7Now after these things, in the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Ezra the 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 came up from Babylon; and he was a skilled scribe in the Law of Moses, which the LORD God of Israel had given. The king granted him all his request, according to the hand of the LORD his God upon him.H5830H5927H894H4106H5608H8451H4872H3068H430H3478H5414H4428H5414H1246H3027H3068H4307Some of the children of Israel, the priests, the Levites, the singers, the gatekeepers, and the Nethinim came up to Jerusalem in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes.H5927H1121H3478H3548H3881H7891H7778H5411H3389H7651H8141H783H44288And Ezra came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the king.H935H3389H2549H2320H7637H8141H44289On the first day of the first month he began his journey from Babylon, and on the first day of the fifth month he came to Jerusalem, according to the good hand of his God upon him.H259H7223H2320H3246H4609H894H259H2549H2320H935H3389H2896H3027H43010For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the Law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel.H5830H3559H3824H1875H8451H3068H6213H3925H3478H2706H494111This is a copy of the letter that King Artaxerxes gave Ezra the priest, the scribe, expert in the words of the commandments of the LORD, and of His statutes to Israel:H6572H5406H4428H783H5414H5830H3548H5608H5608H1697H4687H3068H2706H347812Artaxerxes, king of kings, To Ezra the priest, a scribe of the Law of the God of heaven: Perfect peace, and so forth.H783H4430H4430H5831H3549H5613H1882H426H8065H1585H370613I issue a decree that all those of the people of Israel and the priests and Levites in my realm, who volunteer to go up to Jerusalem, may go with you.H4481H7761H2942H3606H4481H5972H3479H3549H3879H4437H5069H1946H3390H1946H597414And whereas you are being sent by the king and his seven counselors to inquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem, with regard to the Law of your God which is in your hand;H1768H6903H3606H7972H4481H6925H4430H7655H3272H1240H5922H3061H3390H1882H426H302815and whereas you are 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 whereas all the silver and gold that you may find in all the province of Babylon, along with the freewill offering of the people and the priests, are to be freely offered for the house of their God in Jerusalem—H3606H3702H1722H7912H3606H4083H895H5974H5069H5972H3549H5069H1005H426H339017now therefore, be careful to buy with this money bulls, rams, and lambs, with their grain offerings and their drink offerings, and offer them on the altar of the house of your God in Jerusalem.H3606H6903H7066H629H1836H3702H8450H1798H563H4504H5261H7127H1994H5922H4056H1005H426H339018And whatever seems good to you and your brethren to do with the rest of the silver and the gold, do it according to the will of your God.H4101H1768H3191H5922H252H5648H7606H3702H1722H5648H7470H42619Also the articles that are given to you for the service of the house of your God, deliver in full before the God of Jerusalem.H3984H3052H6402H1005H426H8000H6925H426H339020And whatever more may be needed for the house of your God, which you may have occasion to provide, pay for it from the king's treasury.H7606H2819H1005H426H5308H5415H5415H4481H4430H1596H100521And I, even I, Artaxerxes the king, issue a decree to all the treasurers who are in the region beyond the River, that whatever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the Law of the God of heaven, may require of you, let it be done diligently,H4481H576H783H4430H7761H2942H3606H1490H5675H5103H5831H3549H5613H1882H426H8065H7593H5648H62922up to one hundred talents of silver, one hundred kors of wheat, one hundred baths of wine, one hundred baths of oil, and salt without prescribed limit.H5705H3969H3604H3702H3969H3734H2591H3969H1325H2562H3969H1325H4887H4416H3809H379223Whatever is commanded by the God of heaven, let it diligently be done for the house of the God of heaven. For why should there be wrath against the realm of the king and his sons?H3606H2941H4481H426H8065H149H5648H1005H426H8065H1768H4101H1934H7109H5922H4437H4430H112324Also we inform you that it shall not be lawful to impose tax, tribute, or custom on any of the priests, Levites, singers, gatekeepers, Nethinim, or servants of this house of God.H3046H3606H3549H3879H2171H8652H5412H6399H1836H1005H426H3809H7990H7412H4061H1093H1983H592225And you, Ezra, according to your God-given wisdom, set magistrates and judges who may judge all the people who are in the region beyond the River, all such as know the laws of your God; and teach those who do not know them.H607H5831H2452H426H3028H4483H8200H1782H1934H1778H3606H5972H5675H5103H3606H3046H1882H426H3046H3046H380926Whoever will not observe the law of your God and the law of the king, let judgment be executed speedily on him, whether it be death, or banishment, or confiscation of goods, or imprisonment.H3606H3809H1934H5648H1882H426H1882H4430H1780H1934H5648H629H4481H2006H4193H2006H8332H2006H6065H5232H61327Blessed be the LORD God of our fathers, who has put such a thing as this in the king's heart, to beautify the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem,H1288H3068H430H1H5414H4428H3820H6286H1004H3068H338928and has extended mercy to me before the king and his counselors, and before all the king's mighty princes. So I was encouraged, as the hand of the LORD my God was upon me; and I gathered leading men of Israel to go up with me.H5186H2617H6440H4428H3289H4428H1368H8269H2388H3027H3068H430H6908H3478H7218H5927
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