Ezra 7

1After these things, during 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. He was a scribe skilled in the law of Moses, which Yahweh the God of Israel had given. The king granted him everything he asked, for the hand of Yahweh his God was on him.

7Some of the Israelites, and some of the priests, Levites, singers, gatekeepers, and temple servants, also went up to Jerusalem in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes.

8Ezra came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, in the seventh year of the king.

9For on the first day of the first month he had begun the journey up from Babylon, and on the first day of the fifth month he arrived in Jerusalem, for the good hand of his God was on him.

10For Ezra had set his heart to study the law of Yahweh, to do it, and to teach its statutes and ordinances in Israel.

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

12“Artaxerxes, king of kings, to Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven: Greetings. And now:

13I issue a decree that anyone in my kingdom from the people of Israel or their priests or the Levites who freely chooses to go to Jerusalem with you may go.

14For you are sent by the king and his seven counselors to inquire about Judah and Jerusalem according to the law of your God, which is in your hand,

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

16along with all the silver and gold that you find in the whole province of Babylon, and with the freewill offerings of the people and the priests, given freely for the house of their God in Jerusalem.

17With this money, then, you are to be careful to buy bulls, rams, and lambs, with their grain offerings and drink offerings, and offer them on the altar of the house of your God in Jerusalem.

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

19The articles given to you for the service of the house of your God, deliver in full before the God of Jerusalem.

20And whatever else is needed for the house of your God, which falls to you to provide, you may provide from the royal treasury.

21I, King Artaxerxes, issue a decree to all the treasurers in the province Beyond the River: whatever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven, asks of you is to be done diligently,

22up to one hundred talents of silver, one hundred cors of wheat, one hundred baths of wine, one hundred baths of olive oil, and salt without limit.

23Whatever is commanded by the God of heaven is to be done in full for the house of the God of heaven. Why should wrath come upon the realm of the king and his sons?

24We also inform you that you have no authority to impose tribute, duty, or toll on any of the priests, Levites, singers, gatekeepers, temple servants, or other workers at this house of God.

25And you, Ezra, according to the wisdom of your God that is in your hand, appoint magistrates and judges to judge all the people in the province Beyond the River, all who know the laws of your God. And you are to teach anyone who does not know them.

26Whoever does not obey the law of your God and the law of the king, let judgment be strictly carried out on him, whether death, banishment, confiscation of property, or imprisonment.”

27Blessed be Yahweh, the God of our ancestors, who has put such a thing as this into the king’s heart, to beautify the house of Yahweh in Jerusalem,

28and who has shown me steadfast love before the king and his counselors and all the king’s powerful officials. I took courage, for the hand of Yahweh my God was on me, and I gathered leaders from Israel to go up with me.