1 Esdras 8

After these things, while Artexerxes king of the Persians was reigning, Esdras came. He was the son of Saraias, the son of Ezerias, the son of Helchiah, the son of Salum,

1And 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,

Note1 Esdras is a Greek retelling of material found in Ezra, Nehemiah and 2 Chronicles, so its personal names come through Greek spelling and often differ from the more familiar Hebrew forms. Esdras is Ezra; Artexerxes is Artaxerxes, king of Persia in the fifth century BC. The Persian empire had taken over Babylon, where many Judeans had been deported a century earlier.

2the 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.

2The 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.

NoteThe list runs backward from Esdras to Aaron, the brother of Moses and the first priest of Israel. Its point is not family sentiment: priesthood was hereditary, and a documented descent from Aaron was what entitled a man to serve. Naming the line is a credential.

3This Esdras went up from Babylon as a scribe, a man very skilled in the law of Moses, which was given by the God of Israel.

3This Esdras went up from Babylon, as a scribe, being very ready in the law of Moses, that was given by the God of Israel.

Note"Scribe" here does not mean a copyist. By this period it was the title of a trained scholar and official, an expert in the written law who could rule on its application. Note also "went up": Jerusalem stands high in the hill country, so travel toward it is always spoken of as going up, whatever direction it actually lies.

4The king honored him, because he found favor with the king in everything he asked for.

4And the king did him honour: for he found grace in his sight in all his requests.

Note"Found grace in his sight" is an idiom for winning someone's goodwill, not a religious statement about grace. The king granted what Esdras asked.

5Some of the children of Israel also went up with him to Jerusalem, along with some of the priests, the Levites, the holy singers, the gatekeepers, and the temple servants.

5There 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,

NoteFour groups of temple staff, ranked below the priests. Levites were members of the tribe of Levi who assisted at the sanctuary without offering sacrifice themselves; the holy singers provided the music of worship; the gatekeepers ("porters" in older English) guarded the entrances and controlled who could go where; the temple servants were a hereditary workforce who did the heavy and menial work of the sanctuary.

6This was in the seventh year of the reign of Artexerxes, in the fifth month; it was the king's seventh year. They left Babylon on the first day of the first month and came to Jerusalem, by the safe journey the Lord gave them.

6In 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.

NoteDates run by the Hebrew calendar. The first month, Nisan, falls in March or April; the fifth month, Ab, in July or August. So the journey from Babylon to Jerusalem, roughly nine hundred miles by the usable route, took about four months.

7For Esdras had very great skill, so that he left out nothing of the law and commands of the Lord, but taught all Israel the rules and decisions.

7For 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.

8Now this is a copy of the written order from King Artexerxes that came to Esdras the priest and reader of the law of the Lord:

8Now 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;

Note"Commission" here means an official written authorization from the crown, of the kind a royal official would carry and produce as proof of his powers. "Reader of the law" renders a Greek title for an authorized public expositor of the Jewish law.

9King Artexerxes sends greetings to Esdras the priest and reader of the law of the Lord.

9King Artexerxes unto Esdras the priest and reader of the law of the Lord sendeth greeting:

10Having decided to act kindly, I have given orders that any of the nation of the Jews, and of the priests and Levites in my kingdom, who are willing and want to go, may go with you to Jerusalem.

10Having 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.

11So let as many as have a mind to do so leave with you, as it has seemed good both to me and to my seven friends the counselors,

11As 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;

NotePersian kings were advised by a body of seven noble counselors, a well known feature of the court. Calling them the king's "friends" is a formal court title, not a description of personal affection.

12so that they may see to the affairs of Judea and Jerusalem, in keeping with what is in the law of the Lord,

12That they may look unto the affairs of Judea and Jerusalem, agreeably to that which is in the law of the Lord;

NoteJudea was at this time a small province of the Persian empire, administered under the larger regional government based in Syria.

13and carry to Jerusalem the gifts for the Lord of Israel that I and my friends have vowed, and all the gold and silver that can be found in the country of Babylon, for the Lord in Jerusalem,

13And 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,

NoteA vow here is a formal promise to give something to a god, binding on the one who makes it. The Persian crown routinely funded the cults of subject peoples, treating their prayers as useful to the empire.

14together with what the people give for the temple of the Lord their God in Jerusalem. Silver and gold is to be collected for bulls, rams, and lambs, and for the things that go with them,

14With 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;

NoteSacrificial animals had to be bought, so a cash grant is effectively a standing account for the daily offerings.

