About the Author of the Blogsite, Not the Author of the Bible::

About the Author of the Blogsite, Not the Author of the Bible: I was uncertain of how to accomplish this, mindful of Revelation 22:18-19, which says that nobody is to add to, or to take away from what was written in the Bible. After lots of prayerful contemplation, the Lord had it on my heart that I’m not to change the meaning of what is written in the Bible. He has also shown ways to add to people’s understating of that meaning, without altering the meaning, by putting that info within [brackets]. This is primarily accomplished with the KJV Bible and lots of prayers, but at times, BibleGateway.com, Biblehub.com, NIV Bible, Webster Dictionary, and other internet resources, as needed. Debra Seiling

About Understanding the Bible:

Understanding the Bible: After reading Isaiah 28:10 many times over the years and not totally understanding it, it recently became apparent to me that the Lord God has this passage as the means for understanding the Bible. For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little. Isaiah 28:10 KJV. Being prayerful about this passage, and looking up 'precept' in the Webster's Dictionary, it gave this passage a whole new meaning, once 'commandment' is substituted for 'precept'. Within brackets are additional words the Lord had on my heart to aid in understanding the meaning. For commandment must be [built up] upon commandment; commandment upon commandment; line upon line, line upon line; [developing understanding] here a little, and there a little.

The Table Format:

The Table Format: I was overwhelmed with how to explain the process for determining if someone had leprosy in Leviticus 13, which seemed very complicated. After praying, "Lord, if this is difficult for me to understand after reading it many times, how can this be explained to others?" The thought the Lord God had on my heart was for me to put it into a vertical chart to visually see the process. This made it much easier for me to follow the progression. After doing so, I prayed, "Lord, how can this be conveyed to readers, so that they can understand this process?" The thought the Lord God had on my heart was to put it within the lines of a table. Being a stiff-necked, stubborn person, as it's often called in the Bible, I prayed, asking the Lord God if He's sure that's really what He wanted me to do? I reluctantly put Leviticus 13 into a table format. When I read this difficult leprosy process within a table format, it suddenly became easier for me to understand. That's because it builds line upon line, as explained in the Understanding the Bible section. Shortly after that, the Lord God had it on my heart, to put all of The Books of the Bible in Smaller Chunks within a table format, to aid in understanding, line upon line.

12/31/2023

Ezra 8:1-36 The Genealogy of Those Who Returned from Captivity in Babylon

 

The Genealogy of Those Who Returned from Captivity in Babylon

Ezra 8:1-36         The Book of Ezra in [Smaller Chunks]

These are the [leaders] of their fathers & their genealogy of [those who returned] with me from Babylon, [when] Artaxerxes, the king, [ruled:] Of the [descendants] of Phinehas: Gersham. Of the [descendants] of Ithamar: Daniel. Of the [descendants] of David: Hattush.

Of the [descendants] of Shechaniah [a.k.a. Shekaiah, who was a descendant] of Pharosh: Zechariah & with him, 150 males [registered] by [their] genealogy. Of the [descendants] of Pahath Moab: Elihoenani, [who was] the son of Zerahiah & with him, 200 males.

Of the [descendants] of Shechaniah, [a.k.a. Shekaniah, who was] the son of Jahaziel & with him, 300 males. Of the [descendants] of Adin: Ebed, [who] was the son of Jonathan & with him, 50 males. 

And of the [descendants] of Elam: Jeshaiah, [who was] the son of Athaliah & with him 70 males. And of the [descendants] of Shephatiah: Zebadiah, [who was] the son of Michael & with him, 80 males. 

Of the [descendants] of Joab: Obadiah, [who was] the son of Jehiel & with him, 218 males. And of the [descendants] of Shelomith [a.k.a. Bani’s descendant, who was] the son of Josiphiah & with him, 160 males.

And of the [descendants] of Bebai: Zechariah, [who was] the son of Bebai & with him, 28 males. And of the [descendants] of Asgard: Johanan, [who was] the son of Hakkata & with him, 110 males. 

