [understanding, intelligence] from the descendants [sons, offspring] of Mahli son of Levi, the son of Israel—along with his sons [descendants, family members] and brothers [male siblings, close relatives], 18 [eighteen] men; word study 19 also Hashabiah [Jehovah has considered], together with [near, in close association] Jeshaiah [Jehovah has saved], from the descendants [sons, family line] of Merari [bitter], and his brothers [male siblings, relatives] and their sons [descendants, children], 20 [a total of twenty] men. word study 20 They also brought 220 of the temple servants [Nethinim, helpers in the sanctuary], all designated by name [expressed by name, specifically named]. David [the king of Israel, a leader] and the officials [rulers, princes] had appointed them to assist [serve, work with] the Levites [descendants of Levi, priests’ helpers]. word study 21 And there by the Ahava Canal [river of Ahava] I proclaimed a fast [to afflict ourselves, a time of going without food], so that we might humble ourselves [to afflict ourselves, make ourselves low] before our God [Elohim, the supreme God] and ask Him for a safe journey [a straight way, a right way] for us and our children [little ones], with all our possessions [substance, property]. word study 22 For I was ashamed [felt humiliated, had a sense of guilt] to ask the king [the royal authority, monarch] for an escort of soldiers [a band of armed men, a military guard] and horsemen [cavalry, men on horses] to protect us from our enemies [those who oppose or hate us] on the road [the way, the path], since we had told him, “The hand [an open hand; strength, a side or share] of our God [Elohim, the supreme God, our Creator] is gracious [full of kindness, benevolent] to all who seek [search for, desire] Him, but His great anger [wrath] is against all who forsake [abandon or leave] Him [those who turn away from Him].” word study 23 So we [abstained from food, went without food] fasted and petitioned [besought, sought] our God [Elohim, the supreme God] about this [specific situation], and He [in His mercy] granted [was entreated of us, answered] our request [prayers, supplication]. word study 24 Then I set apart [separated, divided] twelve of the leading [chief, ruling] priests, together with Sherebiah [a Levite, minister of God], Hashabiah [Jehovah has considered], and ten [a decade, a group of ten] of their brothers [relatives, kin], word study 25 and I weighed out [measured carefully] to them the contribution [offering, gift] of silver [money, wealth] and gold [valuable metal] and the articles [utensils, vessels] that the king [ruler, monarch], his counselors [advisors, wise men], his leaders [princes, captains], and all [every single one] the Israelites [descendants of Jacob] there had offered [given, presented] for the house [temple, dwelling place] of our God [Elohim, the supreme Creator]. word study 26 I weighed [measured carefully, to weigh out] out into their hands [to their control, into their care] 650 talents [units of weight or currency] of silver [money, precious metal], articles [utensils, vessels] of silver [precious metal, wealth] weighing 100 talents [a large unit of weight], 100 talents [a significant amount] of gold [a valuable metal], word study 27 20 gold [precious, valuable] bowls [basins, vessels] valued at 1,000 darics [drams, units of weight], and two articles [utensils, tools] of fine [bright, shining] polished bronze [copper, brass], as precious [desirable, highly valued] as gold [a valuable metal]. word study 28 Then I told them, “You [as consecrated servants] are holy [set apart, dedicated] to the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God], and these articles [utensils, vessels] are holy [sacred, devoted]. The silver [money, wealth] and gold [precious metal, treasure] are a freewill [voluntary, spontaneous] offering [gift, donation] to the LORD [the God of Israel], the God [Elohim, the supreme Deity] of your fathers [ancestors, forefathers]. word study 29 Guard [watch and keep, be vigilant] them carefully [with diligence and care] until you weigh [measure, assess] them out in the chambers [rooms, inner sanctum] of the house [temple, dwelling place] of the LORD [Yehovah, the Lord God] in Jerusalem [city of peace, holy city] before the leading [chief, prominent] priests [spiritual leaders, mediators], Levites [descendants of Levi, assistants to the priests], and heads [rulers, leaders] of the Israelite [descendants of Jacob, God’s chosen people] families [clans, tribes].” word study 30 So the priests [and other descendants of Levi] and Levites [serving God and leading others in worship] took charge of the silver [or money, payment, or wealth] and gold [a valuable metal] and sacred articles [utensils or vessels, objects used in worship] that had been weighed out [to a full weight, like in trade or commerce] to be taken to the house [a dwelling place, including the temple] of our God [Elohim, the one supreme God] in Jerusalem [the city of peace, capital of Palestine]. word study 31 On the twelfth day of the first [primary, initial] month we set out [to journey, depart] from the Ahava [river] Canal to go to Jerusalem [the city of peace, the capital of Palestine], and the hand [an open hand; strength, a side or share] of our God [Elohim, the supreme God] was upon us [to guide] to protect us from the hands [palm] of the enemies [adversaries, those who oppose] and bandits [those who lie in wait, ambush] along the way [the path, the journey]. word study 32 So we arrived [came to, entered] at Jerusalem [the city of peace] and rested [abode, dwelled] there [in that place, at that time] for three [a period of thrice, a trio of] days [24-hour periods, a space of time]. word study 33 On the fourth [next] day, in the house [dwelling place, temple] of our God [Elohim, the supreme Creator], we weighed out the silver [money, payment] and gold [a valuable metal, symbol of wealth] and sacred articles [utensils, vessels] into the hand [symbol of power, direction] of Meremoth son of Uriah, the priest [one who serves God, leads worship]. Eleazar son of Phinehas was with [accompanied, together] him, along with the Levites [descendants of Levi, temple servants] Jozabad son of Jeshua and Noadiah son of Binnui. word study 34 Everything [all items, every article] was verified [checked, counted] by number [quantity, amount] and weight [heaviness, mass], and the total weight [the full amount, every ounce] was recorded [written down, inscribed] at that time [the present moment, this occasion]. word study 35 Then the exiles [who had been carried away, sons of the captivity] who had returned from captivity [from a strange land, from exile] sacrificed burnt offerings [holocausts, completely consumed by fire] to the God [Elohim, the supreme God] of Israel: 12 bulls for all Israel, 96 rams, 77 lambs, and a sin offering [for atonement, to purify] of 12 male goats [he-goats, strong animals]. All this was a burnt offering [a step or stairs, an ascent to the altar] to the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God]. word study 36 They also delivered the king’s [royal] edicts [decrees, laws] to the royal [high-ranking] satraps [governors of provinces] and governors [leaders, officials] of the region [province] west of the Euphrates [a river, a flood], who proceeded to assist [support, further] the people [nation, community] and the house [temple, dwelling place] of God [Elohim, the supreme Creator]. word study