Now swear to me here before God that you will not deal falsely with me or my children or my descendants. Show to me and the country where you now reside as a foreigner the same kindness I have shown to you.”

“You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.

Laws of Justice and Mercy

“Do not spread false reports. Do not help a guilty person by being a malicious witness.

Have nothing to do with a false charge and do not put an innocent or honest person to death, for I will not acquit the guilty.

or if they find lost property and lie about it, or if they swear falsely about any such sin that people may commit—

or whatever it was they swore falsely about. They must make restitution in full, add a fifth of the value to it and give it all to the owner on the day they present their guilt offering.

“‘Do not swear falsely by my name and so profane the name of your God. I am the Lord.

“You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.

The judges must make a thorough investigation, and if the witness proves to be a liar, giving false testimony against a fellow Israelite,

then do to the false witness as that witness intended to do to the other party. You must purge the evil from among you.

They sacrificed to false gods, which are not God— gods they had not known, gods that recently appeared, gods your ancestors did not fear.

Young and old alike, teacher as well as student, cast lots for their duties.

this Ezra came up from Babylon. He was a teacher well versed in the Law of Moses, which the Lord, the God of Israel, had given. The king had granted him everything he asked, for the hand of the Lord his God was on him.

King Artaxerxes’ Letter to Ezra

This is a copy of the letter King Artaxerxes had given to Ezra the priest, a teacher of the Law, a man learned in matters concerning the commands and decrees of the Lord for Israel:

Artaxerxes, king of kings, To Ezra the priest, teacher of the Law of the God of heaven: Greetings.

Now I, King Artaxerxes, decree that all the treasurers of Trans-Euphrates are to provide with diligence whatever Ezra the priest, the teacher of the Law of the God of heaven, may ask of you—

all the people came together as one in the square before the Water Gate. They told Ezra the teacher of the Law to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded for Israel.

Ezra the teacher of the Law stood on a high wooden platform built for the occasion. Beside him on his right stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah and Maaseiah; and on his left were Pedaiah, Mishael, Malkijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah and Meshullam.

Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and teacher of the Law, and the Levites who were instructing the people said to them all, “This day is holy to the Lord your God. Do not mourn or weep.” For all the people had been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law.

On the second day of the month, the heads of all the families, along with the priests and the Levites, gathered around Ezra the teacher to give attention to the words of the Law.

They served in the days of Joiakim son of Joshua, the son of Jozadak, and in the days of Nehemiah the governor and of Ezra the priest, the teacher of the Law.

and his associates—Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah and Hanani—with musical instruments prescribed by David the man of God. Ezra the teacher of the Law led the procession.

“So how can you console me with your nonsense? Nothing is left of your answers but falsehood!”

“If this is not so, who can prove me false and reduce my words to nothing?”

“If I have walked with falsehood or my foot has hurried after deceit—