Ezra 7
1 Now after this, during the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Ezra came up from Babylon. Ezra's ancestors were Seraiah, Azariah, Hilkiah,
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,
2 Shallum, Zadok, Ahitub,
the son of Shallum, the son of Zadok, the son of Ahitub,
3 Amariah, Azariah, Meraioth,
the son of Amariah, the son of Azariah, the son of Meraioth,
4 Zerahiah, Uzzi, Bukki,
the son of Zerahiah, the son of Uzzi, the son of Bukki,
5 Abishua, Phinehas, Eleazar, who was son of Aaron the high priest.
the son of Abishua, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the chief priest;
6 Ezra came up from Babylon and he was a skilled scribe in the law of Moses that Yahweh, the God of Israel, had given. The king gave him anything he asked since the hand of Yahweh was with him.
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.
7 Some of the descendants of Israel and the priests, Levites, temple singers, gatekeepers, and those assigned to serve in the temple also went up to Jerusalem in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes.
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.
8 He arrived in Jerusalem in the fifth month of the same year.
He came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the king.
9 He left Babylon on the first day of the first month. It was on the first day of the fifth month that he arrived in Jerusalem, since the good hand of God was with him.
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.
10 Ezra had established his heart to study, carry out, and teach the statutes and decrees of the law of Yahweh.
For Ezra had set his heart to seek the law of YHWH, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and ordinances.
11 This was the decree that King Artaxerxes gave Ezra the priest and scribe of Yahweh's commandments and statutes for Israel:
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:
12 “The King of kings Artaxerxes, to the priest Ezra, a scribe of the law of the God of heaven:
Artachshasta, king of kings, to Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven, perfect and so forth.
13 I am ordering that anyone from Israel in my kingdom along with their priests and Levites who desires to go to Jerusalem, may go with you.
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.
14 I, the king, and my seven counselors, send you all out to inquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem according to God's law, which is in your hand.
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,
15 You are to bring the silver and gold that they have freely offered to the God of Israel, whose dwelling is in Jerusalem.
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,
16 Freely give all the silver and gold that all of Babylon has given along with what is freely offered by the people and the priests for the house of God in Jerusalem.
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;
17 So buy in full the oxen, rams and lambs, and grain and drink offerings. Offer them on the altar that is in the house of your God in Jerusalem.
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.
18 Do with the rest of the silver and gold whatever seems good to you and your brothers, to please your God.
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.
19 Place the objects that were freely given to you before him for the service of the house of your God in Jerusalem.
The vessels that are given to you for the service of the house of your God, deliver before the God of Jerusalem.
20 Anything else that is needed for the house of your God that you require, take its cost from my treasury.
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.
21 I, King Artaxerxes, make a decree to all the treasurers in the Province Beyond the River, that anything that Ezra asks from you should be given in full,
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,
22 up to one hundred silver talents, one hundred cors of grain, one hundred baths of wine, and one hundred baths of oil, also salt without limit.
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.
23 Anything that comes from the decree of the God of Heaven, do it with devotion for his house. For why should his wrath come upon the kingdom of me and my sons?
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?
24 We are informing them about you not to impose any tribute or taxes on any of the priests, Levites, musicians, gatekeepers, or on the people assigned to the service of the temple and servants of the house of this God.
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.
25 Ezra, with the wisdom that God has given you, you must appoint judges and magistrates to judge all the people in the Province Beyond the River, and to serve all who know the laws of your God. You must also teach those who do not know the law.
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.
26 Punish anyone who does not fully obey God's law or the king's law, whether by death, banishment, confiscation of their goods, or imprisonment.
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.
27 Praise Yahweh, our ancestors' God, who placed all this into the king's heart to glorify Yahweh's house in Jerusalem,
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;
28 and who extended covenant faithfulness to me before the king, his counselors, and all his powerful officials. I have been strengthened by the hand of Yahweh my God, and I gathered leaders from Israel to go with me.
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.
