Ezra 7
1 Now after these things, in the reign of Artachshasta king of Persia, Ezra the son of Seraiah, the son of Azariah, the son of Hilkiah,
After all this, during the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Ezra arrived from Babylon. He was the son of Seraiah, son of Azariah, son of Hilkiah,
2 the son of Shallum, the son of Zadok, the son of Ahitub,
son of Shallum, son of Zadok, son of Ahitub,
3 the son of Amariah, the son of Azariah, the son of Meraioth,
son of Amariah, son of Azariah, son of Meraioth,
4 the son of Zerahiah, 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 Eleazar, the son of Aaron the chief priest;
son of Abishua, son of Phinehas, son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the high priest.
6 this Ezra went up from Babylon: and he was a ready scribe in the law of Moses, which YHWH, the God of Israel, had given; and the king granted him all his request, according to the hand of YHWH his God on him.
This Ezra arrived from Babylon, and was a scribe who was an expert in the Law of Moses, which the Lord, the God of Israel, had given to Israel. The king had granted Ezra everything he'd asked for, because the Lord his God was with him.
7 There went up some of the children of Israel, and of the priests, and the Levites, and the singers, and the gatekeepers, and the Nethinim, to Jerusalem, in the seventh year of Artachshasta the king.
In the seventh year of King Artaxerxes left for Jerusalem, accompanied by some of the people of Israel, and some of the priests and Levites, singers and gatekeepers, and Temple servants.
8 He came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the king.
Ezra arrived in Jerusalem in the fifth month of the seventh year of King Artaxerxes' reign.
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, for the good hand of his God was on him.
He had started the journey from Babylon on the first day of the first month, and he arrived in Jerusalem on the first day of the fifth month, his gracious God going with him.
10 For Ezra had set his heart to seek the law of YHWH, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and ordinances.
For Ezra had committed himself to gaining insights from the Law of the Lord, wanting to practice it and to teach in Israel its rules and how to live.
11 Now this is the copy of the letter that the king Artachshasta gave to Ezra the priest, the scribe, even the scribe of the words of the commandments of YHWH, and of his statutes to Israel:
This is a copy of the letter King Artaxerxes gave to Ezra the priest and scribe, who had studied the Lord's commandments and regulations given to Israel:
12 Artachshasta, king of kings, to Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven, perfect and so forth.
“Artaxerxes, king of kings, to Ezra the priest, the scribe of the Law of the God of heaven: Greetings.
13 I make a decree, that all those of the people of Israel, and their priests and the Levites, in my realm, who are minded of their own free will to go to Jerusalem, go with you.
I hereby issue this decree: Any of the people of Israel or their priests or Levites in my kingdom who voluntarily decide to go to Jerusalem with you may do so.
14 Because you are sent of the king and his seven counselors, to inquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem, according to the law of your God which is in your hand,
You are being sent by the king and his seven counselors to investigate the situation in Judah and Jerusalem as it relates to the Law of your God, which you carry with you.
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,
We also instruct you to take with you the silver and gold that the king and his counselors have voluntarily donated to the God of Israel, whose lives in Jerusalem,
16 and all the silver and gold that you shall find in all the province of Babylon, with the freewill offering of the people, and of the priests, offering willingly for the house of their God which is in Jerusalem;
together with all the silver and gold you may receive from the province of Babylon, as well as the voluntary donations of the people and priests to the Temple of their God in Jerusalem.
17 therefore you shall with all diligence buy with this money bulls, rams, 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.
You are to use this money first to buy as many bulls, rams, and lambs as necessary, along with their grain offerings and drink offerings, and present them on the altar at the Temple of your God in Jerusalem.
18 Whatever shall seem good to you and to your brothers to do with the rest of the silver and the gold, do that after the will of your God.
Then you and those with you may decide to use the rest of the silver and gold in whatever way you think best, in accordance with 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.
But the items you have been given for the service of the Temple of your God must be all delivered to the God of Jerusalem.
20 Whatever more shall be needful for the house of your God, which you shall have occasion to bestow, bestow it out of the king's treasure house.
If there is anything else required for the Temple of your God that you have to provide, you may charge it to the royal treasury.
21 I, even I Artachshasta the king, do 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, shall require of you, it be done with all diligence,
I, King Artaxerxes, decree that all the treasurers west of the Euphrates should provide whatever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the Law of the God of heaven, may require from you, and it must be provided in full,
22 to one hundred talents of silver, and to one hundred measures of wheat, and to one hundred baths of wine, and to one hundred baths of oil, and salt without prescribing how much.
up to one hundred talents of silver, one hundred cors of wheat, one hundred baths of wine, one hundred baths of olive oil, and unrestricted amounts of salt.
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?
Make sure you provide in full whatever the God of heaven requires for his Temple, for why should his anger be brought down on the king and his sons?
24 Also we inform you, that touching any of the priests and Levites, the singers, doorkeepers, Nethinim, or servants of this house of God, it shall not be lawful to impose tribute, custom, or toll, on them.
Also be aware that all of the priests, Levites, singers, doorkeepers, Temple servants, or other workers of this Temple are exempt from paying any tax, tribute, or fees, and you are not authorized to charge them.
25 You, Ezra, after the wisdom of your God who is in your hand, appoint magistrates and judges, who may judge all the people who are beyond the River, all such as know the laws of your God; and teach him who doesn't know them.
You, Ezra, are to follow the wisdom of your God which you possess, shall appoint magistrates and judges to provide justice to all the people west of the Euphrates—all those who follow the laws of your God. You are to teach these laws to those who do not.
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 be to death, or to banishment, or to confiscation of goods, or to imprisonment.
Anyone who does not keep the law of your God and the law of the king, will be severely punished, either by death, banishment, seizure of property, or imprisonment.”
27 Blessed be YHWH, the God of our fathers, who has put such a thing as this in the king's heart, to beautify the house of YHWH which is in Jerusalem;
Praise the Lord, the God of our forefathers, who put into the king's mind to honor the Lord's Temple in Jerusalem in this way,
28 and has extended loving kindness to me before the king, and his counselors, and before all the king's powerful officers. I was strengthened according to the hand of YHWH my God on me, and I gathered together out of Israel chief men to go up with me.
and who has shown me such kindness by honoring me before the king, his counselors, and all his high officials. Because the Lord my God was with me, I was encouraged and called together the leaders of Israel to return to Jerusalem with me.
