Ezra 8:1–20

The List of Those Returning from Babylon

¹These are the leaders of the families and the genealogy of those who left Babylon with me during the reign of King Artaxerxes: 

²

from the family of Phinehas: 

Gershom 

from the family of Ithamar: 

Daniel 

³

from the family of David: 

Hattush, son of Shecaniah 

from the family of Parosh: 

Zechariah, with 150 males whose genealogies were known 

⁴

from the family of Pahath Moab: 

Eliehoenai, son of Zerahiah, with 200 males 

⁵

from the family of Zattu:^a

Shecaniah, son of Jahaziel, with 300 males 

⁶

from the family of Adin: 

Ebed, son of Jonathan, with 50 males 

⁷

from the family of Elam: 

Jeshaiah, son of Athaliah, with 70 males 

⁸

from the family of Shephatiah: 

Zebadiah, son of Michael, with 80 males 

⁹

from the family of Joab: 

Obadiah, son of Jehiel, with 210 males 

¹⁰

from the family of Bani:^b

Shelomith, son of Josiphiah, with 160 males 

¹¹

from the family of Bebai: 

Zechariah, son of Bebai, with 38 males 

¹²

from the family of Azgad: 

Johanan, son of Hakkatan, with 110 males 

¹³

from the family of Adonikam: 

Eliphelet, Jeuel, and Shemaiah, who arrived later with 60 males 

¹⁴

from the family of Bigvai: 

Uthai and Zabbud, with 70 males. 

The People Prepare for Their Journey

¹⁵I had this group gather by the river that flows to Ahava, and we camped there for three days. I noticed laypeople and priests there, but I didn’t find any Levites. ¹⁶Then I sent for Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah, Elnathan, Jarib, Elnathan, Nathan, Zechariah, and Meshullam (who were leading men) and for Joiarib and Elnathan (who were wise). ¹⁷I sent them to Iddo, the leader in Casiphia. I told them to tell Iddo and his relatives, the temple servants in Casiphia, that they should bring us men who can serve in our God’s temple. ¹⁸God was guiding us, so Iddo and his relatives brought us someone competent, Sherebiah, who was a descendant of Mahli, Levi, and Israel. They brought us 18 of Sherebiah’s sons and relatives. ¹⁹They also brought Hashabiah, Jeshaiah (who was a descendant of Merari), 20 of Jeshaiah’s relatives and their sons, ²⁰and 220 temple servants. ⸤They were descended⸥ from the temple servants whom David and his officials had appointed to work for the Levites. These were all listed by name.