Ezra 2 (UDB) · Opened

1King Nebuchadnezzar's soldiers captured many Israelite people and took them to Babylonia. Many years later, some Israelite people returned to Judah. Some returned to Jerusalem, and some returned to other places in Judah. They went to the towns where their ancestors had lived. This is a list of the groups who returned.Now these are the people of the province who came up from the captivity of the exiles carried away to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar its king. They returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his own town,

2The leaders of those people who returned were Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum, and Baanah. The groups of people who returned to Judah are listed next.accompanied by Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum, and Baanah. This is the count of the men of Israel:

32,172 descendants of Paroshthe descendants of Parosh, 2,172;

4372 descendants of Shephatiahthe descendants of Shephatiah, 372;

5775 descendants of Arachthe descendants of Arah, 775;

62,812 descendants of Pahath-Moab, from the families of Jeshua and Joabthe descendants of Pahath-moab (through the line of Jeshua and Joab), 2,812;

71,254 descendants of Elamthe descendants of Elam, 1,254;

8945 descendants of Zattuthe descendants of Zattu, 945;

9760 descendants of Zaccaithe descendants of Zaccai, 760;

10642 descendants of Banithe descendants of Bani, 642;

11623 descendants of Bebaithe descendants of Bebai, 623;

121,222 descendants of Azgadthe descendants of Azgad, 1,222;

13666 descendants of Adonikamthe descendants of Adonikam, 666;

142,056 descendants of Bigvaithe descendants of Bigvai, 2,056;

15454 descendants of Adinthe descendants of Adin, 454;

16Ninety-eight descendants of Ater, who descended from Hezekiahthe descendants of Ater (through Hezekiah), 98;

17323 descendants of Bezaithe descendants of Bezai, 323;

18112 descendants of Jorahthe descendants of Jorah, 112;

19223 descendants of Hashumthe descendants of Hashum, 223;

20Ninty-five descendants of Gibbar People whose ancestors had lived in these towns in Judah:the descendants of Gibbar, 95;

21123 from Bethlehemthe men of Bethlehem, 123;

22Fifty-six from Netophahthe men of Netophah, 56;

23128 from Anathoththe men of Anathoth, 128;

24Forty-two from Azmaveththe descendants of Azmaveth, 42;

25743 from Kiriath Arim, Kephirah, and Beeroththe men of Kiriath-jearim, Chephirah, and Beeroth, 743;

26621 from Ramah and Gebathe men of Ramah and Geba, 621;

27122 from Michmasthe men of Michmash, 122;

28223 from Bethel and Aithe men of Bethel and Ai, 223;

29Fifty-two from Nebothe descendants of Nebo, 52;

30156 from Magbishthe descendants of Magbish, 156;

311,254 from Elamthe descendants of the other Elam, 1,254;

32320 from Harimthe descendants of Harim, 320;

33725 from Lod, Hadid, and Onothe men of Lod, Hadid, and Ono, 725;

34345 from Jerichothe men of Jericho, 345;

353,630 from Senaahand the descendants of Senaah, 3,630.

36Priests who returned: 973 descendants of Jedaiah (that is, those who descended through Jeshua)The priests: The descendants of Jedaiah (through the house of Jeshua), 973;

371,052 descendants of Immerthe descendants of Immer, 1,052;

381,247 descendants of Pashurthe descendants of Pashhur, 1,247;

391,017 descendants of Harimand the descendants of Harim, 1,017.

40Those from the tribe of Levi who returned: Seventy-four descendants of Jeshua and Kadmiel, who were from the family of HodaviahThe Levites: the descendants of Jeshua and Kadmiel (through the line of Hodaviah), 74.

41128 singers who were descendants of AsaphThe singers: the descendants of Asaph, 128.

42139 gatekeepers who were descendants of the gatekeepers Shallum, Ater, Talmon, Akkub, Hatita, and ShobaiThe gatekeepers: the descendants of Shallum, the descendants of Ater, the descendants of Talmon, the descendants of Akkub, the descendants of Hatita, and the descendants of Shobai, 139 in all.

