Ezra-Ezrah

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Ezra-Ezrah

To Our Forefathers Yisrael

1 Now in the first year of Koresh melech of Persia, so that The Word of YHUH by the mouth of Yirmeyahu might be fulfilled,YHUH stirred up the ruach of Koresh melech of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his malchut and put it also in writing, saying,

2 This says Koresh melech of Persia,YHUH Ahlohim of the shamayim has given me all the malchutim of the earth; and He has commanded me to rebuild a Bayit for Him at Yahrushalayim, which is in Yahudah.

3 Who is there among you of all of His people? His Ahlohim be with him and let him go up to Yahrushalayim, which is in Yahudah and rebuild the Bayit of YHUH Ahlohim of Yisrael – He is the Ahlohim – that is in Yahrushalayim.

4 And whoever remains in any place where he sojourns, let the men of his place help him with silver and with gold and with goods and with beasts, besides the terumah offerings for the Bayit of Ahlohim that is in Yahrushalayim.

5 Then the heads of the ahvot of Yahudah and Benyamin rose up, and the kohanim and the Lewiym, with all those whose ruach Ahlohim had raised, to go up to rebuild the Bayit of YHUH which is at Yahrushalayim.

6 And all those around them strengthened their hands with vessels of silver, with gold, with goods and with beasts and with precious things, besides all that was willingly offered.

7 Also Koresh the melech brought forth the vessels of the Bayit of YHUH, which Nevuchadnetzar had brought out of Yahrushalayim and had put them in the bayit of his Ahlohim;

8 Even those did Koresh melech of Persia bring forth by the hand of Mithredath the treasurer and numbered them to Sheshbatzar, the leader of Yahudah.

9 And this is the number of them: thirty dishes of gold, a thousand dishes of silver, twenty-nine knives,

10 Thirty basins of gold, silver basins four hundred and ten and a thousand other vessels.

11 All the vessels of gold and of silver were five thousand four hundred. All these did Sheshbatzar bring up with those of the exile that were brought up from Bavel to Yahrushalayim.

2 Now these are the children of the province that returned from the exile, of those that had been carried away, whom Nevuchadnetzar the melech of Bavel had carried away to Bavel, these came again to Yahrushalayim and Yahudah, every one to his own city;

2 Who came with Zerubbavel: Yeshua, Nechemyah, Seraiyah, Reelayah, Mordechai-Bilashon, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum, Baanah. The number of the men of the people of Yisrael:

3 The children of Parosh, two thousand one hundred seventy two.

4 The children of Shephatyah, three hundred seventy two.

5 The children of Arah, seven hundred seventy five.

6 The children of Pahath-Moav, of the children of Yeshua and Yoav, two thousand eight hundred twelve.

7 The children of Eylam, one thousand two hundred fifty four.

8 The children of Zattu, nine hundred forty five.

9 The children of Zaccai, seven hundred sixty.

10 The children of Bani, six hundred forty two.

11 The children of Bevai, six hundred twenty three.

12 The children of Azgad, a thousand two hundred twenty two.

13 The children of Adonikam, six hundred sixty six.

14 The children of Bigvai, two thousand fifty six.

15 The children of Adin, four hundred fifty four.

16 The children of Ater of Hizkiyahu, ninety-eight.

17 The children of Bezai, three hundred twenty three.

18 The children of Yorah, one hundred twelve.

19 The children of Hashum, two hundred twenty three.

20 The children of Givar, ninety-five.

21 The children of Beth-Lechem, one hundred twenty three.

22 The men of Netophah, fifty-six.

23 The men of Anathoth, a hundred twenty eight.

24 The children of Azmaveth, forty-two.

25 The children of Kiryath-Arim, Chephirah and Beeroth, seven hundred forty three.

26 The children of Ramah and Geva, six hundred twenty one.

27 The men of Michmas, a hundred twenty two.

28 The men of Beth-El and Ai, two hundred twenty three.

29 The children of Nevo, fifty-two.

30 The children of Magvish, one hundred fifty six.

31 The children of the other Eylam, one thousand two hundred fifty four.

32 The children of Harim, three hundred twenty.

33 The children of Lod, Hadid and Ono, seven hundred twenty five.

34 The children of Yericho, three hundred forty five.

35 The children of Senaah, three thousand six hundred and thirty.

36 The kohanim: the children of Yedaiyah, of the bayit of Yeshua, nine hundred seventy three.

37 The children of Immer, one thousand fifty two.

38 The children of Pashur, one thousand two hundred forty seven.

39 The children of Harim, one thousand seventeen.

40 The Lewiym: the children of Yeshua and Kadmi-El, of the children of Hodavyah, seventy-four.

41 The singers: the children of Asaph, one hundred twenty eight.

42 The children of the gatekeepers: the children of Shallum, the children of Ater, the children of Talmon, the children of Achuv, the children of Hatita, the children of Shovai, in all one hundred thirty nine.

