Ezra - Gen Z Bible

Ezra 1

So, like, back in the day when Cyrus was ruling Persia, there was this epic prophecy from the LORD that Jeremiah dropped. The LORD totally inspired Cyrus, got him all pumped up, and then he went ahead and made this massive announcement across his kingdom. And get this, he didn’t just say it, he even wrote it down for everyone to peep. It was lit!
Yo, listen in! Cyrus, the big shot ruler of Persia, got a message straight from the man upstairs, the LORD God. He got blessed with all the kingdoms on earth and was given this mega mission to build a crib for Him in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Crazy cool stuff!
Aight, who’s down to roll with us? If you’re game, may his God be with you, and you can bounce to Jerusalem, fam! It’s in Judah, FYI. We’re about to throw down and build the house of the LORD God of Israel—dude’s legit, you feel? And just so you know, his spot is in Jerusalem, in case you didn’t clock that.
Oh, and if anyone’s chilling in a spot for a minute, the crew should totally hook them up with some cash, bling, dope gear, and even some livestock, plus a little something extra as a freebie for God’s pad in Jerusalem. #BlessHimUp
So, the big shots from the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, along with the priests, Levites, and anyone else feeling the vibe from God’s Spirit, linked up to kick off building the house of the LORD in Jerusalem.
And everyone around them showed love by throwing down silver, gold, dope treasures, and even some livestock. They were all about supporting the cause and gladly pitched in.
So, this guy Cyrus, the king, he straight up scooped all the stuff from the house of the LORD that Nebuchadnezzar had swiped from Jerusalem and moved it to his own gods’ pad, you know.
Cyrus, the king of Persia, rounded them all up with Mithredath, the treasurer, and they counted everything in front of Sheshbazzar, the head honcho in Judah.
So, there were about 30 slick gold plates, a whopping 1000 shiny silver plates, and around 29 razor-sharp knives, you feel?
Yeah, there were like 30 golden bowls, and like, another 410 silver bowls of a different style? Plus, like, a thousand other swanky items!
Sheshbazzar straight up brought around 5400 gold and silver pieces from Babylon to Jerusalem when the crew was making moves out of there.

Ezra 2

So, check it out, these are the crew from the hood who made it out of captivity. They got snatched up by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon and then bounced back to Jerusalem and Judah, each one heading to their own city.
These are the peeps who rolled with Zerubbabel: Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah (also known as Azariah), Reelaiah (or Raamiah), Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar (or Mispereth), Bigvai, Rehum (or Nehum). This is the count of the dudes from the Israel fam.
The posse of Parosh? They were stacked, rollin’ with 2.7k peeps.
Shephatiah’s crew? They were like, a solid 372 in total.
Arah’s fam? Yeah, they were like, 775 strong.
The squad from Pahathmoab, yo, the clique of Jeshua and Joab, they were deep, like 2.8k strong, fam.
So, Elam’s crew? They were like, 1,254 deep, fam.
Zattu’s posse? Yeah, they rolled in with about nine hundred and forty-five kids.
Zaccai brought the heat with 760 cool kids.
Bani’s squad? They had 642 kids reppin’ the fam. (Bani, also known as Binnui)
Bebai’s squad? They came through with like, 623 kids in tow.
So, Azgad’s fam? They were rollin’ deep with a total of 1,222 kiddos.
Adonikam’s crew? Yeah, they were 666 strong.
Bigvai’s fam? They were huge, like 2056 strong.
Adin’s crew? They had 454 cool kids holdin’ it down.
Ater’s squad, representin’ Hezekiah, was on point with a solid 98.
Bezai’s fam? They had like, 323 kids and stuff.
The Jorah crew? They were chillin’ with 112 cool kids. (Jorah, also known as Hariph)
Hashum’s fam? Yeah, they had about 223 kids.
Gibbar? They had like 95 kids rollin’ with them, also known as Gibeon.
Bethlehem brought about 123 peeps.
Netophah’s squad? They were 56 strong.
Anathoth? They had like, 128 dudes in their clique.
Azmaveth? They had a total of forty-two cool dudes, also known as Bethazmaveth.
So, check it, there were about 743 kids from Kirjatharim, Chephirah, and Beeroth.
Ramah and Gaba? Yeah, they brought about 621 people.
Michmas had like, 122 dudes.
Bethel and Ai? They were rollin’ with about 223 dudes, you know?
Nebo’s squad? They had 52 kids.
Magbish? They brought about 156 kids, man.
So, there were about 1254 kids reppin’ the Elam fam squad.
Harim’s crew? Yeah, they brought about 320 kids.
The squad from Lod, Hadid, and Ono? They were 725 deep.
Jericho’s squad was solid, with 345 members.
Senaah? They came in strong with a whopping 3.6K fam, total squad goals!
The priests, straight outta Jedaiah’s crew from Jeshua’s fam, were rollin’ deep with 973 peeps.
The Immer squad? They came through with a total of 1,052 homies.
Pashur’s kids? Yeah, they had a whopping 1,247 of ’em.
The Harim fam? They had, like, a massive crew of one thousand and seventeen kids. No cap.
Now, the Levites: reppin’ Jeshua and Kadmiel, from the Hodaviah fam, they were 74 strong.
The musicians: Asaph’s squad, a whopping 128 of ’em.
Now, the gatekeepers: Shallum’s crew, Ater’s crew, Talmon’s crew, Akkub’s crew, Hatita’s crew, Shobai’s crew, 139 strong.
The Nethinims: Ziha’s squad, Hasupha’s gang, Tabbaoth’s crew,
The crew of Keros, the crew of Siaha, the crew of Padon,
The peeps of Lebanah, the crew of Hagabah, the fam of Akkub,
The crew of Hagab, the fam of Shalmai, the squad of Hanan,
The clique of Giddel, the squad of Gahar, the clique of Reaiah,
The crew of Rezin, the squad of Nekoda, the squad of Gazzam,
The crew of Uzza, the squad of Paseah, the posse of Besai,
The peeps of Asnah, the squad of Mehunim, the clique of Nephusim,
The crew of Bakbuk, the squad of Hakupha, the homies of Harhur,
The clique of Bazluth, the crew of Mehida, the squad of Harsha,
The fam of Barkos, the squad of Sisera, the crew of Thamah,
The fam squad of Neziah and Hatipha’s fam squad.
Solomon’s homies squad: the fam of Sotai, the crew of Sophereth, the squad of Peruda,
Jaalah’s squad, Darkon’s fam, Giddel’s crew,
Shephatiah’s fam, Hattil, Pochereth from Zebaim, and Ami, also known as Amon’s squad.
A total of 392 Nethinims and children of Solomon’s servants.
So, these were the peeps from Telmelah, Telharsa, Cherub, Addan, and Immer. But they couldn’t prove their family background and whether they were true Israelites. Addan was also known as Addon, and ‘seed’ refers to their lineage.
Delaiah, Tobiah, Nekoda, they all had kids, adding up to a grand total of six hundred and fifty-two offspring!
The descendants of the priests were Habaiah, Koz, and Barzillai. Barzillai married one of the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite and adopted their family name.
These dudes were searching high and low on the family tree but couldn’t find their name anywhere. So, they got booted out of the priesthood, a real shame.
The head honcho laid down the law, telling them not to snack on the ultra-holy stuff until a priest came forward with the right guidance.
So, for the record, the whole crew totaled up to about 42,300 peeps.
Plus, on top of their squad of helpers, which was a whopping 7,337 strong, they had a legit team of 200 singers, with both dudes and chicks in the mix.
They had about 736 horses and 245 mules, ngl.
Also, they had like, 435 camels and around 6,720 donkeys.
And when some of the elders reached the house of the LORD in Jerusalem, they generously pitched in for building God’s house and getting it set up in its proper place:
They showed off their talents and pitched in for the project with a whopping 61 kilograms of gold, 5,000 pounds of silver, and 100 lit priestly garments.
So the priests, Levites, some of the people, singers, gatekeepers, and the Nethinims all settled in their cities, and all Israel in their cities.

