Ezra 7
7NOW AFTER this, in the reign of Artaxerxes [son of Xerxes, or Ahasuerus] king of Persia, Ezra son of Seraiah, the son of Azariah, the son of Hilkiah,H310H1697H4438H783H4428H6539H5830H1121H8304H1121H5838H1121H25182The son of Shallum, the son of Zadok, the son of Ahitub,H1121H7967H1121H6659H1121H2853The son of Amariah, the son of Azariah, the son of Meraioth,H1121H568H1121H5838H1121H48124The son of Zerahiah, the son of Uzzi, the son of Bukki,H1121H2228H1121H5813H1121H12315The son of Abishua, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the chief priest--H1121H50H1121H6372H1121H499H1121H175H7218H35486This Ezra went up from Babylon. He was a skilled scribe in the five books of Moses, which the Lord, the God of Israel, had given. And the king granted him all he asked, for the hand of the Lord his God was upon him.H5830H5927H894H4106H5608H8451H4872H3068H430H3478H5414H4428H5414H1246H3027H3068H4307And also some of the Israelites, with some of the priests and Levites, the singers and gatekeepers, and the temple servants, went up [from Babylon] to Jerusalem in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes.H5927H1121H3478H3548H3881H7891H7778H5411H3389H7651H8141H783H44288Ezra came to Jerusalem in the fifth month of the seventh year of the king.H935H3389H2549H2320H7637H8141H44289On the first of the first month he started out from Babylon, and on the first of the fifth month he arrived in Jerusalem, for upon him was the good hand of his God.H259H7223H2320H3246H4609H894H259H2549H2320H935H3389H2896H3027H43010For Ezra had prepared {and} set his heart to seek the Law of the Lord [to inquire for it and of it, to require and yearn for it], and to do and teach in Israel its statutes and its ordinances.H5830H3559H3824H1875H8451H3068H6213H3925H3478H2706H494111Now this is the copy of the letter that King Artaxerxes gave to Ezra the priest, the scribe, even a scribe [occupied with] the words of the commands of the Lord and of His statutes to Israel:H6572H5406H4428H783H5414H5830H3548H5608H5608H1697H4687H3068H2706H347812Artaxerxes, king of kings, to Ezra the priest, scribe of the instructions of the God of heaven: Greetings.H783H4430H4430H5831H3549H5613H1882H426H8065H1585H370613I make a decree that all of the people of Israel and of their priests and Levites in my realm, who offer freely to go up to Jerusalem, may go with you.H4481H7761H2942H3606H4481H5972H3479H3549H3879H4437H5069H1946H3390H1946H597414For you are sent by the king and his seven counselors to inquire about Judah and Jerusalem according to the instruction of your God, which is in your hand,H1768H6903H3606H7972H4481H6925H4430H7655H3272H1240H5922H3061H3390H1882H426H302815And to carry the silver and gold which the king and his counselors have freely offered to the God of Israel, Whose dwelling is in Jerusalem,H2987H3702H1722H4430H3272H5069H426H3479H1768H4907H339016And all the silver and gold that you may find in all the province of Babylonia, with the freewill offerings of the people and of the priests, offered willingly for the house of their God in Jerusalem.H3606H3702H1722H7912H3606H4083H895H5974H5069H5972H3549H5069H1005H426H339017Therefore you shall with all speed {and} exactness buy with this money young bulls, rams, lambs, with their cereal offerings and drink offerings, and offer them on the altar of the house of your God in Jerusalem.H3606H6903H7066H629H1836H3702H8450H1798H563H4504H5261H7127H1994H5922H4056H1005H426H339018And whatever shall seem good to you and to your brethren to do with the rest of the silver and the gold, that do after the will of your God.H4101H1768H3191H5922H252H5648H7606H3702H1722H5648H7470H42619The vessels also that are given to you for the service of the house of your God, those deliver before the God of Jerusalem.H3984H3052H6402H1005H426H8000H6925H426H339020And whatever more shall be needful for the house of your God which you shall have occasion to provide, provide it out of the king's treasury.H7606H2819H1005H426H5308H5415H5415H4481H4430H1596H100521And I, Artaxerxes the king, make a decree to all the treasurers in the province beyond the [Euphrates] River that whatever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the instructions of the God of heaven, shall require of you, it shall be done exactly {and} at once--H4481H576H783H4430H7761H2942H3606H1490H5675H5103H5831H3549H5613H1882H426H8065H7593H5648H62922Up to 100 talents of silver, 100 measures of wheat, 100 baths of wine, 100 baths of oil, and salt not specified.H5705H3969H3604H3702H3969H3734H2591H3969H1325H2562H3969H1325H4887H4416H3809H379223Whatever is commanded by the God of heaven, let it be done diligently {and} honorably for the house of the God of heaven, lest His wrath be against the realm of the king and his sons.H3606H2941H4481H426H8065H149H5648H1005H426H8065H1768H4101H1934H7109H5922H4437H4430H112324Also we notify you that as to any of the priests and Levites, singers, gatekeepers, temple servants, or other servants of this house of God, it shall not be lawful to impose tribute, custom, or toll on them.H3046H3606H3549H3879H2171H8652H5412H6399H1836H1005H426H3809H7990H7412H4061H1093H1983H592225You, Ezra, after the wisdom of your God, which is [in His instructions] in your hand, set magistrates and judges who may judge all the people [west] of the River; choose those who know the instructions of your God, and teach him who does not know them.H607H5831H2452H426H3028H4483H8200H1782H1934H1778H3606H5972H5675H5103H3606H3046H1882H426H3046H3046H380926And whoever will not do the law of your God and the law of the king, let judgment be executed upon him exactly {and} speedily, whether it be unto death or banishment or confiscation of goods or imprisonment.H3606H3809H1934H5648H1882H426H1882H4430H1780H1934H5648H629H4481H2006H4193H2006H8332H2006H6065H5232H61327Blessed be the Lord, the God of our fathers [said Ezra], Who put such a thing as this into the king's heart, to beautify the house of the Lord in Jerusalem,H1288H3068H430H1H5414H4428H3820H6286H1004H3068H338928And Who has extended His mercy {and} steadfast love to me before the king, his counselors, and all the king's mighty officers. I was strengthened and encouraged, for the hand of the Lord my God was upon me, and I gathered together outstanding men of Israel to go with me to Jerusalem.H5186H2617H6440H4428H3289H4428H1368H8269H2388H3027H3068H430H6908H3478H7218H5927
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