Ezra 7
English Standard Version
Ezra Sent to Teach the People
7 Now after this, (A)in the reign of (B)Artaxerxes king of Persia, (C)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 the chief priest— 6 this Ezra went up from Babylonia. He was a scribe (D)skilled in the Law of Moses that the Lord, the God of Israel, had given, and the king granted him all that he asked, (E)for the hand of the Lord his God was on him.
7 And there went up also to Jerusalem, in the seventh year of Artaxerxes the king, some of the people of Israel, and (F)some of the priests and (G)Levites, the singers and gatekeepers, and the temple (H)servants. 8 And Ezra[a] came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the king. 9 For on the first day of the first month he began to go up from Babylonia, and on the first day of the fifth month he came to Jerusalem, (I)for the good hand of his God was on him. 10 For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the Lord, and to do it (J)and to (K)teach his statutes and rules in Israel.
11 This is a copy of the letter that King Artaxerxes gave to Ezra the priest, the scribe, a man learned in matters of the commandments of the Lord and his statutes for Israel: 12 “Artaxerxes, (L)king of kings, to Ezra the priest, the (M)scribe of the Law of the God of heaven. Peace.[b] (N)And now 13 (O)I make a decree that anyone of the people of Israel or their priests or Levites in my kingdom, who freely offers to go to Jerusalem, may go with you. 14 For you are sent by the king (P)and his seven counselors to make inquiries about Judah and Jerusalem according to the Law of your God, which is in your hand, 15 and also to carry the silver and gold that the king (Q)and his counselors have freely offered to the God of Israel, (R)whose dwelling is in Jerusalem, 16 (S)with all the silver and gold that you shall find in the whole province of Babylonia, and (T)with the freewill offerings of the people and the priests, vowed willingly for the house of their God that is in Jerusalem. 17 With this money, then, you shall with all diligence buy bulls, rams, and lambs, with their grain offerings and their drink offerings, and (U)you shall offer them on the altar of the house of your God that is in Jerusalem. 18 Whatever seems good to you and your brothers to do with the rest of the silver and gold, you may do, according to the will of your God. 19 The vessels that have been given you for the service of the house of your God, you shall deliver before the God of Jerusalem. 20 And whatever else is required for the house of your God, which it falls to you to provide, you may provide it out of the king's treasury.
21 “And I, Artaxerxes the king, make a decree to all the treasurers in the province Beyond the River: Whatever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the Law of the God of heaven, requires of you, let it be done with all diligence, 22 up to 100 talents[c] of silver, 100 cors[d] of wheat, 100 baths[e] of wine, 100 baths of oil, and salt without prescribing how much. 23 Whatever is decreed by the God of heaven, let it be done in full for the house of the God of heaven, lest his wrath be against the realm of the king and his sons. 24 We also notify you that it shall not be lawful to impose (V)tribute, custom, or toll on anyone of the priests, the Levites, the singers, the doorkeepers, the temple servants, or other servants of this house of God.
25 “And you, Ezra, according to the wisdom of your God that is in your hand, (W)appoint magistrates and judges who may judge all the people in the province Beyond the River, all such as know the laws of your God. (X)And those who do not know them, you shall teach. 26 Whoever will not obey the law of your God and the law of the king, let judgment be strictly executed on him, whether for death or for banishment or for confiscation of his goods or for imprisonment.”
27 (Y)Blessed be the Lord, the God of our fathers, (Z)who put such a thing as this into the heart of the king, to beautify the house of the Lord that is in Jerusalem, 28 (AA)and who extended to me his steadfast love before the king and his counselors, and before all the king's mighty officers. I took courage, for the hand of the Lord my God was on me, and I gathered leading men from Israel to go up with me.
Ezra 7
International Standard Version
Ezra’s Return to Jerusalem(A)
7 After all of this, during the reign of King Artaxerxes of Persia, Seraiah’s son Ezra (who was the grandson 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 the chief priest) 6 left[a] Babylon. He was a skillful scribe of the Law of Moses that the Lord God of Israel had given. And the king granted him everything he had requested because the hand of the Lord his God was upon him. 7 Some of the descendants of Israel also left for Jerusalem, including the priests, the descendants of Levi, the singers, the gatekeepers, and the Temple Servants, during the seventh year of king Artaxerxes.