Ezra 3

So, when it hit the seventh month and all the Israelites were just vibing in their cities, they all linked up as one crew and made their way to Jerusalem, you know?
Then, Jeshua, son of Jozadak, and his priest squad, and Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, and his crew, got together and built the altar for the God of Israel. They wanted to offer burnt sacrifices there, just like it says in the law of Moses, that legendary dude who was tight with God. (Oh, by the way, Jeshua is also known as Joshua, and Zerubbabel is sometimes called Zorobabel, and Shealtiel goes by Salathiel in Greek.)
So they set up the altar on its foundations, kinda nervous about the folks from those other countries. And they made burnt offerings to the LORD on it, both in the morning and in the evening.
They kicked off the festival of tabernacles, just like it was written, and offered the daily burnt offerings according to the usual custom, as was required every day; sticking to the routine for each specific day.
They kept up with the regular burnt offering, like, every time there was a new moon or a special festival that the LORD said to do. Plus, if anyone was feeling it, they could totally give an offering out of their own free will to the LORD, no pressure.
On the very first day of the seventh month, they started making burnt offerings to the LORD. But they hadn’t even laid the foundation for the LORD’s temple yet.
So, like, they hooked up the builders and craftsmen with some cash flow, plus they didn’t forget to stock up on snacks, drinks, and oil for the crew from Zidon and Tyre. It was all part of the plan to haul those cedar trees from Lebanon to the sea of Joppa. Oh, and BTW, Cyrus, the big boss of Persia, totally gave us the green light for this hustle. #carpenters #workgang
Alright, listen up fam, it was like round two of the whole squad rolling up to the house of God in Jerusalem. It was the second month and Zerubbabel, Shealtiel’s kid, Jeshua, Jozadak’s offspring, and the rest of the squad – the priests, Levites, and all the homies who made it back from captivity to Jerusalem – linked up. They decided it was time to get down to business, so they put the Levites, who were at least twenty, in charge of kicking off the work on the house of the LORD. #HouseofGod #SquadGoals
So, Jeshua and his crew, including Kadmiel and his squad, the whole fam of Judah, linked up to lead the hustle at God’s place. And don’t forget the Henadad crew and their squads, the Levites. (Oh, BTW, Judah goes by Hodaviah too. They all rolled together as one tight-knit squad.)
And yo, when the builders started laying down the foundation for the temple of the LORD, they had the priests flexing in their fresh threads with trumpets blaring, and the Levites (aka the sons of Asaph) vibing on their cymbals to show some major love for the LORD, keeping it real with the rules laid down by King David of Israel. #TempleVibes #PraiseParty
They all came together, jamming out and giving mad props to the LORD, ’cause He’s lit and His love for Israel never quits. And yo, the whole crowd went wild, throwing down some serious hype when they praised the LORD, ’cause they just set the foundation for His crib.
But then, there were some priests, Levites, and OG dads who had seen the old house being built, and when they peeped the foundation of this new house, they were straight up bawling their eyes out. Meanwhile, others were straight-up screaming with pure joy! #PraiseParty #NewCrib
So, like, the vibe was so lit that you couldn’t even tell if they were screaming with joy or shedding tears. They were going absolutely wild, shouting like there was no tomorrow, and the sound echoed far and wide. #EpicVibes #JoyfulTears

