[1] Now after these things, when Artaxerxes was king of Persia, Ezra, the
son of Seraiah, the son of Azariah, the son of Hilkiah, [2] The son of
Shallum, the son of Zadok, the son of Ahitub, [3] The son of Amariah, the
son of Azariah, the son of Meraioth, [4] The son of Zerahiah, 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: [6] This Ezra went up
from Babylon; and he was a scribe, expert in the law of Moses which the
Lord, the God of Israel, had given: and the king, moved by the Lord his
God, gave him whatever he made request for. [7] And some of the children of
Israel went up, with some of the priests and the Levites and the
music-makers and the door-keepers and the Nethinim, to Jerusalem, in the
seventh year of Artaxerxes the king. [8] And he came to Jerusalem in the
fifth month, in the seventh year of the king's rule. [9] For, starting his
journey from Babylon on the first day of the first month, he came to
Jerusalem on the first day of the fifth month, by the good help of his God.
[10] For Ezra had given his mind to learning the law of the Lord and doing
it, and to teaching his rules and decisions in Israel. [11] Now this is a
copy of the letter which King Artaxerxes gave to Ezra, the priest and the
scribe, who put into writing the words of the orders of the Lord, and of
his rules for Israel: [12] Artaxerxes, king of kings, to Ezra the priest,
scribe of the law of the God of heaven, all peace; [13] And now it is my
order that all those of the people of Israel, and their priests and Levites
in my kingdom, who are ready and have a desire to go to Jerusalem, are to
go with you. [14] Because you are sent by the king and his seven wise men,
to get knowledge about Judah and Jerusalem, as you are ordered by the law
of your God which is in your hand; [15] And to take with you the silver and
gold freely offered by the king and his wise men to the God of Israel,
whose Temple is in Jerusalem, [16] As well as all the silver and gold which
you get from the land of Babylon, together with the offering of the people
and of the priests, freely given for the house of their God, which is in
Jerusalem: [17] So with this money get with care oxen, sheep, and lambs,
with their meal offerings and their drink offerings, to be offered on the
altar of the house of your God, which is in Jerusalem. [18] And whatever
seems right to you and to your brothers to do with the rest of the silver
and gold, that do, as may be pleasing to your God. [19] And the vessels
which have been given to you for the uses of the house of your God, you are
to give to the God of Jerusalem. [20] And whatever more is needed for the
house of your God, and which you may have to give, take it from the king's
store-house. [21] And I, even I, Artaxerxes the king, now give orders to
all keepers of the king's money across the river, that whatever Ezra the
priest, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven, may have need of from
you, is to be done with all care, [22] Up to a hundred talents of silver, a
hundred measures of grain, a hundred measures of wine, and a hundred
measures of oil, and salt without measure. [23] Whatever is ordered by the
God of heaven, let it be done completely for the house of the God of
heaven; so that there may not be wrath against the kingdom of the king and
his sons. [24] In addition, we make it clear to you, that it will be
against the law to put any tax or payment in goods or forced payment on any
of the priests or Levites, the music-makers, door-keepers, Nethinim, or any
servants of this house of God. [25] And you, Ezra, by the wisdom of your
God which is in you, are to put rulers and judges to have authority over
all the people across the river who have knowledge of the laws of your God;
and you are to give teaching to him who has no knowledge of them. [26] And
if anyone does not keep the law of your God and the law of the king, take
care that punishment is given to him, by death or by driving him from his
country or by taking away his goods or by putting him in prison. [27]
Praise be to the Lord, the God of our fathers, who has put such a thing
into the heart of the king, to make fair the house of the Lord which is in
Jerusalem; [28] And has given mercy to me before the king and his
government and before all the king's great captains. And I was made strong
by the hand of the Lord my God which was on me, and I got together out of
Israel chief men to go up with me.
