Ezra 2 (UST) · Opened

1{ Many years ago, the army of} King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon had captured many Israelite people and taken them away to the kingdom of Babylon. Now, these Israelite people began to return to Judah. Some returned to Jerusalem, and some returned to other places in Judah. Each of them 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, Joshua, 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 Parosh,the descendants of Parosh, 2,172;

4372 descendants of Shephatiah,the descendants of Shephatiah, 372;

5775 descendants of Arach,the descendants of Arah, 775;

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

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

8945 descendants of Zattu,the descendants of Zattu, 945;

9760 descendants of Zaccai,the descendants of Zaccai, 760;

10642 descendants of Bani,the descendants of Bani, 642;

11623 descendants of Bebai,the descendants of Bebai, 623;

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

13666 descendants of Adonikam,the descendants of Adonikam, 666;

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

15454 descendants of Adin,the descendants of Adin, 454;

1698 descendants of Ater, who descended from Hezekiah,the descendants of Ater (through Hezekiah), 98;

17323 descendants of Bezai,the descendants of Bezai, 323;

18112 descendants of Jorah,the descendants of Jorah, 112;

19223 descendants of Hashum,the descendants of Hashum, 223;

2095 descendants of Gibbar.the descendants of Gibbar, 95;

21{ The following is a list of people whose ancestors had lived in these towns in Judah:} 123 from Bethlehem,the men of Bethlehem, 123;

2256 from Netophah,the men of Netophah, 56;

23128 from Anathoth,the men of Anathoth, 128;

2442 from Azmaveth,the descendants of Azmaveth, 42;

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

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

27122 from Michmas,the men of Michmash, 122;

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

2952 from Nebo,the descendants of Nebo, 52;

30156 from Magbish,the descendants of Magbish, 156;

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

32320 from Harim,the descendants of Harim, 320;

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

34345 from Jericho,the men of Jericho, 345;

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

36These are the priests 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 Immer,the descendants of Immer, 1,052;

381, 247 descendants of Pashur,the descendants of Pashhur, 1,247;

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

40These are the descendants of Levi who returned: 74 descendants of Jeshua and Kadmiel, who were from the family of Hodaviah,The Levites: the descendants of Jeshua and Kadmiel (through the line of Hodaviah), 74.

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

42139 gatekeepers who were descendants of the gatekeepers Shallum, Ater, Talmon, Akkub, Hatita, and Shobai,The 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 following is a list of the temple workers who returned. They were the 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}. They were the descendants of these men: 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 that returned{ to Judah} from{ the towns of} Tel Melah, Tel Harsha, Cerub, Addon, and Immer{ in Babylonia}. But they could not prove that they were genuine 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. He had taken the name of his father- in- law’ s clan for himself.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 this group searched in the documents that listed the names{ of the descendants} from the{ various Israelite} clans, but they did not find{ their names there}. So the officials did not permit them to 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 these men that they could not eat the shares of the sacrifices that only the priests could eat until a{ high} priest could consult Yahweh by using the sacred lots{ to determine that they truly were descendants of priestly families. Only if the high priest determined that these men truly were priests could they eat the most sacred food}.The governor ordered them not to eat the most holy things until there was a priest to consult the Urim and Thummim.

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

65The Israelites also brought along with them 7, 337 male and female servants and 200 male and female musicians.in addition to their 7,337 menservants and maidservants, as well as their 200 male and female singers.

66The Israelites also 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 ruins of} 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.

69Each one gave as much as he was able to give for the work{ on the temple}. Altogether, they gave 61, 000 gold coins, 5, 000 silver bars, and 100 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.

70So all of these priests, Levites, musicians, gatekeepers, temple servants, and other people returned to live in the towns and villages{ of the province of Judah}. They settled in the places 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

You’ve read Ezra 2

Go Deeper

Ezra 2

The List of Returning Exiles

Offerings by the Exiles

You’ve read Ezra 2

Go Deeper