Ezra 7:11-26

International Children’s Bible

¹² From Artaxerxes, king of kings. To Ezra the priest, a teacher of the Law of the God of heaven.

Greetings.

¹³ Now I give this order: Any Israelite in my kingdom who wishes may go with you to Jerusalem. This includes priests and Levites. ¹⁴ Ezra, you are sent by the king and the seven people who advise him. You are to ask about how Judah and Jerusalem are obeying the Law of your God, which you are carrying with you. ¹⁵ Also take with you the silver and gold the king and those who advise him have given freely. It’s for the God of Israel, whose Temple is in Jerusalem. ¹⁶ Also take the silver and gold you receive from the area of Babylon. And take the offerings the Israelites and their priests have given as gifts to the Lord. They are for the Temple of their God in Jerusalem. ¹⁷ With this money buy bulls, male sheep and male lambs. Buy the grain offerings and drink offerings that go with those sacrifices. Then sacrifice them on the altar in the Temple of your God in Jerusalem.

¹⁸ Then you and your fellow Jews may spend the silver and gold left over. Use it as you want and as God wishes. ¹⁹ Take to the God of Jerusalem all the things put in your care. They are for the worship in the Temple of your God. ²⁰ And you may get anything else you need for the Temple of your God. Pay for it from the royal treasury.

²¹ Now I, King Artaxerxes, give this order to all the men in charge of the treasury west of the Euphrates: Give Ezra anything he asks for right away. Ezra is a priest and a teacher of the Law of the God of heaven. ²² Give him up to 7,500 pounds of silver, 600 bushels of wheat, 600 gallons of wine and 600 gallons of olive oil. And give him as much salt as he wants. ²³ Carefully give him whatever the God of heaven wants. Do it for the Temple of the God of heaven. We do not want God to be angry with the king and his sons. ²⁴ Remember, you must not make these people pay taxes of any kind: priests, Levites, singers, gatekeepers, Temple servants and other workers in this Temple of God.

²⁵ And you, Ezra, use the wisdom you have from your God. Choose judges and lawmakers to rule the Jews west of the Euphrates. They know the laws of your God. And teach anyone who does not know them. ²⁶ Whoever does not obey the law of your God or of the king must be punished. He will be killed or sent away. He will have his property taken away or be put in jail.