1 N ow after this, in the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Ezra son of Seraiah, the son of Azariah, the son of Hilkiah,

And after these things, in the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Ezra son of Seraiah, son of Azariah, son of Hilkiah,

2 T he son of Shallum, the son of Zadok, the son of Ahitub,

son of Shallum, son of Zadok, son of Ahitub,

3 T he son of Amariah, the son of Azariah, the son of Meraioth,

son of Amariah, son of Azariah, son of Meraioth,

4 T he son of Zerahiah, the son of Uzzi, the son of Bukki,

son of Zerahiah, son of Uzzi, son of Bukki,

5 T he son of Abishua, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the chief priest—

son of Abishua, son of Phinehas, son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the head priest;

6 T his Ezra went up from Babylon. He was a skilled scribe in the five books of Moses, which the Lord, the God of Israel, had given. And the king granted him all he asked, for the hand of the Lord his God was upon him.

Ezra himself hath come up from Babylon, and he a scribe ready in the law of Moses, that Jehovah God of Israel gave, and the king giveth to him -- according to the hand of Jehovah his God upon him -- all his request.

7 A nd also some of the Israelites, with some of the priests and Levites, the singers and gatekeepers, and the temple servants, went up to Jerusalem in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes.

And there go up of the sons of Israel, and of the priests, and the Levites, and the singers, and the gatekeepers, and the Nethinim, unto Jerusalem, in the seventh year of Artaxerxes the king.

8 E zra came to Jerusalem in the fifth month of the seventh year of the king.

And he cometh in to Jerusalem in the fifth month, that the seventh year of the king,

9 O n the first of the first month he started out from Babylon, and on the first of the fifth month he arrived in Jerusalem, for upon him was the good hand of his God.

for on the first of the month he hath founded the ascent from Babylon, and on the first of the fifth month he hath come in unto Jerusalem, according to the good hand of his God upon him,

10 F or Ezra had prepared and set his heart to seek the Law of the Lord, and to do and teach in Israel its statutes and its ordinances.

for Ezra hath prepared his heart to seek the law of Jehovah, and to do, and to teach in Israel statute and judgment.

11 N ow this is the copy of the letter that King Artaxerxes gave to Ezra the priest, the scribe, even a scribe the words of the commands of the Lord and of His statutes to Israel:

And this a copy of the letter that the king Artaxerxes gave to Ezra the priest, the scribe, a scribe of the words of the commands of Jehovah, and of His statutes on Israel:

12 A rtaxerxes, king of kings, to Ezra the priest, scribe of the instructions of the God of heaven: Greetings.

`Artaxerxes, king of kings, to Ezra the priest, a perfect scribe of the law of the God of heaven, and at such a time:

13 I make a decree that all of the people of Israel and of their priests and Levites in my realm, who offer freely to go up to Jerusalem, may go with you.

By me hath been made a decree that every one who is willing, in my kingdom, of the people of Israel and of its priests and Levites, to go to Jerusalem with thee, doth go;

14 F or you are sent by the king and his seven counselors to inquire about Judah and Jerusalem according to the instruction of your God, which is in your hand,

because that from the king and his seven counsellors thou art sent, to inquire concerning Judah and concerning Jerusalem, with the law of God that in thy hand,

15 A nd to carry the silver and gold which the king and his counselors have freely offered to the God of Israel, Whose dwelling is in Jerusalem,

and to carry silver and gold that the king and his counsellors willingly offered to the God of Israel, whose tabernacle in Jerusalem,

16 A nd all the silver and gold that you may find in all the province of Babylonia, with the freewill offerings of the people and of the priests, offered willingly for the house of their God in Jerusalem.

and all the silver and gold that thou findest in all the province of Babylon, with the free-will offerings of the people, and of the priests, offering willingly, for the house of their God that in Jerusalem,

17 T herefore you shall with all speed and exactness buy with this money young bulls, rams, lambs, with their cereal offerings and drink offerings, and offer them on the altar of the house of your God in Jerusalem.

therefore thou dost speedily buy with this money, bullocks, rams, lambs, and their presents, and their libations, and dost bring them near to the altar of the house of your God that in Jerusalem,

18 A nd whatever shall seem good to you and to your brethren to do with the rest of the silver and the gold, that do after the will of your God.

and that which to thee and to thy brethren is good to do with the rest of the silver and gold, according to the will of your God ye do.'

19 T he vessels also that are given to you for the service of the house of your God, those deliver before the God of Jerusalem.

`And the vessels that are given to thee, for the service of the house of thy God, make perfect before the God of Jerusalem;

20 A nd whatever more shall be needful for the house of your God which you shall have occasion to provide, provide it out of the king’s treasury.

and the rest of the needful things of the house of thy God, that it falleth to thee to give, thou dost give from the treasure-house of the king.

21 A nd I, Artaxerxes the king, make a decree to all the treasurers in the province beyond the River that whatever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the instructions of the God of heaven, shall require of you, it shall be done exactly and at once—

`And by me -- I Artaxerxes the king -- is made a decree to all treasurers who beyond the river, that all that Ezra the priest, scribe of the law of the God of heaven, doth ask of you, be done speedily:

22 U p to 100 talents of silver, 100 measures of wheat, 100 baths of wine, 100 baths of oil, and salt not specified.

Unto silver a hundred talents, and unto wheat a hundred cors, and unto wine a hundred baths, and unto oil a hundred baths, and salt without reckoning;

23 W hatever is commanded by the God of heaven, let it be done diligently and honorably for the house of the God of heaven, lest His wrath be against the realm of the king and his sons.

all that by the decree of the God of heaven, let be done diligently for the house of the God of heaven; for why is there wrath against the kingdom of the king and his sons?

24 A lso we notify you that as to any of the priests and Levites, singers, gatekeepers, temple servants, or other servants of this house of God, it shall not be lawful to impose tribute, custom, or toll on them.

`And to you we are making known, that upon any of the priests and Levites, singers, gatekeepers, Nethinim, and servants of the house of God, tribute and custom there is no authority to lift up.

25 Y ou, Ezra, after the wisdom of your God, which is in your hand, set magistrates and judges who may judge all the people of the River; choose those who know the instructions of your God, and teach him who does not know them.

`And thou, Ezra, according to the wisdom of thy God, that in thy hand, appoint magistrates and judges who may be judges to all the people who are beyond the river, to all knowing the law of thy God, and he who hath not known ye cause to know;

26 A nd whoever will not do the law of your God and the law of the king, let judgment be executed upon him exactly and speedily, whether it be unto death or banishment or confiscation of goods or imprisonment.

and any who doth not do the law of thy God, and the law of the king, speedily is judgment done upon him, whether to death, or to banishment, or to confiscation of riches, and to bonds.'

27 B lessed be the Lord, the God of our fathers, Who put such a thing as this into the king’s heart, to beautify the house of the Lord in Jerusalem,

Blessed Jehovah, God of our fathers, who hath given such a thing as this in the heart of the king, to beautify the house of Jehovah that in Jerusalem,

28 A nd Who has extended His mercy and steadfast love to me before the king, his counselors, and all the king’s mighty officers. I was strengthened and encouraged, for the hand of the Lord my God was upon me, and I gathered together outstanding men of Israel to go with me to Jerusalem.

and unto me hath stretched out kindness before the king and his counsellors, and before all the mighty heads of the king: and I have strengthened myself as the hand of Jehovah my God upon me, and I gather out of Israel heads to go up with me.