1 After these things, during the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Ezra 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. He was a teacher well versed in the Law of Moses, which the LORD, the God of Israel, had given. The king had granted him everything he asked, for the hand of the LORD his God was on him.7 Some of the Israelites, including priests, Levites, musicians, gatekeepers and temple servants, also came up to Jerusalem in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes.8 Ezra arrived in Jerusalem in the fifth month of the seventh year of the king.9 He had begun his journey from Babylon on the first day of the first month, and he arrived in Jerusalem on the first day of the fifth month, for the gracious hand of his God was on him.10 For Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the LORD, and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel.11 This is a copy of the letter King Artaxerxes had given to Ezra the priest, a teacher of the Law, a man learned in matters concerning the commands and decrees of the LORD for Israel:12 Artaxerxes, king of kings, To Ezra the priest, teacher of the Law of the God of heaven: Greetings.13 Now I decree that any of the Israelites in my kingdom, including priests and Levites, who volunteer to go to Jerusalem with you, may go.14 You are sent by the king and his seven advisers to inquire about Judah and Jerusalem with regard to the Law of your God, which is in your hand.15 Moreover, you are to take with you the silver and gold that the king and his advisers have freely given to the God of Israel, whose dwelling is in Jerusalem,16 together with all the silver and gold you may obtain from the province of Babylon, as well as the freewill offerings of the people and priests for the temple of their God in Jerusalem.17 With this money be sure to buy bulls, rams and male lambs, together with their grain offerings and drink offerings, and sacrifice them on the altar of the temple of your God in Jerusalem.18 You and your fellow Israelites may then do whatever seems best with the rest of the silver and gold, in accordance with the will of your God.19 Deliver to the God of Jerusalem all the articles entrusted to you for worship in the temple of your God.20 And anything else needed for the temple of your God that you are responsible to supply, you may provide from the royal treasury.21 Now I, King Artaxerxes, decree that all the treasurers of Trans-Euphrates are to provide with diligence whatever Ezra the priest, the teacher of the Law of the God of heaven, may ask of you —22 up to a hundred talents "of silver, a hundred cors "of wheat, a hundred baths "of wine, a hundred baths "of olive oil, and salt without limit.23 Whatever the God of heaven has prescribed, let it be done with diligence for the temple of the God of heaven. Why should his wrath fall on the realm of the king and of his sons?24 You are also to know that you have no authority to impose taxes, tribute or duty on any of the priests, Levites, musicians, gatekeepers, temple servants or other workers at this house of God.25 And you, Ezra, in accordance with the wisdom of your God, which you possess, appoint magistrates and judges to administer justice to all the people of Trans-Euphrates —all who know the laws of your God. And you are to teach any who do not know them.26 Whoever does not obey the law of your God and the law of the king must surely be punished by death, banishment, confiscation of property, or imprisonment. [^5]27 Praise be to the LORD, the God of our ancestors, who has put it into the king's heart to bring honor to the house of the LORD in Jerusalem in this way28 and who has extended his good favor to me before the king and his advisers and all the king's powerful officials. Because the hand of the LORD my God was on me, I took courage and gathered leaders from Israel to go up with me.

1 Post hc autem verba in regno Artaxerxis regis Persarum, Esdras filius Sarai, filii Azari, filii Helci, 2 filii Sellum, filii Sadoc, filii Achitob, 3 filii Amari, filii Azari, filii Maraioth, 4 filii Zarahi, filii Ozi, filii Bocci, 5 filii Abisue, filii Phinees, filii Eleazar, filii Aaron sacerdotis ab initio. 6 Ipse Esdras ascendit de Babylone, et ipse scriba velox in lege Moysi, quam Dominus Deus dedit Isral : et dedit ei rex secundum manum Domini Dei ejus super eum, omnem petitionem ejus. 7 Et ascenderunt de filiis Isral, et de filiis sacerdotum, et de filiis Levitarum, et de cantoribus, et de janitoribus, et de Nathinis, in Jerusalem, anno septimo Artaxerxis regis. 8 Et venerunt in Jerusalem mense quinto, ipse est annus septimus regis. 9 Quia in primo die mensis primi cpit ascendere de Babylone, et in primo die mensis quinti venit in Jerusalem, juxta manum Dei sui bonam super se. 10 Esdras enim paravit cor suum, ut investigaret legem Domini, et faceret et doceret in Isral prceptum et judicium.11 Hoc est autem exemplar epistol edicti, quod dedit rex Artaxerxes Esdr sacerdoti, scrib erudito in sermonibus et prceptis Domini, et cremoniis ejus in Isral. 12 Artaxerxes rex regum Esdr sacerdoti scrib legis Dei cli doctissimo, salutem. 13 A me decretum est, ut cuicumque placuerit in regno meo de populo Isral, et de sacerdotibus ejus, et de Levitis, ire in Jerusalem, tecum vadat. 14 A facie enim regis, et septem consiliatorum ejus, missus es, ut visites Judam et Jerusalem in lege Dei tui, qu est in manu tua : 15 et ut feras argentum et aurum quod rex, et consiliatores ejus, sponte obtulerunt Deo Isral, cujus in Jerusalem tabernaculum est. 16 Et omne argentum et aurum quodcumque inveneris in universa provincia Babylonis, et populus offerre voluerit, et de sacerdotibus qu sponte obtulerint domui Dei sui, qu est in Jerusalem, 17 libere accipe, et studiose eme de hac pecunia vitulos, arietes, agnos, et sacrificia, et libamina eorum, et offer ea super altare templi Dei vestri, quod est in Jerusalem. 18 Sed et si quid tibi et fratribus tuis placuerit de reliquo argento et auro ut faciatis, juxta voluntatem Dei vestri facite. 19 Vasa quoque, qu dantur tibi in ministerium domus Dei tui, trade in conspectu Dei in Jerusalem. 20 Sed et cetera, quibus opus fuerit in domum Dei tui, quantumcumque necesse est ut expendas, dabitur de thesauro, et de fisco regis, 21 et a me. Ego Artaxerxes rex, statui atque decrevi omnibus custodibus arc public, qui sunt trans flumen, ut quodcumque petierit a vobis Esdras sacerdos, scriba legis Dei cli, absque mora detis, 22 usque ad argenti talenta centum, et usque ad frumenti coros centum, et usque ad vini batos centum, et usque ad batos olei centum, sal vero absque mensura. 23 Omne quod ad ritum Dei cli pertinet, tribuatur diligenter in domo Dei cli : ne forte irascatur contra regnum regis, et filiorum ejus. 24 Vobis quoque notum facimus de universis sacerdotibus, et Levitis, et cantoribus, et janitoribus, Nathinis, et ministris domus Dei hujus, ut vectigal, et tributum, et annonas non habeatis potestatem imponendi super eos. 25 Tu autem Esdra, secundum sapientiam Dei tui, qu est in manu tua, constitue judices et prsides, ut judicent omni populo qui est trans flumen, his videlicet qui noverunt legem Dei tui : sed et imperitos docete libere. 26 Et omnis qui non fecerit legem Dei tui, et legem regis, diligenter, judicium erit de eo sive in mortem, sive in exilium, sive in condemnationem substanti ejus, vel certe in carcerem.27 Benedictus Dominus Deus patrum nostrorum, qui dedit hoc in corde regis ut glorificaret domum Domini qu est in Jerusalem, 28 et in me inclinavit misericordiam suam coram rege et consiliatoribus ejus, et universis principibus regis potentibus : et ego confortatus manu Domini Dei mei, qu erat in me, congregavi de Isral principes qui ascenderent mecum.