Ezra 7

New International Version

Ezra Comes to Jerusalem

7 After these things, during the reign of Artaxerxes^(A) king of Persia, Ezra son of Seraiah,^(B) the son of Azariah, the son of Hilkiah,^(C) ²the son of Shallum, the son of Zadok,^(D) the son of Ahitub,^(E) ³the son of Amariah, the son of Azariah, the son of Meraioth, ⁴the son of Zerahiah, the son of Uzzi, the son of Bukki, ⁵the son of Abishua, the son of Phinehas,^(F) the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the chief priest— ⁶this Ezra^(G) 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^(H) him everything he asked, for the hand of the Lord his God was on him.^(I) ⁷Some of the Israelites, including priests, Levites, musicians, gatekeepers and temple servants, also came up to Jerusalem in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes.^(J)

⁸Ezra arrived in Jerusalem in the fifth month of the seventh year of the king. ⁹He had begun 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, for the gracious hand of his God was on him.^(K) ¹⁰For Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the Lord, and to teaching^(L) its decrees and laws in Israel.

King Artaxerxes’ Letter to Ezra

¹¹This 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:

¹²Artaxerxes, king of kings,^(M)

To Ezra the priest, teacher of the Law of the God of heaven:

Greetings.

¹³Now I decree that any of the Israelites in my kingdom, including priests and Levites, who volunteer to go to Jerusalem with you, may go. ¹⁴You are sent by the king and his seven advisers^(N) to inquire about Judah and Jerusalem with regard to the Law of your God, which is in your hand. ¹⁵Moreover, you are to take with you the silver and gold that the king and his advisers have freely given^(O) to the God of Israel, whose dwelling^(P) is in Jerusalem, ¹⁶together with all the silver and gold^(Q) you may obtain from the province of Babylon, as well as the freewill offerings of the people and priests for the temple of their God in Jerusalem.^(R) ¹⁷With this money be sure to buy bulls, rams and male lambs,^(S) together with their grain offerings and drink offerings,^(T) and sacrifice^(U) them on the altar of the temple of your God in Jerusalem.

¹⁸You and your fellow Israelites may then do whatever seems best with the rest of the silver and gold, in accordance with the will of your God. ¹⁹Deliver^(V) to the God of Jerusalem all the articles entrusted to you for worship in the temple of your God. ²⁰And anything else needed for the temple of your God that you are responsible to supply, you may provide from the royal treasury.^(W)

²¹Now 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— ²²up to a hundred talents^[a] of silver, a hundred cors^[b] of wheat, a hundred baths^[c] of wine, a hundred baths^[d] of olive oil, and salt without limit. ²³Whatever the God of heaven has prescribed, let it be done with diligence for the temple of the God of heaven. Why should his wrath fall on the realm of the king and of his sons?^(X) ²⁴You are also to know that you have no authority to impose taxes, tribute or duty^(Y) on any of the priests, Levites, musicians, gatekeepers, temple servants or other workers at this house of God.^(Z)

²⁵And you, Ezra, in accordance with the wisdom of your God, which you possess, appoint^(AA) magistrates and judges to administer justice to all the people of Trans-Euphrates—all who know the laws of your God. And you are to teach^(AB) any who do not know them. ²⁶Whoever does not obey the law of your God and the law of the king must surely be punished by death, banishment, confiscation of property, or imprisonment.^[e]^(AC)

²⁷Praise be to the Lord, the God of our ancestors, who has put it into the king’s heart^(AD) to bring honor^(AE) to the house of the Lord in Jerusalem in this way ²⁸and who has extended his good favor^(AF) to me before the king and his advisers and all the king’s powerful officials. Because the hand of the Lord my God was on me,^(AG) I took courage and gathered leaders from Israel to go up with me.

Footnotes

Ezra 7:22 That is, about 3 3/4 tons or about 3.4 metric tons
Ezra 7:22 That is, probably about 18 tons or about 16 metric tons
Ezra 7:22 That is, about 600 gallons or about 2,200 liters
Ezra 7:22 That is, about 600 gallons or about 2,200 liters
Ezra 7:26 The text of 7:12-26 is in Aramaic.

Psalm 137

New International Version

Psalm 137

¹By the rivers of Babylon^(A) we sat and wept^(B)
    when we remembered Zion.^(C)
²There on the poplars^(D)
    we hung our harps,^(E)
³for there our captors^(F) asked us for songs,
    our tormentors demanded^(G) songs of joy;
    they said, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!”^(H)

⁴How can we sing the songs of the Lord^(I)
    while in a foreign land?
⁵If I forget you,^(J) Jerusalem,
    may my right hand forget its skill.
⁶May my tongue cling to the roof^(K) of my mouth
    if I do not remember^(L) you,
if I do not consider Jerusalem^(M)
    my highest joy.

⁷Remember, Lord, what the Edomites^(N) did
    on the day Jerusalem fell.^(O)
“Tear it down,” they cried,
    “tear it down to its foundations!”^(P)
⁸Daughter Babylon, doomed to destruction,^(Q)
    happy is the one who repays you
    according to what you have done to us.
⁹Happy is the one who seizes your infants
    and dashes them^(R) against the rocks.

Revelation 2:12-29

New International Version

To the Church in Pergamum

¹²“To the angel of the church in Pergamum^(A) write:

These are the words of him who has the sharp, double-edged sword.^(B) ¹³I know where you live—where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name. You did not renounce your faith in me,^(C) not even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness,^(D) who was put to death in your city—where Satan lives.^(E)

¹⁴Nevertheless, I have a few things against you:^(F) There are some among you who hold to the teaching of Balaam,^(G) who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin so that they ate food sacrificed to idols^(H) and committed sexual immorality.^(I) ¹⁵Likewise, you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans.^(J) ¹⁶Repent^(K) therefore! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.^(L)

¹⁷Whoever has ears, let them hear^(M) what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious,^(N) I will give some of the hidden manna.^(O) I will also give that person a white stone with a new name^(P) written on it, known only to the one who receives it.^(Q)

To the Church in Thyatira

¹⁸“To the angel of the church in Thyatira^(R) write:

These are the words of the Son of God,^(S) whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze.^(T) ¹⁹I know your deeds,^(U) your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first.

²⁰Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel,^(V) who calls herself a prophet. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols.^(W) ²¹I have given her time^(X) to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling.^(Y) ²²So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery^(Z) with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways. ²³I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds,^(AA) and I will repay each of you according to your deeds.^(AB)

²⁴Now I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets, ‘I will not impose any other burden on you,^(AC) ²⁵except to hold on to what you have^(AD) until I come.’^(AE)

²⁶To the one who is victorious^(AF) and does my will to the end,^(AG) I will give authority over the nations^(AH)— ²⁷that one ‘will rule them with an iron scepter^(AI) and will dash them to pieces like pottery’^[a]^(AJ)—just as I have received authority from my Father. ²⁸I will also give that one the morning star.^(AK) ²⁹Whoever has ears, let them hear^(AL) what the Spirit says to the churches.