And the last of the [descendants] of Adonikam, are these: Eliphelet, Jeiel [a.k.a. Jenel] & Shemaiah & with them, 60 males. Also, of the [descendants] of Bigvai: Uthai & Zabbud [a.k.a. Zakkur,] with them, 70 males. 

And I gathered them together to the river that runs toward Ahava & we [camped] in tents [there] 3 days. I [saw] the people & priests & [I] found there were [no descendants] of Levi.

Then, I sent for: Eliezer, Ariel, Semaiah, Elnathan, Jarib, Elnathan, Nathan, Zechariah, Meshullam, [who were leaders] & also for: Joiarib, & Elnathan, [knowledgeable] men. 

I sent them with a [command] to Iddo, the chief [priest] at Casiphia [a.k.a. Kasipra] & I told them what they should say to Iddo & his brethren, the Nethinims, at Casiphia [a.k.a. Kasphia, so] they [could] bring to us ministers [to serve in] the house of our God. 

With God’s [gracious] hand upon us, they brought us a [knowledgeable] man: Sherebiah, a [descendant] of Mahli, [who was] a [descendant] of Levi, with his sons & [relatives,] 18 [total.] 

And Hashabiah & with him: Jeshaiah, of the [descendants] of Merari & his [relatives] & their sons, 20. Also, [they brought] of the Nethinims, whom David & the princes had appointed for the service of Levites, 220 Nethinims, who were [registered] by name. 

Then, I [declared] a fast there, at the River of Ahava, that we might [humble] ourselves before our God, for Him to [search] for a right [road] for us & our little ones & all our [possessions.] 

I was ashamed to [need] a band of the king’s soldiers & horsemen, to help [protect] us on the [road.] We had spoken to the king, saying, The hand of our God is upon all [those who] seek Him for good; but [God’s] power & His [anger] are against all [those who abandon] Him.

So, we fasted & [pleaded with] our God for this & He [answered our prayer for] us. Then, I separated 12 of the chief priests, Sherebiah & Hashabiah, with 10 of their brethren.

[Then,] I even weighed to them the silver & gold & the vessels, even the offering [from] the house of our God, [that] the king, his counselors, his lords & all Israel present [there] had offered. I even weighed into their hand: 650 talents of silver & 100 talents of silver vessels,100 talents of silver vessels & 100 talents of gold. 

Also, 20 gold [basins] [worth] 1,000 drams [a.k.a. drachmas] & 2 vessels of fine copper, [as] precious as gold. And I said to them, You are holy to the Lord: the vessels are also holy. And the silver & gold are a freewill offering to the Lord God of your [forefathers.]

Watch & keep them [safe,] until you weigh them [in front of] the chief of priests & the Levites & the [leaders of our fathers’ families] of Israel, [in] Jerusalem, in the [rooms] of the [Lord’s] house. 

So, the priests & the Levites took the weight of the silver, gold & vessels to bring them to the house of our God [in] Jerusalem. Then, we [left] from the River of Ahava on the 12th day of the 1st month, to go to Jerusalem. 

The hand of [the Lord] our God was upon us & He delivered us from the hand of our enemy [who] lay in wait by the [road to ambush us.] We came to Jerusalem & [stayed] there 3 days. 

On the 4th day, the silver, gold & vessels were weighed in [God’s] house by Meremoth, [Uriah’s] son, the priest. Eleazar, [Phinehas’] son, was with him & so were Jozabad, [Jeshua’s] son & Noadiah, [Binnui’s] son, [of the] Levites. 

At that time, every one was written by number & by weight. Also, [those who had returned from] captivity offered burnt offerings to the [Lord] God of Israel: 12 bulls for all [of] Israel, 96 rams, 77 lambs & 12 [male] goats for a sin offering. 

All this was a burnt offering to the Lord. They delivered the king’s [orders] to the king’s lieutenants & governors on this side of the [Euphrates] River & they [gave support] to the people & the house of God.