Artaxerxes Gives Official Endorsement to Ezra’s Mission

¹¹ What follows^[a] is a copy of the letter that King Artaxerxes gave to Ezra the priestly scribe.^[b] Ezra was^[c] a scribe in matters pertaining to the commandments of the Lord and his statutes over Israel:

^12 [d] “Artaxerxes, king of kings, to Ezra the priest, a scribe of the law of the God of heaven:^{[e] 13} I have now issued a decree^[f] that anyone in my kingdom from the people of Israel—even the priests and Levites—who wishes to do so may go up with you to Jerusalem. ¹⁴ You are authorized^[g] by the king and his seven advisers to inquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem, according to the law of your God which is in your possession,^{[h] 15} and to bring silver and gold which the king and his advisers have freely contributed to the God of Israel, who resides in Jerusalem, ¹⁶ along with all the silver and gold that you may collect^[i] throughout all the province of Babylon and the contributions of the people and the priests for the temple of their God which is in Jerusalem. ¹⁷ With this money you should be sure to purchase bulls, rams, and lambs, along with the appropriate^[j] meal offerings and libations. You should bring them to the altar of the temple of your God which is in Jerusalem. ¹⁸ You may do whatever seems appropriate to you and your colleagues^[k] with the rest of the silver and the gold, in keeping with the will of your God. ¹⁹ Deliver to^[l] the God of Jerusalem the vessels that are given to you for the service of the temple of your God. ²⁰ The rest of the needs for the temple of your God that you may have to supply,^[m] you may do so from the royal treasury.

²¹ “I, King Artaxerxes, hereby issue orders to all the treasurers of^[n] Trans-Euphrates, that you precisely execute all that Ezra the priestly scribe of the law of the God of heaven may request of you— ²² up to 100 talents of silver, 100 cors of wheat, 100 baths of wine, 100 baths of olive oil,^[o] and unlimited^[p] salt. ²³ Everything that the God of heaven has required should be precisely done for the temple of the God of heaven. Why should there be wrath^[q] against the empire of the king and his sons? ²⁴ Furthermore, be aware of the fact^[r] that you have no authority to impose tax, tribute, or toll on any of the priests, the Levites, the musicians, the doorkeepers, the temple servants, or the attendants at the temple of this God.

²⁵ “Now you, Ezra, in keeping with the wisdom of your God which you possess,^[s] appoint judges^[t] and court officials who can arbitrate cases on behalf of all the people who are in Trans-Euphrates who know the laws of your God. Those who do not know this law should be taught. ²⁶ Everyone who does not observe both the law of your God and the law of the king will be completely^[u] liable to the appropriate penalty, whether it is death or banishment or confiscation of property or detainment in prison.”