§ 9:16: A shekel is about 10 grams or about 0.32 Troy ounces, so 300 shekels was about 3 kilograms or about 96 Troy ounces.
† 20:7: or, seed
‡ 20:26: “Beracah” means “blessing”.
† 23:3: Hebrew He
† 25:6: A talent is about 30 kilograms or 66 pounds
‡ 25:9: A talent is about 30 kilograms or 66 pounds
§ 25:23: A cubit is the length from the tip of the middle finger to the elbow on a man’s arm, or about 18 inches or 46 centimetres, so 400 cubits is about 200 yards or 184 metres.
† 27:5: A talent is about 30 kilograms or 66 pounds
‡ 27:5: 1 cor is the same as a homer, or about 55.9 U. S. gallons (liquid) or 211 litres or 6 bushels. 10,000 cors of wheat would weigh about 1,640 metric tonnes.
§ 27:5: 10,000 cors of barley would weigh about 1,310 metric tonnes.
† 32:21: i.e., his own sons
† 33:19: or, the seers
† 36:3: A talent is about 30 kilograms or 66 pounds or 965 Troy ounces
Ezra
The Book of Ezra
1
1 Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the LORD’s† word by Jeremiah’s mouth might be accomplished, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying,
2 “Cyrus king of Persia says, ‘The LORD, the God‡ of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he has commanded me to build him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. 3 Whoever there is amongst you of all his people, may his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of the LORD, the God of Israel (he is God), which is in Jerusalem. 4 Whoever is left, in any place where he lives, let the men of his place help him with silver, with gold, with goods, and with animals, in addition to the free will offering for God’s house which is in Jerusalem.’ ”
5 Then the heads of fathers’ households of Judah and Benjamin, the priests and the Levites, all whose spirit God had stirred to go up, rose up to build the LORD’s house which is in Jerusalem. 6 All those who were around them strengthened their hands with vessels of silver, with gold, with goods, with animals, and with precious things, in addition to all that was willingly offered. 7 Also Cyrus the king brought out the vessels of the LORD’s house, which Nebuchadnezzar had brought out of Jerusalem, and had put in the house of his gods; 8 even those, Cyrus king of Persia brought out by the hand of Mithredath the treasurer, and counted them out to Sheshbazzar the prince of Judah. 9 This is the number of them: thirty platters of gold, one thousand platters of silver, twenty-nine knives, 10 thirty bowls of gold, four hundred and ten silver bowls of a second kind, and one thousand other vessels. 11 All the vessels of gold and of silver were five thousand and four hundred. Sheshbazzar brought all these up when the captives were brought up from Babylon to Jerusalem.
2
1 Now these are the children of the province who went up out of 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, everyone to his city; 2 who came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum, and Baanah.
The number of the men of the people of Israel: 3 The children of Parosh, two thousand and one hundred and seventy-two. 4 The children of Shephatiah, three hundred and seventy-two. 5 The children of Arah, seven hundred and seventy-five. 6 The children of Pahathmoab, of the children of Jeshua and Joab, two thousand and eight hundred and twelve. 7 The children of Elam, one thousand and two hundred and fifty-four. 8 The children of Zattu, nine hundred and forty-five. 9 The children of Zaccai, seven hundred and sixty. 10 The children of Bani, six hundred and forty-two. 11 The children of Bebai, six hundred and twenty-three. 12 The children of Azgad, one thousand and two hundred and twenty-two. 13 The children of Adonikam, six hundred and sixty-six. 14 The children of Bigvai, two thousand and fifty-six. 15 The children of Adin, four hundred and fifty-four. 16 The children of Ater, of Hezekiah, ninety-eight. 17 The children of Bezai, three hundred and twenty-three. 18 The children of Jorah, one hundred and twelve. 19 The children of Hashum, two hundred and twenty-three. 20 The children of Gibbar, ninety-five. 21 The children of Bethlehem, one hundred and twenty-three. 22 The men of Netophah, fifty-six. 23 The men of Anathoth, one hundred and twenty-eight. 24 The children of Azmaveth, forty-two. 25 The children of Kiriath Arim, Chephirah, and Beeroth, seven hundred and forty-three. 26 The children of Ramah and Geba, six hundred and twenty-one. 27 The men of Michmas, one hundred and twenty-two. 28 The men of Bethel and Ai, two hundred and twenty-three. 29 The children of Nebo, fifty-two. 30 The children of Magbish, one hundred and fifty-six. 31 The children of the other Elam, one thousand and two hundred and fifty-four. 32 The children of Harim, three hundred and twenty. 33 The children of Lod, Hadid, and Ono, seven hundred and twenty-five. 34 The children of Jericho, three hundred and forty-five. 35 The children of Senaah, three thousand and six hundred and thirty.
