⁸ Moreover, ^(A)I issue a decree concerning what you shall do for those elders of Judah in the rebuilding of that house of God: the full cost is to be given to those people from the royal treasury out of the tribute of the provinces beyond the River, and that without negligence.

⁹ Whatever is needed, both young bulls, rams, and lambs for a burnt offering to the God of heaven, and wheat, salt, wine, and anointing oil, according to what the priests in Jerusalem say, it is to be given to them daily without negligence,

¹⁰ that they may bring sweet-smelling sacrifices near to the God of heaven and ^(B)pray for the life of the king and his sons.

¹¹ And I issued a decree that ^(C)any man who violates this edict, a timber shall be pulled out from his house and he shall be impaled on it and ^(D)his house shall be made a refuse heap on account of this.

¹² May the God who ^(E)has caused His name to dwell there overthrow any king or people who ^[a]stretches out his hand to change it, so as to destroy that house of God in Jerusalem. I, Darius, have issued this decree, let it be done with all diligence!”

^13 (A)I have issued a decree that any of the people of Israel and their priests and the Levites in my kingdom who freely offer to go to Jerusalem, may go with you.

²¹ “So I, even I, King Artaxerxes, issue a decree to all the treasurers who are in the provinces beyond the ^[a]River, that whatever Ezra the priest, ^(A)the scribe of the law of the God of heaven, may ask of you, it shall be done with all diligence,