1
Now after[H310] these things[H1697], in the reign[H4438] of Artaxerxes[H783]king[H4428] of Persia[H6539], Ezra[H5830] the son[H1121] of Seraiah[H8304], the son[H1121] of Azariah[H5838], the son[H1121] of Hilkiah[H2518],
2
The son[H1121] of Shallum[H7967], the son[H1121] of Zadok[H6659], the son[H1121] of Ahitub[H285],
3
The son[H1121] of Amariah[H568], the son[H1121] of Azariah[H5838], the son[H1121] of Meraioth[H4812],
4
The son[H1121] of Zerahiah[H2228], the son[H1121] of Uzzi[H5813], the son[H1121] of Bukki[H1231],
5
The son[H1121] of Abishua[H50], the son[H1121] of Phinehas[H6372], the son[H1121] of Eleazar[H499], the son[H1121] of Aaron[H175] the chief[H7218]priest[H3548]:
6
This Ezra[H5830] went up[H5927] from Babylon[H894]; and he was a ready[H4106]scribe[H5608] in the law[H8451] of Moses[H4872], which the LORD[H3068]God[H430] of Israel[H3478] had given[H5414]: and the king[H4428]granted[H5414] him all his request[H1246], according to the hand[H3027] of the LORD[H3068] his God[H430] upon him.
7
And there went up[H5927] some of the children[H1121] of Israel[H3478], and of the priests[H3548], and the Levites[H3881], and the singers[H7891], and the porters[H7778], and the Nethinims[H5411], unto Jerusalem[H3389], in the seventh[H7651]year[H8141] of Artaxerxes[H783] the king[H4428].
8
And he came[H935] to Jerusalem[H3389] in the fifth[H2549]month[H2320], which was in the seventh[H7637]year[H8141] of the king[H4428].
9
For upon the first[H259] day of the first[H7223]month[H2320]began[H3246] he to go up[H4609] from Babylon[H894], and on the first[H7223] day of the fifth[H2549]month[H2320]came[H935] he to Jerusalem[H3389], according to the good[H2896]hand[H3027] of his God[H430] upon him.
10
For Ezra[H5830] had prepared[H3559] his heart[H3824] to seek[H1875] the law[H8451] of the LORD[H3068], and to do[H6213] it, and to teach[H3925] in Israel[H3478]statutes[H2706] and judgments[H4941].
11
Now this is the copy[H6572] of the letter[H5406] that the king[H4428]Artaxerxes[H783]gave[H5414] unto Ezra[H5830] the priest[H3548], the scribe[H5608], even a scribe[H5608] of the words[H1697] of the commandments[H4687] of the LORD[H3068], and of his statutes[H2706] to Israel[H3478].
12Artaxerxes[H783], king[H4430] of kings[H4430], unto Ezra[H5831] the priest[H3549], a scribe[H5613] of the law[H1882] of the God[H426] of heaven[H8065], perfect[H1585] peace, and at such a time[H3706].
13I[H4481]make[H7761] a decree[H2942], that all[H3606] they of[H4481] the people[H5972]of[H4481]Israel[H3479], and of[H4481] his priests[H3549] and Levites[H3879], in my realm[H4437], which are minded of[H4481] their own freewill[H5069] to go[H1946]up[H1946] to Jerusalem[H3390], go[H1946] with thee[H5974].
14Forasmuch[H1768]as[H3606] thou art sent[H7972]of[H4481] the king[H4430], and of[H6925] his seven[H7655]counsellors[H3272], to enquire[H1240]concerning[H5922]Judah[H3061] and Jerusalem[H3390], according to the law[H1882]of[H6925] thy God[H426] which is in thine hand[H3028];
15
And to carry[H2987] the silver[H3702] and gold[H1722], which the king[H4430] and his counsellors[H3272] have freely offered[H5069] unto the God[H426] of Israel[H3479], whose[H1768]habitation[H4907] is in Jerusalem[H3390],
16
And all[H3606] the silver[H3702] and gold[H1722] that thou canst find[H7912] in all[H3606] the province[H4083] of Babylon[H895], with[H5974] the freewill offering[H5069] of the people[H5972], and of the priests[H3549], offering[H5069]willingly[H5069] for the house[H1005] of their God[H426] which is in Jerusalem[H3390]:
17That[H3606] thou mayest buy[H7066]speedily[H629] with this[H1836]money[H3702]bullocks[H8450], rams[H1798], lambs[H563], with their meat offerings[H4504] and their drink offerings[H5261], and offer[H7127]them[H1994]upon[H5922] the altar[H4056] of the house[H1005] of your God[H426] which is in Jerusalem[H3390].
