Ezra Chapter 7

Ezra Chapter 7
1 Now after these things, in the reign of
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
Aaron, the chief priest.
6 This Ezra came up from Babylon, and
was a 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 Nethinims unto 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 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 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 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 to go to Jerusalem
with thee, shall go.
14 Therefore art thou sent of the king and
his seven counselors, to inquire in Judah
and Jerusalem, according to the law of
thy God, which is in 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 Babylon, 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 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 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 measures of wheat, and unto an
hundred 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
against the realm of the king, and his
children?
24 And we certify you, that upon any of
the priests, Levites, singers, porters,
Nethinims, 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) 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 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.