The Book Of Second EZRA - ESDRAS - Chapter 8
EZRA
-2- ESDRAS 8:1
And after these things, when Ahasuerus the king of the Persians reigned came
Ezra the son of SaraiYah, the son of EzeriYah, the son of HelchiYah, the son of
Salum,
EZRA
-2- ESDRAS 8:2
The son of Sadduc, the son of Achitob, the son of Amarias, the son of Ezias,
the son of Meremoth, the son of Zaraias, the son of Savias, the son of Boccas,
the son of Abisum, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron
the chief kohen.
EZRA
-2- ESDRAS 8:3
This Ezra went up from Babylon, as a scribe, being very ready in the Torah of
Mosheh, that was given by YAHWEH of Yisrael.
EZRA
-2- ESDRAS 8:4
And the king did him honor: for he found free unmerited favor in his sight in
all his requests.
EZRA
-2- ESDRAS 8:5
There went up with him also certain of the children of Yisrael, of the kohen of
the Levites, of the kodesh singers, porters, and ministers of the Great
Tabernacle, to Yerusalem,
EZRA
-2- ESDRAS 8:6
In the seventh year of the reign of Ahasuerus, in the fifth month, this was the
king's seventh year; for they went from Babylon in the first day of the first
month, and came to Yerusalem, according to the prosperous journey which YAHWEH
gave them.
EZRA
-2- ESDRAS 8:7
For Ezra had very great skill, so that he omitted nothing of the Torah and
commandments of YAHWEH, but taught all Yisrael the ordinances and judgments.
EZRA
-2- ESDRAS 8:8
Now the copy of the commission, which was written from Ahasuerus the king, and
came to Ezra the kohen and reader of the Torah of YAHWEH, is this that follows;
EZRA
-2- ESDRAS 8:9
King Ahasuerus to Ezra the kohen and reader of the Torah of YAHWEH sends
greeting:
EZRA
-2- ESDRAS 8:10
Having determined to deal favorably, I have given order, that such of the
nation of the Yahudim, and of the kohenim and Levites being within our realm,
as are willing and desirous should go with you to Yerusalem.
EZRA
-2- ESDRAS 8:11
As many therefore as have a mind thereunto, let them depart with you, as it has
seemed tov both to me and my seven friends the counselors;
EZRA
-2- ESDRAS 8:12
That they may look to the affairs of Yahudah and Yerusalem, agreeably to that
which is in the Torah of YAHWEH;
EZRA
-2- ESDRAS 8:13
And carry the gifts to YAHWEH of Yisrael to Yerusalem, which I and my friends
have vowed, and all the gold and silver that in the country of Babylon can be
found, to YAHWEH in Yerusalem,
EZRA
-2- ESDRAS 8:14
With that also which is given of the people for the Great Tabernacle of YAHWEH
their Sovereign at Yerusalem: and that silver and gold may be collected for
bullocks, rams, and lambs, and things thereunto appertaining;
EZRA
-2- ESDRAS 8:15
To the end that they may offer sacrifices to YAHWEH upon the altar of YAHWEH
their Sovereign, which is in Yerusalem.
EZRA
-2- ESDRAS 8:16
And whatsoever you and your brethren will do with the silver and gold, that do,
according to the will of YAHWEH.
EZRA
-2- ESDRAS 8:17
And the kodesh vessels of YAHWEH, which are given you for the use of the Great
Tabernacle of YAHWEH, which is in Yerusalem, you shall set before your YAHWEH
in Yerusalem.
EZRA
-2- ESDRAS 8:18
And whatsoever thing else you shall remember for the use of the Great
Tabernacle of YAHWEH, you shall give it out of the king's treasury.
EZRA
-2- ESDRAS 8:19
And I king Ahasuerus have also commanded the keepers of the treasures in Syria
and Phoenicia, that whatsoever Ezra the kohen and the reader of the Torah of
the most high YAHWEH shall send for, they should give it him with speed,
EZRA
-2- ESDRAS 8:20
To the sum of one hundred talents of silver, likewise also of wheat even to one
hundred kors, and one hundred pieces of wine, and other things in abundance.
EZRA
-2- ESDRAS 8:21
Let all things be performed after the Torah of YAHWEH diligently to the most
high YAHWEH, that wrath come not upon the kingdom of the king and his sons.
