1 Estes são os chefes de suas famílias e dos que com eles foram registrados, os quais saíram comigo da Babilônia durante o reinado do rei Artaxerxes:
2 dos descendentes de Finéias, Gérson; dos descendentes de Itamar, Daniel; dos descendentes de Davi, Hatus,
3 dos descendentes de Secanias; dos descendentes de Parós, Zacarias, sendo registrados com ele 150 homens;
4 dos descendentes de Paate-Moabe, Elioenai, filho de Zeraías, e com ele 200 homens;
5 dos descendentes de Zatu, Secanias, filho de Jaaziel, e com ele 300 homens;
6 dos descendentes de Adim, Ebede, filho de Jônatas, e com ele 50 homens;
7 dos descendentes de Elão, Jesaías, filho de Atalias, e com ele 70 homens;
8 dos descendentes de Sefatias, Zebadias, filho de Micael, e com ele 80 homens;
9 dos descendentes de Joabe, Obadias, filho de Jeiel, e com ele 218 homens;
10 dos descendentes de Bani, Selomite, filho de Josifias, e com ele 160 homens;
11 dos descendentes de Bebai, Zacarias, filho de Bebai, e com ele 28 homens;
12 dos descendentes de Azgade, Joanã, filho de Hacatã, e com ele 110 homens;
13 dos descendentes de Adonicão, os últimos que chegaram, Elifelete, Jeiel e Semaías, e com eles 60 homens;
14 dos descendentes de Bigvai, Utai e Zabude, e com eles 70 homens.
15 Eu os reuni junto ao canal que corre para Aava, e acampamos ali por três dias. Quando passei em revista o povo e os sacerdotes, não encontrei nenhum levita.
16 Por isso convoquei Eliézer, Ariel, Semaías, Elnatã, Jaribe, Elnatã, Natã, Zacarias e Mesulão, que eram líderes, e Joiaribe e Natã, que eram homens sábios,
17 e eu os enviei a Ido, o líder de Casifia. Eu lhes falei o que deveriam dizer a Ido e aos parentes dele, os servidores do templo, em Casifia, para que nos trouxessem servidores para o templo de nosso Deus.
18 Como a bondosa mão de Deus estava sobre nós, eles nos trouxeram Serebias, homem capaz, dentre os descendentes de Mali, filho de Levi, neto de Israel, e os filhos e irmãos de Serebias, dezoito homens;
19 e também Hasabias, acompanhado de Jesaías, dentre os descendentes de Merari, e seus irmãos e filhos, vinte homens.
20 Eles trouxeram ainda duzentos e vinte dos servidores do templo, um grupo que Davi e os seus oficiais tinham formado para ajudar os levitas. Todos eles tinham seus nomes registrados.
21 Ali, junto ao canal de Aava, proclamei um jejum, a fim de que nos humilhássemos diante do nosso Deus e lhe pedíssemos uma viagem segura para nós e nossos filhos, com todos os nossos bens.
22 Tive vergonha de pedir soldados e cavaleiros ao rei para nos protegerem dos inimigos na estrada, pois tínhamos dito ao rei: "A mão bondosa de nosso Deus está sobre todos os que o buscam, mas o seu poder e a sua ira são contra todos os que o abandonam".
23 Por isso jejuamos e suplicamos essa bênção ao nosso Deus, e ele nos atendeu.
24 Depois separei doze dos principais sacerdotes, a saber, Serebias, Hasabias e com eles, dez dos seus irmãos,
25 e pesei diante deles a oferta de prata e de ouro e os utensílios que o rei, seus conselheiros, seus oficiais e todo o Israel ali presente tinham doado para a casa de nosso Deus.
26 Pesei e entreguei-lhes vinte e duas toneladas e setecentos e cinqüenta quilos de prata, três toneladas e meia de utensílios de prata, três toneladas e meia de ouro,
27 vinte tigelas de ouro pesando oito quilos e meio, e dois utensílios finos de bronze polido, tão valiosos quanto ouro.
28 E eu lhes disse: Tanto vocês quanto estes utensílios estão consagrados ao Senhor. A prata e o ouro são uma oferta voluntária ao Senhor, o Deus dos seus antepassados.
29 Guardem-nos bem até que os pesem nas salas do templo do Senhor em Jerusalém diante dos sacerdotes principais, dos levitas e dos chefes das famílias de Israel.
30 Então os sacerdotes e os levitas receberam a prata, o ouro e os utensílios sagrados, depois que tinham sido pesados, para levá-los a Jerusalém, ao templo do nosso Deus.
31 No décimo segundo dia do primeiro mês nós partimos do canal de Aava e fomos para Jerusalém. A mão do nosso Deus esteve sobre nós, e ele nos protegeu do ataque de inimigos e assaltantes pelo caminho.
32 Assim chegamos a Jerusalém, e ficamos descansando três dias.
33 No quarto dia, no templo do nosso Deus, pesamos a prata, o ouro e os utensílios sagrados, e os demos a Meremote, filho do sacerdote Urias. Estavam com ele Eleazar, filho de Finéias, e os levitas Jozabade, filho de Jesua, e Noadias, filho de Binui.
