Ezra 8

The Hebrew Bible with the Berean Standard Bible. Click any Hebrew word for its meaning, lexicon entry and every place it occurs.

Hebrew: the Leningrad Codex with the Berean Standard Bible

The Exiles Who Returned with Ezra

2

מִבְּנֵ֤י פִֽינְחָס֙ גֵּֽרְשֹׁ֔ם ס מִבְּנֵ֥י אִיתָמָ֖ר דָּנִיֵּ֑אל ס מִבְּנֵ֥י דָוִ֖יד חַטּֽוּשׁ׃ ס

from the descendants of Phinehas, Gershom; from the descendants of Ithamar, Daniel; from the descendants of David, Hattush

Ezra Sends for the Levites

18

וַיָּבִ֨יאּוּ לָ֜נוּ כְּיַד־אֱלֹהֵ֨ינוּ הַטּוֹבָ֤ה עָלֵ֙ינוּ֙ אִ֣ישׁ שֶׂ֔כֶל מִבְּנֵ֣י מַחְלִ֔י בֶּן־לֵוִ֖י בֶּן־יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וְשֵׁרֵֽבְיָ֛ה וּבָנָ֥יו וְאֶחָ֖יו שְׁמֹנָ֥ה עָשָֽׂר׃

And since the gracious hand of our God was upon us, they brought us Sherebiah—a man of insight from the descendants of Mahli son of Levi, the son of Israel—along with his sons and brothers, 18 men;

19

וְאֶת־חֲשַׁבְיָ֔ה וְאִתּ֥וֹ יְשַֽׁעְיָ֖ה מִבְּנֵ֣י מְרָרִ֑י אֶחָ֥יו וּבְנֵיהֶ֖ם עֶשְׂרִֽים׃ ס

also Hashabiah, together with Jeshaiah, from the descendants of Merari, and his brothers and their sons, 20 men.

Fasting for Protection

21

וָאֶקְרָ֨א שָׁ֥ם צוֹם֙ עַל־הַנָּהָ֣ר אַהֲוָ֔א לְהִתְעַנּ֖וֹת לִפְנֵ֣י אֱלֹהֵ֑ינוּ לְבַקֵּ֤שׁ מִמֶּ֙נּוּ֙ דֶּ֣רֶךְ יְשָׁרָ֔ה לָ֥נוּ וּלְטַפֵּ֖נוּ וּלְכָל־רְכוּשֵֽׁנוּ׃

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.

22

כִּ֣י בֹ֗שְׁתִּי לִשְׁא֤וֹל מִן־הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ חַ֣יִל וּפָרָשִׁ֔ים לְעָזְרֵ֥נוּ מֵאוֹיֵ֖ב בַּדָּ֑רֶךְ כִּֽי־אָמַ֨רְנוּ לַמֶּ֜לֶךְ לֵאמֹ֗ר יַד־אֱלֹהֵ֤ינוּ עַל־כָּל־מְבַקְשָׁיו֙ לְטוֹבָ֔ה וְעֻזּ֣וֹ וְאַפּ֔וֹ עַ֖ל כָּל־עֹזְבָֽיו׃

For 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.”

23

וַנָּצ֛וּמָה וַנְּבַקְשָׁ֥ה מֵאֱלֹהֵ֖ינוּ עַל־זֹ֑את וַיֵּעָתֵ֖ר לָֽנוּ׃

So we fasted and petitioned our God about this, and He granted our request.

Priests to Guard the Offerings

25

וָאֶשְׁקֳלָ֣ה לָהֶ֔ם אֶת־הַכֶּ֥סֶף וְאֶת־הַזָּהָ֖ב וְאֶת־הַכֵּלִ֑ים תְּרוּמַ֣ת בֵּית־אֱלֹהֵ֗ינוּ הַהֵרִ֙ימוּ֙ הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ וְיֹעֲצָ֣יו וְשָׂרָ֔יו וְכָל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל הַנִּמְצָאִֽים׃

and I weighed out to them the contribution of silver and gold and the articles that the king, his counselors, his leaders, and all the Israelites there had offered for the house of our God.

28

וָאֹמְרָ֣ה אֲלֵהֶ֗ם אַתֶּ֥ם קֹ֙דֶשׁ֙ לַיהוָ֔ה וְהַכֵּלִ֖ים קֹ֑דֶשׁ וְהַכֶּ֤סֶף וְהַזָּהָב֙ נְדָבָ֔ה לַיהוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֵ֥י אֲבֹתֵיכֶֽם׃

Then I told them, “You are holy to the LORD, and these articles are holy. The silver and gold are a freewill offering to the LORD, the God of your fathers.

30

וְקִבְּלוּ֙ הַכֹּהֲנִ֣ים וְהַלְוִיִּ֔ם מִשְׁקַ֛ל הַכֶּ֥סֶף וְהַזָּהָ֖ב וְהַכֵּלִ֑ים לְהָבִ֥יא לִירוּשָׁלִַ֖ם לְבֵ֥ית אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ׃ פ

So the priests and Levites took charge of the silver and gold and sacred articles that had been weighed out to be taken to the house of our God in Jerusalem.

Arrival in Jerusalem

36

וַֽיִּתְּנ֣וּ׀ אֶת־דָּתֵ֣י הַמֶּ֗לֶךְ לַאֲחַשְׁדַּרְפְּנֵי֙ הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ וּפַחֲו֖וֹת עֵ֣בֶר הַנָּהָ֑ר וְנִשְּׂא֥וּ אֶת־הָעָ֖ם וְאֶת־בֵּֽית־הָאֱלֹהִֽים׃ ס

They also delivered the king’s edicts to the royal satraps and governors of the region west of the Euphrates, who proceeded to assist the people and the house of God.

Sources: STEPBible TAHOT (Hebrew Bible, Leningrad Codex, CC BY 4.0); the Berean Standard Bible (public domain). Reformatted by Word Study, wording unchanged. All sources and licenses.