Ezra 2

The list of groups that returned to Judah

1King Nebuchadnezzar’s soldiers had captured many Israeli people and taken them to Babylonia. Many years later, some Israeli people returned to Judah. Some returned to Jerusalem, and some returned to other places in Judah. They went to the towns where their ancestors had lived. This is a list of the groups who returned. 2The leaders of those groups were Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum, and Baanah.

There were:

32,172

descendants of Parosh

4372

descendants of Shephatiah

5775

descendants of Arah

62,812

descendants of Pahath-Moab, from the families of Jeshua and Joab

71,254

descendants of Elam

8945

descendants of Zattu

9760

descendants of Zaccai

10642

descendants of Bani

11623

descendants of Bebai

121,222

descendants of Azgad

13666

descendants of Adonikam

142,056

descendants of Bigvai

15454

descendants of Adin

1698

descendants of Ater, whose other name was Hezekiah

17323

descendants of Bezai

18112

descendants of Jorah

19223

descendants of Hashum

2095

descendants of Gibbar.

People whose ancestors had lived in these towns in Judah:

21123

from Bethlehem

2256

from Netophah

23128

from Anathoth

2442

from Azmaveth

25743

from Kiriath-Jearim, Kephirah, and Beeroth

26621

from Ramah and Geba

27122

from Micmash

28223

from Bethel and Ai

2952

from Nebo

30156

from Magbish

311,254

from Elam

32320

from Harim

33725

from Lod, Hadid, and Ono

34345

from Jericho

353,630

from Senaah.

36Priests who returned:

973

descendants of Jedaiah (that is, those from the family of Jeshua)

371,052

descendants of Immer

381,247

descendants of Pashhur

391,017

descendants of Harim.

The ones from the rest of the tribe of Levi who returned were:

4074

descendants of Jeshua and Kadmiel, who were from the family of Hodaviah

41128

singers who were descendants of Asaph

42139

◄gatekeepers/men who guarded the gates of the temple► who were descendants of Shallum, Ater, Talmon, Akkub, Hatita, and Shobai.

43The ◄temple workers/men who would work in the temple► who were descendants of these men:

Ziha, Hasupha, Tabbaoth,

44Keros, Siaha, Padon,

45Lebanah, Hagabah, Akkub,

46Hagab, Shalmai, Hanan,

47Giddel, Gahar, Reaiah,

48Rezin, Nekoda, Gazzam,

49Uzza, Paseah, Besai,

50Asnah, Meunim, Nephusim,

51Bakbuk, Hakupha, Harhur,

52Bazluth, Mehida, Harsha,

53Barkos, Sisera, Temah,

54Neziah, and Hatipha.

55These descendants of King Solomon’s servants returned:

Sotai, Hassophereth, Peruda,

56Jaalah, Darkon, Giddel,

57Shephatiah, Hattil, Pokereth-Hazzebaim, and Ami.

58Altogether, there were 392 temple workers and descendants of Solomon’s servants who returned.

59There was another group who returned to Judah from Tel-Melah, Tel-Harsha, Kerub, Addan, and Immer towns in Babylonia. But they could not prove that they were descendants of people who previously lived in Israel.

60This group included 652 people who were descendants of Delaiah, Tobiah, and Nekoda.

61Hobaiah’s clan, Hakkoz’s clan, and Barzillai’s clan also returned. Barzillai had married a woman who was a descendant of Barzillai from the Gilead region, and he had taken for himself the name of his father-in-law’s clan.

62The people in that group searched in the documents that had the names of the ancestors of all the clans, but these men’s names were not found. So they were not permitted do the work that priests did. 63The governor told them that they would need to ask a priest to consult Yahweh by ◄casting/throwing the sacred lots/stones that had been marked►, to determine if those men were truly Israelis. When the priests did that, if the stones showed that those men were Israelis, they would be permitted to eat the shares of the sacrifices that were given to the priests.

64Altogether 42,360 Israeli people who returned to Judah. 65There were also 7,337 servants and 200 musicians, both men and women, who returned. 66The Israelis brought with them from Babylonia 736 horses, 245 mules, 67435 camels, and 6,720 donkeys.

68When they arrived at the temple of Yahweh in Jerusalem, some of the clan leaders gave money for the supplies needed to rebuild the temple at the place where the temple had been previously. 69They all gave as much money as they were able to give. Altogether they gave 61,000 gold coins, ◄6,250 pounds/3,000 kg.► of silver, and 100 robes for the priests.

70Then the priests, the other descendants of Levi, the musicians, the temple guards, and some of the other people started to live in the towns and villages near Jerusalem. The rest of the people went to the other places in Israel where their ancestors had lived.