Ezra 8

These are the family heads and those registered with them who came up with me from Babylon during the reign of King Artaxerxes:

وَمِنْ بَنِي بِغْوَايَ: عُوتَايُ وَزَبُّودُ وَمَعَهُمَا سَبْعُونَ مِنَ الذُّكُورِ.

العودة إلى أورشليم

I assembled them at the canal that flows toward Ahava, and we camped there three days. When I checked among the people and the priests, I found no Levites there.

وَلَقَدْ جَمَعْتُ هَؤُلاءِ إِلَى النَّهْرِ الْجَارِي نَحْوَ أَهْوَا، حَيْثُ مَكَثْنَا ثَلاثَةَ أَيَّامٍ. وَبَعْدَ أَنْ فَحَصْتُ الشَّعْبَ وَالْكَهَنَةَ لَمْ أَجِدْ بَيْنَهُمْ أَحَداً مِنَ اللّاوِيِّينَ،

So I summoned Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah, Elnathan, Jarib, Elnathan, Nathan, Zechariah and Meshullam, who were leaders, and Joiarib and Elnathan, who were men of learning,

فَاسْتَدْعَيْتُ الرُّؤَسَاءَ أَلِيعَزَرَ وَأَرِيئِيلَ وَشَمْعِيَا وَأَلْنَاثَانَ وَيَارِيبَ وَأَلْنَاثَانَ وَنَاثَانَ وَزَكَرِيَّا وَمَشُلّامَ، وَالْحَكِيمَيْنِ يُويَارِيبَ وَأَلْنَاثَانَ.

and I ordered them to go to Iddo, the leader in Kasiphia. I told them what to say to Iddo and his fellow Levites, the temple servants in Kasiphia, so that they might bring attendants to us for the house of our God.

وَأَرْسَلْتُهُمْ إِلَى الرَّئِيسِ إِدُّو السَّاكِنِ فِي كَسِفْيَا، بَعْدَ أَنْ لَقَّنْتُهُمْ مَا يُخَاطِبُونَ بِهِ إِدُّو وَأَقْرِبَاءَهُ خُدَّامَ الْهَيْكَلِ الْمُقِيمِينَ فِي كَسِفْيَا، لِيَأْتُوا لَنَا بِخُدَّامٍ يَقُومُونَ بِأَعْمَالِ خِدْمَةِ هَيْكَلِ إِلَهِنَا.

Because the gracious hand of our God was on us, they brought us Sherebiah, a capable man, from the descendants of Mahli son of Levi, the son of Israel, and Sherebiah’s sons and brothers, 18 in all;

وَبِفَضْلِ رِعَايَةِ اللهِ الصَّالِحَةِ لَنَا رَجَعَ هَؤُلاءِ إِلَيْنَا، وَمَعَهُمْ رَجُلٌ فَطِنٌ مِنْ بَنِي مَحْلِي بْنِ لاوِي بْنِ إِسْرَائِيلَ، وَشَرَبْيَا وَأَبْنَاؤُهُ وَإخْوَتُهُ، وَهُمْ فِي جُمْلَتِهِمْ ثَمَانِيَةَ عَشَرَ رَجُلاً،

and Hashabiah, together with Jeshaiah from the descendants of Merari, and his brothers and nephews, 20 in all.

وَحَشَبْيَا وَمَعَهُ يَشَعْيَا مِنْ بَنِي مَرَارِي وَإخْوَتُهُ وَأَبْنَاؤُهُمْ، وَهُمْ فِي جُمْلَتِهِمْ عِشْرُونَ رَجُلاً.

They also brought 220 of the temple servants—a body that David and the officials had established to assist the Levites. All were registered by name.

وَمِنْ خُدَّامِ الْهَيْكَلِ الَّذِينَ عَيَّنَهُمْ دَاوُدُ مَعَ الرُّؤَسَاءِ لِخِدْمَةِ اللّاوِيِّينَ الْعَامِلِينَ فِي الْهَيْكَلِ مِئَتَانِ وَعِشْرُونَ، تَعَيَّنُوا بِأَسْمَائِهِمْ.

There, by the Ahava Canal, I proclaimed a fast, so that we might humble ourselves before our God and ask him for a safe journey for us and our children, with all our possessions.