43 The Nethinim: the children of Tziha, the children of Hasupha, the children of Tavaoth,

44 The children of Keros, the children of Siaha, the children of Padon,

45 The children of Levanah, the children of Hagavah, the children of Achuv,

46 The children of Hagav, the children of Shalmai, the children of Chanan,

47 The children of Gidd-El, the children of Gahar, the children of Reayah,

48 The children of Retzin, the children of Nekoda, the children of Gazzam,

49 The children of Uzza, the children of Paseah, the children of Besai,

50 The children of Asnah, the children of Mehunim, the children of Nephusim,

51 The children of Bakbuk, the children of Hachupha, the children of Harhur,

52 The children of Batzluth, the children of Mehida, the children of Harsha,

53 The children of Barkos, the children of Sisra, the children of Thamah,

54 The children of Netziyah, the children of Hatipha.

55 The children of Shlomo’s avadim: the children of Sotai, the children of Sophereth, the children of Peruda,

56 The children of Yaalah, the children of Darkon, the children of Gidd-El,

57 The children of Shephatyah, the children of Hattil, the children of Pochereth of Tzevaim, the children of Ami.

58 All the Nethinim and the children of Shlomo’s avadim, were three hundred ninety two.

59 And these were those who went up from Tel-melah, Tel-harsa, Cheruv, Addan and Immer: but they could not show their abba’s lineage and their zera, whether they were of Yisrael:

60 The children of Delayah, the children of Toviyah, the children of Nekoda, six hundred fifty two.

61 And of the children of the kohanim: the children of Havayah, the children of Koz, the children of Barzillai; that took wives from the daughters of Barzillai the Giladi and was called after their name:

62 These sought to register among those that were numbered by genealogy, but they were not found: therefore they were counted as polluted and removed from the kohanut.

63 And the governor said to them, that they should not eat of the most kadosh things, until there stood up a kohen with Urim and with Thummim.

64 The whole kehilla together was forty two thousand three hundred sixty,

65 Beside their avadim and their maids, of whom there were seven thousand three hundred thirty seven: and there were among them two hundred singing men and singing women.

66 Their horses were seven hundred thirty six; their mules, two hundred forty five;

67 Their camels, four hundred thirty five; their donkeys, six thousand seven hundred twenty.

68 And some of the heads of the ahvot, when they came to the Bayit of YHUH which is at Yahrushalayim, offered freely for the Bayit of Ahlohim to set it up in its place:

69 They gave after their ability to the treasury for the work sixty one thousand drams of gold and five thousand pounds of silver and one hundred sets of the kohanim’s garments.

70 So the kohanim and the Lewiym and some of the people and the singers and the gatekeepers and the Nethinim, dwelt in their cities and kol Yisrael in their cities.

3 And when the seventh chodesh had come and the children of Yisrael were in their cities, the people gathered themselves together as echad to Yahrushalayim.

2 Then stood up Yeshua the son of Yotzadak and his brothers the kohanim and Zerubbavel the son of Shealti-El and his brothers and rebuilt the altar of the Ahlohim of Yisrael, to offer burnt offerings on it, as it is written in the Torah of Moshe the man of Ahlohim.

3 And they set the altar upon its bases; for fear was upon them because of the people of those countries: and they offered burnt offerings on it to YHUH, even burnt offerings for shachrit and maariv.

4 They kept also Chag Sukkot, as it is written and offered the daily burnt offerings by number, according to the mishpat, as the duty of each yom required;

5 And afterward they offered the continual burnt offerings, both for the Chodashim and for all the moadeem of YHUH that were kadosh, from everyone that willingly offered a terumah offering to YHUH.

6 From the first yom of the seventh chodesh they began to offer burnt offerings to YHUH. But the foundation of the Hekal of YHUH was not yet laid.

7 They gave money also to the stonemasons and to the carpenters; and food and drink and oil, to those of Tzidon and to those of Tsor, to bring cedar logs from Levanon to the Sea of Yapho, according to the grant and permission that they had from Koresh melech of Persia.

8 Now in the second year of their coming to the Bayit of Ahlohim at Yahrushalayim, in the second chodesh, began Zerubbavel the son of Shealti-El and Yeshua the son of Yotzadak and the remnant of their brothers the kohanim and the Lewiym and all those that were come out of the exile to Yahrushalayim; and appointed the Lewiym, from twenty years old and upward, to oversee the work of the Bayit of YHUH.

9 Then stood Yeshua with his sons and his brothers, Kadmi-El and his sons, the sons of Yahudah, together, to oversee the workmen in the Bayit of Ahlohim: the sons of Henadad, with their sons and their brothers the Lewiym.

10 And when the builders laid the foundation of the Hekal of YHUH, they set the kohanim in their robes with shofars and the Lewiym the sons of Asaph with cymbals, to offer tehilla to YHUH, after the order established by Dawid melech of Yisrael.

11 And they sang together by division in giving tehilla and giving hodu to YHUH; because He is tov, for His chesed endures le-olam-va-ed toward Yisrael. And all the people shouted with a great shout and gave tehilla to YHUH because the foundation of the Bayit of YHUH was laid.

12 But many of the kohanim and Lewiym and heads of the ahvot, who were older men, that had seen the first Bayit, when the foundation of this Bayit was laid before their eyes, wept with a loud voice; yet many others shouted aloud for simcha:

13 So that the people could not discern the noise of the shout of simcha from the noise of the weeping of the people: for the people shouted with a loud shout and the noise was heard far off.

4 Now when the adversaries of Yahudah and Benyamin heard that the children of the exile had rebuilt the Hekal to YHUH Ahlohim of Yisrael;

2 Then they came to Zerubbavel and to the heads of the ahvot and said to them, Let us rebuild with you: for we seek your Ahlohim, as you do; and we do sacrifice to Him since the yamim of Esar-Haddon melech of Ashshur, who brought us here.

