ULT EZRA Chapter 7

7 Now after these things, in the reign of Artaxerxes, the 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 head priest), 6 this Ezra went up from Babylon, and he was a skilled scribe in the law of Moses that Yahweh, the God of Israel, had given. And the king granted to him all his request according to the hand of Yahweh his God upon him.

7 And some from the sons of Israel and from the priests, and the Levites, and the ones who sang, and the gatekeepers, and the temple servants went up to Jerusalem in year seven 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 on the first of the first month was the beginning of the ascent from Babylon. And on the first of the fifth month he came to Jerusalem, according to the good hand of his God upon him. 10 For Ezra had made his heart firm to seek the law of Yahweh, and to do it, and to teach statute and ordinance in Israel.

11 Now this is a copy of the letter that the king Artaxerxes gave to Ezra the priest, the scribe, a scribe of the words of the commandments of Yahweh and his statutes for Israel:

12 “Artaxerxes, the king of kings, to Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven: Peace. And now:

13 from me is set a decree that everyone in my kingdom who freely offers to go to Jerusalem with you, from the people ‘Israel’ and its priests and the Levites, may go.

14 Because it was sent from before the king and his seven counselors to inquire about Judah and about Jerusalem by the law of your God which is in your hand, 15 and to bring silver and gold that the king and his counselors have freely offered to the God of Israel whose dwelling is in Jerusalem, 16 with all the silver and the gold that you find in all the province of Babylon, along with the freewill offering of the people and the priests who freely give for the house of God, which is in Jerusalem: 17 therefore, diligently you shall buy with this money bulls, rams, lambs, and their grain offerings and their drink offerings; and you shall offer them on the altar of the house of your God, which is in Jerusalem. 18 And you may do whatever seems good to you and to your brothers to do with the rest of the silver and the gold, according to the will of your God. 19 And the vessels that were given to you for the service of the house of your God, deliver in full before the God of Jerusalem. 20 And the rest of what is needed for the house of your God that falls to you to give, you may give from the house of the treasures of the king.

21 And from me myself, Artaxerxes the king, is set a decree for all the treasurers who are in Beyond-the-River: that all that Ezra (the priest, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven) may ask of you, let it be done diligently; 22 as much as 100 silver kikkars, and as much as 100 cors of wheat, and as much as 100 baths of wine, and as much as 100 baths of oil, and salt which is not written. 23 Everything that is from the decree of the God of heaven shall be done exactly for the house of the God of heaven. For why should there be wrath against the kingdom of the king and his sons?

24 And to you is made known that there is no authority to set tax, tribute, or custom upon all the priests, and the Levites, the singers, the gatekeepers, the temple servants, and the servants of that house of God. 25 And as for you, Ezra, according to the wisdom of your God that is in your hand, appoint magistrates and judges who may judge all the people who are in Beyond-the-River, all who know the laws of your God. And you shall teach those who do not know. 26 And everyone who will not do the law of your God and the law of the king, judgment shall be exacted from him diligently, whether for death, whether for banishment, whether for confiscation of goods, or for imprisonment.”

27 Blessed be Yahweh, the God of our fathers, who gave according to this in the heart of the king, to glorify the house of Yahweh, which is in Jerusalem, 28 and caused covenant faithfulness to extend to me before the face of the king, and his counselors, and before all the mighty officials of the king. And as for me, I gained strength according to the hand of Yahweh my God upon me, and I gathered from Israel heads to go up with me.

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