Ezra 6:20
New International Version
The priests and Levites had purified themselves and were all ceremonially clean. The Levites slaughtered the Passover lamb for all the exiles, for their relatives the priests and for themselves.

New Living Translation
The priests and Levites had purified themselves and were ceremonially clean. So they slaughtered the Passover lamb for all the returned exiles, for their fellow priests, and for themselves.

English Standard Version
For the priests and the Levites had purified themselves together; all of them were clean. So they slaughtered the Passover lamb for all the returned exiles, for their fellow priests, and for themselves.

Berean Standard Bible
All the priests and Levites had purified themselves and were ceremonially clean. And the Levites slaughtered the Passover lamb for all the exiles, for their priestly brothers, and for themselves.

King James Bible
For the priests and the Levites were purified together, all of them were pure, and killed the passover for all the children of the captivity, and for their brethren the priests, and for themselves.

New King James Version
For the priests and the Levites had purified themselves; all of them were ritually clean. And they slaughtered the Passover lambs for all the descendants of the captivity, for their brethren the priests, and for themselves.

New American Standard Bible
For the priests and the Levites had purified themselves together; all of them were pure. Then they slaughtered the Passover lambs for all the exiles, both for their brothers the priests and for themselves.

NASB 1995
For the priests and the Levites had purified themselves together; all of them were pure. Then they slaughtered the Passover lamb for all the exiles, both for their brothers the priests and for themselves.

NASB 1977
For the priests and the Levites had purified themselves together; all of them were pure. Then they slaughtered the Passover lamb for all the exiles, both for their brothers the priests and for themselves.

Legacy Standard Bible
For the priests and the Levites had cleansed themselves together; all of them were clean. Then they slaughtered the Passover lamb for all the exiles, both for their brothers the priests and for themselves.

Amplified Bible
For the priests and the Levites had purified themselves together; all of them were [ceremonially] clean. So they slaughtered the Passover lamb for all the exiles, for their brothers the priests, and for themselves.

Christian Standard Bible
All of the priests and Levites were ceremonially clean, because they had purified themselves. They killed the Passover lamb for themselves, their priestly brothers, and all the exiles.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
All of the priests and Levites were ceremonially clean, because they had purified themselves. They killed the Passover lamb for themselves, their priestly brothers, and all the exiles.

American Standard Version
For the priests and the Levites had purified themselves together; all of them were pure: and they killed the passover for all the children of the captivity, and for their brethren the priests, and for themselves.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
Because the Priests and the Levites were purified as one, and all of them were cleansed, and at Passover all the children of captivity killed lambs, also for their brothers the Priests, also for themselves.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
For the priests and Levites were purified, all were clean to a man, and they slew the passover for all the children of the captivity, and for their brethren the priests, and for themselves.

Contemporary English Version
The priests and Levites had gone through a ceremony to make themselves acceptable to lead in worship. Then some of them killed Passover lambs for those who had returned, including the other priests and themselves.

Douay-Rheims Bible
For all the priests and the Levites were purified as one man: all were clear to kill the phase for all the children of the captivity, and for their brethren the priests, and themselves.

English Revised Version
For the priests and the Levites had purified themselves together; all of them were pure: and they killed the passover for all the children of the captivity, and for their brethren the priests, and for themselves.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Since the priests and Levites had cleansed themselves, all of them were [now] clean. They killed the Passover lambs for all the people who had returned from exile, for the rest of the priests, and for themselves.

Good News Translation
All the priests and the Levites had purified themselves and were ritually clean. The Levites killed the animals for the Passover sacrifices for all the people who had returned, for the priests, and for themselves.

International Standard Version
because the priests and descendants of Levi had purified themselves together—all of them were pure—and they killed the Passover lamb for every former exile, for their relatives the priests, and for themselves.

JPS Tanakh 1917
For the priests and the Levites had purified themselves together; all of them were pure; and they killed the passover lamb for all the children of the captivity, and for their brethren the priests, and for themselves.

Literal Standard Version
for the priests and the Levites have been purified together—all of them [are] pure—and they slaughter the Passover for all the sons of the captivity, and for their brothers the priests, and for themselves.

Majority Standard Bible
All the priests and Levites had purified themselves and were ceremonially clean. And the Levites slaughtered the Passover lamb for all the exiles, for their priestly brothers, and for themselves.

New American Bible
The Levites, every one of whom had purified himself for the occasion, sacrificed the Passover for all the exiles, for their colleagues the priests, and for themselves.

NET Bible
The priests and the Levites had purified themselves, every last one, and they all were ceremonially pure. They sacrificed the Passover lamb for all the exiles, for their colleagues the priests, and for themselves.

New Revised Standard Version
For both the priests and the Levites had purified themselves; all of them were clean. So they killed the passover lamb for all the returned exiles, for their fellow priests, and for themselves.

New Heart English Bible
For the priests and the Levites had purified themselves together; all of them were pure: and they killed the Passover lamb for all the people from the exile, and for their brothers the priests, and for themselves.

Webster's Bible Translation
For the priests and the Levites were purified together, all of them were pure, and they killed the passover for all the children of the captivity, and for their brethren the priests, and for themselves.