3 But Zerubbavel and Yeshua and the rest of the heads of the ahvot of Yisrael, said to them, You have nothing to do with us to rebuild a Bayit to our Ahlohim; but we ourselves together will rebuild to YHUH Ahlohim of Yisrael, as melech Koresh the melech of Persia has commanded us.

4 Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Yahudah and troubled them in building,

5 And hired counselors against them, to frustrate their purpose, all the yamim of Koresh melech of Persia, even until the reign of Daryawesh melech of Persia.

6 And in the reign of Achashverosh, in the beginning of his reign, they wrote to him an accusation against the inhabitants of Yahudah and Yahrushalayim.

7 And in the yamim of Artahshashta, Bishlam, Mithredath, Taveel and the rest of their companions, wrote to Artahshashta melech of Persia; and the writing of the letter was written in the Aramaic tongue and translated from the Aramaic tongue.

8 Rehum the governor and Shimshai the Sopher all wrote a letter against Yahrushalayim to Artahshashta the melech like this:

9 Rehum the governor and Shimshai the Sopher and the rest of their companions; the shophtim, the emissaries, the counsels, the officials, the people of Erek, of Bavel, of Shushan, of Dehavites, of the Eylamites,

10 And the rest of the goyim who the great and noble Osnappar brought over and placed in the cities of Shomron and the rest that are on this side of the river, at this time.

11 This is the copy of the letter that they sent to him, even to Artahshashta the melech; Your avadim the men on this side of the river, at such a time.

12 Be it known to the melech, that the Yahudim who came up from you to us have come to Yahrushalayim, building the rebellious and the evil city and have set up the walls and repaired its foundations.

13 Be it known now to the melech, that, if this city is rebuilt and the walls set up again, then will they not pay excise, or tax and will cause the revenue of the melech to suffer loss.

14 Now because we have eaten salt from the melech’s palace and it was not right for us to see the melech being shamed like this, therefore have we sent and certified this letter to the melech;

15 That a search may be made in the scroll of the records of your ahvot: so shall you find in the scroll of the records and know that this city is a rebellious city and hurtful to melechim and provinces and that they have been responsible for revolts within it in the past which is the reason this city was destroyed.

16 We inform the melech that, if this city is rebuilt again and the walls of it set up again, by this action you shall have no portion of land on this side of the river.

17 Then sent the melech an answer to Rehum the governor and to Shimshai the Sopher and to the rest of their companions that dwell in Shomron and to the rest beyond the river, Shalom, at this time.

18 The letter that you sent to us has been plainly read before me.

19 And I commanded and a search has been made and it is found that this city in times past has made insurrection against melechim and that rebellion and sedition have been made in it.

20 There have been mighty melechim also over Yahrushalayim, who have ruled over all countries beyond the river; and tax, excise and toll, was paid to them.

21 Now make a decree to these men to cease, so that this city not be rebuilt, until a commandment from me shall be given to do so.

22 Beware that you do not fail to do this: why should damage increase to the hurt of the melechim?

23 Now when the copy of melech Artahshashta’s letter was read before Rehum and Shimshai the Sopher and their companions, they went up in a hurry to Yahrushalayim to the Yahudim and made them cease by force and power.

24 Then ceased the work of the Bayit of Ahlohim that is at Yahrushalayim. So it ceased until the second year of the reign of Daryawesh melech of Persia.

5 Then the neviim, Chaggai and Zacharyah the son of Iddo, prophesied to the Yahudim that were in Yahudah and Yahrushalayim in the Name of the Ahlohim of Yisrael.

2 Then rose up Zerubbavel the son of Shealti-El and Yeshua the son of Yotzadak and began to rebuild the Bayit of Ahlohim which is at Yahrushalayim: and with them were the neviim of Ahlohim helping them.

3 At the same time came to them Tatnai, the governor on this side of the river and Shethar-Boznai and their companions and said this to them, Who has commanded you to rebuild this Bayit and to raise up this wall?

4 And then we told them, all the names of the men that were doing the building.

5 But the eye of their Ahlohim was upon the zechanim of the Yahudim, so that they could not force them to cease, until the matter came to Daryawesh: and then they returned an answer by letter concerning this matter.

6 The copy of the letter that Tatnai, governor on this side of the river and Shethar-Boznai and his companions the officials, who were on this side the river, sent to Daryawesh the melech:

7 They sent a letter to him, in which was written this; Unto Daryawesh the melech, all shalom.

8 Be it known to the melech, that we went into the province of Yahudah, to the Bayit of the great Ahlohim, which is rebuilt with great stones and timber is laid in the walls and this work goes forward and prospers in their hands.

9 Then we asked those zechanim and said to them this, Who commanded you to rebuild this Bayit and to raise up these walls?

10 We asked their names also, to inform you, that we might write the names of the men that were their leaders.

11 And this they returned us answer, saying, We are the avadim of the Ahlohim of the shamayim and earth and we now rebuild the Bayit that was built many years ago, which a great melech of Yisrael built and set up.

12 But after our ahvot had provoked the Ahlohim of the shamayim to wrath, He gave them into the hand of Nevuchadnetzar the melech of Bavel, the Chaldean, who destroyed this Bayit and carried the people away into Bavel.

