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,
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,
2 the son of Shallum, the son of Zadok, the son of Ahitub,
The son of Shallum, the son of Zadok, the son of Achitub,
3 the son of Amariah, the son of Azariah, the son of Meraioth,
The son of Amaryah, the son of 'Azaryah, the son of Merayoth,
4 the son of Zerahiah, the son of Uzzi, the son of Bukki,
The son of Zerachyah, the son of 'Uzzi, the son of Bukki,
5 the son of Abishua, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the chief priest—
The son of Abishua', the son of Phinehas, the son of Elazar, the son of Aaron the chief priest:
6 this Ezra went up from Babylon. He was a skilled scribe in the Torah of Moses, which the LORD, the God of Israel, had given; and the king granted him all his request, according to the LORD his God’s hand on him.
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.
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.
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.
8 He came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the king.
And he came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in 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 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.
10 For Ezra had set his heart to seek the LORD’s law, and to do it, and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel.
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.
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 the LORD’s commandments, and of his statutes to Israel:
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.
12 Artaxerxes, king of kings, To Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the perfect God of heaven. Now
Artaxerxes, the king of kings, unto 'Ezra the priest, the expounder of the law of the God of heaven, the perfect, 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.
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:
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 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;
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 counsellors have freely offered unto the God of Israel, whose habitation is in Jerusalem.
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 [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.
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 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.
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 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.
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 vessels which have been given unto thee for the service of the house of thy God, deliver thou 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 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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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 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?
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 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.
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 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.
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.
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.
27 Blessed be the LORD, the God of our fathers, who has put such a thing as this in the king’s heart, to beautify the LORD’s house which is in Jerusalem;
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;
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 the LORD my God’s hand on me, and I gathered together chief men out of Israel to go up with me.
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.