15so that they may offer sacrifices to the Lord on the altar of the Lord their God, which is in Jerusalem.

15To the end that they may offer sacrifices unto the Lord upon the altar of the Lord their God, which is in Jerusalem.

16And whatever you and your brothers decide to do with the silver and the gold, do it, according to the will of your God.

16And whatsoever thou and thy brethren will do with the silver and gold, that do, according to the will of thy God.

17And the holy vessels of the Lord, which are given to you for the use of the temple of your God in Jerusalem, you shall set before your God in Jerusalem.

17And 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.

NoteThe temple vessels are the gold and silver bowls, basins and utensils used in worship. Nebuchadnezzar had carried them off when Jerusalem fell; their return is a repeated concern in this literature because without them the service could not be carried out.

18And whatever else you think of that is needed for the temple of your God, you shall pay for it out of the king's treasury.

18And 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.

19I, King Artexerxes, have also ordered the keepers of the treasuries in Syria and Phenice that whatever Esdras the priest and reader of the law of the Most High God sends for, they are to give him quickly,

19And 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,

NoteSyria and Phenice are the imperial province that included Judea, called "Beyond the River" in Persian administration. Phenice is Phoenicia, the coastal strip of what is now Lebanon. The "keepers of the treasures" are the provincial treasury officials, ordered here to honor Esdras's requisitions on royal account.

20up to a hundred talents of silver, and likewise wheat up to a hundred cors, and a hundred measures of wine, and salt in plenty.

20To 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.

NoteA talent was a weight, roughly seventy-five pounds, so a hundred talents of silver is between three and four tons. A cor was a dry measure of about six and a half bushels, so a hundred cors is a substantial grain shipment. The "pieces" of wine translate a Greek liquid measure of roughly nine or ten gallons each. Salt mattered because the law required it with every grain offering, so it was a standing temple supply and not a seasoning.

21Let everything be done carefully according to the law of God, for the Most High God, so that anger does not come on the kingdom of the king and his sons.

21Let 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.

NoteThe reasoning is Persian, not Jewish: the empire supported local worship on the understanding that a neglected god might turn his anger on the ruling house. Similar clauses appear in genuine Persian documents.

22I also command you to require no tax or any other payment from any of the priests, Levites, holy singers, gatekeepers, or temple servants, or from anyone who has work in this temple, and that no one has authority to lay anything on them.

22I 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.

NoteExempting temple personnel from taxes and forced labor was an actual Persian practice, attested elsewhere for priesthoods across the empire.

23And you, Esdras, following the wisdom of God, appoint judges and magistrates, so that they may judge everyone in all Syria and Phenice who knows the law of your God; and those who do not know it, you shall teach.

23And 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.

Note"Judges and justices" are civil magistrates appointed with royal backing. The arrangement lets Jewish law function as the law for Jews throughout the province, enforced by the empire.

24And whoever breaks the law of your God and of the king shall be strictly punished, whether by death or some other punishment, by a fine of money or by prison.

24And 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.

25Then Esdras the scribe said, Blessed be the only Lord, the God of my fathers, who has put these things into the heart of the king, to bring honor to his house in Jerusalem,

25Then 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:

Note"Blessed be" is a standard opening of Jewish prayer, praising God rather than asking anything of him. "His house" is the temple.

26and who has honored me in the sight of the king, and of his counselors, and of all his friends and nobles.

26And hath honoured me in the sight of the king, and his counsellors, and all his friends and nobles.

27So I took courage through the help of the Lord my God, and I gathered together men of Israel to go up with me.

27Therefore was I encouraged by the help of the Lord my God, and gathered together men of Israel to go up with me.

28And these are the leaders, listed by their families and their various ranks, who went up with me from Babylon in the reign of King Artexerxes:

28And these are the chief according to their families and several dignities, that went up with me from Babylon in the reign of king Artexerxes:

Note"Several dignities" in older English means separate ranks or divisions, not "many honors." What follows is a muster roll: the head of each extended family, with the number of adult men traveling under him.

29of the sons of Phinees, Gerson; of the sons of Ithamar, Gamael; of the sons of David, Lettus the son of Sechenias;

29Of the sons of Phinees, Gerson: of the sons of Ithamar, Gamael: of the sons of David, Lettus the son of Sechenias:

Note"Sons of" in these lists means descendants of, that is, members of a clan named for a founding ancestor. "The sons of David" are the surviving royal line, a politically significant group to bring home.