36 The priests: the children of Jedaiah, of the house of Jeshua, nine hundred and seventy-three. 37 The children of Immer, one thousand and fifty-two. 38 The children of Pashhur, one thousand and two hundred and forty-seven. 39 The children of Harim, one thousand and seventeen.
40 The Levites: the children of Jeshua and Kadmiel, of the children of Hodaviah, seventy-four. 41 The singers: the children of Asaph, one hundred and twenty-eight. 42 The children of the gatekeepers: the children of Shallum, the children of Ater, the children of Talmon, the children of Akkub, the children of Hatita, the children of Shobai, in all one hundred and thirty-nine.
43 The temple servants: the children of Ziha, the children of Hasupha, the children of Tabbaoth, 44 the children of Keros, the children of Siaha, the children of Padon, 45 the children of Lebanah, the children of Hagabah, the children of Akkub, 46 the children of Hagab, the children of Shamlai, the children of Hanan, 47 the children of Giddel, the children of Gahar, the children of Reaiah, 48 the children of Rezin, 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 Meunim, the children of Nephisim, 51 the children of Bakbuk, the children of Hakupha, the children of Harhur, 52 the children of Bazluth, the children of Mehida, the children of Harsha, 53 the children of Barkos, the children of Sisera, the children of Temah, 54 the children of Neziah, the children of Hatipha.
55 The children of Solomon’s servants: the children of Sotai, the children of Hassophereth, the children of Peruda, 56 the children of Jaalah, the children of Darkon, the children of Giddel, 57 the children of Shephatiah, the children of Hattil, the children of Pochereth Hazzebaim, the children of Ami. 58 All the temple servants, and the children of Solomon’s servants, were three hundred and ninety-two.
59 These were those who went up from Tel Melah, Tel Harsha, Cherub, Addan, and Immer; but they could not show their fathers’ houses and their offspring,† whether they were of Israel: 60 the children of Delaiah, the children of Tobiah, the children of Nekoda, six hundred and fifty-two. 61 Of the children of the priests: the children of Habaiah, the children of Hakkoz, and the children of Barzillai, who took a wife of the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite, and was called after their name. 62 These sought their place amongst those who were registered by genealogy, but they were not found; therefore they were deemed disqualified and removed from the priesthood. 63 The governor told them that they should not eat of the most holy things until a priest stood up to serve with Urim and with Thummim.
64 The whole assembly together was forty-two thousand and three hundred and sixty, 65 in addition to their male servants and their female servants, of whom there were seven thousand and three hundred and thirty-seven; and they had two hundred singing men and singing women. 66 Their horses were seven hundred and thirty-six; their mules, two hundred and forty-five; 67 their camels, four hundred and thirty-five; their donkeys, six thousand and seven hundred and twenty.
68 Some of the heads of fathers’ households, when they came to the LORD’s house which is in Jerusalem, offered willingly for God’s house to set it up in its place. 69 They gave according to their ability into the treasury of the work sixty-one thousand darics of gold,‡ five thousand minas§ of silver, and one hundred priests’ garments.
70 So the priests and the Levites, with some of the people, the singers, the gatekeepers, and the temple servants, lived in their cities, and all Israel in their cities.
3
1 When the seventh month had come, and the children of Israel were in the cities, the people gathered themselves together as one man to Jerusalem. 2 Then Jeshua the son of Jozadak stood up with his brothers the priests
