1Esdr 8:1 

And after these things, when Artexerxes the king of the 

Persians reigned came Esdras the son of Saraias, the son of 

Ezerias, the son of Helchiah, the son of Salum, 

1Esdr 8:2 

The son of Sadduc, the son of Achitob, the son of Amarias, 

the son of Ezias, the son of Meremoth, the son of Zaraias, the 

son of Savias, the son of Boccas, the son of Abisum, the son of 

Phinees, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the chief priest. 

1Esdr 8:3 

This Esdras went up from Babylon, as a scribe, being very 

ready in the law of Moses, that was given by the God of Israel. 

1Esdr 8:4 

And the king did him honour: for he found grace in his sight 

in all his requests. 

1Esdr 8:5 

There went up with him also certain of the children of 

Israel, of the priest of the Levites, of the holy singers, 

porters, and ministers of the temple, unto Jerusalem, 

1Esdr 8:6 

In the seventh year of the reign of Artexerxes, in the fifth 

month, this was the king's seventh year; for they went from 

Babylon in the first day of the first month, and came to 

Jerusalem, according to the prosperous journey which the Lord 

gave them. 

1Esdr 8:7 

For Esdras had very great skill, so that he omitted nothing 

of the law and commandments of the Lord, but taught all Israel 

the ordinances and judgments. 

1Esdr 8:8 

Now the copy of the commission, which was written from 

Artexerxes the king, and came to Esdras the priest and reader of 

the law of the Lord, is this that followeth; 

1Esdr 8:9 

King Artexerxes unto Esdras the priest and reader of the law 

of the Lord sendeth greeting: 

1Esdr 8:10 

Having determined to deal graciously, I have given order, 

that such of the nation of the Jews, and of the priests and 

Levites being within our realm, as are willing and desirous 

should go with thee unto Jerusalem. 

1Esdr 8:11 

As many therefore as have a mind thereunto, let them depart 

with thee, as it hath seemed good both to me and my seven 

friends the counsellors; 

1Esdr 8:12 

That they may look unto the affairs of Judea and Jerusalem, 

agreeably to that which is in the law of the Lord; 

1Esdr 8:13 

And carry the gifts unto the Lord of Israel to Jerusalem, 

which I and my friends have vowed, and all the gold and silver 

that in the country of Babylon can be found, to the Lord in 

Jerusalem, 

1Esdr 8:14 

With that also which is given of the people for the temple of 

the Lord their God at Jerusalem: and that silver and gold may be 

collected for bullocks, rams, and lambs, and things thereunto 

appertaining; 

1Esdr 8:15 

To the end that they may offer sacrifices unto the Lord upon 

the altar of the Lord their God, which is in Jerusalem. 

1Esdr 8:16 

And whatsoever thou and thy brethren will do with the silver 

and gold, that do, according to the will of thy God. 

1Esdr 8:17 

And the holy vessels of the Lord, which are given thee for 

the use of the temple of thy God, which is in Jerusalem, thou 

shalt set before thy God in Jerusalem. 

1Esdr 8:18 

And whatsoever thing else thou shalt remember for the use of 

the temple of thy God, thou shalt give it out of the king's 

treasury. 

1Esdr 8:19 

And I king Artexerxes have also commanded the keepers of the 

treasures in Syria and Phenice, that whatsoever Esdras the 

priest and the reader of the law of the most high God shall send 

for, they should give it him with speed, 

1Esdr 8:20 

To the sum of an hundred talents of silver, likewise also of 

wheat even to an hundred cors, and an hundred pieces of wine, 

and other things in abundance. 

1Esdr 8:21 

Let all things be performed after the law of God diligently 

unto the most high God, that wrath come not upon the kingdom of 

the king and his sons. 

1Esdr 8:22 

I command you also, that ye require no tax, nor any other 

imposition, of any of the priests, or Levites, or holy singers, 

or porters, or ministers of the temple, or of any that have 

doings in this temple, and that no man have authority to impose 

any thing upon them. 

