Historical
6 At the commandment of Darius king of Persia, after the Temple was built and dedicated, the children of Israel keep the feast of unleavened bread.
1 Then king Darius gave commandment, and they made search in the [a]library of the treasures, which were there laid up in Babel.
2 And there was found in a [b]coffer (in the palace that was in the province of the Medes) a volume, and therein was it thus written, as a memorial,
3 IN THE FIRST year of King Cyrus, King Cyrus made a decree for the house of God in Jerusalem, Let the house be built, even the place where they offered sacrifices, and let the walls thereof be joined together: let the height thereof be threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof threescore cubits,
4 Three [c]orders of [d]great stones, and one order of timber, and let the expenses be given of the king’s house.
5 And also let them render the vessels of the house of God (of gold and silver, which Nebuchadnezzar took out of the Temple, which was in Jerusalem, and brought unto Babel) and let [e]him go unto the Temple that is in Jerusalem to his place, and put them in the house of God.
6 Therefore Tattenai captain beyond the river, and Shethar-Boznai, (and their companions Apharsecai, which are beyond the River) be ye far [f]from thence.
7 Suffer ye the work of this house of God, that the captain of the Jews and the Elders of the Jews may build this house of God in his place.
8 For I have given a commandment what ye shall do to the Elders of these Jews, for the building of this house of God, that of the revenues of the King, which is of the tribute beyond the River, there be incontinently expenses given unto these men that they [g]cease not.
9 And that which they shall have need of, let it be given unto them day by day, whether it be young bullocks, or rams, or lambs for the burnt offerings of the God of heaven, wheat, salt, wine, and oil, according to the appointment of the Priests that are in Jerusalem, that there be no fault,
10 That they may have to offer sweet odors unto the God of heaven, and pray for the king’s life, and for his sons.
11 And I have made a decree, that whosoever shall alter this sentence, the wood shall be pulled down from his house, and shall be set up, and he shall be hanged thereon, and his house shall be made a dunghill for this.
12 And the God that hath caused his Name [h]to dwell there, destroy all kings and people that put to their hand to alter and to destroy this house of God, which is in Jerusalem. I Darius have made a decree, let it be done with speed.
13 ¶ Then Tattenai the Captain beyond the River, and Shethar-Boznai and their companions, according to that which Darius had sent, so they did speedily.
14 So the elders of the Jews built, and they prospered by the prophesying of [i]Haggai the Prophet, and Zechariah the son of Iddo, and they built and finished it, by the appointment of the God of Israel, and by the commandment of Cyrus and Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia.
15 And this house was finished the third day of the month [j]Adar, which was [k]the sixth year of the reign of King Darius.
16 ¶ And the children of Israel, the Priests, and the Levites, and the residue of the children of the captivity kept the dedication of this house of God with joy,
17 And offered at the dedication of this house of God an hundred bullocks, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs, and twelve goats, for the sin of all Israel, according to the number of the tribes of Israel.
18 And they set the Priests in their order, and the Levites in their courses over the service of God in Jerusalem, as it is written in the (A)book of Moses.
19 And the children of the captivity kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month.
20 (For the Priests and the Levites were purified altogether) and they killed the Passover for all the children of the captivity, and for their brethren the Priests, and for themselves.
21 So the children of Israel which were come again out of captivity, and all such as had [l]separated themselves unto them, from the filthiness of the Heathen of the land to seek the Lord God of Israel, did eat,
22 And they kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with joy: for the Lord had made them glad, and turned the heart of the king of [m]Assyria unto them, to [n]encourage them in the work of the house of God, even the God of Israel.
7 13 By the commandment of the king, Ezra and his companions come to Jerusalem. 27 He giveth thanks to God.
