Ezra 1-2
Scripture Thought (What I Learned):
Chapter 1: Jews go back to Jerusalem to Build
a Temple
In
the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, the word of the Lord by the
mouth of Jeremiah came to be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the
spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all
his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying; “The Lord God of heaven
hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he hath charged me to build
him an house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah.Who is
there among you of all his people? his God be with him, and let him go up
to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of
the Lord God of Israel, (he is the God,)
which is in Jerusalem. And whosoever remaineth in any place where he
sojourneth, let the men of his place help him with silver, and with gold, and
with goods, and with beasts, beside the freewill offering for the house of God
that is in Jerusalem”. (Ezra 1: 2-4)
Then the heads of the
fathers’ houses of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests and the
Levites, with all whose spirits God had moved, arose to go up and build the
house of the Lord which is in Jerusalem. And those
who were with them encouraged them with articles of silver and gold,
with goods and livestock, and with precious things, besides
all that was willingly offered.
King Cyrus also brought out the
articles of the house of the Lord, which Nebuchadnezzar had taken from
Jerusalem and put in the temple of his gods; and Cyrus king of Persia brought
them out by the hand of Mithredath the treasurer, and counted them out to
Sheshbazzar the prince of Judah. This is what was taken out: thirty
gold platters, one thousand silver platters, twenty-nine knives, thirty gold
basins, four hundred and ten silver basins of a similar kind, and one
thousand other articles. All the articles of gold and
silver were five thousand four hundred.
All these Sheshbazzar took with the captives who were brought from
Babylon to Jerusalem.
Chapter 2: Children of Captivity
These are the people of
the province who came back from the captivity, of those who had been carried
away, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away to Babylon, and
who returned to Jerusalem and Judah. Those who came with
Zerubbabel were; Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai,
Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum, and Baanah.
The number of the men of the people
of Israel:
The people of Parosh, two thousand
one hundred and seventy-two; the people
of Shephatiah, three hundred and seventy-two; the people of Arah, seven hundred
and seventy-five; the people of Pahath-Moab, of the people of
Jeshua and Joab, two thousand eight hundred and twelve; the people of
Elam, one thousand two hundred and fifty-four; the people of Zattu, nine
hundred and forty-five; the people of Zaccai, seven hundred and sixty; the
people of Bani, six hundred and forty-two; the people of Bebai, six hundred and
twenty-three; the people of Azgad, one thousand two hundred and twenty-two; the
people of Adonikam, six hundred and sixty-six; the people of Bigvai, two
thousand and fifty-six; the people of Adin, four hundred and fifty-four; the
people of Ater of Hezekiah, ninety-eight; the people of Bezai, three hundred
and twenty-three; the people of Jorah, one hundred and twelve; the people of
Hashum, two hundred and twenty-three; the people of Gibbar, ninety-five; the
people of Bethlehem, one hundred and twenty-three; the men of Netophah,
fifty-six; the men of Anathoth, one hundred and twenty-eight; the people of
Azmaveth, forty-two; the people of Kirjath Arim, Chephirah, and Beeroth, seven
hundred and forty-three; the people of Ramah and Geba, six hundred and
twenty-one; the men of Michmas, one hundred and twenty-two; the men of Bethel
and Ai, two hundred and twenty-three; the people of Nebo, fifty-two; the people
of Magbish, one hundred and fifty-six; the people of the other Elam, one
thousand two hundred and fifty-four; the people of Harim, three hundred and
twenty; the people of Lod, Hadid, and Ono, seven hundred and twenty-five; the
people of Jericho, three hundred and forty-five; the people of Senaah, three
thousand six hundred and thirty.
The priests: the sons of
Jedaiah, of the house of Jeshua, nine hundred and seventy-three; the sons of
Immer, one thousand and fifty-two; the sons of Pashhur, one thousand two
hundred and forty-seven; the sons of Harim, one thousand and seventeen. The
Levites: the sons of Jeshua and Kadmiel, of the sons of Hodaviah, seventy-four.
The singers: the sons of Asaph, one hundred and twenty-eight. 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, one hundred and
thirty-nine in all. The Nethinim: 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 Shalmai, 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 Nephusim, 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 Tamah, the
sons of Neziah, and the sons of Hatipha. The sons of Solomon’s servants: the
sons of Sotai, the sons of Sophereth, the sons of Peruda, the sons of Jaala,
the sons of Darkon, the sons of Giddel, the sons of Shephatiah, the sons of
Hattil, the sons of Pochereth of Zebaim, and the sons of Ami.
These were the ones who
came up from Tel Melah, Tel Harsha, Cherub, Addan, and Immer; but they could
not identify their father’s house or their genealogy, whether
they were of Israel: the sons of Delaiah, the sons of Tobiah, and the
sons of Nekoda, six hundred and fifty-two; and of the sons of the priests: the
sons of Habaiah, the sons of Koz, and the sons of Barzillai, who took a wife of
the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite, and was called by their name. These
sought their listing among those who were registered by genealogy,
but they were not found; therefore they were excluded from the
priesthood as defiled. And the governor said to them that they should not eat
of the most holy things till a priest could consult with the Urim and Thummim.
The
whole assembly together was forty-two thousand three
hundred and sixty, besides their male and female servants, of
whom there were seven thousand three hundred and thirty-seven; and
they had two hundred men and women singers. Their horses were seven
hundred and thirty-six, their mules two hundred and forty-five, their camels
four hundred and thirty-five, and their donkeys six thousand seven
hundred and twenty.
Some of the heads of the
fathers’ houses, when they came to the house of the Lord which is in
Jerusalem, offered freely for the house of God, to erect it in its place:
According to their ability, they gave to the treasury for the work sixty-one
thousand gold drachmas, five thousand minas of silver, and one hundred priestly
garments.
One interesting thing I found in
this chapter: I believe this is the first time Geneology is named in the Bible,
yet it is so important!
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