The scribe Shemaiah son of Nethanel, a Levite, wrote down their names before the king, the officials, Zadok the priest, Ahimelech son of Abiathar, and the leaders of the priestly and Levite families. One family was drawn by lot from Eleazar, and then the next from Ithamar. ¹ 

Just like their relatives, the descendants of Aaron, they also cast lots before King David, Zadok, Ahimelech, the leaders of families, the priests, and the Levites. The families of the oldest son cast lots along with the those of the youngest. ¹ 

So the exiles proceeded accordingly. Ezra the priest separated out ¹  by name men who were leaders in their family groups. ²  They sat down to consider this matter on the first day of the tenth month,

When I had made an inspection, ¹  I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials, and the rest of the people, “Don’t be afraid of them. Remember the great and awesome Lord, ²  and fight on behalf of your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your families!” ³ 

with kings and counselors of the earth who built for themselves places now desolate, ¹ 

he makes the Bear, ¹  Orion, ²  and the Pleiades, ³  and the constellations of the southern sky; ⁴ 

A tempest blows out from its chamber, icy cold from the driving winds. ¹ 

Have you entered the storehouse ¹  of the snow, or seen the armory ²  of the hail,

He piles up the water of the sea; ¹  he puts the oceans ²  in storehouses.

who said, ¹  “Let’s take over ²  the pastures of God!”

May there be peace inside your defenses, and prosperity ¹  inside your fortresses! ² 

a lizard ¹  you can catch with the hand, but it gets into the palaces of the king. ² 

The ruined town ¹  is shattered; all of the houses are shut up tight. ² 

So come on, let’s go ahead and attack it by night and destroy all its fortified buildings.’

He will set fire ¹  to the temples of the gods of Egypt. He will burn their gods or carry them off as captives. ²  He will pick Egypt clean like a shepherd picks the lice from his clothing. ³  He will leave there unharmed. ⁴ 

So I will set Gaza’s city wall ¹  on fire; fire ²  will consume her fortresses.

So I will set fire to Tyre’s city wall; ¹  fire ²  will consume her fortresses.”

So I will set Teman ¹  on fire; fire ²  will consume Bozrah’s ³  fortresses.”

So I will set Judah on fire, and it will consume Jerusalem’s fortresses.” ¹ 

The seacoast ¹  will be used as pasture lands ²  by the shepherds and as pens for their flocks.