List of the Family Heads Returning With Ezra
1These are the family heads and those registered with them who came up with me from Babylon during the reign of King Artaxerxes:
2of the descendants of Phinehas, Gershom;
of the descendants of Ithamar, Daniel;
of the descendants of David, Hattush 3of the descendants of Shekaniah;
of the descendants of Parosh, Zechariah, and with him were registered 150 men;
4of the descendants of Pahath-Moab, Eliehoenai son of Zerahiah, and with him 200 men;
5of the descendants of Zattu,8:5 Some Septuagint manuscripts (also 1 Esdras 8:32); Hebrew does not have Zattu. Shekaniah son of Jahaziel, and with him 300 men;
6of the descendants of Adin, Ebed son of Jonathan, and with him 50 men;
7of the descendants of Elam, Jeshaiah son of Athaliah, and with him 70 men;
8of the descendants of Shephatiah, Zebadiah son of Michael, and with him 80 men;
9of the descendants of Joab, Obadiah son of Jehiel, and with him 218 men;
10of the descendants of Bani,8:10 Some Septuagint manuscripts (also 1 Esdras 8:36); Hebrew does not have Bani. Shelomith son of Josiphiah, and with him 160 men;
11of the descendants of Bebai, Zechariah son of Bebai, and with him 28 men;
12of the descendants of Azgad, Johanan son of Hakkatan, and with him 110 men;
13of the descendants of Adonikam, the last ones, whose names were Eliphelet, Jeuel and Shemaiah, and with them 60 men;
14of the descendants of Bigvai, Uthai and Zakkur, and with them 70 men.
The Return to Jerusalem
15I assembled them at the canal that flows toward Ahava, and we camped there three days. When I checked among the people and the priests, I found no Levites there. 16So I summoned Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah, Elnathan, Jarib, Elnathan, Nathan, Zechariah and Meshullam, who were leaders, and Joiarib and Elnathan, who were men of learning, 17and I ordered them to go to Iddo, the leader in Kasiphia. I told them what to say to Iddo and his fellow Levites, the temple servants in Kasiphia, so that they might bring attendants to us for the house of our God. 18Because the gracious hand of our God was on us, they brought us Sherebiah, a capable man, from the descendants of Mahli son of Levi, the son of Israel, and Sherebiah’s sons and brothers, 18 in all; 19and Hashabiah, together with Jeshaiah from the descendants of Merari, and his brothers and nephews, 20 in all. 20They also brought 220 of the temple servants—a body that David and the officials had established to assist the Levites. All were registered by name.
21There, by the Ahava Canal, I proclaimed a fast, so that we might humble ourselves before our God and ask him for a safe journey for us and our children, with all our possessions. 22I was ashamed to ask the king for soldiers and horsemen to protect us from enemies on the road, because we had told the king, “The gracious hand of our God is on everyone who looks to him, but his great anger is against all who forsake him.” 23So we fasted and petitioned our God about this, and he answered our prayer.
24Then I set apart twelve of the leading priests, namely, Sherebiah, Hashabiah and ten of their brothers, 25and I weighed out to them the offering of silver and gold and the articles that the king, his advisers, his officials and all Israel present there had donated for the house of our God. 26I weighed out to them 650 talents8:26 That is, about 24 tons or about 22 metric tons of silver, silver articles weighing 100 talents,8:26 That is, about 3 3/4 tons or about 3.4 metric tons 100 talents8:26 That is, about 3 3/4 tons or about 3.4 metric tons of gold, 2720 bowls of gold valued at 1,000 darics,8:27 That is, about 19 pounds or about 8.4 kilograms and two fine articles of polished bronze, as precious as gold.
28I said to them, “You as well as these articles are consecrated to the Lord. The silver and gold are a freewill offering to the Lord, the God of your ancestors. 29Guard them carefully until you weigh them out in the chambers of the house of the Lord in Jerusalem before the leading priests and the Levites and the family heads of Israel.” 30Then the priests and Levites received the silver and gold and sacred articles that had been weighed out to be taken to the house of our God in Jerusalem.
31On the twelfth day of the first month we set out from the Ahava Canal to go to Jerusalem. The hand of our God was on us, and he protected us from enemies and bandits along the way. 32So we arrived in Jerusalem, where we rested three days.
33On the fourth day, in the house of our God, we weighed out the silver and gold and the sacred articles into the hands of Meremoth son of Uriah, the priest. Eleazar son of Phinehas was with him, and so were the Levites Jozabad son of Jeshua and Noadiah son of Binnui. 34Everything was accounted for by number and weight, and the entire weight was recorded at that time.