30of the sons of Pharez, Zacharias, and a hundred and fifty men were counted with him;

30Of the sons of Pharez, Zacharias; and with him were counted an hundred and fifty men:

31of the sons of Pahath Moab, Eliaonias the son of Zaraias, and two hundred men with him;

31Of the sons of Pahath Moab, Eliaonias, the son of Zaraias, and with him two hundred men:

NotePahath Moab means "governor of Moab." It had become a family name; the group is Judean, not Moabite.

32of the sons of Zathoe, Sechenias the son of Jezelus, and three hundred men with him; of the sons of Adin, Obeth the son of Jonathan, and two hundred and fifty men with him;

32Of 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:

33of the sons of Elam, Josias the son of Gotholias, and seventy men with him;

33Of the sons of Elam, Josias son of Gotholias, and with him seventy men:

34of the sons of Saphatias, Zaraias the son of Michael, and seventy men with him;

34Of the sons of Saphatias, Zaraias son of Michael, and with him threescore and ten men:

35of the sons of Joab, Abadias the son of Jezelus, and two hundred and twelve men with him;

35Of the sons of Joab, Abadias son of Jezelus, and with him two hundred and twelve men:

36of the sons of Banid, Assalimoth the son of Josaphias, and a hundred and sixty men with him;

36Of the sons of Banid, Assalimoth son of Josaphias, and with him an hundred and threescore men:

37of the sons of Babi, Zacharias the son of Bebai, and twenty-eight men with him;

37Of the sons of Babi, Zacharias son of Bebai, and with him twenty and eight men:

38of the sons of Astath, Johannes the son of Acatan, and a hundred and ten men with him;

38Of the sons of Astath, Johannes son of Acatan, and with him an hundred and ten men:

39of the sons of Adonikam, the last ones, and these are their names: Eliphalet, Jewel, and Samaias, and seventy men with them;

39Of the sons of Adonikam the last, and these are the names of them, Eliphalet, Jewel, and Samaias, and with them seventy men:

Note"The last" probably means the last party of that clan to return, later arrivals than an earlier group of the same family; some read it as the younger branch. The text does not settle it.

40of the sons of Bago, Uthi the son of Istalcurus, and seventy men with him.

40Of the sons of Bago, Uthi the son of Istalcurus, and with him seventy men.

41I gathered these men together at the river called Theras, and there we camped for three days. Then I reviewed them.

41And these I gathered together to the river called Theras, where we pitched our tents three days: and then I surveyed them.

NoteThe river Theras is called Ahava in the parallel account in Ezra. It is a canal or watercourse in Babylonia and cannot now be located. "I surveyed them" means he inspected and counted the assembled company.

42But when I found that there were none of the priests and Levites there,

42But when I had found there none of the priests and Levites,

43I sent word to Eleazar, and Iduel, and Masman,

43Then sent I unto Eleazar, and Iduel, and Masman,

44and Alnathan, and Mamaias, and Joribas, and Nathan, Eunatan, Zacharias, and Mosollamon, who were leading men and learned men.

44And Alnathan, and Mamaias, and Joribas, and Nathan, Eunatan, Zacharias, and Mosollamon, principal men and learned.

45And I told them to go to Saddeus the captain, who was at the place of the treasury,

45And I bade them that they should go unto Saddeus the captain, who was in the place of the treasury:

NoteIn the parallel in Ezra, "the place of the treasury" is the place name Casiphia, a Jewish settlement in Babylonia. The Greek has read it as a description instead.

46and I ordered them to speak to Daddeus, and to his brothers, and to the treasurers in that place, to send us men who could carry out the work of priests in the house of the Lord.

46And 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.

NoteSaddeus in the previous verse and Daddeus here are the same man; the manuscripts vary on the letter. The request is for Levites, since a company with priests but no Levites lacked the staff the temple service required.

47And by the mighty hand of our Lord they brought us skilled men from the sons of Moli, the son of Levi, the son of Israel: Asebebia, with his sons and his brothers, eighteen of them;

47And 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.

48and Asebia, and Annus, and Osaias his brother, from the sons of Channuneus, and their sons: twenty men.

48And Asebia, and Annus, and Osaias his brother, of the sons of Channuneus, and their sons, were twenty men.

49And of the temple servants whom David and the leading men had appointed to serve the Levites, there were two hundred and twenty temple servants, and a list of their names was given.