13 But in the first year of Koresh the melech of Bavel the same melech Koresh made a decree to rebuild this Bayit of Ahlohim.

14 And the vessels also of gold and silver of the Bayit of Ahlohim, which Nevuchadnetzar took out of the Hekal that was in Yahrushalayim and brought them into the hekal of Bavel, those did Koresh the melech take out of the hekal of Bavel and they were delivered to one, whose name was Sheshbatstsar, whom he had made governor;

15 And said to him, Take these vessels, go, carry them into the Hekal that is in Yahrushalayim and let the Bayit of Ahlohim be rebuilt in its place.

16 Then came the same Sheshbatstsar and laid the foundation of the Bayit of Ahlohim that is in Yahrushalayim: and since that time, even until now it is being rebuilt and yet it is not finished.

17 Now therefore, if it seems tov to the melech, let there be a search made in the melech’s treasure bayit, which is there at Bavel, whether it is emet, that a decree was made by Koresh the melech to rebuild this Bayit of Ahlohim at Yahrushalayim and let the melech send his decision to us concerning this matter.

6 Then Daryawesh the melech made a decree and a search was made in the bayit of the records, where the treasures of Bavel were kept.

2 And there was found at Achmetha, in the palace that is in the province of the Medes, a scroll and in it was a record with this written:

3 In the first year of Koresh the melech the same Koresh the melech made a decree concerning the Bayit of Ahlohim at Yahrushalayim, Let the Bayit be rebuilt, the place where they offered sacrifices and let the foundations of it be strongly laid; the height of it sixty cubits and the width of it sixty cubits;

4 With three rows of great stones and a row of new timber: and let the expenses be given out of the melech’s bayit:

5 And also let the golden and silver vessels of the Bayit of Ahloha, which Nevuchadnetzar took out of the Hekal which is at Yahrushalayim and brought to Bavel, be restored and brought again to the Hekal which is at Yahrushalayim, every piece to its place and place them in the Bayit of Ahlohim.

6 Now therefore, Tatnai, governor beyond the river, Shethar-Boznai and your companions the officials, who are beyond the river, stay away from the city and the Beit HaMikdash:

7 Leave the work of this Bayit of Ahlohim alone; let the governor of the Yahudim and the zechanim of the Yahudim rebuild this Bayit of Ahlohim in its place.

8 Moreover I make a decree what you shall do for the zechanim of these Yahudim for the building of this Bayit of Ahlohim: that from the melech’s goods, even from the expenses beyond the river, that immediately all expenses be paid to these men, that they be not hindered.

9 And that which they have need of, both young bullocks and rams and lambs, for the burnt offerings of the Ahlohim of the shamayim, wheat, salt, wine and oil, according to the orders of the kohanim which are at Yahrushalayim, let it be given to them daily without fail:

10 That they may offer sacrifices of sweet savors to the Ahlohim of the shamayim and make tefillah for the chayim of the melech and of his sons.

11 Also I have made a decree, that whoever shall alter this word, let timber be pulled down from his bayit, then reset and let him be hanged on it; and let his bayit be made into a dunghill for this.

12 And the Ahlohim that has caused His Name to dwell there will destroy all of the melechim and peoples that shall put their hand to alter and to destroy this Bayit of Ahlohim which is at Yahrushalayim. I Daryawesh have made a decree; let it be done quickly.

13 Then Tatnai, governor on this side of the river, Shethar-Boznai and their companions, according to all that Daryawesh the melech had sent, so they did and obeyed immediately.

14 And the zechanim of the Yahudim rebuilt and they prospered through the prophesying of Chaggai the navi and Zacharyah the son of Iddo. And they rebuilt and finished it, according to the commandment of the Ahlohim of Yisrael and according to the commandment of Koresh and Daryawesh and Artahshashta melech of Persia.

15 And this Bayit was finished on the third yom of the twelfth chodesh, which was in the sixth year of the reign of Daryawesh the melech.

16 And the children of Yisrael, the kohanim and the Lewiym and the rest of the children of the exile, kept the dedication of the Bayit of Ahlohim with simcha,

17 And offered at the dedication of the Bayit of Ahlohim a hundred bullocks, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs; and for a sin offering for kol Yisrael, twelve male goats, according to the number of the tribes of Yisrael.

18 And they set the kohanim in their divisions and the Lewiym in their divisions, for the service of Ahlohim, which is at Yahrushalayim; as it is written in the scroll of Moshe.

19 And the children of the exile kept the Pesach upon the fourteenth yom of the first chodesh.

20 For the kohanim and the Lewiym were cleansed together, all of them were clean and killed the Pesach for all the children of the exile and for their brothers the kohanim and for themselves.

21 And the children of Yisrael, who had come again out of the exile, and all such as had separated themselves to join them from the filthiness of the heathen of the land, to seek YHUH Ahlohim of Yisrael, did eat,

22 And kept the moed of Chag Matzoth seven yamim with simcha: for YHUH had made them full of simcha and turned the lev of the melech of Ashshur to them, to strengthen their hands in the work of the Bayit of Ahlohim, the Ahlohim of Yisrael.

