Ezra 8

Ezra 8:1 These are the family heads and the genealogical records of those who returned with me from Babylon during the reign of King Artaxerxes:

Ezra 8:2 Gershom, from Phinehas’s descendants; Daniel, from Ithamar’s descendants; Hattush, from David’s descendants,

Ezra 8:3, who was of Shecaniah’s descendants; Zechariah, from Parosh’s descendants, and 150 men with him who were registered by genealogy;

Ezra 8:4 Eliehoenai son of Zerahiah from Pahath-moab’s descendants, and 200 men with him;

Ezra 8:5 Shecaniah son of Jahaziel from Zattu’s descendants, and 300 men with him;

Ezra 8:6 Ebed son of Jonathan from Adin’s descendants, and 50 men with him;

Ezra 8:7 Jeshaiah the son of Athaliah from Elam’s descendants, and 70 men with him;

Ezra 8:8 Zebadiah the son of Michael from Shephatiah’s descendants, and 80 men with him;

Ezra 8:9 Obadiah son of Jehiel from Joab’s descendants, and 218 men with him;

Ezra 8:10 Shelomith son of Josiphiah from Bani’s descendants, and 160 men with him;

Ezra 8:11 Zechariah son of Bebai from Bebai’s descendants, and 28 men with him;

Ezra 8:12 Johanan son of Hakkatan from Azgad’s descendants, and 110 men with him;

Ezra 8:13 These are the last ones, from Adonikam’s descendants, and their names are Eliphelet, Jeuel, and Shemaiah, and 60 men with them;

Ezra 8:14 Uthai and Zaccur from Bigvai’s descendants, and 70 men with them.

Ezra 8:15 I gathered them at the river that flows to Ahava, and we camped there for three days. I searched among the people and priests but found no Levites there.

Ezra 8:16 Then I summoned the leaders: Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah, Elnathan, Jarib, Elnathan, Nathan, Zechariah, and Meshullam, as well as the teachers Joiarib and Elnathan.

Ezra 8:17 I placed[1] them to Iddo, the leader at Casiphia, with a message for him and his brothers, the temple servants at Casiphia, that they should bring us ministers[2] for the house of our God.

Ezra 8:18 Since the gracious hand of our God was on us, they brought us Sherebiah– a man of insight from the descendants of Mahli, a descendant of Levi son of Israel– along with his sons and brothers, 18 men,

Ezra 8:19 plus Hashabiah, along with Jeshaiah, from the descendants of Merari, and his brothers and their sons, 20 men.

Ezra 8:20 There were also 220 of the temple servants, who David had appointed and the captains for the work of the Levites. All were identified by name.

Ezra 8:21 I proclaimed a fast by the Ahava River so that we might humble ourselves before our God and cry out to him for a safe journey for us, our dependents, and all our possessions.

Ezra 8:22 I did this because I was ashamed to ask the king for efficient[3] infantry and cavalry to protect us from enemies during the journey, since we had told him, “The hand of our God is gracious to all who seek him, but his fierce anger is against all who abandon him.”

Ezra 8:23 We fasted and pleaded with God about this, and he was receptive to our prayer.

Ezra 8:24 I separated twelve captain priests, Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and ten of their brothers.

Ezra 8:25 I weighed out to them the silver, the gold, and the articles– the contribution for the house of our God that the king, his counselors, his captains, and all the Israelites who were present had offered.

Ezra 8:26 I weighed out to them 24 tons of silver, silver articles weighing 7,500 pounds, 7,500 pounds of gold,

Ezra 8:27 Twenty gold bowls worth a thousand gold coins and two articles of fine gleaming bronze, as valuable as gold.

Ezra 8:28 Then I said to them, “You are sacred to Yahveh, and the articles are sacred. The silver and gold are a spontaneous, voluntary donation to Yahveh, God of your fathers.

Ezra 8:29 Guard[4] them carefully until you weigh them out in the chambers of Yahveh’s house before the captain priests, Levites, and heads of the Israelite families in Jerusalem.”

Ezra 8:30 Then the priests and Levites took charge of the silver, the gold, and the articles that had been weighed out and brought them to the house of our God in Jerusalem.