Ezra 4

So, like, when the haters of Judah and Benjamin caught wind that the squad who got taken away had built the temple for the LORD God of Israel, you know?
They rolled up to Zerubbabel and the OG parent crew, dropping, ‘Hey, let’s team up and lend a hand in building! We’re all about your God, just like you are, and we’ve been offering sacrifices to Him since the days of Esarhaddon, the king of Assyria, who brought us here.’
But Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the other big shots of Israel were like, ‘Hey, you guys can’t really help us with building a crib for our God. We got it covered! We’re gonna handle this on our own for the LORD God of Israel, just like King Cyrus of Persia told us to.’
So, like, the locals started stirring up drama for the Judah crew and messed with their building game plan.
So, they had advisors constantly throwing shade at them, messing up their plans all through Cyrus’s reign as king of Persia, until Darius stepped up to the plate.
Then, when Ahasuerus took the throne, some folks slid into his DMs with a complaint about the crew living in Judah and Jerusalem. (FYI, Ahasuerus is just another word for Ahashverosh).
So, during the reign of Artaxerxes, there were these dudes named Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and their crew. They thought it was a good idea to slide into Artaxerxes’ DMs with a letter. Now, this letter was originally written in Syrian, then translated back into Syrian. Just some cool facts: Bishlam’s name means ‘in peace’, and the word ‘companions’ could also mean ‘societies’ in Hebrew.
So, Rehum and Shimshai, they were the masterminds behind this letter, you feel? And they were totally against Jerusalem, so they shot it off to King Artaxerxes. It went down something like this, you know:
Rehum, the big shot, and Shimshai, the wordsmith, along with their whole crew – the Dinaites, the Apharsathchites, the Tarpelites, the Apharsites, the Archevites, the Babylonians, the Susanchites, the Dehavites, and the Elamites (Chaldean crew too) – they all came together and penned this letter.
Then there were these other nations that got brought in by the cool and awesome Asnappar to kick it in the cities of Samaria and other spots on this side of the river, all going down at a certain time. (Chaldee, Cheeneth)
So, check it out, here’s the lowdown. This is the exact copy of the letter they shot over to Artaxerxes, the king. It’s straight from your boys on this side of the river, at a certain time.
Hey, King, just a heads-up. Those Jewish folks who moved from your turf to ours? They’ve touched down in Jerusalem. They’re hustling hard, putting up that rebellious and not-so-great city, and they’ve even wrapped up the walls and laid down the foundations. #JerusalemVibes
Yo, King, gotta drop some truth bombs. If they go ahead and rebuild this city and throw up those walls, they ain’t gonna be dropping any cash in tolls, taxes, or fees. That’s gonna put a serious dent in the king’s finances, just keeping it real. #MoneyMoves #KinglyConcerns
So, since we’re all about keeping things chill with the palace and it wouldn’t be cool to see any disrespect towards the king, we thought we’d drop a message to give him a heads-up. You know, we’re all about that palace vibe.
And, like, if you dig into the history books of your ancestors, you’ll totally see in the ancient records that this city has been causing mad trouble for kings and provinces. It’s been stirring the pot since day one, which is, like, why the city got wrecked. Just throwing it out there.
Yo, just a heads-up, if they go ahead and rebuild this city and throw up its walls, you won’t have any piece of it on this side of the river.
The king slid into Rehum’s DMs, the big shot, and Shimshai, the writer, along with their crew in Samaria, and everyone else across the river with a chill message: Peace out, and let’s link up soon. 🕊️
I just wrapped up reading the letter you sent our way, straight up.
So, I was like, “Let’s get an investigation going,” and guess what? Turns out, this city has a long history of rebelling against kings and stirring up all kinds of chaos and drama. It’s basically got a reputation for being a total troublemaker, you feel?
Yo, back in the day, Jerusalem was under the rule of some seriously powerful kings, and they had authority over all the lands across the river. These kings were banking big time with tolls, tribute, and taxes rolling in.
Yo, let ’em know to halt right there and not push forward with building that city until I drop another command. Like, make it an official decree and all that jazz.
Yo, stay on top of this, okay? We can’t afford any slip-ups that might stir up trouble for the kings, you dig?
So, when Rehum, Shimshai the scribe, and their crew peeped the letter from King Artaxerxes, they totally panicked and booked it to Jerusalem to shut down the Jews, by any means necessary. Flexing their authority and all that jazz, you know how it goes!
Construction on God’s crib in Jerusalem hit pause. It didn’t kick back into gear until the second year of Darius, the Persian ruler.

