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Ezra 2

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The Father's People Come Home

Chapter 2.

Now these are the people of the province who came back from exile—those whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had carried away to Babylon. They returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his own town. They came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum, and Baanah. The number of the men of Israel:

The sons of Parosh, 2,172; the sons of Shephatiah, 372; the sons of Arah, 775; the sons of Pahath-moab, namely the sons of Jeshua and Joab, 2,812; the sons of Elam, 1,254; the sons of Zattu, 945; the sons of Zaccai, 760; the sons of Bani, 642; the sons of Bebai, 623; the sons of Azgad, 1,222; the sons of Adonikam, 666; the sons of Bigvai, 2,056; the sons of Adin, 454; the sons of Ater, namely of Hezekiah, 98; the sons of Bezai, 323; the sons of Jorah, 112; the sons of Hashum, 223; the sons of Gibbar, 95; the men of Bethlehem, 123; the men of Netophah, 56; the men of Anathoth, 128; the men of Azmaveth, 42; the men of Kiriath-arim, Chephirah, and Beeroth, 743; the men of Ramah and Geba, 621; the men of Michmas, 122; the men of Bethel and Ai, 223; the men of Nebo, 52; the men of Magbish, 156; the sons of the other Elam, 1,254; the sons of Harim, 320; the men of Lod, Hadid, and Ono, 725; the men of Jericho, 345; the men of Senaah, 3,630.

The priests: the sons of Jedaiah, of the house of Jeshua, 973; the sons of Immer, 1,052; the sons of Pashhur, 1,247; the sons of Harim, 1,017.

The Levites: the sons of Jeshua and Kadmiel, of the sons of Hodaviah, 74. The singers: the sons of Asaph, 128. The sons of the gatekeepers: the sons of Shallum, the sons of Ater, the sons of Talmon, the sons of Akkub, the sons of Hatita, and the sons of Shobai, 139 in all.

The temple servants: the sons of Ziha, the sons of Hasupha, the sons of Tabbaoth, the sons of Keros, the sons of Siaha, the sons of Padon, the sons of Lebanah, the sons of Hagabah, the sons of Akkub, the sons of Hagab, the sons of Shamlai, the sons of Hanan, the sons of Giddel, the sons of Gahar, the sons of Reaiah, the sons of Rezin, the sons of Nekoda, the sons of Gazzam, the sons of Uzza, the sons of Paseah, the sons of Besai, the sons of Asnah, the sons of Meunim, the sons of Nephisim, the sons of Bakbuk, the sons of Hakupha, the sons of Harhur, the sons of Bazluth, the sons of Mehida, the sons of Harsha, the sons of Barkos, the sons of Sisera, the sons of Temah, the sons of Neziah, and the sons of Hatipha.

The sons of Solomon's servants: the sons of Sotai, the sons of Hassophereth, the sons of Peruda, the sons of Jaalah, the sons of Darkon, the sons of Giddel, the sons of Shephatiah, the sons of Hattil, the sons of Pochereth-hazzebaim, and the sons of Ami. All the temple servants and the sons of Solomon's servants were 392.

The following came up from Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Cherub, Addan, and Immer, but they could not prove that they or their families were of Israelite descent: the sons of Delaiah, the sons of Tobiah, and the sons of Nekoda, 652. And of the sons of the priests: the sons of Habaiah, the sons of Hakkoz, and the sons of Barzillai, who had married one of the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite and had taken their family name. These searched for their names in the genealogical records, but they were not found, so they were excluded from the priesthood as unclean. The governor told them they were not to eat the most holy food until a priest could stand with the Urim and Thummim. a a v63 The Urim and Thummim were sacred objects carried by the high priest and used to seek God's guidance on official decisions.

The whole assembly together numbered 42,360, besides their male and female servants, who were 7,337; and they had 200 male and female singers. Their horses were 736, their mules 245, their camels 435, and their donkeys 6,720.

And when they came to the house of our Father in Jerusalem, some of the heads of the families gave freewill offerings for the house of our Father, to rebuild it on its site. According to their ability they gave to the treasury for the work 61,000 gold coins, about 6,250 pounds of silver, and 100 priestly garments. b b v69 A daric was a Persian gold coin and a mina a weight of silver — the people gave generously to rebuild the house of our Father.

So the priests, the Levites, some of the people, the singers, the gatekeepers, and the temple servants settled in their towns, and all Israel settled in their own towns.

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