49And 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.

NoteThe temple servants, the Nethinim, were a hereditary class assigned to support the Levites in the temple's manual work. Tradition traced their organization to David. A written list of names was how such a group proved its status.

50And there I vowed a fast for the young men before our Lord, to ask him for a safe journey both for us and for those with us, for our children, and for the livestock.

50And 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:

NoteA fast means going without food for a set time as an act of prayer. "Vowed a fast unto the young men" means he proclaimed one for the company. The prayer covers the livestock because they were the caravan's transport and food supply, and losing them on the road would be ruinous.

51For I was ashamed to ask the king for foot soldiers, horsemen, and an escort to protect us from our enemies.

51For I was ashamed to ask the king footmen, and horsemen, and conduct for safeguard against our adversaries.

NoteThe point is not modesty. Esdras had told the king that his God protected those who trusted him, so asking for a military escort would have contradicted him in public.

52For we had told the king that the power of the Lord our God would be with those who seek him, to support them in every way.

52For 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.

53And again we prayed to our Lord about these things, and we found him kind toward us.

53And again we besought our Lord as touching these things, and found him favourable unto us.

54Then I set apart twelve of the chief priests: Esebrias and Assanias, and ten men of their brothers with them.

54Then I separated twelve of the chief of the priests, Esebrias, and Assanias, and ten men of their brethren with them:

NoteTwelve, the number of the tribes of Israel, is the standard figure for a body representing the whole nation. The treasure had to be carried by consecrated men because it was dedicated property.

55And I weighed out to them the gold, the silver, and the holy vessels of the house of our Lord, which the king, his council, the princes, and all Israel had given.

55And 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.

56When I had weighed it, I handed over to them six hundred and fifty talents of silver, silver vessels weighing a hundred talents, and a hundred talents of gold,

56And 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,

NoteAt roughly seventy-five pounds to the talent, six hundred and fifty talents of silver is on the order of twenty-four tons, and the gold alone some three and a half tons. The figures are conventional and very large; an armed escort is exactly what such a caravan would normally have had.

57and twenty gold vessels, and twelve vessels of bronze, of fine bronze that shone like gold.

57And twenty golden vessels, and twelve vessels of brass, even of fine brass, glittering like gold.

Note"Brass" in older English usually means bronze, an alloy of copper and tin. A polished bronze of high quality could pass at a glance for gold, which is the point being made.

58And I said to them, You yourselves are holy to the Lord, and the vessels are holy, and the gold and the silver are a vow to the Lord, the Lord of our fathers.

58And 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.

Note"Holy" here means set apart for God's exclusive use and therefore not available for any ordinary purpose. Saying the men themselves are holy makes them, like the vessels, dedicated property in transit.

59Watch over them and guard them until you hand them over in Jerusalem to the chief priests and Levites, and to the leading men of the families of Israel, in the rooms of the house of our God.

59Watch 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.

NoteThe "chambers" are the storerooms built around the temple courts, where dedicated goods, tithes and vessels were kept under guard.

60So the priests and the Levites who had received the silver and the gold and the vessels brought them to Jerusalem, into the temple of the Lord.

60So 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.

61And we left the river Theras on the twelfth day of the first month, and we came to Jerusalem by the mighty hand of our Lord, which was with us. From the start of our journey the Lord kept us safe from every enemy, and so we came to Jerusalem.

61And 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.

62And when we had been there three days, the gold and silver that had been weighed was handed over on the fourth day in the house of our Lord to Marmoth the priest, the son of Iri.

62And 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.

NoteWeighing and counting in front of named witnesses, then recording the totals, is standard accounting practice for a treasury transfer. The three days' pause is recovery from the journey before the handover.

63With him was Eleazar the son of Phinees, and with them were Josabad the son of Jesu and Moeth the son of Sabban, who were Levites. Everything was handed over to them by count and by weight.

63And 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.

64And the whole weight of it was written down at that same hour.

64And all the weight of them was written up the same hour.

65Also, those who had come out of the captivity offered sacrifices to the Lord, the God of Israel: twelve bulls for all Israel, ninety-six rams,

65Moreover 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,

NoteBurnt offerings marking a safe arrival. The numbers are built on twelve, the number of the tribes: twelve bulls, ninety-six rams (twelve eights), seventy-two lambs (twelve sixes), so the sacrifice is offered on behalf of the whole nation and not just the returning party.

66seventy-two lambs, and twelve goats as a peace offering. All of these were a sacrifice to the Lord.