1Esdr 8:23 

And thou, Esdras, according to the wisdom of God ordain 

judges and justices, that they may judge in all Syria and 

Phenice all those that know the law of thy God; and those that 

know it not thou shalt teach. 

1Esdr 8:24 

And whosoever shall transgress the law of thy God, and of the 

king, shall be punished diligently, whether it be by death, or 

other punishment, by penalty of money, or by imprisonment. 

1Esdr 8:25 

Then said Esdras the scribe, Blessed be the only Lord God of 

my fathers, who hath put these things into the heart of the 

king, to glorify his house that is in Jerusalem: 

1Esdr 8:26 

And hath honoured me in the sight of the king, and his 

counsellors, and all his friends and nobles. 

1Esdr 8:27 

Therefore was I encouraged by the help of the Lord my God, 

and gathered together men of Israel to go up with me. 

1Esdr 8:28 

And these are the chief according to their families and several 

dignities, that went up with me from Babylon in the reign of 

king Artexerxes: 

1Esdr 8:29 

Of the sons of Phinees, Gerson: of the sons of Ithamar, 

Gamael: of the sons of David, Lettus the son of Sechenias: 

1Esdr 8:30 

Of the sons of Pharez, Zacharias; and with him were counted 

an hundred and fifty men: 

1Esdr 8:31 

Of the sons of Pahath Moab, Eliaonias, the son of Zaraias, 

and with him two hundred men: 

1Esdr 8:32 

Of the sons of Zathoe, Sechenias the son of Jezelus, and with 

him three hundred men: of the sons of Adin, Obeth the son of 

Jonathan, and with him two hundred and fifty men: 

1Esdr 8:33 

Of the sons of Elam, Josias son of Gotholias, and with him 

seventy men: 

1Esdr 8:34 

Of the sons of Saphatias, Zaraias son of Michael, and with 

him threescore and ten men: 

1Esdr 8:35 

Of the sons of Joab, Abadias son of Jezelus, and with him two 

hundred and twelve men: 

1Esdr 8:36 

Of the sons of Banid, Assalimoth son of Josaphias, and with 

him an hundred and threescore men: 

1Esdr 8:37 

Of the sons of Babi, Zacharias son of Bebai, and with him 

twenty and eight men: 

1Esdr 8:38 

Of the sons of Astath, Johannes son of Acatan, and with him 

an hundred and ten men: 

1Esdr 8:39 

Of the sons of Adonikam the last, and these are the names of 

them, Eliphalet, Jewel, and Samaias, and with them seventy men: 

1Esdr 8:40 

Of the sons of Bago, Uthi the son of Istalcurus, and with him 

seventy men. 

1Esdr 8:41 

And these I gathered together to the river called Theras, 

where we pitched our tents three days: and then I surveyed them. 

1Esdr 8:42 

But when I had found there none of the priests and Levites, 

1Esdr 8:43 

Then sent I unto Eleazar, and Iduel, and Masman, 

1Esdr 8:44 

And Alnathan, and Mamaias, and Joribas, and Nathan, Eunatan, 

Zacharias, and Mosollamon, principal men and learned. 

1Esdr 8:45 

And I bade them that they should go unto Saddeus the captain, 

who was in the place of the treasury: 

1Esdr 8:46 

And commanded them that they should speak unto Daddeus, and 

to his brethren, and to the treasurers in that place, to send us 

such men as might execute the priests' office in the house of 

the Lord. 

1Esdr 8:47 

And by the mighty hand of our Lord they brought unto us 

skilful men of the sons of Moli the son of Levi, the son of 

Israel, Asebebia, and his sons, and his brethren, who were 

eighteen. 

1Esdr 8:48 

And Asebia, and Annus, and Osaias his brother, of the sons 

of Channuneus, and their sons, were twenty men. 

