Ezra 8:31-36

Expanded Bible

³¹ On the twelfth day of the first month [^CApril 19] we left the Ahava ·Canal [River] ·and started toward [to travel/journey to] Jerusalem. The hand of our God ·helped us [was over us] and ·protected [saved; ^Tdelivered] us from enemies and ·robbers [ambushes] along the way. ³² Finally we arrived in Jerusalem where we ·rested [stayed] three days.

³³ On the fourth day we weighed out the silver, the gold, and the ·utensils [articles; vessels] in the ·Temple [^Lhouse] of our God. We handed them to the priest Meremoth son of Uriah. Eleazar son of Phinehas was with him, as were the Levites Jozabad son of Jeshua and Noadiah son of Binnui. ³⁴ We checked everything by number and by weight, and the total weight was ·written down [recorded].

³⁵ Then the ·captives [exiles] who returned from captivity made burnt offerings [Lev. 1:1–17] to the God of Israel. They sacrificed twelve bulls for all Israel, ninety-six ·male sheep [rams], and seventy-seven lambs. For a ·sin [or purification] offering [Lev. 4:3] there were twelve male goats. All this was a burnt offering [Lev. 1:1–17] to the Lord. ³⁶ They ·took [delivered] King Artaxerxes’ ·orders [decrees] to the royal officers and to the governors of Trans-Euphrates [^Cprovinces west of the Euphrates River]. Then these men gave help to the people and the ·Temple [^Lhouse] of God.