1 And these are the heads {rashei: clan leaders} of their fathers’ households and their genealogical enrollments {hityachsam: family registers}, those who went up with me in the reign of King Artaxerxes from Babylon.
2 From the descendants of Phinehas, Gershom {gershom: foreign sojourner}; from the descendants of Ithamar, Daniel {daniyyel: Divine Judge}; from the descendants of David, Hattush.
3 From the descendants {mibnei: lineage registers} of Shechaniah of the clan of Parosh, Zechariah and those with him were enrolled {hityakhês: officially recorded} as one hundred and fifty males.
4 From the descendants {mibnei: genealogical clan} of Pahath-Moab, Elyehoenai son of Zerachiah, and with him 200 males {hazekharim: adult males}.
5 From the sons {mibnei: clan group} of Shekaniah, son of Yahaziel, and with him were three hundred males {hazcharim: adult men}.
6 And from the descendants {bnei: genealogical line} of Adin, Ebed son of Jonathan, and with him fifty males {zekharim: male members}.
7 And from the sons {bnei: clan listing} of Elam, Jeshaiah son of Athaliah, and with him were seventy males {hazcharim: adult men}.
8 And from the descendants {mibnei: lineal heirs} of Shephatiah, Zebadiah son of Michael, with him eighty males {zekarim: adult males}.
9 Among the descendants {mibnei: lineal inheritors} of Joab was Obadiah son of Jehiel, and with him 218 males {hazcharim: male members of the lineage}.
10 And from the sons {mibnei: genealogical group} of Bani, Shelomith son of Josiphiah, and with him 160 males {zekharim: male descendants}.
11 And from the sons {bnei: male lineage} of Bebai, Zechariah the son of Bebai, and with him were 28 males {zekharim: male descendants}.
12 And from the sons {benei: genealogical branch} of Azgad, Yochanan son of Hakkatan, and with him one hundred and ten males {zekharim: adult men}.
13 And from the descendants {bnei: paternal lineage} of Adonikam, the last ones, these are their names: Eliphelet, Yeiel, and Shemaiah; and with them were sixty males {zekharim: adult men}.
14 And from the descendants {bnei: genealogical heirs} of Bigvai, Utai, Zebud and Zaccur, and with him were seventy males {ha-zekarim: adult men}.
15 And I gathered them to the river that flows to Ahava, and we camped {nachaneh: pitched tents} there for three days. Then I considered {avina: examined carefully} among the people and among the priests, but I did not find any of the sons of Levi there.
16 And I sent for Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah, Elnatan, Jarib, Elnatan, Natan, Zechariah, and Meshullam, who were leaders {rashim: principal men}, and for Joiarib and Elnatan, who were men of understanding {mevinim: those possessing discernment}.
17 And I sent them with instructions to Iddo, the chief in Kasiphia {kasiphia: Persian-era settlement}, and I placed words in their mouths to speak to Iddo, his brothers, and the Nethinim there, in order to bring us attendants for the house of our God {elohenu: Temple Owner}.
18 And they brought to us, by the good hand of our God {Eloheinu, Gracious Provider} upon us, a man of insight {sekhel: wisdom and insight} from the sons of Mahli, son of Levi, son of Israel—namely Sherebiah—with his sons and his brothers, eighteen in all.
19 And Hashabiah, together with Yeshayah, from the sons {bnei: tribal lineage} of Merari—his brothers and their sons—were twenty {esrim: total count}.
20 And from the temple servants {netinim: given ones}, whom David and the officials gave for the service of the Levites, there were 220 temple servants— all of them were designated by name {shemot: personal identification}.
21 And I proclaimed a fast there at the Ahava River, to humble ourselves before our God {Eloheinu, Protector on the journey}, to seek from Him a straight way for us, our children {tapenu: young dependents}, and all our possessions.
22 Because I was ashamed to ask the king for a military force and horsemen to help us against the enemy on the road, for we had said to the king, saying, “The hand of our God {Eloheinu: Faithful Protector} is upon all who seek Him {mevaksheiv: those earnestly seeking} for good, but His strength and His anger are against all who forsake Him.”
23 So we fasted and sought petition from our God {Eloheinu, Prayer Hearer} concerning this, and He was entreated {vayyeater: graciously responded} for us.
24 And I set apart {avdilah: consecrated for service} from the chiefs {misarei: priestly authorities} of the priests twelve—Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and with them ten of their brothers.
25 And I weighed out to them the silver, the gold, and the vessels—the offering {terumat: dedicated gift} for the house of our God {Eloheinu, Worship Center}, which the king, his counselors, his princes, and all Israel present had offered.
26 And I weighed out into their hands 650 talents {kikkarim: weight units} of silver, and 100 talents of silver vessels {klei-kesef: containers of silver}, and 100 talents of gold.
27 And twenty gold bowls {keforei: ceremonial bowls} worth one thousand darics, and two fine vessels of gleaming bronze, precious as gold {kazahav: of gold-like value}.
28 And I said to them, “You are holy to the LORD {YHWH, Consecration Recipient}, and the vessels are holy, and the silver and the gold are a freewill offering {nedavah: voluntary gift} to the LORD the God of your fathers.”
29 Be vigilant and guard until you weigh {shakal: measure with scales} before the princes of the priests and the Levites and the heads of the fathers of Israel in Jerusalem, in the chambers of the house of the LORD {YHWH, Sanctuary Owner}.
30 So the priests and the Levites received the weighed silver, the gold, and the vessels {kelim: temple instruments}, to bring them to Jerusalem to the house of our God {Eloheinu, Divine Sanctuary}.
31 And we set out from the Ahava River on the twelfth day of the first month to go to Jerusalem, and the hand of our God {Eloheinu, Divine Protector} was upon us, and He delivered us from the hand of the enemy {oyev: hostile one} and ambush along the road.
32 And we came to Jerusalem {Yerushalayim: city of return}, and we stayed there three days {yamim: Hebrew day cycles}.
33 And on the fourth day the silver, the gold, and the vessels {hakelim: cultic containers} were weighed in the house of our God {Eloheinu, Sanctuary Keeper} by the hand of Meremoth son of Uriah the priest, with Eleazar son of Phinehas, and with them Jozabad son of Jeshua and Noadiah son of Binnui, the Levites.
34 By number and by weight for all, and all the weight {mishqal: precise measurement} was recorded at that time {ba’et: appointed moment}.
35 The sons of the exile who came from captivity offered burnt offerings to the God of Israel {Elohei Yisrael, National Protector}: twelve bulls for all Israel, ninety-six rams, seventy-seven lambs, and twelve male goats as sin offerings; all of this was a burnt offering to the LORD {YHWH, Worship Recipient}.
36 And they delivered the decrees of the king to the king’s satraps {achashdarpenei: Persian provincial officials} and the governors beyond the River, and they supported the people and the house of God {Elohim, Divine Preserver}.