Ezra 7

¹ After these things, in the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Ezra son of Seraiah, son of Azariah, son of Hilkiah, ² son of Shallum, son of Zadok, son of Ahitub, ³ son of Amariah, son of Azariah, son of Meraioth, ⁴ son of Zerahiah, son of Uzzi, son of Bukki, ⁵ son of Abishua, son of Phinehas, son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the principal priest - ⁶ that Ezra himself came up from Babylon. He was a scribe expert in the law of Moses that Yahweh Elohim of Israel had given. And the king granted him all his request, according to the hand of Yahweh his Elohim on him. ⁷ Some of the sons of Israel and some of the priests, the Levites and the singers, the gatekeepers and the Nethinim also came up to Jerusalem in the seventh year of king Artaxerxes. ⁸ They came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, that is, in the seventh year of the king. ⁹ For on day one of the first month this Ezra had deliberately determined the departure from Babylon; and on day one of the fifth month he came to Jerusalem, according to the good hand of his Elohim on him. ¹⁰ For Ezra himself had prepared his heart to inquire of the law of Yahweh and to observe it and to teach in Israel statute and right judgment. ¹¹ Now this is a transcript of the dispatch that king Artaxerxes gave Ezra the priest and scribe, a scholar in matters concerning the instructions of Yahweh and His statutes for Israel. ¹² Artaxerxes king of kings, to Ezra the priest, scholar in the edict of the Eloah of the heavens. Peace being perfected! And nowh ¹³ a decree is being promulgated from me, that anyone in my kingdom who is from the people of Israel and its priests and Levites and who is willing to go to Jerusalem with you, may go. ¹⁴ Forasmuch as you are being sent from before the king and his seven counselors to make a quest about Judah and Jerusalem in accord with the edict of your Eloah which is under your hand, ¹⁵ and to transfer the silver and gold that the king and his counselors have voluntarily given to the Eloah of Israel Whose tabernacle is in Jerusalem, ¹⁶ together with all the silver and gold that you may obtain in the whole province of Babylon along with the voluntary offering that the people and the priests are willingly giving to the House of their Eloah in Jerusalem. ¹⁷ Wherefore you shall buy promptly with this money bulls, rams, lambs their approach presents and their libations; and you shall offer them on the altar of the House of your Eloah in Jerusalem. ¹⁸ Whatever may seem good to you and to your brothers to do with the rest of the silver and the gold, you may do according to the decision of your Eloah. ¹⁹ The vessels that are provided for you for the service of the House of your Eloah, convey them before the Eloah in Jerusalem. ²⁰ The remaining requirements for the House of your Eloah which it falls to you to provide, you may provide from the king's house of depositories. ²¹ Now from me, king Artaxerxes, a decree is being promulgated to all the treasurers in the province Beyond-the-Stream, that everything that Ezra the priest, scholar in the edict of the Eloah of the heavens, may request from you, should be done promptly, ²² up to a hundred talents of silver, up to a hundred cors of wheat, up to a hundred baths of turbid wine, up to a hundred baths of oil, and salt without prescribed limit. ²³ Let all that is by the command of the Eloah of the heavens be done diligently for the House of the Eloah of the heavens, lest there be wrath against the realm of the king and his sons. ²⁴ And let it be known to you treasurers: As for any of the priests and the Levites, the musicians, the gatekeepers, the Nethinim and others serving at this House of Eloah, you have no authority to impose tribute, tax or toll on them. ²⁵ And you, Ezra, by the wisdom of your Eloah that is in your hand, assign judges and adjudicators who shall be adjudicating all the people in the province Beyond-the-Stream, all who are knowing the edicts of your Eloah; and you all shall teach anyone who does not know them. ²⁶ As for everyone who is not obeying the edict of your Eloah and the edict of the king, adjudication shall be promptly done to him, whether by death or by banishment, whether by a fine from his resources or by imprisonment. ²⁷ Blessed be Yahweh Elohim of our fathers, Who has put such as this into the heart of the king to beautify the House of Yahweh in Jerusalem. ²⁸ And He has stretched out kindness toward me from before the king and his counselors and all the masterful chiefs of the king. So I encouraged myself according to the hand of Yahweh my Elohim on me, and I convened the heads out of Israel to go up with me.