1Esdr 8:49 

And of the servants of the temple whom David had ordained, 

and the principal men for the service of the Levites to wit, the 

servants of the temple two hundred and twenty, the catalogue of 

whose names were shewed. 

1Esdr 8:50 

And there I vowed a fast unto the young men before our Lord, 

to desire of him a prosperous journey both for us and them that 

were with us, for our children, and for the cattle: 

1Esdr 8:51 

For I was ashamed to ask the king footmen, and horsemen, and 

conduct for safeguard against our adversaries. 

1Esdr 8:52 

For we had said unto the king, that the power of the Lord our 

God should be with them that seek him, to support them in all 

ways. 

1Esdr 8:53 

And again we besought our Lord as touching these things, and 

found him favourable unto us. 

1Esdr 8:54 

Then I separated twelve of the chief of the priests, 

Esebrias, and Assanias, and ten men of their brethren with them: 

1Esdr 8:55 

And I weighed them the gold, and the silver, and the holy 

vessels of the house of our Lord, which the king, and his 

council, and the princes, and all Israel, had given. 

1Esdr 8:56 

And when I had weighed it, I delivered unto them six hundred 

and fifty talents of silver, and silver vessels of an hundred 

talents, and an hundred talents of gold, 

1Esdr 8:57 

And twenty golden vessels, and twelve vessels of brass, even 

of fine brass, glittering like gold. 

1Esdr 8:58 

And I said unto them, Both ye are holy unto the Lord, and the 

vessels are holy, and the gold and the silver is a vow unto the 

Lord, the Lord of our fathers. 

1Esdr 8:59 

Watch ye, and keep them till ye deliver them to the chief of 

the priests and Levites, and to the principal men of the 

families of Israel, in Jerusalem, into the chambers of the house 

of our God. 

1Esdr 8:60 

So the priests and the Levites, who had received the silver 

and the gold and the vessels, brought them unto Jerusalem, into 

the temple of the Lord. 

1Esdr 8:61 

And from the river Theras we departed the twelfth day of the 

first month, and came to Jerusalem by the mighty hand of our 

Lord, which was with us: and from the beginning of our journey 

the Lord delivered us from every enemy, and so we came to 

Jerusalem. 

1Esdr 8:62 

And when we had been there three days, the gold and silver 

that was weighed was delivered in the house of our Lord on the 

fourth day unto Marmoth the priest the son of Iri. 

1Esdr 8:63 

And with him was Eleazar the son of Phinees, and with them 

were Josabad the son of Jesu and Moeth the son of Sabban, 

Levites: all was delivered them by number and weight. 

1Esdr 8:64 

And all the weight of them was written up the same hour. 

1Esdr 8:65 

Moreover they that were come out of the captivity offered 

sacrifice unto the Lord God of Israel, even twelve bullocks for 

all Israel, fourscore and sixteen rams, 

1Esdr 8:66 

Threescore and twelve lambs, goats for a peace offering, 

twelve; all of them a sacrifice to the Lord. 

1Esdr 8:67 

And they delivered the king's commandments unto the king's 

stewards' and to the governors of Celosyria and Phenice; and 

they honoured the people and the temple of God. 

1Esdr 8:68 

Now when these things were done, the rulers came unto me, and 

said, 

1Esdr 8:69 

The nation of Israel, the princes, the priests and Levites, 

have not put away from them the strange people of the land, nor 

the pollutions of the Gentiles to wit, of the Canaanites, 

Hittites, Pheresites, Jebusites, and the Moabites, Egyptians, 

and Edomites. 

1Esdr 8:70 

For both they and their sons have married with their 

daughters, and the holy seed is mixed with the strange people of 

the land; and from the beginning of this matter the rulers and 

the great men have been partakers of this iniquity. 

1Esdr 8:71 

And as soon as I had heard these things, I rent my clothes, 

and the holy garment, and pulled off the hair from off my head 

and beard, and sat me down sad and very heavy. 

