Ezra 7
1 And after these things, in the reign of Artaxerxes the king of Persia, Ezra the son of Serayah, the son of 'Azaryah, the son of Chilkiyah,
Now, after these things, in the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Ezra, —son of Seraiah, son of Azariah, son of Hilkiah;
2 The son of Shallum, the son of Zadok, the son of Achitub,
son of Shallum, son of Zadok, son of Ahitub;
3 The son of Amaryah, the son of 'Azaryah, the son of Merayoth,
son of Amariah, son of Azariah, son of Meraioth;
4 The son of Zerachyah, the son of 'Uzzi, the son of Bukki,
son of Zerahiah, son of Uzzi, son of Bukki;
5 The son of Abishua', the son of Phinehas, the son of Elazar, the son of Aaron the chief priest:
son of Abishua, son of Phinehas, son of Eliazar, son of Aaron the first priest; —
6 This 'Ezra went up from Babylon; and he was a practised expounder in the law of Moses, which the Lord the God of Israel hath given; and the king gave him, according to the hand of the Lord his God upon him, all his request.
this Ezra, came up out of Babylon, he, being a ready scribe in the law of Moses, which Yahweh God of Israel had given, —and the king gave him, according to the hand of Yahweh his God upon him, all his request.
7 And there went up some of the children of Israel, and of the priests, and the Levites, and the singers, and the gate-keepers, and the temple-servants, unto Jerusalem, in the seventh year of king Artaxerxes.
So then there came up some of the sons of Israel, and some of the priests and the Levites and the singers and the doorkeepers and the Nethinim, unto Jerusalem, —in the seventh year of Artaxerxes the king.
8 And he came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the king.
And he entered Jerusalem, in the fifth month, —the same, was the seventh year of the king.
9 For on the first day of the first month was the commencement of the expedition from Babylon, and on the first day of the fifth month came he to Jerusalem, according to the good hand of his God upon him.
For, on the first of the first month, was a beginning made of coming up from Babylon, —and, on the first of the fifth month, entered he into Jerusalem, according to the good hand of his God upon him.
10 For 'Ezra had directed his heart to inquire in the law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and ordinances.
For, Ezra, had settled his heart, to study the law of Yahweh, and to do [it], —and to teach in Israel, statute and regulation.
11 Now this is the copy of the letter which king Artaxerxes gave unto 'Ezra the priest, the expounder of the law, the expounder of the words of the commandments of the Lord, and of his statutes for Israel.
Now, this, is a copy of the letter which King Artaxerxes gave, to Ezra the priest the scribe, —the scribe of the words of the commandments of Yahweh, and of his statutes, for Israel: —
12 Artaxerxes, the king of kings, unto 'Ezra the priest, the expounder of the law of the God of heaven, the perfect, and so forth.
Artaxerxes, king of kings, Unto Ezra the priest, scribe of the law of the God of the heavens—To despatch and so forth.
13 By me is the order given, that every one who is freely willing in my kingdom out of the people of Israel, and their priests and Levites, to go up to Jerusalem, may go up with thee:
From me, is issued an edict, that, every one in my kingdom, of the people of Israel, and of their priests and the Levites, who is minded of his own freewill to go to Jerusalem, with thee, let him go.
14 Forasmuch as thou art sent on the part of the king, and of his seven counsellors, to make inquiry concerning Judah and Jerusalem, according to the law of thy God which is in thy hand;
Forasmuch as, from before the king and his seven counselors, thou art sent, to enquire concerning Judah and as to Jerusalem, —by the law of thy God which is in thy hand;
15 And to carry the silver and gold, which the king and his counsellors have freely offered unto the God of Israel, whose habitation is in Jerusalem.
and to carry the silver and gold which the king and his counselors have freely offered unto the God of Israel, who, in Jerusalem, hath his habitation;
16 And all [freewill offerings of] silver and gold that thou canst find in all the province of Babylon, with the freewill offerings which the people and the priests offer willingly for the house of their God which is in Jerusalem.
