 1 After this, in the reign of King Artaxerxes of Persia, came 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 from Babylon and was a ready scribe in the law of Moses that the Lord God of Israel had given. The king granted him all he asked, according to the hand of the Lord his God on him. 7 Some of the children of Israel and the priests and Levites and singers and gatekeepers and temple slaves went to Jerusalem in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes. 8 He came to Jerusalem in the fifth month in the seventh year of the king. 9 On the first of the first month, he began to go from Babylon and on the first of the fifth month he came to Jerusalem, according to the good hand of his God on him. 10 For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the Lord and to do it and to teach statutes and judgments in Israel. 11 This is the copy of the letter that King Artaxerxes gave to Ezra the scribe, a scribe of the words of the commandments of the Lord and of His statutes to Israel. 12 Artaxerxes, king of kings, to Ezra the priest, a scribe of the law of the God of Heaven, perfect peace, and now: 13 From me was made a decree that everyone of the people of Israel, and their priests and Levites in my kingdom, who desire of their own free will to go up to Jerusalem, go with you; 14 since you have been sent by the king, and by his seven counselors to ask about Judah and Jerusalem, according to the law of your God in your hand; 15 and to carry the silver and gold that the king and his counselors have freely offered to the God of Israel, whose house is in Jerusalem, 16 and all the silver and gold that you can find in all the province of Babylon, with the free will offering of the people and of the priests, offering willingly for the house of their God in Jerusalem. 17 Before all this, you shall diligently buy with this money, bulls, rams, lambs, with their food offerings and their drink offerings, and offer them on the altar of the house of your God in Jerusalem. 18 Whatever seems good to you and to your brothers to do with the rest of the silver and the gold, do that after the will of your God. 19 Also the vessels that are given to you for the service of the house of your God, deliver them before the God of Jerusalem. 20 Whatever more is needed for the house of God that you need to give, give it out of the king's treasure house. 21 I King Artaxerxes make a decree to all the treasurers who are beyond the river, that whatever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the God of Heaven, asks of you, it shall be done exactly 22 to 100 talents of silver and to 100 measures of wheat and to 100 baths of wine and to 100 baths of oil and salt without saying. 23 Whatever is commanded by the God of Heaven, let it be carefully done for the house of the God of Heaven for why should there be wrath against the realm of the king and his sons? 24 Also, we notify you, that in regard to any of the priests and the Levites, singers, gatekeepers, temple slaves, or ministers of this house of God, it shall not be lawful to impose toll, taxes, or custom on them. 25 Now, Ezra, after the wisdom of your God that is in your hand, set officers and judges who may judge all the people who are Beyond the River, all who know the laws of your God. And teach them who do not know. 26 Whoever will not do the law of your God, and the law of the king, let judgment be executed speedily on him, whether it is to death, or to exile, or to confiscation of goods, or imprisonment. 27 Blessed be the Lord God of our fathers, who has put this in the king's heart, to beautify the house of the Lord in Jerusalem, 28 and has extended mercy before the king and his counselors and before all the king's mighty princes. And I was made strong as the hand of the Lord my God was on me, and I gathered out of Israel chief men to go up with me.
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