66Threescore and twelve lambs, goats for a peace offering, twelve; all of them a sacrifice to the Lord.

NoteA peace offering was a sacrifice partly burnt and partly eaten by the worshipers, a shared meal rather than a penalty. The parallel account in Ezra calls these twelve goats a sin offering, made to remove guilt; the Greek here has peace offering, and the two traditions differ.

67And they handed the king's commands to the king's stewards and to the governors of Celosyria and Phenice, and they honored the people and the temple of God.

67And 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.

NoteCelosyria is Coele-Syria, "Hollow Syria," the inland region between the Lebanon ranges. With Phoenicia it made up the provincial administration Judea fell under. "The king's stewards" are the imperial financial officers; producing the royal order obliged them to cooperate.

68Now when these things were done, the rulers came to me and said,

68Now when these things were done, the rulers came unto me, and said,

69The nation of Israel, the princes, the priests, and the Levites have not put away from themselves the foreign people of the land, or the unclean ways of the other nations, that is, of the Canaanites, Hittites, Pheresites, Jebusites, and the Moabites, Egyptians, and Edomites.

69The 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.

Note"Put away from them" means separated themselves from. The list of nations (Canaanites, Hittites, Pheresites, Jebusites, Moabites, Egyptians, Edomites) is a stock formula drawn from the law of Moses for the earlier inhabitants of the land, not a census of who was actually living there in Esdras's time. "Pollutions" and "uncleanness" are ritual terms: they describe practices that disqualify a person or thing from worship, and carry no comment on hygiene.

70For both they and their sons have married the daughters of those peoples, and the holy family line is mixed with the foreign people of the land. And from the very beginning of this matter the rulers and the great men have shared in this wrongdoing.

70For 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.

Note"The holy seed" means the family line of Israel considered as set apart, the same term the law uses for dedicated things. The complaint is that intermarriage has blurred the boundary of the community, and that the leaders themselves were the first to do it.

71As soon as I heard these things, I tore my clothes and my holy garment, and I pulled the hair from my head and my beard, and I sat down sad and weighed down.

71And 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.

NoteTearing one's clothes and tearing out hair from the head and beard were public, recognized gestures of grief and horror in this culture, the equivalent of a visible breakdown rather than a private mood. The "holy garment" is the priestly robe, so tearing it is a deliberate and shocking act. "Heavy" in older English means weighed down with grief.

72So everyone who was then moved by the word of the Lord, the God of Israel, gathered around me while I mourned over the wrongdoing. But I sat still, weighed down, until the evening sacrifice.

72So 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.

NoteThe evening sacrifice was the second of the two daily offerings, made in mid afternoon. It functions here as a clock: he sat motionless for several hours, until roughly three in the afternoon.

73Then I rose up from the fast with my clothes and my holy garment torn, and I bent my knees and stretched out my hands to the Lord,

73Then 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,

74and I said, O Lord, I am dismayed and ashamed before your face,

74I said, O Lord, I am confounded and ashamed before thy face;

75for our sins have piled up higher than our heads, and our errors have reached up to heaven.

75For our sins are multiplied above our heads, and our ignorances have reached up unto heaven.

Note"Ignorances" in the King James translates a word for sins committed unintentionally or in error, which the law treated as a separate category from deliberate wrongdoing.

76Ever since the time of our fathers we have been, and still are, in great sin, right up to this day.

76For ever since the time of our fathers we have been and are in great sin, even unto this day.

77And because of our sins and our fathers' sins, we, with our brothers, our kings, and our priests, were handed over to the kings of the earth, to the sword, to captivity, and to be plundered in shame, right up to this day.

77And 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.

NoteThe reference is to the Babylonian conquest of Judah and the deportations that followed, beginning in 597 BC and culminating in the destruction of Jerusalem in 586. "For a prey" means as plunder, property to be seized.

78And now, in some measure, mercy has been shown to us from you, O Lord, so that a root and a name should be left to us in the place of your holy house,

78And 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;

Note"A root and a name" is an idiom for a surviving remnant with a future: a root can send up new growth, and a name means descendants to carry it. "In the place of thy sanctuary" means back at the temple site.

79and so that a light should be uncovered for us in the house of the Lord our God, and food given to us in the time of our slavery.

79And 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.

NoteA light or lamp in the house is a standing image for a family or nation still alive and not extinguished, the household fire still burning.