and all the silver and the gold, which thou shalt find, in all the province of Babylon, —with the freewill offering of the people and of the priests offered willingly for the house of their God which is in Jerusalem,
17 Therefore mayest thou buy speedily with this money bullocks, rams, lambs, with their meat-offerings and their drink-offerings, and offer them upon the altar of the house of your God which is in Jerusalem.
therefore, with all diligence, shalt thou buy—with this silver—bullocks, rams, lambs, with their meal-offerings, and their drink-offerings, —and shalt offer them upon the altar of the house of your God which is in Jerusalem;
18 And whatsoever shall seem good to thee, and to thy brethren, to do with the rest of the silver and the gold, that do according to the will of your God.
and, whatsoever, unto thee and unto thy brethren, shall seem good, with the rest of the silver and the gold, to do, according to the pleasure of your God, shall ye do.
19 And the vessels which have been given unto thee for the service of the house of thy God, deliver thou before the God of Jerusalem.
And, the utensils which are freely given to thee for the service of the house of thy God, put thou back, before the God of Jerusalem.
20 And the remainder that will yet be needful for the house of thy God, which thou shalt have occasion to procure, procure out of the King's treasure-house.
And, the rest of the need of the house of thy God, which it shall fall to thee to give, thou shalt give, out of the treasure-house of the king.
21 And by me, me King Artaxerxes, is the order given unto all the treasurers who are beyond the river, that whatsoever 'Ezra the priest, the expounder of the law of the God of heaven, may demand of you, shall be done speedily.
And, from me myself, Artaxerxes the king, issueth an edict, to all the treasurers who are Beyond the River, —that, whatsoever Ezra the priest the scribe of the law of the God of the heavens shall ask of you, with diligence, shall it be done:
22 Up to one hundred talents of silver, and up to one hundred cors of wheat, and up to one hundred baths of wine, and up to one hundred baths of oil, and salt without prescribing it.
unto a hundred talents of silver, and unto a hundred measures of wheat, and unto a hundred baths of wine, and unto a hundred baths of oil, —and salt without limit.
23 Whatsoever is ordered by the God of heaven shall be carefully done for the house of the God of heaven; for why should there be wrath against the kingdom of the king and his sons?
Whatsoever is due to an edict of the God of the heavens, let it be done diligently, for the house of the God of the heavens, —for wherefore should there be wrath against the realm of the king and his sons?
24 And to you make we it known, that on any of the priests and Levites, singers, gate-keepers, and temple-servants, or ministers of this house of God, no one shall be empowered to impose any tax, tribute, or toll.
And, you, we do certify, that, as touching any of the priests or the Levites, the singers, the doorkeepers, the Nethinim, or the servitors of this house of God, tribute, excise or toll, shall it not be competent to impose upon them.
25 And thou, 'Ezra, according to the wisdom of thy God which is in thy hand, appoint judges and magistrates, who are to judge all the people that are beyond the river, all such as know the laws of thy God; and make ye them known to those that know them not.
And, thou, Ezra, according to the wisdom of thy God that is in thy hand, appoint thou judges and magistrates, who shall administer justice to all the people that are Beyond the River, to all who know the law of thy God, —and, whoso knoweth not, ye shall teach.
26 And if there be any one who will not execute the law of thy God, and the law of the king, let justice be speedily executed upon him, whether it be unto death or to banishment, or to a fine on goods, or to imprisonment.
But, whosoever shall not do the law of thy God and the law of the king, speedily, let, penalty, be exacted from him, —whether to death, or to banishment, or to confiscation of goods, or to imprisonment.
27 Blessed be the Lord the God of our fathers, who hath put the like of this in the heart of the king, to glorify the house of the Lord which is in Jerusalem;
Blessed be Yahweh, God of our fathers, —who hath put the like of this into the heart of the king, to beautify the house of Yahweh, which is in Jerusalem;
28 And who hath extended kindness unto me before the king and his counsellors, and before all the mighty princes of the king: and I strengthened myself according to the hand of the Lord my God upon me, and I gathered together out of Israel principal men to go up with me.
and, unto me, hath extended lovingkindness, before the king and his counselors, yea all the valiant captains of the king, —I, therefore have emboldened myself, according to the hand of Yahweh my God upon me, and gathered out of Israel, chief men, to go up with me.
