| Christian Standard Bible | Berean Study Bible |
| 1These are the family heads and the genealogical records of those who returned with me from Babylon during the reign of King Artaxerxes: | 1These are the family heads and genealogical records of those who returned with me from Babylon during the reign of King Artaxerxes: |
| 2Gershom, from Phinehas's descendants; Daniel, from Ithamar's descendants; Hattush, from David's descendants, | 2from the descendants of Phinehas, Gershom; from the descendants of Ithamar, Daniel; from the descendants of David, Hattush |
| 3who was of Shecaniah's descendants; Zechariah, from Parosh's descendants, and 150 men with him who were registered by genealogy; | 3of the descendants of Shecaniah; from the descendants of Parosh, Zechariah, and with him were registered 150 men; |
| 4Eliehoenai son of Zerahiah from Pahath-moab's descendants, and 200 men with him; | 4from the descendants of Pahath-Moab, Eliehoenai son of Zerahiah, and with him 200 men; |
| 5Shecaniah son of Jahaziel from Zattu's descendants, and 300 men with him; | 5from the descendants of Zattu, Shecaniah son of Jahaziel, and with him 300 men; |
| 6Ebed son of Jonathan from Adin's descendants, and 50 men with him; | 6from the descendants of Adin, Ebed son of Jonathan, and with him 50 men; |
| 7Jeshaiah son of Athaliah from Elam's descendants, and 70 men with him; | 7from the descendants of Elam, Jeshaiah son of Athaliah, and with him 70 men; |
| 8Zebadiah son of Michael from Shephatiah's descendants, and 80 men with him; | 8from the descendants of Shephatiah, Zebadiah son of Michael, and with him 80 men; |
| 9Obadiah son of Jehiel from Joab's descendants, and 218 men with him; | 9from the descendants of Joab, Obadiah son of Jehiel, and with him 218 men; |
| 10Shelomith son of Josiphiah from Bani's descendants, and 160 men with him; | 10from the descendants of Bani, Shelomith son of Josiphiah, and with him 160 men; |
| 11Zechariah son of Bebai from Bebai's descendants, and 28 men with him; | 11from the descendants of Bebai, Zechariah son of Bebai, and with him 28 men; |
| 12Johanan son of Hakkatan from Azgad's descendants, and 110 men with him; | 12from the descendants of Azgad, Johanan son of Hakkatan, and with him 110 men; |
| 13these are the last ones, from Adonikam's descendants, and their names are Eliphelet, Jeuel, and Shemaiah, and 60 men with them; | 13from the later descendants of Adonikam, these were their names: Eliphelet, Jeiel, and Shemaiah, and with them 60 men; |
| 14Uthai and Zaccur from Bigvai's descendants, and 70 men with them. | 14and from the descendants of Bigvai, both Uthai and Zaccur, and with them 70 men. |
| 15I gathered them at the river that flows to Ahava, and we camped there for three days. I searched among the people and priests, but found no Levites there. | 15Now I assembled these exiles at the canal that flows to Ahava, and we camped there three days. And when I searched among the people and priests, I found no Levites there. |
| 16Then I summoned the leaders: Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah, Elnathan, Jarib, Elnathan, Nathan, Zechariah, and Meshullam, as well as the teachers Joiarib and Elnathan. | 16Then I summoned the leaders: Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah, Elnathan, Jarib, Elnathan, Nathan, Zechariah, and Meshullam, as well as the teachers Joiarib and Elnathan. |
| 17I sent them to Iddo, the leader at Casiphia, with a message for him and his brothers, the temple servants at Casiphia, that they should bring us ministers for the house of our God. | 17And I sent them to Iddo, the leader at Casiphia, with a message for him and his kinsmen, the temple servants at Casiphia, that they should bring to us ministers for the house of our God. |
| 18Since the gracious hand of our God was on us, they brought us Sherebiah--a man of insight from the descendants of Mahli, a descendant of Levi son of Israel--along with his sons and brothers, 18 men, | 18And 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; |
| 19plus Hashabiah, along with Jeshaiah, from the descendants of Merari, and his brothers and their sons, 20 men. | 19also Hashabiah, together with Jeshaiah, from the descendants of Merari, and his brothers and their sons, 20 men. |
| 20There were also 220 of the temple servants, who had been appointed by David and the leaders for the work of the Levites. All were identified by name. | 20They also brought 220 of the temple servants, all designated by name. David and the officials had appointed them to assist the Levites. |
