Ezra 7

2son of Selum, son of Saddurk, son of Achitoh,

3son of Samaria, son of Esria, son of Mareoth,

4son of Zaraia, son of Ozias, son of Bokki,

5son of Abisue, son of Phineas, son of Eleazar, son of Aaron, the first priest.

6This Esdras who came up from Babylon, was a ready scribe in the law of Moses, which the Lord the God of Israel had given to Israel. And when the king gave him leave, because the hand of the Lord his God was upon him in all that he sought,

7there came up to Jerusalem some of the children of Israel, and some of the priests, and some of the Levites, namely, the musicians and the keepers of the gates and the Nathinims in the seventh year of Arthasastha, the king.

9For on the first day of the first month he settled his journey up from Babylon, and on the first day of the fifth month they arrived at Jerusalem. For the good hand of his God was upon him,

10because Esdras had set his heart to seek the law, and to do and to teach in Israel the statutes and the judgments.

13This is my answer: By me a decree is made, THAT everyone of the people of Israel in my kingdom, and of the priests, and Levites, who is of his own free will minded to go to Jerusalem,

14is sent on behalf of the king, and the seven counsellors, to go with thee to guard to Judea, even to Jerusalem, by the law of their God, which is in thy hand,

15for the house of the Lord, the silver and the gold, which the king and the counsellors have freely offered to the God of Israel, who dwelleth in Jerusalem,

16and all the silver and the gold which thou canst Procure in all the country of Babylon, with the free-will offerings of the people and the priests who make free-will offerings to the house of God which is at Jerusalem;

17enroll thou therefore in this book everyone who freely cometh to thee.
The bulls, rams and lambs, with their sacrifices and their libations—these thou shalt offer on the altar of the house of your God in Jerusalem.

18And if it seemeth good to thee and thy brethren, to do anything with the rest of the silver and the gold, do it as it shall please your God;

19but the vessels which are given thee for the service of the house of God, deliver up in the presence of God in Jerusalem.

20And whatsoever more may be wanted for the house of thy God, which thou mayst think ought to be given, give that out of the king’s treasure houses and on my behalf.

21I, Arthasastha the king, have given an order on all the treasuries which are beyond the river, that whatever Esdras the priest and scribe of the God of heaven shall require of you, be done with all readiness

22to the amount of a hundred talents of silver, and to the amount of a hundred cors of wheat, and to the amount of a hundred baths of wine, and a hundred baths of oil, and salt without limit.

23Whatever is commanded by the God of heaven, let it be done. Take heed that no one offer any insult to the house of the God of heaven, lest there be wrath against the realm of the king and his sons.

24Moreover, in respect to all the priests and the Levites, the musicians, the keepers of the gates, the Nathinims, and those employed in the service of the house of God, this hath been notified to you, Take no toll of them. Thou shalt have no authority to exercise dominion over them.

25And thou Esdras! as the wisdom of God is in thy hand, appoint scribes and judges, that they may administer justice to all the people beyond the river, to all such as know the law of thy God, and to such as know it not you shall make it known.

26And whoever will not readily perform the law of God, and the law of the king, upon him let judgment be passed, whether it be to death or to correction, or to confiscation of goods, or to imprisonment.

27Blessed be the Lord the God of our fathers who thus put it i n the king’s heart to glorify the house of the Lord which is at Jerusalem,

28and who gave m e favour in t he eyes of the king and his counsellors, and of all the officers of the king who were high in office. As for m e, I strenghtened myself, as the good hand of God was upon m e, and assembled from among Israel chiefs to go up with m e.