Ezra 8:31 We set out from the Ahava River on the twelfth day of the first month to go to Jerusalem. Our God strengthened us and stripped[5] us from the enemy’s grasp and from ambush along the way.

Ezra 8:32 So we arrived at Jerusalem and rested there for three days.

Ezra 8:33 On the fourth day, the silver, gold, and articles were weighed out in the house of our God and placed in the care of the priest Meremoth, son of Uriah. Eleazar son of Phinehas was with him. The Levites Jozabad, son of Jeshua, and Noadiah, son of Binnui, were also with them.

Ezra 8:34 Everything was verified by number and weight, and the total weight was recorded.

Ezra 8:35 The exiles who had returned from captivity offered ascending offerings to the God of Israel: twelve bulls for all Israel, ninety-six rams, and seventy-seven lambs, along with twelve male goats as a sin offering. All this was an ascending offering for Yahveh.

Ezra 8:36 They also delivered the king’s edicts to the royal satraps and governors of the region west of the Euphrates so that they would support the people and the house of God.

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[1]  שׂוּם = place, put. Ezra 8:17; 10:44.

[2] שָׁרָת = minister.  Ezra 8:17.

[3] חַיִל = capable, powerful, efficient. Ezra 8:22.

[4] שָׁמַר = be careful, guard, regard. Ezra 8:29.

[5] נָצַל = strip. Ezra 8:31.

links:

an act of faith

The EZRA shelf in Jeff’s library

Ezra 7

Ezra 7:1 After these events, during the reign of King Artaxerxes of Persia, Ezra– Seraiah’s son, Azariah’s son, Hilkiah’s son,

Ezra 7:2 Shallum’s son, Zadok’s son, Ahitub’s son,

Ezra 7:3 Amariah’s son, Azariah’s son, Meraioth’s son,

Ezra 7:4 Zerahiah’s son, Uzzi’s son, Bukki’s son,

Ezra 7:5 Abishua’s son, Phinehas’s son, Eleazar’s son, the chief priest Aaron’s son

Ezra 7:6—He came up from Babylon. He was a scribe skilled in the instruction of Moses, which Yahveh, the God of Israel, had given. The king granted him everything he requested because the hand of Yahveh, his God, was on him.

Ezra 7:7 Some Israelites, priests, Levites, singers, gatekeepers, and temple servants accompanied him to Jerusalem in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes.

Ezra 7:8 Ezra came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, during the seventh year of the king.

Ezra 7:9 He began the journey from Babylon on the first day of the first month and arrived in Jerusalem on the first day of the fifth month since the gracious hand of his God was on him.

Ezra 7:10 Now, Ezra had determined to study the instruction of Yahveh, obey it, and teach its prescribed tasks[1] and judgments in Israel.

Ezra 7:11 This is the text of the letter King Artaxerxes gave to Ezra, the priest and scribe, an expert in matters of Yahveh’s commands and prescribed tasks for Israel:

Ezra 7:12 Artaxerxes, king of kings, to Ezra the priest, an expert in the law of the God of the sky: Greetings.

Ezra 7:13 I issue a decree that any Israelites in my kingdom, including their priests and Levites, who want to go to Jerusalem, may go with you.

Ezra 7:14 The king and his seven counselors send you to evaluate Judah and Jerusalem according to the law of your God, which is in your possession.

Ezra 7:15 You are also to bring the silver and gold the king and his counselors have willingly given to the God of Israel, whose dwelling is in Jerusalem,

Ezra 7:16 and all the silver and gold you receive throughout the province of Babylon, together with the donations given by the people and the priests to the house of their God in Jerusalem.

Ezra 7:17 Then you are to be diligent about buying bulls, rams, and lambs with this money, along with their grain and drink offerings, and offering them on the altar at the house of your God in Jerusalem.

Ezra 7:18 You and your brothers may do whatever seems best with the rest of the silver and gold, according to the will of your God.

Ezra 7:19 Deliver to the God of Jerusalem all the articles given to you for the service of the house of your God.

Ezra 7:20: You may use the royal treasury to pay for anything else needed for the house of your God.