Ezra 5

So, check it, the prophets Haggai and Zechariah were straight up dropping truth bombs on the Jews, you know, the ones posted up in Judah and Jerusalem. They were preaching in the name of the God of Israel, dropping some spiritual wisdom and all that jazz.
Then, Zerubbabel, Shealtiel’s kid, and Jeshua, Jozadak’s offspring, took charge and got the ball rolling on building God’s crib, right here in Jerusalem. And they had the prophets of God right there with them, lending a hand. #BuildingCrew #ProphetPosse
So, Tatnai, the big boss of this area, and Shetharboznai, and their crew rolled up, and they were all like, ‘Who gave you guys the green light to build this crib and throw up this wall?’
And we were like, yo, who’s behind this dope building project? Like, what crew are they repping? Heard they’re Chaldeans, top-notch builders and all that.
But God had His eyes on the elders of the Jews, making sure nobody could shut them down until it reached Darius. And that’s when they dropped a letter to lay it all out.
Alright, so peep this: Tatnai, the governor dude, and Shetharboznai, along with their squad, the Apharsachites, who were chilling on this side of the river, dropped a message to King Darius.
They slid into his DMs like, ‘Sup, Darius the king, hope you’re vibin’, my dude.’
A’ight, listen up, King: We cruised over to Judea, where they’re repping the crib of the almighty God. Let me tell ya, it’s lit! Massive stones, dope timber, and the construction’s moving at lightning speed. It’s all good vibes over there.
Then, we rolled up on the OGs and were like, “Who gave you the green light to build this crib and throw up these walls?”
We were like, “Ayo, what’s your handles though? Just so we can keep track and jot down the names of the peeps who were calling the shots.”
And they hit back, saying, “We’re like, totally servants of the big boss upstairs, the God of heaven and earth. We’re just hustlin’ on this super dope house that was built way back by this OG king of Israel. It’s all legit, fam!”
Aight, peeps, check it. Our forefathers seriously got on the big man upstairs’ bad side, and He was not having it. So, He let this dude named Nebuchadnezzar, the big shot in Babylon, come in and lay the smackdown. Not only did he wreck our ancestors’ digs, but he also straight up snatched our crew and dragged them off to Babylon.
So, like, in Cyrus’ first year ruling Babylon, he was all about it, saying, “Let’s build a sick crib for God, fam.”
So, Nebuchadnezzar rolled through and jacked all the fancy gold and silver gear from God’s crib in Jerusalem, hauling it back to Babylon. But then Cyrus, the top dog, swooped in and reclaimed those treasures from the Babylon temple. He passed them to this dude named Sheshbazzar, hooking him up as governor. Pretty solid move, right?
He’s like, “Yo, grab these things, take ’em over to the temple in Jerusalem, and let’s get that house of God going in that spot, you dig?”
So, Sheshbazzar rolls up and starts laying down the foundation for the house of God in Jerusalem. And yo, it’s been a work in progress since then, still not totally wrapped up.
So, if the king’s down, we should totally slide through his treasure vault in Babylon. We gotta see if the word’s true about King Cyrus laying down the law to build God’s crib in Jerusalem. Then, the king can drop us his two cents on the matter.

Ezra 6

King Darius busted out a fresh decree, sending his crew on a hunt in the ancient Babylonian library, where all the dope stuff was stashed. They were searching for some ancient scrolls.
So, check it, they stumble upon this scroll in Achmetha, you know, that swanky palace in the Medes’ hood. And guess what? It had some ancient record written on it, like, straight up old-school vibes. By the way, Achmetha is also called Ecbatana, or it was in some chest or something.
So, like, back in the day when Cyrus was running the show (yeah, that Cyrus), he dropped a major announcement about fixing up God’s place in Jerusalem. It’s time to throw down and get this party started – we gotta restore the spot where they used to make sacrifices and make sure the foundations are rock solid. We’re talking about building it up sixty cubits high and wide, no joke.
We’re talking three lit rows of stone that scream “look at me” and one row of new timber. And hey, the king’s gotta foot the bill, you know what I’m saying?
Oh, and let’s not overlook returning all that sweet gold and silver gear from God’s place that Nebuchadnezzar snatched and took to Babylon. Bring it back to the temple in Jerusalem and put each piece back where it belongs, back in God’s crib. Crystal clear?
Listen up, Tatnai and Shetharboznai, along with your squad of Apharsachites, posted up on the other side of the river. You better fall back real quick. Don’t even think about rolling up to that spot, ’cause it’s strictly off-limits, you dig? And I ain’t just talking about physically, but spiritually too, bro. So, yeah, keep your distance, my dudes. Oh, and just so you’re in the loop, I’m dropping this message in Chaldee, so you can vibe with their culture and all, ya feel?
Hey, hold up with messing around with God’s place. Let the Jewish leader and the OGs of the Jewish crew handle their business and construct this holy spot for God in peace.
Listen, fam! I got some big news about the OG Jews and their mission to build God’s crib. Here’s the deal: I’m ordering that these peeps should get some serious cash flow from the king’s bankroll, straight from the taxes collected across the river. No messing around, we gotta back their grind and make sure nothing throws them off track. I’m talking no roadblocks, dude. This decree is official, signed by yours truly.
They gotta hook it up with whatever’s needed – you know, young bullocks, rams, and lambs – for those dope offerings to the Heavenly God. And yo, make sure they get that wheat, salt, wine, and oil too, just like the priests in Jerusalem laid it out. It’s gotta be a daily thing, no skipping!
This way, they can make some fire offerings to the Almighty, and also send up prayers for the king’s life and his fam.
I’m laying down the law, got it? If anyone even dares to tamper with this decree, their crib is getting wrecked and they’re getting hung up on timber. Plus, their place is gonna turn into a total dump.
And let me make it crystal clear: Any kings or folks who try to mess with or wreck this epic house of God in Jerusalem, the God who chose this spot as His crib will lay down some serious wrath. I, Darius, am stamping this decree – get it done pronto!
Yo, check it out: Tatnai, the governor dude, and Shetharboznai, along with their crew, they straight up followed King Darius’s orders and got things moving quick!
Then, the wise OGs of the Jews linked up, and with the wise words of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo, they went all in and got to work. They hustled like champs and finished the job, just as the God of Israel and Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes, the kings of Persia, had commanded them. It was a major deal, like a rock-solid decree.
And boom, this crib was finished up on the third day of the month Adar, right in the middle of Darius the king’s sixth year reigning.
So, the Israelites, the priests, the Levites, and all the other folks who had been brought here as captives, they threw down and celebrated the dedication of God’s house with a ton of joy, you feel?
They threw down hard with the housewarming bash at this epic crib of God. They rolled in with a hundred hefty bullocks, two hundred fierce rams, and four hundred fluffy lambs. And to make sure everyone in the squad of Israel was covered, they tossed in twelve boss he-goats, one for each tribe. Now that’s what I call a party!
Then, they got the priests all sorted into their crews, and the Levites into their squads, to handle the work of God in Jerusalem, just like it was laid out in the book of Moses.
The young ones who were taken away made sure to celebrate Passover on the 14th day of the first month.
Then, the priests and Levites got themselves all purified and squeaky clean. They came together and sacrificed the Passover animal for all the kids held captive, their fellow priests, and themselves.
Yo, check it: the Israelite crew, straight outta captivity, and everyone who’s been keeping it real by ditching the wack habits of the foreigners in the hood, they all linked up to throw down and celebrate the OG, the one and only LORD God of Israel.
So, like, they threw this epic bash called ‘Unleavened Bread Week’ and it was lit AF—they were straight vibing for a whole week. God totally blessed them with joy, and even got the king of Assyria to have their back and help out with building the house of God, who’s the absolute GOAT for Israel.