18
And whatsoever[H4101] shall seem good[H3191]to[H5922] thee, and to[H5922] thy brethren[H252], to[H5922]do[H5648] with the rest[H7606] of the silver[H3702] and the gold[H1722], that do[H5648] after the will[H7470] of your God[H426].
19
The vessels[H3984] also that are given[H3052] thee for the service[H6402] of the house[H1005] of thy God[H426], those deliver[H8000] thou before[H6925] the God[H426] of Jerusalem[H3390].
20
And whatsoever more[H7606] shall be needful[H2819] for the house[H1005]of[H4481] thy God[H426], which thou shalt have occasion[H5308] to bestow[H5415], bestow[H5415] it out of[H4481] the king's treasure[H1596]house[H1005].
21
And I[H4481], even I[H576]Artaxerxes[H783] the king[H4430], do make[H7761] a decree[H2942] to all[H3606] the treasurers[H1490] which are beyond[H5675] the river[H5103], that whatsoever Ezra[H5831] the priest[H3549], the scribe[H5613] of the law[H1882] of the God[H426] of heaven[H8065], shall require[H7593] of you, it be done[H5648]speedily[H629],
22Unto[H5705] an hundred[H3969]talents[H3604] of silver[H3702], and to an hundred[H3969]measures[H3734] of wheat[H2591], and to an hundred[H3969]baths[H1325] of wine[H2562], and to an hundred[H3969]baths[H1325] of oil[H4887], and salt[H4416]without[H3809]prescribing[H3792] how much.
23Whatsoever[H3606] is commanded by[H2941] the God[H426] of heaven[H8065], let it be[H1934]diligently[H149]done[H5648]for[H1768] the house[H1005] of the God[H426] of heaven[H8065]: for[H1768]why[H4101] should there be[H1934]wrath[H7109]against[H5922] the realm[H4437] of the king[H4430] and his sons?[H1123]
24
Also we certify[H3046] you, that touching any[H3606] of the priests[H3549] and Levites[H3879], singers[H2171], porters[H8652], Nethinims[H5412], or ministers[H6399] of this[H1836]house[H1005] of God[H426], it shall not[H3809] be lawful[H7990] to impose[H7412]toll[H4061], tribute[H1093], or custom[H1983], upon[H5922] them.
25
And thou[H607], Ezra[H5831], after the wisdom[H2452] of thy God[H426], that is in thine hand[H3028], set[H4483]magistrates[H8200] and judges[H1782], which may judge[H1934]all[H3606] the people[H5972] that are beyond[H5675] the river[H5103], all[H3606] such as know[H3046] the laws[H1882] of thy God[H426]; and teach[H3046] ye them that know[H3046] them not[H3809].
26
And whosoever[H3606] will not[H3809]do[H1934] the law[H1882] of thy God[H426], and the law[H1882] of the king[H4430], let judgment[H1780]be[H1934]executed[H5648]speedily[H629] upon him[H4481], whether[H2006] it be[H1934] unto death[H4193], or[H2006] to banishment[H8332], or[H2006] to confiscation[H6065] of goods[H5232], or[H2006] to imprisonment[H613].
27Blessed[H1288] be the LORD[H3068]God[H430] of our fathers[H1], which hath put[H5414] such a thing as this in the king's heart[H3820], to beautify[H6286] the house[H1004] of the LORD[H3068] which is in Jerusalem[H3389]:
28
And hath extended[H5186]mercy[H2617] unto me before[H6440] the king[H4428], and his counsellors[H3289], and before[H6440] all the king[H4428]'s mighty[H1368]princes[H8269]. And I was strengthened[H2388] as the hand[H3027] of the LORD[H3068] my God[H430] was upon me, and I gathered together[H6908] out of Israel[H3478] chief men[H7218] to go up[H5927] with me.