EzraChapter 7

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¹Many years later, Artaxerxes was king of Persia. In those days there was a man named Ezra. He was the son of Seraiah, the son of Azariah, the son of Hilkiah, ²the son of Shallum, the son of Zadok, the son of Ahitub, ³the son of Amariah, the son of Azariah, the son of Meraioth, ⁴the son of Zerahiah, the son of Uzzi, the son of Bukki, ⁵the son of Abishua, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the chief priest. ⁶This Ezra came up from Babylon. He was a scribe who knew the Law of Moses well. The LORD, the God of Israel, had given that Law. The king gave Ezra everything he asked for, because the hand of the LORD his God was on him. ⁷So in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes, Ezra went up to Jerusalem. Some of the Israelites went with him. They included priests, Levites, singers, gatekeepers, and temple servants. ⁸Ezra arrived in Jerusalem in the fifth month of the king's seventh year. ⁹He had left Babylon on the first day of the first month. He came to Jerusalem on the first day of the fifth month, because the kind hand of his God was on him. ¹⁰This was because Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the LORD. He set his heart to obey it. He set his heart to teach its rules and laws in Israel. ¹¹Here is a copy of the letter King Artaxerxes gave to Ezra. Ezra was a priest and scribe. He knew the LORD's commands and rules for Israel very well. ¹²From Artaxerxes, king of kings. To Ezra the priest, the scribe of the Law of the God of heaven: Greetings. ¹³I now give this order. Any Israelites in my kingdom who want to go with you to Jerusalem may go. This includes the priests and Levites. ¹⁴The king and his seven advisers are sending you. Find out how things are in Judah and Jerusalem. Measure them by the Law of your God, which is in your hand. ¹⁵Also, take with you the silver and gold that the king and his advisers have freely given. It is for the God of Israel, who lives in Jerusalem. ¹⁶Take all the silver and gold you can find in the whole province of Babylon. Take the freewill offerings of the people and priests too. They are for the house of their God in Jerusalem. ¹⁷Use this money to buy as many bulls, rams, and lambs as you need. Buy the grain offerings and drink offerings that go with them. Offer them on the altar at the house of your God in Jerusalem. ¹⁸You and your brothers may do whatever seems best with the rest of the silver and gold. Do it the way your God wants. ¹⁹Some things were given to you for the service of the house of your God. Hand all of them over to the God of Jerusalem. ²⁰You may need to supply other things for the house of your God. If so, you may pay for them from the king's treasury. ²¹I, King Artaxerxes, give this order to all the treasurers west of the Euphrates. Ezra the priest is the scribe of the Law of the God of heaven. Whatever he asks of you, give it to him right away. ²²Give him up to 3 3/4 tons of silver, 600 bushels of wheat, 600 gallons of wine, and 600 gallons of olive oil. Give him as much salt as he needs.a ²³Whatever the God of heaven commands for his house must be done with care. Why should his anger fall on the king's land and on his sons? ²⁴Also know this. You have no right to make any of these people pay tribute, taxes, or tolls: the priests, Levites, singers, gatekeepers, temple servants, or other workers at this house of God. ²⁵And you, Ezra, have wisdom from your God. Use it to choose officials and judges. They will judge all the people west of the Euphrates who know the laws of your God. And you must teach these laws to anyone who does not know them. ²⁶If anyone does not obey the law of your God and the law of the king, he must be punished strictly. He may be put to death or sent away. His things may be taken, or he may be put in prison. ²⁷Praise the LORD, the God of our fathers! He put it into the king's heart to honor the house of the LORD in Jerusalem like this. ²⁸He has shown me kindness in front of the king and his advisers. He has shown it before all the king's powerful officials. The hand of the LORD my God was on me. So I took courage. I gathered leaders from Israel to go back with me.