Ezra 8

Gathering at the River Ahava Ezra 8:15–20

¹⁵Verse 15. I gathered them together to the river that runs to Ahava; and there we encamped three days: and I looked around at the people the priests, and found there were none of the sons of Levi. ¹⁶Verse 16. Then sent I for Eliezer, for Ariel, for Shemaiah, for Elnathan, for Jarib, for Elnathan, for Nathan, for Zechariah, and for Meshullam, chief men; also for Joiarib and for Elnathan, who were teachers. ¹⁷Verse 17. I sent them out to Iddo the chief at the place Casiphia; and I told them what they should tell Iddo, and his brothers the temple servants, at the place Casiphia, that they should bring to us ministers for the house of our God.

¹⁸Verse 18. According to the good hand of our God on us they brought us a man of discretion, of the sons of Mahli, the son of Levi, the son of Israel; and Sherebiah, with his sons and his brothers, eighteen; ¹⁹Verse 19. and Hashabiah, and with him Jeshaiah of the sons of Merari, his brothers and their sons, twenty; ²⁰Verse 20. and of the temple servants, whom David and the princes had given for the service of the Levites, two hundred twenty temple servants. All of them were mentioned by name.

Ezra's Fast and Prayer Ezra 8:21–23

²¹Verse 21. 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, and for our little ones, and for all our possessions. ²²Verse 22. For I was ashamed to ask of the king a band of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy on the way, because we had spoken to the king, saying, “The hand of our God is on all those who seek him, for good; but his power and his wrath is against all those who forsake him.” ²³Verse 23. So we fasted and begged our God for this: and he granted our request.

Dedication of Offerings Ezra 8:24–30

²⁴Verse 24. Then I set apart twelve of the chiefs of the priests, even Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and ten of their brothers with them, ²⁵Verse 25. and weighed to them the silver, the gold, and the vessels, even the offering for the house of our God, which the king, his counselors, his princes, and all Israel there present, had offered. ²⁶Verse 26. I weighed into their hand six hundred fifty talents of silver, one hundred talents of silver vessels; one hundred talents of gold, ²⁷Verse 27. twenty bowls of gold weighing one thousand darics; and two vessels of fine bright brass, precious as gold. ²⁸Verse 28. I said to them, “You are holy to Yahweh, and the vessels are holy. The silver and the gold are a freewill offering to Yahweh, the God of your fathers.

²⁹Verse 29. Watch and keep them, until you weigh them before the chiefs of the priests and the Levites, and the princes of the fathers’ households of Israel, at Jerusalem, in the rooms of Yahweh’s house.” ³⁰Verse 30. So the priests and the Levites received the weight of the silver and the gold, and the vessels, to bring them to Jerusalem to the house of our God.

Journey to Jerusalem Ezra 8:31–34

³¹Verse 31. Then we departed from the river Ahava on the twelfth day of the first month, to go to Jerusalem. The hand of our God was on us, and he delivered us from the hand of the enemy and the bandit by the way. ³²Verse 32. We came to Jerusalem, and stayed there three days. ³³Verse 33. On the fourth day the silver and the gold and the vessels were weighed in the house of our God into the hand of Meremoth the son of Uriah the priest; and with him was Eleazar the son of Phinehas; and with them was Jozabad the son of Jeshua, and Noadiah the son of Binnui, the Levite;

³⁴Verse 34. everything by number and by weight; and all the weight was written at that time.

Worship and Support in Jerusalem Ezra 8:35–36

³⁵Verse 35. The children of the captivity, who had come out of exile, offered burnt offerings to the God of Israel, twelve bulls for all Israel, ninety-six rams, seventy-seven lambs, and twelve male goats for a sin offering. All this was a burnt offering to Yahweh. ³⁶Verse 36. They delivered the king’s commissions to the king’s satraps, and to the governors beyond the River. So they supported the people and God’s house.