7 Now after these things, in the reign of Artahshashta melech of Persia, Ezra the son of Seraiyah, the son of Azaryah, the son of Hilkiyahu,

2 The son of Shallum, the son of Tzadok, the son of Achituv,

3 The son of Amaryah, the son of Azaryah, the son of Meraioth,

4 The son of Zerahyah, the son of Uzzi, the son of Buchi,

5 The son of Avishua, the son of Pinchus, the son of El-Azar, the son of Aharon the Kohen HaGadol:

6 This Ezra went up from Bavel; and he was a skilled Sopher in the Torah of Moshe, which YHUH Ahlohim of Yisrael had given: and the melech granted him all his requests, according to the Hand of YHUH his Ahlohim upon him.

7 And there went up some of the children of Yisrael, and of the kohanim and the Lewiym and the singers and the gatekeepers and the Nethinim, to Yahrushalayim,in the seventh year of Artahshashta the melech.

8 And he came to Yahrushalayim in the fifth chodesh, which was in the seventh year of the melech.

9 For upon the first yom of the first chodesh he began to go up from Bavel and on the first yom of the fifth chodesh he came to Yahrushalayim, according to the tov hand of his Ahlohim upon him.

10 For Ezra had prepared his lev to seek the Torah of YHUH and to do it and to teach in Yisrael chukim and mishpatim.

11 Now this is the copy of the letter that the melech Artahshashta gave to Ezra the kohen, the Sopher, even a Sopher of the Words of the mitzvoth of YHUH and of His chukim to Yisrael.

12 Artahshashta, melech of melechim, to Ezra the kohen, a Sopher of the Torah of the Ahlohim of the shamayim, perfect shalom, at such a time.

13 I make a decree that all they of the people of Yisrael and of their kohanim and Lewiym, in my realm, who are minded by their own free will to go up to Yahrushalayim, may go with you.

14 Forasmuch as you are sent by the melech and by his seven counselors, to inquire concerning Yahudah and Yahrushalayim, according to the Torah of your Ahlohim that is in your hand;

15 And to carry the silver and gold, which the melech and his counselors have freely offered to the Ahlohim of Yisrael, whose dwelling is in Yahrushalayim,

16 And all the silver and gold that you can find in all the province of Bavel, with the terumah offering of the people and of the kohanim, offering willingly for the Bayit of their Ahlohim which is in Yahrushalayim:

17 That you may quickly buy with this money your bullocks, rams, lambs, with their grain offerings and their drink offerings and offer them upon the altar of the Bayit of your Ahlohim that is in Yahrushalayim.

18 And whatever shall seem tov to you and to your brothers, to do with the rest of the silver and the gold, that do after the will of your Ahlohim.

19 The vessels also that are given to you for the service of the Bayit of your Ahlohim, those deliver to the Ahlohim of Yahrushalayim.

20 And whatever more shall be needed for the Bayit of your Ahlohim, which you shall have occasion to give, give it out of the melech’s treasure bayit.

21 And I, Artahshashta the melech, do make a decree to all the treasurers who are beyond the river, that whatever Ezra the kohen, the Sopher of the Torah of the Ahlohim of the shamayim, shall require from you, let it be done immediately,

22 Up to a hundred talents of silver and to a hundred measures of wheat and to a hundred baths of wine and to a hundred baths of oil and salt without measure.

23 Whatever is commanded by the Ahlohim of the shamayim, let it be diligently done for the Bayit of the Ahlohim of the shamayim: for why should there be wrath against the malchut of the melech and his sons?

24 Also we inform you, that as for the kohanim and Lewiym, singers, gatekeepers, Nethinim, or avadim of the Bayit of Ahlohim, it shall not be lawful to impose tax, excise, or any tolls, upon them.

25 And you, Ezra, after the chochmah of your Ahlohim, that is in your hand, set magistrates and shophtim, who may judge all the people that are beyond the river, all such as know the Torot of your Ahlohim; and teach them that know them not.

26 And whoever will not do the Torah of your Ahlohim and this decree of the melech, let mishpat be executed immediately upon him, whether it be to death, or to banishment, or to confiscation of personal goods, or to imprisonment.

27 Barchu-et-YHUH Ahlohim of our ahvot, who has put such a thing as this in the melech’s lev, to beautify the Bayit of YHUH which is in Yahrushalayim:

28 And has extended rachamim to me before the melech and his counselors and before all the melech’s mighty leaders. And I was strengthened as the Hand of YHUH my Ahlohim was upon me and I gathered together out of Yisrael leading men to go up with me.

8 These are now the heads of their ahvot and this is the genealogy of those that went up with me from Bavel, in the reign of Artahshashta the melech.

2 Of the sons of Pinchus; Gershom: of the sons of Ithamar; Dani-El: of the sons of Dawid; Hattush.

3 Of the sons of Shechanyah, of the sons of Pharosh; Zacharyah: and with him were numbered by genealogy of the males a hundred fifty.

