Ezra 8:17 - Prayer Tents

The People Who Returned from Exile

8This is the list of the heads of the clans who had been in exile in Babylonia and who returned with Ezra to Jerusalem when Artaxerxes was emperor:H7218H1H3187H5927H894H4438H783H44282Gershom, of the clan of Phinehas; Daniel, of the clan of Ithamar; Hattush son of Shecaniah, of the clan of David;H1121H6372H1647H1121H385H1840H1121H1732H24073Zechariah, of the clan of Parosh, with 150 men of his clan (there were records of their family lines);H1121H7935H1121H6551H2148H3187H2145H3967H25724Eliehoenai son of Zerahiah, of the clan of Pahath Moab, with 200 men;H1121H6355H454H1121H2228H3967H21455Shecaniah son of Jahaziel, of the clan of Zattu, with 300 men;H1121H7935H1121H3166H7969H3967H21456Ebed son of Jonathan, of the clan of Adin, with 50 men;H1121H5720H5651H1121H3129H2572H21457Jeshaiah son of Athaliah, of the clan of Elam, with 70 men;H1121H5867H3470H1121H6271H7657H21458Zebadiah son of Michael, of the clan of Shephatiah, with 80 men;H1121H8203H2069H1121H4317H8084H21459Obadiah son of Jehiel, of the clan of Joab, with 218 men;H1121H3097H5662H1121H3171H3967H8083H6240H214510Shelomith son of Josiphiah, of the clan of Bani, with 160 men;H1121H8019H1121H3131H3967H8346H214511Zechariah son of Bebai, of the clan of Bebai, with 28 men;H1121H893H2148H1121H893H6242H8083H214512Johanan son of Hakkatan, of the clan of Azgad, with 110 men;H1121H5803H3110H1121H6997H3967H6235H214513Eliphelet, Jeuel, and Shemaiah, of the clan of Adonikam, with 60 men (they returned at a later date);H314H1121H140H8034H467H3273H8098H8346H214514Uthai and Zaccur, of the clan of Bigvai, with 70 men.H1121H902H5793H2072H2139H7657H2145

Ezra Finds Levites for the Temple

15I assembled the entire group by the canal that runs to the town of Ahava, and we camped there three days. I found that there were priests in the group, but no Levites.H6908H5104H935H163H2583H7969H3117H995H5971H3548H4672H1121H387816I sent for nine of the leaders: Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah, Elnathan, Jarib, Elnathan, Nathan, Zechariah, and Meshullam, and for two teachers, Joiarib and Elnathan.H7971H461H740H8098H494H3402H494H5416H2148H4918H7218H3114H494H99517I sent them to Iddo, head of the community at Casiphia, to ask him and his associates, the Temple workers, to send us people to serve God in the Temple.H6680H3318H112H7218H4725H3703H7760H6310H1697H1696H112H251H5411H5411H4725H3703H935H8334H1004H43018Through God's grace they sent us Sherebiah, an able man, a Levite from the clan of Mahli; and eighteen of his sons and brothers came with him.H2896H3027H430H935H376H7922H1121H4249H1121H3878H1121H3478H8274H1121H251H8083H624019They also sent Hashabiah and Jeshaiah of the clan of Merari, with twenty of their relatives.H2811H3470H1121H4847H251H1121H624220In addition there were 220 Temple workers whose ancestors had been designated by King David and his officials to assist the Levites. They were all listed by name.H5411H1732H8269H5414H5656H3881H3967H6242H5411H5344H8034

Ezra Leads the People in Fasting and Prayer

21There by the Ahava Canal I gave orders for us all to fast and humble ourselves before our God and to ask him to lead us on our journey and protect us and our children and all our possessions.H7121H6685H5104H163H6031H6440H430H1245H3477H1870H2945H739922I would have been ashamed to ask the emperor for a troop of cavalry to guard us from any enemies during our journey, because I had told him that our God blesses everyone who trusts him, but that he is displeased with and punishes anyone who turns away from him.H954H7592H4428H2428H6571H5826H341H1870H559H4428H559H3027H430H2896H1245H5797H639H580023So we fasted and prayed for God to protect us, and he answered our prayers.H6684H1245H430H6279

The Gifts for the Temple

24From among the leading priests I chose Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and ten others.H914H8147H6240H8269H3548H8274H2811H6235H25125Then I weighed out the silver, the gold, and the utensils which the emperor, his advisers and officials, and the people of Israel had given to be used in the Temple, and I gave it to the priests.H8254H3701H2091H3627H8641H1004H430H4428H3289H8269H3478H4672H731126This is what I gave them: silver - 25 tons, 100 silver utensils - 150 pounds, gold - 7,500 pounds,H8254H3027H8337H3967H2572H3603H3701H3701H3627H3967H3603H2091H3967H36032720 gold bowls - 270 ounces, fine bronze bowls, equal in value to gold bowls.H6242H3713H2091H505H150H8147H3627H2896H6668H5178H2532H209128I said to them, "You are sacred to the LORD, the God of your ancestors, and so are all the silver and gold utensils brought to him as freewill offerings.H559H6944H3068H3627H6944H3701H2091H5071H3068H430H129Guard them carefully until you reach the Temple. There in the priests' rooms weigh them and turn them over to the leaders of the priests and of the Levites, and to the leaders of the people of Israel in Jerusalem."H8245H8104H8254H6440H8269H3548H3881H8269H1H3478H3389H3957H1004H306830So the priests and the Levites took charge of the silver, the gold, and the utensils, to take them to the Temple in Jerusalem.H6901H3548H3881H4948H3701H2091H3627H935H3389H1004H430

The Return to Jerusalem

31It was on the twelfth day of the first month that we left the Ahava Canal to go to Jerusalem. Our God was with us and protected us from enemy attacks and from ambush as we traveled.H5265H5104H163H8147H6240H7223H2320H3212H3389H3027H430H5337H3709H341H693H187032When we reached Jerusalem, we rested three days.H935H3389H3427H7969H311733Then on the fourth day we went to the Temple, weighed the silver, the gold, and the utensils, and turned them over to Meremoth the priest, son of Uriah. With him were Eleazar son of Phinehas and two Levites, Jozabad son of Jeshua and Noadiah son of Binnui.H7243H3117H3701H2091H3627H8254H1004H430H3027H4822H1121H223H3548H499H1121H6372H3107H1121H3442H5129H1121H1131H388134Everything was counted and weighed, and a complete record was made at the same time.H4557H4948H4948H3789H625635All those who had returned from exile then brought offerings to be burned as sacrifices to the God of Israel. They offered 12 bulls for all Israel, 96 rams, and 77 lambs; they also offered 12 goats to purify themselves from sin. All these animals were burned as sacrifices to the LORD.H1121H1473H935H7628H7126H5930H430H3478H8147H6240H6499H3478H8673H8337H352H7657H7651H3532H8147H6240H6842H2403H5930H306836They also took the document the emperor had given them and gave it to the governors and officials of West-of-Euphrates Province, who then gave their support to the people and the Temple worship.H5414H4428H1881H4428H323H6346H5676H5104H5375H5971H1004H430