The Arrival of Ezra
1 Now after these things, in the reign ofArtaxerxes king of Persia, Ezra theson of Seraiah,the son of Azariah, the son ofHilkiah,
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 came up from Babylon; and hewasa skilled scribe in the Law of Moses, which theLordGod of Israel had given. The king granted him all his request,according to the hand of theLordhis God upon him.
7 Someof the children of Israel, the priests,the Levites, the singers, the gatekeepers, andthe Nethinim came up to Jerusalem in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes.
8 And Ezra came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, whichwasin the seventh year of the king.
9 On the firstdayof the first month he beganhisjourney from Babylon, and on the firstdayof the fifth month he came to Jerusalem,according to the good hand of his God upon him.
10 For Ezra had prepared his heart toseek the Law of theLord, and to doit,and toteach statutes and ordinances in Israel.
The Letter of Artaxerxes to Ezra
11 Thisisa copy of the letter that King Artaxerxes gave Ezra the priest, the scribe, expert in the words of the commandments of theLord, and of His statutes to Israel:
12 Artaxerxes,king of kings,
To Ezra the priest, a scribe of the Law of the God of heaven:
# Perfectpeace,and so forth.
13 I issue a decree that all those of the people of Israel and the priests and Levites in my realm, who volunteer to go up to Jerusalem, may go with you.
14 And whereas you are being sent by the king and hisseven counselors to inquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem, with regard to the Law of your God whichisin your hand;
15 andwhereasyouareto carry the silver and gold which the king and his counselors have freely offered to the God of Israel,whose dwellingisin Jerusalem;
16 andwhereasall the silver and gold that you may find in all the province of Babylon, along with the freewill offering of the people and the priests,aretobefreely offered for the house of their God in Jerusalem—
17 now therefore, be careful to buy with this money bulls, rams, and lambs, with theirgrain offerings and their drink offerings, andoffer them on the altar of the house of your God in Jerusalem.
18 And whatever seems good to you and your brethren to do with the rest of the silver and the gold, do it according to the will of your God.
19 Also the articles that are given to you for the service of the house of your God, deliver in full before the God of Jerusalem.
20 And whatever more may be needed for the house of your God, which you may have occasion to provide, payforitfrom the king’s treasury.
21 And I,evenI, Artaxerxes the king, issue a decree to all the treasurers whoareintheregionbeyond the River, that whatever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the Law of the God of heaven, may require of you, let it be done diligently,
22 up to one hundred talents of silver, one hundred kors of wheat, one hundred baths of wine, one hundred baths of oil, and salt without prescribed limit.
23 Whatever is commanded by the God of heaven, let it diligently be done 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 tax, tribute, or custom on any of the priests, Levites, singers, gatekeepers, Nethinim, or servants of this house of God.
25 And you, Ezra, according to your God-given wisdom,set magistrates and judges who may judge all the people whoareintheregionbeyond the River, all such as know the laws of your God; andteach those who do not knowthem.
26 Whoever will not observe the law of your God and the law of the king, let judgment be executed speedily on him, whetheritbedeath, or banishment, or confiscation of goods, or imprisonment.
27 BlessedbetheLordGod of our fathers,who has putsuchathingas this in the king’s heart, to beautify the house of theLordwhichisin Jerusalem,
28 andhas extended mercy to me before the king and his counselors, and before all the king’s mighty princes.
# So I was encouraged, asthe hand of theLordmy Godwasupon me; and I gathered leading men of Israel to go up with me.