4 Of the sons of Pahath-Moav; Elyeho-Eynai the son of Zerahyah and with him two hundred males.

5 Of the sons of Shechanyah; the son of Yahazi-El and with him three hundred males.

6 Of the sons also of Adin; Eved the son of Yonathan and with him fifty males.

7 And of the sons of Eylam; Yeshayah the son of Athalyah and with him seventy males.

8 And of the sons of Shephatyah; Tzevadyah the son of Micha-El and with him eighty males.

9 Of the sons of Yoav; Ovadyah the son of Yehi-El and with him two hundred and eighteen males.

10 And of the sons of Shelomith; the son of Yosiphyah and with him a hundred sixty males.

11 And of the sons of Bebai; Zacharyah the son of Bevai and with him twenty-eight males.

12 And of the sons of Azgad; Yohanan the son of Hakkatan and with him a hundred ten males.

13 And of the last sons of Adonikam, whose names are these, Eliphelet, Yei-El and Shemayah and with them sixty males.

14 Of the sons also of Bigvai; Uthai and Zavud and with them seventy males.

15 And I gathered them together to the river that runs to Ahava; and there we stayed in tents three yamim: and I viewed the people and the kohanim and found there none of the sons of Lewi.

16 Then sent I for Eli-Ezer, for Ari-El, for Shemayah and for Elnathan and for Yariv and for Elnathan and for Natan and for Zacharyah and for Meshullam, leaders; also for Yoyariv and for Elnathan, men of binah.

17 And I sent them with a commandment for Iddo the leader at the place Casiphya and I told them what they should say to Iddo and to his brothers the Nethinim, at the place Casiphya, that they should bring to us avadim for the Bayit of our Ahlohim.

18 And by the tov hand of our Ahlohim upon us they brought us a man of binah, of the sons of Machli, the son of Lewi, the son of Yisrael; and Sherevyah, with his sons and his brothers, eighteen;

19 And Hashavyah and with him Yeshayah of the sons of Merari, his brothers and their sons, twenty;

20 Also of the Nethinim, whom Dawid and the leaders had appointed for the service of the Lewiym, two hundred twenty Nethinim: all of them were designated by name.

21 Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river of Ahava, that we might afflict ourselves before our Ahlohim, to seek from Him a right halacha for us and for our little ones and for all our substance.

22 For I was ashamed to require of the melech a band of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy in the derech: because we had spoken to the melech, saying, The hand of our Ahlohim is upon all them for tov that seek Him; but His Power and His wrath is against all them that forsake Him.

23 So we fasted and sought our Ahlohim for this: and He was moved by us.

24 Then I separated twelve of the heads of the kohanim, Sherevyah, Hashavyah and ten of their brothers with them,

25 And weighed to them the silver and the gold and the vessels, even the offering of the Bayit of our Ahlohim, which the melech and his counselors and his masters and kol Yisrael there present, had offered:

26 I even weighed to their hand six hundred fifty talents of silver and silver vessels a hundred talents and of gold a hundred talents;

27 Also twenty basins of gold, of a thousand drams; and two vessels of fine copper, precious as gold.

28 And I said to them, You are kadosh to YHUH; the vessels are kadosh also; and the silver and the gold are terumah offerings to YHUH Ahlohim of your ahvot.

29 Watch and keep them, until you weigh them before the heads of the kohanim and the Lewiym and heads of the ahvot of Yisrael, at Yahrushalayim, in the rooms of the Bayit of YHUH.

30 So the kohanim and the Lewiym took the weight of the silver and the gold and the vessels, to bring them to Yahrushalayim to the Bayit of our Ahlohim.

31 Then we departed from the river of Ahava on the twelfth yom of the first chodesh, to go to Yahrushalayim: and the hand of our Ahlohim was upon us and He delivered us from the hand of the enemy and from such as lay in wait by the derech.

32 And we came to Yahrushalayim and stayed there three yamim.

33 Now on the fourth yom was the silver and the gold and the vessels weighed in the Bayit of our Ahlohim by the hand of Meremoth the son of Uriyah the kohen; and with him was El-Azar the son of Pinchus; and with them was Yotzavad the son of Yeshua and Noadyah the son of Binnui, the Lewiym;

34 By number and by weight of everything: and all the weight was written at that time.

35 Also the children of those that had been carried away, who were coming out of the exile, offered burnt offerings to the Ahlohim of Yisrael, twelve bullocks for kol Yisrael, ninety-six rams, seventy-seven lambs, twelve male goats for a sin offering: all this was a burnt offering to YHUH.

36 And they delivered the melech’s decrees to the melech’s viceroys and to the governors beyond the river: and they lifted up the people and the Bayit of Ahlohim.

9 Now when these things were done, the leaders came to me, saying, The people of Yisrael and the kohanim and the Lewiym, have not separated themselves from the people of the lands and are doing according to their abominations, even of the Kanaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Yevusites, the Ammonites, the Moavites, the Mitzrim and the Amorites.

2 For they have taken their daughters for themselves and for their sons: so that the kadosh zera has been mixed with the peoples of those lands: yes, even the hand of the leaders and rulers have been foremost in this trespass.

3 And when I heard this thing, I tore my garment and my mantle and plucked off the hair of my head and my beard and sat down astonished.

4 Then were assembled to me every one that trembled at the Words of the Ahlohim of Yisrael because of the transgression of the exiles; and I sat astonished until the maariv sacrifice.

5 And at the maariv sacrifice I arose up from my heaviness; and having torn my garment and my mantle, I fell upon my knees and spread out my hands to YHUH my Ahlohim.

6 And said, O my Ahlohim, I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to You, my Ahlohim: for our iniquities have increased derech over our head and our trespass is risen up to the shamayim.