World English Bible
Because the priests and the Levites had purified themselves together, all of them were pure. They killed the Passover for all the children of the captivity, for their brothers the priests, and for themselves.

Young's Literal Translation
for the priests and the Levites have been purified together -- all of them are pure -- and they slaughter the passover for all the sons of the captivity, and for their brethren the priests, and for themselves.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Passover
19On the fourteenth day of the first month, the exiles kept the Passover. 20All the priests and Levites had purified themselves and were ceremonially clean. And the Levites slaughtered the Passover lamb for all the exiles, for their priestly brothers, and for themselves. 21The Israelites who had returned from exile ate it, together with all who had separated themselves from the uncleanness of the peoples of the land to seek the LORD, the God of Israel.…

Cross References
2 Chronicles 29:34
However, since there were not enough priests to skin all the burnt offerings, their Levite brothers helped them until the work was finished and until the priests had been consecrated. For the Levites had been more diligent in consecrating themselves than the priests had been.

2 Chronicles 30:15
And on the fourteenth day of the second month they slaughtered the Passover lamb. The priests and Levites were ashamed, and they consecrated themselves and brought burnt offerings to the house of the LORD.

2 Chronicles 35:11
And they slaughtered the Passover lambs, while the priests sprinkled the blood handed to them and the Levites skinned the animals.


Treasury of Scripture

For the priests and the Levites were purified together, all of them were pure, and killed the passover for all the children of the captivity, and for their brothers the priests, and for themselves.

purified together

2 Chronicles 29:34
But the priests were too few, so that they could not flay all the burnt offerings: wherefore their brethren the Levites did help them, till the work was ended, and until the other priests had sanctified themselves: for the Levites were more upright in heart to sanctify themselves than the priests.

2 Chronicles 30:15-17
Then they killed the passover on the fourteenth day of the second month: and the priests and the Levites were ashamed, and sanctified themselves, and brought in the burnt offerings into the house of the LORD…

killed

Exodus 12:21
Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel, and said unto them, Draw out and take you a lamb according to your families, and kill the passover.

2 Chronicles 35:11
And they killed the passover, and the priests sprinkled the blood from their hands, and the Levites flayed them.

Hebrews 7:27
Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people's: for this he did once, when he offered up himself.

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Captivity Ceremonially Children Clean Death Exiles Fellow Killed Levites Passover Priests Pure Purified Slaughter Slaughtered Themselves Together
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Captivity Ceremonially Children Clean Death Exiles Fellow Killed Levites Passover Priests Pure Purified Slaughter Slaughtered Themselves Together
Ezra 6
1. Darius, finding the decree of Cyrus, makes a new decree for building
13. By the help of Tattenai and Shethar-Bozenai the temple is finished
16. The feast of the dedication is kept
19. and the Passover














(20) Purified together.--This verse should be translated as follows, contrary to the present accentuation: "The priests were purified; and the Levites were purified as one man: all were pure; and killed." In this fact the present Levitical and official purity of both orders surpassed that of Hezekiah's celebration (2Chronicles 29:34; 2Chronicles 30:3). It had come to be the practice that the Levites slaughtered all the paschal lambs.

Verse 20. - The opening section of this verse is mistranslated. Ezra really makes a distinction between the priests and the Levites, the former of whom, he says, "purified themselves," while the latter "were all pure, as one man;" wherefore the latter killed the paschal lambs, not only for themselves and for the people, but also for their brethren the priests. It would seem that, as in Hezekiah's time, "the Levites were more upright in heart to sanctify themselves than the priests" (2 Chronicles 29:34).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
All
כֻּלָּ֣ם (kul·lām)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

the priests
הַכֹּהֲנִ֧ים (hak·kō·hă·nîm)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 3548: Priest

and Levites
וְהַלְוִיִּ֛ם (wə·hal·wî·yim)
Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - proper - masculine plural
Strong's 3881: Levites -- descendant of Levi

had purified themselves
הִֽטַּהֲר֞וּ (hiṭ·ṭa·hă·rū)
Verb - Hitpael - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 2891: To be clean or pure

and were ceremonially clean.
טְהוֹרִ֑ים (ṭə·hō·w·rîm)
Adjective - masculine plural
Strong's 2889: Clean, pure

And [the Levites] slaughtered
וַיִּשְׁחֲט֤וּ (way·yiš·ḥă·ṭū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 7819: To slaughter, beat

the Passover lamb
הַפֶּ֙סַח֙ (hap·pe·saḥ)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6453: A pretermission, exemption, Passover

for all
לְכָל־ (lə·ḵāl)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

the exiles,
בְּנֵ֣י (bə·nê)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 1121: A son

for their priestly
הַכֹּהֲנִ֖ים (hak·kō·hă·nîm)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 3548: Priest

brothers,
וְלַאֲחֵיהֶ֥ם (wə·la·’ă·ḥê·hem)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 251: A brother, )

and for themselves.
וְלָהֶֽם׃ (wə·lā·hem)
Conjunctive waw | Preposition | third person masculine plural
Strong's 1992: They


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OT History: Ezra 6:20 For the priests and the Levites had (Ezr. Ez)
Ezra 6:19
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