Old Testament · Ezra

Ezra 7

Ezra Arrives in Jerusalem

1And after 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 priest, the head — 6this Ezra went up from Babylon, and he was a skilled scribe in the Torah of Moses, which the LORD the God of Israel had given; and the king gave to him, according to the hand of the LORD his God upon him, all his request. 7And there went up some of the sons of Israel, and of the priests, and the Levites, and the singers, and the gatekeepers, and the Nethinim, to Jerusalem, in the seventh year of Artaxerxes the king.

8And he came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, that is in the seventh year of the king. 9For on the first of the first month it was the founding of the going up from Babylon, and on the first 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 Torah of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statute^a and judgment^b.

Artaxerxes’ Letter for Ezra

11And this is the copy of the letter that the king Artaxerxes gave to Ezra the priest, the scribe, a scribe of the words of the commandments^c of the LORD and his statutes^d over Israel:

12Artaxerxes, king of kings, to Ezra the priest, scribe of the decree^e of the God of heaven, complete. And now:

13From me a decree is made, that everyone in my kingdom of the people of Israel and their priests and Levites who freely offers to go to Jerusalem with you, let him go. 14Forasmuch as you are sent from before the king and his seven counselors, to inquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem, according to the decree of your God which is in your hand;

15and to carry silver and gold, which 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, with the freewill offering of the people and the priests, offering willingly for the house of their God which is in Jerusalem; 17therefore with this money you shall diligently buy bulls, rams, lambs, with their meal offerings and their drink offerings, and offer them upon the altar of the house of your God which is in Jerusalem. 18And whatever seems good to you and to your brothers to do with the rest of the silver and the gold, you shall 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 the rest of the needs of the house of your God, which falls to you to give, you shall give from the treasure house of the king.

21And from me, I Artaxerxes the king, a decree is made to all the treasurers who are beyond the River, that whatever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the decree of the God of heaven, shall ask of you, let it be done diligently, 22up to a hundred talents of silver, and up to a hundred kors of wheat, and up to a hundred baths of wine, and up to a hundred baths of oil, and salt without prescribing. 23Whatever is by the command of 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? 24And we make known to you, that upon any of the priests and Levites, the singers, gatekeepers, Nethinim, or servants of this house of God, it shall not be lawful to impose tribute, tax, or toll upon them.

25And you, Ezra, according to the wisdom of your God which is in your hand, appoint magistrates and judges, who shall be judging all the people who are beyond the River, all who know the decrees of your God; and whoever does not know, you shall teach. 26And whoever does not do the decree of your God and the decree of the king, let judgment^f be done upon him diligently, whether for death, or for banishment, or for confiscation of goods, or for imprisonment.

Ezra Blesses God

27Blessed be the LORD, the God of our fathers, who has put such a thing as this in the heart of the king, to beautify the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem; 28and has extended kindness to me before the king and his counselors and before all the mighty princes of the king. And I strengthened myself according to the hand of the LORD my God upon me, and I gathered out of Israel heads to go up with me.