7 Since the yamim of our ahvot have we been in a great trespass even until this yom; and for our iniquities have we, our melechim and our kohanim, been delivered into the hand of the melechim of the lands, to the sword, to exile and to be a plunder and to confusion of face, as it is until this yom.

8 And now for a little time rachamim has been showed from YHUH our Ahlohim, to leave us a remnant to escape and to give us a secure hold in His Kadosh-Place, that our Ahlohim may lighten our eyes and give us a little revival in our bondage.

9 For we were avadim; yet our Ahlohim has not forsaken us in our bondage, but has extended rachamim to us in the sight of the melechim of Persia, to give us a revival, to set up the Bayit of our Ahlohim and to repair its desolations and to give us a wall in Yahudah and in Yahrushalayim.

10 And now, O our Ahlohim, what shall we say after this? For we have forsaken Your mitzvoth,

11 Which You have commanded by Your avadim the neviim, saying, The land, which you go to possess, is an unclean land with the filthiness of the people of the lands, with their abominations, who have filled it from one end to another with their uncleanness.

12 Now therefore give not your daughters to their sons, neither take their daughters to your sons, nor seek their shalom, or their wealth le-olam-va-ed: that you may be strong and eat the tov of the land and leave it as an inheritance to your children le-olam-va-ed.

13 And after all that has come upon us for our evil deeds and for our great trespass, seeing that You our Ahlohim have punished us even less than our iniquities deserve and have given us such deliverance as this;

14 Should we again break Your mitzvoth and join in union with the people of these abominations? Would You not be angry with us until You have consumed us, so that there should be no remnant, or survivor?

15 O YHUH Ahlohim of Yisrael, You are tzadik: for we still remain as a remnant, as it is this yom: behold, we are before You in our trespasses: for there is no one to stand before You about this.

10 Now when Ezra had made tefillah and when he had confessed, weeping and casting himself down before the Bayit of Ahlohim, there assembled to him out of Yisrael a very great kehilla of men and women and children: for the people wept very bitterly.

2 And Shechanyah the son of Yehi-El, one of the sons of Eylam, answered and said to Ezra, We have trespassed against our Ahlohim and have taken strange wives from the peoples of the land: yet now there is tikvah in Yisrael concerning this thing.

3 Now therefore let us make a brit with our Ahlohim to put away all the wives and such as are born from them, according to the counsel of my master and of those that tremble at the mitzvoth of our Ahlohim; and let it be done according to the Torah.

4 Arise; for this matter belongs to you: we also will be with you: be of tov courage and do it.

5 Then Ezra arose and made the heads of the kohanim, the Lewiym and kol Yisrael, to swear that they should do according to this word. And they swore.

6 Then Ezra rose up from before the Bayit of Ahlohim and went into the room of Yochanan the son of Eliashiv: and when he came there, he did eat no lechem, nor drink mayim: for he mourned because of the transgression of those that had been carried away.

7 And they made proclamation throughout Yahudah and Yahrushalayim to all the children of the exile, that they should gather themselves together to Yahrushalayim;

8 And that whoever would not come within three yamim, according to the counsel of the leaders and the zechanim, all his substance should be forfeited and himself separated from the kehilla of the exiles.

9 Then all the men of Yahudah and Benyamin gathered themselves together to Yahrushalayim within three yamim. It was the ninth chodesh, on the twentieth yom of the chodesh; and all the people sat in the street of the Bayit of Ahlohim, trembling because of this matter and because of the huge downpour.

10 And Ezra the kohen stood up and said to them, You have transgressed and have taken strange wives, to increase the trespass of Yisrael.

11 Now therefore make confession to YHUH Ahlohim of your ahvot and do His pleasure: and separate yourselves from the peoples of the land and from the strange wives.

12 Then all the kehilla answered and said with a loud voice, As you have said, so must we do.

13 But the people are many and it is a time of much rain and we are not able to stand outside, neither is this a work of one, or two yamim: for we are many that have transgressed in this thing.

14 Let now our rulers of all the kehilla stand and let all them who have taken strange wives in our cities come at scheduled times and with them the zechanim of every city and its shophtim, until the fierce wrath of our Ahlohim for this matter has turned away from us.

15 Only Yonathan the son of Asah-El and Yahatzyah the son of Tikvah gave them support about this matter: and Meshullam and Shavethai the Lewite helped them.

16 And the children of the exile did so. And Ezra the kohen, with certain heads of the ahvot, after the bayit of their ahvot and all of them by their names, were separated and sat down on the first yom of the tenth chodesh to examine the matter.

17 And they had finished the list with all the men who had taken strange non-Yisraelite wives by the first yom of the first chodesh.

18 And among the sons of the kohanim there were found that had taken strange wives: namely, of the sons of Yeshua the son of Yotzadak and his brothers; Maaseyah and Eli-Ezer and Yariv and Gedalyahu.

19 And they gave their hands in a pledge that they would put away their strange wives; and being guilty, they offered a ram of the flock for their trespass.