EZRA
-2- ESDRAS 8:22
I command you also, that you require no tax, nor any other imposition, of any
of the kohenim, or Levites, or kodesh singers, or porters, or ministers of the
tabernacle, or of any that have doings in this tabernacle, and that no man have
authority to impose any thing upon them.
EZRA
-2- ESDRAS 8:23
And you, Ezra, according to the wisdom of YAHWEH ordain judges and justices,
that they may judge in all Syria and Phoenicia all those that know the Torah of
YAHWEH your ALMIGHTY; and those that know it not you shall teach.
EZRA
-2- ESDRAS 8:24
And whosoever shall transgress the Torah of YAHWEH your ALMIGHTY, and of the
king, shall be punished diligently, whether it be by death, or other
punishment, by penalty of money, or by imprisonment.
EZRA
-2- ESDRAS 8:25
Then said Ezra the scribe, Blessed be the only YAHWEH ALMIGHTY of my fathers,
who has put these things into the heart of the king, to bring honor to HIS
house that is in Yerusalem:
EZRA
-2- ESDRAS 8:26
And has honored me in the sight of the king, and his counselors, and all his
friends and nobles.
EZRA -2-
ESDRAS 8:27
Therefore was I encouraged by the help of YAHWEH my ALMIGHTY, and gathered
together men of Yisrael to go up with me.
EZRA
-2- ESDRAS 8:28
And these are the chief according to their families and several dignities, that
went up with me from Babylon in the reign of king Ahasuerus:
EZRA
-2- ESDRAS 8:29
Of the sons of Phinehas, Gerson: of the sons of Ithamar, Gamael: of the sons of
David, Lettus the son of Sechenias:
EZRA
-2- ESDRAS 8:30
Of the sons of Pharez, ZachariYah; and with him were counted one hundred and
fifty men:
EZRA
-2- ESDRAS 8:31
Of the sons of Pahath Moab, Eliaonias, the son of Zaraias, and with him two
hundred men:
EZRA
-2- ESDRAS 8:32
Of the sons of Zathoe, Sechenias the son of Jezelus, and with him three hundred
men: of the sons of Adin, Obeth the son of Jonathan, and with him two hundred
and fifty men:
EZRA
-2- ESDRAS 8:33
Of the sons of Elam, YoshiYah son of Gotholias, and with him seventy men:
EZRA
-2- ESDRAS 8:34
Of the sons of Saphatias, Zaraias son of Michael, and with him seventy men:
EZRA
-2- ESDRAS 8:35
Of the sons of Joab, Abadias son of Jezelus, and with him two hundred and
twelve men:
EZRA
-2- ESDRAS 8:36
Of the sons of Banid, Assalimoth son of JosaphiYah, and with him one hundred
and sixty men:
EZRA
-2- ESDRAS 8:37
Of the sons of Babi, ZachariYah son of Bebai, and with him twenty eight men:
EZRA
-2- ESDRAS 8:38
Of the sons of Astath, Johannes son of Acatan, and with him one hundred and ten
men:
EZRA
-2- ESDRAS 8:39
Of the sons of Adonikam the last, and these are the names of them, Eliphalet,
Jewel, and Samaias, and with them seventy men:
EZRA
-2- ESDRAS 8:40
Of the sons of Bago, Uthi the son of Istalcurus, and with him seventy men.
EZRA
-2- ESDRAS 8:41
And these I gathered together to the river called Theras, where we pitched our
tents three days: and then I surveyed them.
EZRA
-2- ESDRAS 8:42
But when I had found there none of the kohenim and Levites,
EZRA
-2- ESDRAS 8:43
Then sent I to Eleazar, and Iduel, and Masman,
EZRA
-2- ESDRAS 8:44
And Alnathan, and Mamaias, and Joribas, and Nathan, Eunatan, ZachariYah, and
Mosollamon, principal men and learned.
EZRA
-2- ESDRAS 8:45
And I bade them that they should go to Saddeus the captain, who was in the place
of the treasury:
EZRA
-2- ESDRAS 8:46
And commanded them that they should speak to Daddeus, and to his brethren, and
to the treasurers in that place, to send us such men as might execute the
kohenim office in the house of YAHWEH.
EZRA
-2- ESDRAS 8:47
And by the mighty hand of our YAHWEH they brought to us skilful men of the sons
of Moli the son of Levi, the son of Yisrael, Asebebia, and his sons, and his
brethren, who were eighteen.
EZRA
-2- ESDRAS 8:48
And Asebia, and Annus, and Osaias his brother, of the sons of Channuneus, and
their sons, were twenty men.
