The Letter of Artaxerxes to Ezra

¹¹ Now this is the copy of the letter that King Artaxerxes gave to Ezra the priest, who was likewise the scribe, the one responsible for the words of the commandments of the Lord and His statutes to Israel:

¹² “Artaxerxes, king of kings,

“To Ezra the priest, scribe of the law of the God of heaven:

“Perfect peace, and so forth.

¹³ “I have issued a decree that all the people of Israel, and their priests, and the Levites in my realm, who are inclined to go up to Jerusalem, may go with you. ¹⁴ For you are sent by the king and his seven counselors to inquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem in accordance with the Law of your God which is in your hand, ¹⁵ and to carry the silver and gold, which the king and his counselors have freely offered to the God of Israel, whose habitation is in Jerusalem, ¹⁶ along with all the silver and gold that you can find in all the province of Babylon, plus the freewill offering of the people and priests, who are voluntarily giving for the house of their God in Jerusalem. ¹⁷ Diligently use this money to buy bulls, rams, lambs, with their grain offerings and their drink offerings, and offer them on the altar of the house of your God in Jerusalem.

¹⁸ “Whatever seems good to you and your brothers to do with the rest of the silver and the gold, do that according to the will of your God. ¹⁹ The vessels also that are given to you for the service of the house of your God, deliver before the God of Jerusalem. ²⁰ And whatever else is needed for the house of your God and is your responsibility to provide, use the king’s treasury to pay for it.

²¹ “I, even I Artaxerxes the king, issue a decree to all the treasurers of the province Beyond the River, that whatever Ezra the priest, scribe of the law of the God of heaven, should request from you, you should do it with all diligence— ²² as much as a hundred talents^[a] of silver, a hundred measures^[b] of wheat, a hundred baths^[c] of wine, a hundred baths^[d] of oil, and salt (without prescribing how much). ²³ Whatever is decreed by the God of heaven, let it be zealously done for the house of the God of heaven so as to avoid there being wrath against the realm of the king and his sons. ²⁴ Also we are informing you that with regard to all the priests, Levites, singers, doorkeepers, temple servants, or other servants of this house of God, it is not permitted to impose toll, tribute, or custom on them.

²⁵ “You, Ezra, according to the wisdom of your God who empowers you, appoint magistrates and judges to judge all the people of the province Beyond the River, all those who know the laws of your God and those who do not, whom you must teach. ²⁶ Whoever will not observe the law of your God or the law of the king, let judgment be executed speedily on him, whether that be death, banishment, confiscation of goods, or imprisonment.”