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.
Currently Selected:
Ezra 7: CPDV
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
Ezra 7
7
Ezra’s Family Background
1After these things, during the reign of King Artaxerxes of Persia, Ezra left Babylon.
Ezra was the son of Seraiah, who was the son of Azariah, who was the son of Hilkiah, 2who was the son of Shallum, who was the son of Zadok, who was the son of Ahitub, 3who was the son of Amariah, who was the son of Azariah, who was the son of Meraioth, 4who was the son of Zerahiah, who was the son of Uzzi, who was the son of Bukki, 5who was the son of Abishua, who was the son of Phinehas, who was the son of Eleazer, who was the son of Aaron (the first priest).
6As a scribe, Ezra was an expert in Moses’ Teachings, which the Lord God of Israel had given. The king gave Ezra everything he requested because the Lord his God was guiding him.
7Some Israelites (including priests, Levites, singers, gatekeepers, and temple servants) went to Jerusalem in Artaxerxes’ seventh year as king. 8In that same year in the fifth month, Ezra arrived in Jerusalem. 9He had left Babylon on the first day of the first month, and on the first day of the fifth month, he arrived in Jerusalem, since his God was good to him. 10Ezra was determined to study the Lord’s Teachings, live by them, and teach their rules and regulations in Israel.
King Artaxerxes’ Letter to Ezra
11This is a copy of the letter that King Artaxerxes gave Ezra the priest and scribe, a man with a thorough knowledge of the Lord’s commands and laws for Israel:
12From: Artaxerxes, king of kings
To: Ezra the priest, a scribe for the Teachings of the God of Heaven:
I wish you peace and prosperity!
13I have issued a decree that any Israelites who are in my kingdom and want to go with you to Jerusalem may go. This also includes the priests and Levites. 14I, the king, and my seven advisers are sending you to evaluate the situation in Judah and Jerusalem on the basis of your God’s Teachings, which you hold in your hands. 15Also, you must take the silver and gold that the king and his advisers willingly contributed to the God of Israel, the God whose temple is in Jerusalem. 16Take any silver and gold that you find in the whole province of Babylon when you take the gifts contributed by the people and the priests. They willingly contributed these gifts for the temple of their God in Jerusalem. 17You must use this money to buy bulls, rams, lambs, grain, and wine to offer on the altar of the temple of your God in Jerusalem. 18You and your relatives may do whatever you think is right with the rest of the silver and gold. However, what you do must conform to the will of your God. 19The utensils that have been given to you so that they can be used in your God’s temple must all be presented to the God of Jerusalem. 20You may use the king’s treasury to pay for anything else that you must provide for your God’s temple.
21I, King Artaxerxes, order all the treasurers ⌞in the province⌟ west of the Euphrates River to do exactly what Ezra the priest, a scribe for the Teachings of the God of Heaven, asks you to do. 22⌞You may give him⌟ up to 7,500 pounds of silver, 100 measures of wheat, 600 gallons of wine, 600 gallons of olive oil, and as much salt as he needs. 23Whatever the God of heaven has commanded must be carried out in detail for the temple of the God of heaven. Why should God become angry with the king’s empire and his sons? 24Furthermore, we are notifying you that you are forbidden to make any priest, Levite, singer, gatekeeper, servant, or worker in the temple of this God pay any taxes, fees, or tolls.
25You, Ezra, using your God’s wisdom—the Teachings you hold in your hands—will appoint judges and administrators for all the people who know your God’s Teachings and live ⌞in the province⌟ west of the Euphrates River. In addition, you will teach anyone who doesn’t know the Teachings.
26Whoever will not strictly follow your God’s Teachings and the king’s orders should be promptly exiled, have his goods confiscated, be imprisoned or be sentenced to die.
27 ⌞I, Ezra, said:⌟ Thanks be to the Lord God of our ancestors. He put this into the king’s mind to make the Lord’s temple in Jerusalem beautiful. 28He made the king, his advisers, and all the king’s powerful officials treat me kindly.
I was encouraged because the Lord my God was guiding me. So I gathered leaders in Israel to go with me.
Currently Selected:
:
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
GOD'S WORD® Translation ©1995, 2003, 2013, 2014, 2019, 2020 by God's Word to the Nations Mission Society. All rights reserved.