1 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,
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
the chief priest:
6 This Ezra went up from Babylon; and he [was] a ready scribe in the law of
Moses, which YAHUAH YAH of YisraYAH had given: and the king granted him all his
request, according to the hand of YAHUAH his YAH 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 Nethinims, unto
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.
9 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 YAH upon him.
10 For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of YAHUAH, and to do [it],
and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments.
11 ¶ Now this [is] the copy of the letter that the king Artaxerxes gave unto
Ezra the priest, the scribe, [even] a scribe of the words of the commandments of
YAHUAH, and of his statutes to Israel.
12 Artaxerxes, king of kings, unto Ezra the priest, a scribe of the law of
YAHUAH of heaven, perfect [peace], and at such a time.
13 I make a decree, that all they of the people of YisraYAH, and [of] his
priests and Levites, in my realm, which are minded of their own freewill to go
up to Jerusalem, go with thee.
14 Forasmuch as thou art sent of the king, and of his seven counsellors, to
enquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem, according to the law of thy YAHUAH which
[is] in thine hand;
15 And to carry the silver and gold, which the king and his counsellors have
freely offered unto YAHUAH of YisraYAH, whose habitation [is] in Jerusalem,
16 And all the silver and gold that thou canst 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 YAHUAH which [is] in Jerusalem:
17 That thou mayest buy speedily with this money bullocks, rams, lambs, with
their meat offerings and their drink offerings, and offer them upon the altar of
the house of your YAHUAH which [is] in Jerusalem.
18 And whatsoever shall seem good to thee, and to thy brethren, to do with the
rest of the silver and the gold, that do after the will of your YAHUAH.
19 The vessels also that are given thee for the service of the house of thy
YAHUAH, [those] deliver thou before YAHUAH of Jerusalem.
20 And whatsoever more shall be needful for the house of thy YAHUAH, which thou
shalt have occasion to bestow, bestow [it] out of the king's treasure house.
21 And I, [even] I Artaxerxes the king, do make a decree to all the treasurers
which [are] beyond the river, that whatsoever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the
law of YAHUAH of heaven, shall require of you, it be done speedily,
22 Unto an hundred talents of silver, and to an hundred measures of wheat, and
to an hundred baths of wine, and to an hundred baths of oil, and salt without
prescribing [how much].
23 Whatsoever is commanded by YAHUAH of heaven, let it be diligently done for
the house of YAHUAH of heaven: for why should there be wrath against the realm
of the king and his sons?
24 Also we certify you, that touching any of the priests and Levites, singers,
porters, Nethinims, or ministers of this house of YAHUAH, it shall not be lawful
to impose toll, tribute, or custom, upon them.
25 And thou, Ezra, after the wisdom of thy YAHUAH, that [is] in thine hand, set
magistrates and judges, which may judge all the people that [are] beyond the
river, all such as know the laws of thy YAHUAH; and teach ye them that know
[them] not.
26 And whosoever will not do the law of thy YAHUAH, and the law of the king, let
judgment be executed speedily upon him, whether [it be] unto death, or to
banishment, or to confiscation of goods, or to imprisonment.
27 ¶ Blessed [be] YAHUAH YAHof our fathers, which hath put [such a thing] as
this in the king's heart, to beautify the house of YAHUAHwhich [is] in
Jerusalem:
28 And hath extended mercy unto me before the king, and his counsellors, and
before all the king's mighty princes. And I was strengthened as the hand of
YAHUAH my YAH [was] upon me, and I gathered together out of Israel chief men to
go up with me.