וְאֵלֶּה רָאשֵׁי אֲבֹתֵיהֶם וְהִתְיַחְשָׂם הָעֹלִים עִמִּי בְּמַלְכוּת אַרְתַּחְשַׁסְתְּא הַמֶּלֶךְ מִבָּבֶל

These are the heads of their patrilineal families and those affiliated with them who came up with me from Babylonia during the reign of King Artahshasta:

מִבְּנֵי פִינְחָס גֵּרְשֹׁם; מִבְּנֵי אִיתָמָר דָּנִיֵּאל; מִבְּנֵי דָוִיד חַטּוּשׁ;

From the children, the descendants, of Pinhas, son of Elazar, son of Aaron the High Priest, the head of the family who ascended was called Gershom; from the sons of Itamar son of Aaron, the name of the man who immigrated was Daniel; from the sons of David, it was Hatush.

מִבְּנֵי שְׁכַנְיָה מִבְּנֵי פַרְעֹשׁ זְכַרְיָה וְעִמּוֹ הִתְיַחֵשׂ לִזְכָרִים מֵאָה וַחֲמִשִּׁים ;

From the children of Shekhanya, a well-known figure, perhaps one of the descendants of Zerubavel, mentioned in I Chronicles (3:21–22): From the sons of Parosh, the head of a branch in the family of Shekhanya, the man who came was called Zekharya; and with him were affiliated, the males who were counted with him, one hundred and fifty males.

מִבְּנֵי פַּחַת מוֹאָב אֶלְיְהוֹעֵינַי בֶּן־זְרַחְיָה וְעִמּוֹ מָאתַיִם הַזְּכָרִים;

From the children of Pahat Moav(see 2:6): Elyehoanai son of Zerahya, and with him, the males were two hundred.

מִבְּנֵי שְׁכַנְיָה בֶּן־יַחֲזִיאֵל וְעִמּוֹ שְׁלֹשׁ מֵאוֹת הַזְּכָרִים;

From the children of Shekhanya: Son of Yahaziyel, and with him, the males were three hundred.

וּמִבְּנֵי עָדִין עֶבֶד בֶּן־יוֹנָתָן וְעִמּוֹ חֲמִשִּׁים הַזְּכָרִים;

From the children of Adin, a man came named Eved son of Yonatan, and with him, the males were fifty.

וּמִבְּנֵי עֵילָם יְשַׁעְיָה בֶּן־עֲתַלְיָה וְעִמּוֹ שִׁבְעִים הַזְּכָרִים;

From the children of Elam: Yeshaya son of Atalya, and with him, the males were seventy.

וּמִבְּנֵי שְׁפַטְיָה זְבַדְיָה בֶּן־מִיכָאֵל וְעִמּוֹ שְׁמֹנִים הַזְּכָרִים;

From the children of Shefatya: Zevadya son of Mikhael, and with him, the males were eighty.

מִבְּנֵי יוֹאָב עֹבַדְיָה בֶּן־יְחִיאֵל וְעִמּוֹ מָאתַיִם וּשְׁמֹנָה עָשָׂר הַזְּכָרִים;

From the children of Yoav: Ovadya son of Yehiel, and with him, the males were two hundred and eighteen.

וּמִבְּנֵי שְׁלוֹמִית בֶּן־יוֹסִפְיָה וְעִמּוֹ מֵאָה וְשִׁשִּׁים הַזְּכָרִים;

From the children of Shelomit: Son of Yosifya, and with him, the males were one hundred and sixty. In I Chronicles 3:19, a woman called Shelomit is listed among the children of Zerubavel.

וּמִבְּנֵי בֵבַי זְכַרְיָה בֶּן־בֵּבָי וְעִמּוֹ עֶשְׂרִים וּשְׁמֹנָה הַזְּכָרִים;

From the children of Bevai: Zekharya son of Bevai, and with him, the males were twenty-eight.

וּמִבְּנֵי עַזְגָּד יוֹחָנָן בֶּן־הַקָּטָן וְעִמּוֹ מֵאָה וַעֲשָׂרָה הַזְּכָרִים;

From the children of Azgad: Yohanan son of Hakatan, and with him, the males were one hundred and ten.

וּמִבְּנֵי אֲדֹנִיקָם אַחֲרֹנִים וְאֵלֶּה שְׁמוֹתָם אֱלִיפֶלֶט יְעִיאֵל וּשְׁמַעְיָה וְעִמָּהֶם שִׁשִּׁים הַזְּכָרִים;

From the children of Adonikam, who were the last of this family who remained in exile, as many hundreds of Adonikam’s descendants had already immigrated beforehand; and these are their names: Elifelet, Ye’iel, and Shemaya, and with them, the males were sixty.

