Ezra 1:3

1:3 Anyone from ¹  his people among you (may his God be with him!) may go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and may build the temple of the Lord God of Israel – he is the God who is in Jerusalem.

Ezra 2:1

The Names of the Returning Exiles

2:1 ² These are the people ³  of the province who were going up, ⁴  from the captives of the exile whom King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon had forced into exile in Babylon. They returned to Jerusalem ⁵  and Judah, each to his own city.

Ezra 2:59

2:59 These are the ones that came up from Tel Melah, Tel Harsha, Kerub, Addon, and Immer (although they were unable to certify ⁶  their family connection ⁷  or their ancestry, ⁸  as to whether they really were from Israel):

Ezra 8:15

The Exiles Travel to Jerusalem

8:15 I had them assemble ⁹  at the canal ¹⁰  that flows toward Ahava, and we camped there for three days. I observed that the people and the priests were present, but I found no Levites there.

[1:3]  ¹ tn Heb “from all.”

[2:1]  ² sn The list of names and numbers in this chapter of Ezra has a parallel account in Neh 7:6-73. The fact that the two lists do not always agree in specific details suggests that various textual errors have crept into the accounts during the transmission process.

[2:1]  ³ tn Heb “the sons of.”

[2:1]  ⁴ tn The Hebrew term הָעֹלִים (ha’olim, “those who were going up” [Qal active participle]) refers to continual action in the past. Most translations render this as a simple past: “went up” (KJV), “came up” (RSV, ASV, NASV, NIV), “came” (NRSV). CEV paraphrases: “were on their way back.”

[2:1]  ⁵ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[2:59]  ⁶ tn Heb “relate.”

[2:59]  ⁷ tn Heb “the house of their fathers.”

[2:59]  ⁸ tn Heb “their seed.”

[8:15]  ⁹ tn Or “I gathered them.”

[8:15]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “river.” So also in vv. 21, 31.