Ezra 2
1Now these are the people of the province who came up from the captivity of the exiles carried away to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar its king. They returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his own town, 2accompanied by Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum, and Baanah. This is the count of the men of Israel: 3the descendants of Parosh, 2,172; 4the descendants of Shephatiah, 372; 5the descendants of Arah, 775; 6the descendants of Pahath-moab (through the line of Jeshua and Joab), 2,812; 7the descendants of Elam, 1,254; 8the descendants of Zattu, 945; 9the descendants of Zaccai, 760; 10the descendants of Bani, 642; 11the descendants of Bebai, 623; 12the descendants of Azgad, 1,222; 13the descendants of Adonikam, 666; 14the descendants of Bigvai, 2,056; 15the descendants of Adin, 454; 16the descendants of Ater (through Hezekiah), 98; 17the descendants of Bezai, 323; 18the descendants of Jorah, 112; 19the descendants of Hashum, 223; 20the descendants of Gibbar, 95; 21the men of Bethlehem, 123; 22the men of Netophah, 56; 23the men of Anathoth, 128; 24the descendants of Azmaveth, 42; 25the men of Kiriath-jearim, Chephirah, and Beeroth, 743; 26the men of Ramah and Geba, 621; 27the men of Michmash, 122; 28the men of Bethel and Ai, 223; 29the descendants of Nebo, 52; 30the descendants of Magbish, 156; 31the descendants of the other Elam, 1,254; 32the descendants of Harim, 320; 33the men of Lod, Hadid, and Ono, 725; 34the men of Jericho, 345; 35and the descendants of Senaah, 3,630. 36The priests: The descendants of Jedaiah (through the house of Jeshua), 973; 37the descendants of Immer, 1,052; 38the descendants of Pashhur, 1,247; 39and the descendants of Harim, 1,017. 40The Levites: the descendants of Jeshua and Kadmiel (through the line of Hodaviah), 74. 41The singers: the descendants of Asaph, 128. 42The gatekeepers: the descendants of Shallum, the descendants of Ater, the descendants of Talmon, the descendants of Akkub, the descendants of Hatita, and the descendants of Shobai, 139 in all. 43The temple servants: the descendants of Ziha, the descendants of Hasupha, the descendants of Tabbaoth, 44the descendants of Keros, the descendants of Siaha, the descendants of Padon, 45the descendants of Lebanah, the descendants of Hagabah, the descendants of Akkub, 46the descendants of Hagab, the descendants of Shalmai, the descendants of Hanan, 47the descendants of Giddel, the descendants of Gahar, the descendants of Reaiah, 48the descendants of Rezin, the descendants of Nekoda, the descendants of Gazzam, 49the descendants of Uzza, the descendants of Paseah, the descendants of Besai, 50the descendants of Asnah, the descendants of Meunim, the descendants of Nephusim, 51the descendants of Bakbuk, the descendants of Hakupha, the descendants of Harhur, 52the descendants of Bazluth, the descendants of Mehida, the descendants of Harsha, 53the descendants of Barkos, the descendants of Sisera, the descendants of Temah, 54the descendants of Neziah, and the descendants of Hatipha. 55The descendants of the servants of Solomon: the descendants of Sotai, the descendants of Sophereth, the descendants of Peruda, 56the descendants of Jaala, the descendants of Darkon, the descendants of Giddel, 57the descendants of Shephatiah, the descendants of Hattil, the descendants of Pochereth-hazzebaim, and the descendants of Ami. 58The temple servants and descendants of the servants of Solomon numbered 392 in all. 59The following came up from Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Cherub, Addan, and Immer, but could not prove that their families were descended from Israel: 60the descendants of Delaiah, the descendants of Tobiah, and the descendants of Nekoda, 652 in all. 61And from among the priests: the descendants of Hobaiah, the descendants of Hakkoz, and the descendants of Barzillai (who had married a daughter of Barzillai the Gileadite and was called by their name). 62These men searched for their family records, but they could not find them and so were excluded from the priesthood as unclean. 63The governor ordered them not to eat the most holy things until there was a priest to consult the Urim and Thummim. 64The whole assembly numbered 42,360, 65in addition to their 7,337 menservants and maidservants, as well as their 200 male and female singers. 66They had 736 horses, 245 mules, 67435 camels, and 6,720 donkeys. 68When they arrived at the house of the LORD in Jerusalem, some of the heads of the families gave freewill offerings to rebuild the house of God on its original site. 69According to their ability, they gave to the treasury for this work 61,000 darics of gold, 5,000 minas of silver, and 100 priestly garments. 70So the priests, the Levites, the singers, the gatekeepers, and the temple servants, along with some of the people, settled in their own towns; and the rest of the Israelites settled in their towns.
Life is short. Where are you going?
You just read God’s own words, and one day every one of us will stand before Him. “What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes” (James 4:14). This life will be over sooner than you think — do you know where you are going when it is?
The Bible says, “Man is appointed to die once, and after that to face judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). If you died today, would you be ready?
Are you a good person?
Most of us think we are. But God doesn’t measure us against other people — He measures us by His Law. Look honestly at the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:3–17):
- You shall have no other gods before Me.
- You shall not make for yourself an idol.
- You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain.
- Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.
- Honor your father and mother.
- You shall not murder.
- You shall not commit adultery.
- You shall not steal.
- You shall not bear false witness.
- You shall not covet.
Have you ever told a lie — even a small one? Have you ever taken something that wasn’t yours? Have you ever used God’s name as a curse word? Have you ever wanted what belongs to someone else? Jesus said that anyone who looks with lust “has already committed adultery … in his heart” (Matthew 5:28), and the Bible says “everyone who hates his brother is a murderer” (1 John 3:15).
If we’re honest, we have all broken God’s Law — and “whoever keeps the whole law but stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it” (James 2:10). “There is no one righteous, not even one … there is no one who does good, not even one” (Romans 3:10–12).
That leaves every one of us guilty before a holy God. “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23), and “whoever rejects the Son will not see life. Instead, the wrath of God remains on him” (John 3:36). This is why our world is full of tragedy — and without Christ, every life ends in the greatest tragedy of all.
But God made a way
“God proves His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). Jesus lived the perfect life we never could, and on the cross He took the punishment we deserved: “God made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). Three days later He rose from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:3–4).
It’s like standing guilty in court when the judge steps down and pays your fine himself. Forgiveness is a free gift — you can’t earn it: “It is by grace you have been saved through faith … it is the gift of God, not by works” (Ephesians 2:8–9). “The gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come that they may have life, and have it in all its fullness.” Jesus — John 10:10
What will you do with Jesus?
“Repent and believe in the gospel!” (Mark 1:15). Turn from your sin, and put your trust in Jesus alone — “if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9). Don’t put it off — “now is the time of favor; now is the day of salvation!” (2 Corinthians 6:2).
And when you turn to Him, you won’t be met with a frown — you’ll be met with a celebration. Jesus said, “there is joy in the presence of God’s angels over one sinner who repents” (Luke 15:10). God says, “I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked should turn from their ways and live” (Ezekiel 33:11). He is “mighty to save. He will rejoice over you with gladness … He will rejoice over you with singing” (Zephaniah 3:17). Like the father who ran to embrace his lost son, He is waiting with open arms — and heaven throws a party when you come home (Luke 15:20–24).
If you died today, where would you spend eternity? Today you can be forgiven, made new, and have real, abundant life — now and forever.
Scripture quotations are from the Berean Standard Bible (BSB), which is in the public domain.