34 Tudo foi contado e pesado, e o peso total foi registrado naquela mesma hora.
35 Então os exilados que tinham voltado do cativeiro sacrificaram holocaustos ao Deus de Israel: doze touros em favor de todo o Israel, noventa e seis carneiros, setenta e sete cordeiros e, como oferta pelo pecado, doze bodes. Tudo isso foi oferecido como um holocausto ao Senhor.
36 Eles também entregaram as ordens do rei aos sátrapas e aos governadores do território a oeste do Eufrates, e eles ajudaram o povo na obra do templo de Deus.
1 These are now the chief of their fathers, and this is the genealogy of them that went up with me from Babylon, in the reign of Artaxerxes the king. 2 Of the sons of Phinehas; Gershom: of the sons of Ithamar; Daniel: of the sons of David; Hattush. 3 Of the sons of Shechaniah, of the sons of Pharosh; Zechariah: and with him were reckoned by genealogy of the males an hundred and fifty. 4 Of the sons of Pahath-moab; Elihoenai the son of Zerahiah, and with him two hundred males. 5 Of the sons of Shechaniah; the son of Jahaziel, and with him three hundred males. 6 Of the sons also of Adin; Ebed the son of Jonathan, and with him fifty males. 7 And of the sons of Elam; Jeshaiah the son of Athaliah, and with him seventy males. 8 And of the sons of Shephatiah; Zebadiah the son of Michael, and with him fourscore males. 9 Of the sons of Joab; Obadiah the son of Jehiel, and with him two hundred and eighteen males. 10 And of the sons of Shelomith; the son of Josiphiah, and with him an hundred and threescore males. 11 And of the sons of Bebai; Zechariah the son of Bebai, and with him twenty and eight males. 12 And of the sons of Azgad; Johanan the son of Hakkatan, and with him an hundred and ten males. 13 And of the last sons of Adonikam, whose names are these, Eliphelet, Jeiel, and Shemaiah, and with them threescore males. 14 Of the sons also of Bigvai; Uthai, and Zabbud, and with them seventy males.
15 And I gathered them together to the river that runneth to Ahava; and there abode we in tents three days: and I viewed the people, and the priests, and found there none of the sons of Levi. 16 Then sent I for Eliezer, for Ariel, for Shemaiah, and for Elnathan, and for Jarib, and for Elnathan, and for Nathan, and for Zechariah, and for Meshullam, chief men; also for Joiarib, and for Elnathan, men of understanding. 17 And I sent them with commandment unto Iddo the chief at the place Casiphia, and I told them what they should say unto Iddo, and to his brethren the Nethinims, at the place Casiphia, that they should bring unto us ministers for the house of our God. 18 And by the good hand of our God upon us they brought us a man of understanding, of the sons of Mahli, the son of Levi, the son of Israel; and Sherebiah, with his sons and his brethren, eighteen; 19 And Hashabiah, and with him Jeshaiah of the sons of Merari, his brethren and their sons, twenty; 20 Also of the Nethinims, whom David and the princes had appointed for the service of the Levites, two hundred and twenty Nethinims: all of them were expressed by name.
21 Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river of Ahava, that we might afflict ourselves before our God, to seek of him a right way for us, and for our little ones, and for all our substance. 22 For I was ashamed to require of the king a band of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy in the way: because we had spoken unto the king, saying, The hand of our God is upon all them for good that seek him; but his power and his wrath is against all them that forsake him. 23 So we fasted and besought our God for this: and he was intreated of us.
24 Then I separated twelve of the chief of the priests, Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and ten of their brethren with them, 25 And weighed unto them the silver, and the gold, and the vessels, even the offering of the house of our God, which the king, and his counsellors, and his lords, and all Israel there present, had offered: 26 I even weighed unto their hand six hundred and fifty talents of silver, and silver vessels an hundred talents, and of gold an hundred talents; 27 Also twenty basons of gold, of a thousand drams; and two vessels of fine copper, precious as gold. 28 And I said unto them, Ye are holy unto the LORD; the vessels are holy also; and the silver and the gold are a freewill offering unto the LORD God of your fathers. 29 Watch ye, and keep them, until ye weigh them before the chief of the priests and the Levites, and chief of the fathers of Israel, at Jerusalem, in the chambers of the house of the LORD. 30 So took the priests and the Levites the weight of the silver, and the gold, and the vessels, to bring them to Jerusalem unto the house of our God.
31 Then we departed from the river of Ahava on the twelfth day of the first month, to go unto Jerusalem: and the hand of our God was upon us, and he delivered us from the hand of the enemy, and of such as lay in wait by the way. 32 And we came to Jerusalem, and abode there three days.
33 Now on the fourth day was the silver and the gold and the vessels weighed in the house of our God by the hand of Meremoth the son of Uriah the priest; and with him was Eleazar the son of Phinehas; and with them was Jozabad the son of Jeshua, and Noadiah the son of Binnui, Levites; 34 By number and by weight of every one: and all the weight was written at that time. 35 Also the children of those that had been carried away, which were come out of the captivity, offered burnt offerings unto the God of Israel, twelve bullocks for all Israel, ninety and six rams, seventy and seven lambs, twelve he goats for a sin offering: all this was a burnt offering unto the LORD.
36 And they delivered the king’s commissions unto the king’s lieutenants, and to the governors on this side the river: and they furthered the people, and the house of God.