Ezra 7

Yo, so this went down back in the day when Artaxerxes was running the show as king of Persia. And check it, Ezra was the son of Seraiah, who was the son of Azariah, who was the son of Hilkiah. Pretty dope family tree, huh?
Shallum’s son, who’s Zadok’s son, and Ahitub’s son,
Alright, so Amariah’s offspring, Azariah’s descendant, and Meraioth’s child,
Zerahiah’s little one, Uzzi’s grandkid, and Bukki’s great-grandson,
Abishua’s youngster, Phinehas’ grand-offspring, Eleazar’s great-great-grandchild, Aaron, the OG high priest:
Yo, check it, there’s this dude named Ezra, he bounced out of Babylon, and he was mad skilled at jotting down and getting what Moses laid down in those laws. And FYI, the LORD God of Israel was the one who dropped those laws. And get this, the king was totally vibing with Ezra, hooking him up with everything he wanted! Straight up, the LORD his God had his back big time!
So, like, this squad from Israel, plus the priests, Levites, singers, porters, and Nethinims, they all rolled out to Jerusalem in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes.
So, he pulled up in Jerusalem around the fifth month, in the seventh year of the king.
On the first day of the first month, he kicked off his trip from Babylon and touched down in Jerusalem on the first day of the fifth month. All because his God was watching his back and making moves happen. (Just so you’re in the loop, the first day of the first month was when he set off.)
Ezra was all geared up to dive deep into God’s law, live it out, and drop knowledge bombs on the peeps in Israel about the rules and decisions.
So, check it, here’s the letter King Artaxerxes sent to Ezra, the priest and mega-smart scribe who documented all the crucial stuff God said and the rules He laid down for Israel.
Yo, Artaxerxes, the big boss, dropping a line to Ezra the priest, a real wordsmith who’s got the scoop on the Most High’s laws, hope you’re living that peace vibe. And this is all happening at the perfect timing.
Listen up! I’m throwing it out there that any Israelites, priests, or Levites in my realm feeling that Jerusalem vibe in their hearts can roll with you, no need for explanations.
So, since you’ve been handpicked by the king and his elite squad of seven to check out what’s up in Judah and Jerusalem, based on the laws of your God that you’re packing; just as the king ordered.
And to haul the fancy bling, all decked out in silver and gold, that the king and his crew generously donated to the Big Man upstairs, the God of Israel, who’s holding it down in Jerusalem,
Yo, peeps, listen up! Scoop up all the lit silver and gold vibes you can find in Babylon, along with the mad generous contributions from the people and the priests who are totally vibin’ to chip in, all voluntarily, for the crib of their God in Jerusalem:
So you can flex real quick with all this dough and snag some dope bullocks, rams, and lambs, along with their fire grub and drinks. Then you can go ahead and offer them up as sacrifices on the altar at your God’s crib in Jerusalem.
So, like, whatever vibes you and your crew think are chill to do with the rest of the cash money, just make sure it’s in line with what your higher power wants, ya feel?
And yo, don’t forget to pack up all those cool offerings meant for serving in God’s crib, and deliver ’em to the big man upstairs in Jerusalem!
And if there’s anything else you need to deck out the house of your God, go ahead and tap into the king’s treasure stash for that.
Yo, listen up, it’s your boy Artaxerxes the king, droppin’ a solid decree for all the treasurers out there, you feel me? So, my homie Ezra, the priest and scribe rollin’ with the divine law from the big man upstairs, he’s got some requests for y’all. And lemme tell ya, whatever he needs, y’all better make it go down pronto, no ifs, ands, or buts!
I’ll bless you big time with a crazy amount of cash, like a hundred grand of silver. And check it, I got you sorted with a hundred truckloads of wheat, a hundred barrels of wine, a hundred barrels of oil, and salt for days, no joke. (measures: Chaldee, cors)
Hey, listen up! Whatever the God of heaven tells you to do, make sure you do it with serious dedication for his crib. We ain’t trying to bring down any heat on the king and his squad, ya dig?
Alright, check it out! Just so we’re clear, when it comes to the priests, Levites, singers, gatekeepers, temple servants, and all the crew serving in God’s spot, it’s totally off-limits to tax them, charge ’em fees, or hit ’em up with customs, got it?
Yo, Ezra, tap into that God-given wisdom of yours and pick out some solid leaders and judges who can keep it real with God’s laws. They gotta handle business for all the folks chillin’ on the other side of the river, especially those who already got the lowdown on God’s laws. And yo, don’t sleep on teaching those who ain’t up on game yet.
So, peeps who straight up refuse to roll with the laws of your God and the king gotta brace themselves for some heavy outcomes, no joke. They could catch the ultimate consequence, like, death, or get kicked out, lose all their gear, or even end up behind bars. (Oh, and FYI, ‘to banishment’ in Chaldee means getting totally uprooted.)
Shout out to the LORD, the God of our ancestors, for sparking up the king’s vibe to make the house of the LORD in Jerusalem even more lit!
And let me tell you, God came through with mad love in front of the king, his crew, and all the big shots in the kingdom. I was feeling pumped knowing that the Lord my God had my back, so I gathered up some key leaders from Israel to roll with me.

