Ezra 7

Ezra Journeys from Babylon to Jerusalem

11Now after these things, in the reign of 2Artaxerxes king of Persia, Ezra went up to Jerusalem; Ezra was the 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 chief priest. 6So this Ezra went up from Babylon, and he was a 3scribe skilled in the Law of Moses, which the Lord God of Israel had given; and the king granted him all 4he requested 5because the hand of the Lord his God was upon him. 76Some of the sons of Israel and some of the priests, the Levites, the singers, the gatekeepers, and the temple servants went up to Jerusalem in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes.

8And he came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the king. 9For on the first day of the first month he began to go up from Babylon; and on the first of the fifth month he came to Jerusalem, 7because the good hand of his God was upon him. 10For Ezra had 8firmly resolved to study the Law of the Lord and to practice it, and 9to teach His statutes and ordinances in Israel.

King’s Decree on Behalf of Ezra

11Now this is the copy of the letter which King Artaxerxes gave to Ezra the priest, the scribe, 10learned in the words of the commandments of the Lord and His statutes to Israel: 12“11Artaxerxes, 12king of kings, to Ezra the priest, the scribe of the Law of the God of heaven, 13perfect peace. And now 1314I have issued a decree that any of the people of Israel and their priests and the Levites in my kingdom who are willing to go to Jerusalem, may go with you. 14Since you are sent 15on the part of the king and his 16seven advisers to inquire about Judah and Jerusalem according to the Law of your God which is in your hand, 15and to bring the silver and gold, which the king and his advisers have voluntarily given to the God of Israel, 17whose dwelling is in Jerusalem, 16with 18all the silver and gold which you find in the entire province of Babylon, along 19with the 20voluntary offering of the people and of the priests, who 21offered willingly for the house of their God which is in Jerusalem; 17with this money, therefore, you shall diligently buy bulls, rams, and lambs, 22with their grain offerings and their drink offerings, and 23offer them on the altar of the house of your God which is in Jerusalem. 18And whatever seems good to you and your brothers to do with the rest of the silver and gold, you may do according to the will of your God. 19Also the utensils which 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, for which it may be incumbent upon you to provide, 24provide for them from the royal treasury.

21“I myself, King Artaxerxes, issue a decree to all the treasurers who are in the provinces beyond the Euphrates River, that whatever Ezra the priest, 25the scribe of the Law of the God of heaven, may require of you, it shall be done diligently, 22up to 26a hundred talents of silver, 27a hundred kors of wheat, 28a hundred baths of wine, 29a hundred baths of anointing oil, and salt 30as needed. 23Whatever is 31commanded by the God of heaven, it shall be done with zeal for the house of the God of heaven, 32so that there will not be wrath against the kingdom of the king and his sons. 24We also inform you that 33it is not allowed to impose tax, tribute, or toll 34on any of the priests, Levites, singers, doorkeepers, temple servants, or other servants of this house of God.

25“And you, Ezra, according to the wisdom of your God which is in your hand, 35appoint magistrates and judges so that they may judge all the people who are in the province beyond the Euphrates River, that is, all those who know the laws of your God; and you may 36teach anyone who is ignorant of them. 26And 37whoever does not comply with the Law of your God and the law of the king, judgment is to be executed upon him strictly, whether for death or for banishment, or for 38confiscation of property or for imprisonment.”

The King’s Kindness

27Blessed be the Lord, the God of our fathers, 39who has put such a thing as this in the king’s heart, to glorify the house of the Lord which is in Jerusalem, 28and 40has extended favor to me before the king and his counselors and before all the king’s mighty officials. So I was strengthened according to 41the hand of the Lord my God that was upon me, and I gathered 42leading men from Israel to go up with me.