20 And of the sons of Immer; Hanani and Zevadyah.

21 And of the sons of Harim; Maaseyah and Eliyah and Shemayah and Yehi-El and Uziyahu.

22 And of the sons of Pashur; Elyo-Eynai, Maaseyah, Yishmael, Natan-El, Yotzavad and El-Asah.

23 Also of the Lewiym; Yotzabad and Shimei and Kelayah – the same is Kelita – Pethahyah, Yahudah and Eli-Ezer.

24 Of the singers also; Elyahshiv: and of the gatekeepers; Shallum and Telem and Uri.

25 Moreover of Yisrael: of the sons of Parosh; Ramiyah and Yeziyah and Malchiyah and Miamin and Eleazar and Malchiyah and Beniyah.

26 And of the sons of Eylam; Mattanyah, Zacharyah and Yehi-El and Avdi and Yeremoth and Eliyah.

27 And of the sons of Zattu; Elyo-Eynai, Eliashiv, Mattanyah and Yeremoth and Zavad and Aziza.

28 Of the sons also of Bevai; Yehohanan, Hananyah, Zavai and Athlai.

29 And of the sons of Bani; Meshullam, Malluch and Adayah, Yashuv and Sheal and Ramot.

30 And of the sons of Pahath-Moav; Adna and Chelal, Benyahu, Maaseyah, Mattanyah, Bezal-El and Binnui and Menasheh.

31 And of the sons of Harim; Eli-Ezer, Yishiyah, Malchiyah, Shemayah, Shimon,

32 Benyamin, Malluch and Shemaryah.

33 Of the sons of Hashum; Mattenai, Mattattah, Zavad, Eliphelet, Yeremai, Menasheh and Shimei.

34 Of the sons of Bani; Maadai, Amram and Uel,

35 Benyahu, Bedeyah, Chelluh,

36 Vanyah, Meremoth, Eliashiv,

37 Mattanyah, Mattenai and Yaasau,

38 And Bani and Binnui, Shimei,

39 And Shelemyah and Natan and Adayah,

40 Machnadevai, Shashai, Sharai,

41 Azare-El and Shelemyah, Shemaryah,

42 Shallum, Amaryah and Yosef

43 Of the sons of Nevo; Yei-El, Mattithyah, Zavad, Zevina, Yadau and Yoel, Beniyah.

44 All these had taken foreign wives: and some of them had wives by whom they had children. X

EZRA

• EZRA 1:5 Not Efrayim, or the other ten tribes, since Efrayim never was part of the Babylonian exile having gone into Assyria some 200 years earlier.

• EZRA 2:2 This is the Mordechai from the Scroll of Esther recorded here as Mordechai-Bilashon because he was proficient in many languages. He returned from exile with Ezra and Nehemiah.

• EZRA 2:35 Many black Jews in Africa today (Lemba) claim to be from the exiled children of Senaah who never returned.

• EZRA 2:59 Yet they were still numbered among Israel in this chapter by Ezra, a scribe and leader of the nation, once again showing that all those willing to follow Israel and dwell with Israel by following their regulations are Israel, even when they can’t prove their lineage.

• EZRA 2:64 As seen elsewhere, most Jews didn’t return from Babylon, let alone Efrayim from out of the nations. A remnant returned, but not all Israel. They have never yet been fully reconstituted.

• EZRA 2:70 Obviously “all Israel” here is limited to those who returned with Jewish-Israel and not the false notion that the fullness of all 12 tribes returned. The qualifier for the “all Israel” is found earlier in this very same verse with the term “some of the people.”

• EZRA 4:2 Assyrian colonists who settled in the north after Efrayim’s expulsion and mixed with the remaining Efraimites, who came to be known as Samaritans and were actually Efraimites, who were blood-related to the Jewish exiles that returned from Babylon. They had repented of their pagan ways and were again worshipping YAH. However, they were rejected by the leaders of Judah.

• EZRA 4:4 Ezra & the elders rejected their Efraimite brethren even though revival back to monthesism had occurred in the days of King Josiah and the priest who returned to Samaria to bring Samaria their restoration to YAH. 2^nd Kings 17:27-28. Once rejected from a return to the family of Israel by Judah’s leaders, they harassed them and opposed the work, since they knew it was Gerazim not Jerusalem, where Joshua first built the commanded altar and which was the first commanded center of YAH worship in the holy land.

• EZRA 4:12 Only called Jews after their exile and return from Babylon.

• EZRA 5:1 The prophets with vision and a message of correction always spearhead true revival moves, such as the end-time restoration of both houses of Israel.

• EZRA 5:2 Both the prophets and laborers must work together in Israel's restoration.

• EZRA 6:14 The same command was renewed and confirmed three times.

• EZRA 6:17 A sacrifice made representing all 12 tribes. This in no way indicates, or even implies that the fullness of all 12 tribes were present, as only 42,000 Jews had returned, proving that Judah had not fully returned, much less Efrayim.

• EZRA 6:21 Specifically the Babylonian exile, since Efrayim is not even the topic here.

• EZRA 7:7 Many of Judah stayed behind.

• EZRA 7:10 According to Jewish legend, if Moses had not proven worthy to receive Torah, Ezra was next in line.

• EZRA 8:25 This offering is by “all Israel there present,” or 42,360 Jews. It does not say all Israel was present.

• EZRA 8:35 They offered on behalf of all Israel, not that all Israel was present.

• EZRA 9:8 This is exactly what both houses need in this final hour of the age. A “little revival” in our national bondage.

• EZRA 10:44 Even through this disobedience, Israel’s seed was mixed in many nations, fulfilling YAH’s purpose.

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