EZRA
-2- ESDRAS 8:49
And of the servants of the tabernacle whom David had ordained, and the
principal men for the service of the Levites to wit, the servants of the
tabernacle two hundred and twenty, the catalogue of whose names were shown.
EZRA
-2- ESDRAS 8:50
And there I vowed a fast to the young men before our YAHWEH, to desire of HIM a
prosperous journey both for us and them that were with us, for our children,
and for the cattle:
EZRA
-2- ESDRAS 8:51
For I was ashamed to ask the king footmen, and horsemen, and conduct for
safeguard against our adversaries.
EZRA
-2- ESDRAS 8:52
For we had said to the king, that the power of YAHWEH our ALMIGHTY should be
with them that seek HIM, to support them in all ways.
EZRA
-2- ESDRAS 8:53
And again we besought our YAHWEH as touching these things, and found HIM
favorable to us.
EZRA
-2- ESDRAS 8:54
Then I separated twelve of the chief of the kohenim, Esebrias, and Assanias,
and ten men of their brethren with them:
EZRA
-2- ESDRAS 8:55
And I weighed them the gold, and the silver, and the kodesh vessels of the
house of our YAHWEH, which the king, and his council, and the princes, and all
Yisrael, had given.
EZRA
-2- ESDRAS 8:56
And when I had weighed it, I delivered to them six hundred and fifty talents of
silver, and silver vessels of one hundred talents, and one hundred talents of
gold,
EZRA
-2- ESDRAS 8:57
And twenty golden vessels, and twelve vessels of brass, even of fine brass,
glittering like gold.
EZRA
-2- ESDRAS 8:58
And I said to them, Both you are kodesh to YAHWEH, and the vessels are kodesh,
and the gold and the silver is a vow to YAHWEH, YAHWEH of our fathers.
EZRA
-2- ESDRAS 8:59
Watch you, and keep them till you deliver them to the chief of the kohenim and
Levites, and to the principal men of the families of Yisrael, in Yerusalem,
into the chambers of the house of YAHWEH our ALMIGHTY.
EZRA
-2- ESDRAS 8:60
So the kohenim and the Levites, who had received the silver and the gold and
the vessels, brought them to Yerusalem, into the Great Tabernacle of YAHWEH.
EZRA
-2- ESDRAS 8:61
And from the river Theras we departed the twelfth day of the first month, and
came to Yerusalem by the mighty hand of our YAHWEH, which was with us: and from
the beginning of our journey YAHWEH delivered us from every enemy, and so we
came to Yerusalem.
EZRA
-2- ESDRAS 8:62
And when we had been there three days, the gold and silver that was weighed was
delivered in the house of our YAHWEH on the fourth day to Marmoth the kohen the
son of Iri.
EZRA
-2- ESDRAS 8:63
And with him was Eleazar the son of Phinehas, and with them were Josabad the
son of Jesu and Moeth the son of Sabban, Levites: all was delivered them by
number and weight.
EZRA
-2- ESDRAS 8:64
And all the weight of them was written up the same hour.
EZRA
-2- ESDRAS 8:65
Moreover they that were come out of the captivity offered sacrifice to YAHWEH
ALMIGHTY of Yisrael, even twelve bullocks for all Yisrael, seventy six rams,
EZRA
-2- ESDRAS 8:66
Seventy two lambs, goats for a shalom offering, twelve; all of them a sacrifice
to YAHWEH.
EZRA
-2- ESDRAS 8:67
And they delivered the king's commandments to the king's stewards' and to the
governors of Coelesyria and Phoenicia; and they honored the people and the tabernacle
of YAHWEH ALMIGHTY.
EZRA
-2- ESDRAS 8:68
Now when these things were done, the rulers came to me, and said,
EZRA
-2- ESDRAS 8:69
The nation of Yisrael, the princes, the kohenim and Levites, have not put away
from them the strange people of the land, nor the pollutions of the Gentiles to
wit, of the Canaanites, Hittites, Pheresites, Jebusites, and the Moabites,
Egyptians, and Edomites.
EZRA
-2- ESDRAS 8:70
For both they and their sons have married with their daughters, and the kodesh
seed is mixed with the strange people of the land; and from the beginning of
this matter the rulers and the great men have been partakers of this iniquity.
EZRA
-2- ESDRAS 8:71
And as soon as I had heard these things, I rent my clothes, and the kodesh
garment, and pulled off the hair from off my head and beard, and sat me down
sad and very heavy.
