And after these things, in the reign of Artaxerxes, king of Persia — Ezra the son of Seraiah, the son of Azariah, the son of Hilkiah,
the son of Shallum, the son of Zadok, the son of Ahitub,
the son of Amariah, the son of Azariah, the son of Meraioth,
the son of Zerahiah, the son of Uzzi, the son of Bukki,
the son of Abishua, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the head priest —
this Ezra went up from Babylon. And he was a scribe skilled in the instruction of Moses, which the LORD, the God of Israel, had given; and the king gave him all his request, according to the hand of the LORD his God upon him.
And some of the sons of Israel went up, and some of the priests and the Levites, and the singers and the gatekeepers and the temple servants, to Jerusalem, in the seventh year of Artaxerxes the king.
And he came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was the seventh year of the king.
For on the first of the first month was the founding of the going up from Babylon, and on the first of the fifth month he came to Jerusalem, according to the good hand of his God upon him.
For Ezra had set his heart to seek the instruction of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statute and judgment.
Artaxerxes’ Letter for Ezra
And this is the copy of the letter that the king, Artaxerxes, gave to Ezra the priest, the scribe — a scribe of the words of the commandments of the LORD, and of his statutes over Israel:
“Artaxerxes, king of kings, to Ezra the priest, scribe of the law of the God of the heavens: Perfect peace — and now:
From me a decree is set that everyone in my kingdom of the people Israel, and of its priests and Levites, who offers freely to go to Jerusalem with you, may go.
Because you are sent from before the king and his seven counselors to inquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem, by the law of your God that is in your hand,
and to carry the silver and gold that the king and his counselors have freely offered to the God of Israel, whose dwelling is in Jerusalem,
and all the silver and gold that you find in all the province of Babylon, with the freewill offering of the people and the priests, offered freely for the house of their God that is in Jerusalem —
because of this, you shall diligently buy with this silver bulls, rams, lambs, with their grain offerings and their drink offerings, and offer them on the altar of the house of your God that is in Jerusalem.
And whatever seems good to you and to your brothers to do with the rest of the silver and the gold, you may do, according to the pleasure of your God.
And the vessels that are given to you for the service of the house of your God, deliver in full before the God of Jerusalem.
And the rest of what is needed for the house of your God, which falls to you to give, give from the king’s treasure house.
And from me — I, Artaxerxes the king — a decree is set to all the treasurers who are in Beyond the River, that whatever Ezra the priest, scribe of the law of the God of the heavens, asks of you shall be done diligently:
up to a hundred talents of silver, and up to a hundred cors of wheat, and up to a hundred baths of wine, and up to a hundred baths of oil — and salt without writing.
Whatever is from the decree of the God of the heavens, let it be done exactly for the house of the God of the heavens; for why should there be wrath against the kingdom of the king and his sons?
And we make known to you that upon all the priests and the Levites, the singers, the gatekeepers, the temple servants, and the servants of this house of God, it is not permitted to impose tribute, toll, or duty.
And you, Ezra, according to the wisdom of your God that is in your hand, appoint magistrates and judges who shall be judging all the people who are in Beyond the River — all who know the laws of your God; and whoever does not know, you shall make him know.
And whoever does not do the law of your God and the law of the king, let judgment be done on him diligently — whether for death, or for uprooting, or for a fine of goods, or for imprisonment.”
Ezra Blesses God
Blessed be the LORD, the God of our fathers, who put such a thing as this in the heart of the king, to beautify the house of the LORD that is in Jerusalem,
and who has extended loyal love to me before the king and his counselors, and before all the king’s mighty officers. And I took strength, according to the hand of the LORD my God upon me, and I gathered heads out of Israel to go up with me.
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