Ezra 7:21 I, King Artaxerxes, issue a decree to all the treasurers in the region west of the Euphrates River: Whatever Ezra the priest, an expert in the law of the God of the sky, asks of you must be provided in full,

Ezra 7:22 up to 7,500 pounds of silver, 500 bushels of wheat, 550 gallons of wine, 550 gallons of oil, and salt without limit.

Ezra 7:23 Whatever is commanded by the God of the sky must be done diligently for the house of the God of the sky so that wrath will not fall on the realm of the king and his sons.

Ezra 7:24 Be advised that you do not have authority to impose tribute, duty, and land tax on any priests, Levites, singers, doorkeepers, temple servants, or other servants of this house of God.

Ezra 7:25 And you, Ezra, according to God’s wisdom that you possess, appoint magistrates and judges to judge all the people in the region west of the Euphrates who know the laws of your God and to teach anyone who does not know them.

Ezra 7:26 Anyone who does not keep the law of your God and the law of the king, let the appropriate judgment be executed against him, whether death, banishment, confiscation of property, or imprisonment.

Ezra 7:27 Praised[2] be Yahveh, the God of our fathers, who has put it into the king’s heart to glorify the house of Yahveh in Jerusalem,

Ezra 7:28 and who has shown favor to me before[3] the king, his counselors, and all his influential captains.[4] So, I took courage because I was strengthened by the hand of Yahveh, my God, and I gathered Israelite leaders to return with me.

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[1]  חֹק = prescribed task. Ezra 7:10, 11.

[2] בָּרָךְ = empower, endorse, praise. Ezra 7:27.

[3] פָּנִים = face, before. Ezra 7:28; 8:21, 29; 9:6, 7, 9, 15; 10:1, 6.

[4] שַׂר = captain. Ezra 7:28; 8:20, 24, 25, 29; 9:1, 2; 10:5, 8, 14.

links:

such a thing as this
the king’s mind

The EZRA shelf in Jeff’s library

Ezra 6

Ezra 6:1 King Darius gave the order, and they searched in the library of Babylon in the archives.

Ezra 6:2 But it was in the fortress of Ecbatana in the province of Media that a scroll was found with this record written on it:

Ezra 6:3 In the first year of King Cyrus, he issued a decree concerning the house of God in Jerusalem: Let the house be rebuilt as a place for offering sacrifices, and let its original foundations be retained. Its height is to be ninety feet and its width ninety feet,

Ezra 6:4 with three layers of cut stones and one of timber. The cost is to be paid from the royal treasury.

Ezra 6:5 The gold and silver articles of God’s house that Nebuchadnezzar took from the temple in Jerusalem and carried to Babylon must also be returned. They are to be brought to the temple in Jerusalem, where they belong and put into the house of God.

Ezra 6:6 Therefore, you must stay away from that place, Tattenai, governor of the region west of the Euphrates River, Shethar-bozenai, and your colleagues, the officials in the area.

Ezra 6:7 Leave the construction of the house of God alone. Let the governor and elders of the Jews rebuild this house of God on its original site.

Ezra 6:8 I issue a decree concerning what you are to do so that the elders of the Jews can rebuild the house of God: The cost is to be paid in full to these men out of the royal revenues from the taxes of the region west of the Euphrates River so that the work will not stop.

Ezra 6:9 Whatever is needed– young bulls, rams, and lambs for burnt offerings to the God of the sky, or wheat, salt, wine, and oil, as requested by the priests in Jerusalem– let it be given to them every day without fail,

Ezra 6:10 so that they can offer sacrifices of pleasing aroma to the God of the sky and pray for the life of the king and his sons.

Ezra 6:11 I also issue a decree concerning any man who interferes with this directive: Let a beam be torn from his house and raised; he will be impaled on it, and his house will be made into a garbage dump because of this offense.

Ezra 6:12 May the God who caused his name to dwell there overthrow any king or people who dares to harm or interfere with this house of God in Jerusalem. I, Darius, have issued the decree. Let it be carried out diligently.

Ezra 6:13 Then Tattenai, governor of the region west of the Euphrates River, Shethar-bozenai, and their colleagues diligently carried out what King Darius had decreed.

Ezra 6:14 So the Jewish elders succeeded in building the temple under the prophecy of Haggai, the prophet, and Zechariah, son of Iddo. They finished the temple according to the command of the God of Israel and the decrees of Cyrus, Darius, and King Artaxerxes of Persia.

