Ezra’s Arrival
1 After these events, during the reign of King Artaxerxes 7:1 Ezr 4:7; 6:14; Neh 2:1 of Persia, Ezra —
Seraiah’s 7:1 2Kg 25:18–21; Jr 52:24–27 son, Azariah’s son,
Hilkiah’s 7:1 2Kg 22:4; 23:4 son, 2 Shallum’s son,
Zadok’s 7:2 1Sm 8:17; 1Kg 1:7–8; 2:35 son, Ahitub’s son,
3 Amariah’s son, Azariah’s son,
Meraioth’s son, 4 Zerahiah’s son,
Uzzi’s son, Bukki’s son,
5 Abishua’s son, Phinehas’s son,
Eleazar’s son, the chief priest Aaron’s son 7:1–5 1Ch 6:3–15
6 — came up from Babylon. He was a scribe skilled in the law of Moses, 7:6 Ezr 7:11–12,21 which the Lord, the God of Israel, had given. The king had granted him everything he requested 7:6 Neh 2:4–8 because the hand of the Lord his God was on him. 7:6 Ezr 7:28; 8:22; Neh 2:8,187 Some of the Israelites, priests, Levites, singers, gatekeepers, and temple servants 7:7 Ezr 2:1–58; Neh 7:6–60 accompanied him to Jerusalem in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes.
8 Ezra 7:8 LXX, Syr, Vg read They came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, during the seventh year of the king. 9 He began the journey from Babylon on the first day of the first month 7:9 Ezr 8:15,21,31 and arrived in Jerusalem on the first day of the fifth month 7:9 Ezr 8:32 since the gracious hand of his God was on him. 7:9 Ezr 7:28; 8:18,31; Neh 2:8,1810 Now Ezra had determined in his heart to study the law of the Lord, obey it, and teach 7:10 Neh 8:1–8 its statutes and ordinances in Israel.
Letter from Artaxerxes
11 This is the text of the letter King Artaxerxes gave to Ezra the priest and scribe, an expert in matters of the Lord’s commands and statutes for Israel: 7:11 Ezr 7:12–26 is written in Aramaic.
12 Artaxerxes, king of kings, 7:12 Ezk 26:7; Dn 2:37 to Ezra the priest, an expert in the law of the God of the heavens:
Greetings.
13 I issue a decree that any of the Israelites in my kingdom, including their priests and Levites, who want to go to Jerusalem, may go with you. 7:13 Ezr 1:314 You are sent by the king and his seven counselors 7:14 Est 1:14 to evaluate Judah and Jerusalem according to the law of your God, which is in your possession. 15 You are also to bring the silver and gold the king and his counselors have willingly given to the God of Israel, 7:15 Hg 2:8 whose dwelling is in Jerusalem, 7:15 Dt 12:5–6; 2Ch 6:216 and all the silver and gold you receive throughout the province of Babylon, together with the freewill offerings given by the people and the priests to the house of their God in Jerusalem. 7:16 Ex 3:22; Ezr 1:617 Then you are to be diligent to buy with this money bulls, rams, and lambs, along with their grain and drink offerings, and offer them on the altar at the house of your God in Jerusalem. 7:17 Nm 15:1–14; Ezr 6:918 You may do whatever seems best to you and your brothers with the rest of the silver and gold, according to the will of your God. 19 Deliver to the God of Jerusalem all the articles given to you for the service of the house of your God. 7:19 Ezr 8:3320 You may use the royal treasury 7:20 Lit the king’s house to pay for anything else needed for the house of your God. 7:20 Ezr 6:4,8; 7:22–23
21 I, King Artaxerxes, issue a decree to all the treasurers in the region west of the Euphrates River: 7:21 Ezr 4:10; 7:25
Whatever Ezra the priest, an expert in the law of the God of the heavens, asks of you must be provided in full, 7:21 Ezr 6:822 up to 7,500 pounds 7:22 Lit 100 talents of silver, 500 bushels 7:22 Lit 100 cors of wheat, 550 gallons 7:22 Lit 100 baths of wine, 550 gallons of oil, and salt without limit. 7:22 Lit without instruction23 Whatever is commanded by the God of the heavens must be done diligently for the house of the God of the heavens, so that wrath will not fall on the realm of the king and his sons. 7:23 Ezr 6:1024 Be advised that you do not have authority to impose tribute, duty, and land tax on any priests, Levites, singers, doorkeepers, temple servants, or other servants of this house of God.
25 And you, Ezra, according to 7:25 Lit to your God’s wisdom that you possess, appoint magistrates and judges to judge all the people in the region west of the Euphrates who know the laws of your God and to teach anyone who does not know them. 7:25 Ezr 7:10; Neh 8:1–3,826 Anyone who does not keep the law of your God and the law of the king, let the appropriate judgment be executed against him, whether death, banishment, confiscation of property, or imprisonment. 7:26 Ezr 6:11
27 Blessed be the Lord, the God of our ancestors, who has put it into the king’s mind 7:27 Ezr 6:22 to glorify the house of the Lord in Jerusalem, 7:27 Is 60:7,1328 and who has shown favor to me before the king, 7:28 Ezr 9:9 his counselors, and all his powerful officers. So I took courage because I was strengthened by the hand of the Lord my God, 7:28 Lit because the hand of the Lord my God was on me, 7:28 Ezr 7:6; 8:18 and I gathered Israelite leaders to return with me. 7:28 Ezr 8:1–14,16