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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "//www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="//www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1"><title>Ezra 8 GNT</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="/chapnew2.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="../spec.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /></head><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="../cmenus/ezra/8.htm" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div><div id="blnk"></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable"><tr><td><div id="fx5"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx6"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="245" scrolling="no" src="../topmenuchap/ezra/8-1.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable3"><tr><td><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" id="announce"><tr><td><div id="l1"><div id="breadcrumbs"><a href="//biblehub.com">Bible</a> > <a href="../">GNT</a> > Ezra 8</div><div id="anc"><iframe src="/anc.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><div id="anc2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="../ezra/7.htm" title="Ezra 7">◄</a> Ezra 8 <a href="../ezra/9.htm" title="Ezra 9">►</a></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="vheading">Good News Translation</div><div class="chap"><h3 class="s">The People Who Returned from Exile</h3><p class="par"><span class="v15_8_1"><span class="reftext" id="Ezra.8.1" class="v15_8_1">1</span>This 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:</span></p><p class="b"></p><p class="li1"><span class="v15_8_2"><span class="reftext" id="Ezra.8.2-Ezra.8.14" class="v15_8_2">2-14</span>Gershom, of the clan of Phinehas</span></p><p class="li1"><span class="v15_8_2">Daniel, of the clan of Ithamar</span></p><p class="li1"><span class="v15_8_2">Hattush son of Shecaniah, of the clan of David</span></p><p class="li1"><span class="v15_8_2">Zechariah, of the clan of Parosh, with 150 men of his clan (there were records of their family lines)</span></p><p class="li1"><span class="v15_8_2">Eliehoenai son of Zerahiah, of the clan of Pahath Moab, with 200 men</span></p><p class="li1"><span class="v15_8_2">Shecaniah son of Jahaziel, of the clan of Zattu,<a href="#fn" id="link_Ezra.8.2-Ezra.8.14!f.1" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> with 300 men</span></p><p class="li1"><span class="v15_8_2">Ebed son of Jonathan, of the clan of Adin, with 50 men</span></p><p class="li1"><span class="v15_8_2">Jeshaiah son of Athaliah, of the clan of Elam, with 70 men</span></p><p class="li1"><span class="v15_8_2">Zebadiah son of Michael, of the clan of Shephatiah, with 80 men</span></p><p class="li1"><span class="v15_8_2">Obadiah son of Jehiel, of the clan of Joab, with 218 men</span></p><p class="li1"><span class="v15_8_2">Shelomith son of Josiphiah, of the clan of Bani,<a href="#fn" id="link_Ezra.8.2-Ezra.8.14!f.2" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> with 160 men</span></p><p class="li1"><span class="v15_8_2">Zechariah son of Bebai, of the clan of Bebai, with 28 men</span></p><p class="li1"><span class="v15_8_2">Johanan son of Hakkatan, of the clan of Azgad, with 110 men</span></p><p class="li1"><span class="v15_8_2">Eliphelet, Jeuel, and Shemaiah, of the clan of Adonikam, with 60 men (they returned at a later date)</span></p><p class="li1"><span class="v15_8_2">Uthai and Zaccur, of the clan of Bigvai, with 70 men</span></p><h3 class="s">Ezra Finds Levites for the Temple</h3><p class="par"><span class="v15_8_15"><span class="reftext" id="Ezra.8.15" class="v15_8_15">15</span>I 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. </span><span class="v15_8_16"><span class="reftext" id="Ezra.8.16" class="v15_8_16">16</span>I sent for nine of the leaders: Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah, Elnathan, Jarib, Elnathan, Nathan, Zechariah, and Meshullam, and for two teachers, Joiarib and Elnathan. </span><span class="v15_8_17"><span class="reftext" id="Ezra.8.17" class="v15_8_17">17</span>I 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. </span><span class="v15_8_18"><span class="reftext" id="Ezra.8.18" class="v15_8_18">18</span>Through 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. </span><span class="v15_8_19"><span class="reftext" id="Ezra.8.19" class="v15_8_19">19</span>They also sent Hashabiah and Jeshaiah of the clan of Merari, with twenty of their relatives. </span><span class="v15_8_20"><span class="reftext" id="Ezra.8.20" class="v15_8_20">20</span>In 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.