8 He arrived in Jerusalem during the fifth month of the seventh year of the king’s reign.[b] 9 On the first day[c] of the first month he left Babylon and he arrived in Jerusalem on the first day[d] of the fifth month, since the beneficent hand of his God was upon him. 10 For Ezra had set his heart to seek the Law of the Lord, to obey it, and to teach God’s[e] statutes and judgments in Israel.
The Letter from King Artaxerxes
11 Here is a copy of the letter that King Artaxerxes gave to Ezra, the priest-scribe, a scholar[f] in matters concerning the commandments of the Lord and concerning his statutes pertaining to Israel:
12 From:[g] Artaxerxes, King of Kings
To: Ezra, the Priest, a scholar[h] in matters concerning the laws of the God of Heaven
Greetings![i]
13 I hereby decree that all of the people of Israel—along with their priests and descendants of Levi in my kingdom—who are determined to return to Jerusalem with you may do so. 14 You have authority to act for the king and for his Council of Seven to conduct an inquiry concerning Judah and Jerusalem in accordance with the Law of your God, which is in your possession. 15 You are carrying silver and gold that the King and his advisors have freely given to the God of Israel, whose Temple is in Jerusalem, 16 together with all of the silver and gold that you can raise in the province of Babylon, plus the freewill offerings given by the people and the priests, contributed for the Temple of their God, which is in Jerusalem.
17 Accordingly, you are to exercise due diligence to utilize this money to purchase bulls, rams, lambs, grain offerings, and drink offerings, and to offer them upon the altar of the Temple of your God, which is in Jerusalem.
18 Furthermore, the balance remaining of the silver and gold may be used for whatever other purpose you and your people desire, as long as such use is consistent with the will of your God.
19 Furthermore, you are to deliver to the God of Jerusalem the vessels for the service of the Temple of your God that have been given to you.
20 Furthermore, provide from the royal treasury whatever else may be needed for the Temple of your God.
21 I, Artaxerxes, in my capacity as king,[j] hereby decree to all royal treasuries beyond the Euphrates[k] River that whatever Ezra the priest-scribe of the Law of the God of Heaven, may require of you are to be performed with all due diligence, 22 up to 100 silver talents,[l] 100 measures of wheat, 100 measures of wine, 100 measures of oil, and salt without limitation. 23 Whatever is commanded by the God of Heaven is to be done with all due diligence for the Temple of the God of Heaven, or wrath will come against the king’s realm and his sons.
24 Furthermore, we decree that with respect to any of the priests, descendants of Levi, singers, gatekeepers, Temple Servants, or other servants of this Temple of God, it is not to be lawful to impose any tribute, tax, or toll on them.
25 And you, Ezra, in accordance with the wisdom given to you by your God, are to appoint magistrates and judges to administer justice to all the people beyond the Euphrates[m] River. All of them are to know the laws of your God, and you are to instruct those who do not know them. 26 Whoever refuses to practice the law of your God and the law of the king is to see judgment executed quickly, whether to death, banishment, confiscation of goods, or imprisonment.
Ezra’s Response to the Letter
27 Blessed be the Lord God of our ancestors,
who placed this decree[n] into the king’s heart
to beautify the Temple of the Lord in Jerusalem
28 and who showed gracious love to me before the king,
before his advisors,
and before all of the king’s mighty officials.
And I was strengthened because the hand of the Lord my God was upon me. So I gathered together the leaders of Israel to go with me.
Footnotes
- Ezra 7:6 Lit. Ezra himself left
- Ezra 7:8 Lit. seventh of the king
- Ezra 7:9 The Heb. lacks day
- Ezra 7:9 The Heb. lacks day
- Ezra 7:10 The Heb. lacks God’s
- Ezra 7:11 Or scribe
- Ezra 7:12 At this point, the text of MT changes to Aramaic through verse 26.
- Ezra 7:12 Or scribe
- Ezra 7:12 Lit. Perfect and so forth
- Ezra 7:21 Lit. And I, even I, Artaxerxes the King
- Ezra 7:21 The Aram. lacks Euphrates
- Ezra 7:22 I.e. about 7,500 pounds; a talent weighed about 75 pounds
- Ezra 7:25 The Aram. lacks Euphrates
- Ezra 7:27 The Heb. lacks decree
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
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