Ezra 7

1Now after these things, in the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Ezra the son of Seraiah, the son of Azariah, the son of Hilkiah,

1Later, during the reign of King Artaxerxes of Persia, there was a man named Ezra. He was the son of Seraiah, who was the son of Azariah, who was the son of Hilkiah,

2the son of Shallum, the son of Zadok, the son of Ahitub,

2who was the son of Shallum, who was the son of Zadok, who was the son of Ahitub,

3the son of Amariah, the son of Azariah, the son of Meraioth,

3who was the son of Amariah, who was the son of Azariah, who was the son of Meraioth,

4the son of Zerahiah, the son of Uzzi, the son of Bukki,

4who was the son of Zerahiah, who was the son of Uzzi, who was the son of Bukki,

5the son of Abishua, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the chief priest—

5who was the son of Abishua, who was the son of Phinehas, who was the son of Eleazar, who was the son of Aaron the high priest.

6this Ezra went up from Babylon. And he was a ready scribe in the law of Moses, which Jehovah, the God of Israel, had given; and the king granted him all his request, according to the hand of Jehovah his God upon him.

6This Ezra came up from Babylon. He was a scholar well-versed in the Law of Moses, which the LORD, the God of Israel, had given. The king granted him everything he asked for because the hand of the LORD his God was on him.

7And 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, unto Jerusalem, in the seventh year of Artaxerxes the king.

7Some of the Israelites, including priests, Levites, singers, gatekeepers, and temple servants, traveled with him to Jerusalem in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes.

8And he came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the king.

8Ezra arrived in Jerusalem in the fifth month of the king's seventh year.

9For 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.

9He began his journey from Babylon on the first day of the first month, and he arrived in Jerusalem on the first day of the fifth month, because the kind hand of his God was with him.

10For Ezra had set his heart to seek the law of Jehovah, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and ordinances.

10For Ezra had dedicated himself to studying and obeying the Law of the LORD, and to teaching its rules and regulations to the people of Israel.

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

11This is a copy of the letter that King Artaxerxes gave to Ezra the priest and scholar, a man who studied the commands and laws the LORD gave to Israel:

12Artaxerxes, king of kings, unto Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven, perfect and so forth.

12'Artaxerxes, king of kings, to Ezra the priest, a teacher of the Law of the God of heaven: Greetings.

13I 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 thee.

13I decree that any of the Israelites in my kingdom, including their priests and Levites, who volunteer to go with you to Jerusalem may go.

14Forasmuch as thou art sent of the king and his seven counsellors, to inquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem, according to the law of thy God which is in thy hand,

14You are sent by the king and his seven advisors to check on Judah and Jerusalem to see if they are following the Law of your God, which you carry with you.

15and to carry the silver and gold, which the king and his counsellors have freely offered unto the God of Israel, whose habitation is in Jerusalem,

15Also, take with you the silver and gold that the king and his advisors have freely given to the God of Israel, whose temple is in Jerusalem.

16and all the silver and gold that thou shalt 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;

16Take all the silver and gold you collect throughout the province of Babylon, along with the voluntary gifts from the people and the priests for the temple of their God in Jerusalem.

17therefore thou shalt with all diligence buy with this money bullocks, rams, lambs, with their meal-offerings and their drink-offerings, and shalt offer them upon the altar of the house of your God which is in Jerusalem.

17Use this money carefully to buy bulls, rams, and male lambs, along with the required grain offerings and drink offerings, and sacrifice them on the altar of the temple of your God in Jerusalem.

18And whatsoever shall seem good to thee and to thy brethren to do with the rest of the silver and the gold, that do ye after the will of your God.

18You and your relatives may do whatever you think is best with the silver and gold that is left over, as long as it is in line with the will of your God.

19And the vessels that are given thee for the service of the house of thy God, deliver thou before the God of Jerusalem.

19Deliver all the articles given to you for the worship in the temple of your God to the God of Jerusalem.

20And whatsoever more shall be needful for the house of thy God, which thou shalt have occasion to bestow, bestow it out of the king’s treasure-house.

20Anything else needed for the temple of your God that you must provide, you may pay for from the royal treasury.

21And I, even I Artaxerxes the king, do make a decree to all the treasurers that are beyond the River, that whatsoever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven, shall require of you, it be done with all diligence,

21I, King Artaxerxes, hereby order all the treasurers in the province west of the Euphrates River to give Ezra the priest, the teacher of the Law of the God of heaven, whatever he asks for.

22unto 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.

22You may give him up to 3¾ tons of silver, 600 bushels of wheat, 600 gallons of wine, 600 gallons of olive oil, and an unlimited supply of salt.

23Whatsoever 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 wrath against the realm of the king and his sons?

23Be careful to provide everything that the God of heaven has commanded for his temple. Why should his anger fall on the king’s empire and his sons?

24Also 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.

24You are also notified that it is illegal to impose taxes, tributes, or tolls on any of the priests, Levites, singers, gatekeepers, temple servants, or other workers at this temple of God.

25And thou, Ezra, after the wisdom of thy God that is in thy hand, appoint magistrates and judges, who may judge all the people that are beyond the River, all such as know the laws of thy God; and teach ye him that knoweth them not.

25And you, Ezra, using the wisdom your God has given you, appoint magistrates and judges to govern all the people in the province west of the Euphrates River—everyone who knows the laws of your God. If anyone does not know them, you must teach them.

26And whosoever will not do the law of thy God, and the law of the king, let judgment be executed upon him with all diligence, whether it be unto death, or to banishment, or to confiscation of goods, or to imprisonment.

26Anyone who does not obey the law of your God and the law of the king must be punished promptly, whether by death, exile, confiscation of property, or imprisonment.'

27Blessed be Jehovah, the God of our fathers, who hath put such a thing as this in the king’s heart, to beautify the house of Jehovah which is in Jerusalem;

27Praise be to the LORD, the God of our ancestors, who put it into the king’s heart to honor the temple of the LORD in Jerusalem in this way!

28and hath extended lovingkindness unto me before the king, and his counsellors, and before all the king’s mighty princes. And I was strengthened according to the hand of Jehovah my God upon me, and I gathered together out of Israel chief men to go up with me.

28He has shown me favor in the eyes of the king, his advisors, and all the king’s powerful officials. Because the hand of the LORD my God was on me, I took courage and gathered together the leaders of Israel to return with me.