Ezra 7
1 Now, after these things, in the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Ezra, —son of Seraiah, son of Azariah, 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 son of Shallum, son of Zadok, son of Ahitub;
son of Shallum, son of Zadok, son of Ahitub,
3 son of Amariah, son of Azariah, son of Meraioth;
son of Amariah, son of Azariah, son of Meraioth,
4 son of Zerahiah, son of Uzzi, son of Bukki;
son of Zerahiah, son of Uzzi, son of Bukki,
5 son of Abishua, son of Phinehas, son of Eliazar, son of Aaron the first priest; —
son of Abishua, son of Phinehas, son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the high priest.
6 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.
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 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.
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 And he entered Jerusalem, in the fifth month, —the same, was 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 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.
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 settled his heart, to study the law of Yahweh, and to do [it], —and to teach in Israel, statute and regulation.
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 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: —
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 Artaxerxes, king of kings, Unto Ezra the priest, scribe of the law of the God of the heavens—To despatch and so forth.
“Artaxerxes, king of kings, to Ezra the priest, the scribe of the Law of the God of heaven: Greetings.
13 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.
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 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;
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 unto the God of Israel, who, in Jerusalem, hath his habitation;
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 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,
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, 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;
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 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.
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 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.
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 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.
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 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:
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 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.
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 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?
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 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.
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 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.
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 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.
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 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;
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, 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.
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.