EZRA
-2- ESDRAS 8:72
So all they that were then moved at the Word of YAHWEH ALMIGHTY of Yisrael
assembled to me, while I mourned for the iniquity: but I sat still full of heaviness
until the evening sacrifice.
EZRA
-2- ESDRAS 8:73
Then rising up from the fast with my clothes and the kodesh garment rent, and
bowing my knees, and stretching forth my hands to YAHWEH,
EZRA
-2- ESDRAS 8:74
I said, Oh YAHWEH, I am confounded and ashamed before YOUR face;
EZRA
-2- ESDRAS 8:75
For our sins are multiplied above our heads, and our ignorances have reached up
to heaven.
EZRA
-2- ESDRAS 8:76
Forever since the time of our fathers we have been and are in great sin, even
to this day.
EZRA
-2- ESDRAS 8:77
And for our sins and our fathers' we with our brethren and our kings and our
kohenim were given up to the kings of the earth, to the sword, and to
captivity, and for a prey with shame, to this day.
EZRA
-2- ESDRAS 8:78
And now in some measure has mercy been shown to us from YOU, Oh YAHWEH, that
there should be left us a root and a name in the place of YOUR sanctuary;
EZRA
-2- ESDRAS 8:79
And to discover to us a light in the house of YAHWEH our ALMIGHTY, and to give
us food in the time of our servitude.
EZRA
-2- ESDRAS 8:80
Yes, when we were in bondage, we were not forsaken of our YAHWEH; but HE given
us favor before the kings of Persia, so that they gave us food;
EZRA
-2- ESDRAS 8:81
Yes, and honored the tabernacle of our YAHWEH, and raised up the desolate Zion, that they have given us a sure abiding in Yahudah and Yerusalem.
EZRA
-2- ESDRAS 8:82
And now, Oh YAHWEH, what shall we say, having these things? for we have
transgressed YOUR commandments, which YOU gave by the hand of YOUR servants the
prophets, saying,
EZRA
-2- ESDRAS 8:83
That the land, which YOU enter into to possess as a heritage, is a land
polluted with the pollutions of the strangers of the land, and they have filled
it with their uncleanness.
EZRA
-2- ESDRAS 8:84
Therefore now shall you not join your daughters to their sons, neither shall
you take their daughters to your sons.
EZRA
-2- ESDRAS 8:85
Moreover you shall never seek to have shalom with them, that you may be strong,
and eat the tov things of the land, and that you may leave the inheritance of
the land to your children for evermore.
EZRA
-2- ESDRAS 8:86
And all that is befallen is done to us for our wicked works and great sins; for
YOU, Oh YAHWEH, did make our sins light,
EZRA
-2- ESDRAS 8:87
And did give to us such a root: but we have turned back again to transgress
YOUR Torah, and to mingle ourselves with the uncleanness of the nations of the
land.
EZRA
-2- ESDRAS 8:88
Mightest not YOU be angry with us to destroy us, till YOU had left us neither
root, seed, nor name?
EZRA
-2- ESDRAS 8:89
O YAHWEH of Yisrael, YOU are true: for we are left a root this day.
EZRA
-2- ESDRAS 8:90
Behold, now are we before YOU in our iniquities, for we cannot stand any longer
by reason of these things before YOU.
EZRA
-2- ESDRAS 8:91
And as Ezra in his prayer made his confession, weeping, and lying flat upon the
ground before the Great Tabernacle, there gathered to him from Yerusalem a very
great multitude of men and women and children: for there was great weeping
among the multitude.
EZRA
-2- ESDRAS 8:92
Then Jechonias the son of Jeelus, one of the sons of Yisrael, called out, and
said, Oh Ezra, we have sinned against YAHWEH ALMIGHTY, we have married strange
women of the nations of the land, and now is all Yisrael aloft.
EZRA
-2- ESDRAS 8:93
Let us make an oath to YAHWEH, that we will put away all our wives, which we
have taken of the heathen, with their children,
EZRA
-2- ESDRAS 8:94
Like as you have decreed, and as many as do obey the Torah of YAHWEH.
EZRA
-2- ESDRAS 8:95
Arise and put in execution: for to you does this matter appertain, and we will
be with you: do valiantly.
EZRA
-2- ESDRAS 8:96
So Ezra arose, and took an oath of the chief of the kohenim and Levites of all
Yisrael to do after these things; and so they swore.