Ezra 8

Check it, fam! Here’s the lowdown on the OG squad leaders and the whole fam squad that bounced with me straight outta Babylon when Artaxerxes was calling the shots.
Phinehas was holding it down, his boy Gershom came through. Ithamar’s legacy lived on through Daniel, and David’s line kept strong with Hattush in the mix.
Yo, check it! In Shechaniah’s posse, straight outta the Pharosh squad, we had this legend called Zechariah. He was one of the OGs in our fam tree, leading a crew of 150 solid dudes.
Then, representing from the Pahathmoab crew, we had Elihoenai, son of Zerahiah, rolling deep with a squad of 200 homies. They were holding it down like no other.
Yo, peep this! In Shechaniah’s squad, Jahaziel’s main dude was holding it down with a crew of 300 bros. They were straight-up bosses, keeping it real.
And when it comes to Adin’s crew, Ebed, Jonathan’s son, was holding his own with a solid team of fifty other dudes. They were tight, no doubt.
Listen up, fam! So, in the mix from Elam, we had Jeshaiah, Athaliah’s son, kicking it with around 70 homies. They were holding it down, keeping their crew tight.
And among the sons of Shephatiah, Zebadiah, Michael’s bro, was leading the pack with a squad of eighty dudes. They were rolling deep, no doubt about it.
Alright, check it out! Among Joab’s squad, we had Obadiah, Jehiel’s son, leading the charge with a solid squad of 218 dudes. They were keeping it real, no doubt.
And then, reppin’ from team Shelomith, we had Josiphiah, a total legend, rolling deep with a squad of 160 other dudes. They were holding it down like bosses.
Lastly, in the crew from Bebai, we had Zechariah, Bebai’s own son, holding it down with 28 homies rolling with him. They were keeping the vibe strong, no doubt about it.
Yo, here’s the scoop! From Azgad’s squad, we had Johanan, a real homie, rolling with a crew of 110 dudes. And get this, he was the youngest in the squad, holdin’ it down like a boss!
Now, check out the last boys of Adonikam: Eliphelet, Jeiel, and Shemaiah. These dudes were bringing the vibe with them, rollin’ deep with sixty other dudes. They were keeping it tight, no doubt! 🙌
Alright, fam, here’s the deal! Among the squad from Bigvai, we had Uthai, Zabbud, and a crew of seventy homies. Oh, and some peeps say Zabbud’s name might’ve actually been Zaccur, but you know how it is with names sometimes!
So, I gathered everyone near this chill river, you know, the one flowing towards Ahava? Anyway, we pitched our tents and chilled there for like three days. But here’s the kicker: I peeped around and noticed none of the dudes from the Levi tribe were there. It was kinda odd, right? 😅
So, I hit up all the top dogs: Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah, Elnathan, Jarib, Nathan, Zechariah, and Meshullam. And I didn’t forget Joiarib and Elnathan, they’re pretty wise cats, you know what I mean?
Then, I was like, I gotta drop some instructions on them, you feel me? I was all, “Yo, go track down this Iddo guy in Casiphia, he’s running things over there.” And I told them what to say to him and his Nethinim crew also kickin’ it in Casiphia. I was like, “We need some peeps to help out in our temple, so bring us some ministers, you dig?”
All thanks to the Big Guy upstairs, they hooked us up with this super wise dude from the Mahli crew, repping the Levi fam, part of the Israel squad. Sherebiah and his crew, including his sons and bros, were in the mix too, making it a solid squad of eighteen people.
And then there’s Hashabiah and his bro Jeshaiah from Merari’s fam, rolling in deep with their fam and kids, totaling twenty. They were holding it down, no doubt!
Plus, there were 220 Nethinims handpicked by David and the top dogs to back up the Levites. Every single one of them had their name called out, showing how crucial they were to the team.
Then, I was thinking, let’s get our fasting vibe on by the Ahava river. We needed to humble ourselves before the Big Guy and ask for some divine guidance, you know, to figure out the best move for us, our squad, and everything we’ve got.
I wasn’t keen on hitting up the king for a squad of soldiers and horsemen to handle our enemies. We already laid it out to the king: If we seek God, He’s got our back, but if anyone ditches Him, He’s gonna lay down the law.
So, we were all in, fasting and praying big time to our awesome God for this, and yo, He totally came through!
I chose twelve top priests – Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and ten of their squad – and I hooked them up for a special mission.
They scoped out the cash, bling, and gear that the crew, even the king and his entourage, and all the Israelites, brought as an offering to God’s place.
I hooked them up with around 650 talents of silver and 100 talents of silver bling, plus another 100 talents of gold.
I scored twenty gold bowls, each worth a thousand drams, and two sick copper vessels that are just as rad as gold. (BTW, the copper is like shiny brass, and it’s totally fire!)
So, check it, fam. You gotta vibe with this truth: You’re chosen, straight-up set apart for the Lord’s deal, ya feel? It’s like those dope utensils in the temple, or even the bling-bling silver and gold – they’re all offerings, willingly given to the Most High, the OG of your peeps.
Stay woke, my homies, and keep guard over that sacred stash until you roll up to the VIPs – the high priests, the Levites, and the bigwigs of Israel, chilling in Jerusalem, at the Lord’s HQ.
So, check it out, fam: The priests and the Levites, they scooped up all that shiny bling and swag, and they rolled it straight to Jerusalem, to the crib of our awesome God!
And yo, we dipped from the Ahava River on the twelfth of the first month, bound for Jerusalem. And let me tell ya, fam, the Most High had our backs the whole way – He kept us safe from all our enemies and any haters trying to trip us up on the journey.
So, we pulled up in Jerusalem and kicked it there for about three days.
Then, on the fourth day, they started weighing all that bling and swag in the crib of God. Meremoth, son of Uriah the priest, was running the show, with Eleazar, son of Phinehas, and Jozabad, son of Jeshua, and Noadiah, son of Binnui – all Levite squad, hustling hard to make it happen.
They tallied up and weighed everything, keeping solid records of every ounce.
Now, peep this: The descendants of those who got taken away and then bounced back from tough times, they came through with some serious offerings to the God of Israel. It was straight-up impressive – twelve hefty bulls, ninety-six rams, seventy-seven lambs, and twelve goats, all laid down for that forgiveness vibe. And you know what? They blazed it all up as an offering to the Most High.
They shot off the king’s commands to his crew leaders and the big shots this side of the river. And they straight-up supported the people and the house of God.