וּמִבְּנֵי בִגְוַי עוּתַי וְזַכּוּר וְעִמָּהֶם שִׁבְעִים הַזְּכָרִים

From the children of Bigvai: Utai and Zakur, and with him, the males were seventy. In total, this list includes some fifteen hundred males, and it can be assumed that most of them came with their families.

וָאֶקְבְּצֵם אֶל־הַנָּהָר הַבָּא אֶל־אַהֲוָא וַנַּחֲנֶה שָׁם יָמִים שְׁלֹשָׁה וָאָבִינָה בָעָם וּבַכֹּהֲנִים ומִבְּנֵי לֵוִי לֹא־מָצָאתִי שָׁם

Since the immigrants were coming from different places within the Babylonian Empire, it was necessary to bring them into one camp so that they could travel together. I assembled them at the river that runs to Ahava, the name of a place, or a larger river than the one mentioned in the verse. In those times, there were already man-made water canals that were so large that they were considered rivers in their own right. Such huge water channels were used to link the Euphrates to the Tigris, or for irrigation. And we camped there three days. I assessed the people and the priests who had gathered there, and I did not find there anyone from the children of Levi.

וָאֶשְׁלְחָה לֶאֱלִיעֶזֶר לַאֲרִיאֵל לִשְׁמַעְיָה וּלְאֶלְנָתָן וּלְיָרִיב וּלְאֶלְנָתָן וּלְנָתָן וְלִזְכַרְיָה וְלִמְשֻׁלָּם רָאשִׁים וּלְיוֹיָרִיב וּלְאֶלְנָתָן מְבִינִים

I sent for Eliezer, for Ariel, for Shemaya, for Elnatan, for Yariv, for Elnatan, for Natan, for Zekharya, and for Meshulam, who were the leaders, and also for Yoyariv and for another Elnatan, who were the wise men and scholars.

וָאֲצַוֶּה אוֹתָם עַל אִדּוֹ הָרֹאשׁ בְּכָסִפְיָא הַמָּקוֹם וָאָשִׂימָה בְּפִיהֶם דְּבָרִים לְדַבֵּר אֶל־אִדּוֹ אָחִיו הַנְּתִינִים בְּכָסִפְיָא הַמָּקוֹם לְהָבִיא־לָנוּ מְשָׁרְתִים לְבֵית אֱלֹהֵינוּ

I appointed them with regard to, to approach, Ido, the leader at the place Kasifya; and I set words in their mouths to speak to Ido and his brothers, the attendants in the place Kasifya, who performed the holy service in Kasifya, to bring to us those who will serve, Levites and others, for the House of our God. Ezra requested that they bring him the men who were needed for the various services and tasks in the Temple.

וַיָּבִיאּוּ לָנוּ כְּיַד אֱלֹהֵינוּ הַטּוֹבָה עָלֵינוּ אִישׁ שֶׂכֶל מִבְּנֵי מַחְלִי בֶּן־לֵוִי בֶּן־יִשְׂרָאֵל וְשֵׁרֵבְיָה וּבָנָיו וְאֶחָיו שְׁמֹנָה עָשָׂר

By the benevolent hand of our God upon us, with God’s assistance, they brought us a sagacious man, intelligent and successful men, from the sons of Mahli, the son of Merari, son of Levi, son of Israel, Jacob; and Sherevya, and his brothers and his sons, eighteen men;

וְאֶת־חֲשַׁבְיָה וְאִתּוֹ יְשַׁעְיָה מִבְּנֵי מְרָרִי אֶחָיו וּבְנֵיהֶם עֶשְׂרִים

and Hashavya, and with him Yeshaya, from the children of Merari, his brothers and their sons, twenty men; these are the Levites who joined him;

וּמִן־הַנְּתִינִים שֶׁנָּתַן דָּוִיד וְהַשָּׂרִים לַעֲבֹדַת הַלְוִיִּם נְתִינִים מָאתַיִם וְעֶשְׂרִים כֻּלָּם נִקְּבוּ בְשֵׁמוֹת

and from the Netinim, whom David and the princes [sarim], the officials, or those who heed [sarim] your command, had given to the service of the Levites, two hundred and twenty attendants; all of them designated by name. There were detailed lists of all the Netinim who went with them.

