7
1 Now after these
things, in the
reign of Artaxerxes
king of Persia,
Ezra the son
of Seraiah, the
son of Azariah,
the son of
Hilkiah,
2 the
son of Shallum,
the son of
Zadok, the son
of Ahitub,
3 the
son of Amariah,
the son of
Azariah, the son
of Meraioth,
4 the
son of Zerahiah,
the son of
Uzzi, the son
of Bukki,
5 the
son of Abishua,
the son of
Phinehas, the son
of Eleazar, the
son of Aaron the
chief priest—
6 this
Ezra went up
from Babylon. He
was a skilled
scribe in the
law of Moses,
which the LORD,
the God of
Israel, had given;
and the king
granted him all
his request,
according to the
LORD his God’s
hand on him.
7 Some
of the children
of Israel,
including some of
the priests, the
Levites, the
singers, the
gatekeepers, and
the temple
servants went up
to Jerusalem in
the seventh year
of Artaxerxes the
king.
8 He
came to Jerusalem
in the fifth
month, which was
in the seventh
year of the
king.
9 For
on the first
day of the
first month he
began to go
up from Babylon;
and on the
first day of
the fifth month
he came to
Jerusalem, according
to the good
hand of his
God on him.
10 For
Ezra had set
his heart to
seek the LORD’s
law, and to
do it, and
to teach statutes
and ordinances in
Israel.
11 Now
this is the
copy of the
letter that
King Artaxerxes gave
to Ezra the
priest, the scribe,
even the scribe
of the words
of the LORD’s
commandments, and
of his statutes
to Israel:
12 Artaxerxes,
king of kings,
To Ezra the
priest, the scribe
of the law
of the perfect God
of heaven.
Now
13 I
make a decree
that all those
of the people
of Israel and
their priests and
the Levites in
my realm,
who intend of
their own free will
to go to
Jerusalem, go with
you.
14 Because
you are sent
by the king
and his seven
counselors to
inquire concerning
Judah and
Jerusalem, according
to the law
of your God which
is in your
hand,
15 and
to carry the
silver and gold,
which the king
and his counselors
have freely
offered to the God
of Israel, whose
habitation is in
Jerusalem,
16 and
all the silver
and gold that
you will find
in all the
province of Babylon,
with the free will
offering of the
people and of
the priests,
offering willingly
for the house
of their God which
is in Jerusalem.
17 Therefore
you shall with
all diligence buy
with this money
bulls, rams,
and lambs with
their meal offerings
and their drink
offerings, and
shall offer them
on the altar
of the house
of your God which
is in Jerusalem.
18 Whatever seems good
to you and
to your brothers
to do with
the rest of
the silver and
the gold, do
that according to
the will of
your God.
19 The
vessels that are
given to you
for the service
of the house
of your God,
deliver before
the God of
Jerusalem.
20 Whatever
more will be
needed for the
house of your God,
which you may have
occasion to give,
give it out of
the king’s
treasure house.
21 I,
even I, Artaxerxes
the king, make
a decree to
all the treasurers
who are beyond
the River, that
whatever Ezra the
priest, the scribe
of the law
of the God of
heaven, requires of
you, it shall be
done with
all diligence,
22 up to one
hundred talents
of silver, and
to one hundred cors
of wheat, and
to one hundred baths
of wine, and
to one hundred
baths of oil,
and salt without
prescribing how much.
23 Whatever
is commanded by
the God of heaven,
let it be
done exactly for
the house of
the God of heaven;
for why should
there be wrath
against the realm
of the king
and his sons?
24 Also we
inform you that
it shall not
be lawful to
impose tribute,
custom, or toll
on any of
the priests,
Levites, singers, gatekeepers,
temple servants,
or laborers of
this house of God.
25 You,
Ezra, according to
the wisdom of
your God that is
in your hand,
appoint magistrates
and judges who may
judge all the
people who are
beyond the River,
who all know
the laws of
your God; and
teach him who doesn’t
know them.
26 Whoever
will not do
the law of
your God and the
law of the
king, let judgment
be executed on him
with all diligence,
whether it is
to death, or
to banishment, or
to confiscation of
goods, or
to imprisonment.
27 Blessed
be the LORD,
the God of
our fathers, who
has put such
a thing as
this in the
king’s heart, to
beautify the LORD’s
house which is
in Jerusalem;
28 and
has extended loving
kindness to me
before the king
and his counselors,
and before all
the king’s mighty
princes. I was
strengthened according
to the LORD
my God’s hand
on me, and
I gathered
together chief men
out of Israel
to go up
with me.