1 وبعد هذه الأمور في ملك ارتحشستا ملك فارس عزرا بن سرايا بن عزريا بن حلقيا2 بن شلوم بن صادوق بن اخيطوب3 بن امريا بن عزريا بن مرايوث4 بن زرحيا بن عزّي بن بقّي5 بن ابيشوع بن فينحاس بن العازار بن هرون الكاهن الراس6 عزرا هذا صعد من بابل وهو كاتب ماهر في شريعة موسى التي اعطاها الرب اله اسرائيل. واعطاه الملك حسب يد الرب الهه عليه كل سؤله.7 وصعد معه من بني اسرائيل والكهنة واللاويين والمغنيين والبوابين والنثينيم الى اورشليم في السنة السابعة لارتحشستا الملك.8 وجاء الى اورشليم في الشهر الخامس في السنة السابعة للملك.9 لانه في الشهر الاول ابتدأ يصعد من بابل وفي اول الشهر الخامس جاء الى اورشليم حسب يد الله الصالحة عليه.10 لان عزرا هيّأ قلبه لطلب شريعة الرب والعمل بها وليعلّم اسرائيل فريضة وقضاء11 وهذه صورة الرسالة التي اعطاها الملك ارتحشستا لعزرا الكاهن الكاتب كاتب كلام وصايا الرب وفرائضه على اسرائيل12 من ارتحشستا ملك الملوك الى عزرا الكاهن كاتب شريعة اله السماء الكامل الى آخره13 قد صدر مني أمر ان كل من اراد في ملكي من شعب اسرائيل وكهنته واللاويين ان يرجع الى اورشليم معك فليرجع.14 من اجل انك مرسل من قبل الملك ومشيريه السبعة لاجل السؤال عن يهوذا واورشليم حسب شريعة الهك التي بيدك15 ولحمل فضة وذهب تبرّع به الملك ومشيروه لاله اسرائيل الذي في اورشليم مسكنه.16 وكل الفضة والذهب التي تجد في كل بلاد بابل مع تبرعات الشعب والكهنة المتبرعين لبيت الههم الذي في اورشليم17 لكي تشتري عاجلا بهذه الفضة ثيرانا وكباشا وخرافا وتقدماتها وسكائبها وتقرّبها على المذبح الذي في بيت الهكم الذي في اورشليم.18 ومهما حسن عندك وعند اخوتك ان تعملوه بباقي الفضة والذهب فحسب ارادة الهكم تعملونه.19 والآنية التي تعطى لك لاجل خدمة بيت الهك فسلمها امام اله اورشليم.20 وباقي احتياج بيت الهك الذي يتفق لك ان تعطيه فاعطه من بيت خزائن الملك.21 ومني انا ارتحشستا الملك صدر امر الى كل الخزنة الذين في عبر النهر ان كل ما يطلبه منكم عزرا الكاهن كاتب شريعة اله السماء فليعمل بسرعة22 الى مئة وزنة من الفضة ومئة كرّ من الحنطة ومئة بث من الخمر ومئة بث من الزيت والملح من دون تقييد.23 كل ما أمر به اله السماء فليعمل باجتهاد لبيت اله السماء لانه لماذا يكون غضب على ملك الملك وبنيه.24 ونعلمكم ان جميع الكهنة واللاويين والمغنين والبوابين والنثينيم وخدام بيت الله هذا لا يؤذن ان يلقى عليهم جزية او خراج او خفارة.25 اما انت يا عزرا فحسب حكمة الهك التي بيدك ضع حكاما وقضاة يقضون لجميع الشعب الذي في عبر النهر من جميع من يعرف شرائع الهك والذين لا يعرفون فعلموهم.26 وكل من لا يعمل شريعة الهك وشريعة الملك فليقض عليه عاجلا اما بالموت او بالنفي او بغرامة المال او بالحبس27 مبارك الرب اله آبائنا الذي جعل مثل هذا في قلب الملك لاجل تزيين بيت الرب الذي في اورشليم.28 وقد بسط عليّ رحمة امام الملك ومشيريه وامام جميع رؤساء الملك المقتدرين. واما انا فقد تشددت حسب يد الرب الهي عليّ وجمعت من اسرائيل رؤساء ليصعدوا معي

1 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,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 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 on him.7 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, to Jerusalem, in the seventh year of Artaxerxes the king.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 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 on him.10 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 Now this is the copy of the letter that the king Artaxerxes gave to 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, a scribe of the law of the God of heaven, perfect peace, and at such a time.13 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 you.14 For as much as you are sent of the king, and of his seven counsellors, to inquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem, according to the law of your God which is in your hand;15 And to carry the silver and gold, which the king and his counsellors have freely offered to the God of Israel, whose habitation is in Jerusalem,16 And all the silver and gold that you can 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 That you may buy speedily with this money bullocks, rams, lambs, with their meat offerings and their drink offerings, and offer them on the altar of the house of your God which is in Jerusalem.18 And whatever shall seem good to you, and to your brothers, to do with the rest of the silver and the gold, that do after the will of your God.19 The vessels also that are given you for the service of the house of your God, those deliver you before the God of Jerusalem.20 And whatever more shall be needful for the house of your God, which you shall have occasion to bestow, bestow it out of the king' treasure house.21 And I, even I Artaxerxes the king, do make a decree to all the treasurers which are beyond the river, that whatever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven, shall require of you, it be done speedily,22 To 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, 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 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, on them.25 And you, Ezra, after the wisdom of your God, that is in your hand, set magistrates and judges, which may judge all the people that are beyond the river, all such as know the laws of your God; and teach you them that know them not.26 And whoever will not do the law of your God, and the law of the king, let judgment be executed speedily on him, whether it be to death, or to banishment, or to confiscation of goods, or to imprisonment.27 Blessed be the LORD God of our fathers, which has put such a thing as this in the king' heart, to beautify the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem:28 And has extended mercy to me before the king, and his counsellors, and before all the king' mighty princes. And I was strengthened as the hand of the LORD my God was on me, and I gathered together out of Israel chief men to go up with me.