Ezra 8:21
New International Version
There, 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.

New Living Translation
And there by the Ahava Canal, I gave orders for all of us to fast and humble ourselves before our God. We prayed that he would give us a safe journey and protect us, our children, and our goods as we traveled.

English Standard Version
Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek from him a safe journey for ourselves, our children, and all our goods.

Berean Standard Bible
And there 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.

King James Bible
Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river of Ahava, that we might afflict ourselves before our God, to seek of him a right way for us, and for our little ones, and for all our substance.

New King James Version
Then I proclaimed a fast there at the river of Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek from Him the right way for us and our little ones and all our possessions.

New American Standard Bible
Then I proclaimed a fast there at the river of Ahava, to humble ourselves before our God, to seek from Him a safe journey for us, our little ones, and all our possessions.

NASB 1995
Then I proclaimed a fast there at the river of Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God to seek from Him a safe journey for us, our little ones, and all our possessions.

NASB 1977
Then I proclaimed a fast there at the river of Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God to seek from Him a safe journey for us, our little ones, and all our possessions.

Legacy Standard Bible
Then I called for a fast there at the river of Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God to seek from Him a direct journey for us, our little ones, and all our possessions.

Amplified Bible
Then I proclaimed a fast there at the river Ahava, so that we might humble ourselves before our God to seek from Him a safe journey for us, our children, and all our possessions.

Christian Standard Bible
I proclaimed a fast by the Ahava River, so that we might humble ourselves before our God and ask him for a safe journey for us, our dependents, and all our possessions.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
I proclaimed a fast by the Ahava River, so that we might humble ourselves before our God and ask Him for a safe journey for us, our children, and all our possessions.

American Standard Version
Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek of him a straight way for us, and for our little ones, and for all our substance.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And I called and I ordered them on the river Hawa to humble themselves before our God, and to seek from him the way of the upright for us, and for our children and for all our possessions.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And I proclaimed there a fast, at the river Aue, that we should humble ourselves before our God, to seek of him a straight way for us, and for our children, and for all our property.

Contemporary English Version
Beside the Ahava River, I asked the people to go without eating and to pray. We humbled ourselves and asked God to bring us and our children safely to Jerusalem with all of our possessions.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And I proclaimed there a fast by the river Ahava, that we might afflict ourselves before the Lord our God, and might ask of him a right way for us and for our children, and for all our substance.

English Revised Version
Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek of him a straight way, for us, and for our little ones, and for all our substance.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Then I announced a fast there at the Ahava River so that we might humble ourselves in the presence of our God to ask him for a safe journey for ourselves, for our little ones, and for all our goods.

Good News Translation
There 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.

International Standard Version
Then I called for a fast there at the Ahava River so we could humble ourselves before our God and seek from him an appropriate way for us and our little ones to live, and how we should guard our personal wealth,

JPS Tanakh 1917
Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek of Him a straight way, for us, and for our little ones, and for all our substance.

Literal Standard Version
And I proclaim there a fast, by the river Ahava, to afflict ourselves before our God, to seek from Him a right way for us, and for our infants, and for all our substance,

Majority Standard Bible
And there 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.

New American Bible
Then I proclaimed a fast, there by the river of Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God to seek from him a safe journey for ourselves, our children, and all our possessions.

NET Bible
I called for a fast there by the Ahava Canal, so that we might humble ourselves before our God and seek from him a safe journey for us, our children, and all our property.

New Revised Standard Version
Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river Ahava, that we might deny ourselves before our God, to seek from him a safe journey for ourselves, our children, and all our possessions.

New Heart English Bible
Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek of him a straight way for us, and for our little ones, and for all our substance.

Webster's Bible Translation
Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river Ahava, that we might afflict ourselves before our God, to seek of him a right way for us, and for our little ones, and for all our substance.

World English Bible
Then I proclaimed a fast there at the river Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek from him a straight way for us, for our little ones, and for all our possessions.

Young's Literal Translation
And I proclaim there a fast, by the river Ahava, to afflict ourselves before our God, to seek from Him a right way for us, and for our infants, and for all our substance,

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Fasting for Protection
21And there 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. 22For I was ashamed to ask the king for an escort of soldiers and horsemen to protect us from our enemies on the road, since we had told him, “The hand of our God is gracious to all who seek Him, but His great anger is against all who forsake Him.”…

Cross References
Leviticus 16:29
This is to be a permanent statute for you: On the tenth day of the seventh month, you shall humble yourselves and not do any work--whether the native or the foreigner who resides among you--

Leviticus 16:31
It is a Sabbath of complete rest for you, that you may humble yourselves; it is a permanent statute.

Leviticus 23:29
If anyone does not humble himself on this day, he must be cut off from his people.

1 Samuel 7:6
When they had gathered at Mizpah, they drew water and poured it out before the LORD. On that day they fasted, and there they confessed, "We have sinned against the LORD." And Samuel judged the Israelites at Mizpah.

2 Chronicles 20:3
Jehoshaphat was alarmed and set his face to seek the LORD. And he proclaimed a fast throughout Judah.

Ezra 8:15
Now I assembled these exiles at the canal that flows to Ahava, and we camped there three days. And when I searched among the people and priests, I found no Levites there.

