Ezra 7
1 And after these things, in the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Ezra son of Seraiah, son of Azariah, son of 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 son of Shallum, son of Zadok, son of Ahitub,
the son of Shallum, the son of Zadok, the son of Ahitub,
3 son of Amariah, son of Azariah, son of Meraioth,
the son of Amariah, the son of Azariah, the son of Meraioth,
4 son of Zerahiah, son of Uzzi, son of Bukki,
the son of Zerahiah, the son of Uzzi, the son of Bukki,
5 son of Abishua, son of Phinehas, son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the head priest;
the son of Abishua, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the chief priest;
6 Ezra himself hath come up from Babylon, and he [is] a scribe ready in the law of Moses, that Jehovah God of Israel gave, and the king giveth to him — according to the hand of Jehovah his God upon him — all his request.
this Ezra went up from Babylon: and he was a ready scribe in the law of Moses, which Jehovah, the God of Israel, had given; and the king granted him all his request, according to the hand of Jehovah his God on him.
7 And there go up of the sons of Israel, and of the priests, and the Levites, and the singers, and the gatekeepers, and the Nethinim, unto Jerusalem, in the seventh year of Artaxerxes the king.
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 And he cometh in to Jerusalem in the fifth month, that [is in] the seventh year of the king,
He came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the king.
9 for on the first of the month he hath founded the ascent from Babylon, and on the first of the fifth month he hath come in unto Jerusalem, according to the good hand of his God upon 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 for Ezra hath prepared his heart to seek the law of Jehovah, and to do, and to teach in Israel statute and judgment.
For Ezra had set his heart to seek the law of Jehovah, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and ordinances.
11 And this [is] a copy of the letter that the king Artaxerxes gave to Ezra the priest, the scribe, a scribe of the words of the commands of Jehovah, and of His statutes on 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 Jehovah, and of his statutes to Israel:
12 'Artaxerxes, king of kings, to Ezra the priest, a perfect scribe of the law of the God of heaven, and at such a time:
Artachshasta, king of kings, to Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven, perfect and so forth.
13 By me hath been made a decree that every one who is willing, in my kingdom, of the people of Israel and of its priests and Levites, to go to Jerusalem with thee, doth go;
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 because that from the king and his seven counsellors thou art sent, to inquire concerning Judah and concerning Jerusalem, with the law of God that [is] in thy 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 and to carry silver and gold that the king and his counsellors willingly offered to the God of Israel, whose tabernacle [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 and all the silver and gold that thou findest in all the province of Babylon, with the free-will offerings of the people, and of the priests, offering willingly, for the house of their God that [is] 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 therefore thou dost speedily buy with this money, bullocks, rams, lambs, and their presents, and their libations, and dost bring them near to the altar of the house of your God that [is] 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 and that which to thee and to thy brethren is good to do with the rest of the silver and gold, according to the will of your God ye do.'
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 'And the vessels that are given to thee, for the service of the house of thy God, make perfect before the God of Jerusalem;
The vessels that are given to you for the service of the house of your God, deliver before the God of Jerusalem.
20 and the rest of the needful things of the house of thy God, that it falleth to thee to give, thou dost give from the treasure-house of the king.
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 'And by me — I Artaxerxes the king — is made a decree to all treasurers who [are] beyond the river, that all that Ezra the priest, scribe of the law of the God of heaven, doth ask of you, be done speedily:
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 Unto silver a hundred talents, and unto wheat a hundred cors, and unto wine a hundred baths, and unto oil a hundred baths, and salt without reckoning;
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 all that [is] by the decree of the God of heaven, let be done diligently for the house of the God of heaven; for why is there wrath against the kingdom of the king and his 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 'And to you we are making known, that upon any of the priests and Levites, singers, gatekeepers, Nethinim, and servants of the house of God, tribute and custom there is no authority to lift up.
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 'And thou, Ezra, according to the wisdom of thy God, that [is] in thy hand, appoint magistrates and judges who may be judges to all the people who are beyond the river, to all knowing the law of thy God, and he who hath not known ye cause to know;
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 and any who doth not do the law of thy God, and the law of the king, speedily is judgment done upon him, whether to death, or to banishment, or to confiscation of riches, and to bonds.'
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 Blessed [is] Jehovah, God of our fathers, who hath given such a thing as this in the heart of the king, to beautify the house of Jehovah that [is] in Jerusalem,
Blessed be Jehovah, the God of our fathers, who has put such a thing as this in the king's heart, to beautify the house of Jehovah which is in Jerusalem;
28 and unto me hath stretched out kindness before the king and his counsellors, and before all the mighty heads of the king: and I have strengthened myself as the hand of Jehovah my God [is] upon me, and I gather out of Israel heads to go up 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 Jehovah my God on me, and I gathered together out of Israel chief men to go up with me.