Ezra 9

So, after everything was wrapped, the top dogs pulled me aside, saying, “Listen up, fam. The Israelites, the priests, and the Levites ain’t been keeping their distance from the folks in these foreign lands. They’re straight-up dabbling in all the shady stuff those Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Jebusites, Ammonites, Moabites, Egyptians, and Amorites are into.”
They’ve been swiping right and tying the knot with peeps from foreign lands, even though they were supposed to keep their squad pure. And you know what’s wild? The bigwigs and influencers were the ones spearheading this whole debacle.
Bro, when I got wind of this, I was shook to the core – I ripped my clothes, pulled out my hair, and just sat there, utterly stunned.
So, it was wild, y’know? Everybody who was shook by what the Big Guy up there, the God of Israel, had to say, they all pulled up to see me. It was like a gathering of those who messed up big time and got sent packing. I was just chilling there, mind blown, until it was time for the evening sacrifice.
Once the evening prayer vibes were done, I bounced back from feeling low. I ripped my clothes, dropped to my knees, and reached out my hands to the LORD my God.
And I’m just, like, OMG, I’m legit feeling so embarrassed and flushed right now even thinking about looking at you, God. Seriously, our mess-ups are off the charts, like they’re towering over us, and our guilt is just, like, sky-high. It’s like, spiraling out of control, you know?
Like, seriously, from way back with our ancestors, we’ve been messing up big time, and tbh, we’re still at it today. All our wrong moves have led to our leaders and religious peeps getting handed over to other countries’ rulers. They’re dealing with violence, getting locked up, losing everything, and just straight-up humiliated, kinda like what’s going down right now.
Okay, so, God’s been super generous with us, giving us some serious grace, you feel? He’s thrown us a lifeline, leaving a small crew to make it out alive. And get this, He’s laying down a solid foundation for us in His holy place, like a nail holding things together, ya know? So, our God can lift our spirits and bring us some major hope while we’re navigating through the rough patches. Oh, and just FYI, when I say ‘moment,’ I mean, like, a quick sec, nothing major!
Yo, peeps! Check it: back in the day, we were straight-up slaves, like, no cap. But guess what? Our big man upstairs didn’t ghost us when we were stuck in that whack situation. Nah, instead, He came through with some major love and blessings, right in front of those Persian VIPs. He hooked us up with a sick comeback by helping us rebuild our temple, fixing up all the jacked-up parts, and even threw in some tight security in Judah and Jerusalem. It was legit, fam!
Yo, God, we’re kinda lost for words, TBH. We’ve been slacking on your commandments and all.
So, check it: God had His prophets drop the truth bomb that the land you’re about to move into? Yeah, it’s straight-up filthy and messed, ’cause the peeps living there are into some next-level gross and sinful stuff. It’s like their bad vibes and wickedness have infected every inch of the place.
Listen up, fam: don’t let your squad get mixed up with their crew romantically, and vice versa. Keep your distance, don’t be trying to buddy up or get in on their cash flow forever. By staying true to that, you’ll be straight-up strong, living large in the blessings of this land, and you can pass it down to your fam – like, forever.
So, like, after we totally messed things up with our shady deeds and major screw-ups, God, you didn’t lay the smackdown on us as hard as we deserved. Instead, you hooked us up with this epic escape route; for real, you held back even when we totally messed up.
Yo, if we straight-up cross your boundaries again and start mingling with these shady peeps, wouldn’t you be totally justified in getting heated with us until we’re straight-up wiped out, leaving no one behind?
Yo, God of Israel, you’re totally righteous. ‘Cause, like, we’ve somehow made it this far, chilling in your presence even though we’ve made some major screw-ups. And, like, we can’t even stand before you ’cause of all our mistakes.