1Esdr 8:72 

So all they that were then moved at the word of the Lord God 

of Israel assembled unto me, whilst I mourned for the iniquity: 

but I sat still full of heaviness until the evening sacrifice. 

1Esdr 8:73 

Then rising up from the fast with my clothes and the holy 

garment rent, and bowing my knees, and stretching forth my hands 

unto the Lord, 

1Esdr 8:74 

I said, O Lord, I am confounded and ashamed before thy face; 

1Esdr 8:75 

For our sins are multiplied above our heads, and our 

ignorances have reached up unto heaven. 

1Esdr 8:76 

For ever since the time of our fathers we have been and are 

in great sin, even unto this day. 

1Esdr 8:77 

And for our sins and our fathers' we with our brethren and 

our kings and our priests were given up unto the kings of the 

earth, to the sword, and to captivity, and for a prey with 

shame, unto this day. 

1Esdr 8:78 

And now in some measure hath mercy been shewed unto us from 

thee, O Lord, that there should be left us a root and a name in 

the place of thy sanctuary; 

1Esdr 8:79 

And to discover unto us a light in the house of the Lord our 

God, and to give us food in the time of our servitude. 

1Esdr 8:80 

Yea, when we were in bondage, we were not forsaken of our 

Lord; but he made us gracious before the kings of Persia, so 

that they gave us food; 

1Esdr 8:81 

Yea, and honoured the temple of our Lord, and raised up the 

desolate Sion, that they have given us a sure abiding in Jewry 

and Jerusalem. 

1Esdr 8:82 

And now, O Lord, what shall we say, having these things? for 

we have transgressed thy commandments, which thou gavest by the 

hand of thy servants the prophets, saying, 

1Esdr 8:83 

That the land, which ye enter into to possess as an heritage, 

is a land polluted with the pollutions of the strangers of the 

land, and they have filled it with their uncleanness. 

1Esdr 8:84 

Therefore now shall ye not join your daughters unto their 

sons, neither shall ye take their daughters unto your sons. 

1Esdr 8:85 

Moreover ye shall never seek to have peace with them, that ye 

may be strong, and eat the good things of the land, and that ye 

may leave the inheritance of the land unto your children for 

evermore. 

1Esdr 8:86 

And all that is befallen is done unto us for our wicked works 

and great sins; for thou, O Lord, didst make our sins light, 

1Esdr 8:87 

And didst give unto us such a root: but we have turned back 

again to transgress thy law, and to mingle ourselves with the 

uncleanness of the nations of the land. 

1Esdr 8:88 

Mightest not thou be angry with us to destroy us, till thou 

hadst left us neither root, seed, nor name? 

1Esdr 8:89 

O Lord of Israel, thou art true: for we are left a root this 

day. 

1Esdr 8:90 

Behold, now are we before thee in our iniquities, for we 

cannot stand any longer by reason of these things before thee. 

1Esdr 8:91 

And as Esdras in his prayer made his confession, weeping, and 

lying flat upon the ground before the temple, there gathered 

unto him from Jerusalem a very great multitude of men and women 

and children: for there was great weeping among the multitude. 

1Esdr 8:92 

Then Jechonias the son of Jeelus, one of the sons of Israel, 

called out, and said, O Esdras, we have sinned against the Lord 

God, we have married strange women of the nations of the land, 

and now is all Israel aloft. 

1Esdr 8:93 

Let us make an oath to the Lord, that we will put away all 

our wives, which we have taken of the heathen, with their 

children, 

1Esdr 8:94 

Like as thou hast decreed, and as many as do obey the law of 

the Lord. 

1Esdr 8:95 

Arise and put in execution: for to thee doth this matter 

appertain, and we will be with thee: do valiantly. 

1Esdr 8:96 

So Esdras arose, and took an oath of the chief of the priests 

and Levites of all Israel to do after these things; and so they 

sware.