וָאֶקְרָא שָׁם צוֹם עַל הַנָּהָר אַהֲוָא לְהִתְעַנּוֹת לִפְנֵי אֱלֹהֵינוּ לְבַקֵּשׁ מִמֶּנּוּ דֶּרֶךְ יְשָׁרָה לָנוּ וּלְטַפֵּנוּ וּלְכָל־רְכוּשֵׁנוּ

I proclaimed a fast there, by the Ahava River, before we set on our way, to afflict ourselves before our God, to seek from Him a straight way, that our journey will be easy, successful, and without mishaps, for us, and for our children, and for all our property, as this was a not particularly large group of civilians for a trip covering the great distance to Israel, and they were loaded with silver, gold, and precious items.

כִּי בֹשְׁתִּי לִשְׁאוֹל מִן־הַמֶּלֶךְ חַיִל וּפָרָשִׁים לְעָזְרֵנוּ מֵאוֹיֵב בַּדָּרֶךְ כִּי־אָמַרְנוּ לַמֶּלֶךְ לֵאמֹר יַד־אֱלֹהֵינוּ עַל־כָּל־מְבַקְשָׁיו לְטוֹבָה וְעֻזּוֹ וְאַפּוֹ עַל כָּל־עֹזְבָיו

Generally, when the central government is strong and stable, there is less danger from bandits and other problems on the roads. But despite the support of a powerful king, there was still room for concern, as the group did not have sufficient protection. However, Ezra was reluctant to ask for such assistance: For I was ashamed to request from the king soldiers and horsemen to help us against an enemy on the way; for we had said to the king, stating: The hand of our God is on those who seek Him for good; God helps those who pray to him, and His power and wrath is against all those who forsake Him, and they will suffer harm. After I had informed the king that God would assist us, I was reluctant to ask him for a protective guard. The king was willing to give anything required, and he certainly would have sent a cavalry unit to protect the immigrants had he been asked.

וַנָּצוּמָה וַנְּבַקְשָׁה מֵאֱלֹהֵינוּ עַל־זֹאת וַיֵּעָתֵר לָנוּ

We fasted and we requested from our God about this, and He acceded, and therefore we had a peaceful journey.

ואַבְדִּילָה מִשָּׂרֵי הַכֹּהֲנִים שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר לְשֵׁרֵבְיָה חֲשַׁבְיָה וְעִמָּהֶם מֵאֲחֵיהֶם עֲשָׂרָה

While we were still at Ahava, I set aside from the leaders of the priests twelve men, and appointed them temporary treasurers: Sherevya, Hashavya, and with them another ten of their brethren,

וָאֶשְׁקֳלָה לָהֶם אֶת־הַכֶּסֶף וְאֶת־הַזָּהָב וְאֶת־הַכֵּלִים תְּרוּמַת בֵּית־אֱלֹהֵינוּ הַהֵרִימוּ הַמֶּלֶךְ וְיֹעֲצָיו וְשָׂרָיו וְכָל־יִשְׂרָאֵל הַנִּמְצָאִים

and I weighed out for them and gave to them the silver, and the gold, and the vessels, the gift for the House of our God that the king, his counselors, and his princes, and all Israel that were present, in Babylon, had donated. These men were responsible for all the silver, gold, and vessels received as gifts for the Temple from the king and others.

וָאֶשְׁקֲלָה עַל־יָדָם כֶּסֶף כִּכָּרִים שֵׁשׁ־מֵאוֹת וַחֲמִשִּׁים ; וּכְלֵי־כֶסֶף מֵאָה לְכִכָּרִים ; זָהָב מֵאָה כִכָּר;

I weighed, or counted, for them: Silver, six hundred and fifty talents, a substantial sum (see 7:22); and silver vessels, one hundred, in addition to the talents; gold, one hundred talents;

וּכְפֹרֵי זָהָב עֶשְׂרִים לַאֲדַרְכֹנִים אָלֶף; וּכְלֵי נְחֹשֶׁת מֻצְהָב טוֹבָה שְׁנַיִם חֲמוּדֹת כַּזָּהָב

and gold bowls, used for sprinkling the blood of sacrifices upon the altar for atonement, twenty; of darics, gold Persian coins (see 2:69), one thousand; and two vessels of fine golden bronze, as nice and pleasing as gold. It was not entirely pure brass, but an admixture of brass and a different material, possibly copper. Nevertheless, it was good quality and glittered, and thus both vessels appeared to be made of gold.

וָאֹמְרָה אֲלֵהֶם אַתֶּם קֹדֶשׁ לַה' וְהַכֵּלִים קֹדֶשׁ וְהַכֶּסֶף וְהַזָּהָב נְדָבָה לַה' אֱלֹהֵי אֲבֹתֵיכֶם

I said to them: As priests, you are consecrated to the Lord, and the vessels are consecrated, and the silver and the gold are a donation to the Lord, God of your fathers. Therefore, it is fitting that they be kept with you.

