Ezra 7
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Now after these things, in the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Ezra the son of
Seraiah, the son of Azariah, the son of Hilkiah,
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the son of Shallum, the son of Zadok, the son of Ahitub,
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the son of Amariah, the son of Azariah, the son of Meraioth,
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the son of Zerahiah, the son of Uzzi, the son of Bukki,
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the son of Abishua, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the
chief priest;
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this Ezra went up from Babylon: and he was a ready scribe in the law of Moses, which
YHWH, the God of Israel, had given; and the king granted him all his request, according
to the hand of YHWH his God upon him.
7
And there went up some of the children of Israel, and of the priests, and the Levites,
and the singers, and the porters, and the Nethinim, to Jerusalem, in the seventh year
of Artaxerxes the king.
8
And he came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the
king.
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For upon the first [day] of the first month began he to go up from Babylon; and on
the first [day] of the fifth month came he to Jerusalem, according to the good hand
of his God upon him.
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For Ezra had set his heart to seek the law of YHWH, and to do it, and to teach in
Israel statutes and ordinances.
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Now this is the copy of the letter that the king Artaxerxes gave to Ezra the priest,
the scribe, even the scribe of the words of the commandments of YHWH, and of his statutes
to Israel:
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Artaxerxes, king of kings, to Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the God of
heaven, perfect and so forth.
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I make a decree, that all they of the people of Israel, and their priests and the
Levites, in my realm, that are minded of their own free will to go to Jerusalem, go
with you.
14
Seeing that as you are sent of the king and his seven counsellors, to inquire concerning
Judah and Jerusalem, according to the law of your God which is in your hand,
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and to carry the silver and gold, which the king and his counsellors have freely offered
to the God of Israel, whose habitation is in Jerusalem,
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and all the silver and gold that you shall find in all the province of Babylon, with
the freewill-offering of the people, and of the priests, offering willingly for the
house of their God which is in Jerusalem;
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therefore you shall with all diligence buy with this money bullocks, rams, lambs,
with their meal-offerings and their drink-offerings, and shall offer them upon the
altar of the house of your God which is in Jerusalem.
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And whatever shall seem good to you and to your brethren to do with the rest of the
silver and the gold, that do you after the will of your God.
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And the vessels that are given you for the service of the house of your God, deliver
you before the God of Jerusalem.
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And whatever more shall be needful for the house of your God, which you shall have
occasion to bestow, bestow it out of the king`s treasure-house.
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And I, even I Artaxerxes the king, do make a decree to all the treasurers that are
beyond the River, that whatever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the God
of heaven, shall require of you, it be done with all diligence,
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to a hundred talents of silver, and to a hundred measures of wheat, and to a hundred
baths of wine, and to a hundred baths of oil, and salt without prescribing how much.
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Whatever is commanded by the God of heaven, let it be done exactly for the house of
the God of heaven; for why should there be anger against the realm of the king and
his sons?
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Also we certify you, that touching any of the priests and Levites, the singers, porters,
Nethinim, or servants of this house of God, it shall not be lawful to impose tribute,
custom, or toll, upon them.
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And you, Ezra, after the wisdom of your God that is in your hand, appoint magistrates
and judges, who may judge all the people that are beyond the River, all such as know
the laws of your God; and teach you him whom knows them not.
26
And whoever will not do the law of your God, and the law of the king, let judgment
be executed upon him with all diligence, whether it be to death, or to banishment,
or to confiscation of goods, or to imprisonment.
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Blessed be YHWH, the God of our fathers, who has put such a thing as this in the king`s
heart, to beautify the house of YHWH which is in Jerusalem;
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and has extended lovingkindness to me before the king, and his counsellors, and before
all the king`s mighty princes. And I was strengthened according to the hand of YHWH
my God upon me, and I gathered together out of Israel chief men to go up with me.