Ezra 7
1 Now after these things, in the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Ezra the son of Seraiah, the son of Azariah, the son of Hilkiah,
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 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 Eliazar, son of Aaron the first priest; —
6 this Ezra went up from Babylon. He was a skilled scribe in the law of Moses, which Yahweh, the God of Israel, had given; and the king granted him all his request, according to Yahweh his God’s hand on him.
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 Some of the children of Israel, including some of the priests, the Levites, the singers, the gatekeepers, and the temple servants went up to Jerusalem in the seventh year of Artaxerxes the king.
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 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 he began to go up from Babylon; and on the first day of the fifth month he came to Jerusalem, according to the good hand of his God on 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 set his heart to seek Yahweh’s law, and to do it, and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel.
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 that King Artaxerxes gave to Ezra the priest, the scribe, even the scribe of the words of Yahweh’s commandments, and of his statutes to 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, king of kings, To Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the perfect God of heaven. Now
Artaxerxes, king of kings, Unto Ezra the priest, scribe of the law of the God of the heavens—To despatch and so forth.
13 I make a decree that all those of the people of Israel and their priests and the Levites in my realm, who intend of their own free will to go to Jerusalem, go with you.
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 Because you are sent by the king and his seven counselors to inquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem, according to the law of your God which is in your 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 counselors have freely offered to 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 the silver and gold that you will find in all the province of Babylon, with the free will offering of the people and of the priests, offering 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 you shall with all diligence buy with this money bulls, rams, and 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.
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 Whatever seems good to you and to your brothers to do with the rest of the silver and the gold, do that 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 The vessels that are given to you for the service of the house of your God, deliver 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 Whatever more will be needed for the house of your God, which you may have occasion to give, give it 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 I, even I, Artaxerxes the king, 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, requires of you, it shall be done with all diligence,
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 to one hundred cors of wheat, and to one hundred baths of wine, and to one hundred baths of oil, and salt without prescribing how much.
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 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?
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 Also we inform you that it shall not be lawful to impose tribute, custom, or toll on any of the priests, Levites, singers, gatekeepers, temple servants, or laborers of this house of God.
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 You, Ezra, according to the wisdom of your God that is in your hand, appoint magistrates and judges who may judge all the people who are beyond the River, who all know the laws of your God; and teach him who doesn’t know them.
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 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 is to death, or to banishment, or to confiscation of 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 Yahweh, the God of our fathers, who has put such a thing as this in the king’s heart, to beautify Yahweh’s house 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 has extended loving kindness to me before the king and his counselors, and before all the king’s mighty princes. I was strengthened according to Yahweh my God’s hand on me, and I gathered together chief men out of Israel 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.