Ezra 10

When Ezra finished praying, he was like pouring his heart out, straight up crying and throwing himself down in front of God’s house. And let me tell ya, a massive crowd of peeps—men, women, and even little kids—swarmed around him from Israel. Tears were flowing like crazy, super intense vibe. #FeelingIt
Then Shechaniah, Jehiel’s kid from the Elam crew, stepped up to Ezra like, “Bro, we messed up big time. We’ve been tying the knot with these foreign babes from the hood, totally not cool. But hey, there’s still hope for us back in Israel if we play this right.”
Alright, let’s make a pact with the Big Guy to split with all those wives and their kiddos, just as the boss man advised and for those who are dead serious about sticking to God’s rules. And let’s make sure we do it all proper and by the book.
Hey, pay attention; this whole thing is your responsibility. We’re here to support you, so no need to freak out. Keep your head up and deal with it.
Ezra got up and called together the top priests, the Levites, and all the peeps from Israel, getting them to pinky promise to stick to this order. And they were like, totally committed to it!
After that, Ezra bounced from the crib of God and crashed at Johanan’s pad, Eliashib’s offspring. And when he got there, he didn’t even touch a morsel or sip a drop because he was bummed out about the shady stuff going down.
They hit up all over Judah and Jerusalem, spreading the word to all the homies who were in exile, inviting them to the bash in Jerusalem.
And if anyone didn’t roll through within three days, as the squad in charge suggested, they’d have to forfeit all their gear and bounce from the squad. Oh, and their stuff would be treated as mega holy.
So, check it, all the guys from Judah and Benjamin totally linked up in Jerusalem within three days. It was, like, the ninth month, on the twentieth day, and everyone was posted up in the street outside God’s place, straight up shook by what was going down, plus it was raining cats and dogs. Like, seriously, it was pouring!
So, Ezra the priest straight-up called them out. He was like, “Fam, y’all know you messed up big time, right? You went and tied the knot with these foreign ladies, which, like, totally added more drama to Israel’s mess.” But, just to clear things up, “have taken” can also mean “caused to dwell” or “brought back” in Hebrew.
Alright, it’s time to own up and confess your mistakes to the Lord God of your forefathers. You gotta do what makes Him happy and cut ties with the folks in the land and those partners who ain’t part of your crew.
And yo, everyone in the crew was like, “Heck yeah, for sure!” and shouted out loud, “We’re all in on that plan, just like you laid it out! We’re totally gonna nail it!”
Alright fam, check it, we got a massive crowd here and it’s pouring buckets. We can’t just kick it outside all day, this ain’t no quick gig. There’s a bunch of us who seriously messed up here.
Yo, it’s time for all the big shots of the crew to step up. And all y’all who went and tied the knot with some outsiders in our turf, it’s time to sync up at specific times. Bring the OGs from every city and even the judges. We gotta keep this up until our God’s anger about this situation chills out. #priorities
It was just Jonathan, Asahel’s kid, and Jahaziah, Tikvah’s offspring, who were handling this mission. Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite had their backs, giving them some solid backup. They all rolled up together, united and working as a team to get stuff sorted.
So the kids who were in lock-up, they totally played by the rules. And Ezra the priest, along with some heavy hitters from the fam, you know, checking their family tree and all, they all linked up and sat down on the first day of the tenth month to, like, look into the situation.
By the beginning of the first month, they wrapped up dealing with all the guys who had been with non-Holy partners.
So, there were some priests’ sons who had married foreign women. Specifically, it was Jeshua’s son, Jozadak’s son, and his crew: Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib, and Gedaliah.
They made a promise to break up with their wives, and feeling guilty, they offered a ram from their squad as a way to make up for their mistake.
From Immer’s crew, there were Hanani and Zebadiah.
The sons of Harim were Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel, and Uzziah.
And these were the guys from the Pashur fam: Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethaneel, Jozabad, and Elasah.
And there were also some Levite bros in the squad: Jozabad, Shimei, Kelaiah (aka Kelita), Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer.
Among the singers, we had Eliashib, the talented one, and for the gatekeepers, we had Shallum, Telem, and Uri, holding it down.
And also in Israel, there were these chill guys from the tribe of Parosh: Ramiah, Jeziah, Malchiah, Miamin, Eleazar, Malchijah, and Benaiah.
The sons of Elam were: Mattaniah, Zechariah, Jehiel, Abdi, Jeremoth, and Eliah.
Here are the awesome guys from the Zattu squad: Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Jeremoth, Zabad, and Aziza.
And Bebai had his crew too, with Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Athlai.
So, some of Bani’s sons were Meshullam, Malluch, Adaiah, Jashub, Sheal, and Ramoth.
And the crew of Pahathmoab had their squad with the homies Adna, Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezaleel, Binnui, and Manasseh.
And the sons of Harim were Eliezer, Ishijah, Malchiah, Shemaiah, Shimeon,
Hey, it’s Benjamin, Malluch, and Shemariah in the mix!
These are the names of Hashum’s sons: Mattenai, Mattathah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and Shimei.
In Bani’s crew, we had Maadai, Amram, and Uel,
Benaiah, Bedeiah, Chelluh.
Alright, we’ve got Vaniah, Meremoth, and Eliashib,
Hey, Mattaniah, Mattenai, and Jaasau,
And Bani, and Binnui, and Shimei,
And, you know, Shelemiah, Nathan, and Adaiah,
Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai, or maybe Mabnadebai (as some copies say)
Azareel, Shelemiah, and Shemariah,
Shallum, Amariah, and Joseph, fam.
So, like, Nebo’s crew had these bros: Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jadau, Joel, and Benaiah.
And then, like, these guys went and tied the knot with these foreign babes. And, whoa, some even started fams with them, dude.