Ezra 7
7
1Now after these things, in the reign of Artachshasta Melech Paras (Persia), Ezra ben Serayah ben Azaryah ben Chilkiyah,
2Ben Shallum, ben Tzadok, ben Achituv,
3Ben Amaryah, ben Azaryah, ben Merayot,
4Ben Zerachyah, ben Uzzi, ben Bukki,
5Ben Avishua, ben Pinchas, ben El'azar, ben Aharon HaKohen HaRosh;
6This Ezra went up from Babylon, and he was a sofer mahir expert in the Torat Moshe, which Hashem Elohei Yisroel had given, and HaMelech granted him all his request, for the yad Hashem Elohav was upon him.
7And there went up some of the Bnei Yisroel, and of the Kohanim, and the Levi'im, and the singers, and the gatekeepers, and the Netinim, unto Yerushalayim, in the seventh year of Artachshasta#7:7 Artaxerxes HaMelech.#7:7 i.e., 458 B.C.E.
8And he came to Yerushalayim in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the Melech.
9For upon 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 Yerushalayim, for the good yad Elohav was upon him.
10For Ezra had prepared his lev to study the Torat Hashem, and to do it, and to teach in Yisroel chok and mishpat.
11Now this is the copy of the letter that HaMelech Artachshasta gave unto Ezra HaKohen, HaSofer, even a Sofer of the divrei mitzvot Hashem, and of his chukkot for Yisroel:
12Artachshasta, Melech Melachim, unto Ezra Kohen, Sofer of the law of Elohei Shomayim, Greetings! And now
13I issued a decree, that all they of the Am Yisroel, and of Kohanim and Levi'im, in my kingdom, which are minded of their own freewill to go up to Yerushalayim, go with thee.
14Forasmuch as thou art sent of the Melech, and of his seven counselors, to inquire concerning Yehudah and Yerushalayim, according to the law of thy G-d which is in thine hand;
15And to carry the kesef and zahav, which the Melech and his counselors have freely offered unto the Elohei Yisroel, Whose habitation is in Yerushalayim,
16And all the kesef and zahav that thou canst find in all the province of Babylon, with the freewill offering of the people, and of the Kohanim, offering willingly for the Beis Eloheihem which is in Yerushalayim;
17That thou mayest buy speedily with this kesef bulls, rams, lambs, with their minchot and their nesakhim, and offer them upon the Mizbe'ach of the Beis Eloheichem which is in Yerushalayim.
18And whatsoever shall seem good to thee, and to thy brethren, to do with the rest of the kesef and the zahav, that do according to the will of Eloheichem.
19The vessels also that are given thee for the service of the Beis of thy G-d, those deliver thou before the Elohei Yerushalayim.
20And whatsoever more shall be needful for the Beis of thy G-d, which thou shalt have occasion to bestow, bestow it out of the bais of treasuries of the Melech.
21And I, even I Artachshasta the Melech, do issue a decree to all the treasurers which are in Beyond-the-River,#7:21 Euphrates that whatsoever Ezra HaKohen, the Sofer of the law of the Elohei Shomayim, shall require of you, it be done speedily,
22Unto one hundred talents of kesef, and to one hundred cors of wheat, and to one hundred baths of wine, and to one hundred baths of oil, and unlimited melach (salt).
23Whatsoever is commanded by Elohei Shomayim, let it be diligently done for the Beis of Elohei Shomayim; for why should there be ketzaf (wrath) against the malchut of the Melech and his banim?
24Also we make known to you, that touching any of the Kohanim and Levi'im, singers, gatekeepers, Netinim, or ministers of this Beis Elohim, it shall not be lawful to impose tax, tribute, or duty, upon them.
25And thou, Ezra, after the chochmah of thy G-d, that is in thine hand, set magistrates and judges, which may judge all the people that are in Beyond-the-River,#7:25 Euphrates all such as know the laws of thy G-d; and teach ye them that know them not.
26And whosoever will not do the law of thy G-d, and the law of the Melech, let punishment be executed speedily upon him, whether it be unto death, or to banishment, or to confiscation of goods, or to imprisonment.
