Ezra 7:8-14

New American Standard Bible

⁸ And he 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 Babylon; and on the first of the fifth month he came to Jerusalem, ^(A)because the good hand of his God was upon him. ¹⁰ For Ezra had ^[a]firmly resolved to study the Law of the Lord and to practice it, and ^(B)to teach His statutes and ordinances in Israel.

King’s Decree on Behalf of Ezra

¹¹ Now this is the copy of the letter which King Artaxerxes gave to Ezra the priest, the scribe, ^[b]learned in the words of the commandments of the Lord and His statutes to Israel: ¹² “^[c]Artaxerxes, ^(C)king of kings, to Ezra the priest, the scribe of the Law of the God of heaven, ^[d]perfect peace. And now ^13 (D)I have issued a decree that any of the people of Israel and their priests and the Levites in my kingdom who are willing to go to Jerusalem, may go with you. ¹⁴ Since you are sent ^[e]on the part of the king and his ^(E)seven advisers to inquire about Judah and Jerusalem according to the Law of your God which is in your hand,