</span></p><h3 class="s">Ezra Leads the People in Fasting and Prayer</h3><p class="par"><span class="v15_8_21"><span class="reftext" id="Ezra.8.21" class="v15_8_21">21</span>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. </span><span class="v15_8_22"><span class="reftext" id="Ezra.8.22" class="v15_8_22">22</span>I 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. </span><span class="v15_8_23"><span class="reftext" id="Ezra.8.23" class="v15_8_23">23</span>So we fasted and prayed for God to protect us, and he answered our prayers.</span></p><h3 class="s">The Gifts for the Temple</h3><p class="par"><span class="v15_8_24"><span class="reftext" id="Ezra.8.24" class="v15_8_24">24</span>From among the leading priests I chose Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and ten others. </span><span class="v15_8_25"><span class="reftext" id="Ezra.8.25" class="v15_8_25">25</span>Then 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. </span><span class="v15_8_26"><span class="reftext" id="Ezra.8.26-Ezra.8.27" class="v15_8_26">26-27</span>This is what I gave them:</span></p><p class="b"></p><p class="li1"><span class="v15_8_26">silver - 25 tons</span></p><p class="li1"><span class="v15_8_26">100 silver utensils - 150 pounds</span></p><p class="li1"><span class="v15_8_26">gold - 7,500 pounds</span></p><p class="li1"><span class="v15_8_26">20 gold bowls - 270 ounces</span></p><p class="li1"><span class="v15_8_26">2 fine bronze bowls, equal in value to gold bowls</span></p><p class="b"></p><p class="par"><span class="v15_8_28"><span class="reftext" id="Ezra.8.28" class="v15_8_28">28</span>I said to them, “You are sacred to the <span class="nd">Lord</span>, the God of your ancestors, and so are all the silver and gold utensils brought to him as freewill offerings. </span><span class="v15_8_29"><span class="reftext" id="Ezra.8.29" class="v15_8_29">29</span>Guard 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.” </span><span class="v15_8_30"><span class="reftext" id="Ezra.8.30" class="v15_8_30">30</span>So the priests and the Levites took charge of the silver, the gold, and the utensils, to take them to the Temple in Jerusalem.</span></p><h3 class="s">The Return to Jerusalem</h3><p class="par"><span class="v15_8_31"><span class="reftext" id="Ezra.8.31" class="v15_8_31">31</span>It 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. </span><span class="v15_8_32"><span class="reftext" id="Ezra.8.32" class="v15_8_32">32</span>When we reached Jerusalem, we rested three days. </span><span class="v15_8_33"><span class="reftext" id="Ezra.8.33" class="v15_8_33">33</span>Then 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. </span><span class="v15_8_34"><span class="reftext" id="Ezra.8.34" class="v15_8_34">34</span>Everything was counted and weighed, and a complete record was made at the same time.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v15_8_35"><span class="reftext" id="Ezra.8.35" class="v15_8_35">35</span>All 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 <span class="nd">Lord</span>. </span><span class="v15_8_36"><span class="reftext" id="Ezra.8.36" class="v15_8_36">36</span>They 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.</span></p><a name="fn"></a><br /><br /><br /><b>Footnotes:<br /><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">8.2-14: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">One ancient translation (see also 2.8) </char><char style="fq" closed="false">Zattu; </char><char style="ft" closed="false">Hebrew does not have this name.</char></note><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">8.2-14: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">One ancient translation (see also 2.10) </char><char style="fq" closed="false">Bani; </char><char style="ft" closed="false">Hebrew does not have this name.</char></note></div></div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><div align="center"><p><span style="font-size:11pt;">Good News Translation® (Today’s English Version, Second Edition)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt;">© 1992 American Bible Society. 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