New International Version | International Standard Version |
1These are the family heads and those registered with them who came up with me from Babylon during the reign of King Artaxerxes: | 1These are the leaders of the families listed among those who left Babylon with me during the reign of King Artaxerxes: |
2of the descendants of Phinehas, Gershom; of the descendants of Ithamar, Daniel; of the descendants of David, Hattush | 2From Phinehas's descendants: Gershom. From Ithamar's descendants: Daniel. From David's descendants: Hattush. |
3of the descendants of Shekaniah; of the descendants of Parosh, Zechariah, and with him were registered 150 men; | 3From Shecaniah's descendants and from Parosh's descendants: Zechariah, along with 150 men whose genealogies had been certified. |
4of the descendants of Pahath-Moab, Eliehoenai son of Zerahiah, and with him 200 men; | 4From Pahath-moab's descendants: Zerahiah's son Eliehoenai and 200 men with him. |
5of the descendants of Zattu, Shekaniah son of Jahaziel, and with him 300 men; | 5From Zattu's descendants: Jahaziel's son Shecaniah and 300 men with him. |
6of the descendants of Adin, Ebed son of Jonathan, and with him 50 men; | 6From Adin's descendants: Jonathan's son Ebed and 50 men with him. |
7of the descendants of Elam, Jeshaiah son of Athaliah, and with him 70 men; | 7From Elam's descendants: Athaliah's son Jeshaiah and 70 men with him. |
8of the descendants of Shephatiah, Zebadiah son of Michael, and with him 80 men; | 8From Shephatiah's descendants: Michael's son Zebadiah and 80 men with him. |
9of the descendants of Joab, Obadiah son of Jehiel, and with him 218 men; | 9From Joab's descendants: Jehiel's son Obadiah and 218 men with him. |
10of the descendants of Bani, Shelomith son of Josiphiah, and with him 160 men; | 10From Bani's descendants: Josiphiah's son Shelomith and 160 men with him. |
11of the descendants of Bebai, Zechariah son of Bebai, and with him 28 men; | 11From Bebai's descendants: Bebai's son Zechariah and 28 men with him. |
12of the descendants of Azgad, Johanan son of Hakkatan, and with him 110 men; | 12From Azgad's descendants: Hakkatan's son Johanan and 110 men with him. |
13of the descendants of Adonikam, the last ones, whose names were Eliphelet, Jeuel and Shemaiah, and with them 60 men; | 13From Adonikam's later descendants: Eliphelet, Jeuel, Shemaiah, and 60 men with him. |
14of the descendants of Bigvai, Uthai and Zakkur, and with them 70 men. | 14From Bigvai's descendants: Uthai, Zabbud, and 70 men with him. |
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. | 15I gathered them together at the river that flows toward Ahava, where we camped three days. Afterwards, I examined the people and the priests, but found no descendants of Levi 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, | 16So I sent for Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah, Elnathan, Jarib, Elnathan, Nathan, Zechariah, and Meshullam, who were senior leaders, as well as for Joiarib and Elnathan, who were men of discernment. |
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. | 17I told them to go see Iddo, a leader of Casiphia, and tell him and his relatives (administrators of Casiphia) to bring us men who could serve in the Temple 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; | 18By the grace of our God they brought back a discerning man from the descendants of Mahli, a descendant of Israel's son Levi, along with Sherebiah and eighteen of his sons and brothers; |
19and Hashabiah, together with Jeshaiah from the descendants of Merari, and his brothers and nephews, 20 in all. | 19Hashabiah and Jeshaiah from the descendants of Merari and 20 of his brothers and their sons; |
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. | 20220 descendants of the Temple Servants whom David and the leaders had appointed to serve the descendants of Levi, listed 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. | 21Then 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, |
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." | 22because I was ashamed to ask the king for a contingent of soldiers and cavalry to protect us from enemies we might encounter on the way. After all, we had told the king, "The hand of our God seeks the good of all who seek him, but his power and anger are against everyone who forsakes him." |
23So we fasted and petitioned our God about this, and he answered our prayer. | 23So we fasted and asked our God about this, and he listened to us. |
24Then I set apart twelve of the leading priests, namely, Sherebiah, Hashabiah and ten of their brothers, | 24Next I selected twelve of the chief priests—Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and ten of their brothers with them— |
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. | 25and divided between them the silver, the gold, the vessels, and the offering for the Temple of our God which the king had offered, along with his advisors, his senior officials, and all of Israel assembled there. |
26I weighed out to them 650 talents of silver, silver articles weighing 100 talents, 100 talents of gold, | 26I divided among them 650 silver talents, silver utensils weighing 100 talents, 100 talents of gold, |
2720 bowls of gold valued at 1,000 darics, and two fine articles of polished bronze, as precious as gold. | 2720 gold basins weighing 1,000 darics each, and two vessels made of polished brass, as valuable 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. | 28I told them, "You are consecrated to the LORD, and the vessels are also consecrated. The silver and the gold are a freely given offering to the LORD 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." | 29Guard and protect them until you disperse them to the chief priests, the descendants of Levi, and to the family leaders of Israel at Jerusalem in the chambers of the Temple of the LORD." |
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. | 30So the priests and descendants of Levi took possession of the silver, the gold, and the vessels in order to bring them to Jerusalem, to the Temple of our God. |
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. | 31Then we left the Ahava River for Jerusalem on the twelfth day of the first month. Our God's protection was with us, and he delivered us from the enemy's power and from ambush along the way. |
32So we arrived in Jerusalem, where we rested three days. | 32We arrived in Jerusalem and remained there 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. | 33On the fourth day the silver, the gold, and the vessels were distributed at the Temple of our God into the care of Uriah's son Meremoth the priest, Phinehas' son Eleazar, Jeshua's son Jozabad, and Binnui's son Noadiah, the descendants of Levi. |
34Everything was accounted for by number and weight, and the entire weight was recorded at that time. | 34Distribution was according to inventory and weight, with all weights being 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, twelve male goats. All this was a burnt offering to the LORD. | 35The descendants of those who had been taken into captivity and who had returned from captivity offered burnt offerings to the God of Israel: twelve bulls for all of Israel, 96 rams, 77 lambs, and twelve male goats as a sin offering—all of them burnt offerings 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. | 36Then they delivered copies of the king's orders to the king's officers, and governors on this side of the Euphrates River. The orders were in support of the people and God's Temple. |
New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. | The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. |
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