11 King Artahshasta (Artaxerxes) had given a letter for Ezra the priest and scribe and expert in Yahweh’s commands and instructions to take with him, saying:

12 Artahshasta, the king of kings, to the priest Ezra, the scribe of the law of the god of heavens: Peace.

Now, 13 I hereby decree that anyone in my kingdom from Yisrael (including priests and Levites) who freely offers to go to Yerushalem with you, may go. 14 You are sent by the king and his seven counsellors to determine whether the people of Yehudah and Yerushalem are following the law of your god which you have a copy of. 15 You are also to take the gold and silver that the king and his counsellors have freely offered to the god of Yisrael who lives in Jerusalem, 16 along with all the gold and silver that you collect all across Babylon, along with the freewill offerings of the people and the priests who freely give towards the house of God in Yerushalem.

17 So then you should diligently use those funds to buy bulls, rams, lambs, and supplies for their grain offerings and drink offerings, and you should offer them on the altar at the your god’s house in Yerushalem. 18 With the remaining funds, you can use them for whatever seems good to you and your brothers, according to the will of your god. 19 Also, make sure that you deliver all those gold and silver containers that were handed over to you for use in your god’s house in Yerushalem. 20 Anything else that’s needed for the house of your god that you need to supply can be provided from the king’s treasuries.

21 And I, King Artahshasta make a decree for all the treasurers in the province west of the river: that you all diligently help with everything that the priest Ezra (the scribe of the law of the god of the heavens) asks from you all—22 up to three tonnes of silver, five hundred bushels of wheat, two thousand litres of wine and the same amount of olive oil, and as much salt as he needs. 23 Everything that the god of the heavens decreed to be done should be done exactly as he specified because there’s no good reason to make him angry at the kingdom of the king and his sons? 24 Also, it should be made clear that there is no authority to extract taxes or tribute from any priests or Levites, singers or the gatekeepers, the temple servants or the servants of that house of God.

25 As for you, Ezra, use the wisdom that your god has given to you to appoint magistrates and judges who can judge all the people who are in that province beyond the river—everyone who know the laws of your god (plus you should teach those who don’t know them). 26 Anyone who refuses to obey your god’s laws and the king’s laws, should receive swift judgement—whether it’s confiscation of goods, or banishment, imprisonment, or the death sentence.”