CHAPTER 7
1 And after these words, Ezra, the son of Seraiah, son of Azariah, son of Hilkiah,
2 son of Shallum, son of Zadok, son of Ahitub,
3 son of Amariah, son of Azariah, son of Meraioth,
4 son of Zerahiah, son of Uzzi, son of Bukki,
5 son of Abishua, son of Phinehas, son of Eleazar, son of Aaron, priest at the beginning, this Ezra was in the realm of Artaxerxes, king of Persia;
6 that Ezra went up from Babylon, and he was a swift writer in the law of Moses, which the Lord God of Israel gave; and the king gave to him all his asking, by the good hand of his Lord God on him.
7 And in the seventh year of Artaxerxes king, there went up into Jerusalem men of the sons of Israel, and of the sons of priests, and of the sons of deacons [or Levites], and of singers, and of porters, and of Nethinims.
8 And they came into Jerusalem in the fifth month; that is the seventh year of the king.
9 And in the first day of the first month Ezra began to go up from Babylon, and in the first day of the fifth month he came into Jerusalem, by the good hand, or help, of the God of him.
10 And Ezra made ready his heart to inquire [or ensearch] the law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach in Israel the behest and doom of the Lord.
11 Soothly this is the exemplar of the epistle of the commandment, which the king Artaxerxes gave to Ezra, priest, writer learned in the words and commandments of the Lord, and in his ceremonies in Israel.
12 Artaxerxes, king of kings, desireth health to Ezra, the priest, the most wise writer of the law of God of heaven.
13 It is deemed of me, that whom-ever it pleaseth in my realm of the people of Israel, and of his priests, and deacons [or Levites], to go into Jerusalem, go he with thee.
14 For thou art sent from the presence of the king, and of his seven counsellors, that thou visit Judea and Jerusalem in the law of thy God, which is in thy hand;
15 and that thou bear silver and gold, which the king and his counsellors, have offered by free will to [the] God of Israel, whose tabernacle is in Jerusalem.
16 And take thou freely all the silver and gold, whatever thou findest in all the province of Babylon, and that that the people will offer, and of priests that offered by free will to the house of their God, which is in Jerusalem;
17 and buy thou busily of this money calves, rams, lambs, and other offerings, and [the] moist [or liquor] sacrifices of those [or them]; and offer thou those [or them] upon the altar of the temple of your God, which temple is in Jerusalem.
18 But over this also if anything pleaseth to thee, and to thy brethren, to do of the silver and gold that leaveth, do ye it by the will of your God;
19 also betake thou in the sight of God in Jerusalem the vessels, that be given into the service of the house of thy God.
20 But also thou shalt give of the treasure of the king, and of the common ark, either purse, and of men other things, that be needful in the house of thy God, as much ever as is needful, that thou spend.
21 I, Artaxerxes, king, have ordained, and deemed, to all the keepers of the common ark, or hutch, that be beyond the flood, that whatever thing Ezra, the priest, writer of the law of God of heaven, asketh of you, ye give it without tarrying,
22 unto an hundred talents of silver, and to an hundred cors of wheat, and unto an hundred baths of wine, and unto an hundred baths of oil, and salt without measure.
23 All thing that pertaineth to the custom, either religion, of God of heaven, be given diligently in the house of God of heaven, lest peradventure he be wroth against the realm of the king, and of his sons.
24 Also we make known to you of all the priests, and deacons [or Levites], singers, and porters, and Nethinims, and ministers of the house of this God, that ye have not power to put on them toll, and tribute, and other costs for keeping of the land.
25 But thou, Ezra, by the wisdom of thy God, that is in thine hand, ordain judges and governors, that they deem [all] the people, that is beyond the flood, that is, to them that know the law of thy God, and the law of the king; but also teach ye freely unknowing men.
26 And each man, that doeth not diligently the law of thy God, and the law of the king, this doom shall be of him, either into death, either into exiling, either into losing of his chattel, either certainly into prison.
27 And Ezra, the writer, said, Blessed be the Lord God of our fathers, that gave this thing in the heart of the king, that he should glorify the house of the Lord, which is in Jerusalem,
28 and that bowed his mercy into me before the king, and his counsellors, and before all the mighty princes of the king. And I was comforted by the hand of the Lord my God, that was in me, and I gathered together princes of the sons of Israel, the which went up with me to Jerusalem.