وَنَادَيْتُ عِنْدَ نَهْرِ أَهْوَا بِصَوْمٍ لِنَتَذَلَّلَ أَمَامَ إِلَهِنَا لِيَشْمَلَنَا بِرِعَايَتِهِ نَحْنُ وَأَطْفَالَنَا وَأَمْوَالَنَا فِي أَثْنَاءِ رِحْلَتِنَا،

I was ashamed to ask the king for soldiers and horsemen to protect us from enemies on the road, because we had told the king, “The gracious hand of our God is on everyone who looks to him, but his great anger is against all who forsake him.”

لأَنَّنِي خَجِلْتُ أَنْ أَطْلُبَ مِنَ الْمَلِكِ أَنْ يُنْجِدَنَا بِجَيْشٍ وَفُرْسَانٍ لِحِمَايَتِنَا فِي الطَّرِيقِ مِنَ الأَعْدَاءِ، لأَنَّنَا كُنَّا قَدْ قُلْنَا لِلْمَلِكِ: إِنَّ يَدَ إِلَهِنَا تَرْعَى طَالِبِيهِ لِلْخَيْرِ، وَيَنْصَبُّ سُخْطُهُ الْعَظِيمُ عَلَى كُلِّ مَنْ يَتْرُكُهُ.

So we fasted and petitioned our God about this, and he answered our prayer.

وَبَعْدَ أَنْ صُمْنَا وَابْتَهَلْنَا إِلَى إِلَهِنَا اسْتَجَابَ لَنَا.

Then I set apart twelve of the leading priests, namely, Sherebiah, Hashabiah and ten of their brothers,

فَاخْتَرْتُ مِنْ رُؤَسَاءِ الْكَهَنَةِ اثْنَيْ عَشَرَ كَاهِناً هُمْ: شَرَبْيَا وَحَشَبْيَا وَمَعَهُمَا عَشَرَةٌ مِنْ أَقْرِبَائِهِمَا،

and I weighed out to them the offering of silver and gold and the articles that the king, his advisers, his officials and all Israel present there had donated for the house of our God.

وَأَوْدَعْتُهُمُ الْفِضَّةَ وَالذَّهَبَ وَالآنِيَةَ الْمُقَدَّمَةَ لِهَيْكَلِ إِلَهِنَا، الَّتِي تَبَرَّعَ بِها الْمَلِكُ وَمُسْتَشَارُوهُ وَقَادَتُهُ وَسَائِرُ الإِسْرَائِيلِيِّينَ،

I weighed out to them 650 talents^[c] of silver, silver articles weighing 100 talents,^[d] 100 talents^[e] of gold,

فَكَانَتْ جُمْلَةُ مَا أَوْدَعْتُهُ عِنْدَهُمْ سِتَّ مِئَةٍ وَخَمْسِينَ وَزْنَةً (نَحْوَ ثَلاثَةٍ وَعِشْرِينَ أَلْفاً وَأَرْبَعِ مِئَةِ كِيلُو جِرَامٍ) مِنَ الْفِضَّةِ، ومِئَةَ وَزْنَةٍ (نَحْوَ ثَلاثَةِ آلافٍ وَسِتِّ مِئَةِ كِيلُو جِرَامٍ) مِنْ آنِيَةِ الْفِضَّةِ، وَمِئَةَ وَزْنَةٍ (نَحْوَ ثَلاثَةِ آلافٍ وَسِتِّ مِئَةِ كِيلُو جِرَامٍ) مِنَ الذَّهَبِ،

20 bowls of gold valued at 1,000 darics,^[f] and two fine articles of polished bronze, as precious as gold.

وَعِشْرِينَ قَدَحاً مِنَ الذَّهَبِ قِيمَتُهَا أَلْفُ دِرْهَمٍ، وَإِنَاءَيْنِ مِنْ نُحَاسٍ مَصْقُولٍ لَا تَقِلُّ قِيمَتُهُمَا عَنِ الذَّهَبِ الثَّمِينِ،

I said to them, “You as well as these articles are consecrated to the Lord. The silver and gold are a freewill offering to the Lord, the God of your ancestors.

وَقُلْتُ لَهُمْ: «أَنْتُمْ مُقَدَّسُونَ لِلرَّبِّ وَكَذَلِكَ الآنِيَةُ مُقَدَّسَةٌ، أَمَّا الذَّهَبُ وَالْفِضَّةُ فَقَدْ تَمَّ التَّبَرُّعُ بِها لِلرَّبِّ إِلَهِ آبَائِكُمْ،

Guard them carefully until you weigh them out in the chambers of the house of the Lord in Jerusalem before the leading priests and the Levites and the family heads of Israel.”