1 Now after these things, in the reign of [o]Artaxerxes king of Persia, was Ezra the son of Seraiah, the son of Azariah, the son of Hilkiah,
2 The son of Shallum, the son of Zadok, the son of Ahitub,
3 The son of Amariah, the son of Azariah, the son of Meraioth,
4 The son of Zerahiah, the son of Uzzi, the son of Bukki,
5 The son of Abishua, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of [p]Aaron, the chief Priest.
6 This Ezra came up from Babel, and was a [q]Scribe, prompt in the Law of Moses, which the Lord God of Israel had given, and the king gave him all his request according to the hand of the Lord his God, which was upon him.
7 And there went up certain of the children of Israel, and of the Priests, and the Levites, and the singers, and the porters, and the Nethinim unto Jerusalem, in the seventh year of king Artaxerxes.
8 And he came to Jerusalem in the [r]fifth month, which was in the seventh year [s]of the king.
9 For upon the first day of the first month began he to go up from Babel, and on the first day of the fifth month came he to Jerusalem according to the good hand of his God that was upon him.
10 For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the Law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach the precepts and judgments in Israel.
11 ¶ And this is the copy of the letter that king Artaxerxes gave unto Ezra the Priest and Scribe, even a writer of the words of the commandments of the Lord, and of his statutes over Israel.
12 ARTAXERXES king of kings, to Ezra the Priest and perfect Scribe of the Law of the God of heaven, and to [t]Cheeneth.
13 I have given commandment, that everyone that is willing in my kingdom of the people of Israel, and of the Priests, and Levites, [u]to go to Jerusalem with thee, shall go.
14 Therefore art thou sent of the king and his seven counselors, to [v]enquire in Judah and Jerusalem, according to the Law of thy God, which is in [w]thine hand,
15 And to carry the silver and the gold, which the king and his counselors willingly offer unto the God of Israel (whose habitation is in Jerusalem)
16 And all the silver and gold that thou canst find in all the province of Babel, with the free offering of the people, and that which the Priests offer willingly to the house of their God which is in Jerusalem,
17 That thou mayest buy speedily with this silver, bullocks, rams, lambs, with their meat offerings, and their drink offerings: and thou shalt offer them upon the Altar of the house of your God, which is in Jerusalem.
18 And whatsoever it pleaseth thee and thy brethren to do with the rest of the silver and gold, do ye it according to the will of your [x]God.
19 And the vessels that are given thee for the service of the house of thy God, those deliver thou before God in Jerusalem.
20 And the residue that shall be needful for the house of thy God, which shall be meet for thee to bestow, thou shalt bestow it out of the King’s treasure house,
21 And I king Artaxerxes have given commandment to all the treasurers which are beyond [y]the River, that whatsoever Ezra the Priest and Scribe of the Law of the God of heaven shall require of you, that it be done incontinently,
22 Unto an hundred talents of silver, unto an hundred [z]measures of wheat, and unto an hundred [aa]baths of wine, and unto an hundred baths of oil, and salt without writing.
23 Whatsoever is by the commandment of the God of heaven, let it be done speedily for the house of the God of heaven: for why should he be wroth [ab]against the realm of the King and his children?
24 And we certify you, that upon any of the Priests, Levites, singers, porters, Nethinim, or Ministers in this house of God, there shall no governor lay upon them toll, tribute nor custom.
25 And thou Ezra (after the wisdom of thy God, that is in thine hand) [ac]set judges and arbiters, which may judge all the people that is beyond the River, even all that know the law of thy God, and teach ye them that know it not.
26 And whosoever will not do the Law of thy God, and the king’s law, let him have judgment without delay, whether it be unto death, or to banishment, or to confiscation of goods, or to imprisonment.
27 [ad]Blessed be the Lord God of our fathers, which so hath put in the king’s heart, to beautify the house of the Lord that is in Jerusalem,
28 And hath inclined mercy toward me, before the king and his counselors, and before all the king’s mighty Princes: and I was comforted by the hand of the Lord my God which was upon me, and I gathered the chief of Israel to go up with me.
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