Ezra 7
Ezra Goes Up from Babylon to Jerusalem
7aNow after these things, in the reign of bArtaxerxes king of Persia, there went up Ezra son of Seraiah, son of Azariah, son of Hilkiah, 2son of Shallum, son of Zadok, son of Ahitub, 3son of Amariah, son of Azariah, son of Meraioth, 4son of Zerahiah, son of Uzzi, son of Bukki, 5son of Abishua, son of Phinehas, son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the chief priest. 6This Ezra went up from Babylon, and he was a ascribe skilled in the law of Moses, which Yahweh, the God of Israel had given; and the king granted him all 1he requested bbecause the hand of Yahweh his God was upon him. 7aAnd some of the sons of Israel and some of the priests, the Levites, the singers, the gatekeepers, and the temple servants went up to Jerusalem in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes.
8He came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the king. 9For on the first of the first month 1he began to go up from Babylon; and on the first of the fifth month he came to Jerusalem, abecause the good hand of his God was upon him. 10For Ezra had set his heart to 1study the law of Yahweh and to practice it, and ato teach His statute and judgment in Israel.
The King’s Decree on Behalf of Ezra
11Now this is the copy of the letter which King Artaxerxes gave to Ezra the priest, the scribe, 1learned in the words of the commandments of Yahweh and His statutes to Israel: 12“1Artaxerxes, aking of kings, to Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven, perfect peace. And now— 13aI have issued a decree that any of the people of Israel and their priests and the Levites in my kingdom who freely offer to go to Jerusalem, may go with you. 14“Forasmuch as you are sent from before the king and his aseven counselors to inquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem according to the law of your God which is in your hand, 15and to bring the silver and gold, which the king and his counselors have freely offered to the God of Israel, awhose dwelling is in Jerusalem, 16and aall the silver and gold which you find in the whole province of Babylon, along bwith the freewill offering of the people and of the priests, who coffered willingly for the house of their God which is in Jerusalem; 17with this money, therefore, you shall with all diligence buy bulls, rams, and lambs, awith their grain offerings and their drink offerings, and bbring them near to the altar of the house of your God which is in Jerusalem. 18“And whatever seems good to you and to your brothers to do with the rest of the silver and gold, you may do according to the will of your God. 19“Also the utensils which are given to you for the service of the house of your God, deliver in full before the God of Jerusalem. 20“The rest of the needs for the house of your God, which may fall upon you to provide, aprovide for it from the royal treasury.
21“So I, even I, King Artaxerxes, issue a decree to all the treasurers who are in the provinces beyond the 1River, that whatever Ezra the priest, athe scribe of the law of the God of heaven, may ask of you, it shall be done with all diligence, 22even up to 1100 talents of silver, 2100 kors of wheat, 3100 baths of wine, 4100 baths of oil, and salt without written order. 23“Whatever is 1decreed by the God of heaven, let it be done with zeal for the house of the God of heaven, aso that there will not be wrath against the kingdom of the king and his sons. 24“We also make known to you that ait is not allowed to 1impose tribute, custom, or toll bon any of the priests, Levites, singers, doorkeepers, temple servants, or other servants of this house of God.
25“And you, Ezra, according to the wisdom of your God which is in your hand, aappoint magistrates and judges that they may judge all the people who are in the province beyond the River, even all those who know the laws of your God; and to anyone who does not know the laws, you shall bmake them known. 26“aWhoever will not do the law of your God and the law of the king, let judgment be done to him with all diligence, whether for death or for 1banishment or for confiscation of goods or for imprisonment.”
Yahweh Put This in the King’s Heart
27Blessed be Yahweh, the God of our fathers, awho has put such a thing as this in the king’s heart, to beautify the house of Yahweh which is in Jerusalem, 28and ahas extended lovingkindness to me before the king and his counselors and before all the king’s mighty princes. Thus I was strengthened according to bthe hand of Yahweh my God upon me, and I gathered 1chief men from Israel to go up with me.