1 After these events, during the reign of Artaxerxes, king of Persia, Ezra, the son of Seraiah, the son of Azariah, the son of Hilkiah—

Now after these things, in the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia, 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—

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—

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—

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 Aaron the chief priest—

The son of Abishua, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the chief priest:

6 this Ezra came up from Babylon. He was a skilled scribe in the Law of Moses, which the Lord, the God of Israel, had given. The king had granted him everything he had requested because the hand of the Lord his God was upon him.

This Ezra went up from Babylon; and he was a ready scribe in the law of Moses, which the LORD God of Israel had given: and the king granted him all his request, according to the hand of the LORD his God upon him.

7 Some of the people of Israel, as well as some of the priests, Levites, singers, gatekeepers, and temple servants, also went up to Jerusalem in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes.

And there went up some of the children of Israel, and of the priests, and the Levites, and the singers, and the porters, and the Nethinims, unto Jerusalem, in the seventh year of Artaxerxes the king.

8 Ezra arrived in Jerusalem in the fifth month of the seventh year of the king.

And he came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the king.

9 On the first day of the first month, the journey from Babylon began, and on the first day of the fifth month, he arrived in Jerusalem, for the gracious hand of his God was upon him.

For upon the first day of the first month began he to go up from Babylon, and on the first day of the fifth month came he to Jerusalem, according to the good hand of his God upon him.

10 For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the Lord, to observe it, and to teach its statutes and ordinances in Israel.

For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments.

11 This is a copy of the letter that King Artaxerxes gave to Ezra the priest, a scribe skilled in the commandments of the Lord and His statutes for Israel:

Now this is the copy of the letter that the king Artaxerxes gave unto Ezra the priest, the scribe, even a scribe of the words of the commandments of the LORD, and of his statutes to Israel.

12 "Artaxerxes, king of kings, to Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven. Perfect peace, and now:

Artaxerxes, king of kings, unto Ezra the priest, a scribe of the law of the God of heaven, perfect peace, and at such a time.

13 I issue a decree that any willing person from the people of Israel, including the priests and Levites in my kingdom, may go with you to Jerusalem.

I make a decree, that all they of the people of Israel, and of his priests and Levites, in my realm, which are minded of their own freewill to go up to Jerusalem, go with thee.

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

Forasmuch as thou art sent of the king, and of his seven counsellors, to enquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem, according to the law of thy God which is in thine hand;

15 And to bring the silver and gold that the king and his counselors have freely offered to the God of Israel, whose dwelling is in Jerusalem.

And to carry the silver and gold, which the king and his counsellors have freely offered unto the God of Israel, whose habitation is in Jerusalem,

16 Together with all the silver and gold you may find in the whole province of Babylon, as well as the freewill offerings of the people and the priests given for the house of their God in Jerusalem.

And all the silver and gold that thou canst find in all the province of Babylon, with the freewill offering of the people, and of the priests, offering willingly for the house of their God which is in Jerusalem:

17 With this silver, you shall diligently buy bulls, rams, and lambs, along with their grain and drink offerings, and offer them on the altar of the house of your God in Jerusalem.

That thou mayest buy speedily with this money bullocks, rams, lambs, with their meat offerings and their drink offerings, and offer them upon the altar of the house of your God which is in Jerusalem.

18 And whatever seems best 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.

And whatsoever shall seem good to thee, and to thy brethren, to do with the rest of the silver and the gold, that do after the will of your God.

19 Also, deliver the vessels that are given to you for the service of the house of your God in Jerusalem.

The vessels also that are given thee for the service of the house of thy God, those deliver thou before the God of Jerusalem.

20 And whatever else may be needed for the house of your God that it falls upon you to provide, you may do so from the royal treasury.

And whatsoever more shall be needful for the house of thy God, which thou shalt have occasion to bestow, bestow it out of the king's treasure house.

21 And I, King Artaxerxes, hereby issue a command to all the treasurers of the region beyond the river: Whatever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven, may request of you, it must be done promptly,

And I, even I Artaxerxes the king, do make a decree to all the treasurers which are beyond the river, that whatsoever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven, shall require of you, it be done speedily,

22 up to one hundred talents of silver, one hundred cors of wheat, one hundred baths of wine, one hundred baths of oil, and salt without limit.

Unto an hundred talents of silver, and to an hundred measures of wheat, and to an hundred baths of wine, and to an hundred baths of oil, and salt without prescribing how much.

23 Whatever is commanded by the God of heaven must be carried out diligently for the house of the God of heaven, so that there may not be wrath against the kingdom of the king and his sons.

Whatsoever is commanded by the God of heaven, let it be diligently done for the house of the God of heaven: for why should there be wrath against the realm of the king and his sons?

24 Furthermore, we notify you that it shall not be lawful to impose tribute, tax, or toll on any of the priests, Levites, singers, gatekeepers, temple servants, or other workers in this house of God.

Also we certify you, that touching any of the priests and Levites, singers, porters, Nethinims, or ministers of this house of God, it shall not be lawful to impose toll, tribute, or custom, upon them.

25 And you, Ezra, according to the wisdom of your God that is in your hand, are to appoint judges and magistrates who can judge all the people in the region beyond the River—all those who know the laws of your God. And for anyone who does not know them, you shall teach them.

And thou, Ezra, after the wisdom of thy God, that is in thine hand, set magistrates and judges, which may judge all the people that are beyond the river, all such as know the laws of thy God; and teach ye them that know them not.

26 Anyone who does not obey the law of your God and the law of the king shall face judgment promptly, whether it be death, banishment, confiscation of property, or imprisonment.

And whosoever will not do the law of thy God, and the law of the king, let judgment be executed speedily upon him, whether it be unto death, or to banishment, or to confiscation of goods, or to imprisonment.

27 Blessed be the Lord, the God of our ancestors, who put such a thing as this into the heart of the king, to beautify the house of the Lord in Jerusalem.

Blessed be the LORD God of our fathers, which hath put such a thing as this in the king's heart, to beautify the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem:

28 And who has shown favor to me before the king, his counselors, and all his powerful officials. I was strengthened because the hand of the Lord my God was upon me, and I gathered leaders from Israel to go up with me.

And hath extended mercy unto me before the king, and his counsellors, and before all the king's mighty princes. And I was strengthened as the hand of the LORD my God was upon me, and I gathered together out of Israel chief men to go up with me.