| 21I proclaimed a fast by the Ahava River, so that we might humble ourselves before our God and ask him for a safe journey for us, our dependents, and all our possessions. | 21And 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. |
| 22I did this because I was ashamed to ask the king for infantry and cavalry to protect us from enemies during the journey, since we had told him, "The hand of our God is gracious to all who seek him, but his fierce anger is against all who abandon him." | 22For 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.” |
| 23So we fasted and pleaded with our God about this, and he was receptive to our prayer. | 23So we fasted and petitioned our God about this, and He granted our request. |
| 24I selected twelve of the leading priests, along with Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and ten of their brothers. | 24Then I set apart twelve of the leading priests, together with Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and ten of their brothers, |
| 25I weighed out to them the silver, the gold, and the articles--the contribution for the house of our God that the king, his counselors, his leaders, and all the Israelites who were present had offered. | 25and 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. |
| 26I weighed out to them 24 tons of silver, silver articles weighing 7,500 pounds, 7,500 pounds of gold, | 26I weighed out into their hands 650 talents of silver, articles of silver weighing 100 talents, 100 talents of gold, |
| 27twenty gold bowls worth a thousand gold coins, and two articles of fine gleaming bronze, as valuable as gold. | 2720 gold bowls valued at 1,000 darics, and two articles of fine polished bronze, as precious as gold. |
| 28Then I said to them, "You are holy to the LORD, and the articles are holy. The silver and gold are a freewill offering to the LORD God of your fathers. | 28Then 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. |
| 29Guard them carefully until you weigh them out in the chambers of the LORD's house before the leading priests, Levites, and heads of the Israelite families in Jerusalem." | 29Guard them carefully until you weigh them out in the chambers of the house of the LORD in Jerusalem before the leading priests, Levites, and heads of the Israelite families.” |
| 30So the priests and Levites took charge of the silver, the gold, and the articles that had been weighed out, to bring them to the house of our God in Jerusalem. | 30So 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. |
| 31We set out from the Ahava River on the twelfth day of the first month to go to Jerusalem. We were strengthened by our God, and he kept us from the grasp of the enemy and from ambush along the way. | 31On the twelfth day of the first month we set out from the Ahava Canal to go to Jerusalem, and the hand of our God was upon us to protect us from the hands of the enemies and bandits along the way. |
| 32So we arrived at Jerusalem and rested there for three days. | 32So we arrived at Jerusalem and rested there for three days. |
| 33On the fourth day the silver, the gold, and the articles were weighed out in the house of our God into the care of the priest Meremoth son of Uriah. Eleazar son of Phinehas was with him. The Levites Jozabad son of Jeshua and Noadiah son of Binnui were also with them. | 33On the fourth day, in the house of our God, we weighed out the silver and gold and sacred articles into the hand of Meremoth son of Uriah, the priest. Eleazar son of Phinehas was with him, along with the Levites Jozabad son of Jeshua and Noadiah son of Binnui. |
| 34Everything was verified by number and weight, and the total weight was recorded at that time. | 34Everything was verified by number and weight, and the total weight was recorded at that time. |
| 35The exiles who had returned from the captivity offered burnt offerings to the God of Israel: twelve bulls for all Israel, ninety-six rams, and seventy-seven lambs, along with twelve male goats as a sin offering. All this was a burnt offering for the LORD. | 35Then the exiles who had returned from captivity sacrificed burnt offerings to the God of Israel: 12 bulls for all Israel, 96 rams, 77 lambs, and a sin offering of 12 male goats. All this was a burnt offering to the LORD. |
| 36They also delivered the king's edicts to the royal satraps and governors of the region west of the Euphrates, so that they would support the people and the house of God. | 36They 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. |
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