Ezr 7:1Now after these things, in the reign of Artaxerxes the king of Persia, Ezra the son of Seraiah, the son of Azariah, the son of Hilkiah,
Ezr 7:2The son of Shallum, the son of Zadok, the son of Ahitub,
Ezr 7:3The son of Amariah, the son of Azariah, the son of Meraioth,
Ezr 7:4The son of Zerahiah, the son of Uzzi, the son of Bukki,
Ezr 7:5The son of Abishua, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the chief priest;
Ezr 7:6This Ezra went up from Babylon, and he was a scribe skilled 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 upon him.
Ezr 7:7Some of the children of Israel and some of the priests, and the Levites and the singers and the gatekeepers and the temple servants also went up to Jerusalem in the seventh year of Artaxerxes the king.
Ezr 7:8And he came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the king;
Ezr 7:9For 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 upon him.
Ezr 7:10For Ezra had set his heart to seek the law of Jehovah and to do it and to teach His statutes and ordinances in Israel.
Ezr 7:11Now this is the copy of the letter that King Artaxerxes gave to Ezra the priest, the scribe, a scribe of the words of the commandments of Jehovah and of His statutes for Israel:
Ezr 7:12Artaxerxes, the king of kings, to Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven, perfect peace. And now
Ezr 7:13I make a decree that any of the people of Israel and their priests and the Levites in my kingdom who offer themselves willingly to go to Jerusalem may go with you.
Ezr 7:14Inasmuch as you have been sent by the king and his seven counselors to inquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem according to the law of your God, which is in your hand,
Ezr 7:15And to carry the silver and gold, which the king and his counselors have offered willingly to the God of Israel, whose dwelling is in Jerusalem,
Ezr 7:16As well as all the silver and gold that you shall find in the whole province of Babylon, with the freewill offering of the people and the priests, who offered willingly for the house of their God, which is in Jerusalem;
Ezr 7:17With this money therefore you shall with all diligence buy bulls, rams, lambs, with their meal offerings and their drink offerings; and you shall offer them on the altar of the house of your God, which is in Jerusalem.
Ezr 7:18And whatever seems good to you and to your brothers to do with the rest of the silver and the gold, you may do according to the will of your God.
Ezr 7:19And the vessels that are given to you for the service of the house of your God, deliver in full before the God of Jerusalem.
Ezr 7:20And the rest of the needs for the house of your God, which you have occasion to provide, you may provide for it out of the king’s treasure house.
Ezr 7:21And I, even I, Artaxerxes the king, make a decree to all the treasurers who are in the province 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,
Ezr 7:22Up 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 prescribing how much.
Ezr 7:23Whatever is commanded by the God of heaven, let it be done exactly for the house of the God of heaven. For why should wrath come upon the kingdom of the king and his sons?
Ezr 7:24We also inform you that it shall not be lawful to impose tribute, taxes, or tolls upon any of the priests and Levites, the singers, gatekeepers, temple servants, or servants of this house of God.
Ezr 7:25And 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 in the province beyond the River, all those who know the laws of your God; and teach anyone who does not know them.
Ezr 7:26And everyone who will not observe the law of your God and the law of the king, let judgment be executed upon him with all diligence, whether to death or to banishment or to confiscation of goods or to imprisonment.
Ezr 7:27Blessed be Jehovah, the God of our fathers, who has put such a thing as this into the king’s heart, to beautify the house of Jehovah, which is in Jerusalem,
Ezr 7:28And has extended lovingkindness to me before the king and his counselors, and before all the mighty officers of the king. And I was strengthened according to the hand of Jehovah my God upon me, and I gathered together out of Israel leading men to go up with me.
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