27Baruch Hashem Elohei Avoteinu, Who hath put such a thing as this in the lev HaMelech, to honor the Beis Hashem which is in Yerushalayim;
28And hath extended chesed unto me before HaMelech, and his counselors, and before all the mighty officials of the Melech. And I was strengthened because the Yad Hashem Elohai was upon me, and I gathered together out of Yisroel chief men to go up with me.
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Ezra 7: TOJB2011
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THE ORTHODOX JEWISH BIBLE
FOURTH EDITION © Artists For Israel Intl Inc., 2002-2011, 2021.
Ezra 7
7
1 Now after these things, during the reign of Artaxerxes, the king of the Persians, 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, priest from the beginning,
6 this same Ezra, ascended from Babylon; and he was a proficient scribe in the law of Moses, which the Lord God gave to Israel. And the king granted to him his every petition. For the hand of the Lord, his God, was over him.
7 And some from the sons of Israel, and from the sons of the priests, and from the sons of the Levites, and from the singing men, and from the gatekeepers, and from the temple servants ascended to Jerusalem, in the seventh year of king Artaxerxes.
8 And they arrived at Jerusalem in the fifth month, in the same seventh year of the king.
9 For on the first day of the first month, he began to ascend from Babylon, and on the first day of the fifth month, he arrived at Jerusalem. For the good hand of his God was over him.
10 For Ezra prepared his heart, so that he might search the law of the Lord, and so that he might keep and teach precept and judgment in Israel.
11 Now this is a copy of the letter of the edict, which king Artaxerxes gave to Ezra, the priest, a scribe well-taught in the words and precepts of the Lord and in his ceremonies in Israel:
12 "Artaxerxes, king of kings, to Ezra, the priest, a very learned scribe of the law of the God of heaven: a greeting.
13 It has been decreed by me, that whosoever wishes, among the people of Israel and their priests and Levites within my kingdom, to go to Jerusalem, may go with you.
14 For you have been sent from the face of the king and his seven counselors, so that you may visit Judea and Jerusalem by the law of your God, which is in your hand,
15 and so that you may carry the silver and gold, which the king and his counselors have freely offered to the God of Israel, whose tabernacle is in Jerusalem.
16 And all the silver and gold, as much as you will find in the entire province of Babylon, and which the people will wish to offer, and which some of the priests will offer freely to the house of their God, which is in Jerusalem,
17 accept it freely. And with this money, carefully purchase calves, rams, lambs, and their sacrifices and libations, and offer these upon the altar of the temple of your God, which is in Jerusalem.
18 But also, whatever it will please you and your brothers to do with the remainder of the silver and gold, do so in accord with the will of your God.
19 Likewise, the vessels that have been given to you for the ministry of the house of your God, deliver these to the sight of God in Jerusalem.
20 Then, whatever more will be needed for the house of your God, as much as is necessary for you to spend, it shall be given from the treasury, and from the king's finances,
21 and by me. I, king Artaxerxes, have appointed and decreed to all the keepers of the public treasury, those who are beyond the river, that whatever Ezra, the priest, a scribe of the law of the God of heaven, shall ask of you, you shall provide it without delay,
22 even up 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 truly salt without measure.
23 All that pertains to the rite of the God of heaven, let it be distributed scrupulously to the house of the God of heaven, lest perhaps he may become angry against the kingdom of the king and his sons.
24 Likewise, we would make known to you, about all the priests, and the Levites, and the singers, and the gatekeepers, and the temple servants, and the ministers of the house of this God, that you have no authority to impose tax, or tribute, or duty upon them.
25 But as for you, Ezra, in accord with the wisdom of your God, which is in your hand, appoint judges and magistrates, so that they may judge the entire people, which is beyond the river, especially so that they may know the law of your God, but also so as to teach the ignorant freely.
26 And any one who will not diligently keep the law of your God, and the law of the king, judgment shall be upon him, either to death, or to exile, or to the confiscation of his goods, or certainly to prison."
27 Blessed be the Lord, the God of our fathers, who has put this into the heart of the king, so that he may glorify the house of the Lord, which is in Jerusalem.
28 For he has turned his mercy toward me in the sight of the king, and his counselors, and all the powerful leaders of the king. And so, having been strengthened by the hand of the Lord, my God, which was upon me, I gathered together some of the leaders of Israel, those who were to go up with me.
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