Ezra 6:15 This house was completed on the third day of the month of Adar in the sixth year of King Darius’s reign.

Ezra 6:16 Then the Israelites, including the priests, the Levites, and the rest of the exiles, celebrated the dedication of the house of God with joy.

Ezra 6:17 For the dedication of God’s house, they offered one hundred bulls, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs, and twelve male goats as a sin offering for all Israel- one for each Israelite tribe.

Ezra 6:18 They also appointed the priests by their divisions and the Levites by their groups to serve God in Jerusalem, according to what is written in the Book of Moses.

Ezra 6:19 The exiles observed the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month.

Ezra 6:20 All priests and Levites were ceremonially clean because they had purified[1] themselves. They killed the Passover lamb for themselves, their priestly brothers, and all the exiles.

Ezra 6:21 The Israelites who had returned from exile consumed it, together with all who had separated[2] themselves from the uncleanness of the Gentiles of the land to worship Yahveh, the God of Israel.

Ezra 6:22 They observed the Festival of Matzah[3] for seven days with joy because Yahveh had caused them to enjoy[4] it. He had changed the Assyrian king’s heart[5] toward them so that he strengthened them in the work on the house of the God of Israel.

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[1] טָהוֹר -=  pure, purify. Ezra 6:20.

[2] בָּדָל = separate. Ezra 6:21; 8:24; 9:1; 10:8, 11, 16.

[3] מַצָּה = Matzah (unleavened bread). Ezra 6:22.

[4] שָׂמַח = enjoy,  rejoice .  Ezra 6:22.

[5] לֵב = heart. Ezra 6:22; 7:27.

links:

surprise!
the reverser

The EZRA shelf in Jeff’s library

Ezra 5

Ezra 5:1 But when the prophets Haggai and Zechariah 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,

Ezra 5:2 Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua, son of Jozadak, began to rebuild God’s house in Jerusalem. The prophets of God were with them, helping them.

Ezra 5:3 At that time, Tattenai, the governor of the region west of the Euphrates River, Shethar-bozenai, and their colleagues came to the Jews and asked, “Who gave you the order to rebuild this temple and finish this structure?”

Ezra 5:4 They also asked them, “What are the names of the workers constructing this building?”

Ezra 5:5 But God was watching over the Jewish elders. These men wouldn’t stop them until a report was sent to Darius so that they could receive written instructions about this matter.

Ezra 5:6 This is the text of the letter that Tattenai, the governor of the region west of the Euphrates River, Shethar-bozenai, and their colleagues, the regional officials, sent to King Darius.

Ezra 5:7 They sent him a report, written as follows: To King Darius: All greetings.

Ezra 5:8 Let it be known to the king that we went to the house of the great God in the province of Judah. It is being built with cut stones, and its beams are set in the walls. This work is being done diligently and succeeding through the people’s efforts.

Ezra 5:9 So we asked the elders, “Who gave you the order to rebuild this temple and finish this structure?”

Ezra 5:10 We also asked them for their names so that we could write down the names of their leaders for your information.

Ezra 5:11 This is their reply: We are the servants of the God of the sky[1] and land, and we are rebuilding the temple built many years ago, which a great king of Israel built and finished.

Ezra 5:12 But since our ancestors angered the God of the sky, he handed them over to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, the Chaldean, who destroyed this temple and deported the people to Babylon.

Ezra 5:13 However, in the first year of King Cyrus of Babylon, he issued a decree to rebuild the house of God.

Ezra 5:14 He also took from the temple in Babylon the gold and silver articles of God’s house that Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple in Jerusalem and carried them to the temple in Babylon. He released them from the temple in Babylon to a man named Sheshbazzar, the governor by the appointment of King Cyrus.

Ezra 5:15 Cyrus told him, “Take these articles, put them in the temple in Jerusalem, and let the house of God be rebuilt on its original site.”

Ezra 5:16 This same Sheshbazzar laid the foundation of God’s house in Jerusalem. It has been under construction since then, but it has not been completed.

