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Ezra 7
New American Standard Bible
Ezra 7
New American Standard Bible
Ezra Journeys from Babylon to Jerusalem
7 (A)Now after these things, in the reign of (B)Artaxerxes king of Persia, Ezra went up to Jerusalem; Ezra was the son of Seraiah, son of Azariah, son of Hilkiah, 2 son of Shallum, son of Zadok, son of Ahitub, 3 son of Amariah, son of Azariah, son of Meraioth, 4 son of Zerahiah, son of Uzzi, son of Bukki, 5 son of Abishua, son of Phinehas, son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the chief priest. 6 So this Ezra went up from Babylon, and he was a (C)scribe skilled in the Law of Moses, which the Lord God of Israel had given; and the king granted him all [a]he requested (D)because the hand of the Lord his God was upon him. 7 (E)Some of the sons of Israel and some of the priests, the Levites, the singers, the gatekeepers, and the temple servants went up to Jerusalem in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes.
8 And he came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the king. 9 For on the first day of the first month he began to go up from Babylon; and on the first of the fifth month he came to Jerusalem, (F)because the good hand of his God was upon him. 10 For Ezra had [b]firmly resolved to study the Law of the Lord and to practice it, and (G)to teach His statutes and ordinances in Israel.
King’s Decree on Behalf of Ezra
11 Now this is the copy of the letter which King Artaxerxes gave to Ezra the priest, the scribe, [c]learned in the words of the commandments of the Lord and His statutes to Israel: 12 “[d]Artaxerxes, (H)king of kings, to Ezra the priest, the scribe of the Law of the God of heaven, [e]perfect peace. And now 13 (I)I have issued a decree that any of the people of Israel and their priests and the Levites in my kingdom who are willing to go to Jerusalem, may go with you. 14 Since you are sent [f]on the part of the king and his (J)seven advisers to inquire about Judah and Jerusalem according to the Law of your God which is in your hand, 15 and to bring the silver and gold, which the king and his advisers have voluntarily given to the God of Israel, (K)whose dwelling is in Jerusalem, 16 with (L)all the silver and gold which you find in the entire province of Babylon, along (M)with the [g]voluntary offering of the people and of the priests, who (N)offered willingly for the house of their God which is in Jerusalem; 17 with this money, therefore, you shall diligently buy bulls, rams, and lambs, (O)with their grain offerings and their drink offerings, and (P)offer them on the altar of the house of your God which is in Jerusalem. 18 And whatever seems good to you and your brothers to do with the rest of the silver and gold, you may do according to the will of your God. 19 Also the utensils which are given to you for the service of the house of your God, deliver in full before the God of Jerusalem. 20 And the rest of the needs of the house of your God, for which it may be incumbent upon you to provide, (Q)provide for them from the royal treasury.
21 “I myself, King Artaxerxes, issue a decree to all the treasurers who are in the provinces beyond the Euphrates River, that whatever Ezra the priest, (R)the scribe of the Law of the God of heaven, may require of you, it shall be done diligently, 22 up to [h]a hundred talents of silver, [i]a hundred kors of wheat, [j]a hundred baths of wine, [k]a hundred baths of anointing oil, and salt [l]as needed. 23 Whatever is [m]commanded by the God of heaven, it shall be done with zeal for the house of the God of heaven, (S)so that there will not be wrath against the kingdom of the king and his sons. 24 We also inform you that (T)it is not allowed to impose tax, tribute, or toll (U)on any of the priests, Levites, singers, doorkeepers, temple servants, or other servants of this house of God.
25 “And you, Ezra, according to the wisdom of your God which is in your hand, (V)appoint magistrates and judges so that they may judge all the people who are in the province beyond the Euphrates River, that is, all those who know the laws of your God; and you may (W)teach anyone who is ignorant of them. 26 And (X)whoever does not comply with the Law of your God and the law of the king, judgment is to be executed upon him strictly, whether for death or for banishment, or for [n]confiscation of property or for imprisonment.”
The King’s Kindness
27 Blessed be the Lord, the God of our fathers, (Y)who has put such a thing as this in the king’s heart, to glorify the house of the Lord which is in Jerusalem, 28 and (Z)has extended favor to me before the king and his counselors and before all the king’s mighty officials. So I was strengthened according to (AA)the hand of the Lord my God that was upon me, and I gathered [o]leading men from Israel to go up with me.
Footnotes
- Ezra 7:6 Lit his request
- Ezra 7:10 Lit set his heart
- Ezra 7:11 Or the scribe of
- Ezra 7:12 Ch 7:12-26 is in Aram
- Ezra 7:12 Or perhaps it is determined
- Ezra 7:14 Lit from before
- Ezra 7:16 Or freewill offering
- Ezra 7:22 About 3.75 tons or 3.4 metric tons
- Ezra 7:22 About 770 cubic feet or 22 cubic meters
- Ezra 7:22 About 600 gallons or 2,271 liters
- Ezra 7:22 About 600 gallons or 2,271 liters
- Ezra 7:22 Lit without instruction
- Ezra 7:23 Lit from the command of
- Ezra 7:26 Or fines
- Ezra 7:28 Lit heads
Ezra 7
New International Version
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) 2 the son of Shallum, the son of Zadok,(D) the son of Ahitub,(E) 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,(F) the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the chief priest— 6 this 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) 7 Some of the Israelites, including priests, Levites, musicians, gatekeepers and temple servants, also came up to Jerusalem in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes.(J)
8 Ezra arrived in Jerusalem in the fifth month of the seventh year of the king. 9 He 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) 10 For 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
11 This 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:
12 Artaxerxes, king of kings,(M)
To Ezra the priest, teacher of the Law of the God of heaven:
Greetings.
13 Now I decree that any of the Israelites in my kingdom, including priests and Levites, who volunteer to go to Jerusalem with you, may go. 14 You 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. 15 Moreover, 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, 16 together 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) 17 With 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.
18 You 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. 19 Deliver(V) to the God of Jerusalem all the articles entrusted to you for worship in the temple of your God. 20 And anything else needed for the temple of your God that you are responsible to supply, you may provide from the royal treasury.(W)
21 Now 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— 22 up 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. 23 Whatever 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) 24 You 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)
25 And 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. 26 Whoever 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)
27 Praise 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 28 and 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.
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