35Then the exiles who had returned from captivity sacrificed burnt offerings to the God of Israel: twelve bulls for all Israel, ninety-six rams, seventy-seven male lambs and, as a sin offering,8:35 Or purification offering twelve male goats. All this was a burnt offering to the Lord. 36They also delivered the king’s orders to the royal satraps and to the governors of Trans-Euphrates, who then gave assistance to the people and to the house of God.
Orodha Ya Viongozi Wa Jamaa Waliorudi Na Ezra
18:1 Ezr 7:7Hawa ndio viongozi wa jamaa pamoja na wale walioandikwa ambao walikuja pamoja nami kutoka Babeli wakati wa utawala wa Mfalme Artashasta:
28:2 1Nya 3:22wa wazao wa Finehasi, alikuwa Gershoni;
wa wazao wa Ithamari, alikuwa Danieli;
wa wazao wa Daudi, alikuwa Hatushi 38:3 1Nya 3:22; Ezr 2:3wa wazao wa Shekania;
wa wazao wa Paroshi, alikuwa Zekaria, na watu 150 walioandikishwa pamoja naye;
48:4 Ezr 2:6wa wazao wa Pahath-Moabu, alikuwa Eliehoenai mwana wa Zerahia na wanaume 200 pamoja naye;
5wa wazao wa Zatu, alikuwa Shekania mwana wa Yahazieli na wanaume 300 pamoja naye;
68:6 Ezr 2:15; Neh 7:20wa wazao wa Adini, alikuwa Ebedi mwana wa Yonathani na wanaume 50 pamoja naye;
7wa wazao wa Elamu, alikuwa Yeshaya mwana wa Athalia, na wanaume 70 pamoja naye;
8wa wazao wa Shefatia, alikuwa Zebadia mwana wa Mikaeli na wanaume 80 pamoja naye;
9wa wazao wa Yoabu, alikuwa Obadia mwana wa Yehieli na wanaume 218 pamoja naye;
10wa wazao wa Bani, alikuwa Shelomithi mwana wa Yosifia na wanaume 160 pamoja naye;
11wa wazao wa Bebai, alikuwa Zekaria mwana wa Bebai na wanaume 28 pamoja naye;
12wa wazao wa Azgadi, alikuwa Yohanani mwana wa Hakatani na wanaume 110 pamoja naye;
138:13 Ezr 2:13wa wazao wa Adonikamu, hawa walikuwa wa mwisho ambao majina yao ni Elifeleti, Yeueli, Shemaya na wanaume 60 pamoja nao;
14wa wazao wa Bigwai, walikuwa Uthai na Zakuri na wanaume 70 pamoja nao.
Kurudi Yerusalemu
158:15 Ezr 2:40; 7:7; Mdo 16:13; 20:28; Za 137:1; Mit 27:23; Ebr 13:17; Ezr 7:7; Hes 8:1Niliwakusanya kwenye mto utiririkao kuelekea Ahava, nasi tukapiga kambi pale siku tatu. Wakati nilipokagua kati ya watu na makuhani, sikuwapata Walawi. 16Basi niliwaita Eliezeri, Arieli, Shemaya, Elnathani, Yaribu, Elnathani, Nathani, Zekaria na Meshulamu waliokuwa viongozi na Yoyaribu na Elnathani waliokuwa wasomi, 178:17 Ezr 2:43nikawatuma kwa Ido kiongozi huko Kasifia. Niliwaambia watakayomwambia Ido na ndugu zake, watumishi wa Hekalu8:17 Yaani Wanethini (pia 8:20). huko Kasifia, ili waweze kutuletea wahudumu kwa ajili ya nyumba ya Mungu wetu. 188:18 Ezr 5:5Kwa sababu mkono wa neema wa Mungu wetu ulikuwa juu yetu, walituletea Sherebia, mtu mwenye uwezo kutoka wazao wa Mahli mwana wa Lawi, mwana wa Israeli, na wana wa Sherebia pamoja na ndugu zao wanaume kumi na wanane. 19Naye Hashabia, pamoja na Yeshaya kutoka wazao wa Merari na ndugu zake na wapwa wake wanaume ishirini. 208:20 1Nya 9:2; Ezr 2:43Vilevile walileta watumishi wa Hekalu 220, kikundi ambacho Daudi na maafisa walikuwa wamekiweka kusaidia Walawi. Wote walikuwa wameorodheshwa kwa majina.