43The temple workers who were descendants of these men: Ziha, Hasupha, Tabbaoth,The temple servants: the descendants of Ziha, the descendants of Hasupha, the descendants of Tabbaoth,

44Keros, Siaha, Padon,the descendants of Keros, the descendants of Siaha, the descendants of Padon,

45Lebanah, Hagabah, Akkub,the descendants of Lebanah, the descendants of Hagabah, the descendants of Akkub,

46Hagab, Shalmai, Hanan,the descendants of Hagab, the descendants of Shalmai, the descendants of Hanan,

47Giddel, Gahar, Reaiah,the descendants of Giddel, the descendants of Gahar, the descendants of Reaiah,

48Rezin, Nekoda, Gazzam,the descendants of Rezin, the descendants of Nekoda, the descendants of Gazzam,

49Uzza, Paseah, Besai,the descendants of Uzza, the descendants of Paseah, the descendants of Besai,

50Asnah, Meunim, Nephusim,the descendants of Asnah, the descendants of Meunim, the descendants of Nephusim,

51Bakbuk, Hakupha, Harhur,the descendants of Bakbuk, the descendants of Hakupha, the descendants of Harhur,

52Bazluth, Mehida, Harsha,the descendants of Bazluth, the descendants of Mehida, the descendants of Harsha,

53Barkos, Sisera, Temah,the descendants of Barkos, the descendants of Sisera, the descendants of Temah,

54Neziah, and Hatipha.the descendants of Neziah, and the descendants of Hatipha.

55The following descendants of King Solomon's servants returned to Jerusalem: Sotai, Hassophereth, Peruda,The descendants of the servants of Solomon: the descendants of Sotai, the descendants of Hassophereth, the descendants of Peruda,

56Jaalah, Darkon, Giddel,the descendants of Jaala, the descendants of Darkon, the descendants of Giddel,

57Shephatiah, Hattil, Pochereth Hazzebaim, and Ami.the descendants of Shephatiah, the descendants of Hattil, the descendants of Pochereth-hazzebaim, and the descendants of Ami.

58Altogether, there were 392 descendants of temple workers and Solomon's servants who returned.The temple servants and descendants of the servants of Solomon numbered 392 in all.

59There was another group who returned to Judah from Tel Melah, Tel Harsha, Cerub, Addon, and Immer in Babylonia. But they could not prove that they were true Israelites.The following came up from Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Cherub, Addan, and Immer, but they could not prove that their families were descended from Israel:

60This group included 652 people who were descendants of Delaiah, Tobiah, and Nekoda.the descendants of Delaiah, the descendants of Tobiah, and the descendants of Nekoda, 652 in all.

61The descendants of the priests in this group included people belonging to Habaiah's clan, Hakkoz's clan, and Barzillai's clan. Barzillai had married a woman who was a descendant of Barzillai from the region of Gilead, and he had taken for himself the name of his father-in-law's clan.And from among the priests: the descendants of Hobaiah, the descendants of Hakkoz, and the descendants of Barzillai (who had married a daughter of Barzillai the Gileadite and was called by their name).

62The people in that group searched in the documents that had the names of the ancestors of all the clans, but these men's names were not found. So they were not permitted do the work that priests did.These men searched for their family records, but they could not find them and so were excluded from the priesthood as unclean.

63The governor told them that they would need to ask a priest to consult Yahweh by casting the sacred lots, to determine whether those men were truly Israelites. If the stones showed that those men were Israelites, they would be permitted to eat the shares of the sacrifices that were given to the priests.The governor ordered them not to eat the most holy things until there was a priest to consult the Urim and Thummim.

64Altogether 42,360 Israelite people returned to Judah.The whole assembly numbered 42,360,

65There were also 7,337 servants and two hundred musicians, both men and women, who returned.in addition to their 7,337 menservants and maidservants, as well as their 200 male and female singers.

66The Israelites brought with them from Babylonia 736 horses, 245 mules,They had 736 horses, 245 mules,

67435 camels, and 6,720 donkeys.435 camels, and 6,720 donkeys.

68When they arrived at the temple of Yahweh in Jerusalem, some of the clan leaders gave money for the supplies needed to rebuild the temple in the same place where the old temple had been.When they arrived at the house of the LORD in Jerusalem, some of the heads of the families gave freewill offerings to rebuild the house of God on its original site.

69They all gave as much money as they were able to give. Altogether they gave about five hundred kilograms of gold, and about three thousand kilograms of silver, and one hundred robes for the priests.According to their ability, they gave to the treasury for this work 61,000 darics of gold, 5,000 minas of silver, and 100 priestly garments.

70Then the priests, the other descendants of Levi, the musicians, the temple guards, and some of the other people started to live in the towns and villages near Jerusalem. The rest of the people went to the other places in Israel there where their ancestors had lived.So the priests, the Levites, the singers, the gatekeepers, and the temple servants, along with some of the people, settled in their own towns; and the rest of the Israelites settled in their towns.

Ezra 2

The List of Returning Exiles

Offerings by the Exiles

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Ezra 2

The List of Returning Exiles

Offerings by the Exiles

You’ve read Ezra 2

Go Deeper