Ezr 2 | EE | STEP | These are the people who returned to Jerusalem and Judah. Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon had brought them to live as slaves in Babylon. Each person returned to his own town.

Ezra 2

The list of the people who returned

1 These are the people who returned to Jerusalem and Judah. Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon had brought them to live as slaves in Babylon. Each person returned to his own town. 2 They went together with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum and Baanah. This is the list of the men among Israel’s people:

3 2172 descendants of Parosh.

4 372 of Shephatiah.

5 775 of Arah.

6 2812 of Pahath Moab (descendant of Jeshua and Joab).

7 1254 of Elam.

8 945 of Zattu.

9 760 of Zaccai.

10 642 of Bani.

11 623 of Bebai.

12 1222 of Azgad.

13 666 of Adonikam.

14 2056 of Bigvai.

15 454 of Adin.

16 98 of Ater (descendant of Hezekiah).

17 323 of Bezai.

18 112 of Jorah.

19 223 of Hashum.

20 95 of Gibbar.

21 123 men from Bethlehem.

22 56 of Netophah.

23 128 of Anathoth.

24 42 of Azmaveth.

25 743 of Kiriath Jearim, Kephirah and Beeroth.

26 621 of Ramah and Geba.

27 122 of Michmash.

28 223 of Bethel and Ai.

29 52 of Nebo.

30 156 of Magbish.

31 1254 of the other Elam.

32 320 of Harim.

33 725 of Lod, Hadid and Ono.

34 345 of Jericho.

35 3630 of Senaah.

36 The priests,

973 descendants of Jedaiah (by Jeshua’s family).

37 1052 of Immer.

38 1247 of Pashhur.

39 1017 of Harim.

40 The Levites,

74 descendants of Jeshua and Kadmiel (by Hodaviah’s family).

41 The singers,

128 descendants of Asaph.

42 The men who watch the temple gates,

139 descendants of Shallum, Ater, Talmon, Akkub, Hatita and Shobai.

43 The temple servants,

the descendants of Ziha, Hasupha, Tabbaoth,

44 Keros, Siaha, Padon,

45 Lebanah, Hagabah, Akkub,

46 Hagab, Shalmai, Hanan,

47 Giddel, Gahar, Reaiah,

48 Rezin, Nekoda, Gazzam,

49 Uzza, Paseah, Besai,

50 Asnah, Meunim, Nephussim,

51 Bakbuk, Hakupha, Harhur,

52 Bazluth, Mehida, Harsha,

53 Barkos, Sisera, Temah,

54 Neziah and Hatipha.

55 The descendants of Solomon’s servants,

the descendants of Sotai, Hassophereth, Peruda,

56 Jaalah, Darkon, Giddel,

57 Shephatiah, Hattil, Pokereth-Hazzebaim and Ami.

58 392 temple servants and the descendants of Solomon’s servants.

59 Some families came from other towns. The towns were Tel Melah, Tel Harsha, Cherub, Addon and Immer. But these families could not show that they were really Israelites. They may not have been descendants of Israel (Jacob).

60 They included 652 descendants of Delaiah, Tobiah and Nekoda.

61 And they included families of the priests. These were descendants of Hobaiah, Hakkoz and Barzillai.

This Barzillai had married one of Barzillai’s daughters and he took Barzillai’s name. These daughters had lived in Gilead.

62 All these looked to see if their names were written as priests. But they did not find anything. So the leaders did not let them work as priests. 63 They were not clean enough to eat the priests‘special food. They must wait until the most important priest could decide. He could use the Urim and Thummim to decide the right thing to do.

64 All together, 42 360 people returned to Jerusalem. 65 And they took with them 7337 men and women servants and 200 men and women singers.

66 They had 736 horses, 245 mules (animals), 67 435 camels (animals) and 6720 donkeys (animals). ^{▼▼2:67 Nobody knows what the Urim and Thummim were. We think that the priest used them. He used them to find out what God wanted. We do not know how the priest used them to do that.} ^{▼▼2:67 Horses, mules, camels and donkeys are all big animals that can carry people and heavy bags on their backs.}

68 The most important men in some families came to the LORD‘s house in Jerusalem. Some of them gave gifts to build it where it had been before. 69 They gave money to build the temple. Rich men gave more and poor men gave less. Together they gave about 500 kilos (half a ton) of gold and nearly 3000 kilos (3 tons) of silver. And they gave 100 special sets of clothes for the priests.

70 The priests, Levites, and some people went to live in or near Jerusalem. The singers, temple servants and workers lived in towns near them. The other Israelites went to live where their ancestors had lived.