218:21 2Nya 9:2; Ezr 2:438:21 2Nya 20:3; Za 27:11; Law 16:29; Za 5:8; 2Nya 20:3; Law 16:29; Isa 58:3-5Kando ya Mto Ahava, hapo nilitangaza kufunga, ili tujinyenyekeshe mbele za Mungu wetu na kumwomba kwa ajili ya kutujalia safari ya amani sisi na watoto wetu, pamoja na mali zetu zote. 228:22 Neh 2:9; Yer 41:16; Kum 31:17; 2Nya 15:2; 1Kor 9:15; 1Nya 28:9; Ezr 7:6-9; Za 33:18-19; Isa 3:10; Rum 8:28; 1Pet 3:12; Za 34:16; 2Nya 15:2Niliona aibu kumwomba mfalme askari na wapanda farasi wa kutulinda njiani kutokana na adui zetu, kwa sababu tulikwisha kumwambia mfalme, “Mkono wa neema wa Mungu wetu uko juu ya kila mmoja anayemtafuta, lakini hasira yake kubwa ni dhidi ya wote wamwachao.” 238:23 2Nya 33:13; Kum 4:29; Mdo 14:23; 1Nya 5:20; Isa 19:22; Yer 29:12-13Kwa hiyo tulifunga na kumwomba Mungu wetu kuhusu jambo hili, naye akajibu maombi yetu.
24Kisha niliwatenga viongozi wa makuhani kumi na wawili, pamoja na Sherebia, Hashabia na ndugu zao kumi, 258:25 Ezr 7:15-16nami nikawapimia fedha, dhahabu na vifaa ambavyo mfalme, washauri wake, maafisa wake na Israeli wote waliokuwepo walikuwa wamevitoa sadaka kwa ajili ya nyumba ya Mungu wetu. 26Niliwapimia talanta 6508:26 Talanta 650 za fedha ni sawa na tani 25. za fedha, vifaa vingine vya fedha vya uzito wa talanta mia moja,8:26 Talanta 100 za fedha ni sawa na tani 3.75. talanta mia moja za dhahabu, 27mabakuli ishirini ya dhahabu ya thamani ya darkoni elfu moja,8:27 Darkoni 1,000 ni sawa na kilo 8.5. na vyombo viwili vya shaba iliyosuguliwa, ya thamani kama dhahabu.
288:28 Kum 33:8; Law 21:6; 22:2-3; 2Nya 24:14; Hes 4:4; Isa 52:11; 1Nya 23:28Niliwaambia, “Ninyi pamoja na vyombo hivi ni wakfu kwa Bwana. Fedha na dhahabu ni sadaka ya hiari kwa Bwana, Mungu wa baba zenu. 298:29 1Nya 26:20-26; Lk 12:38-39Vilindeni kwa uangalifu mpaka mtakapovipima ndani ya vyumba vya nyumba ya Bwana katika Yerusalemu mbele ya makuhani, viongozi na Walawi pamoja na wakuu wa jamaa za Israeli.” 30Ndipo makuhani na Walawi wakapokea fedha, dhahabu na vyombo vilivyowekwa wakfu ambavyo vilipimwa na kupelekwa katika nyumba ya Mungu wetu mjini Yerusalemu.
318:31 Ay 5:19-24; Isa 41:10-14; Ezr 7:6-7, 28Tulianza safari kutoka Mto Ahava kwenda Yerusalemu kwenye siku ya kumi na mbili ya mwezi wa kwanza. Mkono wa Mungu wetu ulikuwa juu yetu, naye njiani alitulinda dhidi ya adui na wanyangʼanyi. 328:32 Mwa 40:13; Neh 2:11; Isa 56:6; 14:1Kwa hiyo tuliwasili Yerusalemu ambapo tulipumzika kwa siku tatu.
338:33 Neh 3:3, 21-24Katika siku ya nne, ndani ya nyumba ya Mungu wetu, tulipima fedha, dhahabu na vyombo vilivyowekwa wakfu, tukakabidhi mikononi mwa kuhani Meremothi mwana wa Uria. Eleazari mwana wa Finehasi alikuwa pamoja naye, pia walikuwako Walawi wawili, Yozabadi mwana wa Yeshua na Noadia mwana wa Binui. 34Kila kitu kilihesabiwa kwa idadi na kupimwa kwa uzito, nao uzito wote uliandikwa wakati ule.
358:35 Law 1:3; 2Nya 29:21, 24; 30:24; Ezr 6:17Kisha mateka waliokuwa wamerudi kutoka utumwani wakatoa sadaka za kuteketezwa kwa moto kwa Mungu wa Israeli: mafahali kumi na wawili kwa ajili ya Israeli wote, kondoo dume tisini na sita, wana-kondoo sabini na saba na mbuzi dume kumi na wawili kuwa sadaka ya dhambi. Hii yote ilikuwa sadaka ya kuteketezwa kwa moto kwa Bwana. 368:36 Ezr 7:21-24; Zek 8:1-23; Es 9:3Pia walikabidhi manaibu wa mfalme na watawala wa Ngʼambo ya Mto Frati maagizo ya mfalme, ambao baadaye walitoa msaada kwa watu na kwa nyumba ya Mungu.
