Ezra 1; Ezra 2

Ezra 1

1 In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah, the LORD moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and also to put it in writing:

2 “This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: “ ‘The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah.

3 Any of his people among you may go up to Jerusalem in Judah and build the temple of the LORD, the God of Israel, the God who is in Jerusalem, and may their God be with them.

4 And in any locality where survivors may now be living, the people are to provide them with silver and gold, with goods and livestock, and with freewill offerings for the temple of God in Jerusalem.’ ”

5 Then the family heads of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests and Levites—everyone whose heart God had moved—prepared to go up and build the house of the LORD in Jerusalem.

6 All their neighbors assisted them with articles of silver and gold, with goods and livestock, and with valuable gifts, in addition to all the freewill offerings.

7 Moreover, King Cyrus brought out the articles belonging to the temple of the LORD, which Nebuchadnezzar had carried away from Jerusalem and had placed in the temple of his god.

8 Cyrus king of Persia had them brought by Mithredath the treasurer, who counted them out to Sheshbazzar the prince of Judah.

9 This was the inventory:

10 gold bowls, 30 matching silver bowls, 410 other articles, 1,000

11 In all, there were 5,400 articles of gold and of silver. Sheshbazzar brought all these along with the exiles when they came up from Babylon to Jerusalem.

Ezra 2

1 Now these are the people of the province who came up from the captivity of the exiles, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had taken captive to Babylon (they returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to their own town,

2 in company with Zerubbabel, Joshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum and Baanah): The list of the men of the people of Israel:

3 the descendants of Parosh, 2,172

4 of Shephatiah, 372

5 of Arah, 775

6 of Pahath-Moab (through the line of Jeshua and Joab), 2,812

7 of Elam, 1,254

8 of Zattu, 945

9 of Zaccai, 760

10 of Bani, 642

11 of Bebai, 623

12 of Azgad, 1,222

13 of Adonikam, 666

14 of Bigvai, 2,056

15 of Adin, 454

16 of Ater (through Hezekiah), 98

17 of Bezai, 323

18 of Jorah, 112

19 of Hashum, 223

20 of Gibbar, 95

21 the men of Bethlehem, 123

22 of Netophah, 56

23 of Anathoth, 128

24 of Azmaveth, 42

25 of Kiriath Jearim, Kephirah and Beeroth, 743

26 of Ramah and Geba, 621

27 of Micmash, 122

28 of Bethel and Ai, 223

29 of Nebo, 52

30 of Magbish, 156

31 of the other Elam, 1,254

32 of Harim, 320

33 of Lod, Hadid and Ono, 725

34 of Jericho, 345

35 of Senaah, 3,630

36 The priests:

37 of Immer, 1,052

38 of Pashhur, 1,247

39 of Harim, 1,017

40 The Levites:

41 The musicians:

42 The gatekeepers of the temple:

43 The temple servants:

44 Keros, Siaha, Padon,

45 Lebanah, Hagabah, Akkub,

46 Hagab, Shalmai, Hanan,

47 Giddel, Gahar, Reaiah,

48 Rezin, Nekoda, Gazzam,

49 Uzza, Paseah, Besai,

50 Asnah, Meunim, Nephusim,

51 Bakbuk, Hakupha, Harhur,

52 Bazluth, Mehida, Harsha,

53 Barkos, Sisera, Temah,

54 Neziah and Hatipha

55 The descendants of the servants of Solomon:

56 Jaala, Darkon, Giddel,

57 Shephatiah, Hattil,

58 The temple servants and the descendants of the servants of Solomon, 392

59 The following came up from the towns of Tel Melah, Tel Harsha, Kerub, Addon and Immer, but they could not show that their families were descended from Israel:

60 The descendants of Delaiah, Tobiah and Nekoda 652

61 And from among the priests: The descendants of Hobaiah, Hakkoz and Barzillai (a man who had married a daughter of Barzillai the Gileadite and was called by that name).

62 These searched for their family records, but they could not find them and so were excluded from the priesthood as unclean.

63 The governor ordered them not to eat any of the most sacred food until there was a priest ministering with the Urim and Thummim.

64 The whole company numbered 42,360,

65 besides their 7,337 male and female slaves; and they also had 200 male and female singers.

66 They had 736 horses, 245 mules,

67 435 camels and 6,720 donkeys.

68 When they arrived at the house of the LORD in Jerusalem, some of the heads of the families gave freewill offerings toward the rebuilding of the house of God on its site.

69 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.

70 The priests, the Levites, the musicians, the gatekeepers and the temple servants settled in their own towns, along with some of the other people, and the rest of the Israelites settled in their towns.