Ezra 8:31
On the twelfth day of the first month we set out from the Ahava Canal to go to Jerusalem, and the hand of our God was upon us to protect us from the hands of the enemies and bandits along the way.


Treasury of Scripture

Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river of Ahava, that we might afflict ourselves before our God, to seek of him a right way for us, and for our little ones, and for all our substance.

I proclaimed

Judges 20:26
Then all the children of Israel, and all the people, went up, and came unto the house of God, and wept, and sat there before the LORD, and fasted that day until even, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD.

1 Samuel 7:6
And they gathered together to Mizpeh, and drew water, and poured it out before the LORD, and fasted on that day, and said there, We have sinned against the LORD. And Samuel judged the children of Israel in Mizpeh.

2 Chronicles 20:3
And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.

afflict ourselves

Leviticus 16:29,31
And this shall be a statute for ever unto you: that in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, ye shall afflict your souls, and do no work at all, whether it be one of your own country, or a stranger that sojourneth among you: …

Leviticus 23:29
For whatsoever soul it be that shall not be afflicted in that same day, he shall be cut off from among his people.

Isaiah 58:3,5
Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labours…

to seek

Psalm 5:8
Lead me, O LORD, in thy righteousness because of mine enemies; make thy way straight before my face.

Psalm 107:2-8
Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy; …

Psalm 143:8-10
Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto thee…

for our little ones

Numbers 14:3,31
And wherefore hath the LORD brought us unto this land, to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should be a prey? were it not better for us to return into Egypt? …

Psalm 8:2
Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.

Mark 10:13-16
And they brought young children to him, that he should touch them: and his disciples rebuked those that brought them

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Ezra 8
1. The companions of Ezra, who returned from Babylon
15. He sends to Iddo for ministers for the temple
21. He keeps a fast
24. He commits the treasures to the custody of the priests
31. From Ahava they come to Jerusalem
33. The treasure is weighed in the temple
36. The commission is delivered














(21) To seek of him a right way for us.--The wilderness was now before them, and an enemy, indefinitely referred to, was in the way: probably desert tribes, always lying in wait for unprotected caravans.

Our little ones.--An intimation that whole households went up.

Our substance.--Chiefly the treasures for the Temple, though the term signifies cattle and other goods, with an undertone of abundance.

Verse 21. - Then I proclaimed a fast there. The fight of the civil ruler to "proclaim a fast" was unquestioned among the Jews and Israelites. Jezebel proclaimed one in Ahab's name when she wished to impress the Jezreelites with the notion that a great crime had been committed. Jehoshaphat did the same when he was invaded by the Ammonites, Moabites, and Mehunim (2 Chronicles 20:1-3). A fast was proclaimed in the fifth year of Jehoiakim when the kingdom of Judah was menaced by Nebuchadnezzar (Jeremiah 36:9). Ezra therefore assumes that he may command one now, in connection with the perils of the coming journey. That we might afflict ourselves. The Jews were commanded to "afflict themselves" on the great day of atonement (Leviticus 16:29), and understood that the affliction was to be mainly by fasting and abstaining from the bath. To ask of him a right way. Or "a direct road," i.e. a prosperous and unimpeded journey to Jerusalem. For us and our little ones. The colonists went up attended by their families.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
And there by
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

the Ahava
אַהֲוָ֔א (’a·hă·wā)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 163: Ahava -- a place and a stream in Babylon

Canal,
הַנָּהָ֣ר (han·nā·hār)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5104: A stream, prosperity

I proclaimed
וָאֶקְרָ֨א (wā·’eq·rā)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - first person common singular
Strong's 7121: To call, proclaim, read

a fast,
צוֹם֙ (ṣō·wm)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6685: Fasting, a fast

so that we might humble
לְהִתְעַנּ֖וֹת (lə·hiṯ·‘an·nō·wṯ)
Preposition-l | Verb - Hitpael - Infinitive construct
Strong's 6031: To be bowed down or afflicted

ourselves before
לִפְנֵ֣י (lip̄·nê)
Preposition-l | Noun - common plural construct
Strong's 6440: The face

our God
אֱלֹהֵ֑ינוּ (’ĕ·lō·hê·nū)
Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common plural
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative

and ask Him for
לְבַקֵּ֤שׁ (lə·ḇaq·qêš)
Preposition-l | Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct
Strong's 1245: To search out, to strive after

a safe
יְשָׁרָ֔ה (yə·šā·rāh)
Adjective - feminine singular
Strong's 3477: Straight, right

journey for us
דֶּ֣רֶךְ (de·reḵ)
Noun - common singular
Strong's 1870: A road, a course of life, mode of action

and our children,
וּלְטַפֵּ֖נוּ (ū·lə·ṭap·pê·nū)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common plural
Strong's 2945: A family

with all
וּלְכָל־ (ū·lə·ḵāl-)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

our possessions.
רְכוּשֵֽׁנוּ׃ (rə·ḵū·šê·nū)
Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common plural
Strong's 7399: Property, goods


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OT History: Ezra 8:21 Then I proclaimed a fast there at (Ezr. Ez)
Ezra 8:20
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