فَاحْرُسُوهَا وَحَافِظُوا عَلَيْهَا إِلَى أَنْ يَتِمَّ وَزْنُهَا أَمَامَ الْكَهَنَةِ وَاللّاوِيِّينَ وَرُؤَسَاءِ عَائِلاتِ إِسْرَائِيلَ فِي مَخَادِعِ هَيْكَلِ الرَّبِّ».

Then the priests and Levites received the silver and gold and sacred articles that had been weighed out to be taken to the house of our God in Jerusalem.

فَتَسَلَّمَ الْكَهَنَةُ وَاللّاوِيُّونَ الْفِضَّةَ وَالذَّهَبَ وَالآنِيَةَ الْمَوْزُونَةَ لِيَحْمِلُوهَا إِلَى أُورُشَلِيمَ إِلَى هَيْكَلِ إِلَهِنَا.

On the twelfth day of the first month we set out from the Ahava Canal to go to Jerusalem. The hand of our God was on us, and he protected us from enemies and bandits along the way.

ثُمَّ ارْتَحَلْنَا مِنْ عِنْدِ نَهْرِ أَهْوَا فِي الْيَوْمِ الثَّانِي عَشَرَ مِنَ الشَّهْرِ الأَوَّلِ (آذَارَ – مَارِسَ) لِنَذْهَبَ إِلَى أُورُشَلِيمَ. فَكَانَتْ عِنَايَةُ الرَّبِّ تَرْعَانَا فَأَنْقَذَتْنَا مِنْ يَدِ الْعَدُوِّ الْمُتَرَصِّدِ لَنَا عَلَى الطَّرِيقِ،

So we arrived in Jerusalem, where we rested three days.

إِلَى أَنْ وَصَلْنَا أُورُشَلِيمَ وَأَقَمْنَا هُنَاكَ ثَلاثَةَ أَيَّامٍ.

On the fourth day, in the house of our God, we weighed out the silver and gold and the sacred articles into the hands of Meremoth son of Uriah, the priest. Eleazar son of Phinehas was with him, and so were the Levites Jozabad son of Jeshua and Noadiah son of Binnui.

ثُمَّ فِي الْيَوْمِ الرَّابِعِ قَامَ مَرِيمُوثُ بْنُ أُورِيَّا الْكَاهِنِ، وَأَلِعَازَارُ بْنُ فِينْحَاسَ وَمَعَهُمَا اثْنَانِ مِنَ اللّاوِيِّينَ هُمَا يُوزَابَادُ بْنُ يَشُوعَ، وَنُوعَدْيَا بْنُ بَنُّويَ، بِوَزْنِ الْفِضَّةِ وَالذَّهَبِ وَالآنِيَةِ فِي بَيْتِ إِلَهِنَا.

Everything was accounted for by number and weight, and the entire weight was recorded at that time.

وَتَمَّ تَسْجِيلُ عَدَدِهَا وَوَزْنِهَا فِي ذَلِكَ الْحِينِ.

Then the exiles who had returned from captivity sacrificed burnt offerings to the God of Israel: twelve bulls for all Israel, ninety-six rams, seventy-seven male lambs and, as a sin offering,^[g] twelve male goats. All this was a burnt offering to the Lord.

وَقَرَّبَ الْمَسْبِيُّونَ الْقَادِمُونَ مُحْرَقَاتٍ لإِلَهِ إِسْرَائِيلَ: اثْنَيْ عَشَرَ ثَوْراً عَنْ كُلِّ إِسْرَائِيلَ، وَسِتَّةً وَتِسْعِينَ كَبْشاً وَسَبْعَةً وَسَبْعِينَ خَرُوفاً وَاثْنَيْ عَشَرَ تَيْساً ذَبِيحَةَ خَطِيئَةٍ، فَأُصْعِدَتْ كُلُّهَا مُحْرَقَاتٍ لِلرَّبِّ.

They also delivered the king’s orders to the royal satraps and to the governors of Trans-Euphrates, who then gave assistance to the people and to the house of God.

وَسَلَّمُوا أَوَامِرَ الْمَلِكِ لِوُلاةِ الْمَلِكِ فِي عَبْرِ نَهْرِ الْفُرَاتِ، فَأَعَانُوا الشَّعْبَ وَوَفَّرُوا مَا يَحْتَاجُ إِلَيْهِ بِنَاءُ هَيْكَلِ الرَّبِّ.