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 Artaxerxes 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. He was a skilled scribe in the law 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.
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.
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.
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, according to the good hand of his God 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 LORD’s law, and to do it, and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel.
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 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:
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:
Artaxerxes, king of kings, To Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the perfect God of heaven. Now
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 intend 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 by the king and his seven counsellors to enquire 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 counsellors 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 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.
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, 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.
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 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.
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 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.
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, 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,
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;
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.
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 it shall not be lawful to impose tribute, custom, or toll on any of the priests, Levites, singers, gatekeepers, temple servants, or labourers of this house of God.
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, 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.
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 judgement be executed on him with all diligence, whether it is 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 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;
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 counsellors, 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.