80Yes, when we were in slavery, we were not abandoned by our Lord, but he made the kings of Persia favor us, so that they gave us food,

80Yea, 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;

81and honored the temple of our Lord, and raised up Sion out of its ruins, so that they have given us a settled place to live in Judea and Jerusalem.

81Yea, 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.

NoteSion is Zion, the hill on which Jerusalem stood, used as a name for the city itself. "Jewry" is older English for Judea, the province. "A sure abiding" means a secure place to live, with recognized legal standing.

82And now, O Lord, what shall we say, having these things? For we have broken your commands, which you gave through your servants the prophets, when you said:

82And 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,

83The land you are entering to take as your own is a land polluted by the unclean ways of the foreigners of the land, and they have filled it with their uncleanness.

83That 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.

NoteWhat follows is presented as words of the prophets, but it is drawn from the law of Moses, chiefly Deuteronomy chapter 7 and the neighboring laws. Ancient writers often quoted from memory and blended passages.

84So now you shall not give your daughters in marriage to their sons, and you shall not take their daughters for your sons.

84Therefore now shall ye not join your daughters unto their sons, neither shall ye take their daughters unto your sons.

85Moreover you shall never seek to have peace with them, so that you may be strong, and eat the good things of the land, and leave the land as an inheritance to your children forever.

85Moreover 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.

NoteThis clause comes from a law about Ammon and Moab in Deuteronomy 23, where "seek their peace" means to negotiate treaties and alliances with them. The prohibition is political and religious, not a rule about personal quarrels.

86And everything that has happened has come on us because of our wicked deeds and our great sins. For you, O Lord, made our sins light,

86And all that is befallen is done unto us for our wicked works and great sins; for thou, O Lord, didst make our sins light,

Note"Didst make our sins light" means God treated the offenses more leniently than they deserved, punishing less than was due, not that he made them seem trivial.

87and gave us such a root. But we have turned back again to break your law, and to mix ourselves with the uncleanness of the nations of the land.

87And 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.

88Would you not be angry enough with us to destroy us, until you had left us no root, no seed, and no name?

88Mightest not thou be angry with us to destroy us, till thou hadst left us neither root, seed, nor name?

NoteThe King James turns this into a rhetorical question; the underlying Greek can equally be read as a statement, "you were not angry with us to the point of destroying us." The ambiguity is in the text itself. "Neither root, seed, nor name" means wiping out a family line so completely that nothing remains to grow back and nobody survives to bear the name.

89O Lord of Israel, you are true, for a root is left to us this day.

89O Lord of Israel, thou art true: for we are left a root this day.

90See, we are now here before you in our sins, for because of these things we cannot stand before you any longer.

90Behold, now are we before thee in our iniquities, for we cannot stand any longer by reason of these things before thee.

91And while Esdras was praying and confessing, weeping and lying flat on the ground in front of the temple, a very great crowd of men, women, and children gathered around him from Jerusalem, for there was great weeping among the crowd.

91And 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.

NoteLying face down on the ground was the posture of total submission and public grief, used before God or before a king. Doing it in the open forecourt of the temple made the confession a public event, which is why a crowd gathered.

92Then 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 foreign women from the nations of the land, and yet there is still hope for Israel.

92Then 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.

Note"Now is all Israel aloft" is obscure to a modern reader. The Greek means something like "there is still hope for Israel," the situation is not beyond remedy. Some manuscripts and translators have read it instead as "all Israel is in an uproar."

93Let us swear an oath to the Lord that we will send away all our wives whom we have taken from the other nations, together with their children,

93Let 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,

Note"Put away" is the standard idiom for divorce, sending a wife back to her father's household. Sending the children as well follows from the custom that children of a dissolved foreign marriage went with the mother's family. "Heathen" translates a word simply meaning the other nations, with no comment on their beliefs implied by the English word's later tone.

94in keeping with what you have decided, and with what all who obey the law of the Lord decide.

94Like as thou hast decreed, and as many as do obey the law of the Lord.

95Get up and carry it out, for this matter belongs to you, and we will be with you. Act bravely.

95Arise and put in execution: for to thee doth this matter appertain, and we will be with thee: do valiantly.

Note"Put in execution" means carry it out. "This matter appertains to thee" means the responsibility and the authority are yours. "Do valiantly" is a standard formula of encouragement, close to "be strong and act."

96So Esdras got up and made the chief priests and Levites of all Israel swear an oath to do these things, and they swore it.

96So 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.