Ezra 7

1After these things, in the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Ezra son of Seraiah, son of Azariah, son of Hilkiah—

2son of Shallum, son of Zadok, son of Ahitub—

3son of Amariah, son of Azariah, son of Meraioth,

4son of Zerahiah, son of Uzzi, son of Bukki,

5son of Abishua, son of Phinehas, son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the chief priest.

6This Ezra went up from Babylon, and 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 the hand of Yahweh his God upon him.

7And some of the sons of Israel, and some of the priests, and the Levites, and the singers, and the gatekeepers, and the temple servants went up to Jerusalem in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes.

8And he came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was the seventh year of the king.

9For on the first day of the first month he began the journey up from Babylon, and on the first day of the fifth month he came to Jerusalem, according to the good hand of his God upon him.

10For Ezra had set his heart to seek the Law of Yahweh, and to do it, and to teach statutes and judgments in Israel.

11This is the copy of the document that King Artaxerxes gave to Ezra the priest, the scribe, a scribe of the words of the commandments of Yahweh and of his statutes for Israel:

12Artaxerxes, king of kings, to Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven: complete peace. And now—

13A decree is issued by me that anyone in my kingdom from the people of Israel, and their priests and Levites, who freely offers himself to go to Jerusalem with you, may go.

14because you are sent from before the king and his seven counselors to inquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem according to the law of your God that is in your hand.

15and to bring the silver and gold that the king and his counselors have freely offered to the God of Israel, whose dwelling is in Jerusalem,

16and all the silver and gold that you find in all the province of Babylon, together with the freewill offering of the people and the priests, who are freely offering for the house of their God that is in Jerusalem.

17Therefore you shall diligently buy with this silver bulls, rams, lambs, along with their grain offerings and their drink offerings, and you shall offer them on the altar of the house of your God that is in Jerusalem.

18And whatever seems good to you and your brothers to do with the rest of the silver and the gold, do according to the will of your God.

19And the vessels that are given to you for the service of the house of your God, deliver in full before the God of Jerusalem.

20And whatever other need of the house of your God falls to you to provide, you shall provide it from the house of the king’s treasuries.

21And from me, I, King Artaxerxes, issue a decree to all the treasurers in Beyond the River: whatever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven, asks of you, let it be done diligently.

22up 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 limit.

23Whatever is commanded by the God of heaven, let it be done diligently for the house of the God of heaven, lest wrath come upon the kingdom of the king and his sons.

24And we make known to you that it is not permitted to impose tribute, tax, or toll on any of the priests, Levites, singers, gatekeepers, temple servants, or servants of this house of God.

25And 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—all who know the laws of your God; and those who do not know them, you shall teach.

26And anyone who will not obey the law of your God and the law of the king, let judgment be executed on him promptly, whether for death, or for banishment, or for confiscation of goods, or for imprisonment.

27Blessed be Yahweh, the God of our fathers, who put this into the king’s heart, to beautify the house of Yahweh that is in Jerusalem,

28and who extended steadfast love to me before the king and his counselors and all the king’s mighty officials. And I took courage, because the hand of Yahweh my God was upon me, and I gathered leading men from Israel to go up with me.