Ezra 5:17 So, if it pleases the king, let a search of the royal archives in Babylon be conducted to see if it is true that King Cyrus issued a decree to rebuild the house of God in Jerusalem. Let the king’s decision regarding this matter be sent to us.

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[1] שָׁמַיִן = sky. Ezra 5:11, 12; 6:9, 10; 7:12, 21, 23.

links:

all about a Promise (part 2)
authorization
clarity

The EZRA shelf in Jeff’s library

Ezra 4

Ezra 4:1 When the enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the returned exiles were building a temple for Yahveh, the God of Israel,

Ezra 4:2 they approached Zerubbabel and the family heads and said, “Let us build with you, for we also worship your God and have been sacrificing to him since the time King Esar-haddon of Assyria brought us here.”

Ezra 4:3 But Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the other heads of Israel’s families answered them, “You may have no part with us in building a house for our God since we alone will build it for Yahveh, the God of Israel, as King Cyrus, the king of Persia has commanded[1] us.”

Ezra 4:4 Then the people already in the land discouraged the people of Judah and made them afraid to build.

Ezra 4:5 They also bribed officials to act against them to frustrate their plans throughout the reign of King Cyrus of Persia and until the reign of King Darius of Persia.

Ezra 4:6 At the beginning of the reign of Ahasuerus, the people who were already in the land wrote an accusation against the residents of Judah and Jerusalem.

Ezra 4:7 During the time of King Artaxerxes of Persia, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of his colleagues wrote to him in Aramaic and translated.

Ezra 4:8 Rehum, the chief deputy, and Shimshai, the scribe, wrote a letter to King Artaxerxes concerning Jerusalem as follows:

Ezra 4:9 From Rehum, the chief deputy, Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their colleagues– the judges and magistrates from Tripolis, Persia, Erech, Babylon, Susa (that is, the people of Elam),

Ezra 4:10 and the rest of the peoples whom the great and illustrious Ashurbanipal deported and settled in the cities of Samaria and the region west of the Euphrates River.

Ezra 4:11 This is the text of the letter they sent to him: To King Artaxerxes from your servants, the men from the region west of the Euphrates River:

Ezra 4:12 Let it be known to the king that the Jews who came from you have returned to us at Jerusalem. They are rebuilding that rebellious and evil city, finishing its walls, and repairing its foundations.

Ezra 4:13 Let it now be known to the king that if that city is rebuilt and its walls are finished, they will not pay tribute, duty, or land tax, and the royal revenue will suffer.

Ezra 4:14 Since we have taken an oath of loyalty to the king, and it is not suitable for us to witness his dishonor, we have sent to inform the king.

Ezra 4:15 states that a search should be made in your ancestors’ record books. In these record books, you will discover and verify that the city was rebellious and harmful to kings and provinces. Revolts have been occurring in it since ancient times, which is why this city was destroyed.

Ezra 4:16 We advise the king that if this city is rebuilt and its walls are finished, you will not have any possession west of the Euphrates.

Ezra 4:17 The king replied to his chief deputy Rehum, Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their colleagues living in Samaria and elsewhere in the region west of the Euphrates River: Greetings.

Ezra 4:18 The letter you sent us has been translated and read in my presence.

Ezra 4:19 I issued a decree, and a search was conducted. It was discovered that this city has had uprisings against kings since ancient times, and there have been rebellions and revolts.

Ezra 4:20 Powerful kings also ruled over Jerusalem and exercised authority over the whole region west of the Euphrates River, and tribute, duty, and land tax were paid to them.

Ezra 4:21 Therefore, order these men to stop so that this city will not be rebuilt until I have pronounced a further decree.

Ezra 4:22 Do not neglect this matter. Otherwise, the damage will increase, and the royal interests will suffer.

Ezra 4:23 As soon as the text of King Artaxerxes’s letter was read to Rehum, Shimshai, the scribe, and their colleagues, they immediately went to the Jews in Jerusalem and forcibly stopped them.

Ezra 4:24 Now, the construction of God’s house in Jerusalem had stopped and remained at a standstill until the second year of the reign of King Darius of Persia.

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[1] צָוָה = command. Ezra 4:3; 9:11.

links:

an offer to help
allies or adversaries?

The EZRA shelf in Jeff’s library