שִׁקְדוּ וְשִׁמְרוּ עַד תִּשְׁקְלוּ לִפְנֵי שָׂרֵי הַכֹּהֲנִים וְהַלְוִיִּם וְשָׂרֵי־הָאָבוֹת לְיִשְׂרָאֵל בִּירוּשָׁלִָם הַלִּשְׁכוֹת בֵית ה'

Be vigilant and guard them, these valuable articles, until you weigh them out before the princes of the priests and the Levites, and the princes, the representatives, of the patrilineal families of Israel in Jerusalem, until you deliver them to the Temple in precise number, in the chambers, for use in the chambers, of the House of the Lord.

וְקִבְּלוּ הַכֹּהֲנִים וְהַלְוִיִּם מִשְׁקָל הַכֶּסֶף וְהַזָּהָב וְהַכֵּלִים לְהָבִיא לִירוּשָׁלִַם לְבֵית אֱלֹהֵינוּ

The priests and the Levites accepted the weight of the silver, the gold, and the vessels, in order to bring them to Jerusalem to the House of our God. They accepted the task and took the items into their possession.

וַנִּסְּעָה מִנְּהַר אַהֲוָא בִּשְׁנֵים עָשָׂר לַחֹדֶשׁ הָרִאשׁוֹן לָלֶכֶת יְרוּשָׁלִָם וְיַד אֱלֹהֵינוּ הָיְתָה עָלֵינוּ וַיַּצִּילֵנוּ מִכַּף אוֹיֵב וְאוֹרֵב עַל־הַדָּרֶךְ

We traveled from the Ahava River on the twelfth of the first month, Nisan, to go to Jerusalem, and the hand of our God was upon us, and He saved us from the hand of enemy and ambush on the way.

וַנָּבוֹא יְרוּשָׁלִָם וַנֵּשֶׁב שָׁם יָמִים שְׁלֹשָׁה

We came to Jerusalem and we stayed there three days.

וּבַיּוֹם הָרְבִיעִי נִשְׁקַל הַכֶּסֶף וְהַזָּהָב וְהַכֵּלִים בְּבֵית אֱלֹהֵינוּ עַל יַד־מְרֵמוֹת בֶּן־אוּרִיָּה הַכֹּהֵן וְעִמּוֹ אֶלְעָזָר בֶּן־פִּינְחָס וְעִמָּהֶם יוֹזָבָד בֶּן־יֵשׁוּעַ וְנוֹעַדְיָה בֶן־בִּנּוּי הַלְוִיִּם

And on the fourth day the silver, the gold, and the vessels were weighed in the House of our God by Meremot son of Uriya the priest, who was the officiating priest in the Temple; and with him Elazar son of Pinhas, and with them Yozavad son of Yeshua and Noadya son of Binui, the Levites.

בְּמִסְפָּר בְּמִשְׁקָל לַכֹּל וַיִּכָּתֵב כָּל־הַמִּשְׁקָל בָּעֵת הַהִיא

Everything by number and by weight; we specified the number of all the vessels and coins, as well as the sum weight of the metals, and the entire weight was recorded at that time.

הַבָּאִים מֵהַשְּׁבִי בְנֵי־הַגּוֹלָה הִקְרִיבוּ עֹלוֹת לֵאלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל פָּרִים שְׁנֵים־עָשָׂר עַל־כָּל־יִשְׂרָאֵל; אֵילִים תִּשְׁעִים וְשִׁשָּׁה ; כְּבָשִׂים שִׁבְעִים וְשִׁבְעָה; צְפִירֵי חַטָּאת שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר הַכֹּל עוֹלָה לַה'

Those coming from captivity, the exiles, presented burnt offerings to the God of Israel: Twelve bulls, corresponding to the twelve tribes, as atonement for all Israel; and ninety-six rams, which is twelve times eight; seventy-seven lambs; and twelve goats as a sin offering; everything was a burnt offering to the Lord. As a provisional edict, all these unique offerings were burned in their entirety upon the altar, in the manner of burnt offerings.

וַיִּתְּנוּ אֶת־דָּתֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ לַאֲחַשְׁדַּרְפְּנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ וּפַחֲווֹת עֵבֶר הַנָּהָר וְנִשְּׂאוּ אֶת־הָעָם וְאֶת־בֵּית הָאֱלֹהִים

They conveyed the king’s orders, the official letters containing the orders, to the king’s satraps, the rulers of districts, and to the governors, rulers of the states of Ever HaNahar, and when they saw the direct orders from the king to embrace the immigrants and support them, they exalted, honored, the people and the House of God. All the ministers and officials provided them with assistance and took care of all the Temple’s requirements.