May 16 - Ezra 1-2
Ezra
1In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah, the LORD moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and to put it in writing:2"This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: "'The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah.3Anyone of his people among you-may his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem in Judah and build the temple of the LORD, the God of Israel, the God who is in Jerusalem.4And the people of any place where survivors may now be living are to provide him with silver and gold, with goods and livestock, and with freewill offerings for the temple of God in Jerusalem.'"5Then the family heads of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests and Levites-everyone whose heart God had moved-prepared to go up and build the house of the LORD in Jerusalem.6All their neighbors assisted them with articles of silver and gold, with goods and livestock, and with valuable gifts, in addition to all the freewill offerings.7Moreover, King Cyrus brought out the articles belonging to the temple of the LORD, which Nebuchadnezzar had carried away from Jerusalem and had placed in the temple of his god.8Cyrus king of Persia had them brought by Mithredath the treasurer, who counted them out to Sheshbazzar the prince of Judah.9This was the inventory: gold dishes 30 silver dishes 1,000 silver pans 2910gold bowls 30 matching silver bowls 410 other articles 1,00011In all, there were 5,400 articles of gold and of silver. Sheshbazzar brought all these along when the exiles came up from Babylon to Jerusalem.
1Now these are the people of the province who came up from the captivity of the exiles, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had taken captive to Babylon (they returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his own town,2in company with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum and Baanah): The list of the men of the people of Israel:3the descendants of Parosh 2,1724of Shephatiah 3725of Arah 7756of Pahath-Moab (through the line of Jeshua and Joab) 2,8127of Elam 1,2548of Zattu 9459of Zaccai 76010of Bani 64211of Bebai 62312of Azgad 1,22213of Adonikam 66614of Bigvai 2,05615of Adin 45416of Ater (through Hezekiah) 9817of Bezai 32318of Jorah 11219of Hashum 22320of Gibbar 9521the men of Bethlehem 12322of Netophah 5623of Anathoth 12824of Azmaveth 4225of Kiriath Jearim, Kephirah and Beeroth 74326of Ramah and Geba 62127of Micmash 12228of Bethel and Ai 22329of Nebo 5230of Magbish 15631of the other Elam 1,25432of Harim 32033of Lod, Hadid and Ono 72534of Jericho 34535of Senaah 3,63036The priests: the descendants of Jedaiah (through the family of Jeshua) 97337of Immer 1,05238of Pashhur 1,24739of Harim 1,01740The Levites: the descendants of Jeshua and Kadmiel (through the line of Hodaviah) 7441The singers: the descendants of Asaph 12842The gatekeepers of the temple: the descendants of Shallum, Ater, Talmon, Akkub, Hatita and Shobai 13943The temple servants: the descendants of Ziha, Hasupha, Tabbaoth,44Keros, Siaha, Padon,45Lebanah, Hagabah, Akkub,46Hagab, Shalmai, Hanan,47Giddel, Gahar, Reaiah,48Rezin, Nekoda, Gazzam,49Uzza, Paseah, Besai,50Asnah, Meunim, Nephussim,51Bakbuk, Hakupha, Harhur,52Bazluth, Mehida, Harsha,53Barkos, Sisera, Temah,54Neziah and Hatipha55The descendants of the servants of Solomon: the descendants of Sotai, Hassophereth, Peruda,56Jaala, Darkon, Giddel,57Shephatiah, Hattil, Pokereth-Hazzebaim and Ami58The temple servants and the descendants of the servants of Solomon 39259The following came up from the towns of Tel Melah, Tel Harsha, Kerub, Addon and Immer, but they could not show that their families were descended from Israel:60The descendants of Delaiah, Tobiah and Nekoda 65261And from among the priests: The descendants of Hobaiah, Hakkoz and Barzillai (a man who had married a daughter of Barzillai the Gileadite and was called by that name).62These searched for their family records, but they could not find them and so were excluded from the priesthood as unclean.63The governor ordered them not to eat any of the most sacred food until there was a priest ministering with the Urim and Thummim.64The whole company numbered 42,360,65besides their 7,337 menservants and maidservants; and they also had 200 men and women singers.66They had 736 horses, 245 mules,67435 camels and 6,720 donkeys.68When they arrived at the house of the LORD in Jerusalem, some of the heads of the families gave freewill offerings toward the rebuilding of the house of God on its site.69According to their ability they gave to the treasury for this work 61,000 drachmas of gold, 5,000 minas of silver and 100 priestly garments.70The priests, the Levites, the singers, the gatekeepers and the temple servants settled in their own towns, along with some of the other people, and the rest of the Israelites settled in their towns.